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's a channel that complements them perfectly: one with higher ROI, full control, and zero advertising costs. It just sits there, completely free.

Newsletter.

Or simply email.

Why the value of email lists is still so great

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

Your email list might be the only marketing channel you actually own. No platform can take it from you. Neither Mark Zuckerberg nor your mother-in-law. No algorithm decides whether your message gets through. You send an email, and it lands in the inbox.

It's a fundamentally different power position.

How about over 3000% return?

Email marketing delivers an average of 36 kroner back for every krone invested – that's a higher ROI than any other digital marketing channel. 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's someone who has actively raised their hand and said: "I want to hear from you." It's like sitting in front of the fireplace with them. Cozy and warm.

The challenge with most newsletters

When Norwegian companies start with newsletters, they make one of two classic mistakes:

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

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

Both problems have the same root: 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 follow it.

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

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

• An industry insight they wouldn't have gotten otherwise

• An honest opinion on something that concerns them

• A case 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 the list from zero

An email list doesn't grow by itself. 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 an email address. This is called a lead magnet, and the best is something that solves one specific problem quickly:

• A checklist ("10 things you must have in place before launching your website")

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

• A calculator, template, or tool they actually use

The more specific and useful, 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 that triggers 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 your sign-ups 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, explaining 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.

• Did they ask you a question in a meeting? That's a newsletter.

• Did you solve a problem for a customer this week? That's a newsletter.

• Did you see something in the industry that surprised you? That's a newsletter.

You don't need to write long essays. A useful newsletter can be 200 words and take 15 minutes to write. What counts is that it is relevant, honest, and useful.

Frequency: Consistency beats volume

It's 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 maintain, 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 deserve a spot in the inbox.

Get started – today

You don't need perfect content, the perfect tool, or a huge list to start. As usual, you just need to start.

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

Your list isn't going to grow by itself, but it will never be taken from you by an algorithm, either.

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