My wife started a non-profit to benefit the animal shelter in our area. Her fundraising efforts have been incredibly successful in that the shelter pays for medical emergencies and spay/neuter services without tapping their budget, and has not had to euthanize for space in years.
One night over dinner she started asking me about email marketing.
Unable to read my audience, I launched into a dissertation on the topic.
She almost nodded off.
Finally, she stood and blurted out (scaring me half to death):
Can I use an email list to keep in touch with my donors and share good news stories about the shelter?
Oh, well. Yes, yes you can. Not a problem at all.
Sheesh.
So over the next few hours, I helped her build out the list using emails that donors provided over the years.
We used the logos and other branding material from her website.
I started punching up a good news story to share in that first post.
Her number one rule: Never ask for a donation.
So I didn’t.
And yet they came in anyway.
People see what she’s doing, what their money has done, The organization and its mission is in the forefront of their mind and they click the plain text “Support our mission” at the bottom of the email.
That’s the power of email, particularly when shared with a targeted audience.
Building an email newsletter process for her organization made me feel great, particularly when I saw the results.
That’s not the big story though.
I love writing and I love helping businesses grow. In August 2021 these two passions crashed into each other when I built out that list to help my wife share information about her non-profit.
She suggested doing this for other businesses and I gave her a very timid “Yeah, yeah. Lots of people do that and there probably isn’t a market. Even if there was who would pay me to write for them and manage a Substack newsletter?”
I wonder?
So I asked around to some local businesses. The type with recurring customers. Landscapers, Dentists, hair salon owners, handymen, plumbers, Heating and A/C, Realtors, Day Care providers, etc.
I did the initial build-out for free, helped them with ideas for a lead magnet, and told them to throw a link to the list on their website (if they even had one).
Bottom Line: there is a market for this type of service, and people will pay you to do it for them.
The shoemaker’s children go barefoot.
I think this email might be a long-winded apology for not staying in contact with you as often as I should have over the past few months.
I’ve been, um… writing emails.
But hey, I’ve proven something out that I know works. If I can do it anyone can.
This is service you can start for free because the best tools have free starter plans.
If you are a small business owner, start an email list here on Substack, import your customer emails, and send them something. News, tips, tricks, special offers, and ask for their business. It’s real relationship building.
If you are looking for a killer side gig, find yourself a test case and work for them for free until they see some results (this is your reference customer and how you will find more work), then start providing that services to businesses in your area.
You might just stumble onto something that will change your life.
Thanks for your support, I’ll talk to you soon.
- Travis
I LOVE this! So awesome that you went out on a limb and it worked! So, do the businesses supply you with content ideas that they'd like you to build on or do you come up with that? I'd love to chat with you about this sometime if you're open to it.