The Top 5 Mistakes That Will Sink Your Maker-Related Newsletter Before Year-End (And What To Do Instead)
Since the mid 2000's, people have said that email is dead and they are partially correct.
Email lists can be amazingly powerful and provide leverage to get your message in front of more people without going through algorithms. However, you're almost certainly in the ~85% of newsletters that ultimately fail. Instead of wasting all the time and effort you've already put in, let's make a few tweaks to get into the ~15% of successful newsletters.
Not all email is dead, only the terrible emails that make these mistakes.
Mistake 1: Using Your Newsletter As A Megaphone
Almost all newsletters in the Maker space constantly ask you to buy or watch something and it is tiring.
Instead, focus on providing free value to your audience more than you're asking them to do something for you. You wouldn't stay friends with someone who constantly asks you for money, so why would you assume people would want to keep reading your emails if you're constantly asking them for things?
Mistake 2: Keeping Only 1 Email List
Most writers assume that, if someone subscribes to their newsletter, they want everything you could possibly write, which is why their bounce rate is so high.
You are not a 1-dimensional person, nor is your business and you should segment your list into different categories so that the people interested in a category get it (and those who aren't interested don't). Don't assume that your audience is 1-dimensional anymore than you'd want them to assume you are.
Mistake 3: Sending Emails When You Feel Like It
Most content creators get in a groove before something happens that throws the entire thing off, which absolutely kills their engagement (whether on social media or email).
Leila Hormozi has said that the most successful people she knows are dangerously consistent. It's better to lower your volume and be consistent than to try to send 5 emails per week for a month, then skip 3 weeks in a row.
Mistake 4: Assuming Analytics Are Only For Nerds
Most people starting their newsletter will send the email and, if they are consistent (see above), think about the next one, but don't pay any attention to what is and isn't working.
You might have a particular topic that you are really passionate about, but it's just not performing well with your audience. Analytics will show you what you should cut out (even if you're passionate about it) and what you should double down on.
Mistake 5: Focusing On What You Want
Similar to Mistake 1, most newsletters focus on getting their audience to do something for them, believing that they know what their audience wants better than they do.
While you are the writer (or pay someone to write your newsletter for you), you are not the hero of your newsletter, your audience is. Focus on what they want and be the guide that gets them to the destination they want (be Obi-Wan, not Luke).
Don't let your newsletter be part of the massive percentage of failures.
As always, please ask any questions you have in comments or DM me. I'm more than happy to help anyway I can.
