Writing Newsletters That Cater to Audience Interests

There are so many poorly done newsletters/email campaigns. As someone who turned an organization's newsletter w/ 15-20% open rates (quarterly) into two weekly newsletters each with consistently 65-70% open rate for years, I've learned a lot of lessons. Here's how to make your email something your audience can't wait to read: -Find the anti-pattern -5x value rule -Get over yourself, focus on delight -Trash compactor mindset -Only serve your fans What these mean: 1. Find the anti-pattern Figure out what your audience is craving for, that difference that would be so refreshing they would exhale when they learn about what you write. When I worked my first VC job, most VC fund newsletters were self-congratulatory announcements about portfolio company raises, investor press mentions, and occasionally a thoughtful piece. Pattern: Self-promotion in service of fund promotion. Anti-pattern: Zero self-promotion, only pure value given. Figure out what everybody does that is bad, and flip the script. 2. 5x value rule A lot of writers lack the humility to consider the fact that their idea/message/offer is simply just not as valuable as they think. When marketers/writers ask me for feedback, I tell them to consider what they think would be enough to get someone to care about their writing. Then 5x that bar. Make it so high a bar for value that it would be an "of course" decision for someone to read/respond/share about your stuff. 3. Get over yourself, focus on delight. It is obvious when newsletters are written with a KPI/explicit transactional goal in mind. Impress LPs to get them to invest. Convert those customers to subscribe for a plan. Get people to request meetings with you. If you provide delight in their experience of your product, the results will come. What would you do if you only want to make them as delighted as possible by your email every time they read it, without any conversion needed? Do that. The conversions will come. 4. Trash compactor mindset Remove the excess volume from your emails. I don't just mean concision in terms of length. Every marginal word you write should provide something of value - learning, insight, engagement, social proof, etc. If the next sentence doesn't raise or maintain the average value per word of your piece, don't include it. That might mean segment your audiences with different versions. Every sentence is a chance for the reader to lean in, or for them to rationalize why this is the last one of yours that they will read. 5. Only serve your fans. Don't try to get people onto your newsletter for subscriber-growth-sake. Every subscriber should be on your distribution because they make the active choice to become an audience member. If you had to describe what you write about and someone wouldn't automatically sign up, don't do it for them. Make something that will be shared word-of-mouth that will get them anyway. Opt-out list building does not make up for a low bar for content.

Don't try to sound smart. Try to be useful. 3 years ago, I deleted my most "impressive" newsletter. 2,000 words. Multiple frameworks. Industry jargon everywhere. 14 drafts. It felt "professional." It felt "high-level." It felt wrong. That week, a CEO guest spoke to me before our podcast: "You know why I listen to your show? Because you make things simple." Then she paused. "But your newsletter... sometimes I need a dictionary." That changed everything. I opened my analytics that night. The pattern was clear: My "smartest" content performed worst. My simplest advice spread fastest. I had been: • Writing to impress peers • Stacking jargon on jargon • Trying to sound "intellectual" • Hiding behind complexity So I started over. New rules: 1. Write like I talk 2. No words I wouldn't use at dinner 3. Every piece needs a clear "do this" Example: Before: "Contemporary market dynamics necessitate strategic pivots in content optimization." After: "Test what works. Double down on what people love." That decision? It built my entire business: • The podcast grew exponentially • The newsletter became my main lead generator • Sponsorship deals rolled in • Speaking opportunities opened up Best feedback I get: "Used your advice. Landed the client." "Finally, someone who makes this simple." "Implemented this today. It worked." The truth about expertise: • Rookies hide behind jargon • Veterans embrace simplicity • Masters focus on impact This philosophy drives everything: • How I write • How I speak • How I teach • How I coach Because here's what I learned: Value beats vocabulary. Always. 3 questions before publishing: 1. Would my mom get this? 2. Can someone use this today? 3. Did I remove all the fluff? Remember: Your audience's success is your scorecard. Not your vocabulary. Today? That decision to choose simplicity over sophistication was worth millions. But more importantly: It actually helped people. // Agree? Simple or complex content - which actually helps you more? Share below. #ContentCreation #Podcasting #Writing #ValueFirst

There’s a reason your emails stop getting clicks after week 3. It’s something I call the Newsletter Wall. Here’s what usually happens: Your welcome emails are great. Thoughtful, helpful, and well put together. But after that? Most people just get dropped into your regular newsletter. → Same kind of subject lines → Sent at the same time every week → Same format, week after week Before you know it, people stop paying attention. Not because they don’t like you, but because they already know what’s coming. You’ve (without meaning to) taught them to scroll past you. If you want to keep their interest, you’ve got to mix things up. Try rotating through these 4 types of emails: 1. Transactional Value: Remind them you help them save, solve, or win. Reinforce ROI. 2. Relational Insight: Build relationship. Tell a story. Get personal or behind the scenes. 3. Pattern Disruption: Break expectations. Try a weird subject line, an animated GIF, a poll. 4. Exclusive Utility: Share something they can ONLY get through email (guide, discount, early drop). Changing up what you send (and how you send it) keeps people curious and interested. It’s not about having the “best” newsletter, it’s about staying interesting once your automated intro is over.

If I Were a CMO at a Media Company With 100,000 Subscribers, Here's How I'd Turn That Email List Into a Money-Making Newsletter…. First, I'd fix the damn content. Most newsletters read like they were written by a committee of bored interns. No personality. No edge. Just corporate word salad. I'd blow that up and rebuild with: • An opener that makes people think "damn, I need to read this" • Story curation that actually helps readers make sense of their world • Quick hits for busy people who still want to feel informed • Ads that don't make readers want to gouge their eyes out • Quirky insights that make them feel smarter than their peers Your content isn't just "content" - it's why people let you into their inbox in the first place. Respect that privilege. Second, I'd segment subscribers like my life depended on it. The "blast everyone the same generic newsletter" approach is newsletter malpractice. I'd build simple segments based on what people actually click on. The finance nerds get more finance. The industry gossip lovers get more tea. Not rocket science. When you know who likes what, everything gets better - your content, ads, open rates, everything. Third, I'd build a monetisation strategy that doesn't suck. Most newsletters either monetise too aggressively (alienating readers) or too timidly (leaving money on the table). I'd create a mix of: • Sponsorships from brands that actually make sense for the audience • Affiliate deals for products I'd genuinely recommend to a friend • Premium offerings for the die-hard fans who want more The key is balance. Subscribers aren't stupid - they know you need to make money. Just don't be greedy about it. Fourth, I'd stop treating the newsletter like an island. Your newsletter should feed your social. Your social should feed your website. Your website should feed your newsletter. Every piece of content should work twice as hard. That insightful analysis in Tuesday's newsletter? That's Thursday's LinkedIn post. That interview with an industry leader? That's next week's X thread. Work smarter, not harder. Fifth, I'd obsess over keeping subscribers around. Getting someone to subscribe is just the beginning. Keeping them opening, reading, and clicking month after month? That's the real game. I'd make new subscribers feel welcome. I'd recognize the loyal ones. I'd surprise and delight when they least expect it. Treat subscribers like the relationship they are, not the metrics they represent. Finally, I'd turn the CEO into someone worth listening to. Every media company has a face. Make sure it's one with something interesting to say. Have your leadership share perspectives, predictions, and behind-the-scenes insights that only they could provide. Do that consistently, and that 100K list becomes an asset that makes consistent $$$.

I did a workshop with beehiiv on how companies are adding $1M in ARR using founder-led newsletters. Here's the tl;dr: But, first, why write a founder-led newsletter? • 90% of your ICP isn’t in the market to buy TODAY. But when they will be, you’ll be the first person they think of. • You can meet only once per quarter on a sales call with your prospects — miss it, and you wait for 3 months. But a newsletter lets you talk to your ideal customers 2-4X a month. • Newsletters help you go from "pushy salesperson" to "thought partner" if you focus on consistently providing value (more on that below) • <20% of your social followers are likely to see your content, but 40-60% of your subscribers will open/read your newsletter So, the question is not “if” you should write a newsletter, it’s “how.” Here are 4 principles you can use: 1) Focus on who reads, not how many I sent my first issue to 236 people I met at conferences / had already worked with. Today, the founders of beehiiv, 1440, The Rundown, and most of the largest newsletter brands read it. So don’t overthink. Just start. And obsess over attracting the right audience instead of chasing # of subscribers - that’s a vanity metric. 2) Give away the secrets, sell the execution My highest-performing content (60%+ open rates): • Tactical playbooks (we share our ads playbook for the largest newsletter brands) • Case studies (like how we drove $250K for a 15K-person newsletter) • Also great: interviews with experts, guest posts, industry hot takes/trends 3) Focus on the four highest-leverage growth levers • Lead magnets I recommend some kind of triple T lead magnet (tactics, templates, or tools) that’s gated by a simple landing page in Carrd. People sign up to your email list to receive what you put together for them. • The Dream 100 strategy Create a list of people you’d love to work with → Find them on LinkedIn → DM them: Share value (lead magnet, past newsletter issue) → Invite them to subscribe to your newsletter Example: (“Hey, I have a newsletter where I share growth/monetization tactics 2X a month. [people/brands they respect] are reading it. Mind if I add you?) • Post on socials and share the newsletter link at the end • Auto-DM new followers and send the newsletter link 4) Convert readers into clients Step 1: Do interesting things and talk about them Every Sunday, review your calendar from the past week: • What questions kept coming up in calls? • Which client problems did you solve? • What frameworks worked? That's your next month of newsletter content. Step 2: Introduce subtle CTAs • Show how you've helped similar clients and how you can help them. Example: I shared how we helped a founder generate $250K and naturally mentioned we scale newsletters. • I sign off with my LinkedIn and calendar link for anyone to book a call with me. • After delivering value, I reach out 1:1 to book meetings. Following this template, I grew my agency to $1M in ARR in 11 months.

Many people still think email newsletters are for sharing updates. If you want to grow an engaged list that enjoys listening to you... Your emails should be focused on the reader - not you. Here are five mindset shifts you should make if you want your email newsletter to grow your business 👇 → Focus on giving, not asking When your intention is to help people > Give them value. Teach something. Entertain them. They'll want to read your emails. Instead of asking for something. Give more. And, see what happens. → Forget what you want to say and think, 'what do they want to hear?' An easy trick is to write down every question someone asks you. Check your call recordings. Social media comments. Conversations with clients. And notice what they're after... What do they want to know? What are they interested in? What are they struggling with? Now you have topics worth reading for your newsletters. → Stop worrying about impressing and focus on connecting Who cares about what recent awards or achievements you've made... Sure, it's good for credibility, but you don't have to talk about it all. the. time. Instead of trying so hard to impress people with your - knowledge - status - accolades Focus on connecting. ✨ How can you better connect with your audience? How can you be real, authentic, and vulnerable? People want to read newsletters from those they feel connected with. Focus on being that person. → Instead of going long and deep, focus on the most important parts People are busy and don't need to spend more time reading emails. You might want to write a long newsletter. But, make it easy to consume. Make it - skimable - snackable - powerful How much value can people grab in just 3 minutes? If it's a lot, you're golden. → You can be as niche as you want I know you see LinkedIn creators broadcasting to join 100,000+ people on their newsletter, and sure, that's awesome and everything... But, you don't need a ton of subscribers to be successful with your email newsletter. Actually, the more high-quality leads you have signing up the better. You don't need everybody and their mom to read it. Just focus on helping one kind of person. More subscribers aren't everything. The right subscribers who resonate matter more. ----- What mindset shift do you think is the most important? 👇 --- If we haven't met yet, Hi! 👋 I'm Michelle, a story-driven and conversion-focused ghostwriter for coaches and consultants. If you're into authentic marketing and using the power of words to grow your business, make sure to follow Michelle Pitcher. 🚀

In 23 years of driving growth for agencies, I’ve seen more newsletters than I can count. And there’s one mistake I see over and over again… They make it all about THEMSELVES. Headlines like “Here’s what we’ve been up to” or “The latest from our studio” are painfully common. And honestly? No one cares. Want to stand out? Flip the script. - Deliver consistent value to your audience. - Anchor that value in your agency’s expertise. For example, if you're an expert at helping legacy brands connect with Gen Z, your newsletter should become a go-to source for Gen Z insights and cultural signals. Share trends. Spotlight smart moves from other brands (not just the ones you work on). Tell stories that inspire action. That’s how you build trust. That’s how you become the agency of choice. Less self-promotion. More relevance. That’s the real growth move. Hope this helps. Cheers, Moggsy x #TeamUncommon #AgencyGrowth #NewBusiness #BusinessDevelopment #CMO #CreativeAdvertising