Weekly writing tips and real-life drama uncovered... all to help you make more money without compromising your values or straying away from who you are. DISCLAIMER: If you're a fuddy-duddy, don't sign up for this newsletter. You'll hate it.
Share
The psychological torment of *starting* an email list
Published 4 months ago • 4 min read
The Real Deal Digest
Issue No. 6
That subject line! You'll only think I'm joking if:
You don't have an email list (yet!)
You're an anomaly who has never experienced imposter syndrome in your entire life
You don't suffer from perfectionism and/or don't care how you're perceived by others
If you fall under the last two categories... what are you doing here?? (Just kidding, I think you're cool. Also, can I steal some of your mojo?) Back to the subject line: Starting a newsletter reveals a new layer of vulnerability you didn't know existed inside yourself. And just like an onion (or ogre), the more layers you peel back, the more you... uh, cry?
I tried SO hard to make that analogy work. Please forgive me. I just really want a Shrek gif this week.
If you began your email list and did not experience an external display of tears, there was still (most likely) some level of discomfort at the beginning of your email journey. As you build your list and decide what you want to share with your subscribers, it can feel daunting. Especially as your list grows. You might ask yourself questions like...
Will I meet their expectations?
Is anything I'm writing actually going to help them?
Will I be found out as a fraud? A sham? A LOSER??
What if everyone unsubscribes because I'm so lame??
(Sorry for a second gif- I REALLY couldn't help myself this week.)
What you quickly find out, though, is that when you market your newsletter correctly, you're going to find your people. I hate to say it's that simple, but... it is. 😬
Remember, this is the beauty of email: You aren't forcing anybody to subscribe to your list, you're not randomly showing up in someone's feed, and you don't have to play any algorithm games.
You just write your email, hit send, and... voila! Into the inboxes you go.
Real Talk: I do wish I had started this newsletter at the beginning of 2024, not 3 months ago. I never thought I'd find so much joy (and, uh, trepidation...) in the process. If you're still on the fence about starting an email list (or you have one but rarely send emails), let me share with you/remind you about the fun parts of writing emails and list building:
🤸🏼♀️ Replies from your subscribers. Oh man, there is nothing better than getting a reply from your email. You're always like, "Oh, yay! A human!" It doesn't matter if you've interacted with them before or not. It's fun and I love getting to know my subscribers!
🤸🏼♀️ Being the bright spot in someone's day. Honestly, you never know what others are going through. Your email might say the *exact* thing someone needs to hear at just the right time. How cool is it to be part of a positive ripple effect? (Answer: Very.)
🤸🏼♀️ Seeing your subscriber numbers go up. Personally, I find this humbling (and shocking) every time I see new subscribers join. It gives me a warm & fuzzy feeling, knowing that someone took a few seconds out of their day to become a part of my li'l corner of the Internet. (There are SO many options out there, ya know?)
🤸🏼♀️ Helping others in your niche with real-life lessons or insights. We all have something to offer because no two perspectives are the same. Copy Tip: When you're writing your emails, keep your "one reader" in mind. Who are you specifically writing to? Who do you want your emails to help?
Speaking of which...
I made a new FREE resource for business owners who want to start an email list but don't know where to begin. The 5 Must-Have Emails for Your Welcome Sequence is a quick li'l guide that helps you get your wheels spinning and jumpstart your email journey for 2025.
Gosh, ngl—I hope that link works for you. 'Cause you know what they DON'T tell you about emailing? Learning your way around your service provider is QUITE the process. I can't tell you how many times I've messed up my sequences, links, and even this newsletter since I started. 😬
But oh well. Don't let that scare you. Pobody's nerfect. Life goes on. And so do our days. Happy New Year, by the way. I hope you're excited about what this year will bring. I know I am! I'm rebranding in Q1 with Melanie Watson Design, so we'll be saying goodbye to these random colors I picked out when I just needed to stop overthinking and get going. 😂
What do you have going on this month, Reader? I think speaking and writing out your goals into existence is super important, so if you haven't done that yet, hit reply and tell me what's going on. As I said earlier, I'd love to hear from you!
Until next week!
-Rachael
Copywriter | Messaging Strategist | Your #1 Cheerleader
P.S. If you check out that free guide and you want to make 2025 be the Year of the Email, but you're still like, "WTF Rachael, I'm not writing my own damn emails", then by all means... Reply back to this email or schedule a chat if you want to meet and explore the idea of me writing them for you. ☺️ I'm working on a new offer that will have introductory pricing. Who knows—it could be the perfect fit for you!
STUFF & THINGS THAT MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE SUBJECT OF THIS EMAIL OR NOT:
Rachael Johnson | Copywriter & Messaging Strategist
Weekly writing tips and real-life drama uncovered... all to help you make more money without compromising your values or straying away from who you are. DISCLAIMER: If you're a fuddy-duddy, don't sign up for this newsletter. You'll hate it.
The Real Deal Digest Issue No. 13 It was wet, it was dark, and... It moved. Not exactly how I intended to spend my Friday night, but there I was. Staring down the cylindrical container of my Trader Joe's steel-cut oats. Beneath the opaque lid was a nest of weevils. Or so I can assume. I wasn't about to peel back the lid and confirm. I had enough confirmation from the dozens of weevils who had found their way in the dogs' water dish, on my hoodie, and on the kitchen floor that Friday...
The Real Deal Digest Issue No. 11 Ha! See what I did there? And if you didn't, I apologize... I don’t know when or why it happened, but over the last few years, I've welcomed the celeb drama and gossip into my life. Like even though I can name, uh... three? songs between Drake & Kendrick, I REALLY want to know where all this beef came from. (I still don't know what's going on, btw. Feel free to hit "Reply" and fill me in. 😬) I also want to know if Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are a legit...
The Real Deal Digest Issue No. 10 Oooh, so much to say to you this week, but so little time to say it! Isn’t that a nice problem to have? A dozen ideas in your head and not knowing which one to focus on for your weekly email? If you just read that and thought, “Are you kidding me, Rachael? I would LOVE to have that problem!”... …then allow me to give you that problem. 😀 Just keep reading! In this week’s issue of The Real Deal Digest: 💭 A notes app that helps me keep track of all my email...
