201: How To Organize A Weekly Newsletter: The Purpose Behind Our Template

Hi there. Welcome to the Professional Creative. Today we're diving into organizing a weekly newsletter and really sharing with you the purpose behind our newsletter and the template that I created to help us bring it to life easily every single week. I'm Bonnie Christine and this is where all things creativity, design, business and marketing unite. I'm a mama living in a tiny town tucked right inside the Smoky Mountains, running a multi seven figure business, doing the most creative and impactful work of my life. But when I first set out to become an entrepreneur, I was struggling to make ends meet and wrestling with how to accomplish my biggest dream of becoming a fabric designer. Fast forward to today. I'm not only licensing my artwork all over the world, but also teaching others how to design their creative life and experience the same success. I'm here to help you spend your life doing something that lights you up. I'll help you build a creative business that also creates an impact, changes people's lives, gives you all of the freedom you want, and is wildly profitable. Welcome to the Professional Creative Podcast. For a long time I've known the importance of a consistent email talking to my email list, but it was hard. This is one of those things that I just didn't have figured out for many, many years. So we're coming up on the first year anniversary of our weekly emails and so I have about a year of experience under my belt, which is what I'll be sharing with you in this episode. Before that, our emails were very one off. They were surrounded by campaigns, we were sharing kind of industry news or something that we had releasing. We would also, we had a really robust nurture sequence. So if you came into my email list, you would be nurtured through this onboarding sequence for several weeks. And so I kind of felt like everybody was getting taken care of. But what was missing was a regular giving, serving email that wasn't selling anything and the focus was on connection. It was just my voice, my heart to my audience. And I really got this brought to light for me when I recognized how much I love these types of emails from other people that I get. And the cadence is part of the thing that makes it feel so special. And so I wanted to do this. And also adding a email every single week felt like a big deal. It felt like I don't know how we're going to make that happen. And so what I did was allow myself to truly kind of step onto the playground if I were to create, create the newsletter of newsletters that I would personally run towards opening every single week. What would it be? And from that was born, actually two emails. We do two bi weekly emails. In this case, that means every other week. So if you're signed up for both, you do get one every week. One of them is called Beneath the Surface. It's for creative entrepreneurs. The other is called Secrets of the Studio for surface pattern designers. So I wanted to get away from feeling like every time I sat down to write an email from the heart, it was like I had to figure it all out. Like, what do I want to say? How do I want to say it? What else do I want to say? I was feeling like I was inventing the wheel every time I sat down. How long should it be? You know, I would doubt the content and feel super disorganized with it. And so the real turning point for me came when we started to build a very clear template and define the cadence. So it's happening every other Thursday, no matter what. Our weekly emails have become something that I adore. I love creating them and writing them. I know exactly what to include. It's like given a real framework and rails to something that felt very squishy to me. So I think, you know, that building your email list is so imperative. It is so incredibly important. But building it is just the first part of it. The second part of it is maintaining a relationship, a real connected relationship with the people who are on your email list. And oftentimes that takes, you know, pouring some heart into your emails and slowing down to really be intentional about it, figuring out what to say, how often to say it, organizing it so that it makes sense to your audience. You know, perhaps you've sent too little. Maybe you've kind of ghosted your email list for weeks or months at a time. Maybe you've sent too much and you're worried about overwhelming people and creating like inbox fatigue. Or maybe you just haven't hit send because it all feels like too much. So that was where we were about a year ago. We weren't regularly emailing our list. We were just emailing when we had something to say. So now it's different. We sit down to our email list and we know exactly what to say. So rather than overwhelming kind of blank sheet of possibilities, we see individual sections and bite sized pieces that make this kind of grand masterpiece that people really enjoy. And so do I. Not only do we feel at ease when we come to write the weekly email, but I think my audience also feels at ease reading it. Because it's not overwhelming. It's a collection of treasures that are really personalized to their interests. So with each email we build consistency, which builds trust and leads to connection. It's also good your audience knows what to expect from you, what value they'll get, and how to engage in your email. So the secret for me lies in creating the template. This super intentional email structure that ensures what you deliver is what your audience wants. So let's take a look at our email newsletters and the templates behind them. So I mentioned that we do two newsletters. They're bi weekly, that means every other week. So there's one going out every week. One is called Secrets of the Studio and that is for surface pattern designers. Beneath the Surface is for creative entrepreneurs, which is really where we talk about what happens underneath the surface of business. We did two because I really serve two different ICAs. One that goes all in on surface design and one who goes all in on creative entrepreneurship. I think that's you. And sometimes they overlap. You might be both. So every week one goes out. So if someone is subscribed to both, they hear from us every week. But if you're only subscribed to one, it's twice a month. Secrets of the Studio is sent to everyone on my list. Just for the record, everyone on my list has come into my list based on Surface pattern design. So the second newsletter beneath the surface is opt in only and only about 13% of our full list. That's about 35,000 people. And so that one is super curated to creative entrepreneurship. Sidebar is if you want to sign up for one, they're free and you can join@bonniecristine.com newsletters with an S on the end. So creating two newsletters allows us to speak really clearly and specifically to each audience and offer really personal kind of useful value. So let's take a look at these separately. Secrets of the Studio, again is for Surface pattern designers. This runs on a template. First it's a section called From Bonnie's Desk. This is a personal note for me with all the latest updates and behind the scenes of what's been going on in my business from a Surface pattern design perspect. Then we move in behind the curtain. These are tips and tricks of the trade to boost your design skills. Then we move into Industry Insider. This is a design specific news or resource that helps keep you updated as to what's going on in the industry. You get Palette picks, which is a custom color palette for you ready to use. You get tools, treasures and textiles. These are three different things, but just one. One tool one treasure, one textile that I'm currently obsessing over. A pattern drop. So an iPhone or or any kind of phone wallpaper. Custom background for you each month. A section called Bonnie's Bookshelf, which is Books that have Changed My Life. A podcast peek. So highlights from our more design related podcasts. A coming up section. So a sneak peek at what's on the horizon. A student spotlight, A design success story that's really worth just diving in and enjoying a pat, which is a really short survey. So it's a one question kind of timed vote. This helps us shape our future products and offerings. If you are interested in this, the last episode was all about how we do surveys and then we wrap up with an Ask Bonnie session. So you're invited to submit a question and every week I give an answer to one of the questions that were submitted by a reader. So my favorite section really of this is probably from Bonnie's desk. I love writing and in a heartfelt just this is what's happening. This is what I've been doing. This is how surface pattern design is showing up in my life this week. So that's Secrets of the Studio. If you're an artist or designer dreaming of seeing your work on products in the real world, like fabric and wallpaper and greeting cards. But maybe you're struggling to break into the world of licensing. Listen up. The art licensing industry can feel like almost an exclusive club with gatekeepers and confusing entry points. But I've found a way to simplify everything. Imagine pouring your heart into your art only to see it gather dust. That is not what we want. Maybe you've tried posting on social media, setting up an online store, sending out emails, but it feels like shouting into the void. The art world is confusing, and breaking into licensing isn't just about talent. It's also about finding the right partners that are the right fit. Now, I've been in the same boat. I've spent tireless hours researching, compiling lists, learning how to approach companies. Then one day I had tremendous success. So after so much trial and error, I signed my first licensing deal. Then another and another. Today, my artwork is licensed all over the world and I want to help you achieve the same success. So I've taken what I consider the most difficult part and well, I've done it for you. I've poured over a decade of experience in developing the Ultimate Licensing Handbook. This is a curated list of over 400 companies across 17 plus industries. So you don't have to this handbook is so much more than a list. It's a comprehensive resource that is going to help you eliminate the guesswork. It includes pitch templates that get results and step by step guidance on how to approach companies. If you've tried compiling this information on your own, you know how time consuming it is. It would take months. In fact, we've estimated that this handbook will save you over 463 hours of work and it gives you direct access to the companies that can take your career to the next level. So are you ready to take the Next step? Visit BonnieCristine.com Handbook to get your copy of the Ultimate Licensing Handbook and get instant access to all of these resources that we've poured so much into so that you don't have to remember there's room for you and I'd love to help you get started. Now Beneath the Surface is the one for creative entrepreneurs and this is a play on our mascot. Our team mascot is the Swan. And I love this because to us the Swan, it really represents us. A swan is sophisticated and elegant above the surface, but right beneath the water it's paddling furiously, working to keep everything running smoothly. And so beneath the surface is literally what's going on under here to keep everything running beautifully on top. This one also has similar but more focused on creative entrepreneurs sections. The first one is Beneath the Surface. This is a personal note for me with all the latest updates on what's been going on in a business perspective. So not a design perspective, but what are we doing from a business perspective. The next section is Heartfelt Marketing. This is a powerful tip that helps you get your offers into the world and help you turn your audience into raving fans. The next one is Paddle Power. These are insights into mindsets and strategies that will help you grow your business. Bonnie's Bookshelf are the books that have literally changed my life. Go here. Next is Podcast Peak. These are highlights from our more business related podcasts. Next is Industry Insider. This is Creative Entrepreneur specific news and resources. Then we have a student spotlight here as well. So business success stories. We do a Swan survey. Again, it's time to vote. Help us shape the future of our products and offers. We do an Ask Bonnie here as well, but it's centered around entrepreneurship. And then we have a coming up section. So really kind of a VIP sneak peek at what's on the horizon. Both email newsletter templates have a few things in common. They have the insider tips, real life stories and lessons, valuable resources, they're interactive, they're consistently inspiring, they give early access and they really Create rituals that our audience loves. So breaking our email newsletters into these frameworks or sections, it really allowed us to hone in on the value that we wanted to offer every week. And if you're ready to create your own newsletter template, I wanted to give you some steps that should help you. The first is to define your audience. Take a look at your email newsletter with fresh eyes. Who's on your list? How did they get there? Take a moment to consider their needs and their interests, their hopes. I really decided on these two different ICAs because of where this question took me. They are two different people on my list and I want to make sure that every time someone opens an email for me, they feel like this is for me. Now, if you already have your ICA nailed down, that's your ideal customer avatar. Consider what they want to read in their inbox. Consider what you want to read in your inbox. Like what would be the one email that you run towards opening and never miss? What would surprise and delight them? What time of day are they opening their email? What day of the week is best for them to open their email? And do they want something light hearted and fun or inspirational? Or maybe educational or mix of both? Do you need one list or two variations? I suspect many of you need just one list, but some of you will also find yourself in a scenario of more than one ica. The next step is to create your sections. This is where you really put pen to paper and play Brainstorm a series of sections for your newsletter. Look through your previous emails and see where sections kind of naturally form. Are there any areas of overlap or trends in your emails? Which emails tend to resonate with your audience more? As you create your email sections, you can also consider various ways to serve like stories. Build connection. You can also think about creative inspiration or an educational tip, or a business strategy or a heartfelt note or the books you enjoy or puzzles to make them think or witty jokes to make them laugh. Remember, you can choose sections that align with not only your brand, but also fit your ica. So don't worry about having too many sections. Even two can add clarity to your email process. And also you can alternate between two. So for us we alternate between a Q and A and a survey every other email. So they're only going out once a month. In the emails, then I want you to build a repeatable template. This is where the magic is. We build ours using Kit. So Kit is our email service provider. If you want to dive in and learn more about Kit, you can do so@bonniecristine.com resources but we'll also put the link with today's episode. Use consistent section headers. I think this is a fun way to really build out the template. So we built a template in the backend of kit so that we can automatically install the template every time we go to do our weekly email. This is also where you can put your branded imagery, your branded colors. Visual appeal, I think is super interesting for creatives in particular because we want to be. We want to be drawn into the experience and then consider a consistent sign off. Ours is love Bonnie with a fun PS added to the bottom of the email. But a consistent sign off is again one of those rituals that people will really learn to love and finally strike a balance of consistent and thoughtfulness. I think the template stays the same, but the content each week is new. It's got different artwork, different business ideas, different tools, color palettes, podcast episodes. Our goal is to strike a balance between consistency and thoughtfulness because we have built in certain sections that are completely fluid, like Industry Insider. This approach just gives us enough structure to guide our writing, but also enough permission to play within the structure. So, my friends, sending email newsletters gets easier when you have a clear understanding of who you're speaking to, when you divide your email into sections, when you create clear, repeatable templates, and when you build consistent, thoughtful rhythms. Consistency builds trust and your email list is one of the best places to build it. So if you'll follow the four steps I've shared today, you can create your own template. It can look wildly different from mine, but what it's going to do is give you a rail to follow when you sit down to write again. If you want to sign up for one of ours, you can head over to bonniecristine.comnewsletters that's with an S on the end. I would also love to shout out some of my favorite email newsletters. Some of my favorites are from Davey and Krista, from Florette Flower Farm, from Jenna Blackburn. I would love to hear your favorites as well. Thank you so much for being here today. In next week's episode, we're going to dive deep into something especially fun, which is a behind the scenes of how we celebrate workaversaries on Team bc. Until then, my friends, create the beauty that you want to see come alive in the world. And remember, there's room for you. Bye for now. Sam.