You hear about mailing lists all the time, right? Why you should have one, how to start one - it seems like they’ve really blown up over the past few months. I know this, because not only have I seen a lot of blog posts talking about mailing lists, but I’ve also done my fair share of writing about them too.
Because there’s so much content out there about mailing lists, it’s safe to say that a lot of us have either got one, or we’re thinking about creating one. But we’re doing it without really thinking about it - we’re doing it without thinking how it can help us. We’re doing it “just because.”
Yep, I said it. At the moment, I feel mailing lists are like a trend. Like peonies and red Starbucks cups - we get them just because we see that other people have got them too.But when it comes to mailing lists, we can’t just do that. We can’t manage it without a strategy. We can’t manage it without knowing its purpose.
Did you know that having a mailing list is one of the biggest ways that help you to get a breakthrough with your blog? It’s true - because that’s what it’s done for me. So today as part of the #BloggingBreakthrough challenge, I’m taking away the fluff and sharing seven HUGE reasons why and how mailing lists can help your blog.
#1 You Can Share More Valuable, Inspiring Content
We’re going to start off with the most important point here, because I know you all know that when it comes to blogging, it’s your content that matters the most.
Recently, it seems like content that provides “value” is the only content that’s going to get you results. There’s been a huge transition from quick 300 words posts that glaze over a topic briefly, to longer form content with real life tips and high-quality information. I know this because not only is this something I’ve found myself doing, but I’ve also seen a lot of other bloggers do this too.
Your readers visit your blog for a reason. You give them something that makes them keep coming back.
That’s exactly the same with your mailing list.
If you provide your email subscribers with extra high value information, they’ll be so much more likely to visit your blog more often. So instead of writing five posts per week, why not cut it down to four and use the other one to write to your mailing list? By switching your focus slightly, you’re not reducing the amount of time you spend working on your blog - you’re actually benefitting it more.
Use your newsletter as a way to truly connect with your audience. Share a story from your week or the biggest thing you’ve learnt. Let them in on what’s been stressing you out and what’s been making you happy. Then link to some of your latest blog posts to get them to go straight to your blog.
The possibilities here are endless. With a mailing list, you’re allowing people to receive more content from you. And if this is good content, your subscribers will grow and so will your blog too.
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