Does your podcast need a newsletter? I definitely think so, and I’m not alone! Creating a companion newsletter can significantly enhance your ability to connect with your audience, foster a sense of community among your listeners, and even generate additional revenue. I talked to successful podcasters and turned their insights into a step-by-step guide to help you develop a successful newsletter that supports your podcasting goals.

Step 1: Understand the benefits of a podcast newsletter

Direct connection with your listeners 

Having a direct line of communication with your audience is invaluable, especially considering podcasters are typically reliant on listeners returning to their RSS feed for updates. That’s why Avery Trufelman, host of Articles of Interest, started her show’s newsletter. “I started in 2022, when I took the show independent and wanted to make sure people could find it,” she said.

A way to stay in touch between episodes 

A newsletter can keep your audience engaged even when you’re not releasing new podcast episodes. Christine Oakfield of Your Empty Nest Coach notes, “I began my newsletter/email five years ago when I began podcasting. It has served multiple purposes: announcing new episodes, new offerings, or other places I am appearing. Additionally, when I’m on a podcasting break, I use it to remind recipients of past episodes that might interest them.”

A way to “own” your audience

Your newsletter is an owned media channel, meaning one that is entirely within your control. Owning your email list is safer than building your audience on social media platforms, which put you at the mercy of third-party companies like Meta, Twitter, or YouTube. 

Carolyn Kiel of Beyond 6 Seconds started her newsletter after learning about the benefits at a small business networking event in 2019. “Shortly after that, I started my newsletter to communicate directly with my listeners, in a way that isn’t impacted by social media algorithms,” she said.

Boosts your SEO 

A newsletter can also enhance your online visibility. As Jamie Fenderson of The 80s and 90s Uncensored says, “Be sure to keep SEO in mind with your newsletter and assume you may be publishing it to the world. Our most searched page turned out to be a web copy of our newsletter! It's even a reference in Wikipedia.”

A method to clarify your ideas 

Writing a newsletter can help clarify your thoughts and improve your podcast. Sammy Younan, host of My Summer Lair, said, “Often, in my head ideas and thoughts are a jumbled mess like a dropped puzzle. Nothing seems to fit. Until I write. And I’ve discovered that clarity flows into the next podcast episode I record. I’m better able to convey my ideas, and it creates a deeper connection with guests.”

A way to develop a more comprehensive body of work 

Elaine Grant, host of Sound Judgment, shares the long-term benefits of her podcasting endeavors: “I’ve created so much content between the newsletter and the podcast that I now have an extensive body of work around a question I’m endlessly interested in. Eventually, I plan to use this body of work for public speaking and a book.”

A collaboration tool 

Newsletters can also facilitate collaboration with other creators and brands. “Our newsletter content highlights guests from two different episodes, offers two podcast recommendations, and provides two product recommendations with discounts from cannabis brands,” states Ellen Scanlon of How to Do the Pot. “Featuring two podcasts and two brands helps us build relationships with other creators and brands that we hope to work with in the future. Each newsletter becomes a collaboration tool that we feature on social media, tagging all the guests, hosts, and brands.”

A monetization linchpin

Your newsletter can serve as a crucial part of your monetization strategy. “My newsletter is one piece of the Your Empty Nest Coach, LLC ecosystem,” Christine Oakfield said. “In my mind, I'm creating a web of promotion. A fun note is that most of my coaching clients subscribed to my newsletter before purchasing coaching.” This tells me that the newsletter has deepened Oakfield’s relationship with her listeners enough to turn them into customers—the podcast is the nurturer, the newsletter is the closer. By including links to your products or services in your newsletter, you can monetize your ecosystem effectively.

How much is a companion newsletter worth?

It can be tough to cobble together a full-time income from your podcast, but a companion newsletter can definitely help. Based on a 2021 SparkLoop survey of over 1,000 newsletter operators and media brands, the expected Subscriber Lifetime Values (SLV) are:

• $3-10/subscriber SLV for a personal (or personality-driven) newsletter
• $8-15/subscriber SLV for a broad-appeal/news newsletter
• $10-20/subscriber SLV for a niche, consumer newsletter
• $15-25/subscriber SLV for a niche, B2B newsletter

Step 2: Develop unique content

Give subscribers something special

“Provide content that is unique to the newsletter,” Jamie said. “Only providing updates on recent podcasts or other things they can get outside of the newsletter is not valuable to them. Remember, email newsletter subscribers are your biggest fans! Give them something special!” 

Consider sharing behind-the-scenes stories, exclusive interviews, or personal anecdotes that will resonate with your audience but aren’t covered in your podcast. The bottom line: Nurture your superfans.

Ensure your newsletter content stands on its own 

“Make sure that if someone were to discover your newsletter on their own—independent from your podcast—there’s enough value there beyond just pointing them back to the podcast,” said Arielle Nissenblatt from Feedback with EarBuds.

“A newsletter that basically just summarizes the episode and then links to the podcast can be helpful, but if you really want people to stick around, it should offer something else,” Arielle said. “Think of a visual component you can include that you may have referred to on the podcast. Maybe there’s an infographic, a picture of a meal you made, anything that adds value to the newsletter.”

Create a flywheel with wider appeal 

Elaine emphasizes the reciprocal benefits of newsletters and podcasts: “I believe I get new podcast listeners from the newsletter, and I know I get new newsletter subscribers as a result of the podcast.” 

By including unique, standalone content, your newsletter can attract new subscribers even if they haven’t yet discovered your podcast. “I don’t just use the newsletter to announce a new episode—I share the storytelling lessons (the “takeaways”) gleaned from the guest at the end of each episode,” Elaine said. “I know there are people who would rather read than listen, and people who want both.”

Step 3: Plan your content strategy

Brainstorm simple, delightful content 

“Creating weekly podcast episodes is a big job, and adding a newsletter will require creativity, time, and resources. Before you start, I recommend thinking about newsletter content that will attract and delight your subscribers while also being relatively easy to produce,” Ellen said.

Consider simple yet engaging content ideas, such as curated lists of resources, short tips, or highlights from your episodes. This way, you can maintain a consistent publishing schedule without overwhelming yourself. You can also include regular features such as "Listener of the Month," "Book Club," or "Behind the Scenes" segments. These recurring sections can make your newsletter more structured and build anticipation from your readers.

Keep it short and fun 

If adding another element to your content creation operation feels overwhelming, don’t overthink it. “Just pick a platform and keep it short and simple,” Josh Taylor of The Wild West Extravaganza said. “At first, I thought I needed to write an essay each week, but I don’t think people really want that. Josh Specter’s For The Interested newsletter is a great example of how to pack a ton of quality into something super short and simple.” 

Avery Trufelman from Articles of Interest has adopted a similar mantra. “Keep it short and fun!”

Use tools to make things easier

Producing high-quality newsletters is a lot easier using tools like Grammarly to help proofread your content and Canva for creating visually appealing designs. “Grammarly and Canva have both been great tools for the newsletter!” Josh said.

Step 4: Use effective calls to action (CTAs)

You have subscribers’ undivided attention via email—or at least an effective mechanism for bookmarking. So each newsletter should include a call to action, whether it’s to listen to a new episode, share the newsletter, or purchase a product.

“In your newsletter, I recommend including an easy way for subscribers to contact you with feedback, ways they can support you, and remind them to share your episodes or newsletter!” Caroyln said.

Effective CTAs can drive engagement, foster community interaction, and even generate financial support from your most dedicated fans. Carolyn suggests making it easy for your readers to support you by providing direct links to your Buy Me A Coffee, Patreon, products, or service page.

Step 5: Maintain a sustainable cadence

Establish a realistic publishing schedule that you can maintain consistently without overwhelming both yourself and your subscribers. A weekly cadence is fine if you’re trying to match your podcast release schedule. However, if you’re struggling to keep up, consider sending newsletters bi-weekly or monthly. 

“Have regular publishing, but don’t overwhelm,” Jamie said. “We publish once a month or so.”

Whitney Knox Lee of Impostrix Podcast said, “I am also very cognizant of not overburdening listeners with spam, so I do not send emails outside of the two per month.” This approach helps in maintaining reader interest without causing fatigue.

Step 6: Just get started and evolve as you go

Carolyn’s advice is simple: “Just get started! You can always adjust the content, format, or frequency of your newsletter as time goes on—you don’t have to have everything completely figured out at the very beginning.” 

Begin with a simple format and refine your approach based on subscriber feedback, analytics, and what feels good to you as a creator. As you grow more comfortable with your newsletter, allow yourself to experiment with different content types, layouts, and engagement strategies. Keep track of what resonates most with your audience and be willing to evolve.

Starting a newsletter for your podcast doesn’t have to be daunting. By understanding the benefits, developing unique content, planning a strategic approach, implementing effective CTAs, maintaining a sustainable cadence, and being adaptable, you can create a newsletter that doesn’t just complement your podcast but takes it to the next level.

But don’t let the pursuit of perfection hold you back. Remember, the most important step is to begin.