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

Nobody has good newsletters. Nobody. Even the big companies, they suck.

Most business newsletters are a sales pitch or a link telling you to go somewhere else. Real estate and mortgage people are terrible at this. They don't know how to not pitch constantly, so it feels like you're getting pitched 24/7 and people stop paying attention. Everyone else isn't much better.

"It's all about me, me, me. What if you just give them what they want? They want to know what events are happening. They like to laugh. Give it to them."

What's the model?

The old local newspaper. It had ads in it, lots of them, and people still read it happily for 20 years. The pitch was in there, but there was enough value that it was worth it.

Your newsletter works the same way. If they read it, they see your houses for sale, your call to action, whatever you want them to see. That's the gold. If they don't read it, nothing else matters. Your only job is to get them to read it.

Every business should have one, and it should go out weekly. Less than weekly isn't common enough. More than weekly is possible if you have enough value.

What sections should a realtor newsletter have?

My vision for a realtor newsletter is half local newsletter, half real estate, with the main focus on the local side.

1. Local events, curated.
2. A featured home with a GIF. It can be a dream home you're not even selling. People like seeing really nice homes, and now they don't have to go search Zillow.
3. A restaurant or one local news story that you and your clients would both care about.
4. Memes at the end.
5. A short personal editorial from you, with photos.
6. Calls to action near the top, in the middle and at the end.
7. A real signature with your photo at the bottom.

Make it fun to read. Make jokes. Put in silly GIFs and funny things you found on YouTube or TikTok. Value comes first. Promotion rides along. For the real estate piece specifically, see the real estate section.

What if I run a service business, not real estate?

Same idea, and you can be a little more direct in your own company newsletter. Give value first, then a real ad for your other services.

A pest control owner I work with sends his own newsletter to his clients. He puts 12 memes in every single issue, and he told me his open rate is as high as mine. People open it for the memes.

The sample issue I built for a service company was mostly not about pitching the service. It was random, interesting things about the trade. One story: cockroaches can live for a week without their head, and here's why. I would read that newsletter. Then a cross-sell, a poll and some other fun info.

You don't need 15 or 20 events like a local newsletter. Pick three: "this week in the community, here are three big events." That takes about 15 minutes to find.

How do I promote myself without being pushy?

Don't beat people over the head, or they won't want the newsletter. But don't be so passive that it's one line at the very bottom: "I'm a mortgage broker too, click here."

My suggestion to a mortgage broker was a short weekly video, like a real estate update under five minutes, linked from the newsletter. People hire you because they know, like and trust you. They need to see you're not faceless. Keep it short and fun, or nobody will watch.

Repetition does the work. The first time you put it up, you probably won't get clients from it. Do it every week, and three months from now your face has been in there 12 times. Put it on social media too.

Should I promise "no ads"?

No. Most people don't care if there are ads or not. And for an owner-led brand, selling ads is a side product. The goal is more insurance clients, roofing clients or home sales. Anybody with a high-ticket local business should be doing this: insurance agent, roofer, HVAC, financial planner.

What mistakes make a welcome email feel spammy?

I audited a real estate creator's welcome email and found three:

• An em dash in every line. Anyone savvy sees that and is already annoyed.
• Begging to be moved out of the Promotions tab. Nobody's going to do it. You waste space and sound like a robot.
• No call to action, and no follow-up. I got excited, signed up, then heard nothing for six or seven days.

Push people to the newsletter first, everywhere. You own the list.

What should a sample issue show a prospect?

When I sell done-for-you newsletters, the sample issue shows off what's possible: custom info in the editorial, a team photo, a call to action in the middle, an email signature at the bottom. I label it clearly as a sample with placeholder images.