Kate's Big Ideas

Do Newsletters Work?

#Newsletters work for most people if they tell a story and are consistent. I think they work very well for the digital human, and they can work for a company, primarily if individuals have the time and inclination to regularly contribute to them and build them. They take a lot more time than you’d imagine — so there’s that. I’ve talked to a lot of folks who want to do a newsletter and don’t want to put in the time, and frankly, there’s no rhyme or reason to that.

It’s also very difficult to grow your subscription numbers, and you’re going to have to use a variety of weird tactics. Your initial audience is largely the people you already know, and then your growth is largely mechanical. So I’d suggest using a lot of software tools, maybe ad buying and hard tactics like that, and then think about soft organic tactics like website traffic and signups from #socialmedia engagement.

It just takes a lot of time to figure out how to make the most of those, time that would be better spent writing. (Want to see how our newsletter works? Read our latest issue here, and subscribe if you like: https://buff.ly/3Z5j2ay)

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Goodnight, Moon

I can’t remember the first time I read Goodnight Moon — probably because my parents started reading it to me before my infant brain could really catalog memory. Chances are, you had a similar experience. The book turns 75 this year, and over that time, it’s sold over 48 million copies, touching at least that many lives, time and time over.

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Mastermind

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No More

I am wandering the wilderness of France this week dodging protests and celebrating the anniversary of my birth. Which is to say I’m positive we’re eating well. And I … like eating well.

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