5 Reasons YOU Should Start Writing a Newsletter

Yes, I’m talking about you.

You should start a newsletter.

But—plot twist:

It doesn’t matter if anyone reads it, or even knows it exists.

This post is inspired by a video from creator Dann Berg called why i write a newsletter (and you should, too). His video resonated with me… probably because he didn’t share the typical benefits you hear from creators about newsletters. Things like:

• Having a direct relationship with your audience (outside of algorithm-focused platforms)

• Growing your audience engagement

• Pointing your audience to your website or products

Sure, these are great reasons if you’re building a content business…

But that’s not something everybody wants.

However, there are many practical, positive benefits that anyone can get from this practice—no matter their audience size or motivation.

But there’s 1 rule:

It has to be a scheduled, recurring newsletter.

Could be a daily, weekly, or monthly post… it doesn’t matter—as long as it’s on a schedule.

Here are 5 benefits you’ll get from writing a newsletter:

1. It forces you to shift your balance of creating vs consuming.

If you’re anything like me, you consume a fair amount of content. So it’s important to balance that out by creating.

When you put out a regular newsletter, you’ll start consuming content differently. You’ll engage with the material more critically. You'll ask questions, look for key takeaways, and think about how the information relates to your own experiences and ideas.

2. It makes you think more deeply about things you’re interested in.

Writing has a way of leading us to new ideas… even in areas we think we know well.

“You can know a great deal about something without writing about it. Can you ever know so much that you wouldn't learn more from trying to explain what you know? I don't think so.” — Paul Graham

3. It teaches you to FINISH things.

Hitting publish on a regular schedule means saying something is good enough. It doesn’t have to be perfect—but it has to be done.

Lorne Michaels, creator and executive producer of Saturday Night Live, famously said “Saturday Night Live doesn't go on because it's ready; it goes on because it's 11:30 on Saturday.”

4. It can be a great way to stay in touch with people.

Let’s say you did tell friends, family, and colleagues about your newsletter…

This can be a great way to stay in touch and top of mind without having to talk to each of them individually. Plus, they’ll learn about things you’re interested in that may not always come up in conversation.

5. It’s a time capsule.

If we don’t capture our thoughts and ideas on things we’re passionate about, that knowledge will eventually be lost.

My son is currently 5 years old. Right now, he’s more interested in Spiderman, Ninjas, and Monster Trucks than anything I’m researching… (can you blame him?😆 )

But one day, if he ever finds himself curious about pursuing the topics I was interested in—he’ll have a collection of my curated takes on everything I found valuable enough to share.

Your Turn

So what do you say?

Ready to start your newsletter?

Remember, it doesn’t have to be anything groundbreaking…

It could just be a place to share:

• Things you find interesting

• Things you find valuable

• Things you care about

• Things you want others to remember

It’ll force you to think deeper about the content you’re consuming.

You’ll get better at processing and communicating your thoughts.

Plus, the newsletter content you publish is a great way to test and flesh out your thoughts and ideas for future video content—while building the habit of hitting publish.

If you’re interested in starting, I’d recommend signing up with either beehiiv (affiliate link) or ConvertKit. I personally use beehiv, but they are both great platforms with free plans for anyone with less than 1000 subscribers (up to 2000 for beehiiv).

If you start one… let me know. I’ll happily be an early supporter.