Everyone tells you that you need a newsletter.
“Own your audience.”
”Stop fighting the algorithm.”
”Build a direct line to the people who matter.”
Fair points. And now everyone has a newsletter — or wants one. Which means your inbox is full. And so is your reader's.
If you want your newsletter to survive in an overflowing inbox, you need to understand what it feels like to be the reader.
Respect the space
Our inboxes are where we get bank statements, client emails, business opportunities, and updates we actually need. Newsletters land right alongside all of that.
When someone subscribes to your newsletter, they're giving you a spot next to their most important correspondence. They’re letting you become a part of their day, week, or month. That’s a privilege.
Now the question is: How are you going to use that privilege?
Earn your place
The reader’s journey starts with the welcome. Your first email sets the tone. If someone subscribes and hears nothing, they'll forget you. When your name appears in their inbox out of the blue two months later, they won’t even remember the fact that they subscribed. If your first emails don’t look relevant to them or contain any clues why it’s in their inbox, the relationship is over. You've lost the privilege before you've used it.
That's why showing up on a regular schedule matters from the start. Your reader gets familiar with you only if they keep seeing your name in their inbox.
Takeaway: Don’t let your reader forget you.
Subject lines matter most in these early days, when the reader doesn't know you yet. They're scanning their inbox, deciding what to open and what to skip within seconds.
Treat subject lines as headlines. They should hint at what's inside without giving away too much too soon, but never mislead the reader for the sake of clicks.
Takeaway: Work hard on subject lines.
If you stay consistent, if you keep showing up with something worth reading, the subject line becomes less important (for long-term readers, not you — you should always work hard on your subject lines).
Your reader starts opening your emails because your name is enough. You've moved from a stranger to a trusted voice they want to hear. That is reputation.
Takeaway: Build trust by showing up with something worth reading.
Once you've earned that trust, you become one of the first names that comes to your reader’s mind when your topic comes up. They try something you recommended. They mention what you said to a friend. They come to you first when they need what you do. They remember you beyond their inbox, when you’re not in the room. That is influence.
Now the question is: How are you going to use that influence?
“I know people who have a dedicated email account for newsletters or people who have dedicated folders in their inbox for email newsletters. They set aside time to read them instead of scrolling aimlessly on social media. Their inbox is essentially a curated feed of content they care about. Those people could be your ideal clients. And you could be sending them content they actually want to read.” —
Lisa Slater, the author of
How To Build An Email Community
Know your why
All of the above is what a newsletter can do when it's done well. But it won't happen if you're starting one for the wrong reasons.
If you think you should start one, ask yourself why first. What are you trying to achieve? Is a newsletter the right tool for that, or are you following the crowd because someone told you it's what you're supposed to do?
If a newsletter makes sense for your goals, then there's the writing. You'll be doing it regularly, on schedule. So you need to at least tolerate the process when you start (you can learn to enjoy it over time).
If the thought of writing fills you with dread, a newsletter might not be the right fit for you right now — which is fine; there are other ways to stay visible.
If you're unsure, experiment before you commit. Give yourself a set number of issues (e.g. 12 issues over a year) and see how it feels. Find your rhythm, find your voice. A newsletter can be a project with an end date. It doesn't have to be a life-long commitment.
And before you worry about the title, the frequency, the platform, or anything else, get clear on what you write about and who you write for, as they’re the foundation that shapes every issue you’ll send out. A newsletter built on a clear foundation is the one worth sending and the one worth reading.
What's your favourite newsletter? Or do you write one? Hit reply and send them over, we’d love to take a look!
Here are a few we love reading 👇
