avatarMatt Brady

Summary

The author argues that "round-up" newsletters are still relevant and effective, emphasizing the value of curated content over the need for an expert status.

Abstract

The article refutes the claim that round-up newsletters are outdated and ineffective unless created by established experts like Tim Ferriss or James Clear. The author, Matt Brady, asserts that the strength of round-up newsletters lies in their ability to provide curated content, saving readers time by highlighting valuable information. Brady, who runs a daily email newsletter about email and newsletters, points out that readers appreciate smart editorial guidance rather than seeking out self-proclaimed experts. He cites Brian Clark's idea that people want trustworthy individuals to direct them to content worth their time. The author believes that the round-up format is not only surviving but thriving, with his own newsletter and others growing in subscriber numbers. He concludes that, far from dying out, round-up newsletters are poised to expand significantly.

Opinions

  • Round-up newsletters are valuable because they offer curated content, not just because they are associated with well-known personalities.
  • The success of a newsletter is not solely dependent on the creator's status as an expert.
  • Curated content in newsletters serves an important purpose by helping readers discover quality information without having to sift through vast amounts of content themselves.
  • There is a demand for "smart editorial guidance" where trusted individuals filter and present worthwhile content to readers.
  • The round-up newsletter format is effective and continues to grow in popularity, with evidence of successful newsletters across various audience sizes.
  • The author disagrees with the notion that round-up newsletters are obsolete and predicts their continued growth and success.

Round-up newsletters are dead. Long live atomic newsletters.

Let’s put this one to bed for good.

Photo by Artur Kornakov on Unsplash

I was trolling around… I mean… surfing around on 𝕏 recently and came across a “hot take” that made me stop in my tracks:

The text of the message says:

Hot take → Round-up newsletters aren’t going to work anymore

They work for Tim Ferriss (5 Bullet Fri) and James Clear (3–2–1) because they were already well-known when those formats started.

You need to establish expertise first.

I’m suppose to assume that the only reason the “round-up” newsletter format became popular is because Tim Ferriss and James Clear used it and their popularity oozed onto it?

I get that copycats are a thing and we (as humans) like to emulate successful formats when we start new things, but that’s completely ignoring one of the best things about the format, regardless of your level of “expertise”:

Curated content.

You can highlight that. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

I am certainly no “expert” (self proclaimed or otherwise) when it comes to the topic for my daily “round-up” newsletter about email and newsletters, but that’s not the point.

What I do is curate content about the topic so the amazing and awesome people that subscribe don’t have to spend all of their valuable time doing the same thing.

They get two quick reads on the topic.

If they like the headlines, they’ll click and read.

If not, there is always tomorrow.

I may not be an “expert” but I don’t have to be.

What I do (curate content) serves a very valuable purpose outside of my own bloviating and “expert thoughts” on the subject itself.

I recall reading a piece written by Brian Clark about what he called “smart editorial guidance”.

His point was that people aren’t necessarily looking for “experts” or “gurus”, or even more content.

They are looking for “other trustworthy smart people to tell them what’s worth their time and attention”. (link)

If I’m interested in a topic and what to learn more about it, I don’t need some self-proclaimed and self-selected “expert” to teach me their ways.

I just need some help cutting through the noise to find the good stuff.

I’m not the only one growing using a short-form, atomic, minimalist, “round up” style format.

I can think of at least a dozen others that are either similar in audience size to me (I’m at around 220 subscribers currently) all the way up into the thousands and tens of thousands.

Not only that, there are entire communities built on promoting the format.

Trust me, we aren’t going anywhere.

I will agree with the author on one thing.

“Round up” newsletters aren’t going to work anymore.

They are going to EXPLODE!

About the author

Hi, I’m Matt Brady. I love email, spreadsheets, and black coffee. If you want to improve your email and newsletter skills in less than 1 minute a day, subscribe to Email FYI (free).

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