beehiiv x Async: How to Leverage Audio in Your Newsletter

In 2024, over 500 million people are expected to listen to podcasts.

Audio content is rapidly growing thanks to the expansion of the internet – and subsequent apps like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

There’s no doubt that newsletters and podcasts go hand in hand. 

But, what if there was an easier way to integrate audio content into your newsletter?

Think about it…

Your newsletter subscribers want your content.

But, they don’t always have the time to read it.

Whether they’re driving, working out, or doing the dishes…

Life gets in the way sometimes.

But, audio content can be consumed passively, even when you’re preoccupied with another task.

Enter audio newsletters.

When integrated properly, audio and newsletters can be a beautiful one-two punch to help you improve engagement and grow your audience.

In this article, you’ll learn how to incorporate audio into your newsletter, why it’s important, how Audioletter can help with this, and how creators are already leveraging it.

What Is an Audio Newsletter?

An audio newsletter is an interactive audio voice note you can add to your newsletter.

The voice note is transcribed and summarized, and allows for timestamp reactions from your audience.

You can leverage audio newsletters by publishing them alongside your written newsletter. Or, you could publish an audio newsletter as a standalone piece of content.

Just like a typical email newsletter, an audio newsletter is usually delivered on a regular basis (daily, weekly, or monthly).

This makes it a great option for people who love audio (or simply want to consume your content on the go).

Why Listen to Me? I’ve generated over $1 million with email and get over 50,000 monthly visits on my two niche blogs. I also run Storey Time, a newsletter where I teach people how to become full-time digital writers.

Why You Should Use Audio in Your Newsletter

So, what are the benefits of using audio in your newsletter?

Giving multiple options for consumption format is a proven strategy to improve engagement, attention, and reach.

Here are a few reasons why you should use audio in your newsletter:

Land A Missed Opportunity

Someone may love what you have to share, but they might prefer audio over the written word. 

Audio newsletters are a great way to capture that missing segment of your audience.

It’s also a great choice if you want to reach more people but are hesitant to commit to a full-blown podcast. 

Get Your Readers Who Don’t Have Time

Sometimes, your audience just won’t have the time to read your newsletter.

An audio version will give them a simple way to consume your content while performing other tasks like:

• Driving to work

• Working out

• Cleaning up the house

You’ll Improve the Relationship With Your Readers

An audio newsletter gives you a unique opportunity to bring your readers a little bit closer to your brand.

When you speak to them via audio, you fortify your brand and your relationship with them.

How Ilan Abehassera Uses Async & beehiiv to Reach More People

What if you could introduce a new content format that lands at the intersection of a newsletter, podcast, and social media post?

While creating an audio version of your newsletter sounds tricky…

It’s much easier than you think. 

Here’s how Ilan Abehassera, founder of Async does it…

Ilan is the founder and CEO of Async, a voice-based productivity platform.

Recently, Ilan started using beehiiv to share his musings as a founder and entrepreneur—but with a twist.

In his newsletter, he calls “Ilan’s Audioletter”, he doesn’t just share a regular newsletter with his subscribers.

He shares an audio version of his newsletter in what he calls, “Audioletters,” which are essentially short-form audiocasts.

Ilan does this by voice recording his newsletter, adding it to his newsletter, and allowing subscribers to listen (rather than read) if they want.

By clicking on the image at the top of his newsletter, you’re instantly taken to an audio version where you can listen (alongside a transcript) to hear what Ilan has to say in that specific publication.

Where Ilan and his Audioletters take this to the next level is with engagement mechanisms.

Async’s Audioletters allow subscribers to leave comments and react to different parts of the audioletter. This is similar to how you can react to a specific part of an Instagram story video—but for your audio newsletter.

You can essentially double-click into specific parts of the Audioletter to drive more engagement post-publish, allowing you to provide even more value to your audience.

How You Can Use Audioletter in Your Newsletter

Want to double down on your newsletter content by adding on an audio letter?

With Audioletter, you can:

• Broadcast quick audio bites with your readers

• Transcribe your audiocasts

• Summarize your recordings

• Encourage interactions with your audience via time-stamped reactions

Here’s how you can use an Audioletter:

1. Add a New Newsletter Format in 5 Minutes

An Audioletter is a simple piece of content to produce.

Simply hop into Async software and hit record.

The rest is done for you.

Audioletter transcribes the audio clip for you, so in only five minutes, you can have your entire newsletter recorded and transcribed with a link prepared that you can share with your audience.

Simply send your subscribers the link and they can join in, listen, and contribute to the conversation.

2. Drive Engagement Beyond the Inbox

Are you a brand owner (or a creator who sells products or services)?

Imagine you just released a new feature update. 

A short voiceover from you, your head of product, or the founder, can complement your marketing with a human touch to provide more value with the release.

Within Audioletters, you can also invite your audience to double-click into points of the conversation.

This means they can ask specific follow-up questions, respond to specific points, and share reactions. 

What’s even more impressive is your readers can even send an audio comment back.

3. Speak To Your Audience to Fortify Your Brand

Creators in 2024 need to step up their game if they want to grow their brand.

Now, it’s more important than ever to understand how to reach people with different content formats.

With the rise of AI, it’s crucial you know how to add even more of a human element to your brand to stand out.

If you have a way with words as a creator, part of your product is your personality. 

Setting up an audio “diary” using beehiiv allows your people to connect with you even more via email, even if writing isn’t their chosen format. 

You can easily create daily or weekly audiocasts sharing what’s on your mind (in just a few minutes) and use that content to build out another distribution channel.

4. Create Written Content from Your Voice Automatically

If you struggle to write, then you can also use Audioletter as the basis of your newsletter content.

Simply record your audioletter, and let Audioletter turn it into a written newsletter with the automatic transcription.

You can save plenty of time creating content by recording your Audioletter and placing the transcription of the recording into beehiiv for a ready-made newsletter.

Launch with beehiiv & Async Today

At beehiiv, we’re all about growth and innovation.

We love hearing all of the creative ways our users are building audiences in new ways and leveling up their newsletters.

Oftentimes, when building your newsletter, audiences can find it difficult to make time for your content. 

An audio newsletter via Async can be a helpful extension to your beehiiv newsletter, allowing you to engage with subscribers, reach new people, and fortify your brand as a creator or founder.

Want to start offering an audioletter to your audience?

Try Async today.

And… if you’re not on beehiiv yet, then sign up for a plan first (for free).