Bored with your newsletter? Steal this Go-To strategy instead

Let’s break down a handy little trick that I use for coming up with content ideas - stat! (AKA somewhat immediately before chaos ensues.)

CUE: fun newsletter breakdown.

Whether my brain is home to tumbleweed rather than ideas, or I'm simply looking for new ideas and tactics to try, I love getting inspiration from other people - especially when it's outside of my industry.

What I've found though, is that people often think that they're stealing like an artist (a la Austin Kleon), when in fact they're just downright plagiarising.

So today I'm showing you how to breakdown someone else's content and steal the strategy, not the content itself.

(Note: I always, always, always, ALWAYS recommend that you try this technique with content that's OUTSIDE of your industry. Why? Because if you pick something/one that's from the same industry or niche as you, it's all too easy to copy when you don't mean to. Not to mention the debilitating comparison that can flare up! So don't do it, ok? Look outside of your industry. Always.)

We're going to take an email from one of my fave Australian skincare companies - GoTo Skincare - and breakdown WHY it works and how you can use the strategy in your own content. Huzzah!

Check out one of Go-To’s email newsletters below:

How to steal Go-To's newsletter strategy

There's a bunch of different things that we can breakdown here, but so this post doesn't leave you scrolling for days, let's look at 4 different aspects that you can try!

1. Image vs. text based email

Ignore the "but but but if you have too many images you end up in spam" brigade for a sec and look at how much more SIMPLE + FUN Go-To's email is to consume because it's in image form. A list of 5 cleansing mistakes? Boooring. A fun, peach-coloured delight in your inbox? I'm reading that sucker pronto.

💡 Steal it: Be ok with breaking the rules. For example, is everyone saying that text-based email is the way to go? Try a fancy looking email instead. Think outside the rules and have fun trying new things!

2. Have fun with your copy

You can create something that's useful AND fun to consume with just a few simple tweaks to your copy.

Here's a few examples from the Go-To email I shared at the beginning of this post (see underlined text in the images below):

💡Steal it: Give people the facts, but also give them the fun. After you've written your piece, go back over it and look at how you can inject more personality + humanness into your content.

3. Show don't tell

Where are my product-based businesses at?! (This also works for digital products + services too though!)

It's easy to fall into the trap of wordily explaining how your products work, or sharing a product-on-a-white-background photo on Instagram.

And don't get me wrong, these options TOTALLY have their place... but look at how much more fun + exciting Go-To's cleanser looks in this example:

Look at how happy she looks! I've never seen someone enjoy washing their face so much. And look at how gorgeous that foamy cleanser is - can't you just IMAGINE what it would feel like?

Get that foamy luxuriousness on my face!

💡Steal it: Show how your products fit into someone's real life. How does your product feel when I use it? Show me. How can you express those emotions and feelings that you want me to have in a photo or graphic?

4. End with a "yeah duh" CTA

We all know that including a call to action is important, but Go-To is pro at what I like to call the "yeah duh" CTA.

As in: Of course that's absolutely the link that I need to click right now because it just makes so much sense!

After teasing you with that luxurious foaming cleanser, and convincing you to stop those 5 cleansing mistakes to save your face from turning into a wrinkled prune, Go-To hits you with a "yeah duh" CTA:

As in: well, yes of COURSE I need a new cleanser now!

💡Steal it: What's the uber obvious, "yeah duh" next step that you want people to take? If people have to perform mental gymnastics to figure out why the heck you're asking them to do something, it's not "yeah duh" enough.

And that's it! Breakdown complete ✅

I hope that you enjoyed this little jaunt learning how to strategically use the inspiration that you get from others.

Remember: steal the *strategy* and not the content itself.

Want to add more simplicity and fun to your business by doing content your way? Check out my planners and workbooks and say hello to content that’s simple, fun and actually does something for you.