How often should a local newsletter send?

I once launched a newsletter and didn't send a single email for eight weeks because I was looking for a partner. That wasn't smart. I won't do it again.

Is weekly enough?

Weekly is the floor. Less than weekly isn't common enough for people to remember you. More than weekly works if you have enough value to fill it.

"You still have to have newsletters going out, probably at least once a week, even if they're not full, great newsletters."

Are shorter, more frequent issues better?

A lot of the smarter people in the space say yes: more issues that are shorter beat fewer that are longer. Two reasons:

• People get tired and don't finish a long one.
• Branding. If they see you three, four, five times a week, you stick.

The James Clear newsletter, about five or six sentences, is the model for concise. My own is really long, and I worry about it. I haven't made the switch because it feels like more work right now.

It doesn't have to be more work. Split the issue you already make into two shorter sends. You publish more often without creating more content, and each send is easier to read.

What is a daily send actually for?

Getting eyes on the ad. Once that happens, the job is done. It doesn't need to be perfect content.

For a part-time operator who wanted a 10 to 15 minute Monday through Friday send, my advice was to theme the days:

• One day: news.
• Another day: real estate.
• Another day: a deep dive.
• Thursday: events, because people are planning the weekend.

Mix the other days however fits your market. Thursday is events. Schedule issues in advance, and if you use an AI tool, turn off AI rewriting on sections where your own editorial or sponsor copy should stand as written.

Should you merge two emails that go out the same day?

Usually, yes. One publisher I work with was sending a newsletter and a separate e-edition email on the same day. We merged them into one template with a "Today's Paper" header, a GIF leaderboard ad and a text link to the e-edition. They lost one story slot. In a market with limited local content, that was a feature.

What if my list is tiny?

Keep issues simple. I've told small-list publishers they don't have enough subscribers to justify hours per issue. Maybe at 5,000 or 10,000. One consolidated calendar section is fine at 500.

But simple isn't silent. Even before your first real issue, send something:

1. Week one: a warm "we're so excited you signed up, we're getting ready to launch" note.
2. Week two: "final touches, but here's a teaser": the four best events in town and a restaurant review, written in advance.
3. Then weekly, even if it isn't great yet.