There’s a BIG blindspot that most conscious brands have.
It’s the most overlooked and underrated aspect of any business’ online presence.
I’m not talking about a social media platform, or even a website.
What is this blindspot?
An email newsletter.
Now before you get into judgment mode…
- “Email is so late 90’s”
- “That’s not as sexy as Insta!”
- “My inbox is filled with pushy promotions.”
- “I already send emails”
…suspend your disbelief for a moment.
An email newsletter is the best way to grow your business online while staying value-driven and genuinely serving people.
Here’s why 👇
Why Newsletters Are Subtle Powerhouses
Let’s clear the air. Email newsletters are not salesy emails.
The days of sending emails just to promote are gone.
If you’re still on those non-stop promotion email lists, unsubscribe to help them realize it’s not working anymore. And if you’re sending these kinds of emails, it’s time to evolve it into a newsletter.
Email newsletters are value-driven emails sent on a regular basis (ex/ once a week).
Why is this important?
- It’s a regular touch point
- You provide value upfront
- You give your audience content they want
- You build trust and create a warm, engaged audience
- You get people looking forward to your newsletter every week
- It differentiates you from old paradigm exploitative businesses
Starting to see how powerful this can be?
“But wait, there’s more!” 😉
Here’s why email is better than any social media platform: You own it.
Unlike social media, your email list can’t be taken away from you.
If you have a million followers on Instagram, for example, and Instagram shuts down your account, guess what? You can’t reach those people anymore. Gone, overnight.
Think about it this way. How do social media companies reach you outside of their platform? Email. What do you use to login to platforms? Email. See the theme here?
That’s why an email list is the most important online asset you can have. It’s your best home-base for online communication with your audience.
Here’s a couple relevant stats from Litmus:
- 78% of marketers in 2020 said email is important to overall company success.
- 4 out of 5 marketers said they’d rather give up social media than email marketing.
Don’t get me wrong here. I’m not saying to quit social media. You know what the best marketers do? They use social media to build their email list, because they know the true value of it.
If you want to serve your audience and grow your business long-term, build an email newsletter where you provide authentic value consistently.
Now let’s start getting into the how-to part.
Less Work, More Value (For Everyone)
Running an email newsletter doesn’t require much work at all.
It can take less than one hour of work per week.
But the value you can create, for your audience and your business, is mind-blowing.
Some conscious brands have email lists, but they tend to fall into one of two extremes:
- The Aggressive Seller: They send too many salesly emails too often and break people’s trust.
- The Fair-Weather Friend: They’re inactive for months and only pop up to send emails when they have something new to sell (which also breaks trust).
Don’t do that.
Email is the best way to sell anything online, but there’s a caveat. You need to build genuine relationships with people, provide value upfront and not be salesy.
Like with any relationship, it requires trust, consistency and a fair energy exchange. Or else it just doesn’t work out.
It’s funny that the harder you try to sell, the more you turn people off. And the more you focus on just helping people, the more they want to buy from you.
When it comes to the work involved, a newsletter is not anything more time-consuming than writing an awesome social media post.
Now here’s how to approach creating a newsletter.
Email Newsletter Structure
Newsletters don’t need to have any particular structure. It’s mostly an art, which is good news for creative, conscious-minded people.
The best structure is whatever best serves your audience.
With that said, there are some common structural elements of successful newsletters.
They are…
- Content-driven
- Helpful
- Concise (read in under 5 minutes)
- Not salesy, but can include links to offers
Successful newsletters are also consistent, which is a major key to success. The more consistent you are with it, the more subscribers you’ll get and the more trust you build with your subscribers.
It becomes a virtuous cycle that builds incredible momentum for your business.
Examples Of Great Newsletters
There are a lot of amazing newsletters out there.
I recommend subscribing to good ones to see what they’re doing and get inspiration for your own newsletter (never straight up copy anyone though).
Here are four examples of great newsletters:
3-2-1 Newsletter by James Clear
Author James Clear’s newsletter is based on a simple, memorable structure: 3 ideas from him, 2 quotes from other people and one question for the reader. It’s short and impactful, which is why people love it so much.
Maybe the most popular newsletter on the internet is Tim Ferriss’ 5-Bullet Friday.
It’s just 5 things that Tim finds interesting every week and shares. It’s successful because it’s like getting a weekly email from your smart friend who’s always finding cool stuff to help your life.
Fab Fridays by Ana Lorena Fabrega
Fab Fridays by Ana Lorena Fabrega is all about the future of education. Unlike the other two examples, it reads more like a short weekly blog. While there’s no preset structure, it’s filled with unique value and innovation.
This is my newsletter where I send intuitive messages based on what the collective needs each day.
Here’s a heart-warming reply I just received a couple days ago:
Hello Stephen,
As always, you have hit the spot perfectly. I feel very deeply that your messages are in my life for a reason, and come as Divine guidance, delivering exactly what I need to hear, at the exact time I need to hear it. I don’t write back very often, but please know that each and every email is read and re-read with full focus and great appreciation. I will be forever grateful to you for sharing.
That’s why I write the Heart Centered Wisdom newsletter, to inspire people like that.
And by writing this guide, my intention is for more conscious brands to have successful newsletters. This way, we can help more with the awakening of humanity and bringing to fruition a more beautiful world.
Some Ideas For Inspiration
Now let’s get into some more newsletter ideas to spark some more inspiration for you.
Local, Health-Conscious Restaurant
If I had a local, health-conscious restaurant, here’s what I’d do.
I’d have a weekly newsletter that consists of…
- A quote about health
- A health tip
- Weekly specials
- A coupon for subscribers to incentivize them to come in
Energy Healer
If I was an energy healer, my newsletter would be something like this:
- Weekly “energy update” reading the collective energy
- A tip to help people stay high vibe
- An invitation to book a session with me at the end
Conscious Dog Trainer
If I was a conscious dog trainer, I would have a newsletter with:
- A link to a cute or inspirational dog video
- A conscious dog training tip
- An invitation to work with me or buy a dog training info product at the end
See what I’m getting at here?
And remember, there’s no single structure that you need to follow. For the dog training one, maybe you want your newsletter to be a quick story of your most entertaining experience with dogs each week, or a roundup of the cutest puppy videos on the internet. Those would work too.
The awesome thing is that all of those ideas would take less than an hour per week of work. But if you’re consistent with a newsletter, it could be the primary driver for more sales and business growth.
5 Steps To Start Your Newsletter
Now let’s get into the step-by-step.
Here are the 5 steps to start your newsletter:
- Choose your structure (and name)
- Choose your tempo
- Sign up for an email service provider
- Create a landing page to collect emails
- Start sending emails
Let’s unpack each of these a bit more.
Step 1: Choose Your Structure (And Name)
The first step is to get clear on your idea.
What’s the structure going to be? And what will you name it?
Don’t worry too much though. You can always change things as you go.
Step 2: Choose Your Tempo
How often will you send your newsletter? Will it be a certain day/time each week?
If you’re unsure, just do a weekly newsletter on a dedicated day every week. You can’t go wrong with that.
A weekly email on a chosen day becomes a regular touchpoint that your audience looks forward to. That makes it an amazing relationship builder.
Step 3: Sign Up For An Email Service Provider
You can’t email thousands of people at once from your Gmail account.
That’s why you need an email service provider.
An email service provider is a platform that allows you to send emails to your whole list, schedule emails ahead of time and a lot more.
For an email service provider, I recommend using Aweber.
I’ve personally used Aweber for 10+ years straight and have had no problems whatsoever.
Step 4: Create A Landing Page To Collect Emails
The most effective way to collect emails is to have a landing page.
Here’s what the landing page for the 3-2-1 Newsletter looks like:
Simple and effective.
The good news is that platforms like Aweber have built-in landing page creators that make it super-easy to create these.
Step 5: Start Sending Emails
The last step is to get started.
Write that first newsletter, send it and keep the momentum going.
If you’re consistent with a newsletter, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what it can do for your business over time.
Your Next Step (Before You Get Distracted)
Now that you know what to do to start a successful email newsletter, here’s a simple step to take right now: Register for the live workshop.
I put together a live workshop where I go deeper into how to create a successful newsletter.
Here’s what’s included:
- More Examples (Full On Demo)
- How To Implement The 5 Steps
- Tips for writing Successful newsletters
- Q&A To Help You Create The Best Newsletter For Your Brand
- Bonus for all attendees: Newsletter checklist
If you’re serious about creating and/or growing a newsletter, this live workshop will be an invaluable resource for you.
The Q&A alone is going to be more than worth it.
Here’s where to learn more and register: Live Workshop For Conscious Brands
See you there.
Much love,
~ Stephen Parato
