Am I ditching my newsletter for this weird app?

Hi Reader,

For a few years, I was a content strategist for a Fintech. One of my projects was improving a newsletter for small business owners. The newsletter enjoyed a lousy 5% open rate.

The back of a cereal box was more engaging than the boring product content inside the newsletter that a developer banged out between coding sessions.

So, we stripped out the boring product content and started sending customer stories and how-to guides. And open rates slowly climbed towards 20%.

My open rates for this list average about 30%. I can hit 50–60% if I send a targeted email to a segment of my list, e.g., welcome emails to new customers.

For newsletter owners, 25–30% is a good benchmark. It’s more than doable if you regularly turn up in people’s inboxes with engaging, story-driven content.

As much as I love newsletters, I still wonder about that other 60%. Sure, some email addresses within that 60% are cold or belong to bots. And yes, some readers don’t check their emails, forget passwords, or lose interest.

But who are they, why did they opt in, and are they getting these emails?

I regularly subscribe to newsletters I love reading only to find their latest edition buried in my spam box next to one from a rich Nigerian prince who needs my bank details and a crypto bro who’s strumbled across a crazy 1000% coin that he wants to share.

I regularly try other distribution tools, particularly mobile-first channels that aren’t subject to an algo.

Enter Telegram.

I’ve launched a new Telegram channel with insider content for creators. It’s easy to join and doesn’t cost anything.

1. Download the Telegram app from the App Store or Google Play​
2. Set up the app (takes 30 seconds)
3. Then click this link
4. Make sure to click on “join”

Telegram is a private mobile app and doesn’t cost you anything. No one, including me, can see your phone number.

I’ll post bonus insider content several times a week about how I run my content business. Content that will help you add $3–5k to your business in 2025.

​Click here to join my Telegram channel​

Write on,

Bryan Collins

PS No, I’m not ditching my newsletter for the Telegram channel. You’ll continue to get these email insights about building a business with content…as long as you’re subscribed and don’t want my bank details ;)