Question About Building an Email List | Bloggers Lair | Yakezie Forums

What does everyone find is the best frequency with which to send out the newsletter? I know a good number of people do weekly, but do you find that it's hard to keep up with that? Would monthly be all right?

Sustainable PF, that's what I wonder about.  In some ways it feels like creating a new blog because you have to create new, worthwhile content.

Melissa (Mom's Plans) said:

Sustainable PF, that's what I wonder about.  In some ways it feels like creating a new blog because you have to create new, worthwhile content.

I know guys like Pat Flynn stress that the content in your email shouldn't be found elsewhere. But there are some other guys who send out emails like "the latest at Blog XYZ. Click here to check it out!"

Which kind would you guys be more willing to subscribe to?

I am working on getting a newsletter going (plan to send the first one out next month).  I'm planning on monthly at first.  We'll see how it goes before I decide on doing it more frequently.

I would want to do more than just recap the blog. Probably quick tips, post followups, etc. I would say subscribe to the newsletters of your favorite/top bloggers and see which ones resonate with you. Pat's would probably be a good one.

The College Investor said:

On TCI I currently run a weekly recap via email, and it has been pretty good so far.  I've not had anyone unsubscribe, and readership keeps growing.  Each week, I'm also getting about 60%+ opens, and 20-40% clicks to my site, which I think is pretty good.

 

To that same list, I have autoresponders set up with content that is not on my site anywhere else.  It is set for odd intervals, so it does look like I'm personally sending it out. 

Those sounds like great numbers, TCI. I'm off to subscribe right now. Thanks!

Financial Success for Young Adults said:

I started off with MailChimp's RSS to newsletter option. Then I wrote a 6 investing tip series that's on autoresponder.

I know Pat recommends creating a new autoresponder like once a week, then you will keep building up tons of content to send out automatically.

I try to keep my newsletters free from affiliate sales and instead direct them to the post where I originally wrote about the product. That way you get them at least get one qualifying step of the way and you know they are interested for more.

I also give a recap of my personal portfolio and trades/market outlook once a month. (which reminds me, I need to do that today)

I'm considering removing the ebook as the signup promise and just pushing the newsletter as a value in itself. I've heard that is better for luring high quality sticky traffic.

That's really helpful info, LaTisha. Let us know what you decide about the ebook vs. no ebook.

Personally, I think once a month, might be too thin.   I remember Pat Flynn says he has over 30+ emails in his auto-responder series which I think is fantastic.   I'm up to 6 now and growing.  Plus I try to send an e-mail, on average, about every 10 days.  

One of my huge takeaways from the conference was to not only do "recaps" but to truly engage your readers.   Pat, Ramit, Baker, all do this by asking questions or doing surveys.

I tested this a few months ago and asked my readers 2 simple questions and have them reply back to me.   I had over 250 people reply which, in turn, gave me tons of content and video ideas.   Plus, I now have a deeper connection with them.