Everybody tells you to start a newsletter. Nobody tells you who you're supposed to send it to. Caitlin opens with the frustration every founder hits when they sit down to write to an empty list, and from there we get into why email is still worth it, what makes one worth opening, and what to do if you're starting from zero.
What We Cover:
- Email isn't dead: open rates still average in the high 20s to low 30s, and you own the list in a way you'll never own a social feed
- Why "an update about our business" shouldn't lead your newsletter, and what should
- Caitlin's rules for an email people actually read: one to three minutes, mobile friendly, big text, white space, and clear beats clever
- The newsletters we never miss (Daily Dad, James Clear's 3-2-1, Mozi Money Minute, Maker Division) and the ones that lost us
- Starting from zero: pairing email with social, and why the freebie isn't dead if the thing you're giving away is actually good
The One Thing: If you have clients, you have a list. Send them something useful with no ask attached, and keep doing it. Give more than you ask, and don't fail and bail after two sends.
Craig Brooks is CEO of Clarity Creative Group. Caitlin Smith is a brand designer and strategist. New episodes dropping soon. Follow Vibe Marketing wherever you listen to podcasts.