Should I Send a Newsletter?

Is a Regular Newsletter a Good Marketing Tool?

This is a question I get asked often, and you might be surprised to hear me say, "No. Probably not."

There are certain instances where a regular newsletter makes a lot of sense. I subscribe to a number of them. 

Tim Ferris sends out his Five Bullet Friday email weekly, and I love it. (Sign Up)

Prompt Vibes also has a fantastic newsletter filled with AI prompt ideas that I've been enjoying lately (Sign Up).

The real question is, why do some newsletters work and others just fall flat or end up in Spam or Trash?

It all comes down to value.

What Makes a Good Newsletter?

Does your newsletter add value?

In the case of the Tim Ferris newsletter, I get value from the links he shares. Good books. Interesting podcast interviews. Thought provoking quotes. Each newsletter has at least one nugget I enjoy.

With Prompt Vibes, as I continue to learn how to better harness the power of AI to grow my voice over business, their helpful promoting tips have definitely had an impact. 

With each new arrival in my inbox, value is being added to me and my business.

I actually look forward to receiving them.

Do you think your clients do (or will) look forward to receiving your newsletter?

Are You Adding Value?

The problem I see with most voice over newsletters, (and for some reason I've been subscribed to many), is they aren't really adding value.

They're generally talent focused. 

• Look at me and this project I did.
• Look at me and this selfie I took.
• Look at me and this agent I signed.
• Look at me and this new client.
• Look at me and my dog, cat, goat, hamster, bird, llama, etc.

None of these things really add value to the recipient. 

Do your existing clients care if you signed another competitor client?

Do your existing clients need you to email them with a selfie from your walk in the park on a sunny day where there was a rainbow that ended in a lake?

Nope. Not really.

That stuff is perfect social media content. But I'm not convinced it's good enough, or valuable enough, to be delivered directly to an inbox.

Filter for Value

Before you compose an email to send to a list of all your clients or prospects, ask yourself a couple questions.

• Does this content matter to my client?
• Will my client benefit from this piece of content?
• Is this content I'm about to send targeted to the right audience?

Sometimes, how you say it matters. Consider these examples.

"I just wanted to let you know I'm going on vacation from July 1 - 10th and will be celebrating Independence Day from a beautiful all inclusive resort in topical and sunny Barbados with my family." [and you include a picture of the resort.]

"I wanted to let you know I'll be out of the office for vacation from July 1 - 10th and will be putting in extra studio hours prior to departure to ensure all your projects are completed and delivered on time or ahead of schedule." [and you include a picture of you working in the booth.]

Both of those are an "Out of Studio" notice. But only one of them adds value to your client.

Always Be Adding Value

If you want to email your clients and prospects regularly and avoid being sent to spam or getting an unsubscribe, just make sure you're always adding value.

Give them good content that makes them want to keep hearing from you. Then you'll always be able to stay top-of-mind.