Newsletters often get a bad rap, like that clingy ex who just wants to ‘check in’. But when done right, they can be one of the most powerful tools in your marketing toolkit. After all, in theory you are putting yourself directly into your customers’ inbox. Whether you’re a start-up, a service provider, or a solo consultant, a newsletter can keep you front of mind, relevant, and genuinely helpful.

So newsletters still matter, but why?

• Stay Front of Mind (Without Being Annoying)
  
  A regular newsletter keeps your name in your customers’ inboxes in a way that feels natural, not forced. You’re not (at least not often) shouting “buy now!”, you’re gently reminding them you exist, and that you’ve got something worthwhile to say.
  
• Share the News
  
  New team member? New service? Flash sale? Your newsletter is the perfect place to share these updates without relying on the social media algorithm gods to show your post to more than five people.
  
• Drive Traffic to the Mother Ship
  
  Your newsletter isn’t the final destination, it’s the bus that takes readers back to your website. Every edition should have at least one clear call to action, a “click here to learn more” moment, whether that’s a blog post, a product page, or a snazzy video. It’s great if you’re newsletter is being opened and read, but the ultimate aim is to drive traffic and hopefully increase sales. 

When You Might Want to Hit Pause

• You Don’t Actually Have a Contact List
  
  If you’re thinking about starting a newsletter but your contact list consists of your mum and three ex-colleagues… maybe hold off. A newsletter without a real audience is just shouting into the void. Not only that, it is using your valuable to time with no real pay off. In fact, you might notice that at the time of writing this blog, Clear Coast Solutions does not have a newsletter.
  
• You’re Killing It Elsewhere
  
  Already got a strong, active presence on a social media platform? If that’s working for you and your audience is fully engaged there, you might not need a newsletter, though it could still be a helpful complement.

A Few Newsletter No-Nos

• Don’t Spam the Innocent
  
  Adding people to your list who haven’t subscribed? Big no-no. Not only is it uncool it’s also a potential breach of data protection laws. These laws are becoming more protective with potentially serious fines for spamming without being asked. Always go for opt-in. Most newsletter tools have built in opt-in tools, make sure you use them.
  
• Don’t Send Junk
  
  If you don’t have anything useful, interesting, or entertaining to say… maybe skip a week. No one wants an inbox full of “just touching base” emails. It’s an easy way to become invisible, or to drive people to unsubscribing. Speaking of which…
  
• Don’t Make It Hard to Unsubscribe
  
  Seriously. If someone wants out, let them go. Making it difficult to unsubscribe is a great way to turn a mild annoyance into a full-on grudge. Remember those data protection laws we mentioned? They cover the unsubscribing process as well.

Final Thoughts

A good newsletter should feel like a friend dropping by with useful advice, not a cold call in email form. When you have something to say and people who want to hear it, a newsletter can be one of your strongest assets. Just be sure you respect the inbox.

Need help putting together regular content for your newsletters? Then drop us a line.

Mik Jennings

Working in the dive industry since 2003, Mik has over 3,000 dives as an instructor, liveaboard cruise director, and boat manager. In 2011, Mik dried off his dive gear and worked as a reservations consultant, marketing manager, and commercial manager for Master Liveaboards, working alongside countless dive businesses around the world. From time to time he blows the dust off his gear again to dive in some of the best destinations from Komodo to the Azores, from the Red Sea to the Galapagos Islands. In 2025 Mik co-founded Clear Coast Solutions, with his wife Fefe, as a digital business consultancy to help small and medium sized dive businesses.