When I started this newsletter last June, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew I’d write about health and medical issues that caught my eye and I hoped that some would stimulate discussions, whether readers agreed with me or not.
These have been the most popular so far:
Monday Musings: More Concerns About Ozempic (originally for paid subscribers only but now for everyone)
Monday Musings: There’s a Pill for That (originally for paid subscribers only but now for everyone)
Book Review: Overdose; Heartbreak and Hope in Canada's Opioid Crisis
These were the least read:
The only thing I see in common with the least read is they all have questions as titles. Four of the most read ones are related to medications. Is there anything to take away from this? I don’t think so. It’s a rather limited data set!
But I think the thing that stands out to me about the newsletter overall is my subscriber base is staying pretty much the same. I have gained a few free and a couple of paid subscribers, but not many people are sharing articles and the newsletter isn’t growing as much as I’d hoped. So, maybe I’m missing the mark.
What do I want from this newsletter and why do I want people to read it?
I want to write quality pieces that make people think. I want people to engage in conversation about topics that are controversial. To be honest, I thought that these articles would get some traction:
Sports Betting Ads Pushing Gambling Addiction Numbers (especially since I called out some celebs in this one)
But they didn’t.
What I’ve been doing
I offer links throughout the issues in both the paid and free versions so people can subscribe, share, or give a gift subscription. I promote on social media, and I mention my newsletter in some blog posts over on DecipherYourHealth.com and elsewhere. I subscribe to other newsletters and share their stories when I can. But I’m hitting a wall.
So, what’s next? Should I continue to write my newsletter, finding topics I find interesting and I hope others will too? Or is the internet flooded with too many similar types of newsletters and blogs, and should I stop?
The pro of continuing is I can write about whatever I like – no editors to tell me that a topic is off-limits! The pro of stopping is I get back some time.
I’m not upset about potentially ending this newsletter. I can think of it as an experiment. In my mind, I thought it might be like the popular blog I wrote for 16 years - but not all projects work out and we don’t know if we don’t try, right?
What do you think?
I would hate to see you stop this informative newsletter, but if it’s not meet your expectations I understand why you may want to end it. Gaining time back may open a door for another project that will satisfy your goals!