What are newsletters? Why should you consider starting one for your business? How do you build one?
A newsletter is a website or a section of a website that allows you to reach your readers directly in their email inboxes. They are held in high regard because, unlike followers on social media platforms, they allow your fans to subscribe to your content, creating an e-mail list which you have complete ownership over.
Subscribing to your content allows your readers to remain updated on all your new content without having to search for you in a vast net of similar creators.
Complete ownership over your e-mail list allows you to move from platform to platform without starting over.
These 2 aspects are all the juice you need to build authority in your niche and trust within your community.
The Why
It has never been easier to build authority and trust as a creative than with newsletters. Ergo, it has never been easier to make sales.
Newsletters give you an opportunity to communicate who you are to your audience. And people love buying from people they find relatable and, well, human. While they give you an opportunity to position yourself as the go-to person to solve your audience's problem(s), they also give you freedom to express yourself in your entirety - no limits whatsoever - to your kind of people.
With a newsletter, you get to share your specific knowledge along with all that you see fit to share in a quest to connect with people and create a wholesome business experience and make money while doing it.
Seem too good to be true?
Newsletters are considered the backbone of the creator economy because they offer that wholesome business experience.
For most of us [creatives], long gone are the boring days where business ends at providing value and getting paid for it. Most of us love to create our content without excluding parts of our lives that used to be considered too personal, not professional, or out of our niche.
We love to share what we feel is aligned with our business and our growth which are not exclusive entities. With no algorithm and topic limitations, you can do that with a newsletter.
Write what you want and as many times as you want.
The result: You attract all beautiful minds that feel aligned with your purpose, work, and being. And voilà! You have people to do business with all while having fun! It doesn't have to be dull and boring.
The How
First and foremost, write with the intention of building a community.
You do this by tapping into your curiosities, interests, and life experiences to help you connect with people on a more personable level that's not just a business transaction.
Second, and of most importance, your ultimate goal is to monetize your work. Don't be shy to promote your services and products.
It is so much easier to make sales when you're presenting your products and services to a person who's not only familiar but also interested in you and your work.
There's no universal way to build your community.
You may choose to bring your offering to the table from day one or find your people first. Take caution not to bring out your offers too late if you choose the second option.
It helps to share the link to your community on any other platforms you create content on. A newsletter offers you the opportunity to write from your heart and market yourself at the same time.
This is worth repeating: There's no universal way to build your online community. Do it your way! Tap into your natural brilliance, you've got nothing to lose.
What's holding you back? Pick a site and start! I recommend Substack where I'm building my community of warriors.
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I come back to this article regularly, to learn for myself Wambui. Thank you for posting it!