Newsletter swap and collaboration checklist
How to recommend another newsletter, and be recommended, in a way readers appreciate.
A recommendation swap introduces your readers to a newsletter they will probably like, and theirs to you. Done well, it feels like a favour to readers, not an advert.
Choosing a partner
- You read their newsletter yourself and would recommend it unprompted.
- Your audiences overlap but are not identical.
- Their schedule and tone suit your readers.
Agreeing the swap
- Agree dates, length and placement in writing.
- Write each other's recommendation, or approve the other's draft.
- Agree how you will each report back on new signups.
Writing the recommendation
- Say why you read it, in one or two specific sentences.
- Mention one issue readers should start with.
- Keep it short enough to read in fifteen seconds.
Afterwards
- Thank your partner and share the results honestly.
