# René Hjetting > I help small businesses write their way to more customers. Practical advice on newsletters, copywriting and AI every Friday in The Sharp Pen Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### About me URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/about/ Last updated: 2026-09-05T09:29:06.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2.webp) ## Hi, my name is René I've been making a living from writing for more than 25 years. Sales copy, newsletters, websites, books and teaching others how to do it themselves. Today, I help the self-employed and small businesses write their way to more customers. Often using AI as a tool. Always with the customer in mind. **Because it's still the words that sell. Not the tool.** --- ### Three books, one question I've written three books: one on PR in 2014, *Build Your Audience* in 2020 and *Build Your Own Profitable Newsletter* in 2026\. The topics vary, but the question is the same every time: How do you win customers through what you write and own yourself, without relying on adverts, algorithms or other people's platforms? **I've been working on that question since long before anyone was talking about AI. And it's still what all my work is about.** --- ### When ChatGPT came along, I honestly thought my profession was about to disappear Suddenly, anyone could get an AI to write a blog post or a sales page in a matter of seconds. I could have chosen to fight the development. Instead, I became curious. I started testing the tools every single day not to find clever tricks, but to find out what they could actually do for real businesses with real tasks. What I discovered surprised me. AI writes quickly. But it doesn't know what your customers are grappling with, what makes them trust you, or when to ask for the sale. Only you know that. The craft is the same as it has always been. AI simply makes it faster, provided you already know how to do it. **So today, I pass on both: how to write so that people buy. And how to use ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot to do it without spending all your evenings on it.** --- ### I do it myself before I teach it to others I run two newsletters, and I sell my courses and books through them. Not through adverts, not through networking events. So when I tell you what works, it's because I've tried it in my own business first, including what didn't work. **That's what I want to teach you: not the theory, but what actually brings in customers.** --- ### Two newsletters, two purposes [**3 Minutes**](https://3min.ai/?ref=renehjetting.com) – Every Tuesday. A short newsletter with the most important AI news, new tools and practical ideas you can use straight away. [**The Sharp Pen**](https://www.renehjetting.com/#/portal/signup) – Every Friday. Practical advice on newsletters, copywriting and marketing that brings in customers with or without AI. --- ### Why am I doing this? Because I believe there are enough customers for everyone who has something to say and dares to say it. And because I believe that marketing can be sincere rather than manipulative, that you can sell by being trustworthy, not by shouting the loudest. My aim isn't to turn you into a copywriter or an AI expert. My aim is to teach you what makes a difference to your business. If you'd like to write your way to more customers, I hope you'll stick around. --- **Send a message.** I'll get back to you as soon as I can. **I look forward to hearing from you.** Let's find out how you can write your way to more customers. Kind regards, **René Hjetting** *Your friend with the sharp pen 🖊️* --- ### Build Your Audience URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/buildyouraudience/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T05:33:58.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/10/book-2x5stars.jpg) ## Build Your Audience The book teaches you to **attract the clients you want** and build trust to keep them coming back for more. **Let the clients come to you** Unlike the aggressive 'super selling' techniques of traditional marketing, this book is about **attracting clients without being intrusive**—and feeling confident whilst doing it. **Build Your Audience** is the essential marketing guide for self-employed professionals. Once you understand what you want to offer and who your ideal clients are, this book will show you how to attract customers who will **become loyal, returning clients**. [Get your free copy of 'Build Your Audience' here.](https://www.renehjetting.com/buildyouraudience/) This book isn't a quick fix. It's about creating a solid foundation for a sustainable and thriving business. Simply put, **it's an investment in your future**. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/03/publikum.png) **Build Your Audience** serves as a comprehensive resource, packed with practical advice, strategies, and solutions for **every phase of your marketing journey**, allowing you to focus on areas where you need the most guidance. This book introduces you to the powerful world of trust-based marketing. You'll discover how to **cultivate the right audience** without being pushy and how to develop consistency in your marketing efforts. **Step by step**, you'll learn to attract your ideal clients and develop lasting relationships that benefit both you and your customers. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/03/1517478332662-1.jpeg) ## ****David Meerman Scott** "René understands that effective modern marketing follows new principles. It's straightforward yet overlooked by many: Educate and inform instead of interrupt and sell. In these pages, he reveals exactly how to do this." **David Meerman Scott**, marketing strategist, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of 12 books, including The New Rules of Marketing and PR, now available in 29 languages from Albanian to Vietnamese. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/03/Me-and-coffea-1.jpg) **Author Bio** **René Hjetting** has dedicated the past two decades to helping people build meaningful audiences and transform their passions into professions. René's mission stems from his desire to help others navigate their journey and create the life they envision through a profitable business. René has authored countless articles on successful communication and business strategies, and this is his second non-fiction book. Build Your Audience A primary motivation for **writing this guide** was to challenge misconceptions about what selling truly involves. Whilst you naturally want to sell your products and services, you don't need to adopt the stereotypical 'sales rep' persona. **You can attract clients naturally.** [Get your free copy of 'Build Your Audience' here.](https://www.renehjetting.com/buildyouraudience/) --- ### Thanks for signing up! URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/thanks-for-signing-up/ Last updated: 2025-11-04T21:23:19.000Z **You're now part of my little digital writing club** – where we dive into everything that helps your words sell – with and without AI. ### In my newsletter, I share: - practical tips you can use right away - my favorite prompts for writing faster and better with AI - insights into how I write, test, and build my own business - small experiments and ideas to spark your creativity ## What now? **Check your inbox** – your first email should arrive shortly. If you don’t see it, have a quick look in your spam or promotions folder and drag me over to primary. **You’ll hear from me once a week** – sometimes a bit more if I’ve got something I just *have* to share. I keep it short, useful, and fluff-free. **And hey** – if you ever have questions, ideas, or just want to say hi, you can always hit reply. I read everything. **Welcome aboard.** Kind regards, **René Hjetting** *Your friend with the sharp pen 🖊️* --- ### Write better with AI URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/masterclass/ Last updated: 2025-12-19T07:04:09.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/12/Women_Write_faster_without_losing_quality-1.jpg) ## Write better. Write sharper. Write with AI. **An intensive 5-week online course where you learn to write effectively and personally with AI** Do you feel like you **spend too much time** writing content that doesn't get you the results you want? **You're not alone.** Many freelancers, marketers, and writers struggle to produce enough good content – without spending all day on it. **But what if** you could write faster and sharper, without compromising on quality? Welcome to **"Write better and sell more with AI"**, a 5-weeks training programme designed for those who want to master the art of writing better, faster and more efficiently with AI. --- ## What's in it for you? ✅ **Write faster –** Learn how to use AI to generate drafts, structure your texts and save hours every week. ✅ **Write better –** Become a better writer of emails, newsletters, landing pages and posts that engage and sell. ✅ **Write with your own voice –** AI shouldn't take over your content, but enhance your unique style and tone. ✅ **Get an AI-powered workflow –** Learn best practices for combining AI with your own creativity. --- ## Who is it for? **Self-employed professionals and freelancers –** Who want to write content that generates sales and engagement. **Marketers –** Who want to streamline their content production without compromising on quality. **Writers & content creators –** Who want to use AI as a co-writer, not a replacement. **If you're a beginner**, I'll guide you through the basic AI tools and techniques so you'll quickly feel comfortable using them to write better copy. **And if you've already tried AI**, you'll gain a deeper understanding of how to use it even smarter – especially for writing sharp, targeted texts that capture your audience. **As a participant**, you'll learn how to create **your own prompts** that are tailored to your needs, and you'll also get a set of **writing templates** from me that you can start using right away. --- ## Your instructor ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-3.webp) **René Hjetting** **is your instructor in this 5-weeks training programme.** With a background as a copywriter and teacher, he has dedicated himself since the launch of ChatGPT to **mastering AI tools** and developing methods that make AI a natural part of the creative writing process – not a replacement for it. **What sets René** apart as a teacher is his unique ability to translate complex technological concepts into practical, usable techniques. **His hands-on approach ensures** that you not only understand AI theoretically, but actually implement it in your daily work with immediate results. > **I see AI as an amplifier of your talent.** My mission is to give you concrete tools that enable you to write faster and with greater impact, while keeping your authentic voice intact. --- ## What does the 5-weeks training include? **This 5-week online course** gives you a structured and practical approach to AI writing. You won't just learn how to use AI – you'll learn how to **use it right**, so you save time, write better, and keep your unique voice. Each week, we dive into a new aspect of AI writing, from idea development and style to sales copy and automation. The goal is that by the end of the course, you will have a concrete method and toolbox that will make it significantly **easier for you to write better.** --- ## Here is what we cover week by week: 🤖 ****Module 1: AI as your writing partner** Learn how AI can assist you throughout the writing process, from idea to finished text. Gain insight into the best AI tools and how to use them effectively. ✍️ ****Module 2: Write faster without losing quality** Techniques for using AI to generate drafts, edit your texts and write emails, articles and social media posts that engage your audience. 🎙️ ****Module 3: AI and your voice** How to ensure that your texts still sound like you. We go through how you can train AI to understand and imitate your tone and style. 💰 ****Module 4: AI for sales and engagement** Learn to write compelling copy that drives action, from landing pages and sales emails to newsletters and ads. 🏗️ ****Module 5: Automation & workflows** Build efficient workflows with AI that save you time, optimise your content production and give you more freedom in your everyday life. --- ## How do we work with AI in the training? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/coworking-04-1400x785.jpg) **✅ Hands-on exercises –** You will be given practical tasks where you work with AI to improve your own texts. **✅ Live demonstration –** We go through concrete examples of how AI can assist in the writing process. **✅ Feedback & sparring –** Get input on your texts and learn how to fine-tune AI's output to your needs. **✅ AI tools in practice –** We use the best AI tools and teach you how to integrate them into your daily work process. --- ## Why take this training programme? **AI is changing the game for writers** If you learn how to use it properly, you can write faster, sharper and more efficiently – without compromising your voice and authenticity. **I've cut out all the fluff** In this course, you'll get a practical, hands-on approach to AI writing, where you'll learn exactly how to use AI to create better texts – and do it right away. --- ### Ready to master AI and take your writing to the next level? Sign up now! **Next class begins in spring 2026** [Yes, I would like to learn how to write better with AI](https://rene.thrivecart.com/the-writing-school/?ref=renehjetting.com) **Price** The price is **$300** for the entire masterclass *(You can pay in 2 instalments)* **Invest in your writing skills** and get access to 5 weeks of live online lessons, personal feedback, and a strong community. ⭐️ **Bonus:** You'll get access to my own little secret writing club, where you can write and work with me every single week for the **next 3 months.** --- ## What you get for your money: ✅ **5 weeks of live lessons –** Every week, you get a live lesson and a Q&A session. ✅ **Personal feedback –** Get specific personal feedback on your texts so you can improve your AI-written texts. ✅ **Access to a shared community –** Become part of a network with other participants where you can brainstorm and share experiences. ✅ **AI tools, prompts, templates –** Get access to specially designed templates, prompts and tools that help you write better with AI. --- ## Frequently asked questions (FAQ) **Do I need experience with AI?** No! The course is designed for both beginners and experienced users who want to learn how to write better with AI. **When does the live teaching take place?** There are online classes every Tuesday at 4 PM CEST. (Recorded). **Which AI tools do we work with?** We use ChatGPT, Claude, Mistral, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot and learn how to use them effectively for different writing purposes. **How long will I have access to the material?** You will have access to recordings, materials for 12 months after the course. --- ### Ready to master AI and take your writing to the next level? Sign up now! **Next class begins in spring 2026** [Yes, I would like to learn how to write better with AI](https://rene.thrivecart.com/the-writing-school/?ref=renehjetting.com) **Price** The price is **$300** for the entire masterclass *(You can pay in 2 instalments)* **Invest in your writing skills** and get access to 5 weeks of live online lessons, personal feedback, and a strong community. ⭐️ **Bonus:** You'll get access to my own little secret writing club, where you can write and work with me every single week for the **next 3 months.** --- ### Free webinar: The 7 steps to building a newsletter that generates income URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/build/ Last updated: 2026-04-25T08:03:40.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2026/02/email_marketing-2-1.jpg) - Are you tired of **fighting against algorithms** that are constantly changing? - Frustrated by adverts **that cost a fortune** but don't generate proper leads? - Would you like your own channel that **YOU own 100%?** > ***Then this webinar is just for you.*** ### What I will share with you in the webinar: **✔ Why you need to find your profitable niche and validate your idea** Most people shoot with buckshot and hit nothing. I will tell you why it is crucial to find the right niche – and what happens if you don't. **✔ The importance of going from idea to your first professional newsletter** There is a huge difference between ‘just sending an email’ and having a professional newsletter. I'll show you why it makes all the difference. **✔ Why your content must keep readers engaged week after week** Most newsletters are boring, making people yawn and fall asleep. I reveal what makes people look forward to hearing from you. **✔ The importance of growing organically from 0 to 1,000 subscribers** Before you spend money on ads, you need to have the foundation in place. I'll tell you why – and what happens if you skip this step. **✔ When you're ready to buy ads: Scaling to 5,000+ subscribers** There is a specific time when ads make sense. Do it too early and you'll burn through your money. I'll show you when you're ready. **✔ How to turn your audience into revenue: Sponsorships and product sales** Many people believe that a lot of subscribers automatically means a lot of money. That's wrong. I'll tell you what it takes. **✔ The importance of building a newsletter that runs on autopilot** The dream is to make money while you sleep. But most people do it wrong. I reveal what it takes to make it work. ### You already know how hard it is to stand out - LinkedIn is overflowing with the same boring posts. - Facebook ads are getting more expensive every month. - The Instagram algorithm shows your posts to 3% of your followers. **But newsletters?** - They land directly in people's inboxes. - No algorithm to interfere. - No competition for attention. **Just you and your reader. One-to-one communication that creates real relationships.** > ***And real relationships create real sales.*** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2026/02/Me-and-coffea.jpg) ## Who am I? My name is **René Hjetting** and I am an email marketing specialist and copywriter. I have spent the last few years helping small businesses write newsletters that sell. Over the past several years, I have observed a clear pattern: **My clients who focus solely on social media are getting far fewer customers than before.** **But those clients who run a high-quality newsletter? They are selling much more.** This is no coincidence. It's because newsletters give you: → **Ownership** of your channel (no one can shut you down) → **Direct access** to your customers' attention → **Trust** through valuable content over time → **Higher conversion** because people actually read it all → **Predictable** income every month --- ## This webinar is for you if: ✅ You are self-employed, a freelancer, a consultant or a teacher ✅ You want your own channel that you own 100% ✅ You are tired of being dependent on social media algorithms ✅ You want to generate predictable income every month ✅ You are ready to invest time in learning something new **Webinar details:** **📅 Date:** Tuesday, 24 February **🕐 Time:** 3:00 PM CET **Register now - 100% free** **The webinar is free of charge. All you need to provide is your email address to sign up for my newsletter.** *And if you don't enjoy the webinar, you can unsubscribe with a single click.* ✔ Get access to the live webinar + replay ✔ No commitment – unsubscribe anytime **P.S. – If you're sitting there thinking about it...** Then think about this: **How much time do you spend on social media each week?** 10 hours? 15 hours? More? **This webinar takes 1 hour of your life.** 1 hour that can change your entire approach to getting customers and generating income. **Isn't it worth a try?** Especially when it's free 😉 --- ### Check your inbox URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/thanks/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T11:49:22.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2026/02/Me-and-coffea-1.jpg) ### Thank you for registering! You are just one small step away from securing your place: **Go to your inbox and confirm your registration** by clicking on the link in the email you just received from me. Can't find the email? Check your spam folder – it may have ended up there. Once you have confirmed, you will receive all the details directly in your inbox. **See you 🤗** Kind regards **René Hjetting** *Your friend with the sharp pen 🖊️* --- ### Build your own profitable newsletter URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/build-2/ Last updated: 2026-08-09T06:26:24.000Z ### The complete step-by-step system for creating, growing, and monetising your newsletter—even if you're starting from absolute zero today. --- ## Do you recognise this frustration? ✅ You spend hours every day on social media, but never achieve your goals ✅ Algorithms decide who sees your content (not you) ✅ You have thousands of followers, but can't convert them into customers ✅ You are constantly dependent on new platforms and trends ✅ You are building on ‘borrowed land’ - one day it could all be gone ### The truth is harsh: Many people will never make decent money online. → Not because they don't work hard enough. → Not because their product is bad. **But because they are building on platforms they don't own.** → Instagram can change its algorithm tomorrow → Facebook can close your account without notice → TikTok can be banned (as in the US) → Google can penalise your website overnight **But there IS a solution...** --- ## The platform NO ONE can take away from you **A newsletter. It's that simple.** While everyone is chasing followers on social media, the smart ones are building **newsletters.** ### Why? | Social Media | Email/Newsletter | | ---------------------- | --------------------- | | 2-5% reach | 30-60% open rate | | You own NOTHING | You own 100% | | Algorithms control | You control | | Weak conversion | 40x better conversion | | May disappear tomorrow | Existed for 50+ years | ### You don't need millions of subscribers Newsletters with 5,000+ engaged subscribers often generate 6-figure annual revenues. --- ## Join us: Build your own profitable newsletter **7 weeks that will transform you from a beginner to a newsletter owner with many subscribers and your first income.** ### What it is NOT: ❌ **NOT** another course you buy and never complete ❌ **NOT** theoretical BS with no practical application ❌ **NOT** ‘quick fix’ solutions that don't last ### What it IS: ✅ **A complete SYSTEM** you implement week by week ✅ **Personal coaching** and feedback on your newsletter ✅ **Proven strategy** used by 100+ self-employed people --- ## Here's what we'll be doing together over the next 7 weeks: --- ****WEEK 1: FOUNDATIONS** ****Find your profitable niche and validate your idea** 📚 ****What you will learn:** \- The Passion → Problem → Profit method \- How to test your idea before you get started \- Check out the competition ✅ ****What you will achieve:** \- Your validated niche in place \- Confidence that people will actually pay for what you offer \- Insight into what your competitors are doing wrong and how you can do better --- ****WEEK 2: GETTING STARTED** ****From idea to your first professional newsletter** 📚 ****What you will learn:** \- Get your newsletter up and running \- Write a sign-up page that people actually click on \- The template for emails they actually open ✅ ****What you will achieve:** \- Your newsletter is live and ready to receive sign-ups \- A sign-up page that converts \- An email template you can use again and again --- ****WEEK 3: CONTENT** ****Create content that keeps readers hooked** 📚 ****What you will learn:** \- The content flywheel method \- The storytelling structure that people can't help but read \- Batch production with AI ✅ ****What you will achieve:** \- A month's worth of content ready to go \- A storytelling template you can use every time \- Your first newsletter sent out and read --- ****WEEK 4: ORGANIC GROWTH** ****From 0 to 1,000 subscribers without paying a penny** 📚 ****What you will learn:** \- Organic growth strategies that actually work \- How to create social media content that drives people to your sign-up page \- The cross-promotion trick ✅ ****What you will achieve:** ****\-** A growth strategy that runs on repeat \- A social media strategy that actually converts \- New subscribers every week --- ****WEEK 5: PAID GROWTH** ****Scale to 5,000+ subscribers with profitable ads** 📚 ****What you will learn:** \- Which advertising platforms actually give you value for money \- The overlooked advertising opportunities that no one talks about \- How to make money from your advertising ✅ ****What you'll achieve:** \- Clarity on exactly which platforms to invest in \- Access to advertising opportunities your competitors are overlooking \- An advertising strategy that pays for itself --- ****WEEK 6: MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR NEWSLETTER** ****Turn your newsletter into a source of income** 📚 ****What you will learn:** \- How to sell your own products in your newsletter \- How to get brands to pay for advertising space \- The subscription model that creates predictable income ✅ ****What you will achieve:** \- A sales strategy that converts readers into customers \- Everything ready to sell advertising space \- A subscription model that gives you ongoing income --- ****WEEK 7: SCALING & THE FUTURE** ****Build a business on autopilot** 📚 ****What you will learn:** \- Email marketing automation that works while you sleep \- How to get multiple revenue streams to work together \- Your long-term growth plan for the next 6 months ✅ ****What you will achieve:** \- An automated funnel that runs around the clock \- More ways to earn money \- A 180-day roadmap ready to follow --- ## Your instructor ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2026/02/Me-and-coffea-2.jpg) **René Hjetting is your instructor** for this 7-week online course. With a background as a copywriter, newsletter expert and instructor, he has been publishing newsletters since 2004 and has helped hundreds of self-employed people and companies build profitable newsletters that deliver results. **What makes René unique** as a teacher is his ability to transform complex strategies into concrete, usable techniques. His practical approach ensures that you not only learn the theory, but actually implement it in your daily work – with immediate results. --- ## Is this course for you? ### ✅ This IS perfect for you if: **You want to build a REAL business** No quick fixes. No gimmicks. Just a solid foundation. **You're tired of algorithms** Social media decides who sees your content. You want control. **You can spend 3-5 hours/week** Success requires effort. But not full-time. We do it efficiently. **You want to own your audience** Not rent it from Facebook. Not be dependent on Google. OWN it. **You are ready to take action** Not just read about it. Not just think about it. But DO it. --- ### ❌ This is NOT for you if: **You are looking for quick money** This is a system, not a trick. It requires work. **You want it done for you** I will guide you, but you build your newsletter. **You can't commit the time** 3-5 hours per week is the minimum. Less than that? Wait until you have the time. **You are already successful** If you have 5,000+ subscribers and are earning 6 figures, you don't need this. **You don't do the assignments** 7 weeks of weekly assignments. If you don't do them, you won't get results. --- ## Your investment The price is **$300** for the entire online course *(You can pay in 2 instalments)* **Small class. Lots of attention** To ensure thorough and personalised feedback, I deliberately keep the class small — so you never get lost in the crowd and always get the help you need. **Start:** The course starts on **Tuesday, 24 March 2026** **Duration:** 7 weeks **Included in the course:** ✅ 7 live sessions, including recordings ✅ Personalised feedback every week ✅ 3 months of support + help to grow your list after the course [Yes, I want to build my profitable newsletter](https://rene.thrivecart.com/build-your-own-profitable-newsletter/?ref=renehjetting.com) ### ⭐️ BONUS ⭐️ 1:1 technical setup of your email system You will receive one personal session where we will go through and set up your email system correctly (lists, forms and basic flows), while also agreeing on how your support can best be used over the next 3 months. --- ## FAQ: Frequently asked questions #### I've never created a newsletter before, is this something for me? Absolutely! 50% of participants start from absolute zero. The course is designed for beginners and those with some experience. I will take you step by step through EVERYTHING – from technical setup to your first income. No prior knowledge is necessary. #### I already have a newsletter, so is this something for me? It depends on your results. If you have fewer than 2,000 subscribers or are not yet making money from your newsletter, then YES – the course will help you enormously. Many participants come with existing newsletters that ‘don't really work’. ****The problem is often:** \- Not making any money \- Weak growth strategy \- Lack of engagement \- No clear niche focus I'll help you optimise everything you already have – and fill in the gaps in your system. If you already have 5,000+ engaged subscribers and are earning £50,000+ per month from your newsletter, the course is probably not for you. ****But everyone else will get massive value – no matter where they start.** #### Does this also work if I have a small/narrow niche? Yes, small niches are often the best! A small, engaged niche is far more valuable than a broad, unengaged audience. \- Easier to stand out \- Higher engagement rate \- People pay more for specialized content \- Easier to find sponsors in your niche 1,000 engaged doctors are worth more than 10,000 random “people interested in business.” The system works in all niches—small and large. #### Is it worth it for me? The math is simple: With just 100 committed subscribers, you can: - Sell a €997 course at 10% = €9,970. - Sell a €199 consultation to 5 people = €995. - Get a sponsorship for €5,000/month ****It typically takes 1-3 months to reach 100 subscribers** with the strategies you learn in this course. Your investment: A little Your potential: Infinite. #### How much time should I spend each week? Expect to spend approximately 3-5 hours per week. This includes: 1.5 hours for live sessions, 1.5 hours to watch recordings/materials, and 2 hours to complete weekly assignments. That's less time than watching a Netflix series. And it could change your life. #### Which newsletter platform should I use? I do not recommend any particular platform, but will share my experiences with the various ones so that you can make your own decision. #### What if I can't attend live sessions? No problem! All sessions are recorded in high quality and are available on the same day. Many participants follow 100% async and still get fantastic results. #### Do I need a large budget for advertising? No. We start with 100% organic growth (free). In week 5, we introduce paid growth – and that is optional. If you want to test ads, I recommend a minimum budget of €200\. But many reach 1,000+ subscribers without spending a penny on ads. #### Are there any ongoing costs during or after the programme? No, the only cost is your email platform, which you use for your newsletter. Everything else (training, support, community access) is included. --- ## Your investment The price is **$300** for the entire online course *(You can pay in 2 instalments)* **Small class. Lots of attention** To ensure thorough and personalised feedback, I deliberately keep the class small — so you never get lost in the crowd and always get the help you need. **Start:** The course starts on **Tuesday, 24 March 2026** **Duration:** 7 weeks **Included in the course:** ✅ 7 live sessions, including recordings ✅ Personalised feedback every week ✅ 3 months of support + help to grow your list after the course [Yes, I want to build my profitable newsletter](https://rene.thrivecart.com/build-your-own-profitable-newsletter/?ref=renehjetting.com) ### ⭐️ BONUS ⭐️ 1:1 technical setup of your email system You will receive one personal session where we will go through and set up your email system correctly (lists, forms and basic flows), while also agreeing on how your support can best be used over the next 3 months. --- ## Please contact me if you have any questions? **Please feel free to write to me using** the form below, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. **I look forward to hearing from you.** Let's make your newsletter a success. Kind regards **René Hjetting** *Your friend with the sharp pen* 🖊️ ### Watch the replay: The 7 steps to building a newsletter that generates income URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/replay/ Last updated: 2026-04-25T08:03:22.000Z **You've made it here** — which tells me you're serious about this. In this webinar, I walk you through the **exact 7 steps** I use with my clients to build newsletters that generate real income. Not theory. Not fluff. The actual system. Watch it. Take notes. And when you're done, ask yourself one question: **Do you want to build this yourself — or do you want me to guide you through it, step by step?** ## Ready to take the next step? The webinar gives you the full picture. My 7-week course gives you the hands-on help to actually build it. - Weekly live sessions (+ recordings) - Personal feedback on your newsletter every week - 3 months of support after the course ends - A 1:1 technical setup session included as a bonus The class is deliberately small. That's not a sales line — it's how I make sure everyone gets real attention. **The course starts Tuesday, 24 March 2026.** [**→ See everything that's included in the course**](https://www.renehjetting.com/build-your-own-profitable-newsletter/) --- ### Build your own profitable newsletter URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/build-your-own-profitable-newsletter/ Last updated: 2026-08-26T09:31:30.000Z ## There’s one marketing channel that no algorithm can take away from you **Perhaps you’re familiar with this scenario:** You open LinkedIn and see that your latest post has reached a tenth of its usual reach. You haven’t changed a thing. You haven’t done anything wrong. The rules have simply been changed again, and nobody asked you. **That’s what it’s like to build your visibility** on ground you don’t own. Followers on LinkedIn. Reach on Instagram. A spot in Google’s search results. It can all shrink from one day to the next, without warning and without explanation. **The newsletter is the exception.** It’s a direct line to people who’ve actively chosen to hear from you, with no middleman deciding whether your message gets through. **Imagine instead a Tuesday morning,** when you hit ‘send’ and know that your newsletter will reach every single one of your readers. No algorithm has made any decisions overnight. No reach has dropped without you knowing why. The channel is yours, the list is yours, and the relationship with your readers is yours. **That’s the difference this book is all about.** It shows you how to build a newsletter like this not just to rack up subscribers for the sake of numbers, but to create something that actually sustains a business. Honestly, patiently, and in a way you can sustain for years to come. --- ## What you’ll get out of the book ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2026/08/stack-of-books.jpg) **This book takes you all the way from the initial idea to a newsletter that generates income.** Along the way, you’ll learn, amongst other things: - How to find topics to write about so you don’t run out of ideas after three weeks. - How to attract your first readers when you’re starting out with none at all. - How to write in a way that actually makes people open, read and stay. - How a sale eventually becomes a natural next step, not the result of pressure. - How to get through that period when the figures aren’t moving and it feels like you’re talking to thin air. - Which platforms are worth using, and how to choose the right one for you. **You’ll come across twelve real-life cases** from people who’ve done it. Not American ‘dream figures’, but examples on a European scale, where lists of a few hundred or a few thousand engaged readers can sustain a real business --- ****For those who run or manage a business** This book is written for the self-employed, consultants and business owners who want a channel they own themselves. You don’t need to be a writer. You don’t need a large mailing list. You just need to have something to say and be willing to get started. It’s for you if you know full well that a newsletter is a good idea, but have never got round to starting one. Or if you’ve started but got stuck. The book takes you from knowledge to action, step by step, and requires no prior experience. Have you been working with newsletters for years? Then you’ll know that it’s often by going back to basics that you make progress, because you can hold the principles up against your own practice. This book is written for you, too. And then there are the twelve case studies on a Danish and European scale, not American ‘dream figures’ plus my own experiences from two newsletters, including what didn’t work. --- ## Pre-order before 1 October and get a live workshop with ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2026/08/workshop-uk.jpg) **The book will be published as an e-book.** When you buy it, you’ll receive the book by email as soon as it’s published. **And if you pre-order before 1 October,** you’ll secure a place on a live online workshop, where I’ll go through the core of the book, we’ll do a couple of exercises together, and you can ask any questions you have about your own newsletter. That’s when things really start to fall into place – when you can ask questions specific to your own situation, rather than just reading about other people’s. **The workshop** normally costs $150\. when purchased separately. It’s included here, but only if you pre-order before the book is published on **1 October.** --- ## About me, the author of this book ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2026/08/Rene_Hjetting_Book.jpg) **My name is René Hjetting.** I have been working in marketing, communications and copywriting for more than 25 years, as a copywriter, consultant and trainer for freelancers and businesses. **But the most important thing** in this context is probably that I practise what the book is about myself. I publish two newsletters: *3 Minutes* on AI and technology, and *The Sharp Pen* on AI, marketing and writing. That’s where I’ve learnt most of what’s in the book, including what didn’t work. **This is my third book.** My previous book, *Build Your Audience*, was published in 2020 and was about building an audience around your business. This book takes it a step further: from an audience to a newsletter that generates income. **I’m not writing about theories** I’ve read about. I’m writing about what I’ve tried myself, and I’m honest about both sides of the story. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2026/08/a5-hard-cover-front-book-uk.jpg) ## Pre-order the book and secure a place on the workshop **$7** for the e-book and a place on the workshop, provided you pre-order before **1 October.** [Buy the book and secure your place on the workshop now!](https://rene.thrivecart.com/build-your-own-profitable-newsletter-book/?ref=renehjetting.com) When you click, you’ll pay the $7 by card straight away and receive an immediate confirmation by email; and because you’re pre-ordering, the date to the workshop will be included in the same email. The book will be published on 1 October and will be delivered to you shortly afterwards. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions #### When will I receive the book? The book will be published on 1 October and will be sent by email shortly afterwards. #### What if I don’t buy it until after 1 October? You can still buy the book, but the workshop is only included if you pre-order before the release date. After 1 October, that option will no longer be available. #### Can I use the book even though my business is small? Yes, in fact, it’s written precisely for that situation. All the case studies and methods have been chosen because they work on a Danish scale, where lists of a few hundred or a few thousand engaged readers can sustain a proper business. #### Do I need a large mailing list to get started? No. The book is written for you, the person starting out without a single reader. That’s the whole point. #### Is the book only for beginners? No. It requires no prior experience and takes you all the way from idea to income, but experienced readers often get the most out of it by comparing the principles with their own practice. And then there are the twelve case studies on a European scale and the honest accounts of experiences that you won’t find in American books. --- ## 📚 Book packs for businesses Is the whole team coming along? The book can be purchased in packs for businesses, for the marketing department, for consultants in your network, or as a client gift. **If you buy 40 books** or more, an **online workshop** for your team is included. During this, I’ll go through the core of the book with a focus on your specific business, we’ll do a couple of exercises, and you’ll be able to ask any questions you have about your own newsletter. **Drop me a line,** and we’ll find a package that suits you – the price depends on the quantity. **I look forward to hearing from you.** Let's make your newsletter a success. Kind regards **René Hjetting** *Your friend with the sharp pen* 🖊️ ## Posts ### She had 2,600 subscribers before she sent her first email URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/she-had-2-600-subscribers-before-she-sent-her-first-email/ Last updated: 2026-09-05T10:01:51.000Z The question I'm asked most often about newsletters is the most basic one: how do I even get subscribers when I'm starting from scratch? **Today, you'll hear the story of someone** who solved this in a way that still impresses me. **In 2018, Mette Will quit her full-time job**. She'd been working in email marketing since 2001 and now wanted to set up her own business organising conferences for marketing and communications professionals. But she faced the problem most self-employed people recognise: no mailing list. No readers. No one to write to. Most people solve this by setting up a newsletter and starting to send it out and then hoping that people will find them. **Mette did the opposite.** She created something people wanted before she'd even sent her first email. Before she left her job, she ran a survey among Danish companies about their email marketing. 1,458 responses. She analysed them and published the results as a report, the first of its kind on the Danish market. **People signed up to her mailing list to get the report**, and by the time she started promoting her first conference, she had around 2,600 subscribers, every one of them there by choice. Using that list, she sold out her first Email Summit, 350 seats at Odense Concert Hall. No adverts. No complicated sales funnel. Just a list full of engaged people and a well-written series of emails. **The point goes beyond Mette's story:** in an age where AI can churn out an e-book in minutes, original, in-depth content becomes even more valuable. A report based on 1,458 real responses cannot be replicated with a prompt. **So ask yourself:** what piece of content could you create that is so useful to your target audience that they'd be happy to give you their email address to receive it? Mette's story is one of the twelve case studies in Build Your Own Profitable Newsletter, out on 1 October. Pre-order before then, and my live workshop is included. The e-book costs $7. [Pre-order the book and secure a place on the workshop](https://www.renehjetting.com/build-your-own-profitable-newsletter/) --- ### She built a fully booked business without networking URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/she-built-a-fully-booked-business-without-networking/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T07:00:40.000Z Last Friday, I wrote about how the newsletter is **the only channel** you fully own. Today, I’d like to show you what that means in practice with one of the twelve stories from the book. When the copywriter **Kathrine Louise Nielsen** started her business in 2016, she’d just moved to Canada. No professional network. No coffee dates, no networking breakfasts. So she created a newsletter instead and sent it out once a week, just so people could hear from her regularly. Within a year, she was fully booked. She’s been that way ever since, without cold calling and without all the networking fuss that many self-employed people think is a must. **My favourite detail:** A project for Novo Nordisk came about because a project manager was sitting in the canteen with a colleague who’d attended one of Kathrine’s courses ten years earlier, and her name came up when someone said, ‘We need a copywriter’. Ten years from meeting to recommendation. That’s the sort of customer journey a newsletter facilitates, because you keep popping up in people’s inboxes. **And the size?** Kathrine’s list stands at just over 1,840 subscribers. It’s not an American ‘dream figure’, but it’s enough for a fully booked business here at home. That’s how all twelve case studies in the book are: real people, on a scale that’s achievable. If you pre-order the book **before 1 October**, you’ll receive a e-book by email when it’s published, along with a place on the workshop. [Pre-order the book and secure a place on the workshop](https://www.renehjetting.com/build-your-own-profitable-newsletter/) --- ### You can now pre-order my new book URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/you-can-now-pre-order-my-new-book/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T08:45:29.000Z There’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, and which underlies pretty much everything I write about here in **The Sharp Pen.** Almost all the marketing we self-employed people do takes place on ground we don’t own ourselves. We build a following on LinkedIn, reach on Instagram, visibility in Google’s search results and then we wake up one morning to find that the algorithm has been changed, our reach has been halved, and the customer pipeline we thought was stable is suddenly unpredictable again. It’s not because we’ve done anything wrong. It’s because we’ve been building on rented ground. The newsletter is the only exception. It’s the only marketing channel you fully own a direct line to the people who’ve said yes to hearing from you, without an algorithm deciding whether they get your message. That’s why I’ve spent the last year writing an entire book about it. It’s called [***Build Your Own Profitable Newsletter***,](https://www.renehjetting.com/build-your-own-profitable-newsletter/) and it’s not about racking up subscribers just for the sake of the numbers. It’s about building a newsletter that actually generates business, honestly, patiently and in a way you can sustain for years to come. [**Pre-orders open today**](https://www.renehjetting.com/build-your-own-profitable-newsletter/) **Here’s the pre-order offer:** **If you pre-order before 1 October,** you’ll receive the e-book by email when it’s published, plus a place on a live workshop where I’ll go through the book’s key points, we’ll do a couple of exercises together, and you can ask any questions you might have. The whole package costs 7$. [Pre-order the book and secure a place on the workshop](https://www.renehjetting.com/build-your-own-profitable-newsletter/) I look forward to showing you what’s possible when you build on land you own yourself. ### He started his newsletter even though he wasn’t short of clients URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/he-started-his-newsletter-even-though-he-wasnt-short-of-clients/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T06:51:26.000Z **Hi there** 🤗 When career coach Mark Crossfield started his practice, he had plenty of clients. After 28 years as a civil engineer, he knew lots of people, and referrals kept his diary full. He didn’t need a newsletter. **But he started one anyway.** Most self-employed people do the opposite. They wait until their diary is half-empty, and then they’re left with an empty mailing list and a sense of desperation that readers can sense a mile off. That’s the worst time to start. You don’t have the peace of mind to find your voice, nor the patience to let the list grow, and you end up writing newsletters that reek of sales because you need to make sales. Mark started when things were going well. And that gave him something you can’t buy later on: the freedom to write without having to sell, a list of exactly the right people, an open rate that’s stable at around 40 per cent, and a foundation that later supported both his books and his podcast. His story is one of the two case studies in the first chapter of my new book. And rather than telling you more about the chapter, I’d prefer to let you read it for yourself. Here it is, free of charge, the entire first chapter: [**Read the first chapter here**](https://drive.proton.me/urls/3Y3BKMRTNM?ref=renehjetting.com#1L3LIwcwyRZv) Then you can decide for yourself whether the book is for you. In two weeks’ time, I’ll be opening pre-sales for **Build Your Own Profitable Newsletter**, and as early as next week, I’ll reveal what the first buyers will receive. ### My third book is on its way to the printers URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/my-third-book-is-on-its-way-to-the-printers/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T13:27:10.000Z The other morning, I was sitting with my coffee when I received my ISBN number. It might not sound like a big deal. But you need an ISBN number when you publish a book — it’s what enables bookshops and libraries to find the book. And that was the last thing I needed. So once the number was sorted, I sent the manuscript off for layout and printing. My third book. It’s called ***Build Your Own Profitable Newsletter*.** I’ve been working on it on and off for over a year, mostly during those hours when my energy levels are at their best. Not in long, intense writing binges, but quietly and steadily, alongside the newsletters and everything else. Along the way, I’ve often been asked: **Why write a book about newsletters in the 2026?** The answer is, in fact, the very reason the book exists. When you use social media, there’s an algorithm that determines how far you reach your audience. It’s the same with Google and SEO. It’s not like that with a newsletter. **If you have 100 subscribers, you reach all 100.** And then they decide for themselves whether they want to read what you send, not a machine. That difference is greater than it sounds. And the book takes you through the whole journey: from the initial idea to a newsletter that generates income. Step by step, even if you’re starting without a single reader. The last thing I did before sending it out was to do a final round of editing myself. I found three minor spelling mistakes. It should ideally be 100 per cent perfect — but books never are, so I hope no one spots anything. It’s due out in medio September, initially as a paperback, a proper book you can hold in your hand and write in. And the first people to buy it will receive a special bonus, which I’ll tell you about in the coming weeks. **More next week.** ### You won’t lose your readers by selling to them URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/you-wont-lose-your-readers-by-selling-to-them/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T06:36:16.000Z **For a long time, I was afraid of selling to my mailing list.** Not because I didn’t believe in what I was offering — but because I was convinced that my readers would react negatively if I suddenly started promoting a product. That they would feel manipulated — as if the good newsletters had just been a prelude to a sale. That they would unsubscribe. So I didn’t. Or I wrapped it up so much that the message almost disappeared. **That was a mistake.** When I first introduced a product directly in a newsletter without an apologetic preface and without hiding the link at the bottom something unexpected happened. Not much. I might have lost 2–5 readers out of a couple of thousand. And I don’t even know for sure if it was because of the sale. People unsubscribe for all sorts of reasons. **What I got in return, however, were sales from people who were happy to hear about it.** ### Trust isn’t a shield against sales it’s the prerequisite for them **Here’s what I think many self-employed people misunderstand:** your readers aren’t on your list to avoid commercial messages. They’re on your list because they trust you and are interested in what you do. If, over weeks and months, you’ve sent newsletters that gave them something concrete to think about or work with, you’ve built a relationship. And within that relationship, it’s not strange that you might occasionally say: “I’ve created something that can help you move forward would you like to hear more?” **That’s not exploiting their trust. It’s using it for what it was built for.** ## The only thing that makes sales awkward **The only thing** that can make a product launch awkward is if it falls out of the context you usually write in. If you suddenly present something that doesn’t fit with what you usually talk about, your readers will notice not because you’re selling, but because it doesn’t make sense. If, on the other hand, you introduce something that is a natural extension of the content you already provide, many of your readers will think: “This is actually just what I needed.” **That’s the difference between an offer that feels forced and one that feels perfectly timed.** ## What you can do now **If you have a product** you haven’t yet introduced to your list ask yourself: have I written about the issue the product solves in recent months? If so, you’ve probably already warmed up your readers without realising it. **Write an email.** Tell them what you’ve been working on, who it’s for, and what they’ll get out of it. And trust that the readers who are on your list are there because they like hearing from you. **If you’d like to know more** about how to sell via your newsletter without feeling like a marketing machine, I’m currently writing a book on the subject "*Build Your Own Profitable Newsletter*" which is due out in September. [**Sign up for the premiere list here**](https://www.renehjetting.com/premiere/) and be among the first to hear more. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Join and learn how to write newsletters that bring you customers Join free Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Simple, practical ideas you can use right away. No fluff. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### You won’t get better at writing just by reading about it URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/you-wont-get-better-at-writing-just-by-reading-about-it/ Last updated: 2026-06-05T08:53:00.000Z A couple of years ago, I counted how many times I’d written “I should write more” in my diary without actually doing it. The answer was too embarrassing to share here. The only thing that changed that was making a commitment to others. ### Commitment is what’s missing Most people I speak to who want to write better have the same problem: they write when they feel like it and have the time. Which is to say, rarely. Not because they’re lazy, but because there’s nothing waiting for them. No deadline. No readers. No reason to finish what they started. **A newsletter solves exactly that problem.** Not because the format is magical, but because it creates a commitment you can’t easily ignore. There are people sitting there waiting for what you’ve promised to send. And that feeling — that someone actually expects something from you — is the most effective writing driver I know of. **I’ve been writing a newsletter almost every week for years.** There have been breaks. There have been issues I wasn’t proud of. But I’ve become significantly better at writing because of it — not in spite of the bad issues, but partly because they exist. You don’t learn to write by waiting for the perfect sentences. You learn by sending them out anyway. ### How to get started **Think of one topic you work with on a daily basis** — something you know more about than most people, and which you wouldn’t find difficult to talk about over a cup of coffee. That’s your starting point. **Write about it.** Once a week, every fortnight or once a month — at a pace that’s realistic for you. Not to build a business just yet. Just to commit yourself to writing and publishing what you write. **It’s the quickest way to get better that I’ve found.** And if you want more to take with you on the journey, I’m currently finishing a book on building a newsletter that actually works. It’s due out in September - [**sign up for the premiere list here**](https://www.renehjetting.com/premiere/) if you want to be among the first to hear more. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Join and learn how to write newsletters that bring you customers Join free Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Simple, practical ideas you can use right away. No fluff. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Just expand your list URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/just-expand-your-list/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T05:00:43.000Z There’s a piece of advice you’ve heard so many times it almost feels like a law of nature: *grow your list.* Get more subscribers, and the money will follow. It sounds logical — and that’s precisely why it’s so dangerous, because it makes you look for the solution in the wrong place. I’ve been working with newsletters for over twenty years, and in my experience, the size of the list is almost never the real problem. I’ve seen solo entrepreneurs with 300 subscribers selling courses and consultancy every single month — and I’ve seen people with 5,000 on their list who’ve never got a single order out of it. The difference between the two isn’t about numbers. It’s about whether you can see what’s actually happening on your list. Most people who run a newsletter know their open rate. Perhaps they also know their click-through rate. But they don’t know who on the list is actually buying — and, more importantly, they don’t know what made those particular people sign up in the first place. And without that knowledge, you end up fixing the wrong things, time and time again, in good faith. ### Your newsletter has only two tasks When you strip away all the unnecessary bits — automations, funnel models, segmentation, content calendars — your newsletter really only has two tasks. The first is to get the right people on your list. The second is to present them with something they need, and which you can help them with. **That’s it. Everything else is secondary.** The problem arises because these two tasks are invisible to one another. When sales fail to materialise, most people assume that it is task one that is failing — that the list is simply too small. So they spend all their energy on growth: a new post on LinkedIn, a new lead magnet, yet another guest post. And they completely ignore task two. But often, growth isn’t the problem at all. It’s the absence of an offer. ### When your newsletter becomes a pen-pal relationship I regularly speak to self-employed professionals — such as accountants, consultants, coaches — who send out a weekly newsletter with good, well-thought-out content. Their readers respond. The open rates are good. Everything feels right. **And yet: nobody buys anything.** When I ask when they last presented a concrete offer to their readers, there is silence. Or they say something along the lines of: *“I don’t want to seem pushy.”* I understand that, and it’s an attitude I respect. But there’s an important difference between pressuring someone to buy and telling them you have something that can help. If you never mention it, they won’t figure it out for themselves. They read your content, get something out of it, and move on — without knowing that you actually offer exactly the help they’re looking for. It’s not a question of being more aggressive. It’s a question of being clear. And there’s a world of difference. The worst thing you can do is apologise when you finally present something: *“Sorry for the sales pitch.”* In that moment, you’ve told your reader that your own product doesn’t deserve their attention. And that message is hard to take back. ### An exercise you can do today There’s one thing I’d like to ask you to do. It takes half an hour, and it could change the way you think about your newsletter. **Take your last five to ten customers** — the ones who’ve actually bought something from you. Find out how they ended up on your list. Was it a specific post they saw? An article they read? A recommendation from someone they know? Try to trace them back to the specific source. The pattern you find tells you something crucial. It tells you whether your problem is traffic — meaning you’re attracting the wrong people — or whether it’s sales, meaning you have the right people but never ask them to buy. **Once you can see that, the guesswork stops**. You know where to spend your time. You know whether a bad month is down to your content, your offer or your traffic source. **Your newsletter** probably doesn’t need more subscribers. It needs you to understand the ones you already have. **PS.** **I’m currently writing a book** on exactly this — how to build a business with a newsletter, without relying on algorithms and platforms. [**Sign up for the premere list here**](https://www.renehjetting.com/premiere/), and you’ll be notified when it’s ready — and get a price no one else will. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Join and learn how to write newsletters that bring you customers Join free Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Simple, practical ideas you can use right away. No fluff. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Stop guessing URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/stop-guessing/ Last updated: 2026-05-22T05:00:14.000Z You’re sitting there wondering what your next product should be. Or what you should write about. Or how you should position yourself. **And you’re guessing.** **There’s one way to stop. Ask your customers.** It sounds obvious. It Is obvious. But that’s exactly why most people skip it. It feels too simple. So instead, we build products based on gut feeling — and wonder why nobody’s buying. ### Here’s how to do it in practice Not a questionnaire. A conversation. Find five people from your target audience — via your newsletter, your network, or amongst your existing customers. Invite them for a no-strings-attached chat. It doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that. ### Five questions to kick off the conversation When you’re in the conversation, don’t pitch. Listen. These five questions will tell you more than any market analysis: 1. What do you spend most of your time on in your daily life right now? 2. What frustrates you most about \[your field\]? 3. Have you tried to solve it? What worked, and what didn’t? 4. If you could get help with one thing, what would it be? 5. What would it mean to you if that problem were solved? **Question 3 is gold.** It shows you what has already been tried — and what your product needs to do better. Question 5 gives you the language your customers themselves use. It’s better than anything you can write at your desk. ### What to listen for The most important things don’t happen in the answers. They happen between them. Take note: **When do they lean in?** That’s where the energy is. When do they sigh? That’s where the frustration is. Which words do they use again and again? That’s your message. Five conversations will tell you enough to know whether your next product is something people will pay for — or whether you’re heading down a dead end. ### And the best thing about a newsletter? **You can do it again and again.** You have a direct line to people who’ve already put their hand up and said: This interests me. No algorithm decides whether your message gets through. You write, they receive. That means those five conversations aren’t a one-off exercise. They become a system. **So stop guessing.** Find five people from your target audience. Ask the five questions. And build your next offer on what you hear — not what you think. I’m currently **writing a book about newsletters** — including the method you’ve just read about. Would you like to be among the first to hear about it? [**Then sign up to my premiere list here.**](https://www.renehjetting.com/premiere/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Join and learn how to write newsletters that bring you customers Join free Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Simple, practical ideas you can use right away. No fluff. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### There are people out there waiting to hear from you URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/there-are-people-out-there-waiting-to-hear-from-you/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T12:11:27.000Z **They just don’t know it yet.** It was a thought that struck me when I started writing my new book — and that thought is actually at the heart of what the book is about: how to use a newsletter to reach the people who need what you have to offer. Since I published *Build Your Audience* in 2020, I’ve been thinking about writing a new book. I’ve had two or three different topics in mind along the way, but I’ve always come back to the same one — to the marketing channel I love most of all: the newsletter. And about a year ago, I finally sat down and started writing. **And there’s a reason I always come back to it.** Think of LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram. You can post a message, a thought, something you want to share — but you’re never sure that your followers will actually see it. There’s an algorithm sitting between you and your readers, deciding who gets to see what. **That’s not how it works with a newsletter** If you have 100 subscribers and send out a newsletter, 100 people will receive it. It’s the reader themselves who decides whether to open and read it. No algorithm. No middleman. It’s the only channel you’re in complete control of. I feel it myself every week when I send out my own newsletter. There’s something about knowing that what I write lands directly with people who have chosen to be there themselves. Not because an algorithm served it up to them, but because at some point they said: “Yes, I’d like to hear from you.” That feeling is hard to put into words, but it changes the way you write. You’re not writing to a crowd. You’re writing to someone. **And it is that experience that, over time, has made my newsletter the driving force behind my business.** Not because I cracked a code or found a hack — but because the newsletter gave me a direct connection to the people who share my values, and who, over time, became customers, collaborators and readers of my books. No algorithm can give you that connection. You build it yourself. **And I think that’s more important now than ever.** We live in an age where social media is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Reach is falling. The rules are changing. Platforms prioritise paid content over organic. If you’ve built your entire visibility on a platform you don’t own yourself, you’re standing on ground that could shift beneath you at any moment. A newsletter is yours. Your list. Your connection. No one can take that away from you. **That’s why I’ve written this book.** I wanted to bring together everything I know about marketing yourself into one clear guide — with all the steps to build, grow and monetise a newsletter. Among other things, I write about how to figure out what your newsletter should be about, how to get your first readers, and how, over time, you can turn your newsletter into a real source of income for your business. **This book is written for you** who are self-employed — a consultant, advisor, coach, therapist, freelancer or another type of solopreneur — and who know full well that you should be doing more with email, but who perhaps aren’t quite sure where to start. Or who are already on the way, but have a feeling there’s more to be gained. **The book is almost finished and will be out in September.** If you’re curious about how you can use emails and newsletters to build your business, sign up to my launch list here: [Sign up for the premiere list here](https://www.renehjetting.com/premiere/) **Then you’ll be the first to hear the news.** --- ### The welcome series I wanted to write myself today URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/the-welcome-series-i-wanted-to-write-myself-today/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T09:02:44.000Z **Last week, I received a question from a reader who had just received a large number of new subscribers to their new newsletter.** > ‘How much should I invest in a welcome series? I hear different things. Some say seven emails, others say you should just send the standard email straight away.’ **I understand the confusion.** A lot has been written about welcome series, and most of it is about the number of emails. That’s the wrong question. **The right question is: What should each email do?** Here’s the framework I’d use myself today. 5 emails. 5 tasks: Give → Explain → Prove → Reflect → Invite. **That’s the backbone. The rest is details.** --- ### Email 1 – Give: Deliver what you promised Open with the link. Not after three paragraphs about yourself. First sentence. > *“Here’s the guide you signed up for. Download it here: \[link\]”* Then one sentence about what they can expect: which day you’ll send it, and what the email is about. That’s all. The reader is most receptive right now – use that to deliver, not to talk. **Common mistake:** Using the first email for a long introduction about yourself before the reader gets what they signed up for. You haven’t earned their attention yet. You’ll have to earn it in the next four emails. --- ### Email 2 – Explain: Why you’re writing this email Not your CV. The reason. Start with what made you angry or curious enough to begin: > *“I got fed up seeing self-employed people spend thousands of kroner on Facebook ads that stopped working as soon as they stopped paying. That’s why I’m writing this email.”* Two or three paragraphs. What you saw, what annoyed you, what you’re trying to change. Write it as you would say it to someone you met at a dinner party. **Common mistake:** Listing years, titles and certifications. This is a LinkedIn profile, not a conversation. The reader wants to know why you’re spending your time on this – not where you went to school. --- ### Email 3 – Proof: Your best point This is the email that decides whether they’ll read the next ten letters. Choose the one point you’d share if you could only share one. Give it your all. No teasers, no “read more in the next email”. If you’re writing about newsletters: Perhaps your best subject line formula. If you’re writing about sales: The one sentence that secures the most meetings. If you’re writing about health: The habit that makes the biggest difference. The reader should think, “If this is free, what’s the rest?” **Common mistake:** Saving the best for paying customers. It should be the other way round. The best must come first. People only buy once they have proof that you know what you’re talking about – and the best email in the welcome series is your proof. --- ### Email 4 – Mirror: Show them who the letter is for Describe the reader in a situation, not as a target audience. > *‘You may have written two or three newsletters and noticed how nobody opened the third one. You’re sitting there with a list of 400 and wondering whether it’s even worth continuing.’* The right readers nod. The wrong ones drop out – and that’s a gift. You’d rather have 500 readers who open every issue than 5,000 who delete it without looking. **Common mistake:** Writing broadly so as not to alienate anyone. Instead, you end up alienating no one – and no one feels seen. --- ### Email 5 – Invite: Ask one question Something you actually want to know: > *‘What’s the hardest thing about writing newsletters for you right now? Reply to this email – I read everything.’* Most people won’t reply. That’s fine. Those who do reply will become your best readers, and their answers will give you topics for the next 20 emails. **Common mistake:** Asking three questions in the same email. One question gets a reply. Three questions get none. --- **Give. Explain. Prove. Reflect. Invite.** You can expand to 7 emails or cut it down to 3\. But the order stays the same. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Join and learn how to write newsletters that bring you customers Join free Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Simple, practical ideas you can use right away. No fluff. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### I hate selling – and it has worked for 10 years URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/i-hate-selling-and-it-has-worked-for-10-years/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T08:07:12.000Z **For the past 10 years, I have sold 100% of my courses and workshops on one channel.** Not LinkedIn. Not YouTube. Not cold calls or networking meetings where everyone tries to sell to each other. ### Only my newsletter I've never been good at selling. The idea of calling strangers and persuading them to buy something is just not me – I don't want to be the one pushing for something people haven't asked for. I've tried networking meetings. I like meeting people, but not when it's about pitching yourself. I post on LinkedIn, but only when I have something to say – not because I'm following a strategy of daily posts. ### So what do I do instead? Two things. I cultivate my personal network over coffee meetings – online and in person – without a sales agenda. That's how I get my consulting assignments. **And then I write this newsletter every week.** I think there are two reasons why it doesn't feel like selling. The first is that I never write to ‘my readers’ as a group. I write to one person. **A specific person I know who is facing a specific problem.** Every time I sit down to write, I think of a specific person in my network – not a persona or a target group, but a real person I've had coffee with. I ask myself: would she think this was worth passing on? If so, I continue writing. If not, I start over. When you write to one person, it feels like a conversation – not a sales letter. And the reader notices the difference. The second reason is that I don't decide when someone buys. **They do that themselves.** My job is to show up every week with something valuable. A few years ago, a reader wrote to me after following my newsletter for almost two years. She had never clicked on anything, never replied to an email. Then she signed up for my course and wrote: > ‘I was waiting for the right moment.’ I hadn't pushed her. I had just been there. **Consistency is not a strategy for growth. It is a strategy for trust.** If you also hate selling, maybe it's not your technique that's wrong. Maybe it's just the channel. ### Can you recognise yourself in this? Then you may be ready to **build your own system** – one where you sell by sharing knowledge, not by persuading anyone of anything. [**Build your own profitable newsletter**](https://www.renehjetting.com/build-your-own-profitable-newsletter/) is a 7-week course where I help you get started, find your voice and start selling through your newsletter. **Just like I've been doing for 10 years.** [You can read more and sign up here.](https://www.renehjetting.com/build-your-own-profitable-newsletter/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get tips on writing newsletters that people actually want to read Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Is a newsletter something for you? 4 questions that will give you the answer URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/is-a-newsletter-something-for-you/ Last updated: 2026-02-27T06:00:15.000Z **Most articles** about newsletters start by telling you that you need one. This one starts somewhere else: with whether it makes sense for you at all. Because a newsletter isn't the answer for everyone. However, it is the answer for far more people than those who actually have one. **Here are four questions** that will give you a clear picture. Go through the four questions below. The only requirement is honesty. --- ### Question 1: Do you have something to say to the same type of person over and over again? A newsletter is not a place where you post news. It is a place where you build a relationship with a specific type of reader over time. **Ask yourself:** Do I have knowledge, perspective or experience that a specific type of person would enjoy receiving on an ongoing basis? It doesn't have to be revolutionary. It just needs to be relevant to the right person. **If you answer yes**, continue. If you answer ‘not really’, start there. Find the topic you are asked about again and again. That's probably your newsletter. --- ### Question 2: Is there anyone you want to sell something to – now or in the future? A newsletter isn't just content. It's a sales channel that quietly builds trust. You don't need to have a product ready from day one. But you need to have a direction. A service you offer. A course you are considering. A collaboration you would like to have. Something. Newsletters without a commercial direction quickly become hobby letters. That's fine if that's the goal. But if it's not, you need to know what you want to sell – just not all the time. **If you answer yes** → continue. If you answer ‘I don't know’ → spend five minutes writing down three things you could sell to the person you answered in question 1. --- ### Question 3: Can you write a useful letter to that person once a week – or at least once a month? Consistency is more valuable than perfection. A newsletter sent at regular intervals builds trust. One sent when you ‘**have time**’ will be forgotten. You don't need to write essays. You don't need to spend three hours per letter. But you need to be able to commit to a frequency and stick to it. Here's a good rule of thumb: **Start with the frequency** you're sure you can maintain, even in a busy week. Not the frequency you'd like to have. **If you answer yes** → continue. If you answer ‘I'm not sure’ → start with monthly. That's enough to build a relationship. It's not enough to make demands you can't meet. --- ### Question 4: Are you willing to give something valuable – without expecting anything in return right away? This is where many people stumble. A newsletter does not work like an advertisement. You don't send a letter and reap sales the next day. You build trust over time, and trust has an incubation period. Readers who have been following you for three months buy differently than those who received your first letter yesterday. But you have to get through those three months – and during those three months, you have to give, not just sell. It takes patience and faith that the relationship is the investment. **If you answer yes** → you are ready for a newsletter. If you answer ‘I want to see results faster’ → a newsletter can still work for you, but you need to adjust your expectations. The earliest results are trust, not revenue. --- ### What does your answer tell you? **If you answered yes to all four, there is no good reason to wait.** You have what it takes – and every letter you don't send is a relationship you're not building. If you hesitated on one or two, it's not a stop sign. It's a place where you have something to clarify before you start. Use that clarification – it's better than starting with a half-baked foundation and giving up after two months. And if you hesitated on three or four, a newsletter may not be the right thing for you right now. It's an honest conclusion, and it's better to know that than to spend time on something that doesn't suit your situation. --- ### If you're ready to get started The framework tells you whether you should start. It doesn't tell you exactly how. That's what we'll go through in my **7-week course** ‘[**Build your own profitable newsletter**](https://www.renehjetting.com/build-your-own-profitable-newsletter/)’ – from technical setup and content to growth and first revenue. With personal feedback along the way and a small team, so you don't get lost in the crowd. The course starts on **Tuesday, 24 March.** [You can read more and sign up here.](https://www.renehjetting.com/build-your-own-profitable-newsletter/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get tips on writing newsletters that people actually want to read Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Your newsletter is like a friendship URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/your-newsletter-is-like-a-friendship/ Last updated: 2026-02-20T22:00:49.000Z **Think about your best friend.** You didn't start out as best friends. It began with a meeting. A conversation. And over time – trust. That's exactly how a good newsletter works. ### First meeting: You need to be found All friendships start with someone showing up. The same goes for new readers. Before they can become your readers, they need to find you. And if you're not visible where your target audience is, it's no mystery why you're not getting any sign-ups. **Your first task is simple: Be visible.** ### The first conversations: Curiosity builds bridges When you meet a potential friend, you start asking each other questions. Who are you? What are you passionate about? New readers are exactly the same. When they sign up, they are curious. They want to know who you are, what you stand for – and whether you are worth listening to. This is where your newsletters come into play. **Every letter is a conversation.** A chance to let them get to know you. ### Trust takes time – but it's worth its weight in gold A friendship requires time, consistency and honesty. You share something of yourself. They share something of themselves. Slowly, you build something that lasts. When your readers have been following you for weeks and months, something crucial happens: they trust you. And people buy from those they trust – not just once, but again and again. That's why the best newsletter isn't the most polished one. **It's the most human one.** ### It's not about selling – it's about building relationships The strongest friendships are not those where one person always wants something. The same applies to your newsletter. Readers who feel seen and helped don't just become customers. They become repeat customers – and they tell others about you. The next time you write, ask yourself one question: *Would I send this to a good friend?* **If yes – then send it.** --- **Want to learn how to build a newsletter that creates real relationships – and revenue?** On Tuesday, I'm hosting the webinar: ‘**The 7 steps to building a newsletter that generates income*’* – where I'll show you exactly how to do it, step by step. [**Sign up here – it's free →**](https://www.renehjetting.com/build/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get tips on writing newsletters that people actually want to read Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The easiest way to gain new subscribers URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/the-easiest-way-to-gain-new-subscribers/ Last updated: 2026-02-18T06:10:10.000Z The questions I answer most when teaching about newsletters are: **how do I get more subscribers for my newsletter?** There are many ways you can do this, both free and paid. And I want to mention a method I used myself recently. In Denmark, we have a large conference on email marketing and newsletters called Email Summit. Together with my good friend Tom, I gave a presentation on how you can reawaken your dormant customers using automation and copywriting. We stood on stage and gave the presentation, and afterwards we handed out first aid kits with various remedies for how participants could try to reawaken their dormant recipients. The first aid kit contained various items, as well as a prescription with a unique URL to a page we had created specifically for this purpose. On the landing page, we had a photo of the two of us, a description of what the reader would get, and a sign-up form. They would get our three remedies — and then they would be on our newsletter. This is what's known as a **lead generator**. And it's the most important piece of the puzzle if you want your newsletter to grow. ### Let me explain why Most people have a little box on their website that says ‘Sign up for my newsletter.’ But put yourself in your future reader's shoes. They already get too many emails. Why would they sign up for yet another newsletter? A lead generator changes that whole dynamic. You give them something concrete and valuable in exchange for their email address. Something they can use right away. Think about our first aid kit. People wanted the three cures. Signing up for our newsletter at the same time was just a natural part of the deal. That's the difference between asking for attention and earning it. Here's the recipe for your own lead generator: ### Find your audience's biggest problem What question do your customers ask you over and over again? That's your starting point. For me, it was ‘how do I wake up my dormant recipients?’ That's why our cures hit the mark. ### Create a concrete solution to that problem It doesn't have to be anything big. A checklist, a template, a short guide or a video. The most important thing is that it solves one specific problem. Not ten. One. ### Build a simple landing page Your landing page only needs three things: a catchy headline, a short description of what they get, and a sign-up form. That's exactly what Tom and I did. A photo of us, a description of the three cures, and a form. Done. ### Share it everywhere you can Put it on your website. Share it on social media. Mention it when you give presentations. Or do what we did — print a recipe and put it in a first aid kit. **It doesn't have to be any more complicated than that.** The whole point is simple: give people a concrete reason to sign up. Stop asking for their email address and start giving them something they actually want. So my question to you is: what is the one problem you can solve for your future readers? **Find it. Create the solution. Give it away. And watch your newsletter grow.** --- ### Are you having trouble getting more subscribers to your newsletter? You're not alone. In fact, that's the question I get asked most often. And I understand why – because it can feel like you're shouting into an empty room when the sign-ups just aren't coming. **But it doesn't have to be that difficult.** There are some very specific steps you can take that will make a huge difference. Steps that most people never learn because they are too busy chasing likes on social media. That's why I've created a free webinar where, in one hour, I'll take you through the **7 steps to building a newsletter** that actually generates income. You'll learn: → How to find your profitable niche → The secret to growing from 0 to 1,000 subscribers – without spending a penny on ads → When you're ready to scale – and when you're definitely not **It's on Tuesday, 24 February, at 3:00 PM CET.,** and it won't cost you anything but an hour of your time. [**Read more and sign up here**](https://www.renehjetting.com/build/) ### What I've learned after 20 years of newsletters URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/what-ive-learned-after-20-years-of-newsletters/ Last updated: 2026-02-09T05:56:24.000Z **Can we be honest for a moment?** Most of us spend a lot of time on social media. We post, engage, build followings. And it works – to a certain extent. But there's something we all notice: We're borrowing space on other people's platforms. Algorithms change. Reach declines. What we built yesterday may be gone tomorrow. **I've thought a lot about this myself.** And I've come to the conclusion that newsletters are the most robust channel we can build: → 30-60% open rate versus 2-5% on social media → A list we own – no one can take it away from us → We decide when and what we send The exciting thing is that 5,000 engaged newsletter readers can generate 6-figure annual revenues. Not because the number is magical, but because engaged readers are fundamentally different from passive followers. ### I'm hosting a webinar where we'll dive into this together: **The 7 steps to building a newsletter that generates revenue** Tuesday, 24 February at 3:00 PM CET [Read more and sign up for the webinar here](https://www.renehjetting.com/build/) **What we will cover:** **1\. Finding the right niche** How to identify a niche with willingness to pay – and test the idea before investing months of time. **2\. The professional foundation** What distinguishes a professional newsletter from ‘just sending emails’ – and how we get off to a good start. **3\. Content that engages** A storytelling structure I use myself that makes readers look forward to the next issue. **4\. Organic growth to 1,000 subscribers** The strategies that build a solid foundation – before we even consider spending money. **5\. When ads make sense** The right time to invest in ads – and the platforms that give the best return. **6\. From readers to revenue** Sponsorships and product sales – when each model works best. **7\. Automation that works** The systems that allow the newsletter to run without constant work. **Is this relevant to you?** → You are self-employed and want a channel you own → You are a consultant and want to be less dependent on algorithms → You make a living selling your knowledge and want to build your foundation **Participation is free.** I am holding this webinar just this once, and there are a limited number of places. [Read more and sign up for the webinar here](https://www.renehjetting.com/build/) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get tips on writing newsletters that people actually want to read Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### 5 things AI will never be able to do (in your marketing) URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/5-things-ai-will-never-be-able-to-do-in-your-marketing/ Last updated: 2025-12-19T07:06:31.000Z **There is one word that describes most AI content out there: “Slop.”** It covers low-quality AI-generated content—the stuff that floods your inbox, feed, and search results like a gray mass of indifference. And here's the interesting thing: the more AI content is produced, the more valuable human content becomes. I believe 2026 will be the year of “100% human” marketing. Brands are already starting to advertise that their content is written by real people. Not by algorithms. **So what can you do that AI will never be able to do?** Here are my 5 suggestions. --- ## 1\. Write from your own experiences AI can write about anything. But it has not *experienced* anything. It has never stood with trembling hands before a big presentation. Never felt the relief when a doubtful customer finally said yes. Never lain awake the night before a launch. **Your story is impossible to copy.** The customer who called at 11 p.m. on a Friday night. The time you lost a big order and learned something important about yourself. The euphoria of your first sale – and the nervousness of the second. AI can't get hold of that. Because it has no experiences to draw on. It can imitate the tone of your stories. But it can't create them. **That's your superpower.** --- ## 2\. Invent something no one has seen before AI is a master mixer. It takes millions of texts, images, and ideas – and combines them in new ways. That's impressive. But it's not creativity. True creativity is about creating something that has never existed before. The unexpected leap. The connection between two ideas that no one has made before. Think about the best campaigns you've seen. They surprised you. They made you stop and think: *“I've never seen that before.”* That kind of thing doesn't come from an algorithm that has read everything old. **It comes from a human being who dares to think differently.** --- ## 3\. Seize the moment – right now AI doesn't know what happened in your town yesterday. It doesn't know the latest joke on LinkedIn. It doesn't get the local reference that everyone in your industry is laughing about right now. It has no idea that the mood has changed after the news that came out this morning. **In marketing, timing is often everything.** The right message at the right time beats the perfect message at the wrong time. Every time. And timing requires presence. It requires you to be in the world – not just reading about it. **AI doesn't have that. It's always a step behind.** --- ## 4\. Stand by what you say Here's something people don't talk about enough: AI has nothing to lose. When content flops, there's no one to call. No one to say, “I'll take responsibility for that.” No one to fix it and learn from the mistake. **Your customers don't just buy your product or service.** They buy trust. They buy the certainty that there is a human being behind the words. Someone who dares to stand by what they've written – even when it gets tough. AI can't create that trust. **Because trust requires responsibility. And responsibility requires a person.** --- ## 5\. Build real relationships People buy from people. They always have. AI can't remember that your customer's son is starting school on Monday. It doesn't know when it's time to listen instead of sell. It can't send a message that hits exactly the right moment – because it doesn't know the difference. **Relationships are built in small moments.** A comment that shows you remember. A message that arrives exactly when it should. A sense that there is a human being on the other side. That's what creates loyal customers. **And no technology can change that.** --- **So what does that mean for you?** It doesn't mean you should abandon AI. On the contrary. Use AI for research. For first drafts. For structure and idea generation. Let it do the boring work. **But keep the human touch.** Add your experiences, your opinions, your stories. The little details that only you know. Because the more AI content there is out there, the more valuable the real thing becomes. That's what no one can copy. **And that's your unfair advantage.** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Why are your headlines being ignored? URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/why-are-your-headlines-being-ignored/ Last updated: 2025-10-31T07:10:17.000Z **You know how it is.** That feeling when you've spent 45 minutes writing a newsletter, crafting every sentence to perfection, checking the spelling three times... ...and then only 20% of your recipients open it. Twenty percent. The problem isn't your content. The problem is that people never get that far. **They stop at the headline.** I've been teaching people to write better for over 20 years. And I see the same pattern over and over again: *Really talented people write headlines that are... boring.* Not because they can't write. But because they forget one crucial thing: **A headline is not information. It's an invitation.** ## What you're doing wrong (without knowing it) Take a look at these two headlines: **Before:** ‘Newsletter from us - October 2025’ **After:**‘Got 2 minutes? Then you'll avoid the most expensive mistake in October’ **Can you see the difference?** The first one informs. The second one entices. The first is passive. The second demands action. **The first is ignored. The second is opened.** And that is exactly what most people do wrong. They write headlines that just... sit there. Without energy. Without curiosity. Without a reason to click. ## **The 4 principles that change everything** Okay, so what do you do instead? Here are four simple techniques that work. Every time. ### 1\. Ask questions People are programmed to seek answers. When you ask a question in your headline, you automatically spark curiosity in the reader's brain. But be careful: the question must be about something they actually care about. **Bad:** ‘Are you familiar with our new service?’ **Good:** ‘Do you still spend 5 hours a week creating content?’ See the difference? The first question is about you. The second is about their pain. ### 2\. Keep it short You don't have to be Shakespeare. In fact, you shouldn't be. The shorter, the better. Think about it: people scan their inbox at a rate of 0.3 seconds per email. They don't have time for a whole novel in the subject line. **Bad:** ‘Here are some great tips on how to improve your social media communication in 2025’ **Good:** ‘5 tricks for better social media (that you can use today)’ Short. Precise. Clear message. ### 3\. Be bold Sometimes you have to take a chance and say something that makes people stop and think. Something a little controversial. Something that challenges. **Bad:** ‘How to get more customers’ **Good:** ‘Why you're losing customers (without knowing it)’ The first is generic. The second makes you think: *‘Am I doing that?!’* And boom – there's your open rate. ### 4\. Create FOMO (fear of missing out) It's not manipulation. It's psychology. If people think they're missing out on something valuable, they'll act. It's that simple. **Bad:** ‘Read our guide’ **Good:** ‘This mistake is costing you 30% of your leads (fix it today)’ Add urgency. Add consequences. Add value they won't want to miss. ## So what do you do now? You can see it, right? That there's a difference between boring headlines and ones that grab you. The question is: How do you get better at it? Here are two specific things you can do *right now:* **1\. Test your headlines** Go to [subjectline.com](https://www.renehjetting.dk/r/f0fbf5f0?m=ad0b9493-ce6c-4a23-be56-694270c2cac8&ref=renehjetting.com) and enter your headlines. The tool gives you a score and tells you what works (and what doesn't). It takes 30 seconds. And it can double your open rate. **2\. Use this ChatGPT prompt** Copy this prompt and insert your own headline: --- *"I have written this headline for \[my newsletter/blog post/LinkedIn post\]:* *\[INSERT YOUR HEADLINE HERE\]* *Analyse the headline and give me:* *1\. What works well* *2\. What could be improved* *3\. 5 alternative headlines based on these principles:* *\- Ask questions that pique curiosity* *\- Keep it short and precise* *\- Be bold or controversial* *\- Create FOMO (fear of missing out)* *Write in English and in a natural, everyday tone.* --- Try it. Right now. Take your latest headline and run it through the prompt. You'll be surprised at how much better it can be. **Because your readers deserve more than boring headlines.** They deserve invitations that make them stop and take notice. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Learn from Netflix (and write better newsletters) URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/learn-from-netflix-and-write-better-newsletters/ Last updated: 2025-10-10T05:40:54.000Z **Do you remember how it feels to start a new series on Netflix?** You watch episode 1\. Then episode 2\. And suddenly it's 2 a.m. and you've watched 6 episodes in a row. **Why?** Because Netflix has a formula. A structure. A common thread. Every series has a beginning, a middle and an end. And each episode builds on the previous one. It's not random. It's planned. And you can use that exact structure in your newsletters. --- ## The problem with newsletters I see it all the time. People sit there on Monday morning thinking: *‘What am I going to write about NOW?’* **They have no plan. No list. No structure.** So they rush to write about the first thing that comes to mind. Or whatever they need to sell that week. And the newsletter? It doesn't turn out very well. **Haste makes waste, as they say.** The result is disjointed emails with no context. Your readers don't feel like they're on a journey with you. **They just get... random tips.** --- ## The Netflix method for newsletters Here's the idea: **Think of your newsletter as Netflix. And your emails as series.** Let me give you an example. **Imagine you want to teach your readers about storytelling.** Instead of writing one long, boring newsletter about it, you create a series of five episodes: ✔ **Episode 1:** What storytelling is all about (introduction) ✔ **Episode 2:** A simple formula they can use right away ✔ **Episode 3:** Case study – how company X used storytelling ✔ **Episode 4:** Case study – how company Y used storytelling ✔ **Episode 5:** Future perspective – how to use it going forward Can you see the difference? **Now you have a common thread. A structure. A plan.** And your readers? They are looking forward to the next ‘section.’ --- ## How to get started Here's what you need to do: **1\. Choose a topic** What would you like to teach your readers? Choose something you are passionate about. **2\. Decide on the number of episodes** Should it be a mini-series of 3 newsletters? Or a longer series of 7 or 12? **3\. Create an outline** Write a headline for each episode. And a short description of what it's about and what value it brings to the reader. **4\. Add a cliffhanger (if you want)** Just like Netflix does. End each newsletter with something that makes people look forward to the next instalment. Except for the last instalment, of course. That's where you conclude the series. --- ## Why it works When you think in terms of series, you **have to plan ahead.** You can't just write in a hurry on Monday morning. You have to think: Okay, this is episode 3 of 7\. What should happen here? How does it build on episode 2? And how does it lead up to episode 4? **You get structure. Your readers get value. And you avoid panic.** Plus, you can go in-depth with one topic instead of jumping from one to another. It's a win-win. --- So here's my challenge for you: **What will be your first Netflix series?** Think about it. Make an outline. And get started. Your readers are waiting on the sofa. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Here's why many of your competitors are abandoning social media URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/heres-why-many-of-your-competitors-are-abandoning-social-media/ Last updated: 2025-09-12T13:40:02.000Z You post on LinkedIn every day. You create Stories on Instagram. You struggle to keep up with the ever-changing algorithm on Facebook. **And what do you get out of it?** Three likes from your mother, a colleague and a random bot from India. **You can feel the frustration, right?** I've been a copywriter for many years, and for the last 2 years I've seen the same pattern repeat itself with all my clients: They work hard on social media. They get far fewer customers than before. **But then there's the other group...** The clients who run a newsletter with the same frequency and quality content - they sell **much** **more** than they did before. *Much* more. ## Why the algorithm is sabotaging your business I'll tell you why: **Social media has become a lottery ticket.** You can spend three hours creating the perfect LinkedIn post. The algorithm decides that 12 people should see it. And if you're lucky, you might get one qualified lead. You can buy Facebook ads for $500\. Get 200 clicks. And exactly one paying customer. *‘But that's better than nothing, right?’* you might think. **No. It's actually worse.** Because you're spending your precious time and money renting space in someone else's home – where they can kick you out at any time. ## The channel your competitors don't know about While everyone else is fighting over the algorithm, I've always recommended one thing to my clients: **Start a newsletter.** **Why?** Because you get your readers' attention for a long time. You go straight into their inbox. You build trust and security week after week. And when they finally need what you offer? **Then they buy from you.** Not from the person who got 47 likes on their latest post. This is long-form content at its best. You have space to explain, teach and convince. *Not just inform with 280 characters.* ## But where do you start? I know. It can seem overwhelming. ‘What should I write about?’ ‘How do I get people to sign up?’ ‘Can I even make money from it?’ That's why I'm hosting a **free webinar** where I share the 7 steps you need to build your own profitable newsletter business: ✔ **Find your profitable niche and validate your idea** (so you don't waste months on the wrong thing) ✔ **From idea to your first professional newsletter** (including the tools you need) ✔ **Create content that keeps readers engaged week after week** (so they look forward to hearing from you) ✔ **From 0 to 1,000 subscribers without spending money on ads** (organic methods that actually work) ✔ **Buy ads for your newsletter** (when you're ready to scale to 10,000+ subscribers) ✔ **From reader to revenue** (sponsorships and product sales that make sense) ✔ **Build a newsletter empire that runs on autopilot** (so you can make money while you sleep) This isn't theory from a 2015 marketing book. It's exactly what I've used to help my clients build their own profitable channels — **channels they own 100%.** No algorithm can shut down your newsletter. No platform can change the rules overnight. No competitor can steal your subscribers. **It's your channel. Your rules. Your revenue.** And the best part? You don't have to post 5 times a day or keep up with the latest TikTok trend. One newsletter a week or every 14 days. That's it. **The rest takes care of itself.** --- **👉**[ **Read more about the webinar here >>**](https://www.renehjetting.com/webinar/) *(You'll also get access to the replay if you can't make it live)* It's 100% free and only costs your email address to sign up. Spots are limited, so jump in now while there's still room. See you on the other side 👋 **P.S.* \- If you're sitting there thinking, ‘That sounds too good to be true,’ I understand. But ask yourself: What do you have to lose by spending an hour learning something new? And what do you have to gain by finally owning your own profitable channel?* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The secret Ed Sheeran uses (and you should steal for your landing pages) URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/the-secret-ed-sheeran-uses-and-you-should-steal-for-your-landing-pages/ Last updated: 2025-08-29T04:00:04.000Z This weekend, Ed Sheeran has come to Denmark to give **four concerts in a row**. Four concerts. In a row. This is only possible because he is so incredibly popular. But here's what's really smart about Ed: When he's about to play a concert, he always makes **a set list**. **It's all systematic**. He warms up the audience with the right songs, keeps the energy up throughout the concert, and then... **Boom!** The last song is always one of his biggest hits. *Shape of You* or *Thinking Out Loud*. That moment when the whole stadium sings along and everyone goes crazy. ## That's exactly how your landing page should work Think about it: your landing page is actually **Ed Sheeran's last song**. All your other marketing activities? **They're the warm-up:** - Your social media posts - Your newsletter (like this one!) - Your webinar - Your paid ads - Your podcast interviews Everything that builds up to the big moment when your potential customers land on your page and think: ***‘YES! I want this!’*** ## But here's the problem... I talk to marketers, coaches and consultants every day. And you know what they all say? ***‘My landing pages just don't convert very well.’*** They've spent money on Facebook ads. Created beautiful Instagram posts. Maybe even held webinars. But when people finally land on their page... **No one buys. No one signs up. No one responds.** It's like Ed Sheeran building up to an amazing concert, and then ending up playing ‘Jingle Bells’ in July. Just... flat. ## I saw the problem clearly As a copywriter, I've written hundreds of landing pages. And I saw the same pattern over and over again. My clients came to me frustrated: ‘I know people want what I'm offering, but my landing page just isn't working.’ They had tried writing them themselves. They had Googled different templates. But they were missing **the system**. The right structure. Ed Sheeran's set list approach. ## Then came AI When ChatGPT and other AI tools became available, I saw them as a natural assistant to my copywriting. **And boy, did it get interesting.** Suddenly, it had become **easier to create a foundation** for a landing page. AI could help get all the right elements in place from the start. And make the structure hang together. **But not just like that: *‘Hey ChatGPT, write a landing page for me.’*** That doesn't work. You'll get some generic crap that sounds like it was written by a robot from 1995. No, you have to be **specific**. You have to give the AI the right framework. ## Your new landing page recipe That's why I've created this AI prompt for you. It ensures that you include all the right elements. In the right order. Like Ed Sheeran's set list. **Copy this prompt and paste it into ChatGPT:** --- *Write a landing page for my (write your product here)* *Ask me one question at a time until you have all the answers, then write a draft landing page* *Here are the questions:* - *What specific problem does your target audience have?* - *How can you describe their challenge in a way they can relate to?* - *What are the specific consequences of the problem for your target audience?* - *How can you show that you understand their frustrations?* - *What is your story, and how can it build trust?* - *Do you have previous results or customer feedback you can share?* - *What are the three most important steps the customer needs to take to achieve success?* - *How can you present your solution simply and clearly?* - *How can you show your potential customers that it's worth the investment?* - *Do you have data or concrete results to support your claim?* - *What is your clear call to action?* - *How can you make it easy and appealing for the customer to act now?* --- ## How to use it 1. **Copy the prompt** and paste it into ChatGPT 2. **Write your product name** where it says (write your product here) 3. **Answer the questions** one at a time - the AI will ask them automatically 4. **Get your draft** for a structured landing page 5. **Adjust and personalise** as needed It may take you 20-30 minutes. Instead of days of guesswork. You get all the right elements in place: Problem identification, your story, social proof, clear call-to-action - all in the right order. **Like Ed Sheeran's set list. Built up to the grand finale.** ## Just remember one thing The AI is only as good as the information you give it. So be **specific** when answering the questions. Not: *‘My customers have marketing problems.’* But: ‘My customers spend hours writing Facebook posts that get 3 likes and no comments, and they feel invisible on social media even though they have a fantastic product.’ **The more specific you are, the better your results will be.** ## Try it now Go ahead and test it. You'll be surprised at how structured and focused your landing page becomes. And if you use it, please write to me and tell me how it went. I love hearing about results! Have a great weekend – and if you're going to an Ed Sheeran concert, think about the setlist method when *Shape of You* comes on 🎵 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### You can't see your own blind spots URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/you-cant-see-your-own-blind-spots/ Last updated: 2025-08-22T05:32:15.000Z Five years ago, I was sitting in my home office looking at my computer screen. Corona had forced me to move my writing courses online, and I had just finished another Q&A session. **Normally, people would pack up and go home.** But not this time. People stayed. They wrote in the chat. They wanted to keep talking. There was something they wanted to share, something they needed to ask about — beyond what we had managed to cover in the lesson itself. And right then, the inevitable happened: **I realised I had overlooked something important.** People needed more than just teaching. They needed a place to ask: ‘Is this good enough?’ ## The problem we all know You know the feeling, right? You're sitting alone with your newsletter or LinkedIn post. You've finished writing it. But then the doubts start creeping in: *‘Does this make sense?’* *‘Will the headline work for other people?’* *‘Is the tone too salesy?’* Let me tell you something: **You can't see your own blind spots.** It's not because you're a bad writer. It's human nature. We're too close to our own content to see it objectively. ## What I learned during the coronavirus pandemic In the 20 years I had been helping clients and students with their writing, I had mostly focused on one-to-one coaching. One client at a time. One text at a time. **But something magical happens** when we humans come together around a common goal. When people kept coming back after my online courses, I started to notice it myself. **They asked each other for advice.** They shared experiences. They helped each other in ways I never could as a single expert. And that gave me the biggest ‘aha’ moment of my career: **Feedback is worth its weight in gold – but it doesn't have to come from me.** ## What you can use right away Today, it's more important than ever to get genuine human feedback on your writing. AI can help you write, but it can't tell you how your writing *works* on other people. Try to feel the difference: **ChatGPT says:** ‘The text is grammatically correct and follows a good structure.’ **A human says:** ‘I understand the point, but I actually thought you were going to sell me something else after reading the headline.’ **Can you feel the difference?** Human feedback hits what really matters for your results. ## That's why I created The Writing Club After the coronavirus experience, I knew what I had to do. I had to create the place people had been missing: a safe community where freelancers, marketers and business owners can share their texts and get honest feedback from other people. **Not just from me as an expert.** From others who are also sitting at home writing newsletters, LinkedIn posts and sales emails. The most amazing thing about The Writing Club is that I can now follow people in their process of becoming better writers. I see them communicate their messages with greater confidence. And they get a better business. But most importantly: **They are no longer alone.** When you share your copy in The Writing Club, you get feedback on the things you can't see yourself. You catch the things you've overlooked or are missing. And you feel secure because you know that other people have looked at it before you send it out. It costs the same as a good book at the bookshop. **But the value?** Well, what is it worth to your business that your copy hits the mark the first time? [**→ Join our writing community – you are welcome here**](https://www.renehjetting.com/writingclub/) See you there, **P.S.** You know it yourself. The next text you send out could be much better if you just had a fresh pair of eyes to look at it first. That's exactly what we do for each other in The Writing Club. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### She hadn't written her newsletter in a whole year URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/she-hadnt-written-her-newsletter-in-a-whole-year/ Last updated: 2025-08-15T07:57:10.000Z One of the members of my Danish writing club was stuck in exactly the same way. **You know the feeling, right?** You sit down at your computer with the best of intentions. You have the ideas, you have the desire, you know you HAVE to write to get customers for your business. But then... nothing happens. The blank document stares back at you, and the words just won't come. She hadn't been able to write her newsletter in a **whole year**. She had a constant guilty conscience, and she was annoyed with herself – because she knew how important it was. **She had tried all the usual things:** - Sitting down and ‘just doing it’ (didn't work) - Using AI tools on her own (resulted in generic text without her voice) - Signing up for online courses (which she never got around to) She couldn't ‘**pull herself together**’ on her own. And she lacked feedback and support. **Whattodo?** ## The turning point that changed everything Then she joined our writing club. And something magical happened in the very first week. Not because I gave her a genius trick or a secret formula. But because she experienced two things: 1. **She heard others share the same problem** – suddenly she was no longer alone with her frustration 2. **She sat with others and wrote** – there's a very specific energy in that After just **one week**, she had written her first newsletter in a year. And that was just the beginning. In the following months, she wrote her newsletter regularly, became more active, felt more like writing in general – and saw that she was getting more customers. **She gained the courage to do more for herself.** ## My biggest realisation after 5 years of writing clubs When I started my first writing club 5 years ago, it was because I missed writing with others. I knew from my own experience how powerful it was. **But I learned** something important along the way: In the beginning, I had too few ‘let's write together’ sessions. Members didn't show up because they couldn't remember when it was. It didn't work. With more sessions – every week – members show up and get something written. *It's not about tricks or techniques. It's about regularity and community.* ## That's why writing alone doesn't work After 5 years with hundreds of members, I can see the pattern clearly: People who try to ‘pull themselves together’ alone fail 9 times out of 10\. Not because they are lazy or incompetent. But because writer's block is a problem best solved with others. - You can't motivate yourself out of that feeling. - You have to write your way out of it. - And it's easier when you're not alone. ## That's exactly what you get with The Writing Club **Every Monday and Thursday**, we meet online and write together. As your writing coach, I join every session, where we share knowledge, experiences and the small (and big) victories that come with daring to write with your own voice. **You get AI as your writing partner** – not as your replacement. With concrete guides, templates and workflows that make you 3x faster without losing your personal voice. And most importantly: **you know the others by name,** and they know yours. We cheer each other on, challenge each other and celebrate each other's progress. It's easier to grow as a writer when you have friends around you who understand the process. **Investment:** $37 per month, **Guarantee:** 30-day money-back guarantee You're just one click away from starting to write copy that really sounds like you – and sells. 👉 [**Read more about The Writing Club here**](https://www.renehjetting.com/writingclub/) *Others have to work for it. All you have to do is click.* **P.S.* Writer's block won't go away on its own. But with the right community and the right routines, it becomes something you can control. Join us – we're waiting for you.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### What I learned from making pizza yesterday (and why you'll never get good AI content) URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/what-i-learned-from-making-pizza-yesterday-and-why-youll-never-get-good-ai-content/ Last updated: 2025-08-09T05:19:39.000Z You know when you're standing in the kitchen and suddenly have a revelation? **That's how I felt yesterday.** I was standing there with my pizza dough, about to spread the tomato sauce. And just as I picked up the spoon, it hit me like a bolt of lightning: **This is exactly like writing with AI!** Let me explain... ## You don't make pizza without a recipe, do you? **Think about it.** When you make pizza, you don't just start throwing random ingredients together and hope for the best, do you? **No, you follow a recipe:** - First the dough - Then the tomato sauce (in the right layer) - Then the toppings - Finally, the cheese **The order matters.** And each ingredient has its role. The same applies when writing with AI. ## The problem with most AI content I see it all the time with the consultants, coaches and small business owners I teach: They throw themselves into AI with prompts like ‘write a sales email about my product’ and expect miracles. **It's like throwing flour**, tomatoes and cheese into a bowl and calling it pizza. **The result?** Generic, boring texts that sound like everyone else's. Texts with no personality that don't sell a thing. **You know exactly how it feels**. You sit down at the keyboard with the best of intentions. You have the ideas, you have the desire, you know you HAVE to write to get customers for your business. But AI just spits out boring robot text, and you think: *"I just don't want to do this. It sounds like an English teacher from 1994.‘* ## My pizza discovery As I stood there in the kitchen yesterday, building my pizza layer by layer, it dawned on me: **AI prompts need to be built systematically – just like a pizza.** You need to have all your ’ingredients" ready first: - What do you want to say? - What value do you offer the reader? - What are you selling? - What tone should the text have? - Who is your target audience? Then you need to put it all together in the right order – your ‘recipe’ (the prompt). **That's the difference between an amateur chef and a professional chef.** ## Why you won't benefit from AI **Almost everyone uses AI today**. But very few people get any real benefit from it. Why? Because they don't know how to create the right ‘recipe’. They give AI short, imprecise prompts and expect exceptional results. Or they copy and paste random prompts from the internet that aren't structured properly. **The result?** Your texts sound too general and lack personality. You end up spending hours editing the AI's output, or worse – you give up and go back to writing everything yourself. ## That's exactly what you'll get help with in my masterclass In ‘**Write better and sell more with AI,**’ I'll teach you copywriting frameworks – the professional ‘recipes’ – so you can get AI to deliver sales copy that works. **Again and again.** Through my 5 modules, you'll go from amateur to professional: **Module 1: AI as your writing partner** – Learn the best tools and how to use them effectively, just like a professional chef uses their tools. **Module 2: Write faster without losing quality** – Techniques for generating drafts and writing emails, articles and social media posts that engage. **Module 3: AI and your voice** – How to train AI to understand and imitate your tone and style (so it actually sounds like you). **Module 4: AI for sales and engagement** – Learn to write compelling copy that drives action – from landing pages to newsletters. **Module 5: Automation & workflows** – Build effective workflows that save you time and give you freedom in your everyday life. **Everyone from the first class is now writing better and faster**. Several of them have developed their own special prompts for everything from newsletters to course materials and website texts. ## This is your last chance I'll be completely honest with you: **This is the last time I'm offering this masterclass this year.** I'm closing registration after this class. **Start date: Tuesday, 9 September 2025** Price: $300 (can be paid in two instalments) Only 8 spots available **Bonus:** You get 6 months' access to my secret writing club, where you can write and work with me every week. **Do you want to keep** making ‘pizza’ by throwing random ingredients together and hoping for the best? **Or do you want to learn** the professional recipes so you can write marketing texts that sell – again and again? [**Secure your place on the last cohort**](https://www.renehjetting.com/masterclass/) Hope to see you! **P.S:** Remember – there are only 8 places, and this is the last time I'm offering this. Once they're gone, they're gone. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Why your sales emails aren't working (and what you can do about it) URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/why-your-sales-emails-arent-working/ Last updated: 2025-08-01T04:00:46.000Z You probably know the feeling. You're sitting there staring at the screen. You have to write an important email. Or maybe a newsletter for your customers. **You write. You delete. You write again. You delete again.** Two hours later, you still don't have anything that feels right. And when you finally send it? No response. No reactions. Maybe even fewer sales than last time. ***‘What am I doing wrong?’* you think.** I know because I've been there. Literally. ### When my writing school suddenly stopped selling Back in 2016, I was proud as a peacock. I had just launched my first writing school – a 5-week online course where I **taught people to write better**. Teaching online over a longer period of time was new to me. Normally, I just did 1-2 hour workshops. But the first two classes? Sold out. Completely sold out. **I felt like a rock star.** *‘This is my future,’* I thought. *‘Now I can make a living teaching and helping freelancers write their way to better business.’* **But then the inevitable happened.** Class number 3? Sold poorly. Class number 4? Even worse. **I didn't understand.** Had I done something wrong? Was the market saturated? Were people no longer interested in learning to write? ### The moment it dawned on me One day, I was sitting looking at my statistics. The open rates on my emails had dropped by over 20%. People simply weren't opening my emails anymore. **And then I did something I should have done long ago.** **I compared.** I took the campaigns that had sold well (class 1 and 2) and put them next to the ones that had sold poorly (class 3 and 4). ***Holy cow.*** I had made exactly the same mistake that many of my customers make today: I had sent almost identical emails. Same headlines. Same content. Same angles. My readers had seen it before. Of course they didn't open my emails. Of course they didn't buy. I had forgotten the most important rule: **You always have to come up with something new and fresh.** ### The turning point I waited until after the summer holidays in 2018\. I wrote a completely new campaign from scratch. New angle. New stories. New headlines. I updated the landing page with more testimonials. **The result?** **Class 5 sold as much as class 1 and 2 combined**. I have never forgotten that lesson. And it is more relevant today than ever. ### Why it is harder now (but also easier) Today, the problem has become even bigger. **You are not just fighting** your direct competitors. You are fighting a tsunami of generic content. People receive more emails than ever before. They are bombarded on social media. Everywhere. And much of the content they see? Boring. Generic. Copy/paste from ChatGPT with no personality or thought behind it. **But that's actually an advantage for you.** Because when everyone else is creating template content, your personal, well-thought-out content stands out even more. **The problem is:** How do you constantly come up with new, fresh content without spending your whole life on it? ### Here comes your secret weapon Don't give up when your texts don't work. Just get help from the world's best assistant: **AI**. But not the way most people do it. Not just ‘ChatGPT, write an email about my product’ and then copy/paste. No, you need to use AI as your **sparring partner**. Your **analyst**. Your **idea generator**. Like this: ### Prompt #1: Analyse why your texts aren't working ``` I am sending you an email/text I have written that has not yielded the results I had hoped for. Please analyse the text and give me specific feedback on: 1. What could be the reason for the poor results 2. What elements are missing to create engagement 3. 3 specific improvements I can make Here is the text: [insert your text] ``` ### Prompt #2: Create fresh variations of your best texts ``` I'm sending you a text that has worked well in the past. I would like five completely new versions with the same message but different angles, so that my audience doesn't feel like they've read it before. Make sure each version has: - A new headline/opening - A different story or example - The same core message, but a new approach Original text: [insert your text] ``` ### Prompt #3: Generate new headlines when you're stuck ``` I need to write an [email/post/article] about [topic]. My goal is to [your goal – e.g. get people to sign up, buy, read on]. Give me 10 different headlines that: 1. Grab attention immediately 2. Promise concrete value 3. Sound like me (personal and direct tone) 4. Make people want to read on Background: [briefly describe your product/service and target audience] ``` ### Test it right now Take one of the prompts. Open ChatGPT or Claude. Paste in a text you've written that didn't work as well as you'd hoped. **See what happens.** I guarantee you: You'll gain insights you hadn't thought of. Ideas for improvements. New angles. And suddenly, writing effective copy no longer feels impossible. ### But there's much more... The prompts above are just the tip of the iceberg. Imagine if you could: ✅ **Write 10x faster** – while retaining your personal voice ✅ **Analyse your texts** like a professional marketing expert ✅ **Generate fresh ideas** every time you get stuck ✅ **Create sales texts** that actually sell ✅ **Automate parts of your writing process** so you have more freedom That's exactly what you'll learn in my **‘Write better and sell more with AI’** masterclass course. > *AI wasn't as scary as I thought. René taught me how to use it properly – and now it saves me hours every week. AI helps me come up with ideas, writes drafts for my newsletters and proofreads my work. As a solo freelancer, it's like having an assistant who never takes time off."* – *Participant from class 1* **It's not just theory.** It's 5 weeks where you learn to use AI as your **personal writing assistant** – not your replacement, but your super-powered sparring partner. You'll learn to create content that sounds like **you**. That **engages**. That **sells**. **The next class starts on Tuesday, 9 September.** There are only **12 spots**. The price is **$300** for the entire masterclass course ### You get - 5 weeks of live teaching - Personal feedback on your texts - All my AI prompts and templates - **Bonus:** Access to my secret writing club for 6 months **If you're tired** of spending hours on texts that don't work... **If you want to write** faster without losing your personality... **If you want AI** as your partner instead of your threat... 👉 [**Yes, please, I want to learn to write better with AI**](https://www.renehjetting.com/masterclass/) See you on the other side. **Remember:** There are only 12 spots available. And based on how quickly the first group sold out, I wouldn't wait if I were you. Especially when you know that your competitors are already using AI – just not as smart as you're going to be 😉 --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Why I was annoyed with myself for more than 10 years URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/why-i-was-annoyed-with-myself-for-more-than-10-years/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T05:13:56.000Z **I can still remember the frustration.** There I was, working on yet another article for a client, feeling that my texts were just... missing something. They were fine, but they didn't make people act. They didn't make people buy. For over 25 years, I have been writing texts for others. But about 15 years ago, I realised that I didn't know anything about copywriting – the art of writing texts that actually make people say ‘**yes, please, I'll take that**.’ I was so desperate to improve that I found an old blog called Copyblogger (it actually still exists). I read everything they wrote and thought, ‘**I want to be able to write like that**!’ But even though I tried to copy their style, there was just something I wasn't getting. It annoyed me so much. Why couldn't I just get good enough, fast enough? ### Then something happened After years of fumbling around, I finally found an American copywriting course. And then it dawned on me what I had been overlooking all along: **Copywriting is the very last thing your customer reads before they pull out their card and buy your product.** It's not just ‘writing nicely.’ It's understanding the human psyche. It's knowing the frameworks and methods that work. It's knowing exactly which words make people take action. Suddenly, I understood why my texts weren't working. I was missing the tools. ### Now you can skip straight to the result **Here's what I want to share with you:** You don't need to spend years learning what I learned. Not when we have AI to help us. **Let me give you a concrete example** of how you can use it right away: The next time you write an email to your customers, **try this simple formula:** 1. Start with a problem they know (just like I started with my frustration) 2. Tell them how you solved it (your personal experience) 3. Show them how they can get the same result (your product/service) It's no coincidence that you're reading this newsletter all the way through – it's exactly the structure I use. But here's the trick: AI can help you find the right words and frameworks, but **your personal story is what makes people act**. There are thousands of AI-generated texts out there every day, but they lack **an authentic voice.** **Another tip you can use today:** When people ask ‘why should I buy from you?’, don't respond with features and functions. **Tell them about a customer** who had the same problem as them and what happened after they bought from you. **Stories sell.** **Not product descriptions.** When you combine the right copywriting frameworks with AI and then add your own authentic voice, you have a combination **that can transform your business.** ### That's why I've created something for you I've gathered everything I've learned over the years – all the frameworks, all the methods, all the tricks – and packaged it into a [**masterclass on writing better and selling more with AI.**](https://www.renehjetting.com/masterclass/) **Here, you won't just learn the theory.** You'll get concrete tools you can use right away. Texts for your emails, your landing page, your sales letters – everything. And it costs **only $300** for the entire masterclass, which is cheaper than a single day course (which is a pretty amazing offer, if you ask me ;)). There are only 12 spots available, because I want to make sure everyone gets the **personalised help** they need. [**Read more about the masterclass here!**](https://www.renehjetting.com/masterclass/) **Happy writing!** --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Why you'll never finish writing URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/why-youll-never-finish-writing/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T05:14:03.000Z Do you know the feeling? You're sitting in front of your computer, the cursor is blinking on a blank page, and your thoughts are racing. ‘Just this one post,’ you think. ‘It'll take an hour.’ **Two hours later, you're still there.** I've been there so many times that I've lost count. Like many others, I've struggled with the eternal battle against the blank document. And if you're reading this, I'm guessing you know the feeling all too well. ### The truth about how long it REALLY takes Here's a statistic that makes my stomach cramp: The average person spends 2-3 hours writing a single 1,000-word blog post. That's not an hour. It's not 90 minutes. It's three whole hours. And it gets worse. According to a study, marketers spend an average of 6 hours a week writing content. That's almost an entire workday. Every week. **I've measured it myself.** My last newsletter took me 2 hours and 23 minutes from the first word to the last comma. For 800 words. That's a lot. ### Why ‘just write’ doesn't work anymore You've probably heard the advice before: ‘Just write, you can edit later.’ Sounds reasonable, right? It's just not. The problem is, we don't live in 1990, where you just wrote a book and hoped for the best. Today, you need to: - Grab attention in 3 seconds - Set the right tone for your audience - Optimise for search engines - Structure for online reading - Adapt to different platforms When I ‘just write,’ I end up writing myself into a dead end. I start with an idea, but halfway through, I realise I don't know where I'm going. So I start over. And over again. ### AI is not the enemy – it's your writing partner I admit it: I was sceptical about AI at first. ‘It can't replace real creativity,’ I thought. And I was right – it CAN'T replace your creativity. But it can do something else. It can be your writing partner. **I now use AI to:** - Brainstorm ideas when I'm stuck - Structure my thoughts before I start - Find the right tone for my audience - Get suggestions for headlines and introductions Last week, I wrote an 800-word post in 45 minutes. Not because AI wrote it for me, but because I didn't spend three hours staring at a blank page. ### So what now? I'm not saying that AI is a magic solution that does all the work for you. But it can help you get started, keep momentum going, and finish what you start. Next time you're sitting staring at a blank document, try asking AI, ‘Help me structure my thoughts on \[your topic\].’ You'll be surprised how much easier it is to write when you have a foundation to build on. Time is too valuable to spend three hours on something that can be done in 45 minutes. --- ### Want to learn how to write better with AI? If you're tired of spending hours writing content that doesn't get you the results you want, my masterclass ‘**Learn to write better with AI**’ might be for you. **In 5 weeks, you'll learn:** - How to use AI as your writing sparring partner - Techniques for writing faster without losing quality - How to keep your own voice even when using AI - How to write compelling copy that drives action I've helped hundreds of writers, marketers and freelancers write faster, sharper and more effectively – without compromising their unique voice. **The next course starts on Tuesday, 26 August 2025** *Only 12 spots available – sign up now!* [Read more about how you can learn to Write Better with AI](https://www.renehjetting.com/masterclass/) **Happy writing!** --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### 9 emotional triggers that engage your readers URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/9-emotional-triggers-that-engage-your-readers/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T05:14:14.000Z **Discover the psychology behind captivating content that makes your target audience take action.** ## What makes content unforgettable? Think about the last piece of writing that really moved you. Maybe it was a story that made you smile, or a post that had you reflecting for hours afterwards. Chances are, it was **emotional triggers** that created that effect. As humans, we naturally project ourselves into the situations we read about. We imagine how we would react and we empathise. A skilled copywriter understands this psychology and knows exactly how to create authentic emotional connections. **The truth is simple:** it's not just facts that make people act – it's emotions. --- ## The 9 most effective emotional triggers ### 1\. Desire for value *Trigger words: ‘Free,’ ‘Save,’ ‘Exclusive,’ ‘Limited time’* Everyone wants to get more value for their money. This basic human drive can be used ethically by: - **Highlighting real savings** with concrete figures - **Creating membership** benefits that provide actual benefits - **Offering package deals** where the customer gets more than expected **Example:** Get access to all our courses for the price of one – save £240 this week **Warning:** Avoid false scarcity tactics. Authenticity builds long-term trust. --- ## 2\. Recognition and pride *Trigger words: ‘Expert,’ ‘Selected,’ ‘Elite,’ ‘Recognised’* People want to feel special and valued. Build this by: - **Spotlighting your readers** in case studies or testimonials - **Creating a community** where members can help each other - **Share successes** from your target audience on social media **Powerful technique:** Mention specific readers by name and acknowledge their contributions. This creates loyalty and inspires others to engage. --- ## 3\. Authentic humour *The sure way to the heart* Humour is perhaps the most underrated trigger in business communication. When you make someone laugh, you create: - **Instant sympathy** and connection - **Memorable** – funny things are remembered better - **Viral potential** – people share what entertains them **Pro tip:** Make fun of clichés or your own mistakes. Self-deprecation works better than making fun of others. --- ## 4\. Constructive concern *Use with caution* Fear as a trigger requires ethical handling. Focus on: **Positive use:** - **FOMO (Fear of Missing Out):** Only 5 places left - **Consequences of inaction:** Without a backup plan, you risk... - **Time limits that create action:** Real deadlines, not artificial ones **Avoid:** False panic or exaggeration of risks. --- ## 5\. Productive anger *Channel dissatisfaction into positive change* Anger can motivate action, but must be handled carefully: **Effective ways:** - **Highlight injustices** in your industry - **Challenge the status quo** with solutions - **Give readers tools** to create change **The golden rule:** Never attack people – focus on systems and problems. --- ## 6\. Shocking insights *Trigger words: ‘Did you know that...,’ ‘Surprising,’ ‘The truth about’* New perspectives and shocking statistics create engagement: - **Share counterintuitive data** with credible sources - **Reveal industry secrets** in an ethical way - **Present new angles** on familiar problems **Example:** ‘95% of marketing budgets are wasted on this one mistake.’ --- ## 7\. Shared vulnerability *Authentic human connection* By sharing your own challenges, you create: - **Trust through honesty** – people trust those who are open - **Relatability** – everyone has failed and struggled - **Inspiration** – your journey can guide others **Balance:** Share instructive defeats, not private drama. Always have a purpose. --- ## 8\. Anticipatory excitement *Trigger words: ‘Soon,’ ‘Coming,’ ‘Get ready,’ ‘Big news’* Anticipation keeps people engaged: **Practical techniques:** - **Teaser campaigns before** product launches - **Behind-the-scenes content** that builds up to events - **Series content** where people wait for the next instalment **Bonus:** Create communities where people can discuss what's coming up – it amplifies the anticipation. --- ## 9\. The universal power: love *The ultimate emotional connection* Love transforms everything. In a business context, this means: - **Show genuine concern** for your target audience's success - **Create content that helps**, not just sells - **Build long-term relationships** based on mutual respect **Example:** Pet companies excel at appealing to pet owners' love for their animals – they focus on the animals' well-being, not just profit. --- ## How to implement triggers ethically ### Do's: ✅ Test and measure which triggers resonate with your target audience ✅ Combine triggers for greater impact (e.g. humour + surprise) ✅ Be authentic – fake emotions are quickly detected ✅ Focus on value – always help your reader ### Don'ts: ❌ Manipulate with false claims or exaggerated demands ❌ Exploit vulnerable emotions without offering real solutions ❌ Use the same trigger constantly – variation creates interest ❌ Forget your brand – triggers must fit your identity --- ## Your next action Emotions drive decisions, but strategy creates results. Start by identifying 2-3 triggers that best suit your brand and target audience. Test them in your next post and measure engagement. **It's not about manipulation, but about creating genuine connections through shared human experience.** **Happy writing!** --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Why your own audience is your business's most important asset URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/why-your-own-audience-is-your-businesss-most-important-asset/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T05:14:27.000Z I meet many self-employed people who spend all their energy trying to ‘hack’ LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram algorithms. They post constantly, use the right hashtags and hope that the algorithm will be kind to them today. **But the truth is:** You are building your business on borrowed land. ### Your own audience is worth its weight in gold Once you have built your own audience – people who have actively chosen to follow you – you are in control of your own business. You are no longer dependent on whether Mark Zuckerberg changes the algorithm tomorrow or whether Instagram suddenly decides that your content should not be seen. **Your audience is your most important business asset** – and the only one you have complete control over. ### 5 tips for building your own audience: **1\. Start by collecting email addresses** Your email list is 100% yours. No algorithm can take it away from you. Offer something valuable in return – a guide, checklist or free consultation. **2\. Be consistent, not perfect** It's better to send a newsletter every month for a year than to send one every week for two months and then stop. Consistency builds trust. **3\. Share your story and your mistakes** People don't buy from perfect companies – they buy from those they can relate to. Share both your successes and the bumps along the way. **4\. Give more value than you ask for** For every time you sell something, give 3-5 times the value for free first. Tips, advice, insights – let people see your expertise. **5\. Build relationships, not just followers** 1,000 people who know, like and trust you are infinitely more valuable than 10,000 random followers who scroll past your content. Stop building on borrowed land. Start building your own audience. **Your audience is waiting for you – they just need to know where to find you.** **Happy writing!** --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A new product is not the solution to your problem URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/a-new-product-is-not-the-solution-to-your-problem/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T05:14:43.000Z **Just before** the coronavirus hit us in early 2020, I had a successful business writing for clients, and everything looked bright. Then the coronavirus arrived, and my clients began to **stop requesting content** because they were uncertain about the situation. From one day to the next, my turnover fell by more than 50%, and I was a little panicked. I couldn't pay myself a salary – and that's the **worst nightmare** when you're self-employed. I was down for a few weeks, but then I started looking around: **What could I do?** I thought, ‘If I can't write for people, maybe I should teach people **how to write?**’ I sat down and developed a course on how to write better. I wanted to run it online, as it was in the middle of the pandemic. **I launched the workshop, and few people signed up.** I did a few other workshops, and the result was the same: **few sign-ups.** I thought about the whole situation. I had asked around and researched whether there was a need for my workshops – and there was. But I didn't have a **large enough audience** to sell eight spots on a workshop. So I took my own medicine and started building my audience. I felt a little stupid, as I had just written a book on the same subject. I focused on building my audience, and I sold more places on my workshops. So you would think **everything was fine** – until the end of 2022, when ChatGPT came into the world. Within a few months, everyone could write using ChatGPT, and my regular workshops on teaching people to write were no longer selling. I could have given up and found a new way to make a living, but luckily I'm a curious soul. **So I adopted AI and taught myself how to use it.** I created my first workshop on writing with AI, and it sold out in a matter of hours. It went really well. **Why did my workshop sell so well?** The headline of this newsletter is a bit misleading, of course, but that's because I've since focused on building my audience every single day. **Not just building new products.** Not just making my audience bigger, but letting it grow with the right people. **So my advice to you is**: You should also focus on building your audience continuously, all the time. And it's easier than you think if you have a plan for it. **Happy writing!** --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Imagine yourself as a radio programme that your listeners love URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/imagine-yourself-as-a-radio-programme-that-your-listeners-love/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T05:15:52.000Z **Do you also spend a lot of time on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram?** Do you participate in events, network, listen to podcasts and watch YouTube videos? Do you receive stacks of newsletters? We are bombarded with thousands of messages every single day. Most of them are fleeting and have only one purpose: to sell us something. **That's how your readers feel too.** Keep that in mind when you send out your next newsletter. ### Be the radio programme they always choose first You can be the programme that **your listeners tune into right away** – or the one they rush to switch off because it's full of adverts, boring, and because the host doesn't know how to engage them. **Your newsletter should** **add value** **and entertain**, so that readers stick around – just like with their favourite radio programme. A simple test: Send your newsletter to yourself. See how it feels to be the recipient. **Ask yourself:** - Does it give me value? - Is it entertaining? - Can I sense the person behind the words? If the answer is not a clear **YES**, then keep working on your news letter. ### You are the host of your own show Imagine that you have hundreds or thousands of regular listeners out there. Do everything you can to live up to their expectations – or even exceed them! A good radio programme comes at a fixed time. **The same should apply to** **your newsletter**. For many years, I sent out newsletters whenever I felt like it. After I started sending them out every Friday morning, it feels like my own little radio programme with lots of happy listeners. The results speak for themselves: higher open rates, more responses from readers, and more new subscribers – without me changing anything else. **You can get the same results** See yourself as the host of your own show, broadcast weekly or every 14 days, where you decide the content. The biggest advantages of a fixed frequency? Your readers will **remember you much better**, and you will **build greater trust** – simply because they know they can **count on you**. You won't have readers who receive your newsletter and think, ‘When did I sign up for this?’ while looking for the unsubscribe button. **Happy writing!** --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Will AI write all your texts in the future? URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/will-ai-write-all-your-texts-in-the-future/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T05:16:08.000Z **I have a clear answer for you!** Yes, AI can write your texts, but most of the time they will sound too general and lack your personal voice and experience. **It reminds me** of when I was in primary school and got a calculator for maths. It could calculate everything, but for me it was important to understand the mathematical principles and know when and **how to use the calculator.** To this day, I still like to take out a piece of paper and calculate things, mainly in my business. In the same way, there will always be a need for people who can: 1. **Develop the right prompts** \- The quality of AI-generated texts depends enormously on the prompt. Mastering this is a valuable skill. 2. **Edit and improve AI output** \- AI rarely delivers perfect results on the first try. Being able to assess and improve the output remains a human competence. 3. **Add the human angle** – Authenticity, personal experience and cultural context are areas where humans still have a clear advantage. 4. **Take responsibility for content** – With AI-generated texts, responsibility for fact-checking and ethical considerations becomes even more important. People who learn to work effectively with AI tools – rather than being replaced by them – will have a **huge competitive** advantage. So AI will not replace you 100% in your writing, billing and other tasks. You are still the one who thinks up a strategy and **gets AI to help you.** Last week, I used AI to help me write a sales letter, but it was only after I edited it myself and added personal customer stories that the text actually worked. AI gave me a good starting point, but **the human touch made all the difference.** So give it a try and remember that **this is a conversation** you are having with your digital assistant, so you can ask for a new draft until you are satisfied. **Happy writing!** --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### 3 questions to ask yourself before writing URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/3-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-writing/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T05:13:26.000Z **You're sitting in front of the screen, your fingers are hovering over the keyboard and you're about to start typing.** But where do you start? What is it you really want to achieve? Before I even sit down to type, I've developed three simple yet powerful questions that help me focus my message. These questions ensure that what I write is not just words on a page, but words with purpose and impact. ### Question 1: What change do I want to create in the reader? Writing is not just about transferring information. **It's about creating a change.** - Do you want to inspire action? - Convince of a point of view? - Or maybe educate on a topic? **Think about it:** What do you want the reader to know, feel or do after reading your text? - Should they sign up for your webinar? - Buy your product? - Or just gain a new insight? When you're clear about the change you want to create, it becomes much easier to choose the right words and arguments. ### Question 2: What does the reader get out of spending time on my text? We live in an age of information overload. Your reader has a thousand other things they could be spending their precious time on. **So what do you give them in return?** - Is it new knowledge that can solve a problem? - An entertaining break from everyday life? - Or perhaps access to an exclusive offer? If you can't clearly answer what the reader gets out of reading your text, why should they? ### Question 3: How does this text lead to my next step? Every text should be a step towards a bigger goal. **Where does this text lead?** - Is it the first contact with potential customers? - A step towards a sale? - Or perhaps building your position as an expert? By thinking strategically about where this text fits into your larger communication plan, you can ensure that every word works for you - not just now, but also in the future. ### The outcome of the three questions Once you've answered these three questions, you've effectively created a mini-brief for yourself. You know: - What you want to achieve with the text - What value it creates for the reader - How it fits into your overall strategy **With this clear focus, writing becomes much easier.** You know what to include and, just as importantly, what you can leave out. Your text will be more focused, more relevant and more effective. So the next time you start writing - whether it's an email, a blog post or yes, a newsletter like this one - start with these three questions. It only takes **five minutes**, but could save you hours of rewriting and frustration. **Happy writing!** --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### How to write your first draft with ease - without struggling with perfectionism URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/how-to-write-your-first-draft-with-ease/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T05:16:34.000Z **Do you know that feeling when you start on a blank piece of paper and don't know how to begin? You're not alone!** Most of us struggle to get started with writing because we have this idea that it has to be perfect from the start. But what if I told you that the secret to good writing is actually writing a ‘terrible first draft’? **It's all about getting the ideas down on paper** - The first draft is where you just write it down - The second draft is where you correct it - And the third draft is the draft where you check every single word The problem arises when we try to do all three things at once. It's a recipe for frustration and writer's block. ### **5 steps to writing your first draft effortlessly** **1\. Start with the end in mind** Before you write a single word, you need to be clear: - Who are you writing for - What you want to tell them - Why they will find it interesting Ask yourself these questions: - What problem am I solving? - Whose problem am I solving? - What emotion am I creating? - What action am I encouraging? - What benefit am I unlocking? This helps you get clarity on your topic and makes the actual writing much easier. **2.** **Create a bullet-point brain storm** Set a timer for 10 minutes and write down everything you can think of: - Every important point you want to cover. - Even ideas that seem unimportant now - Use bullet points to organise your thoughts Then go back and group similar ideas together. **3.** **Develop catchy headlines** Review your main ideas and make sure they fit with your overall direction. Then brainstorm at least 3 different headlines. A good template to follow is: ‘How to do {X} without {Y}’ **For example:** - How to write a first draft without the pressure of perfection - How to write a long-form page that converts **4.** **Prepare the page** Now comes the fun part: - Open a blank document - Write your chosen headline at the top - Put your main points in a logical order You now have a draft that makes the next step much less daunting. **5 Fill in the skeleton** Now you just need to fill in the details for each point. Focus on adding: - Examples - Steps - Stories - Tips and tricks - Benefits Remember: Focus on one paragraph at a time and don't worry about perfection! ### **Try this prompt to get help with your first draft** Here's a prompt you can copy directly into ChatGPT or other AI assistant to get help creating your first draft: Hello! I need your help to write a first draft. My topic is: \[INSERT YOUR TOPIC\]. The target audience is: \[DESCRIBE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE\] After reading my content, the reader will realise \[INSERT BENEFIT/LIFT\] so they can \[DESIRED ACTION/FEEL\]. They can trust me because \[YOUR TRUST\]. I have the following main points I would like to cover: \[POINT 1\] \[POINT 2\] \[POINT 3\] 1\. Can you help me with:suggest a catchy headline in the ‘How to do X without Y’ format 2\. Create a well-structured outline 3\. Fill the outline with content that: \- Uses short, punchy sentences \- Includes concrete examples \- Has a natural flowAvoids jargon and redundant content \- Ends with a clear takeaway and call to action ### The most important thing to remember Give yourself time to walk away from the draft when you're done. Come back with fresh eyes after a day or two. Every good piece of writing starts as a not-so-good draft. It's all about getting the ideas down on paper first and then refining them later. I hope these tips help you get started on your next writing project. **P.S.** Remember - it's okay to write a ‘terrible first draft’ - it's actually key to creating something amazing in the end! --- ### I have a personal recommendation for you ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/04/ingrid.jpg) Ingrid Lill I'm excited to recommend my friend, **Ingrid Lill** – Visual Business Strategist with a Pencil. If you’ve ever felt like your head’s about to explode from too many ideas, Ingrid is your person. “**If your message can’t be illustrated, it isn’t clear enough**,” she says. She helps creative business owners *see* their ideas – literally. Through simple sketches and visual frameworks, she turns scattered thoughts into business clarity. Her work is especially powerful if you’ve got a lot of ideas, but no clear way to explain what you do or why it matters. Or if your offers and messaging just don’t feel like *you* anymore. Her newsletter is a breath of fresh air for overthinkers and visual minds. **Highly recommend.** [**Sign up for Ingrids newsletter her**](https://www.visualminds.org/businessclaritykit?ref=renehjetting.com) **Happy writing!** --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The freedom to choose URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/the-freedom-to-choose/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T05:16:58.000Z **Have you noticed the changes in the market?** I've been talking to a lot of self-employed people lately - both customers and business associates - and when I take a step back, I see a clear pattern: I'm far from the only one who's been struggling to keep profits up. ### The market has changed significantly The last 2-3 years have brought big changes to our world. I hear the same challenges again and again from people in my network: - Memberships have become harder to sell - Self-study courses are meeting resistance - And probably many other products are experiencing the same trend ### From ‘nice to have’ to ‘need to have’ I've come to an important realisation: customers are now primarily buying ‘need to have’ and no longer ‘nice to have’ as before. Over the past 6 months, I have recorded my own purchasing decisions and the pattern is clear. I have become much more aware of what gives me real value - and that's only what I invest in. Interestingly enough, I have myself: - Not purchased self-study courses (I prefer live training) - Opted out of memberships (I don't want to commit) And I'm sure many of our customers feel the same way. ### So what works now? My experiment with short, focused live workshops (1-2 hours) at a reasonable price has proven to be a success! They are selling surprisingly well in the current market. ### **My own journey through change** To be honest, this realisation hit me hard at first. I had spent months developing a comprehensive course that I thought would be my next big hit. But the response was lukewarm and sales never really took off. It was frustrating until I realised that it wasn't my content that was the problem - it was the format. When I converted the same material into a series of short, intensive workshops, things started to turn around. People were suddenly willing to pay for direct access to my knowledge in real time. ### What do I see on the horizon? I think we're moving towards a ‘direct value now’ economy where people want quick results and fewer long-term commitments. They want to solve specific problems with targeted expertise - and they want to see the value right away. I also see a growing demand for human connection and community, but in a way where people can participate on their own terms. The ‘old-fashioned’ membership models with long commitments are under pressure, but new flexible models with valuable live elements have potential. ### The value of short engagements Why do these shorter formats work better? Firstly, they give both me and my customers more freedom. Customers can choose exactly the content that matches their current needs without having to buy a whole package. For me, it means I can keep my energy high and my expertise sharp because I'm not locked into the same structure week after week. I can adapt my content to the changing needs of the market - and to my own interests. In short, both parties get a better experience and more value for money. ### Let's continue the conversation! I'd love to hear about your experiences. Have you experienced similar shifts in your business? What formats have you been successful with? **So my message to you is simple:** Create freedom both with yourself and for yourself in your business. It benefits both you and your customers. --- ### I have a personal recommendation for you ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/04/mary-flemming.jpg) Mary Flemming I'm excited to recommend my colleague and branding expert, **Mary Fleming**. Mary publishes a valuable **weekly newsletter** focused on helping professionals clarify, simplify, and build strong brand foundations. Her straightforward approach and actionable advice have helped **countless businesses** refine their messaging and stand out in crowded markets. Each week, she delivers fresh insights directly to your inbox that you can implement immediately. [**Sign up for Mary's newsletter here**](https://www.maryflemingdesign.com/the-defogger?ref=renehjetting.com) **Happy writing!** --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Building an Effective Newsletter Strategy with Dan Oshinsky URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/building-an-effective-newsletter-strategy-with-dan-oshinsky/ Last updated: 2025-10-21T09:09:37.000Z **Last time you got my first newsletter in English in many years, today you get the first episode of my new podcast called, you guessed it, The Sharp Pen.** Building an effective newsletter strategy 0:00 /2770.938775510204 1× In this episode, I'm thrilled to bring you my conversation with **Dan Oshinsky**, founder of Inbox Collective. Dan's consultancy helps newsrooms, non-profits, and independent writers develop effective email strategies. He shares his fascinating journey from being the first newsletter editor at BuzzFeed to becoming a renowned newsletter consultant, offering valuable insights on building engaging newsletters and converting readers into paying supporters. ### Episode Highlights - **Dan's Journey**: How Dan accidentally became a newsletter consultant after working at BuzzFeed and The New Yorker - **Newsletter Strategy Fundamentals**: The importance of identifying your specific audience and understanding their needs - **Content Development**: Approaches to generating newsletter content ideas and different ways to structure them - **Publishing Frequency**: Finding the right cadence for your newsletter—daily, weekly, or monthly - **Content Format Decisions**: Whether to include full content in emails or drive traffic to your website - **Email vs. Social Media**: Why newsletters remain one of the most reliable marketing channels without algorithm interference - **The Future of Newsletters**: How AI might change email consumption patterns in the coming years - **Independent Newsletter Business Models**: The growing trend of journalists making a living through paid newsletter subscriptions ### Key Takeaways 1. **Start with a specific audience**: Know exactly who you're writing for and what their needs are 2. **Content development**: Create a list of topics based on audience needs and explore different ways to present them 3. **Publishing frequency**: It's easier to start with less frequent publishing and increase than to start daily and scale back 4. **Measurement matters**: Your business model should determine whether you keep content in emails or drive to your website 5. **Email's advantage**: Unlike social media, email gives you direct access to your audience without algorithmic limitations ### Resources Mentioned - [**Inbox Collective Newsletter**](https://inboxcollective.com/newsletter/?ref=renehjetting.com) - [**52 Ways to Grow Your Email List**](https://inboxcollective.com/ways-to-grow-your-newsletter-list/?ref=renehjetting.com) - Newsletter platforms mentioned: [**Beehive**](https://www.beehiiv.com/?ref=renehjetting.com), [**Ghost**](https://ghost.org/?ref=renehjetting.com), [**Substack**](https://substack.com/?ref=renehjetting.com) **Happy writing!** --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A new beginning URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/a-new-beginning/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T05:19:02.000Z This is my **first newsletter** in English for many years - and I'm quite happy the moment I write to you. **I love the English language. ❤️** It was my favourite subject at school and I spend 90% of my reading time on English books. I also write in English whenever I get the chance. **You might be thinking:** *Why are you starting to write newsletters in English now, when Danish is your native language?* Since I published my second book [**Build Your Audience**](https://www.renehjetting.com/books/) in 2020, I've wanted to write a weekly newsletter in English. But I put **too high expectations** on myself and lost the spark - also because I was trying to do too many things at once. Now the desire has returned. I've got the spark again. And when I need to find my reason to do something, **I always make a tagline for myself.** I read it over and over again and adjust it until it feels right. And it does now. That's why I'm writing this first newsletter to you after many years. **My tagline is:** *I teach you how to craft compelling words, engage your audience, and turn your writing into sales.* For me, writing is about expressing yourself, getting your message across and writing something that brings joy and helps other people - your readers - who can later become your customers. **Writing gives me an outlet for my creative ideas and thoughts.** And I think that's true for anyone who writes - whether it's short or long and wherever it's published. I love writing newsletters (my favourite medium), but also books, blog posts, short posts and much more. I actually got the idea for this newsletter [**when I read a post**](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7310220562205757441/?ref=renehjetting.com) on LinkedIn by **Steven Bartlett**, where he wrote about *Ikigai* \- a Japanese term meaning ‘a reason for being’. It asks four questions: - What do you love? - What are you good at? - What can you get paid for? - What does the world need? If something answers all four, you've found your Ikigai - your reason for being. Here are my answers to the four questions. Maybe they can inspire you. ### What do you love? I love writing and expressing myself - through storytelling, copywriting, writing with AI, books and much more. For me, it's not about *what* I write, but *how* I can entertain and help the reader. It has to make sense - both for me and for the reader. I've dreamed of writing since I was a kid in the school library and borrowed my first real book - written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the man behind Sherlock Holmes. This is where my dream of being a writer was born. ### What are you good at? I think I'm a good writer - and luckily, many clients have paid me for my copywriting skills. I've written emails, newsletters, landing pages and much more for them. All the experience I've gained - and my interest in AI - **I want to pass on to you.** Especially through this newsletter. ### What can you get paid for? In addition to copywriting, I've spent the last three years teaching people how to write with AI - without losing the personality and quality of their text. Right now, there is far too much content written by a chatbot and published without personality. I want to help you and many others avoid that. ### What does the world need? I think the world needs people who communicate with people - and deliver content on a human level. It might be a bit abstract, but as Steven Bartlett wrote in his post: *You don't build a business, you build people.* *And people build the business.* I completely agree with him. In an age of screen time, AI-generated texts, images and videos at record pace, the most important thing is that we humans can feel each other - and be something to each other. Anything else doesn't make sense. And the best part is: You can make a living and do something meaningful at the same time. ### Where are we heading? I'll ask a fifth question myself, because it's important to know where we're going - and why. **I know because my tagline says it clearly:** *I teach you how to craft compelling words, engage your audience, and turn your writing into sales.* And the first step is this newsletter. I'll write to you every week and hope to give you something you can use - both in your life and your business. If you like, **please reply to this email** with your answers to the four questions: - What do you love? - What are you good at? - What can you get paid for? - What does the world need? **P.S.** Do you know someone who might want to read this? Send them the newsletter - or have a chat with them about the questions. It can be a meaningful conversation in these digital times. **Happy writing!** --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### 18 proven strategies to boost your website traffic URL: https://www.renehjetting.com/18-tips-for-increased-traffic-to-your-website/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T05:19:22.000Z In today's digital landscape, driving quality traffic to your website is essential for business growth. These proven strategies will help you attract more visitors without resorting to questionable tactics or spam. ## Content creation & management ### 1\. Create valuable content that solves problems Quality content remains king in the digital world. When you consistently create content that solves real problems for your audience, it naturally attracts visitors and encourages sharing. Focus on addressing pain points, answering common questions, and providing unique insights that can't be found elsewhere. ### 2\. Implement strategic social sharing Don't leave sharing to chance. Strategically place social sharing buttons at optimal locations—before and after content, alongside impactful quotes, and near visuals. Use plugins that display share counts to leverage social proof and encourage further sharing. ### 3\. Become a helpful resource on social platforms Monitor relevant conversations on platforms where your audience gathers. When you see questions related to your expertise, provide thoughtful, comprehensive answers without being overtly promotional. This positions you as an authority and naturally drives curious readers to your site. ### 4\. Leverage press releases strategically Reserve press releases for genuinely newsworthy developments—product launches, significant partnerships, or innovative research. Quality distribution services can place your news in front of journalists and industry publications, generating valuable referral traffic. ## SEO & technical optimization ### 5\. Practice sustainable SEO Focus on sustainable SEO practices that align with search engines' goal of delivering value to users. Research relevant keywords, optimize meta descriptions, create descriptive URLs, and ensure your site structure is logical and crawlable—all while maintaining natural, reader-friendly content. ### 6\. Develop a consistent blog strategy Commit to a regular publishing schedule that you can maintain. Create an editorial calendar that balances timely topics with evergreen content, and focus on depth rather than frequency. A well-crafted weekly post often outperforms daily low-quality content. ### 7\. Build a value-driven email newsletter Transform your newsletter from an announcement channel to a valuable resource. Include exclusive insights, curate relevant industry news, and provide actionable tips that subscribers can't find on your blog. When readers find your newsletter indispensable, they naturally share it. ### 8\. Launch a topic-focused podcast Find your unique angle in the podcasting space by addressing specific challenges in your industry. Consistency in quality and publishing schedule will build a loyal audience. Cross-promote episodes on your blog with expanded show notes to drive traffic in both directions. ## Visual & multimedia content ### 9\. Create share-worthy visual content Develop informative infographics, data visualizations, and process diagrams that simplify complex information. Tools like Canva and Piktochart make professional-quality graphics accessible even without design expertise. Include your branding and a link back to your website on all shareable visuals. ### 10\. Build a strategic YouTube presence Create video content that complements your written content strategy. Optimize video titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords. End each video with a clear call-to-action directing viewers to specific landing pages for more information. ## Community & relationship building ### 11\. Implement strategic calls-to-share Place thoughtful share requests at strategic points in your content. Instead of generic "please share" messages, try specific approaches like: "Know someone struggling with this issue? Share this guide to help them get started." ### 12\. Contribute guest content to authority sites Identify publications your target audience trusts. Pitch unique angles rather than generic topics, and create content specifically tailored to each publication's audience. Focus on delivering exceptional value rather than promotional content to establish yourself as a thought leader. ### 13\. Develop relationships with industry influencers Build authentic connections with influential figures in your space before asking for anything in return. Comment thoughtfully on their content, share their work with meaningful additions, and look for opportunities to provide value to them first. ### 14\. Explore emerging social platforms Be an early adopter on promising new platforms where competition for attention is lower. Establish your presence with quality content before the space becomes crowded. Monitor platform demographics to ensure alignment with your target audience. ## Technical & user experience factors ### 15\. Conduct regular technical audits Use tools like Google Search Console and Screaming Frog to identify crawl errors, broken links, and other technical issues that might prevent search engines from properly indexing your content. Implement structured data to enhance your search result appearances. ### 16\. Exceed customer expectations Create remarkable experiences that customers naturally want to share. This could mean surprising packaging, personalized follow-ups, or unexpected bonuses. When you consistently delight customers, they become enthusiastic advocates who drive qualified traffic to your site. ### 17\. Feature expert interviews and roundups Invite industry experts to share insights through interviews or contribute to expert roundups. Create a streamlined process that makes participation easy, and promote the final piece extensively—both to your audience and by providing promotional materials for contributors to share. ### 18\. Contribute thoughtfully to online communities Identify forums, comment sections, and online communities where your target audience gathers. Focus on adding substantial value to discussions rather than dropping links. Establish yourself as a helpful community member first, and traffic will follow naturally through your profile links. > Remember that sustainable traffic growth comes from consistently delivering value across multiple channels. Implement these strategies with patience and persistence, measuring results to refine your approach over time. **Happy writing!** --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1a/09/1a0934e4-4fb9-4a20-9487-d358009b6c73/content/images/2025/07/Me-and-coffea.jpg-5-1-2-2.webp) ## Get smarter every Friday! Get my proven writing tips that turn your words into sales Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.