🖐 Happy Wednesday!

Issue #42 is 818 words— a 3.0-minute read.

I took 60 days to study 4 newsletter platforms before I launched Solopreneur Doorway.

beehiiv was and remains my top choice. **

1 big topic: Fix Your Client’s Newsletter

Why it matters: You get the inside edge when you show clients how much you know about their industry’s newsletters and how to improve theirs.

✅ Reality check: Your best clients trust a small group of experts.

An outsider will take your place if you don’t stay up-to-date on the hot news in your client’s industry.

Build a tighter client bond with 3 steps.

• Know the top 3 newsletters in your client’s industry and what makes them shine
  

• Tell your clients which topics are hot and would get you excited to read their newsletter
  

• Share newsletter open and click rates for your client’s industry to help them stay on target

📊 By the numbers: The data on email marketing is eye-popping.

A few email newsletter stats at your fingertips give you powerful content for client conversations, texts, and emails.

You don’t have to be an expert.

Simple statistics show you care.

Start here:

• More than 50% of the world’s population looks at their email every day ⁽¹⁾

• beehiiv creators sent 4.5 billion emails in 2023, a +1,109% increase from 2021–22 ⁽²⁾

• Business newsletters have email open rates of 39% ⁽³⁾

👇 Go deeper:

Solve a client's problem, and your reputation with them goes up!

The challenge is that you get 2 or 3 chances a year to fix BIG client issues.

You need other ways to bring them value.

Sharing smart feedback on your client’s newsletter proves you keep close watch on their progress and that you care about their success.

Leverage your newsletter know-how to cement the bond with your client.

Put these in motion.

• A brainstorm session about newsletter ideas, competition, niche, and delivery frequency
  

• An infographic that places your client’s expertise at the hub and their solutions (newsletter topics) as spokes
  

• A dashboard that shows the top newsletters in your client’s industry and which topics those newsletters present
  

• A fun report card that shows clients their grades for their newsletter topics, clarity, insight, and CTA
  

What’s next: Get to your inbox and read the top newsletters in your client’s industry.

Craft an email and let your best clients know it’s time for a newsletter session.

If they take a pass, that’s your chance to show them you know their industry better than they do.

Email marketing with newsletters is a powerhouse.

Help your client with theirs, and they’ll trust you more tomorrow than they do today.

This week’s business story:

Take a Page from Boeing’s Sky Crisis

Boeing’s decision to improve their 737 model led to fatal crashes and scary videos of a panel falling off in mid-flight, according to a sad June 10 NYT article ⁽⁴⁾ .

The new Boeing CEO must now:

• Improve passenger safety
  

• Fix Boeing’s reputation
  

• Gain ground on the competition

The big picture: Your top product, like Boeing’s, can fail, and your future hinges on how you react.

Failure gives you a path toward improvement.

Failure can also put you back at basecamp, which can be pricey, time-intensive, and difficult.

Why it matters: Every day, problems arise in your business, and you need to make tough choices.

You have 2 options when challenges occur.

• Ignore the issue and stay with the status quo for as long as you can
  

• Maintain a list of Plan Bs that you can test and put into motion when it’s time

It’s an easy choice, right?

🔑 Takeaways from the Boeing crisis:

• Change, competition and mistakes happen; stay flexible and prepare
  

• The pain of doing nothing when a crisis hits is BIGGER than the pain of picking the wrong solution
  

• Lean on your board of advisors for insight, help and momentum; they’ve got your back if you ever face a huge solopreneur crisis

1 fun idea:

✈️ My vacation time is near.

How about you?

When’s the last time you took 10 days to refresh, explore, and try new foods?

A big pro for your solopreneur journey is independence.

You deserve it, and I hope you use it often.

😀Tell me where you’re going this summer so I can get fresh trip ideas.

Stay curious and keep opening doors.

-Erik

** Note: I may receive a commission if you opt to explore or enroll in a beehiiv solution through the links in this newsletter issue.

Sources:

⁽¹⁾ Tyler Denk, TG and EJ White, 2024 State of Email Newsletters, beehiiv, January 8, 2024, June 10, 2024, https://blog.beehiiv.com/p/2024-state-of-newsletters#core-engagement-stats-by-industry

⁽²⁾ Ibid.

⁽³⁾ Ibid.

⁽⁴⁾ Niraj Chokshi, A Big Decision for Boeing’s Next CEO: Is it Time for a New Plane? The New York Times, June 10, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/10/business/boeing-737-max-new-plane.html