đ Hello newsletter enthusiasts,
Letâs dive deep into The GIST, a women-founded and operated sports media brand that's âleveling the playing field in sports.â
Their flagship newsletter, Sports News, reaches over 650,000 readers. It keeps you up to date on all things sports in less than 5 minutes, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday morning.
They also have two other newsletters: Sports Biz and College Sports.
Weâll walk through some high-level flows for their flagship newsletter below, but for more detail, feel free to go to the Figma board.
đŸ Thank you for reading, stay pawsome.
One thing about The GIST that really stands out is their branding.
From the fonts to the colors, itâs⊠The GIST.
From the moment you land on the home page to their email newsletters, itâs evident throughout. If you removed the logo, you could probably guess it was The GIST.
Thatâs some brand recognition!
The GIST cranks out content and covers a lot of different topics and sports around the world.
Some readers may or may not be subscribed to the newsletter, and choose to go to thegistsports.com and check the homepage for sports news.
When you land on the homepage, youâll notice that their email newsletter sign up is front and center.
Not a âtop storyâ, or an advertisement, but a way to sign up for their email newsletter. Itâs one of the first things youâll notice on the homepage.
There are eight total mentions of the newsletter, or ways to sign up, on their homepage from top to bottom. Six above the fold, and two in the footer.
The GIST offers multiple ways to sign up for their newsletters on the homepage:
To sign up from the homepage, simply enter your email address.
You will be asked to provide your country, which is pre-filled, and you can optionally select your city. Once completed, you're all set.
Clicking the "Subscribe" CTA on the homepage, in the footer, or through social media links redirects you to a comprehensive landing page where you can sign up for any or all of The GIST's three newsletters.
Each newsletter has its own follow-up questions tailored to the content:
While this does add an extra step or two to the sign-up flow, it may deter some readers.
Finding the right balance is crucial. You don't want to overwhelm subscribers with an extensive questionnaire.
However, gathering specific information, such as Conference preferences, can enhance the reader's experience and provide more personalized content.
As a subscriber, if you can see the value in providing additional information, it may outweigh any slight inconvenience during the sign-up process.
This allows for better onboarding and insights from the outset.
It's worth experimenting with the sign-up flow to find the sweet spot between gathering valuable insights and not overwhelming potential subscribers.
Although some subscribers may be pruned out due to additional questions, if it leads to a better reader experience, such as delivering stories based on Conference preferences, the readers that do take the extra five seconds will have a better experience.
Consider tailoring your sign-up flow to gather insights from subscribers while maintaining a balance in the number of questions asked and enhancing the overall reader experience. Finding this balance enables you to provide more personalized content and gain a deeper understanding of your audience right from the start.
When signing up for a newsletter, you often encounter various methods to confirm your subscription, such as selecting the correct image to prove you're not a robot or checking your email for further instructions.
After signing up for The GIST, you are presented with a confirmation message on the landing page:
âBTW! We just sent you an email. If you donât see it, it might be hiding in your spam, junk or promotions folder. Feel free to add us to your address book to ensure our newsletter finds you every single time.â
Within a few minutes, a plain-text confirmation email arrives:
The email is plain-text, no branding, etc.
Once you click the provided link, you'll receive a confirmation message, indicating that you're successfully subscribed.
There are various ways to implement a confirmation process or verify opt-ins.
It can involve reCAPTCHA, clicking a link in a post-sign-up email, or even having a Sunset Policy to remove unengaged subscribers. The approach you choose depends on your preferences and goals.
The simplicity of a plain-text email with a clickable link is one effective method to consider.
~20 minutes later, you receive a Welcome email.
The email highlights:
The Welcome email serves is a great opportunity to establish expectations for subscribers and offer additional avenues for engagement.
Regardless of the specific content you choose to include in your Welcome email, one crucial aspect is the timing. Sending the Welcome email shortly after sign-up is key to making a positive first impression.
The flagship newsletter from The GIST is sent out every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
Each send maintains The GIST's theme and branding while incorporating unique elements.
For example, on Sundayâs itâs the âSunday Scroll,â where they âdive deep into one timely sports topic.â
On Fridayâs, they might include a âWeekend Watchingâ section to highlight what to watch over the weekend.
Here are some general sections weâve noticed:
Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Sunday Scroll
While there is a template or structure to the newsletters, The GIST adds variety to each send.
One consistent and notable section is "The GIST's picks."
The one consistent section that stands out is The GISTâs picks.
These picks cover various topics such as:
Occasionally, this section includes a sponsored link, indicated by "*" and accompanied by a disclaimer.
When you start a newsletter, or as you send newsletters, you think about cadence.
Is it a daily newsletter?
What about a weekly newsletter?
Or how about an every other day newsletter?
As you explore this, think about how each send can bring value to the reader.
The GIST's decision to deep dive into a topic on Sundays may be based on the assumption that readers have more time on Sundays to engage with a timely subject, versus on a Monday.
If youâre sending newsletters times a week, will each send be the exact same, or can you add something unique to the send?
For example, The GIST is consistent throughout the week with layout and tone, but theyâll do something unique within a section. Like The GISTâs picks.
Itâs not the same category of picks each send, itâs always unique.
The GIST demonstrates a thoughtful approach in aligning sponsored content with their readers. Just like they put a lot of thought into their regular content, they extend that approach to sponsorships.
For example, take this text-only ad featuring Wayfair:
Despite being an ad, it blends in with The GIST's voice and tone, making it feel less like a traditional advertisement.
Incorporating sponsored content into your newsletter is a significant decision.
If you choose to do so, you may need to consider whether you want to edit the copy provided by the brands. This decision can sometimes feel like treading the line between editorial integrity and advertising.
Different news organizations have varying perspectives on this matter. Some draw a clear line between sponsored content and news, ensuring they don't blur the lines.
For instance, the TNT crew emphasizes the âunsulliedâ nature of EJ's Neato Stat of The Night, which has remained free from sponsorship since 1989.
Job boards in newsletters are becoming more common. And it makes sense.
Newsletters that have a deep understanding of their readers' provide an excellent platform for companies to reach out to potential hires.
At The GIST, the Job Board is featured next to the Newsletter and Referral sections on their homepage:
They also mention the Job Board in the newsletter.
Introducing a Job Board can expand the revenue streams beyond sponsorships, and also serve as a valuable resource for readers.
When you have a strong understanding of your audience, it allows you to curate a job board that resonates with them. Just like a newsletter focuses on specific topics or areas of interest, a job board from a newsletter should be tailored accordingly.
Receiving a stream of random job listings from various businesses may not be as impactful. However, when thoughtful consideration is given to the selection of job postings, it can add significant value to the readers' experience.
Surveys play a significant role in understanding subscribers and tailoring content to their preferences.
The GIST incorporates surveys throughout the subscriber's journey.
Even the questions during the sign-up process can be seen as a mini-survey, aiming to gain a deeper understanding of the readers.
~Day or so after signing up, The GIST sends out a new subscriber survey with seven questions:
On their Advertise page: âGISTers are the next decision makersâ.
While not all specifics from the new subscriber survey are mentioned, you can see how the information gathered might impact their approach to sponsorships.
The GIST also includes a survey for those who unsubscribe:
Unsubscribe survey:
It's worth noting that the new subscriber survey varies between newsletters: Sports Biz, College Sports or Sports News.
For example, in the new subscriber survey for College Sports, they ask: âWhat college or university do/did/will you attend?â
When asking readers to spend time answering questions, it's important to be thoughtful with the information sought. Surveys should serve a purpose, not merely for the sake of collecting data.
It's refreshing to see that the new subscriber survey is unique to each newsletter, making it feel relevant and showing that extra attention is given to the process.
Surveys provide valuable insights and enable personalization of content based on the audience's preferences. They also play a role in shaping sponsorships and ensuring alignment with readers' interests.
While our deep dive focused on The GIST's Sports News newsletter, we also mentioned their two other newsletters: Sports Biz and College Sports.
They also have a podcast!
It's awesome how theyâve grown while maintaining the distinct branding and vibe of The GIST.
The GIST's approach to launching new newsletters has been thoughtful and strategic. They have effectively tapped into specific niches within the sports world, like Sports Biz and College Sports, all while maintaining the overall vibe of The GIST.
đ Thanks for joining the pack of newsletter enthusiasts! Keep on reading, writing and sharing your newsletters with the world.
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