You’ve got your business set up and you’ve had some sales. But it’s time to step it up a gear and advance your small business marketing skills.
But, erm, slight problem. Marketing isn’t your forte.
One of the best, easiest, and cheapest things you can do is get some useful marketing intel delivered to your inbox. Then, when it’s time to tuck into some business learning, you’ve got resources and information ready to go.
But, erm, another slight problem. Which ones are actually worth your time? (Because fookin’ hell, there are a lot of them out there.)
Let me help by suggesting a few.
Marketing emails that I regularly read, and reckon you should too
In my 16 years of being a professional writer, I’ve read a lot of email newsletters. (And have even written a few.) During that time I’ve noticed what qualities a great newsletter should have.
Bear in mind that this is all personal preference. But for me, the four qualities that make a marketing email great are:
- an element of entertainment. I want to feel something. (I think this is because once upon a time I was a journalist)
- an opportunity to think and tackle some critical analysis
- practical tips and ideas for actions that I can take after reading
an awareness of my time—ideally, I don’t want it to take hours for me to read and digest the point.
OK, here’s the list…
I’ve divided the emails up into rough categories. Pick out the ones that interest you most.
Copywriting and marketing
Drayton Bird’s Bird Droppings
Sent out: Daily
What I like about it: Drayton Bird’s mantra is to ‘keep contacting people until they buy the thing or tell you to fuck off.’ And he practices what he preaches. Drayton’s marketing insights, stories, and useful resources will land like clockwork in your inbox. Daily. Until you tell him to fuck off. Which is, if I’m honest, unlikely.
He has a lot of useful stuff to say. Not surprising since he’s been doing the do since the 60s and is one of the leading individuals who has shaped today’s marketing.
Sign up: Draytonbird.com
Dave Harland’s The Word
Sent out: Weekly
What I like about it: Dave is a UK-based copywriter. He’s best known on social media for comically wasting the time of scammers by spinning elaborate stories about why he can’t sign up for their schemes. And it was one of those stories that hooked me and convinced me to hand over my email address. I’m glad I did.
Dave’s emails are fucking funny. (Or sometimes really sentimental and lovely.) But underneath the stories—sometimes true, sometimes not—are practical copywriting tips. Follow them and you’ll quickly strengthen your writing.
Sign up: thewordman.co.uk/newsletter (Tip: Get on his list before the next Black Friday rolls around. His BF roundups are cracking.)
Felicity Wild’s Bridging the Divide
Sent out: Monthly
What I like about it: The world is a hectic place and it’s easy for our minds to run away with a million ideas. So much so, that all those thoughts get mushed up. I regularly say to my clients that I can help them untangle their ideas. Yet I sometimes struggle to do this when thinking about marketing, what it does and where it’s heading.
Felicity is my un-mish masher. Her emails help me wrap my head around the crazy shit happening in the creative industries. If you were to watch me while reading one of her emails, you might think I’d turned into one of those nodding bobblehead toys. But I can’t help it. She says exactly what I’ve been thinking, but with clarity and conviction. And I really appreciate that.
Her emails make me think, make me rage, make me feel seen.
Sign up: felicitywild.com/newsletter
Eddie Shleyner’s Very Good Copy
Sent out: Weekly
What I like about it: Eddie’s copywriting micro lesson emails are different to most other. They often feel poetic. Driven by emotion and anecdotes that bring the sometimes over-hyped ideas of marketing back to the real world. And rather than explaining the technique, he shows his readers how to do it by writing in the style he wants you to take on board.
Sign up: verygoodcopy.com
Harry Dry’s Marketing Examples
Sent out: Weekly
What I like about it: The format. For a long time I thought Harry’s newsletter was called 3-2-1 Marketing. Every week he shares 3 examples, 2 copywriting tips, and 1 favourite tweet. I love how quick and easy it is to read and digest the information.
Fun fact: Harry’s newsletter influenced and inspired my own Copy Quickie format.
Sign up: Marketingexamples.com/newsletter
Digital marketing and SEO
Barb David’s The Digital Marketing Takeaway
Sent out: Weekly
What I like about it: So many SEO newsletters are jargon-filled, data-riddled diatribes. But not the Takeaway. The Takeaway is fast, snappy, and practical. Without sacrificing clarity.
Every week Barb offers practical tips to improve how visible your business is online, and how hard your website works for you. She also links to her latest podcast, articles she likes, and her personal recommendations on the marketing tools that work.
The bonus section (if you wanna call it that) are the personal updates she puts at the end. So the whole flow is like, do the work-stuff then let’s crack a beer and have a natter.
Sign up: compassdigitalstrategis.com/newsletter
Nikki Pilkington’s SEO F#cking What?!
Sent out: Monthly
What I like about it: As someone who loves a pun, the name got me. I also had the pleasure of chatting with Nikki over a couple of beers when I was last in London. Her straight-talking SEO newsletter is as honest and to the point as she is and, like Barb, she’s all about cutting the fluff and getting on with it.
Sign up: nikki-pilkington.com (there’s a box in the footer)
The Digital Brew’s Monthly Brew
Sent out: Monthly
What I like about it: Angela and Stewart are husband and wife and business partners. *In superhero voice* Together they are Digital Brew. Ange handles the copywriting and strategy while Stew tackles the design and development.
Their monthly newsletter rounds up their most recent content: blog posts, podcasts, video tutorials, and more. They also find time to keep track on the latest industry happenings, sharing links to must-know digital marketing news. It’s a good one for sparking ideas. Expect to be bookmarking things you’ll wanna read or listen to later on.
Sign up: thedigitalbrew.com.au/subscribe
Creativity and marketing
Thinkerbell’s WEIRDO Magazine
Sent out: Fortnightly
What I like about it: It’s a bit bonkers this one, and reminds me of those weekly lads’ mags from the 90s. It’s random, it’s fast, it’s sometimes thought-provoking, it’s always entertaining. Expect lots of links to loosely-based marketing articles and lessons from the Thinkerbell creative team.
Sign up: thinkerbell.com/weirdo
42Courses’ Weekend Reads and Weekday Wisdom
Sent out: Twice a week
What I like about it: I signed up to this newsletter because epic UK-based copywriter Vikki Ross had a course on 42courses. I stuck around partly because the salutations are always lovely. (See image below.) But also because the newsletter includes links to articles that force me into critical thinking mode. And other times it just amuses me.
The Weekend Reads edition is generally a collection of links and then some ‘on this date’ info. The Weekday Wisdom is a little longer (usually) and has a lesson-based feel, plus book reviews, videos and more to watch and listen to. The idea is that it feeds your creativity so might not always be on your industry topic.
Sign up: 42courses.com (scroll to the bottom of the page or wait for the pop up to appear)
Freelancing
The Being Freelance Newsletter
Sent out: Weekly
What I like about it: If I still lived in the UK or had a hope in hell of running on UK time, I’d be a member of the Being Freelance community. Steve Folland’s membership for freelance business owners is epic. But it’s not an option right now. So in a bid to kinda join in, I get his email newsletters.
I love the regular reminders to listen to the Being Freelance podcast, along with his community updates and Words of Wisdom Intros. (As I call them.) The subject lines are also stellar. Some of my recent favourites include:
- When I saw what was happening, I very nearly got off again
- Don’t forget your toothbrush
- This is it – come on in
- Is the BBQ meant to have that much smoke?!
Sign up: beingfreelance.com (from the homepage)
Fun fact: I popped my podcast cherry on Being Freelance
I’m not sure what caused me to start getting The Fear about public speaking, but I have it. For someone who loves a natter, I find it extremely difficult to talk about myself and believe people want to listen to me. I’m much better at writing it. (Funnily enough.) But I took the plunge a while back and pitched to be a guest on the Being Freelance podcast. And Steve said, “Yep!”
Listen here and see if you can hear the fear in my voice.
Freelancer Magazine’s The Dunker
Sent out: Weekly
What I like about it: Is there a greater joy in this freelancing world than working with a cuppa and a dunkable biscuit nearby?
Like its namesake, The Dunker is a pleasure to read. Each issue has a different freelancer at the helm, sharing ideas and easy-to-follow tips from their realm of expertise. All with the aim of making it that bit easier to run your freelancer business. It’s short, entertaining, and very practical.
Sign up: freelancermagazine.co.uk (scroll to the footer)
Already familiar with these newsletters?
Let me know in the comments if you’re already signed up to any of the ones I mentioned and what you think of them. Or if there’s a newsletter you think should be added to this list, let me know that too. I’ll check it out.