Day 35: Newsletters
isra.a.writes • 1 Jul 2025 •
I’m doing a deep dive on newsletters to see what formats I like best, and unsubscribing to everything else along the way.
What I learned so far:
- I like cut-to-the-chase newsletters (where the author doesn’t even have time to say hello). Immediately gives you: (1) updates (2) practical links to what they promise, (3) relevant call to action to promise
- I don’t prefer too-salesy newsletters with a million CTA’s about everything the author offers, presented in Ad-photos between each paragraph, only to double down even stronger at the end.
- I prefer a format. James Clear’s 3-2-1 is addicting to binge-read
- Audio features are a plus, but usually they’re only available for paid users
- I appreciate newsletters by bloggers. No CTA, just pure chats and reflections and no links. Typically, these are written by women who share their thoughts out of passion.
- Any newsletter that starts with “Dear, ‘my name’” gets skipped. It’s funny because that personal touch should bring me closer to the message, but instead, it makes everything feel bland and scripted.
Comments
I’m open to honest feedback about my newsletter: https://bewellthy.substack.com/. Not necessarily about the content (esp if you’re not in the target audience), but more about the nuts and bolts items you mentioned.
@therealbrandonwilson
Sure, this is what I noticed, since you asked :)
- Consider a more casual typeface. It makes reading long-form easier (the same one used on the homepage of your newsletter).
- About page is focused on you “This is my journey” but doesn’t address how it would impact the reader.
- “What does it mean to be wellthy” post should be pinned (it’s not immediately clear what your newsletter is about)
@haideralmosawi I suppose it depends on the type of newsletter, but sometimes you don’t just want to read to be inspired. You want to follow up! Links take you to continued thought pieces to expand on the topic.
&, the hi “insert name” is subjective of course, I’m just immediately aware it’s not authentic.
@isra.a.writes Thank you for the feedback! I will look into the formatting options within Substack.
Back in the day when I used to write the Sirdab Lab newsletter, I’d start off with:
Then it would be a short essay about business, then a list of our upcoming events. In the essay, I wanted the benefit to be in the reader’s inbox, without having to click on a link to read the lesson. I personally don’t like newsletters with too many resources and things to check out. They have high perceived value, but we end up not taking action and, therefore, there isn’t much real value from those newsletters.