The Business Benefits of Newsletters (+ When to Be Wary)

Should you start a newsletter? Without a doubt, my answer is yes. With countless benefits to your business, email newsletters can make all the difference between success and failure. Yet, so many people we talk to are hesitant to start a newsletter due to some of the myths and misconceptions running rampant.

While I’m not on a mission to get every business aboard the email train, I do want to help you understand why creating an email newsletter is one of the best things you can do for your business.

Let me start by saying that email is my love language. It allows me to live my life offline, confident that this business Amy and I have built can continue to grow behind the scenes—all because of our email newsletter.

Before we dive in, if you’re like many people without an email newsletter, and you’re beating yourself up, I’m going to ask you to stop. Whatever your reasons for not starting (or for abandoning ship), beating yourself up about anything is something we call “mind trash,” or the stuff you tell yourself that stands between you and success.

Today’s the day we’re setting the mind trash around email aside and showing you the benefits of newsletters.

What are the Benefits of Newsletters?

First, it may be time to rethink your approach to email newsletters. Instead of thinking of email as a method for talking at people, I want you to consider your newsletter as a two-way conversation and an opportunity to nurture deep relationships.

So, what are some of the biggest benefits of email newsletters?

I’ve already shared my favorite—email means that I don’t have to be online 24/7 and can take time to do the other things in life that feed my soul. To that end, it’s the most sustainable way to grow your business, and you don’t have to rely on algorithms to succeed and stay top of mind with your audience.

Your Audience Wants to Hear From You

When people sign up for your email list, they want to hear from you and have a level of trust in you already. And even if you’re just getting started, there are some great strategies to make sure you’re sending emails that:

You are inspired to write
Your audience wants to read
Help you deepen and grow REAL relationships with REAL people
Land in your audience’s inboxes (not the spam filter)

Wondering how to get started or how to turn your email newsletter into a relationship-building tool? Set up a call with Amy for help finding the best path forward.

Email Strengthens Your Community

I see email as an extension of our community, which includes people who join our free Facebook group, our Content Personality® Club, and our live events.

So, how do we ensure our email newsletter is a two-way communication tool? We share valuable, relatable content and encourage people to join the conversation by responding. The resulting conversations allow us to get to know the people on our list, and that’s where sales come from.

That means real people—Amy and I—are responding to your emails manually. In fact, a surprising amount of our email strategy is manual. Yes, we use automations and sequences that vary based on how people join our list and what events are coming up, but all of the follow-ups come from a real human. (Refreshing, huh?)

Email is a Powerful Sales Tool

Because the primary goal of my newsletter is building community, it’s not always about selling. However, because it helps people get to know us, when I do use it to sell, we fill our events—both online and in person.

Busting the Myths of Email Newsletters (and what’s really true)

There are several reasons people don’t start email newsletters, and more that prevent consistency. And while sometimes life happens, there are a lot of myths out there that fall into the mind trash category I mentioned earlier. Instead of focusing on the negative, let’s explore the truths of email newsletters to reinforce all of the benefits for your business.

Email Truth #1: You CAN Send Emails in a Way That Works For You

Yes, you should be consistent. You don’t want to invite people to your email community/email list and never talk to them again.

However, you don’t have to follow a back-breaking email cadence that some guru tells you is “the only way.” You’ll never hear me spout absolutes because I want you to grow a business that brings you joy.

But should you email your audience every day? It’s unrealistic for most business owners, although I have a few clients who find that sending a few short emails each week works best for them.

So, what do I recommend? It’s simple—choose a frequency that works for you. Based on what’s going on in your life and business, that might mean monthly, weekly, or something altogether different.

People on my list know that I send emails every Monday, and they look forward to them! If I ever miss a week, they reach out to see what’s going on. That’s not all. Amy and I have done such a great job establishing the cadence that when our subscribers get an additional email on some Thursdays (a separate email campaign), they know something important is happening, and they take notice.

Email Truth #2: You CAN Work Around “Taking a Break”

It’s your business. You get to make the rules. As a result, your email newsletter doesn’t have to feel like a big commitment or another thing you “have” to do.

That said, you don’t want to abandon ship. But there are strategies to get around creating space in your life. First, you can always pre-schedule emails to go out if you know you’re going to be out.

Another strategy that can be a lot of fun involves finding collaborators, “which Eli Trier Trayer used to do. While she has since closed her business to focus on her art career, she used to take a sabbatical every August and source guest email hosts from her audience.”People applied to host, and Eli added a bit of commentary to the top of the newsletter. Even better? Her entire list looked forward to her annual vacations and the interesting emails.

What about when life happens, and you miss an email? First, the world is going to end. However, instead of quietly shuffling around, you can treat it as an opportunity to tell a story and help people get to know you and what’s going on in your life. A little dose of reality always makes you more human and relatable.

Email Truth #3: Email Newsletters DO NOT Have to Be Salesy

People on your list WANT to hear from you—not to keep beating the same drum, but it’s so true. As a result, the simple act of sending out your email newsletter is not overwhelming or bothering your list. Your work matters in this world, and your email might be exactly the help or inspiration your audience needs.

Your email doesn’t have to be salesy or spammy. In fact, it shouldn’t be. Instead, you should focus on sharing relatable stories that start conversations. Those conversations lead to relationships, and in turn, those relationships are what result in sales.

The bottom line here? Don’t be scared to sell to your audience or invite them to join the really cool thing you’re doing. You’re in business to sell and make money, after all. But be a human instead of making it all about sales.

Email Truth #4: You CAN Write Emails About Whatever You Want

You can’t say the wrong thing to the right person.

What does that mean? You can talk about the things that interest you. When your list is filled with people who’ve raised their hands to hear from you, they’ll gobble it up.

Some people want to keep their personal lives out of the public sphere—and that’s okay. You don’t have to write about your family, kids, divorce, or anything you don’t want to share with the world, but you can—and should—still be relatable and human.

Need an example?

One client decided she wanted a newsletter about books and only brings in personal anecdotes she’s comfortable putting out there.

Others feel overwhelmed by figuring out what to write about, which is why Amy and I created the Content Personality® Club. We develop a monthly theme with prompts and jumping-off points for your email newsletter and any other content you create. Get the details here.

Email Truth #5: You CAN Use Emails to Extend Your Reach

Most entrepreneurs and business owners share content on multiple platforms, including me. But here’s the thing: no matter how many followers you have for your podcast, YouTube, and other channels, they’re not going to see all of your content.

When you send your content directly to their inbox, you can increase the likelihood that your audience sees all of your hard work without worrying about algorithms.

It’s not just about increasing brand awareness. You can also extend the life of your content by resharing it with your email list when it’s relevant.

Email Truth #6: You CAN Use Email to Stand Out From the Crowd

If only I had a nickel for every time someone said, “But what about the competition?”

There’s only one you! Your audience joined your list because they want your perspective, which is inherently unique and based on your lived experience.

So, grow your email list and email newsletter and use your lens to tell stories. People can always leave your list if they don’t like what you have to say. And that’s okay, too. Even the healthiest lists have some turnover.

Email Truth #7: You CAN Have an Effective Newsletter Without a Huge List

While you probably won’t fill a 100-person event with a list of 50 people, even a tiny newsletter list of 10 prospective customers benefits your business.

Look at it this way: let’s say you need five new clients, and you close around 50% of your leads. Imagine the benefit for your business if ten newsletter subscribers contacted you to work together.

Instead of pounding pavement or pitching to find leads, your email list might generate all the business you need. And it’s true for small businesses and enterprises—the strategy is slightly different.

Email Truth #8: You CAN Get Out of Promotions and Spam Folders

If people can’t see your email campaigns, they aren’t going to open them. So when you start your email newsletter, you can use a few simple strategies to make sure people want your emails and are opening them:

Ask for a reply.
Remind them to drag your emails to “primary” if they have Gmail.
Share content that encourages them to click.

Email Truth #9: You DON’T Need a Fancy Template

Most email marketing platforms offer newsletter templates you can customize. But you don’t need a ton of design chops, and it doesn’t matter if you choose Substack, Beehiiv, ConvertKit, Ghost, ActiveCampaign, or Ontraport (or something altogether different). The most important aspect of an effective newsletter is sending engaging content that starts a conversation.

Starting Your Email Newsletter Should Be a No-Brainer

When people ask me if they should start an email newsletter, I always answer, “Hell, yes!” The benefits of a newsletter are innumerable. It doesn’t matter if you launched a small online business yesterday or are ten years into your business and scaling it. Even if your list only includes your best friends and family at first, you never know when they’ll find valuable content to share with someone positioned to help your business grow.

Our Content Personality® Quiz is designed to help you understand how to use your natural strengths to create email marketing content and maximize your time and energy. Take the quiz here!

Would you like to dive deeper into email marketing–and how to make it work better for your business?

Season 5 of our podcast, Grow Your Business for Good, is all about email marketing and a great next step–if you enjoy listening to podcasts packed with value–and JOY!

You can also read more in this series on Email Marketing for Coaches and Consultants. You can find the entire series linked below: –