Newsletters are (still) one of the most profitable marketing channels. Here's how to get started.

Google and Meta are powerful channels, and for many businesses they are an invaluable part of the growth strategy. But there is one channel that complements them perfectly: one with higher ROI, full control, and zero ad spend. It just sits there, completely free.

Newsletters.

Or simply email.

Why the value of email lists is still so great

Instagram can shut down your account tomorrow. Meta can triple ad prices next week. Google can update the algorithm and halve your traffic overnight. It has happened before, and it can happen again.

Your email list may be the only marketing channel you actually own. No platform can take it from you. Not even Mark Zuckerberg or your mother-in-law. No algorithm decides whether your message reaches its destination. You send an email and it lands in the inbox.

It is a fundamentally different position of power.

What about more than 3000% return?

Email marketing delivers on average 36 kroner back for every krone invested – that is a higher ROI than most other digital activity. By quite a lot, to be honest.

The reason is simple: A person who has given you their email address is not just a random passerby in the feed. It is someone who has actively raised their hand and said: "I want to hear from you." It is like we are sitting in front of the fireplace with them. Warm and cozy.

The challenge with most newsletters

When Norwegian businesses get started with newsletters, they make one of two classic mistakes:

1. They only send offers. "20 % off this week!" "Check out our new service!" The recipient quickly learns that your emails are not worth opening – and unsubscribes.

2. They send nothing, because they don't know what to write. The list doesn't grow, and the channel dies quietly.

Both problems have the same root cause: They don't have a strategy for what the newsletter is actually supposed to do.

The formula that works

Alex Hormozi describes it well: Give, give, give – then ask. The principle is simple, but few people follow it.

For every sales message you send, you should have delivered three times as much real value to your list. Value can be:

• A concrete, actionable tip the recipient can use right away

• An insight from the industry they would not otherwise have access to

• An honest opinion about something that affects them

• A case study or story they can learn from

When you consistently deliver value, something happens: recipients begin to look forward to your emails. And when you finally ask for something – a booking, a purchase, an inquiry – the trust is already there.

How to build your list from zero

An email list doesn't grow on its own. You need a reason for people to sign up, and you need touchpoints where it happens naturally.

1. Give them a reason (lead magnet)

The fastest way to build a list is to offer something concrete in exchange for the email address. This is called a lead magnet, and the best thing is something that solves one specific problem quickly:

• A checklist ("10 things you need in place before you launch your website")

• A guide ("How to set up your Google Business Profile in 20 minutes")

• A calculator, template, or tool they actually use

The more concrete and useful it is, the higher the conversion.

2. Optimize your website

Your website is the most important place to collect emails. Make sure you have:

• A visible signup form – preferably in the header or as a popup triggered after 30 seconds

• A dedicated landing page for your lead magnet

• A form in the footer on all pages

A simple change here can double the number of signups without changing anything else.

3. Use what you already have

Existing customers and contacts are the warmest leads you have. Send them a simple email, explain what the newsletter is about, and invite them to sign up. Many will say yes. And make sure you have systems in place to ask new customers in the online store or on your website.

What do you write?

This is the question most people get stuck on. The answer is simpler than you think: Write about what your customers are wondering about.

• They asked you a question in a meeting? That is a newsletter.

• You solved a problem for a customer this week? That is a newsletter.

• You saw something in the industry that surprised you? That is a newsletter.

You do not need to write long essays. A useful newsletter can be 200 words and take 15 minutes to write. What matters is that it is relevant, honest, and useful.

Frequency: Consistency beats volume

It is better to send one email a month consistently than to send four in January and nothing for six months afterward. Choose a frequency you can actually keep, and stick to it.

Start with once a month. When the routine is in place, you can increase to every other week. The very best newsletters are sent weekly, but that requires the content to be good enough to earn its place in the inbox.

Get started – today

You do not need perfect content, the perfect tool, or a huge list to get started. As usual, you just need to start.

Set up a simple form on your website. Decide what you're going to send. Write the first email. And. Press. Send.

Your list won't grow by itself, but it also will never be taken from you by an algorithm.

Need help setting up newsletters, growing the list faster, or writing content that actually gets opened? Contact us at wud – we help you.