I love mailing lists. I think they're a great way for bloggers and creatives to share ideas, insights, and information, and I love creating my own and subscribing to some of my favourites from around the web. I think for many, creating a mailing list of their own is an intimidating task as it can be a little overwhelming to decide how best you can use that platform to connect and share with your audience. As a little inspiration and some jumping off points, today I want to share 10 different and exciting ways you could use your mailing list alongside your online presence, and hopefully help you explore different options for creating a newsletter of your very own.
Why should I have a mailing list, I hear you ask? They're not for everyone, but I think for many of us they're the perfect way to really connect with our audience, add value and share our expertise, and develop and grow our brand and our online voice. Like with blogging, the possibilities are endless and it's completely up to you to decide how you could use your mailing list in a way that works best alongside your online presence, and today I just want to spark some inspiration and help you explore a few options that might be the perfect way for you to connect with your ideal readers and clients.
If you want to check out my newsletter offering, Weekly Letters for Bloggers & Creatives, which arrives in your inbox each and every Sunday, you can find out more and see a sneak peak of some previous letters here. Weekly Letters are where we hang out together and is my space to be a little more vulnerable, a little more open, and a little more in-depth with the insights and advice I share. I respect your inbox and I only send you content that I hope can be a positive and purposeful part of your day. You can sign up below if you want to subscribe.
Monthly Mini Magazine: If you create lifestyle content with a strong editorial focus, developing a monthly mini magazine could be a really exciting way for you to expand and grow your brand and online presence. Whether you package all of your months content into a PDF format or create mailing list exclusive articles and design it in a super engaging and professional way, I think using your mailing list as a way to share something extra special with your audience is the perfect way to step things up. This one would probably be quite a lot of work but a great way to let your blog's brand feel much bigger than just your blog alone.
This could ultimately grow into an income stream for you and you could monetise by either charging for the digital download or selling advertising space to brands and sponsors.
An Advice Column: Arguably a little old school, I still think there's something pretty cool about an advice column when done in an authentic and engaging way. If you have an engaged and active audience who are always asking you interesting questions, you could use your mailing list as a space to explore them in more depth and start a conversation off-the-blog where you can really connect with your readers and community. You could even overtime collect each column and turn it into an E-Book!
Exclusive Off-The-Blog Content: This is personally the way I use my Weekly Letters for Bloggers & Creatives, as a space to share and connect with my audience with exclusive off-the-blog content. I like to think of my mailing list as my VIPs - they're the readers who really get what Jennypurr is about and who I can serve best with content that is either a little more in-depth, a little more personal, or a little more vulnerable and open depending on the topic that week.
Whether you share exclusive posts/articles/letters or resources and guides, mailing lists are the perfect place to create and share content with your most engaged and connected readers.
Downloadable Resources: I don't know about you, but I love a good downloadable. Mailing lists are the perfect place to share exclusive downloadable resources - whether it's worksheets, brush sets for photoshops, wallpapers and stock photos, or anything else your audience would really, really, love. Especially if you're offering and marketing paid for products and services, giving away free resources and downloads is a great way to treat your subscribers like friends and community more than just prospective customers and clients.
Exclusive Email Series: A really exciting way you can utilise your mailing list is to create and share an exclusive email series that is automated and sent out over the space of a few weeks or months. I think this can be one of the most engaging and impactful ways of utilising your list and can add some serious value to your subscribers experience. If you want to bring some life back into your list, hosting an email series over the space of a month or so could be a great way to really show up and share your ideas and expertise.
Behind The Scenes Insights: My friend Lauren does an awesome job of this over at Elle & Co where alongside her husband Jake they are currently sharing their journey to 100k monthly blog visitors. Behind the scenes insights can be full of so much value for your audience - whether you're running a business and you want to shed some light on the nitty gritty details, or you just want to share a sneak peak into the exciting things that happen throughout the week, sharing the behind the scenes can be a really engaging and purposeful way to share via your newsletter.
Exciting Updates & Exclusive Offers: If you run a shop or creative studio and you're stuck on ideas for using your mailing list in a way that is both personal and purposeful for your business, sharing exciting updates and exclusive 'mailing list only' offers is an option worth exploring. Whether you share shots of happy customers using your products, or success stories of previous clients, or maybe exclusive giveaways, offers, and product launches for your subscribers, your mailing list can be as fun and as engaging as you want it to be. Sharing a little bit about the person behind the business, or maybe some really targeted newsletter marketing that your audience can still connect with, can be enjoyable for you to create and profitable for your business too.
Exclusive Webinars & Video Training: Taking exclusive off-the-blog content to the next level, one of my favourite things to receive in my inbox is webinars and video training from some of my favourite infopreneuers and business owners. Whether you really want to add some serious value to your readers experience, or share your expertise in an engaging way, creating mailing list only video content and webinar access is an awesome way to treat your subscribers like VIPs.
Create & Share A Service: Did you know that Sunrise Calendar started out as just a daily email which shared a quick digest of the user's day ahead? Mailing lists can be way more than just an extension of your blog, they can be a whole side hustle or service all of their own. If you have an awesome idea for how you can share a service (free or paid for) via your mailing list, it can be a great way to really make things happen and develop your online presence. Death To The Stock Photo for example share free monthly stock photos each month with their mailing list, and they also have a paid for subscription service for anyone who wants access to their premium content. Don't be afraid to think BIG with your mailing list.
Industry Insights: Last but not least, another great way to utilise your mailing list is to use it as a way to share industry insights and updates. If you're hoping to become a go-to and authoritative voice in your industry, having a weekly or monthly newsletter which curates all the latest news, releases, and must-have information could be a great way for you to connect with your community and establish yourself and your own work in it too.
Do you have a mailing list? Or do you want one but not sure where to start? Would love to know your thoughts and experience in the comments below!
Do you have an E-Book in you that you just can't bring to life? How about a newsletter series that you’re struggling to craft and create? Or do you want to shape up your blog content but you’re not sure where to start? Content Coaching for Bloggers & Creatives is for you. Find out more here.