#FtheHustle ~ 007

It’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited about a ‘content type’.

In fact, the last time I was this giddy was when I launched my podcast, SEVEN years ago!

You know that feeling when something grabs a hold of you and you can’t quite get enough of it?

Yep, that’s what this feels like.

AND… feel free to quote me, but I’m going to go on record saying that 2021 is going to be the “Year of the Newsletter.”

I know, I know… you might be thinking of the old school newsletters that marketers used to send out or those dry corporate style newsletters that felt like they were written by a robot (although those were much less self-indulgent than what internet marketers used to send out in the days of the “ezine”).

That’s not what I’m talking about.

I have completely gone down the rabbit hole digging into everything I can get my hands on relative to newsletters.

I’m working on an in-depth post about newsletters, from both a content perspective and a marketing vehicle.

While I have done tons of research, I can also tell you that this feels like an early adopter opportunity.

Stay with me…

A newsletter allows you to be the trusted expert in your industry. Not only are you providing unique original content, you’re also sending information that is industry specific and of value to your reader (and depending on your market, you may want to throw in a little humor like moi).

While social media is here to stay, it’s also gotten a lot noisier and it really needs to be a primary focus to gain organic traction or it’s pay to play (to be honest I prefer pay to play when it comes to social).

Hopefully before the end of the year (which is a whopping 2+ weeks away), I will be announcing the #FtheHustle referral program!

That’s how much I believe in newsletters.

Stay tuned for that upcoming post (and probably podcast). In the meantime, if you have other newsletters you read and recommend, I’d love to hear from you!

A little Brainpower 🧠

Thinking outside of the box can actually bring you a windfall of sales. This is great article that highlights the popular company “Cards Against Humanity.” It shows how growing a solid brand and trying something original can pay off (they made over $70k on Black Friday selling nothing). Read “How A Company Made “$71,145 Selling Nothing” here.

Continuing on with my obsession of all things newsletter related, as I was doing the research I came across this article (part of a newsletter on Substack) that validated my prediction (we can all use a little validation). Read “Newsletters: the market is booming” here.

Tool Time 🛠

I am GIDDY about this new tool, or should I say, improved tool I found this week. CoSchedule has upped their game with their headline analyzer (I shared a quick video of this in Content Creators). It’s now called Headline Studio and it is powerful! I used this to write my latest podcast post headline… LOVE it! Checkout HeadlineStudio here.

I’ve shared how much I love Gutenberg for WordPress (it’s such a better writing experience than the classic editor) and this is a premium plugin that I’ve invested in and love! They’re constantly updating and improving the plugin, with the latest updates being UI kits, borders, and performance. Check out Stackable here.

For Your Listening Pleasure 🎧

This first podcast episode was a conversation I had with a dear friend of mine, who also happens to be a brilliant coach. This was inspired from a voice message she left me after I launched #FtheHustle and had a couple people tell me, very nicely, that the name didn’t work for them. Listen to “It Takes Courage to Be Who You Really Are” with Allegra Sinclair here.

I had a double hitter this week… meaning I published two episodes to make up for last week. This second episode is ALL about doing less to get better results (thank you Jodi for that influence). Let’s make 2021 the year we do less to achieve more. Listen to “Want the Easy Answer to More Sales? Simplify Your Marketing” here.

Because We All Need More Books 📕

I’m sure I’ve recommended this book sometime over the last couple of years but it bears repeating. This is the book that made me really take a deeper look at messaging and serving my audience. You don’t have to be a ClickFunnels fan to get massive value from this book. Read “Expert Secrets” by Russell Brunson here.

Truth: I used to really dislike copywriting. I knew it was important, but I just didn’t “get it.” Until I did. I wish I could tell you it was one specific thing, but it wasn’t. It was a conscious decision to understand the psychology of it all (it’s pretty fascinating). The more I study and practice, the better I get (imagine that). I highly recommend “7-Figure Marketing Copy” by Sean Vosler. It’s a unique book and worth every penny.

A little cuteness this week… “Away in a manger…” ⭐

Did you see the puppy in the manger? Dogs are the best.

Cue the synthesizer…

Enter… Europe – “The Final Countdown” 🎶

The closer we get to the end of the year the more this beauty from the 80’s pops into my head.

Clearly I’ve been felling a little nostalgic lately, with my Breakfast Club reference last week.

Personally, I say do whatever you can to add a little joy to your life. Like many of you I’m sure, I’m looking forward to the New Year. But for now, I’m going to do everything I can to enjoy the next couple of weeks.

If you have a favorite 80’s song or movie, hit reply and let me know! Nothing like a reminder to spark a little joy!

Have a fantastic day,

Kim

This issue brought to you from my favorite managed WordPress hosting company (they host my site and the Content Creators Planner). I’ll be doing a post on them soon, but click the image below to check them out.