Today I’m going to go meta on you. No, I’m not talking about the big umbrella hovering over some of the big social media and communications platforms. Today’s newsletter is going to be about newsletters. A peek into the mirror, if you will.

Like virtually everyone with an email address, you’re probably on a few lists, (or a few hundred). By virtue of the fact that you’re reading this, it’s a sure thing that you are on this one.

Let’s look at the receiving side first. Email addresses are a dime-a-dozen. Actually, they cost less than that, in general they are free, either included with your internet service provider’s package, or handed out like candy from one of the big advertising or search companies.

When it comes to inbound communications, having all of your eggs in one basket can be problematic. If you’ve been around the internet block a time or two like I have, you may have had the experience of an email address becoming so choked with spam and nonsense that you had to give up on it.

It’s pretty common for folks to have a personal email address and a work email address at the very minimum. Depending on your situation, one or two more can be a good idea. Too many are a no-no, you don’t want to drive yourself crazy.

You might want to have one specifically for newsletter subscriptions. Some people swear by the idea of having one email address for everything related to your home. Or one specifically for your finances. You get the idea.

It’s a modern pleasure in this day and age to have a quiet off-the-radar email address that only receives incoming messages from a select few senders that you have carefully curated, and nothing more.

I could go on and on about email hygiene, there are lots more tips and tricks out there to help you manage. But let’s look at the sending side of the equation, which definitely matters to our Dance First members, and anyone else out there with an audience.

First of all, why have a mailing list in the first place? Isn’t simply posting your events and activities on social media enough? In a word, no.

To begin with, not all of your fans and followers are in the same place. Also, and more importantly, you are at the mercy of their algorithm. If your platform of choice changes the rules or goes belly up, you’re left high and dry.

Here’s my pro-tip: use your social media to build your mailing list. When you have a positive interaction with someone, ask them if they like to receive your newsletter. If they say yes, ask them for their email address, (this is far more effective than asking them to sign up.)

You own your email list. It is a valuable and portable asset. You can take it with you to a different platform, for instance starting somewhere easy and free like Mailchimp to something more robust like Ontraport.

As long as your messaging offers some value and is meaningful, your recipients will be likely to open it and read it. Remember, the size of your list is less important than how engaged your readers are. It helps to be consistent and regular with your timing, (you know when to expect Monday Love, right?).

Think about your mindset when you’re scrolling social media. That cool event that you might attend is lost in a sea of reactions and distractions. Compare that to your thought process when you’re in your e-mailbox. You are right next to your calendar and your bank account, much closer to your decision-making process.

Some folks, like journalists or financial advisors charge money to subscribe. Artisans like Puzzlapy give their collectors a fair chance to snap up one-of-a-kind creations by landing in their mailbox every Wednesday at 9am sharp. Teachers and facilitators of every kind do well to maintain ongoing outreach with updates about their offerings and insight into their creative process.

Best part? You stay in touch with your community and get valuable feedback! One of our members, Zuza Engler (Moving with Life) pointed out to me that our calendar listings weren’t so easy to read and made some suggestions on how we could improve.

I took her advice, tinkered with our formatting and fonts, and voilà, much better! Take a look below, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Well, I hope you enjoyed today’s little detour into the nuts-and-bolts of newsletters, we’ll get back our usual meanderings next Monday.

Much love and all the best!

M+

Mark Metz
Director of the Dance First Association
Publisher of Conscious Dancer Magazine