Podcast Summary: Social Media Marketing Podcast – "How to Use LinkedIn Newsletters: A Guide for Businesses"

Release Date: January 9, 2025

Host: Michael Stelzner, Founder of Social Media Examiner
Guest: Judy Fox, LinkedIn Strategist and Creator of the LinkedIn Newsletter Accelerator

Introduction to LinkedIn Newsletters

In this episode, Michael Stelzner interviews Judy Fox to delve deep into leveraging LinkedIn newsletters as a powerful tool for business growth. The discussion aims to provide marketers and business owners with actionable insights and strategies to effectively utilize LinkedIn newsletters to expand their reach and enhance engagement.

Benefits of LinkedIn Newsletters for Marketers

Judy Fox emphasizes several key advantages:

1. Built-In Subscriber Base:

   • "You have a built-in subscriber list immediately when you launch. So you're not starting from zero on LinkedIn, you're starting from however many connections you have or followers you have." (02:37)

2. Warm Audience:

   • "LinkedIn has over 500,000 members already subscribing to newsletters. Those are people already willing to say yes." (02:37)

3. Low Competition:

   • "There's still only about a hundred thousand newsletters. That's not that many that you're competing with that are active newsletters publishing." (02:37)

4. Authority and Credibility:

   • "You have the leverage and the authority of LinkedIn giving you that extra edge, saying, hey, you're doing this on LinkedIn and it has domain authority." (02:37)

Michael adds:

• "LinkedIn wants you to be successful with newsletters because it gets people to come back to LinkedIn." (03:57)

Case Example:

• Social Media Examiner’s newsletter has garnered tens of thousands of subscribers, reaching an audience that previously did not engage with their content. (03:57)

Understanding LinkedIn Newsletters

Defining LinkedIn Newsletters:

Judy describes LinkedIn newsletters as a hybrid between email newsletters and blog posts:

• Distribution Channels:

  • Each newsletter article is pushed to subscribers’ email inboxes, LinkedIn news feeds, and notifications, providing triple exposure. (05:04)

• Persistent Content:

  • Articles on LinkedIn have been a staple since 2002, ensuring longevity and a solid foundation for content. (05:04)

Michael summarizes:

• "A LinkedIn newsletter comes with distribution, unlike regular articles which are akin to posts on WordPress." (06:32)

Publishing and Managing Newsletters

Personal Profiles vs. Company Pages:

• Company Pages:

  • Suitable for larger teams managing content.
  • Ability to push out substantial content without overwhelming subscribers. (08:53)

• Personal Profiles:

  • Ideal for individuals focusing on niche audiences.
  • Over-publishing can lead to audience fatigue. (08:53)

Michael notes:

• Managing newsletters on company pages allows multiple team members to collaborate without sharing personal login credentials. (09:50)

Frequency of Publication:

• Options include daily, weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly.
• Judy's Recommendation:
  • Personal profiles: Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
  • Company pages: Can handle daily publications if manageable. (11:20)

Flexibility:

• Publishers can switch frequency without notifying subscribers, allowing for adjustments based on performance and audience feedback. (11:56)

Content Strategy: Newsletters vs. Text Posts

Text Posts:

• Limited to approximately 3,000 characters.
• Less effective for embedding content or driving external traffic.
• "A text post is only about 3,000 characters where a newsletter is over 100,000 characters." (12:25)

Newsletters:

• Suitable for long-form content with the ability to embed calls to action and external links.
• Enhanced engagement through interactive visuals and clickable elements. (12:44)
• LinkedIn does not penalize newsletters for containing links, unlike text posts. (14:23)

Growing Your Newsletter Subscriber Base

Initial Launch:

• Immediate notification to all followers and connections encouraging subscription. (14:46)
• "Most people publish their newsletter and an article simultaneously to maximize initial reach." (15:54)

Ongoing Growth Strategies:

1. Leverage Existing Followers:

   • New followers are automatically invited to subscribe. (18:24)

2. Featuring in Profile:

   • Adding the newsletter link in the featured section of your LinkedIn profile for easy access. (19:14)

3. Cross-Platform Promotion:

   • Utilizing other social platforms like Instagram to drive traffic to the LinkedIn newsletter. (20:51)

4. Email Signatures:

   • Including the newsletter subscription link in email signatures to capture interested contacts. (24:13)

Notable Quote:

• "If you have a reach on any other platform or anywhere else, YouTube, you put it as one of your links of places for people to connect with you further." (24:13)

Examples of Successful LinkedIn Newsletters

1. Andy Crestedina:

• Growth: From 16,000 to over 250,000 subscribers in two to three years.
• Strategy:
  • Repurposing content from his email newsletter into LinkedIn articles with slight optimizations.
  • Utilizes AI for content tweaks.
• Outcome: Primary source of leads, enhanced personal branding, and recognition as a LinkedIn Top Voice. (24:54; 26:34)

2. Joe Colantonio:

• Type: Technical engineering newsletter.
• Subscription: 17,000 subscribers.
• Content: Weekly roundups, community updates, and event promotions.
• Integration: Pairs newsletters with YouTube videos for comprehensive coverage. (27:24; 28:13)

3. Sotsenko (Kate):

• Focus: Corporate productivity.
• Subscription: 18,000 subscribers with only 20 editions.
• Strategy:
  • Short, concise newsletters (under three minutes read).
  • Directs traffic to an external email subscriber newsletter for more in-depth content.
• Outcome: Efficient subscriber growth through brevity and clear call-to-actions. (31:05; 32:11)

Limitations and Considerations

Email Deliverability:

• Content Length: Longer newsletters may be truncated in email clients, directing readers to engage on LinkedIn instead.
  • Pro: Increases LinkedIn engagement and visibility.
  • Con: Limited content visibility in emails. (35:26; 35:48)

Analytics Constraints:

• Limited visibility into open rates and click-through metrics.
• Unable to export subscriber lists due to LinkedIn’s policies, making it less suitable as a standalone email marketing solution. (37:00; 38:18)

Compliance:

• Potential violations if attempting to extract subscriber information using external tools. (22:16; 23:09)

Optimizing Newsletter Content for Engagement and Sales

Visual Promotion:

• Incorporate images, GIFs, and clickable visuals to highlight calls to action.
• "Make it visual. ... You have to make what you want them to do stand out from all of that thinking." (38:57)

Limit Call-to-Actions:

• Focus on 2-3 key actions to prevent overwhelming subscribers.
• Examples include promoting events, booking calls via Calendly, or directing to other content platforms. (38:57)

Embedding Content:

• Easily embed videos from platforms like YouTube to enrich the newsletter’s content. (41:55)

Signature Closings:

• Use consistent closing statements or link lists to maintain professionalism and provide easy access to additional resources.
• "Having a consistent closing, just like you have a consistent email closing." (43:27)

Final Insights and Recommendations

Consistency is Key:

• Regular publishing builds trust and authority within the LinkedIn community. (30:00)

Leveraging Multiple Platforms:

• Integrate LinkedIn newsletters with other content channels to maximize reach and engagement. (42:12)

Transparency in Frequency:

• Clearly communicate publication frequency to manage subscriber expectations and maintain trust. (34:12)

Strategic Content Placement:

• Utilize LinkedIn’s interface features, such as the featured section on profiles, to enhance visibility and ease of subscription. (19:14)

Conclusion

Judy Fox provides a comprehensive guide on harnessing the potential of LinkedIn newsletters for business growth. By leveraging the platform’s built-in subscriber base, maintaining consistency, and employing strategic content practices, marketers can significantly enhance their reach and engagement. Despite some limitations in analytics and content visibility, the advantages of increased authority, low competition, and integrated promotion make LinkedIn newsletters a valuable addition to any marketing strategy.

Notable Quotes:

• Judy Fox: "You have the leverage and the authority of LinkedIn giving you that extra edge, saying, hey, you're doing this on LinkedIn and it has domain authority." (02:37)

• Michael Stelzner: "LinkedIn wants you to be successful with newsletters because it gets people to come back to LinkedIn." (03:57)

• Judy Fox: "Make it visual... You have to make what you want them to do stand out from all of that thinking." (38:57)

Connect with Judy Fox:

• LinkedIn: Judy Fox
• Website: Judyfox.com

Join Social Media Marketing World:

• Visit socialmediamarketingworld.info for tickets and more information.

This summary captures the essence of the episode, providing a structured and detailed overview for listeners seeking to implement LinkedIn newsletters in their marketing strategies.