School of Podcasting Episode 974

Newsletters Part 2: How to Start a Newsletter Without Losing Your Mind with Paul Gowder

Host: Dave Jackson
Guest: Paul Gowder (PaulGowder.com, powwows.com)
Date: March 10, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode is a follow-up to Dave Jackson’s previous exploration of email newsletters as audience growth tools for podcasters. Dave welcomes content creator and community-builder Paul Gowder to discuss actionable strategies for starting and sustaining a newsletter—without the overwhelm. The conversation delves into essentials like choosing tools, crafting content, the value of owning your list, fostering genuine community, recovering from setbacks (including a jaw-dropping Facebook group deletion), templates, lead magnets, and more.

Main Themes & Discussion Points

1. Why Start a Newsletter? (06:49)

• Email is More Important Than Social Media:
  Paul urges creators to focus on owning their audience, and email is the primary way to do that.
  Quote:

  "You have to do email first. I think email is more important than social media and all these other things because it's the one thing you own." – Paul Gowder (06:51)

• Comparison to Podcast Feed Ownership:
  Paul likens email list ownership to the control podcasters have over their own podcast feed.

2. How Much Work is a Newsletter, Really? (06:22)

• Leverage Systems and Help:
  Paul uses VA (Virtual Assistant) support for repetitive newsletter tasks, adding personal touches himself.

  "Once you get these kind of processes going, it's not a huge time commitment." – Paul Gowder (07:58)

• Automated Sequences vs. Weekly Newsletters:
  He builds evergreen onboarding sequences, meaning much of the hard work happens upfront.

3. What Should You Write About? (08:30)

• Welcome Sequence Structure (09:13):

  • Email 1: Articulate how you help the subscriber.
  • Email 2: Share background or experiences (social proof).
  • Email 3+: Make the "pitch" (course, product, or further engagement).
  • Example: Paul’s powwows.com welcome sequence delivers immediate value before getting to personal introductions.

• Reduce Anxiety About Length:
  Don't aim for "War and Peace"—value is in clarity and relevance, not length.

  "Some of the best emails out there that I've written are short, you know, 50 word emails." – Paul Gowder (35:12)

4. Engagement Through Conversation (10:44)

• Use Questions to Foster Reply:
  Both Dave and Paul advocate using conversation starters in emails to promote replies and one-on-one connection.

  "That is my favorite part about email, is people don't think it's a community tool...but once you get them to respond, now you're having one on one conversations. That is community building." – Paul Gowder (11:53)

5. Top Mistakes Podcasters Make (12:12)

• Not Actively Asking for Emails
  Most creators neglect proactive email capture—often relegating signup boxes to the footer.

  "I think you need to create some kind of—not necessarily a lead magnet...but what is it that you can offer in email?" – Paul Gowder (12:31)

• Simplify Calls to Action:
  Avoid overwhelming lists of CTAs. Focus on driving newsletter signups; the rest (follows, ratings) can come later.

6. Lead Magnets and Offers (15:49)

• Solve Real Problems:
  Your lead magnet should offer immediate, practical value—doesn't have to be an eBook.

  • Paul prefers delivering that content as an email sequence, not just a PDF.
  • Later, you might offer a PDF/ebook as a bonus or paid upsell.

• Repurpose and Recycle:
  Breakdown big pieces of content into digestible emails; then consider packaging as a standalone product.

7. Choosing the Right Newsletter Tool (17:04)

• Favorites & Comparisons:

  • Paul’s pick: ConvertKit (now rebranded "Kit"). Emphasizes clean interface and creator-focused features. (17:40)
  • Alternatives: Flodesk, Mailerlite, Substack (with caution—always export your audience).
  • Tools for Growth: Referral/recommendation engines (paid or peer).

• Deliverability Matters:
  Asking for replies at the end of your email (trivia, questions) helps keep you out of spam/promotions folders.

  "If people start replying, it is going to tell Gmail and others that you need to be delivered more." – Paul Gowder (20:01)

8. Community Building Insights (23:58)

• Definition: Community is Engagement-Oriented
  It’s about fostering belonging—regardless of platform.

• Facebook Group Catastrophe:
  Paul’s 85,000-member group was deleted overnight by Facebook (24:24).

  "We had an 85,000 person Facebook group. In November that Facebook deleted with no appeal." – Paul Gowder (24:24)

• Lesson: Don’t Build on Rented Land
  This underscores why audience ownership via email is crucial.

• Heavy Moderation:
  To preserve group quality, posts are pre-approved, and problematic behavior is dealt with swiftly.

  "I am a strong believer in heavy moderation...we have a very low threshold of...that and you’re gone." – Paul Gowder (30:21)

• Favorite Group Tool:
  Group Leads browser plugin to collect emails directly from Facebook group requests (31:55).

• Moving Audience After a Platform Loss:
  After the group deletion, Paul leveraged emails to direct people to a new, self-hosted community on WordPress (33:24).

9. If You Don’t Want to Create a Newsletter (51:39)

• Alternative: Partner with Existing Newsletters
  You can sponsor or advertise in related newsletters using databases like Tink Media’s.

• Newsletter Templates:
  Paul’s Community Spark provides weekly email templates for podcasters and creators stuck with content ideas (34:13).

10. Final Tools & Practical Tips

• Landing Pages:
  Single-purpose landing pages effectively capture emails—drive traffic via podcast, social, or web content (37:35).

• Show Notes as Value:
  Deliver podcast show notes automatically via newsletter—offer convenience for listeners on the go (15:20).

• Personalization:
  Use automated tools, but inject your personality for real connection.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• The Facebook Group Deletion Story

  "One click of a button and it was gone." – Dave Jackson (25:50)

• On Community versus Platform

  "Facebook group is one way to build community. It is not community." – Paul Gowder (25:50)

• On Avoiding Burnout

  "Don't aim for War and Peace—value is in clarity and relevance, not length." (07:58)

Notable Timestamps

• 06:22 — Paul explains why email is essential and more durable than social media.
• 07:58 — Tips for systematizing newsletter creation, leveraging help.
• 10:44 — How to turn subscribers into community with simple replies.
• 12:26 — The biggest mistake: not actively asking for emails.
• 17:40 - 20:48 — Newsletter tools: Kit/ConvertKit, Substack, MailerLite, and deliverability strategies.
• 24:24 - 25:50 — Paul's Facebook group horror story (85,000 members gone overnight).
• 31:55 — Group Leads: collecting email from Facebook group join requests.
• 34:13 — Newsletter templates to combat creator's block.
• 37:35 — Using landing pages and monthly giveaways to grow your list.
• 51:39 — Other ways to leverage newsletters (advertising, sponsorships) if you don't want to start your own.

Actionable Takeaways

• Start building your email list immediately.
  Don't wait until you feel "ready." Use concise value-driven offers.

• Prioritize deliverability.
  Include engagement triggers—questions, polls, or trivia—to boost opens and replies.

• Control your audience's contact data.
  Always maintain an exportable backup of your list; don't trust a single platform.

• Keep calls-to-action focused.
  Prioritize one clear signup or connection point.

• Use short, human stories or tips—quality over quantity.
  Authenticity trumps over-produced content.

• Prepare for platform vulnerabilities.
  Don't be caught off-guard if a rented community is lost overnight.

Where to Learn More

• Paul Gowder: PaulGowder.com

  • Community Spark Newsletter Templates: Guidance for creators to jumpstart their email engagement
  • Email Tools Video & List: Tools for growing and maintaining an email list
  • Podcast resources tailored for those starting a newsletter for their show

• Dave Jackson: School of Podcasting

  • Detailed show notes and resources at Episode 974
  • Newsletter sign up for automatic show notes delivery

Closing Thoughts

This episode reaffirms the value of owning your relationship with your audience via email, offers practical systems for getting started, and illustrates—through real-world success and crisis—why dependence on social platforms is risky. Paul and Dave distill newsletter creation and community-building down to approachable action steps, with a tone that’s honest, practical, and sometimes irreverently funny.

“You have to actually have that community feeling. …Just changing the attitude of being webmaster or being myself made all the difference in the world.”

— Paul Gowder (27:28)

For all tools, templates, and links referenced, visit schoolofpodcasting.com/974