If you've been playing with the idea of starting a newsletter for your small business but don't know where to begin, you're in the right place.

Starting a newsletter is one of the most effective ways to build genuine relationships with your audience and keep your brand top-of-mind without the noise and fleeting nature of social media.

The good news? It's simpler than you think, especially when you have the right tools, like ChatGPT, to help you get started.

In this post, I'll guide you step-by-step on how to create a newsletter that connects with your readers and drives business growth.

I'm Irena from The SoloGenius👋, and I'm here to help female solopreneurs turn their 5-year business plan into a 1-year reality (with the help of ChatGPT).

By the end of this post, you’ll not only know why a newsletter is essential for your business, but also how to use ChatGPT to easily create one, without spending hours on writing, overthinking your structure, or worrying about what to say.

Is it Worth Starting a Newsletter for Your Small Business?

Yes! A newsletter helps you build trust and nurture relationships with your audience in a way that social media often can't.

It lets you share valuable insights, behind-the-scenes updates, and genuine conversations straight to the inbox of your community, without algorithms getting in the way.

Plus, your subscribers have already raised their hands and said, "I want to hear from you!"

That means they’re warmer leads, more interested in your business, and far more likely to convert into clients, customers, or raving fans.

Newsletters vs. Automated Email Sequences: What's the Difference?

You might be thinking, "I already have some automated email sequences set up. Do I really need a newsletter too?"

The answer is yes!

Automated sequences are wonderful for onboarding new subscribers or taking them through a particular journey, but newsletters are different.

They’re current, personalized, and more conversational. Your newsletter is where you get to show up regularly with what's on your mind, share recent wins or lessons, and offer timely value.

It’s more like a real-time conversation with your audience.

Newsletter Templates and Formats to Save You Time

The easiest way to start a newsletter (and stay consistent!) is by having a structure you follow every time you sit down to write your newsletter.

And a simple format or a template will help you do just that. Instead of staring at a blank page wondering what to write, you have a structure that guides you on what to write about and makes sure you're covering all the key points every time.

It’s a way to stay organized and make your newsletter creation process feel a lot more manageable.

Plus, your readers love to know what they can expect from you every week (or however often you plan to send your newsletter).

Here are a few simple formats you can use:

• The 3-2-1 Template: This could be anything from 3 (niche) Tips, 2 things you love (this could be affiliates or not), and 1 niche idea for the week to anything you’d like.

  Each section provides a specific piece of value to your audience, and it makes the writing process much easier and focused.

• The Listicle Style: Think of it as "Top 3 Tips" or "5 Things I Loved This Week." People love quick, digestible lists, and this format can make writing easier while keeping your audience engaged.

• Story-Based Newsletter: Share a story that resonates with your audience, something that shows the real, behind-the-scenes life of you or your business. People connect deeply with stories, especially when they see themselves in them.

The best part? You can work with ChatGPT to come up with a template that works best for you while still providing value to your readers.

Want detailed templates like these that you can just grab and have ChatGPT personalize for you? These are available in The ChatGPT Solopreneur Club, which makes your life so much easier by giving you shortcuts to all the essential things you need in your small business (and more!).

Until then, I'm about to share some ChatGPT prompts you can use to get started.

ChatGPT Prompts to Write and Structure Your Newsletter

One of the easiest ways to create a great newsletter is to have ChatGPT do the heavy lifting for you. Here’s how you can get started:

1️⃣ Open ChatGPT and start a new chat. Before you dive in, it's important to train ChatGPT about your business. Tell it what you do, how you do it (your products and services), who is your target audience, and what is your tone and voice.

This will help ChatGPT know your business and generate content that is tailored to your small business. 

I always start with my Brand KickStarter Prompt which does all of this for me (if you don’t have one yet, get my free ChatGPT Brand Builder to create it).

2️⃣ Ask ChatGPT for newsletter structure ideas:

“Acting as a branding and email marketing expert and keeping in mind what I do, who my target audience is, and my brand tone and voice, please give me a few different structure ideas for my newsletter. Include sections that I could use to engage my audience on other platforms like Instagram or my blog.”

3️⃣ Once ChatGPT gives you a few structure ideas, tweak them to your liking. This step is key! Don’t hesitate to add/remove anything that doesn’t feel like you.

4️⃣ After finalizing your newsletter structure, tell ChatGPT:

“This is the final structure I’m going with: [paste your structure here]. Now, help me come up with an interesting name for this newsletter.”

5️⃣ Finally, start writing! Use prompts like:

“Now let’s write my first newsletter. Here are a few examples of my recent Instagram posts so you can get a feel for my tone. [Paste examples here]. Let me know if you understand my voice.”

By using ChatGPT, you can create newsletters that sound like you, resonate with your audience, and save you a ton of time.

P.S. Don’t forget to personalize your newsletter. Start with an intro text that’s genuine and relevant. Share something going on in your business or a little behind-the-scenes look. This will make your newsletters feel more personal and relatable. 

Don't Skip the Calls to Action

Your newsletter is not just about sharing value, it’s also about creating connection points and leading your readers to take action. Whether that’s inviting them to follow you on Instagram, sign up for a workshop, or book a consultation, every newsletter should have a clear call to action (CTA).

CTAs can be direct, like asking your readers to click on a link to book a call, or softer, like asking them to hit “reply” and let you know which tip resonated with them most. The key is to keep your audience engaged and continuously guide them toward working with you or consuming more of your content.

Tools to Automate and Track Your Newsletter

If you’re serious about scaling your business, automation is your friend. 

Using tools like Mailerlite, Flodesk, or MailChimp makes it easy to automate sending your newsletters, segment your audience, and track metrics that show how your newsletter is doing and what can you do to improve it.

Tracking your metrics is important because it helps you understand what resonates with your audience. 

You could create a simple Google Sheet for this, which makes tracking simple and keeps your growth goals top of mind. (or you can join the ChatGPT Solopreneur Club and get access to the Newsletter KPI dashboard😊)

Get Started with Your Newsletter Today

Starting a newsletter may seem like just another task on your huge to-do list, but the impact it can have on your business is undeniable. 

With ChatGPT and good prompts, you have everything you need to create a newsletter that connects and converts.

Ready to give it a try? Open up ChatGPT, start your first draft, and see how easy it is to create something meaningful for your audience. 

And if you want even more guidance and ready-made resources, join The ChatGPT Solopreneur Club, where we make sure you're supported every step of the way.

FAQs

1. Why is a newsletter important for my business?
A newsletter helps you build consistent relationships with your audience, keep your brand top-of-mind, and convert subscribers into clients. Unlike social media, which is fleeting, newsletters land directly in your subscribers' inbox, providing a more personal and reliable connection.

2. What’s the difference between a newsletter and automated sequences?
Automated sequences are pre-written emails sent automatically, often used for onboarding or sales funnels. Newsletters are more current, conversational, and serve as regular touchpoints with your audience.

3. Can I use ChatGPT to write my newsletters?
Absolutely! ChatGPT can help you brainstorm newsletter ideas, develop structures, and even write the entire content based on your voice and brand. The key is to train it about your small business.

4. What tools can I use to manage my newsletters?
Platforms like Mailerlite, Flodesk, or MailChimp are great for automating and managing your newsletters. They also allow you to segment your list and track your performance metrics.

5. How do I get better results with my newsletters?
Track your open and click rates, experiment with different types of content, and make sure every newsletter has a clear CTA that keeps your audience engaged. If your open rate isn’t great, work on your subject lines to make them more enticing. If your click-through rates are low, try adjusting the content to better match what your audience finds valuable or make your CTAs more compelling.