The Most Insanely Valuable Content Wins with Chenell Basilio

Episode Summary:

I've sent a weekly email since October 2019 — which is no small feat when you're starting a business, living through a pandemic, and riding all the emotional ups and downs of running something online (plus the economy, and everything else). But it was something I always said I'd hold to, because I knew as soon as I got out of that rhythm, it'd be really hard to get back into it.

And some of those early emails? Not all that strong. Fairly weak, honestly — a few paragraphs, maybe some links to resources that weren't even mine. Whenever I just needed something to fill the gap, I'd pull three of my own blog posts, find the thread between them, and hit send — sending my list back to revisit content they might find helpful at a whole new point in their email marketing journey.

That consistency-first, value-first approach is exactly what my friend Chenell Basilio teaches — and she'd know. Chenell runs Growth in Reverse, where she reverse-engineers how the best newsletters online actually grow and make money (her own list is 50,000+ strong). I asked her what really makes newsletters effective — for both the reader and the creator — and I was surprised: it wasn't about list-growth hacks or the latest trends or tactics for what goes in the email. She said it comes down to one thing:

insanely valuable content.

"The people who have the most insanely valuable content win hands down every time. It's not the growth tactics — it's the content." — Chenell Basilio

In this episode, you'll learn about:

The subject-line sweet spot between descriptive and intriguing — and why "Did you hear?" worked How to start a newsletter without burning out What actually belongs in a hearty weekly email — and the surprising "fun links" section that excites readers and reveals your most engaged subscribers How to engage your readers right from your welcome sequence What's working in list growth right now (surprisingly, quizzes are back on top — plus a few others) Why "people follow you for your taste" is the one thing AI can't replicate — and Chenell's soapbox on staying huma Check out this episode's blog post

Episode Resources:

Free Duett Resources Join the Duett newsletter Check out Duett Services Book a FREE Discovery Call  Instagram @alleagrummert Growth in Reverse — join Chenell's email list  Chenell Basilio on LinkedIn Toni Okamoto — Plant Based on a Budget (her Happy Subscribers episode)