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8 Common Newsletter Mistakes You’re Making (And How To Fix Them)
Making These Newsletter Mistakes? Here’s How To Fix Them
Brandon Storey
December 22nd, 2024
Do you spend a lot of time writing your emails and sending dozens of them without any significant results?
Maybe you start doubting the effectiveness of email marketing, and I’m not here to tell you that email marketing works and you should keep trying, but I want you to stop for a moment and take a look at the common newsletter mistakes… maybe you’re making one or more of them which is why you’re not satisfied with your email marketing results.
Not all newsletters are created equal. There are plenty of businesses and creators just like you that generate thousands of dollars with their newsletters alone.
But, how?
They understand how newsletters work (and they implement the proven best practices).
In this guide, we’ll go through the eight most common mistakes newsletter operators make. You’ll also learn what you can do to fix them so your newsletter business can thrive.
Table of Contents
First of all, let’s change our mindset about newsletters…
They’re not just a “nice to have.”
Your email subscribers are warm leads, especially compared to your social media following. These people willingly made the decision to join your email list and receive your content, so you shouldn’t treat them the same way you treat cold leads.
They’re investing more into you, so you should do the same.
Your subscribers joined your list based on certain expectations, which means you should do everything in your power to serve them great content (and experiences).
But, too many newsletter operators are making key mistakes with their newsletter (and if you don’t pay attention to them you’ll be limiting your growth and revenue).
Why Listen to Me? I’ve generated over $1 million with email and written over 1,000 blog posts. I run Storey Time, a newsletter where I teach people how to become full-time digital writers. Feel free to reach out to me on X anytime!
Mistake #1: Focusing On Hacks Rather Than Content
Launching a newsletter is one of the best ways to own an audience, create new revenue streams, and build a business that gives you the life of your dreams.
The opportunity to turn a newsletter into a lifestyle business is second to none in 2024.
But, the biggest mistake new operators make?
They focus too much on the tactics and hacks to grow their list and monetize while overlooking the most important part:
The content.
Sure, there are some incredible strategies and tactics you can implement in your newsletter to tap into rapid growth and powerful monetization.
But, those two aspects of newsletters should never take priority over the quality of your content.
You need to ensure you’re spending time learning what kind of content your audience wants. Take the time to learn how to write better, format your newsletter for a better user experience, and get feedback from your readers (with polls and surveys) on how to improve your newsletter content.
Mistake #2: Inconsistent Sending Schedule
Humans like consistency.
This is especially true when it comes to content.
Back in the day (before YouTube and Netflix), everyone would schedule in their favorite TV shows throughout the week so they didn’t miss them.
Nowadays, we expect that same level of consistency from our favorite content creators and newsletters.
When your audience knows you'll send emails on specific days at a specific time, you make them expect your content (and make time for it). This keeps you top-of-mind, and more importantly, you’re making your newsletter a part of your subscribers’ daily, weekly, or monthly routine, which makes them less likely to miss or ignore your emails.
Failing to meet your readers’ expectations will only lead to poor engagement.
Keep a consistent sending schedule and stick to it. On average, the best frequency for newsletters is daily, weekly, or twice-a-week. But, this depends on many factors such as your niche, type of content, and audience.
You can try out different schedules to see what works best for your audience.
Mistake #3: Weak Subject Lines
One of the main drivers of email open rates is subject lines.
Let me tell you, there is a battle for attention in the inbox. The average person receives 121 emails every single day.
This means every creator and brand is fighting for attention in the inbox. So, you need to make sure you’re capturing your subscribers’ attention every time you hit “send”.
But, say the wrong thing in the subject line and you could be turning your audience off.
In fact, 69% of people report emails as spam because of the subject line, which means the wrong subject lines can cost you more than a low open rate.
How can you create attention-grabbing and engaging subject lines?
In general, people categorize email into two categories:
Category 1: Emails that they consider important. They can be emails by family members, or friends, they can be work-related, or they can be emails about something they’re interested in.
Category 2: Emails that are mostly commercial or promotional and the recipient has no level of attachment or interest in them.
Do you know what the main difference between category 1 and category 2 is?
The first emails always get opened without much effort, while the second ones need to fight for the recipient’s attention.
Here’s a little tip: if you craft subject lines that make your emails look closer to category 1 in the recipient’s mind, you increase your chances of getting your emails opened.
Mistake #4: Lack of Personalization
The world has no shortage of content.
But, most of it is generic and non-personalized.
People don’t subscribe to your newsletters to get generic content. They can find it all over the internet, but they subscribe to newsletters to get personalized, relevant content.
On average, personalized emails get a 29.3% open rate.
You should always speak directly to your reader in your content. And this doesn’t just mean including their name when writing to them. It means giving them content that truly resonates with them and solves their niche problems.
Mistake #5: Ignoring Mobile Optimization
Did you know 86% of consumers open emails from their phones? Ignoring this can lead to a poor user experience when your mobile readers are trying to read your emails.
Your emails should be easy to navigate on a small screen. Otherwise, you risk making your audience lose interest and move on to something else.
There are some key elements that go into creating mobile-optimized emails (which we’ll cover in part two of this guide).
I don’t know about you, but far too often I’ll come across some great creators and brands, but I’ll struggle to find their newsletter signup form.
A percentage of your audience will always be interested in getting your newsletter, but if you make it hard for them to find your link or signup form, you’ll lose them. Most people don’t have the patience to hunt down your links, so make sure it’s easy for anyone to find them.
Put your newsletter subscribe landing page link all over your social media accounts. Create a clear subscribe page on your website. Add signup forms throughout your website. Place links to your newsletter in guest blog posts and other content.
Mistake #7: Sending a Boring Welcome Email
I bet your newsletter isn’t the only one in your niche. This means your audience will automatically compare your newsletter to your competitors.
One of the worst things you can do is send a boring, generic welcome email.
Why?
Your welcome email is the first impression of your newsletter.
If you get it wrong, you’ll probably lose your subscriber forever.
You usually get one chance to get people excited and hooked to read your future newsletters.
With your welcome email, follow these tips:
Introduce yourself to your audience (with your name)
Thank them for joining
Let them know what the benefits are of being on your newsletter
Tell them what they’re going to learn
Share how often you’ll be sending your newsletter
Sign off with your name
Get them to reply to your email to build engagement from day one
Create a full welcome series (not just one email)
Leave a P.S. hinting at the next email in the welcome series
Mistake #8: Ignoring Revenue
Many people start their newsletters without a clear idea of how they’ll make money from it.
This is usually because most people think you need a ton of subscribers to monetize and it’ll be a long time until they’ll be able to start making money from it.
But, with platforms like beehiiv, you can monetize your newsletter from day one with Boosts.
And, you can start earning from our Ad Network (even if you only have a few hundred subscribers).
You can also start planning other long-term strategies from day one like creating your own product or service, creating a paid subscription, or introducing digital products.
Now that we’ve covered all the things you need to fix with your newsletter, let’s get to the fun part.
Here are five best practices to help you succeed with your newsletter:
1. Craft Engaging Subject Lines
As mentioned above, the best way to increase the odds of getting your emails opened is to make them look like category 1. This means your subject lines should appear personal and engaging.
The more you sound like a friend instead of a business, the better.
Just start by looking at the newsletters you already subscribe to. Analyze what makes you open an email there. Here are some tips to craft the best email subject lines:
Personalize your subject lines using your subscribers’ data such as their name
Limit punctuation. Subject lines with perfect punctuation, title case, and all caps look too formal and closer to category 2.
Short subject lines perform better. While this varies based on multiple factors, 0-20 characters is the sweet spot.
The subject line should make the recipient curious. Try to lead with a benefit or outcome. Then, add in urgency, numbers, eye-catching words, etc. However, make sure not to mislead your subscribers or make them feel you tricked them into reading an email that doesn’t deliver what it promises.
2. Personalize Your Content
Your email newsletters should be tailored to your audience. Successful newsletters belong to brands and creators that squeeze every bit of information from audience segmentation and personalize their emails accordingly.
Your content should feel personal and conversational. It should help, excite, and engage your readers in a way that makes them feel those emails were specifically written for them.
Get to know your subscribers beyond their name and email address. Know what their goals are, their pain points, desires, and more.
3. Optimize for Mobile & Readability
To make your newsletters more accessible on all devices, here are a few tips:
Opt for a simple and clean design and stick to a single-column layout. You can also use responsive designs that automatically adjust the layout and fit the screen of the used device.
Make sure that the text is clear against the background of the email
Use large and legible fonts and sizes and stick to just one or two font types at max
Make sure your content is easily scannable (use bold, headings, bullet points, etc.)
Make sure that buttons and links are big enough to tap using thumbs
Optimize images and make sure fit the screen on both mobile devices and computers
Test your emails on different devices regularly to make sure they look and function correctly
4. Track Key Metrics
How do you know if you’re making progress with your newsletter?
Tracking key metrics that highlight your performance.
Many newsletter creators overlook the importance of tracking and monitoring results on a regular basis. But, reviewing your metrics regularly is a crucial practice to improve your newsletter performance.
Metrics like open rates, click-through rates, acquisition source, and unsubscribe rates enable you to measure your email newsletter results so you can improve your newsletter.
5. Run Regular A/B Tests
It’s almost impossible to have a successful newsletter without regular A/B testing.
A/B testing enables you to test different approaches and see what your subscribers prefer. Luckily, most email providers today enable you to run A/B tests to test out different email elements like subject lines.
With beehiiv, you can easily A/B test your subject lines to optimize open rates so more of your subscribers read and engage with your emails.
Running a newsletter is one of the best business models in 2024.
If you’re successful with it, you can build a venture that lets you work from anywhere, grow an audience, and generate serious income.
That is, if you’re successful with it. You need to ensure you’re not making common mistakes if you want yours to thrive.
That’s why beehiiv exists: to enable creators to build their dream businesses with the power of newsletters.
Built by the same team who built Morning Brew to millions of subscribers, beehiiv is the newsletter platform built for growth.
With beehiiv, you get and all-in-one newsletter platform with:
Growth tools like the integrated referral program, Boosts, and magic links
Monetization tools like Boosts, Ad Network, and Premium Subscriptions
User experience optimization tools like 3D analytics, surveys, and polls
If you’re ready to start doubling down on your newsletter growth and monetization this year, then beehiiv is your best bet to make it happen.
So, what are you waiting for?
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