202212170917 - How to write a newsletter

Online Article

Title: How to write a world-class newsletter in just one hour
URL: https://twitter.com/thejustinwelsh/status/1603378977615249408?s=12&t=YV0WK1UltxT8OVPBGBFqCQ
author: & Justin Welsh
bib:
tags: #tactic #thread #entrepreneurship

  1. Chose an idea:
    1. If you want to go faster, you should always be building an idea bank.
    2. Take 15 minutes per day and look at:
    • YouTube channels
      • Aggregator newsletters
      • Relevant news stories
      • Things you've learned Jot them down and keep a running list.
  2. Gather information:
    1. Once you've chosen your topic, then do some research to back up your thoughts. I like to Google and look for:
        • One book
        • One Tweet
        • One quote
        • One article
    2. Then, choose 1 or 2 and use them inside of your issue.
  3. Use a template:
    1. This is where most of my speed comes from. I use a newsletter template so that I can generally follow the same process each week.
      • What's a big problem?
      • How do most people solve it?
      • Why doesn't it work for them?
      • How would I solve it differently?
  4. Write the headers:
    1. Before I write anything else, I write the headers.
      1. This basically gives me an outline to follow and makes it much easier to write.
    2. Once you have the headers, you have a little treasure map to follow.
  5. Fill out the body:
    1. Now you can fill the information in to support each header. Use this framework:
      • Start with an opening line that explains the header.
      • A paragraph about what you learned about the header.
      • A paragraph about how to put learnings into action.
  6. Add images, video, and research:
    1. Once you have the body, you can add supporting multimedia.
    2. Find your Tweet/Book/Quote from above and insert it.
    3. If you need an image or video to help explain something, now is the time to put it in place.
  7. Write the title:
    1. With the first newsletter draft written, it's much easier to choose a title.
    2. Use a subject line tester to see how "good" or "bad" your title is.
    3. Work it until you're sure you'll have decent open rates.
  8. Edit using a system: Here's mine:
    • Are your sentences concise and understandable?
    • Do you have any long, ongoing tangents?
    • Do you deliver what is promised in the headline?
    • Did you add links to relevant resources?