Why I use Squarespace Campaigns for email
It is a truth universally acknowledged that every freelancer, small business or nonprofit is in need of a newsletter.
Yes, even the ones that think that they don’t.
Customers, clients and supporters don’t grow on trees (unless you’re into forestry) and the rest of us need to have a simple way to communicate with the people who matter the most to your business.
The people who matter the most to your business are, not necessarily in the following order:
Your customers, clients and supporters.
Your team. (If you have one.)
You!
Without you (and your team) there is no business to begin with. Without customers, clients and supporters, your business will end. You all need each other, and clear ways to communicate.
Your customers, clients and supporters already know you through your brand ecosystem: your logo, website, correspondence, social media and so on. They expect, quite rightly, a certain level of consistency and professionalism. You (and your team) need to have clear brand guidelines to ensure that this consistency and professionalism are maintained.
I’ve explored platforms such as Mailchimp, Mailerlite and Substack over the past three years, but have chosen to use Squarespace Campaigns for my own newsletter and emails.
These are the main reasons why:
Beautiful design! Consistency across brand design is so important. I’ve tried to replicate my Squarespace branding in Mailchimp and Mailerlite, but it didn’t look quite right. There was something odd about the font and styling. It still looked good, of course, but something didn’t feel quite right. Both platforms have increased their pricing significantly in recent months, so they’re less attractive. Also, I didn’t like the hassle of logging in and out of multiple platforms.
Calm, simple, easy and hustle-free. A few bloggers, whom I used to like, moved their mailing lists to Substack. Their newsletters became filled with sign up buttons every few paragraphs to upgrade to their paid newsletters. I felt I was being both hustled and spammed, so I unsubscribed. Substack is being marketed to creators as a way to monetise your email list by gating your content: it’s all about signing up as many people as possible and then squeezing them for money. As a former reader of some Substack newsletters, that’s the main reason I unsubscribed.
I wanted full ownership of my content in one place. If you’re like me, and put things ‘somewhere safe’ only to lose them, you know how important it is to keep your work together.
Quality over quantity! I have built a successful business without an email list at all, and without a newsletter. I’m not looking to grow huge numbers of subscribers, I just want to share what I have learned about simplifying your business so you don’t make the same mistakes I did. This isn’t a numbers game for me. Also, I’m a writer. I write. It’s what I do!
If you are on the fence about starting your own newsletter or subscriber list, I hope you find this helpful.
Please continue to research the different platforms before you decide which one to choose. No doubt the landscape will continue to change, and what might seem the best option today might not be the best for you tomorrow.
But, right now, I’ve chosen to use Squarespace Campaigns. My newsletter will launch in the new year. Subscribe below to keep in touch!
