7 Lessons I have learnt, running a newsletter for a year
A thread...
A thread...
On July 11th, 2020 I sent out my first newsletter.
Today, it has 75K+ subscribers, with an open rate of 54%.
And if I wanted to, could generate 2-3L per month revenue, with virtually no effort!
Here are 7 things I learnt, running a newsletter I call "warikoo Wanderings"
Today, it has 75K+ subscribers, with an open rate of 54%.
And if I wanted to, could generate 2-3L per month revenue, with virtually no effort!
Here are 7 things I learnt, running a newsletter I call "warikoo Wanderings"
1. Find your topic and then find who likes that topic. Not the other way around.
Don't start a newsletter for anyone else.
Start it for yourself.
Because you want to write.
Because you want to share.
Because you have something to share.
The audience will self-select themselves.
Don't start a newsletter for anyone else.
Start it for yourself.
Because you want to write.
Because you want to share.
Because you have something to share.
The audience will self-select themselves.
2. If you don't like writing, you will struggle initially
At the core of it, a newsletter is a writing pad.
You pick your own thoughts, or someone else's and give it structure through your words.
If that comes naturally to you, you will find it easy to be consistent.
At the core of it, a newsletter is a writing pad.
You pick your own thoughts, or someone else's and give it structure through your words.
If that comes naturally to you, you will find it easy to be consistent.
Consistency is the biggest thing when it comes to creating content.
Algorithms respect consistency.
People respect consistency.
Compounding happens through consistency.
If you do not like writing, reconsider starting a newsletter in the first place.
Algorithms respect consistency.
People respect consistency.
Compounding happens through consistency.
If you do not like writing, reconsider starting a newsletter in the first place.
3. Open rate is everything
When you send a newsletter, no one can read what's inside.
They first have to see it (in their inbox)
And then be enticed by the subject line, to open it.
Like it or not, you will have to spend time on these 2 elements - delivery and subject lines.
When you send a newsletter, no one can read what's inside.
They first have to see it (in their inbox)
And then be enticed by the subject line, to open it.
Like it or not, you will have to spend time on these 2 elements - delivery and subject lines.
Delivery:
- Work with email service providers that specialize in content emails as against transaction emails.
- Keep HTML to minimum
- Do not use spam words anywhere (journeys.autopilotapp.com/blog/email-spa…)
- Read up about DKIM and SPIF: it is technical but necessary for your email address
- Work with email service providers that specialize in content emails as against transaction emails.
- Keep HTML to minimum
- Do not use spam words anywhere (journeys.autopilotapp.com/blog/email-spa…)
- Read up about DKIM and SPIF: it is technical but necessary for your email address
Subject Line
- Asking questions works (Do you hate Mondays?)
- Provocative statements work (You let me down). Be careful though
- Do not be boring (Newsletter #234)
- Below 60 characters
- Ask yourself "Would I open a cold email with this subject line?"
- Asking questions works (Do you hate Mondays?)
- Provocative statements work (You let me down). Be careful though
- Do not be boring (Newsletter #234)
- Below 60 characters
- Ask yourself "Would I open a cold email with this subject line?"
4. Early on, reply to almost everyone
For 2 reasons
1. It tells the email service provider that this is a conversational email and not a transactional one
2. It helps you understand your audience even better.
For 2 reasons
1. It tells the email service provider that this is a conversational email and not a transactional one
2. It helps you understand your audience even better.
I ask a question every week - and for the first 40 weeks, had the audience reply with their answers.
Some 300-400 replies every week.
I replied to most of them.
It helped in the deliverability.
And I got to know a lot about them.
Some 300-400 replies every week.
I replied to most of them.
It helped in the deliverability.
And I got to know a lot about them.
5. Mix long form with short form
A lot of us have stopped or reduced reading.
So to build a large audience, you will have to mix long and short form content.
Have a consistent structure.
So people know what to expect.
And they self select their preferred sections.
A lot of us have stopped or reduced reading.
So to build a large audience, you will have to mix long and short form content.
Have a consistent structure.
So people know what to expect.
And they self select their preferred sections.
My structure is:
1. Long form topic (any) - 300-400 words
2. My latest podcast episode
3. Book I am reading this week
4. Some quotes I wrote on twitter
5. Results of last week's question
6. This week's question
People jump to what they like, skipping the rest!
1. Long form topic (any) - 300-400 words
2. My latest podcast episode
3. Book I am reading this week
4. Some quotes I wrote on twitter
5. Results of last week's question
6. This week's question
People jump to what they like, skipping the rest!
6. It is expensive
Working with a good email service provider can be expensive.
I use @ConvertKit and spend $700+ pm - which is almost $1/subscriber.
But I love the product, their focus on deliverability and their minimalist approach towards newsletters.
Working with a good email service provider can be expensive.
I use @ConvertKit and spend $700+ pm - which is almost $1/subscriber.
But I love the product, their focus on deliverability and their minimalist approach towards newsletters.
7. But, you can make happy money from it, if you want to
There are 2 ways of making money from newsletters
1. Sponsorships - which will only kick in at scale (50K+ subs) or if you have built something really niche.
This is hard to pull off
There are 2 ways of making money from newsletters
1. Sponsorships - which will only kick in at scale (50K+ subs) or if you have built something really niche.
This is hard to pull off
2. Affiliate - share links and get a percentage of the sales you drive through the link
I use Amazon affiliate, for the books I share every week, and just that one link drives $1500 of affiliate revenue per month.
If I wanted to be aggressive, it could easily be $3-4K per month
I use Amazon affiliate, for the books I share every week, and just that one link drives $1500 of affiliate revenue per month.
If I wanted to be aggressive, it could easily be $3-4K per month
Writing a newsletter can be immensely rewarding, to build a habit of writing and also build passive income.
If you are in your 20s, I would encourage you to consider starting one for the first reason itself.
You can thank me later :)
If you are in your 20s, I would encourage you to consider starting one for the first reason itself.
You can thank me later :)
You can subscribe to my newsletter here:
ankurwarikoo.com/newsletter
You can read all previous editions of my newsletter here:
ankurwarikoo.com/newsletter-edi…
ankurwarikoo.com/newsletter
You can read all previous editions of my newsletter here:
ankurwarikoo.com/newsletter-edi…
PS: there was an error in calculation for @ConvertKit
It costs roughly 1 cent per subscriber per month and not 1 dollar!
Apologies @nathanbarry :)
It costs roughly 1 cent per subscriber per month and not 1 dollar!
Apologies @nathanbarry :)
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