One thing so many people say about blogging is that you should have an email list. It allows more people to follow you if they enjoy your content and you can give them exclusive stuff through the newsletters.
People say you have to have one if you want to be serious about blogging. If you have any products to sell like an ebook or a web course or an etsy shop, people say having a newsletter is the best way to go about it.
Of course, I’ve seen successful people, and blogs, without a newsletter. I hopped on the newsletter train fairly recently, failed at it, then re-did the whole thing. Of course, I’m still trying to figure it out. It’s a learning curve and honestly, it can kind of feel like you’re running another blog.
So… do you really need a newsletter?
Traffic
PRO
You can email the people on your list with updates and even throw in some links of blog posts you published that month or week or however often you email them or post. They’ll be likely to click on a link here and there. It’ll bring a little extra traffic to your blog. Maybe they’ll stick around the site for a little while and even share a post or two gaining you more of an audience.
CON
Most often than not, if someone is subscribing to your newsletter, it’s because they already follow your blog. If they already follow your blog, they’ll get a notification in their email anyway or see it on their feed on the WordPress homepage. They don’t need to see the same blog post a bunch of times.
Incentives
PRO
People say it’s best to have a “lead magnet” for your email list. This means you’ll give your subscribers something just for signing up. This could be a worksheet, access to a webinar, or even a coupon at your Etsy shop. This is a great idea because if people really like what you have to offer, they’ll sign up and be eager for anything you have up your sleeve.
CON
Not everyone sticks around. You can run a giveaway on your blog and say they need to subscriber to the newsletter in order to enter for a chance to win. Win or lose, as soon as that giveaway is over, people are going to unsubscribe.
Time
PRO
An email list is like another promotion for your blog and its posts along with your Etsy shop or ebook or anything you have to offer. You can email an exclusive list of people ahead of time and say, “Guess what?” before it even happens, before you share it on all your social media. People will look forward to it and get excited.
CON
It takes up more of your time. Some emails are going to be longer than others and have more information in it than others. It’s almost like taking care of another blog because you need to keep track of the stats, have interesting and informative content, and sometimes it can eat up some of your time as you design the template, get it all set up, and write the actual emails.
Schedule
PRO
Like your blog, it’s better to have a schedule for your emails. It allows your readers to know when to expect something from you. This can be once a week, once a month, or when ever you feel the need.
CON
You can’t please everyone. If you space your newsletter out too much, some people might not remember they subscribed to you and may not recognize the email. If you email too often, people may get annoyed and unsubscribe. Or, they may just not read it and delete the email. Then it’s kind of a waste for both of you.
