TOC #156: THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL!
(December 18, 2023) [EMAIL MARKETING SERIES 4/4] How to stay consistent sending your weekly newsletter
Is it dramatic to say that doing this one thing every single week quite litttchhrrallyyyy changed my life?
Yes.
…but do you follow me in part for the drama?
I would assume that the answer is also yes.
Three years ago, I sent the first-ever edition of the Tuesday Table of Contents to 60 people.
Two years ago, I sent TOC #52 to 1,282 people.
CAN WE HAVE A MOMENT FOR THE GROWTH PLS?
Now, 3 years into sending this super helpful, occasionally inappropriate, embarrassingly authentic, equally over-planned and under-planned, hopefully interesting, usually super long, labor-of-love of an email… I am so happy.
If all of my subscribers were together in one room, I'd feel like Taylor Swift selling out her stadium tour.
(Microphone and crystal-studded body suit included, obviously.)
(I saw her in person this weekend, by the way. Just figured you'd might want to know that.)
If you've been here since TOC #1, THANK YOU. Thank you so much. Please hit “reply” to this email and tell me that you're a day 1 — I have a special present for you.
And if you've been here since last week, thank YOU so much, too. I'm happy you're joining the party — hit “reply” and claim your prize, bestie, because I'm equally as excited that you're subscribed.
(And everyone else falling somewhere between #1 and #156… you know the drill: reply to me when you read this and I've got a present wrapped and waiting for you, too.)
Today is a very, very special day — because we are CELEBRATINGGG the 3-year anniversary of this newsletter.
& to me, this anni is way more important than any other biz accomplishment.
I'm legit more excited right now than I was for my first $10k month, or my first 100 course students, or my first client.
Okay… maybe not my first client. That was a really big fucking deal back then.
BUT I'M STUPID EXCITED RIGHT NOW STILL.
…because email marketing has been 👏🏻 THE. THING. 👏🏻 that has propelled my business forward on the regular.
Here's what y'all have helped me do (so far):
Consistently book out my services 4-7 months in advance
Book dream clients solely based on my personality & humor
Pay off my dental bills with my first-ever online course launch (IYKYK)
Double my income each year
Feel like I'm able to truly be MYSELF in my marketing
Touch the hearts and minds of readers worldwide, inspiring single moms, neurodivergent brains, new and aspiring business owners, young divorcees, and squirrels 'round the globe to be themselves, too
Confidently step into my role as the reigning Queen of the Long Story Long
Launch offers that I'm positive my audience wants / needs / feels excited about
& sooo many more things. LIKE???? I LOVE U. I LOVE U I LOVE U I LOVE U.
And, if you want, I'd love to help YOU grow a successful email list through your weekly newsletter, too.
So, let's talk about how to do that in this THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL:
How To Keep Up With A Weekly Newsletter
You want the tea on how to stay consistent with a weekly newsletter for 3 years straight (and counting?) Good. I'm bringing THE WHOLE FREAKING KETTLE TO YOU RN.
Why should you send a newsletter weekly?
Because, if you don’t, you run the risk of people forgetting about you.
Weekly newsletters = they know when to expect you.
Biweekly newsletters = they forget about you for 13 days and then say “oh, yeah, this chick, okay” when they get your emails.
Monthly newsletters = they think “who the hell is this? I don’t even remember subscribing.”
See what I mean?
Before you come for me, of course this is not one-size-fits-all advice.
Maybe you send a monthly newsletter, but a bunch of sales emails throughout. Maybe you send a biweekly newsletter, but 1-2 nurture emails in between.
I don’t know your email marketing strategy, but I do know that if you email your list only once a month, you’re gonna have one hell of a time building an actually-engaged audience.
Showing up consistently in someone’s inbox weekly is also a great way to build a relationship with them; to increase that ~like, know, trust~ factor needed in order for them to eventually make a purchase from you or hire you.
If you’re thinking of starting your own weekly newsletter, here are a few things to consider:
What will you name it?
When will you send it, and how often? (ahem, weekly, plz!)
What will you write about?
Who is your target reader, and what do they want to learn more about (or be entertained by)?
What will your opt-in copy say to make readers want to sign up?
What will be your selling point?
Which format will your newsletter be?
How to stay consistent with your newsletters:
#1 – Make it a THING!
Name it, give it a logo, write it a tagline, talk about it often, like it’s the best thing since sliced bread.
Do whatever you need to do to get people excited about it.
When you make your newsletter a THING—aka when you make your readers want to subscribe; when you make sure they have FOMO about not inviting you into their inbox—you’re significantly more likely to gain readership and grow your list.
COMMON FAQ ANSWER: Naming it and numbering it (ex: Tuesday Table of Contents #156) is not necessary, but it's the easiest way for you to make it a “thing.”
#2 – Send it on the same day each week
If you willy-nilly send your newsletter whenever you want, you’ll be in danger of subscribers not even realizing that those emails are your regular newsletter at all, therefore driving down your engagement rate and decreasing the number of opens your emails get.
If readers know what to expect, they can look forward to it!
They’ll be excited for Tuesday, or Wednesday, or WhateverDay (as opposed to just confused why they get emails from you “all the time” – even though it’s only once a week).
COMMON FAQ ANSWER: there is no “best” day. Any day is fine, as long as you train your readers to look out for it always on that specific day.
#3 – Use the same format
Newsletter readers appreciate the same format every single week. It’s comforting. And, it makes your newsletter feel more legit.
#4 – Write about the same general topic of content
While of course the topic of your newsletter will change every week, the general type of content will stay the same.
For example, the Tuesday Table of Contents is always about marketing, but this specific edition is about writing newsletters. Next week’s will be about email welcome sequences.
Maybe the one after that will be about developing your target audience, or SEO, or website copywriting, or… whatever I want, as long as it’s related to the subject of marketing, because that’s what people expect from me.
Best Of BTL's Newsletters
Throughout the past 3 years, the Tuesday Table of Contents has evolved a lot, and it's been such a fun little journey for me scrolling back through & reflecting on all that has happened both in my life and in my business.
(When I started this newsletter I was married, living in Canada, working from my garoffice in the below-freezing weather… now I'm raising a 4-and-a-half year old alone, in Massachusetts, telling you stories about dating, saving my down payment for my beach house. Life is weird.)
And, of course, I'm bringing you on that journey with me today, and I'm sharing what I consider the Best of BTL's TOC 🤪
#43 — the first time I ever got ~vulnerable~ in my newsletter
#51 — helpful drafting tips for my fellow website copywriters
#56 — the first time I took my own advice and “started in the middle” of a story to kick off the newsletter & grab readers' attention (before this, I treated my newsletter more like an “update” similar to how a blogger or content creator would, as opposed to a marketer or storyteller)
#71 — how to anticipate your readers' needs
#72 — the exact email I sent that landed me my first ever paying client
#84 — 7 ways to get more business in a slow season
#89 — how to get your leads to stay for dinner
#90 — the 2022 readers' choice winner: these men can't be serious…
#93 — how to write copy that makes your readers feel seen
#96 — from carnie to copywriter: how to determine what's relevant to share on your About page (see also: TOC #143 re: my 17-day stint as a carnie)
#98 — the runner-up for 2022 readers' choice award: not the vodka ice!!!!
#102 — the tension between you and the medium ugly guy at the airport
#103 — my first date with Fish Boy: how to avoid giving your readers the ick
#104 — why losing 15,600 followers overnight didn't affect my business
#108 — my best-ever copywriting tip (and, no, I still don't know who the fuck Tony is)
#114 — how I fumbled the bag with both my 6th grade crush and my college admissions essay
#118 — how I show up online authentically and unapologetically - and why it's so important!
#119 — my prediction for the 2023 readers' choice award: so, we got matching tattoos together…
#120 — what to do when you don't have a “juicy” story for a newsletter but you still want to be engaging / capture your readers' attention
#121 — how I manage being a squirrel
#123 — the newsletter another copywriter straight up JACKED verbatim as if this wasn't a literal first-person story, about a personal experience, from my own life
#126 — how to get more referrals for your business (TW: coochie waxes)
#130 — the only thing I put my whole ass into
#131 — don't wash off your tattoos
#141 — how to know if your website is working for you (TW: adult diapers)
#148 — the shortest love story that went SO south so quickly…
Which one was YOUR favorite, First name / bestie?
ENTER TO WIN A COVETED SPOT MY LIVE EMAIL MARKETING COURSE FOR FREE: vote for your favorite newsletter of mine in this survey and be entered to win my LIVE email marketing course (happening in January, being sold for $900!) for FREE!
How I Think of Newsletter Ideas
If you want to learn how I'm able to take stories — both exciting ones and mundane ones — and turn them into content my subscribers love to read every week, make sure to sign up for my FREE newsletter storytelling class happening on January 9th at 12pm EST!
I'm teaching you exactly how to…
Think of good ideas to send to your email list
Turn those ideas into worthy stories
Connect those stories to your current offers
Transform boring content into engaging content
& I am NOT PLAYINGGGG when I say this is THE most pumped I've ever been to teach a free masterclass. I'm going INNN on the value with this one + I'm wicked excited for you to see all that I have planned.
If we haven’t had the chance to *virtually* meet yet, hi! I’m Sara Noel—website copywriter and marketing mentor for creatives, copywriters, and all-around cool people. If you like my content and you want even more BTL in your life, here are a few ways you can connect with me:
Subscribe to my newsletter! I send one marketing tip, once a week - and, according to my subscribers, it's "the best marketing newsletter on the Internet" and "the only reason to wake up on Tuesday mornings." So... yeah. You'll love 'er. 😏 Click here to subscribe!
Check out my services. I write website copy, sales pages, email sequences, blog posts, and brand messaging guides for entrepreneurs of all kinds! Maybe you’re my next favorite client.
Read my blog. It’s home to everything from copywriting tips, to marketing education, to freelance advice, to portfolio-worthy projects… if you like this post, you’ll love the blog. Here’s a quick roundup of my most popular posts.
Sign up for my email marketing course. Learn how to grow your email list full of loyal, ready-to-buy readers with this self-paced course teaching you how to write the best lead magnets, opt-in copy, welcome sequences, and newsletters.
Enlist me as your mentor. I have an entire in-depth blog post about my one-on-one consulting process for new and aspiring copywriters, if you’re interested in having a big-sis-style mentor to help you grow your freelance copywriting business & get results.
To get in touch with me directly, send me a DM or email sara@betweenthelinescopy.com. Have a great day!