Rituals: How I write a weekly newsletter
And how to get started in creating an email newsletter
I realize how meta it is to write a newsletter about writing newsletters.
Truth be told, this newsletter has become a significant ritual in my life, and has been since March of last year, when I committed to writing it at a weekly cadence.
Writing for a broad audience is both cathartic and challenging, but doing so keeps me honest by forcing me to meet my committed, self-imposed deadline of publishing every Friday afternoon.
At my old content agency, we also distributed a weekly newsletter. The topics focused mostly on content marketing tips and content creation, but for finance and related industries. We maintained stellar open rate stats close to 50% (industry standard is ~20%) week-on-week, and decent engagement, too.
Looking inward, it’s funny how it’s easier to produce content at arm’s length for clients and companies, but so much harder when the writing is all on you, to promote your personal brand, or express your inner thoughts, ideas, and opinions.
I believe this is what they call the creator’s dilemma, the imposter syndrome creep, the avoidance to create because the perfectionist side in you stirs up anxiety about the product. And I know I’m not alone. In my mastermind communities other creators have also expressed the sobering discipline to commit to self-imposed deadlines (or lack thereof).
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But like all things–starting is the hardest part.
Being consistent second. The good news is once you get into a rhythm, it gets less daunting along the way.
If you’re interested in starting a newsletter of any cadence: daily, weekly, monthly, then I have some tips on how to get started.
Nail down your format and niche topics
There are no rules here.
Maybe you’re a fiction writer. You could devote each newsletter to promoting your writing by dropping a chapter each week.
Maybe you’re reviewing books and films. You could highlight “what’s hot” or be the person who goes down rabbit holes of glorious ‘80s and ‘90s films.
Perhaps you’re teaching people about digital marketing or A.I. or ball bearings or car parts.
Whatever you want to share with the world, just make sure you’re passionate about it. Convince people why this matters to you–because your authenticity is what will grow your readership.
I won’t deep dive into how I iterate on topics, but they’re all on a big Notion board, complete with pillars and sub-pillars.
Check with creators like Justin Welsh or Amanda Goetz on how they think about content creation.
Decide on your platform
Deciding on an email marketing platform nowadays can be dizzying, but pick one and go.
I am writing my newsletter with Substack, at my shindy.substack.com domain. I found it easiest to get started and get going.
I've also used both MailChimp and ConvertKit. Both are free to start as you build your email list, and they offer different features once you get into the paid tiers:
MailChimp: This OG platform is free for up to 1,000 email sends per month. It is super easy to design according to your style and taste, and is also easy to set up and begin sending.
ConvertKit: We used ConvertKit at my old content agency, and it is more robust in its marketing and analytics capabilities. It may take getting used to and has a slight learning curve (e.g., basic html), but once you get familiar, then it's easygoing.
I know people may be inclined to blog straight from their own website platforms, like Wix or Squarespace; I don’t know what blogging from those platforms is like, nor how their features, user interface, subscription management, and subscriber analytics are comparable when it comes specifically to email newsletter marketing.
I’ve also never liked Wordpress as a blogging platform. Just too much building and plug-ins and maintenance to worry about.
Commit to a cadence
This is the hardest of all. What is a realistic amount of time that you can focus toward producing this newsletter?
Which days or times of the week can you block to purposefully write a newsletter? Consistency is key and it is the only thing that counts.
Once you say to your readers that they will hear from you every week on Friday afternoon, then you better show up.
If you let your email list grow cold, then you will soon be forgotten in the abyss of distractions and smartphones and “oh yeah, whatever happened to …”
For me, this weekly newsletter has given me the opportunity to connect and reconnect to readers and share the sum of my experience.
I know I have a lot to offer and enjoy sharing stories of my living and working overseas, how I like to travel, what it was like to work in both corporate and startup worlds, and to start and sell a company.
I’m grateful there are platforms that enable me to share and that you’re here for it.
Are you starting a newsletter or creating something new? If so, then reply or comment about your launch or what you’re working on, because I’d love to hear about it!
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Until next time,
Shindy
On Instagram + TikTok
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