How to start a newsletter (that stands out)

Hey folks👋🏽

How was your Barbieheimer weekend? From my poll, 47% said they’d see Oppenheimer first — the only way to do it. I had a fantastic 6 hour-day at the cinema, and I left tired but super inspired by the artistry of both films.

You may spot a few new additions to the newsletter — a Poll and a Prompt of the week.

💌 In today’s email:

• 📨 If you’ve been exploring other content formats, we’re here to tell you: start a newsletter! Here’s how.
• 👀 We want to see you clearly — tell us what content categories keep you interested in Buffer’s blog
• 🤖 Use this AI Assistant prompt to debunk myths about your niche or industry
• 📱Mitra recommends a trending audio for Reels to help you show off a little
• 📣 What’s happening in social: Twitter’s now X (?), Facebook hits 3 million monthly users, and T2 Social jumps ahead of the feature curve with DMs — get these updates and more!
• And as always, all the latest and greatest content from the Buffer blog

Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you next Friday!

Warmly, 

Tami & the Buffer team

P.S. Here are the 16+ new features, tools, and initiatives we worked on during Build Week!

☑️ The poll of the week

We’re testing the new sections and would love your feedback on the experience here!

🏊‍♀️Deep dive: How to start a newsletter (that stands out)

Newsletters have become a staple of the digital age, offering creators a direct line to their audience, free from the whims of social media algorithms. But there are a lot of newsletters – how do you start one that stands out?

1. Define Your Goal: You'll have to be a lot more intentional if you want to stand out in the current crop of newsletters. A way to approach with intention is by defining clear goals – here are some questions to get you thinking in the right direction:

• Audience Connection: Am I seeking a more intimate, direct way to communicate with my audience? What would it look like to have that deeper connection with my audience?
• Content Depth: Is there content I wish to share that requires a more in-depth, nuanced approach that doesn't fit well within the constraints of my current platforms? How would it change my content creation process?
• Monetization & Value Exchange: Am I seeking an alternative way to monetize my content? What kind of value could I offer my audience? How would I approach monetization? 
• Platform Independence: How would it impact my content strategy to have a communication channel unaffected by third-party algorithms?
• Feedback Loop: How do I build a mechanism to get regular feedback, insights, and suggestions from my community to better align my content with their needs and interests?

2. Niche Down: Use Jay Acunzo’s XY Premise Pitch to find your unique angle. For instance, focus on "sustainable fashion for students" rather than just "sustainable fashion."

3. Choose Your Platform: Consider subscriber limits, design flexibility, and cost. Beehiiv, for example, is a favorite among creators.

4. Design Matters: Make a lasting impression. Milk Road has a distinct character called the Milk Man, while Ponderer uses a striking blue and motion graphics to differentiate.

5. Strategy is Key: Decide your publishing cadence and content plan. Remember, consistency is crucial. Distribution is essential. How will you get your newsletter to your readers?

6. Make Your First Issue Count: Introduce yourself, share your vision, and invite interaction. Your first issue sets the tone for everything that follows.

7. Monetize Smartly: Consider sponsorships, paid subscriptions, or affiliate marketing. For instance, Justin Welsh sells self-directed courses, while Jay Clouse offers live workshops for his audience.

🏎️ Four creators speeding up their growth with Buffer

We pride ourselves on being an excellent tool for entrepreneurs and business owners to grow on social media — and our users were more than happy to back us up.

• Erik Berglund on Linkedin: “I've been able to consistently post for the last 5 months. I've never posted this frequently, and I've saved a ton of time while doing it. I likely save 4+ hours a month by using Buffer”
• Onlinemarketinges: “On Tik Tok we went from 110k to 310k with Buffer!”
• Reid on Twitter: “Doubled follower count and engagement has gone up 4x”
• Marian on Instagram: “I've saved weeks of time and have increased my engagement at 50%”

Want to skyrocket your growth? Click the link below to get started with Buffer today!

👇🏽 The latest from the blog

• How to Work With the TikTok Algorithm in 2023: In this article, we dive into the TikTok algorithm and how to use it to enhance your visibility and engagement on the platform.
• Ask Buffer: How to Create High-Quality Content: In this article, we’ll offer guidelines and advice to help you treat your content more intentionally to deliver consistent, high-quality content. If you have burning social media or creator-related questions, use #AskBuffer and we might write an article about it!

🤖 A prompt for Buffer's AI Assistant

If you find that people still make certain assumptions about your niche or industry, this is the prompt for you! Paste the following prompt in Buffer’s AI (or click the link below to get it right in your account).

[Create a [insert your platform+format+wordcount] post that debunks common myths about [insert your task/topic/niche/industry]]

Here's how I used the prompt

Here's the result

We’re testing the new sections and would love your feedback on the experience here!

📱Social tip of the week from Mitra, Buffer’s Social Media Manager 

“What do you do?”

Time to brag a little bit!

Use this audio on Instagram Reels to list all the amazing things you work on. This is a really quick Reel to put together — you need one clip (but you can do two or more if you want), and then you’ll add text over the video listing everything you do!

Check out this example from @nikkimilne_ for inspiration (they even include a cute and relatable moment at the end)!

And here’s the audio to work with.

🤳 What's happening in social

• 📰 News: Twitter is now X — kinda; Twitter warns that companies who don’t buy ads could lose their verification; Facebook now has 3 billion monthly active users; Instagram expands its Creator Subscriptions program; TikTok’s US marketplace could launch in August; LinkedIn reports ‘record engagement’
• 👀 Features: Twitter for Android has a new app logo and start screen; Threads gets a Following feed; Instagram updates Insights to show in one professional dashboard; TikTok makes text posts available to every user; T2 Social officially releases a DM feature —the first of the Twitter (X?) rivals to do so; and more updates in this thread!
• 📖 Bonus Reads: Twitter Took the X Handle From A User — He Got Paid $0 (Mashable); Your Questions About X, Answered (Social Media Today); An Influencer’s Guide to the Writers’ and Actors’ Strikes (The Verge); Constant Content Released A Survey About the State of AI in Content Marketing (Content Connect)

Thanks for reading! 💟

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