Overview:
A pop up newsletter is a limited-run newsletter that focuses on a single topic, a timely event or another specific coverage area. They can run in real-time, as news and updates for an election season or sporting tournament. Or, they can be evergreen, and run anytime a reader subscribes, like a series of emails for new residents or a content or education course.
A pop up newsletter is a great opportunity to reach readers who wouldn’t ordinarily sign up for your newsletter. It’s also a good way to engage with a niche segment of your audience.
Here are three guidelines for launching a pop up newsletter.
Be selective
When deciding who to send your pop up newsletter to, consider who on your current list has expressed interest in receiving your emails and in the topic of your pop up newsletter.
Do not send your pop up newsletter to anyone who hasn’t expressed interest in that content. While your readers may forgive you, they may also mark you as spam and decrease your deliverability.
Include a note at the start of the newsletter that shares why readers are receiving the newsletter, e.g. “You’re receiving this pop up newsletter because you expressed interest in food and cooking.” Then offer readers the opportunity to opt out easily, whether in that note or just above your footer unsubscribe.
For organic subscriptions, market your pop up newsletter on your website and your social channels, and cross promote in other newsletters. On your website, create a landing page specifically for the pop up and use digital house ads across other pages to direct readers to the landing page. For social, write an article promoting the newsletter and share it across your channels — and use it to cross promote in those other newsletters.
Be clear
Be clear about the timeline of the newsletter. State in the first issue the duration and send time(s), e.g. “This pop up newsletter will hit your inbox every Wednesday for the next ten weeks.”
Your transparency gives your readers an expectation of what to expect and when to expect it.
To that end, be sure to include an opt out for readers who may not want to receive the pop up newsletter, even if they’re already halfway through the pop up timeline. That way, readers are not unsubscribing from your larger email list, and just opting out of the pop up newsletter.
Be helpful
When your pop up newsletter sunsets, take that opportunity to direct readers to other content on your website or another newsletter.
Share ways readers can continue reading similar content on your website with direct links. To continue the newsletter relationship, cross promote other newsletters in the pop up — your pop up readers may be interested in your daily news round up, your weekly check in or your other topical newsletters. Give them one or more options to stay connected with you.
About BlueLena
BlueLena is a strategy consulting and audience management platform founded in 2020 to support the sustainability of independent local media. By combining cutting-edge technology with expert-driven services, BlueLena helps over 250 news organizations across North America develop and manage subscription, membership, and donation models. Its unique shared-resource management approach provides publishers, regardless of size, with access to enterprise-level tools and personalized support, enabling them to focus on high-quality journalism while building loyal, revenue-generating audiences.
BlueLena is majority employee-owned, and backed by investors including Automattic (the parent company of WordPress), the Local Media Association, and Old Town Media.