Newsletter content

Every answer 16 answers

• Can a local newsletter be only events?

  Yes. I've seen newsletters that are literally only events, and that's a complete product. In my post-subscribe surveys about 80% of new subscribers, and up to 90% in some markets, say events are what they care about most. An events-only newsletter gets you roughly 80% of the value for 20% of the work.

• How do you write the events section of a local newsletter?

  Keep each listing to one sentence, cover the day after the send through the next seven days, and stop chasing the perfect list. I pull 20 to 25 events to land about eight usable ones, let AI write the one-line descriptions, and put one big featured event at the top. Send the events issue on Thursday.

• How do you write the restaurant section of a local newsletter?

  Write it like a friend recommending a place, not a food critic. My brief: a 4 to 8 word headline that doesn't use the restaurant's name, then two short paragraphs with one or two direct, interesting specifics. No AI language, no emojis. Restaurants are usually readers' second favorite section after events.

• How long should each story in a local newsletter be?

  About two paragraphs, and often less. Readers can click through for detail, so a story only needs the point and why it matters. I write news in a Smart Brevity style with two parts, 'the gist' and 'why it matters,' then link to the source. Newsletter space is limited, so cut hard.

• How often should a local newsletter send?

  At least weekly. Less than weekly isn't common enough to build a habit. If you can, send shorter issues more often: splitting one long weekly into short themed dailies means more ad impressions and stronger branding without writing more. And never go dark, even before your first full issue is ready.

• Should a local newsletter have a podcast or video section?

  Yes, if the show is short. I run a Podcast Spotlight section that shows the YouTube thumbnail in the email so readers click through to watch. Keep a local show quick and fun; 20 or 30 minutes is too long. Your newsletter readers are also the easiest audience a local podcast will ever get.

• Should a local newsletter have a real estate section?

  Yes. People love real estate even when they aren't buying. I call it Zillow spying. A fancy house is always one of my top clicks. Run a featured home in every issue, filter out sold homes, land, whole complexes and rentals, and keep the section running even before anyone pays for it.

• Should a newsletter include memes and GIFs?

  Yes. A landscaping company newsletter I do has about a 60% open rate, and the owner credits the funny meme at the end of every issue. Put memes at the end, an image or GIF in most sections, and a poll when you have a good question. It makes the email fun, and no AI newsletter is doing it.

• What is a B2B local newsletter and how is it different from a regular one?

  A B2B local newsletter is written for business owners instead of the general public: Morning Brew-style business news for one area, plus networking and learning events. Because the audience is about 80% smaller, cover a whole county or metro, not one town. Mine reached 700 to 800 subscribers in three weeks at 80 to 90 cents each.

• What is the best day and time to send a local newsletter?

  Early morning, with events on Thursday. My send time moved from 8 AM to 7:30, then 7, and now about 6:10 to 6:15 AM. Thursday is events day because people are planning their weekend. Treat send time as something to test, and send from a person's name, like 'Firstname at Brand,' not just the brand.

• What should a local newsletter include?

  Events first, restaurants second, then everything else. In early 2025 my weekly issues ran news, restaurants, a local business, a fancy house and all the events, with a big featured event at the top. Add the human stuff AI can't fake: a personal editorial, a meme at the end, a good poll. Start with easy, engaging sections, not hard news.

• What should a realtor or small business put in a newsletter so people actually read it?

  Give readers what they want, not your pitch: local events, a laugh, a restaurant, a featured home if you're a realtor, and a short personal note. Your listings and calls to action ride along. Most business newsletters are 'me, me, me' or just a link to somewhere else, and nobody reads them.

• What should you check before sending a newsletter?

  Send yourself a real test email, not just the platform preview. Then check four things: the subject and preview fit in one or two lines, the email isn't so link-heavy that Gmail clips it, images are sized for a phone, and every listing is still current and honest. Make the test send a required step every time.

• Who reads local newsletters?

  Mostly women, mostly 40 and up, mostly homeowners. In my survey data readers are typically 70 to 80% female. On one brand, 24% are 65+ and over 40% are 55+; in another market, over 70% were 55 or older. Busy young families read less than I expected.

• Why do AI-written newsletter drafts need so much rewriting, and how do you fix it?

  Usually two problems at once: thin facts and the wrong voice. When a writer on my team was rewriting almost 100% of AI drafts, about half the fixes were factual and half were voice. The fix: give the AI the full source article, two or three real examples per section, and a spot for the human's own notes.

• Why does a local newsletter need a real person's voice instead of AI aggregation?

  Because a real local person is the one thing AI aggregators can't fake. A short weekly editorial (your kids, your weekend, the local insight only a resident has) is what separates you from AI sites, gives readers something they'd miss, and makes them think of you when they need what you sell. Mine takes about ten minutes a week.