As I was coaching one of our That Clean Life Members on how to create a lead magnet, she asked a really great question: "So what happens after people sign up for my mailing list?"
"Well..." I said, "You have to nourish those leads so you can convert them into clients."
She paused for a minute before asking, "What do you mean by nourish my leads? How do I do that?"
When you created your lead magnet, you chose a topic that would attract and help your ideal client. When they download your lead magnet, they go onto your mailing list and become a "lead".
Once you have leads on your mailing list, it's time to nourish them by providing them with a ton of value, so that they can get to know, like and trust you. Only once people know, like and trust you will they be ready to buy from you!
One really great way to nourish the leads on your mailing list is through a weekly newsletter.
A weekly newsletter is a great way to stay in touch with your ideal clients. It shows you are consistent, serious about your business as a nutrition professional and it gives you a chance to strut your stuff on the regular.
Unfortunately, too often our weekly newsletters fall by the wayside. Things get busy, and our intentions to send a weekly newsletter turns into a monthly newsletter, and that monthly newsletter turns into a bi-monthly newsletter that we throw together without much thought. Before we know it, we're sending a random email to our list every third month and we're getting unsubscribes like crazy because no one remembers who we are!
No bueno.
When you are only popping into your ideal client's inboxes sporadically with half-assed content, it doesn't exactly show a high level of commitment, and it definitely won't keep you top of mind.
When I ask our That Clean Life members why they aren't sending a weekly newsletter, I tend to hear the same things:
"It's too time-consuming"
"I don't know what to say"
And worst of all...
"I have nothing to sell right now"
(Note: I say the last one is the worst because your email newsletter isn't for selling. In fact, you should rarely use it to sell. But more on that later.)
Today I'm going to answer all of your most frequently asked questions and show you how to put together a weekly newsletter in minutes that will provide a ton of value and convert your subscribers into paying clients. I'm going to cover everything you need to know including the technology, timing, length, content and subject, so let's dive right in!
The Technology
Real talk. It doesn't matter which platform you use to send your newsletters. What matters is that you actually send them! You can use MailChimp, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign or whatever email marketing platform your heart desires.
Do not get hung up on the tech! It doesn't have to be fancy. The most important thing is that you are consistent and the content within the newsletter is helpful.
Timing
Co-schedule analyzed 10 different studies on email marketing, and found that the best days of the week to send email are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. They found that the best times to send email are 10AM, 8PM - 12AM, 2PM and 6AM.
Personally, I'm not convinced the timing matters so much. Like I already said, what I think really matters is choosing a day and time of the week and consistently sending high-value content.
Take Action: Choose the day of the week and time you are going to send your weekly newsletter. Commit to it and hold yourself accountable.
Length
Keep it short, clear and concise. Ensure that every sentence provides value. No fluff allowed! The worst thing you can do is send a newsletter for the sake of sending a newsletter. Instead, invest time and thought into ensuring you are constantly providing value.
What to Include in Your Newsletter
First, lead with one piece of original content that you have created that shows you are an expert in your nutrition niche.
You do not need to create content specifically for your newsletter. Instead, use your newsletter to share the content you have already created! It could be a video, a Facebook Live, an interview, blog post or a client story. Whatever it is, it should clearly demonstrate that you are knowledgeable and professional when it comes to nutrition. This will help your subscribers learn that you are capable of helping them with their own health goals.
Next, include one to three pieces of content that are related to your nutrition niche.
Chances are, you will be reading nutrition articles yourself to keep up with nutrition news, right? Share these articles and lessons with your subscribers, breaking it down into plain English so they can start acting on the take-aways.
I recommend that you keep an ongoing note on your phone or desktop called "Content for Newsletter" and every time you come across something that you think might interest your subscribers, copy and paste the URL link into the note. This way, when you go to write your weekly newsletter, you'll always have inspiration to draw from.
Subject
I know I've been saying that content is the absolute most important thing about a weekly newsletter. But if I had to pick the second most important thing, it would be the subject line.
The subject of your newsletter will determine whether someone opens your email or not. Research shows that shorter email subjects get better open rates. So your subject line should also be clear and concise.
Tip: Before sending your email, test different subject lines and their effectiveness
using this awesome tool.
And that's it! You've got your scheduled time, you've curated the content and you have an amazing subject line. You are ready to hit send.
"But wait, Abigail. I didn't sell anything!"
That's exactly right! Your weekly newsletter isn't for selling. The odd time, you might want to sneak in a dedicated email that is separate from your newsletter with information about your upcoming group program, let people know you are accepting new clients or insert a line about your custom meal planning service. But for the most part, just focus on serving and nourishing your leads. The more they get to know, like and trust you - the more likely they will be to convert into successful, raving fans. Trust me.
