TOC #187: Your next 4 newsletter topics chosen for you
(July 23, 2024) What to write your next 4 newsletters about
I haven't missed a newsletter in 187 weeks.
It has been one hundred and seventy eight weeks straight of the this email hitting inboxes worldwide on Tuesday mornings.
I didn't skip even when I wanted to.
Not when I got divorced.
Not when I was sick.
Not when Woo kept me up all night.
Not when I was behind on work.
Not when I was on vacation.
Not when I was going through break ups.
Not when I had nothing to say.
Never.
…and, no — despite me being literally obsessed with telling everyone who newsletters that they should be newslettering weekly — I'm not going to tell you to do that.
Yeah, consistency really freaking matters when it comes to building a successful, committed, engaged list. Weekly newsletters are the best way to grow. That's definitely still true.
…but am I going to tell you to be unhealthily obsessed with prioritizing your newsletter over every other task?
No.
I'm weird for this, honestly.
As much as I believe consistency is important, the real reason why I've never missed a newsletter is because it's a promise to myself.
In fact, it might be one of the only promises I've kept to myself for this long, ever.
I do it because it's important to stay consistent, but I really do it because I want to be able to say I do it.
So, don't be hard on yourself if you miss one here or there — obviously, it will be fine. As long as you aim for consistency, you'll be okay.
You don't have to make it your entire personality, or sacrifice your sleep.
You just have to do your best.
(Not me tho.)
(I'll be out here newslettering at all costs because I want to.)
Actually, I'm writing this in the dark kitchen of our vacation rental while my friends play Heads Up on the porch, and my Woo's godfather just walked in, peered over my shoulder, and said “I can't believe you still have stuff to say after all this time. And you don't make any of it up? I'd have, like, four newsletters in me, then I'd give up.”
I turned around, looked at him, and said, “Kevin, that is SO funny you say that — because that's exactly what this newsletter is about.”
What To Write Your Next 4 Weekly Newsletters About
Before we get into what you can write your newsletter about, here's what you need before starting your weekly newsletter, if you haven't taken that step yet:
*Read the long version here! But for the TL;DR…
Name for the newsletter
Day of the week you plan to send (and time of day you plan to send it)
General idea of what you plan to write about (overall topic)
Format of the newsletter
Opt-in copy (so people can subscribe!)
[EXTRA CREDIT] Landing page for your newsletter like this one
& NOW FOR THE NEWSLETTER TOPIC IDEAS. 👇
#1 — A time you were gonna wicked scared of or nervous something but it turned out to be fine (and maybe even fun or beneficial)
Related topics: business investments, hiring a coach/mentor, trusting your gut, personal development, self help, benefits of services or offerings, decision making, inspiration to “go for it”
#2 — The last restaurant you went to and what your experience was
This is one of those times you could argue “but Sara, that’s boring…” no, it’s not! Things are only boring if you make them boring.
The last restaurant I went to was Chili’s, because the boy & I recently remembered it existed and wanted to figure out what all the renewed hype was about — there are SO many things I could say about this experience that would be newsletter gold / easy to connect to a “tip” or a “point” for my Tuesday emails:
Our pleasant surprise about the $5 margaritas
The bizarre clientele near us
Us waiting forever to pay cuz we didn’t realize we were supposed to use that funky little iPad thing
Me posting on my story that we went to figure out the hype & everyone responding telling me it was the chips, but… the chips weren’t even good…
The woman forgetting the fajita part of my fajita order (aka the most important part? how could u forget my tortilla???)
My bf being in the bathroom for too long and me spiraling about what was happening in there (lol)
The long drive there that we weren’t expecting
…literally anything could be made into a good newsletter! It’s allll in the WAY you tell the story.
#3 — Use your favorite song as a subject line / inspo for the story
#4 — What a typical day in your life looks like
Would be fun to do an “ideal” version and a “not ideal” version — ex: for me, if I shared the ideal version of a day in my life, it would be super productive, but the “not ideal” version would be more realistic / more human - I think sharing the juxtaposition of these could be cool! Plus, people are nosy & wanna see what ur up to.
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:
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