Thread by @KintuLabs

How to start an email newsletter that provides value AND generates profit 💰

Thread 👇

Why should you be bullish on email newsletters?

This tweet from @Julian sums it up better than I ever could:

https://twitter.com/Julian/status/1246843056365522945

There’s a lot of crap published online every day... and having someone read through hundreds of pieces of content to select the very best pieces covering a topic is really, really valuable.

This is why curated newsletters matter.

Reasons why I’m so bullish on email newsletters:

- People don't change their email address
- Can get set up in hours
- Very inexpensive to start
- Brands/companies love sponsoring newsletters
- Can be updated anywhere in the world
- You'll build relationships with smart people

2 popular types of newsletters that work:

Curated - Recommend the best content around a single topic once a week. Monetize by sponsorships, job listings, affiliate deals

Editorial - Put your spin on a topic 3+ times per week. Best monetized by charging your readers (i.e $10/m)

If you're going to start a newsletter, check out the greats to get ideas on formatting, etc.

Some to check out:

@stratechery by @benthompson
@asiatechreview by @jonrussell
hackernewsletter.com by @kale

For more ideas, check out this list from @revue discover.getrevue.co

How to find newsletter topic ideas:

- Explore your interests/hobbies
- Go local by covering news, events, jobs

Also, browse:

- @explodingtopics
- @DruRly's Trends.vc reports
- Popular subreddits: redditlist.com

My rules for naming a newsletter:

- Don’t overthink it
- .com rules them all
- co and io are great for tech market
- No hyphens or numbers
- Shorter the domain, the better
- Make sure it is easy to spell
- Consider ending primary keyword with weekly/newsletter/hq/digest etc.

What newsletter software should you use?

I've tested most platforms and here are the tools I recommend checking out:

- @memberful
- @memberspace
- @Convertkit
- @EmailOctopus
- @Substack

Have a play around with each and go with the tool you feel most comfortable with.

How to find amazing content for your email newsletter:

- Follow key people, companies, journalists, and CEOs here on Twitter
- Subscribe to industry websites, blogs, forums, FB groups, subreddits
- Use tools like @nuzzel & @Pocket
- Set up filters on Google News & Google Alerts

Don't stop promoting your newsletter until you have a few hundred subscribers.

Why?

Because if you know you have at least 200 people waiting for you every week, you’ll be much more likely to continue updating it (consistency really is key with newsletters!).

How do you get your first 200+ newsletter subscribers?

Easy. Figure out where they hang out online.

Explore Twitter, FB groups, forums, subreddits.

*Pro-tip: Make sure you are sincere and customize each introduction to the community you are speaking with.

How to constantly grow an email newsletter:

- Make sure it's so good people will share it
- Interview key people in your industry
- Publish helpful guides
- Use a referral program like @sparkloopHQ
- Cross-promote with other newsletters
- Explore paid acquisition

Your aim to have enough newsletter growth that readers contact you directly to book sponsorships.

Also, don't be shy to send a short email to companies that could benefit from reaching your audience (this is also a great way to bring in new readers).

Cool folks pushing the newsletter space to new heights:

@peterc - the godfather of email newsletters
@yarobagriy who runs @newslettercrew
@pauldm who runs letterstack.co
@letter_xchange & @jonastwt's duuce.com - marketplaces for buying/selling newsletters

Okay, time for a #shamlessplug

If you want to learn more about creating profitable newsletters (I've built and sold 4 now), check out my course that shares the same name: kintu.co/profitable-new…