Chances are, if you have a website, you have a way for fans to sign up for your newsletter. If you want to know what the secret of the killer newsletter is, look no further.
First of all, “killer newsletter” can have a couple meanings. Let’s take a look at them both.
The Newsletter That Kills Your Chances of Success
A newsletter that kills starts out as just that – a newsletter. You call it a “newsletter”. On your website you give your fans the option to sign up for your “newsletter”.
Did you know there’s probably no other word that makes your fans run for the hills faster than the word “newsletter”?
If you have that word anywhere on your site, do yourself and your career a favor, and completely obliterate that word right now! Seriously. Stop reading this and go do it right now. I’ll be here waiting for you.
Now, of course, you have to replace that word with something. You’ll want to think about your music, your persona and the overall experience you want your fans to have when they encounter you.
Here’s a list of alternative things to call your … newsletter…
- VIP List
- Backstage Guest Pass
- Inner Circle
- Friends of …
The point is to offer your fans some benefit. A newsletter sounds like something from the 90s that you would receive at a corporate job. When you join the VIP list, suddenly you feel special. You feel like you have access and that you are privileged.
The Killer Newsletter That Leaves Them Wanting More
A really killer newsletter is one that leaves your fans in suspense. It keeps them on the edge of their seats, or, better yet, standing with both arms up in the air – like at one of your concerts.
A really helpful exercise is to think back on emails that you have received that have kept your interest over a period of time. Are there any email newsletters that you look forward to receiving on a regular basis?
My guess is that, if you’re like me, you find out really quick who is just trying to sell you stuff, and who is actually really engaging and interesting. The ones that are really interesting and engaging are the ones that offer you some immediate gratification.
The kind of emails that I like to open and engage with are ones that
- Offer a free download
- Tell a helpful and relatable story
- Offer a solution to a problem I’m experiencing – even if that problem is just simply boredom
- Tell a joke or show a funny non-related video
- Turn me on to a new free, or entry-level product or service that I might be interested in – completely unrelated to the person that’s sending the email
Use these secrets to avoid killing your chances of building an audience and instead build great anticipation of your further communication and initiation.
Cheers!