Since starting findr I don't have much time (for anything really!), and it's made me very selective about the newsletters I allow into my inbox and what I allow to distract me read during my day.
Why is this interesting, I hear you ask. It's interesting because the content of a newsletter and the ability to make it appealing to a wide audience is an artform and a current focus. I want findr's to be a keeper after all.
Despite (or is it because of?) my newspaper background I tend to shy away from the buzz of the news cycle, preferring to keep up to date with current affairs through the radio (which I can more easily zone in and zone out of).
I subscribe to a wide range of photography, tech and startup newsletters but I read less than half a dozen and apart from a couple of constants I'm very fickle about the ones I allow in my Inbox, instead leaving them unread in the gmail "Promotions" tab without actually unsubscribing...
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| These tabs are among the best ever filters... |
There's some great content out there but, for me to function, 99.9% of it goes in the "big distraction" category. For the most part they break down like this. They're not suggestions by the way. I've probably got weird tastes ;)
The stand outs feel like they are written for you personally, the perfect mix of content and tone. I've only got one like this, by the awesome Taylor Davidson. Until right now I couldn't have told you what he does but the newsletter arrives irregularly, which is good, and has eclectic, always interesting content on topics I love. I like it so much that I replied to tell him (I never do this). His personal reply cemented this #1 spot.
Some keep me entertained, and therefore opening them. These have either concise information (Betalist, Inside) or personality, humility and comedy (The Hustle, Flakphoto). It's important they follow a theme but are also diverse enough to sustain interest.
Some keep their place in "Promotions", but are largely ignored. These are overly long (Sramana Mitra), cover too many subjects (Medium) or have subject matter that is interesting but often beyond my immediate needs (Hubspot,Toptal).
These last 2 lead (which teeter on the balance but regularly save themselves) lead me on nicely to the ones that are immediately unsubscribed. Take note writers...
The overly earnest marketing newsletter. You know the one, it actually feel as if you're in a sales pipeline...I won't name (names) but I hit delete so fast it's hard to remember why I subscribed to them in the first place!
So what about our newsletter? We plan a mixture of photography, the business of photography and tech news. For the most part you'll hardly even know we've got a product. Please subscribe, that way I'll make time to start writing it... I'll even dedicate the first one to you!
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