Audience Building and Maintenance

How to Create a Mailing List and Send Newsletters to Grow Your Audience

A step-by-step guide for aspiring writers and absolute beginners

One of my writing goals is to solve common and tricky problems in my areas of interest. Recently, I wrote a story answering the question of how to build an audience for new writers.

I was thrilled to see that many writers found it helpful. Some subscribers wanted more. They asked me how to start their own mailing list and newsletter to grow their audience. Well, ask, and you shall receive.

Based on my experience, this post will provide you with a 10-step approach to building a mailing list from scratch. I wrote this piece for beginners who do not know where to start or what to do initially.

Starting and growing a mailing list is one of the best ways for new writers to connect with their readers, share their content, and build a loyal fan base. It’s like having a direct line to our audience’s inbox, where we can deliver value, spark conversations, and create relationships.

But how do we create a mailing list from scratch? And how do we use regular newsletters to grow our audience steadily? That’s what this short guide is all about to jumpstart you today. I’ll walk you through the steps.

In the following sections, I summarize my guide on creating a mailing list from scratch and using regular newsletters to grow our audience steadily.

Step 1: Choose an email marketing platform.

The first essential step to creating our mailing list and newsletter is to choose an email marketing platform. An email marketing service allows us to collect, manage, and communicate with our email subscribers.

There are many email marketing platforms on the market. They have pros and cons, different features, and varying prices. But we shouldn’t let this step overwhelm us or stop us from starting our mailing list and newsletter.

Remember that writing valuable content that our readers will love and share is important. A platform is just a tool that helps us deliver newsletters to our target audience.

Some of the most popular and reputable email marketing platforms are ConvertKit, Mailchimp, and Constant Contact. You can google them, but I want to give you a brief explanation so that you get an idea of these top-tier services.

I use ConvertKit because it is a platform designed for creators. It offers a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers and unlimited emails. Paid plans come with more features and support. ConvertKit has a simple interface, landing pages, forms, tags, segments, automation, and integrations with other tools.

Automation of this tool saves significant time. In addition, ConvertKit allows us to sell digital products and obtain tips. Here are the menu options for Convertkit from my dashboard.

I also integrate Convertkit with Substack as my other favorite platform.

For example, I have a free newsletter service for my audience interested in Content Strategy, Development, & Marketing Insights. I also manage the newsletters of my publications, like the ILLUMINATION Library for Freelance Writers, with thousands of free subscribers.

I also used Mailchimp, a user-friendly platform for beginners. It offers a free plan for up to 2,000 subscribers and 10,000 monthly emails and paid plans with more features and flexibility. Mailchimp has a drag-and-drop editor, templates, analytics, automation, and integrations with other tools.

Some of my friends and proteges use Constant Contact as it supports small businesses and nonprofits. It offers a 60-day free trial. Then paid plans are based on the number of contacts and features. It has a drag-and-drop editor, templates, analytics, automation, surveys, coupons, donations, and integrations with other tools.

You may also check and compare other popular ones, like AWeber, Sendinblue, GetResponse, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, Drip, and Campaign Monitor. A good way to find the right platform is to try them out and see which one suits our needs and budget.

To sign up for an account on one of these platforms, we must provide our name, email address, and password. Then we can access the platform’s dashboard and familiarize ourselves with its features and tools. Most of them have tutorials.

TIPS: Choosing an email marketing platform is important for our mailing list and newsletter strategy. So take your time and do your research before you commit to one. And don’t worry if you change your mind later. You can always switch to another platform if you want to.

Step 2: Define the target audience.

Knowing our target audience will help us tailor our newsletter content to their preferences, demographics, and needs. There are several ways to define our target audience, like using our niche, existing readers, and competitors.

Our niche is the specific topic or genre we’re passionate about and attracts a loyal audience. We can use our niche to narrow down the target audience by identifying their common characteristics, like age, gender, location, education, occupation, hobbies, interests, goals, and challenges.

If you already have some readers or followers on other platforms, like Medium, Vocal Media, NewsBreak, social media, or blogs, you can use them to define your target audience by analyzing their behavior and feedback.

We can use tools like Google Analytics, platform stats, surveys, or polls to track and measure how readers interact with writers' content.

If you don’t have many readers yet, you may use your friends to define your target audience by studying their content and strategies. You can look for other writers or newsletters in your niche and see what kind of content they create, how they deliver it, and how their audience responds to it.

Medium has a feature allowing us to add a subscription request to our profile and stories automatically. We need to turn on the feature from our profile settings. We can also export and add our subscribers to our platform’s mailing list.

TIPS: Defining our target audience is an important step that will affect our mailing list and newsletter strategy. So we must take time and research before moving on to the next step.

Step 3: Create a tempting lead magnet.

A lead magnet is a valuable piece of content we can offer our potential subscribers as an incentive to join our mailing list. We give our readers a gift in exchange for their email addresses.

Think of a lead magnet as content that solves a specific problem or benefits the target audience. It can be in various formats, like an ebook, a checklist, a cheat sheet, a video, a webinar, or an educational article. The key is to make it relevant, useful, and attractive to our readers.

A lead magnet can entice our readers to sign up for our mailing list by offering them something valuable and free. It can also help us stand out from other writers or newsletters in our niche who may not offer anything in return.

A lead magnet can show our readers that we’re an expert and helpful resource in our niche. It can also demonstrate our writing style and quality and give them a taste of what to expect from our newsletter.

TIPS: A lead magnet can help us identify and categorize our subscribers based on their interests and needs. It can also help us filter out those who are not interested or suitable for our newsletter.

Step 4: Set up an opt-in form.

An opt-in form is a type of web form that allows writers to collect visitors' contact information and get their permission to send them emails. It usually consists of a headline, a subheadline, a few fields, a button, and a disclaimer. The key is to make it eye-catching, user-friendly, and persuasive.

An opt-in form can entice our visitors to sign up for our mailing list by offering them our lead magnet and highlighting the benefits of joining our newsletter. It can also help us reduce friction and increase the trust of our visitors by making the process simple and straightforward.

An opt-in form can also help us comply with email marketing laws and regulations, like the CAN-SPAM Act, the GDPR, and the CASL.

It is necessary to follow email marketing best practices, like using double opt-in, providing an unsubscribe link, and respecting our subscribers’ privacy.

Step 5: Craft compelling welcome emails.

Welcome emails are a series of engaging emails that introduce new subscribers to our writing, personality, and the value they can expect from our newsletters.

They usually consist of a subject line, a greeting, a body, a call to action, and a signature. The key is to make them personal, relevant, and helpful.

Welcome emails can show our subscribers that we’re a real person and a friendly resource in our niche. They can also demonstrate our writing style and quality and tell them what to expect from our newsletters.

Welcome emails can deliver our lead magnet to our subscribers and show them how to use it effectively. They can also provide additional value by sharing useful tips, resources, or stories about our niche.

TIPS: Welcome emails can encourage our subscribers to interact with us and our content by asking questions, requesting feedback, or inviting them to join our community. They can also prompt them to take action by clicking a link, reading a blog post, or sharing our newsletter.

Step 6: Plan the newsletter content.

Planning is critical because newsletter content can deliver value to our subscribers by solving their problems, providing them with benefits, or entertaining them. It can also increase their satisfaction by meeting their expectations and fulfilling our promises.

Newsletter content can build trust with our subscribers by showing our expertise and credibility in our niche. It can also help us build rapport with our subscribers by showing our personality and voice and connecting with them.

Our newsletter content might be in various formats like text, audio, video, and images. The key is to make it relevant, useful, and attractive to our subscribers.

TIPS: Newsletter content can encourage engagement with our subscribers by asking questions, requesting feedback, or inviting them to join our community. It can also prompt them to take action by clicking a link, reading a blog post, or sharing our newsletter.

Step 7: Design, write, and send newsletters.

A newsletter is a type of email that we send to our subscribers, usually on a fixed schedule, like weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.

Some writers distribute newsletters daily but wearing my reader, sending them daily hat is ineffective, as the daily emails might overwhelm readers. There might be exceptions for some writers, like delivering daily news.

A newsletter typically contains information, updates, or stories about our niche, writing, or brand. The key is to make it engaging and informative for our subscribers.

A newsletter must deliver value to our subscribers. We must provide them with useful or entertaining content that meets their needs and exceeds their expectations. A quality newsletter might increase satisfaction by keeping subscribers informed and updated on our niche, writing, or personal brand.

TIPS: A newsletter can encourage engagement with our subscribers by asking questions, requesting feedback, or inviting them to join our community. It can also prompt them to take action by clicking a link, reading a blog post, or sharing our newsletter, as I cover in the next section.

Step 8: Use calls to action (CTAs) carefully.

CTAs are the words or images that we use to persuade our subscribers to take a specific action that benefits us or them. They usually consist of a verb and an object, like read more, download, or share with friends. The key is to make them clear, relevant, enticing, and timely.

CTAs can increase engagement and retention by inviting our subscribers to interact with our content like reading, commenting, liking, or sharing. This can also help us get feedback and insights from our subscribers and build lasting relationships with them.

In addition, CTAs can drive traffic and conversions by directing our subscribers to our website, blog, or relevant platforms, where we can offer them more value, like products, services, or affiliate referrals. This can help writers generate revenue and grow their freelance businesses.

TIPS: In summary, CTAs can grow our audience and influence by encouraging our subscribers to share our content and newsletter with others. This can help us reach new potential subscribers and expand our network.

Step 9: Promote your newsletters.

Promotion is the act of spreading the word about our newsletters to the target audience and beyond. It can be done through various channels, like social media, blogs, podcasts, or videos. The key is making it appealing, relevant, and easy for potential subscribers to sign up.

Promotion can help us grow our audience and influence by reaching new potential subscribers who might be interested in our niche, writing, or personal brand. It can help us expand our network by connecting with other writers, bloggers, influencers, or experts in our fields.

Promotion can increase engagement and retention by reminding existing subscribers of the value and benefits of joining our mailing list and newsletter. It can also help us re-engage with inactive or lost subscribers by offering them new or updated content or incentives.

Promotion can help us drive traffic and conversions by directing our potential or existing subscribers to our website, blog, or platforms where we can offer them more value. It can help writers generate revenue and grow their business.

The first step to promoting our mailing list and newsletter is to choose a channel. We will use this platform to share our opt-in form and lead magnet with potential subscribers. We can choose from many channels, like social media, writing platforms, blogs, podcasts, or videos.

TIPS: Choosing a channel is an important decision affecting our promotion strategy and results. So we need to take time and do our research before we commit to one or more. And don’t worry if you change your mind later. You can always switch to another channel if you want to.

Step 10: Engage meaningfully and build lasting relationships.

Engagement and relationship building are the acts of communicating and connecting with our subscribers personally and meaningfully.

Our supportive approach shows subscribers that we care about them, value their opinions, and appreciate their support. The key is to make them feel special, respected, and involved.

Engagement and relationship building can increase loyalty and retention by making our subscribers feel like they belong to our tribe, share our values and vision, and have a stake in our success. They can also help us reduce churn and attrition by preventing our subscribers from losing interest or forgetting about us.

TIPS: Engagement and relationship building can boost referrals and advocacy by making our subscribers feel like they’re part of our mission, have a voice and an impact, and have something to gain by spreading the word. They can also help us grow our audience and influence by turning our subscribers into champions of our work.

Continuous improvement is key.

Building a mailing list is not a one-time event. It’s an ongoing journey. It takes time, effort, and patience to grow our audience and influence.

So please don’t give up or get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. We must keep providing value to our subscribers and keep improving our newsletters.

Continuous improvement requires constantly learning from our data, obtaining feedback and insights, and applying them to our mailing list and newsletter strategy. It involves measuring our key metrics, like open, click, and unsubscribe rates.

Our improvement plan helps us test our hypotheses, like what content, subject lines, or send times work best for our subscribers. The key is to make data-driven decisions and keep iterating and improving gradually by refraining from perfection.

Continuous improvement can help us deliver value and satisfaction to our subscribers by providing them with relevant, useful, and entertaining content that meets their needs and exceeds their expectations.

Continuous improvement can help us build trust and rapport with our subscribers by showing our expertise and credibility in our niche.

Continuous improvement can help us encourage engagement and action with our subscribers by asking questions, requesting feedback, or inviting them to join our communities.

By following these steps and consistently delivering valuable content, we can create a loyal and engaged audience for our writing. We can also create a positive impact on the world with our words. And we can have fun and enjoy the process along the way.

ILLUMINATION has a large Slack group. If you are a new writer, start your mailing list and newsletter today. If you get stuck, contact me on Slack. I will guide you. It is free and moderated, open to all ethical writers who want to collaborate meaningfully.

I created a channel for specifically promoting newsletters and mailing lists. This central channel can create visibility and help you gain new subscribers. If you are a member, you can join #mailinglists-and-newsletters and start collaborating. You may also review an email marketing tool called Cliqly, introduced by Aiden recently.

You may consider Design Thinking principles for audience building. I wrote an educative piece about it.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

You may find more optimistic and empowering stories like these on EUPHORIA, where I share my insights and life lessons. My focus is on cellular, mitochondrial, metabolic, and mental health + JOY. Here is my collection of Insightful Life Lessons from Personal Stories.

Disclaimer: My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.

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My thoughts on creative non-fiction writing. Do you want to write content to generate steady income? Do you want your stories to be boosted? If you have writer’s block, check this out. If you feel stressed and are facing burnout, here is guidance.