BOW Thought: Sundays Suck

One more, because I’m addicted to writing this newsletter!

A little beginning of the week newsletter…

…but when you read this, it will probably be Monday.

BOW Thought

Starting a newsletter has been…awesome.

It’s something I’ve had on my mind for a while, but never had the courage or mindset to just start.

Shout out to friends like Barry who told me to just do it.

James Clear wrote about the “2 minute rule” in his great book, Atomic Habits.

Essentially, if you’re procrastinating something, just do it for 2 minutes.

Especially if it’s something you don’t want to do.

You’ll be shocked at how the goal is really momentum, vs. finishing, and you often do whatever it is you’ve been putting off for more than 2 minutes anyway once the juices get flowing.

Well, this newsletter has felt like one, big “2 minute” exercise.

I start, I stop for a little, I start again to get the words right.

But most of all, I start, and I keep starting.

And in all honesty, it doesn’t take me a while to write a single newsletter.

Why? Because I’m constantly thinking about it.

I’ll read, and think of an idea. Run, and think of an idea.

I write notes on my phone. Threads. Scraps. Shards of ideas.

I encourage everyone to do the same, because referencing these notes has been helpful to me not only when I write, but also allows me to reflect on what I was even thinking in that moment.

And I’ve learned A LOT.

A lot that has made myself, a better marketer.

So what have I learned, from doing this newsletter:

#1. Sundays Suck

I used to devise a lot of marketing plans intended to reach people on Sundays.

The thought was that you’d catch them early in the week, and, especially for certain products like health and wellness, they’d resonate more as people aimed to get ahead.

Well, based on this newsletter, I was completely wrong.

No one reads my newsletter on Sunday.

They kind of do on Monday, but not really.

Why?

Because I’m the last fucking guy they want to hear from as they start their week.

Think about it. It’s Sunday. No, literally, it’s Sunday.

You’re anxious about the week ahead. You’ve got a big presentation coming down the pike. So you’re going to put off thinking about it by putting away your computer, or your email.

Or, you’re focused on football. It’s your one day of rest before work hits. Fuck reading, listening, writing, its TV time.

Or, you’re just trying to enjoy time with your family, after a busy week and a lazy Saturday. You’re going outside to touch some grass and enjoy that farmer’s market in town.

There are many things for you to do.

Most of them include parking your screens.

There’s a reason why the top 5 marketing channels for consumers are ones that can be experienced outside.

Because in this post-COVID world, people don’t want to be tied down to screens if they don’t have to, especially in the summer / fall when there is better shit to do.

And they don’t want to think about work on the weekend, especially in a culture that prioritizes remote work and 4-day work weeks over hustling.

In fact, the last thing they’d want to do is read a newsletter about work.

So if you plan media, try to resist Sundays, especially if you’re selling a work-related product. Just like a late Friday email, it’ll be ignored until Monday.

And yes, I know it’s ironic I’m writing this on a Sunday.

#2. Nighttime is lit

My best open rates are on Tuesday nights and Friday mornings.

Go figure.

Two times, I would have assumed, when people are checking out vs. checking email.

But there’s something there.

Evening for Millennials, which makes up most of my subscribers, isn’t the same as evening for our parents.

Their nights, media-wise, revolved around primetime TV.

Ours? It revolves around our phones.

TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

Maybe you’re also streaming something, but often, we’re lost in our phones.

And that includes email.

There is something interesting and untapped about nighttime media for Millennials.

There aren’t many nighttime newsletters. Puck has a few. There are EOD recaps from publishers like New York Times. Axios has PM.

But I don’t really think there is a “Morning Brew” for nighttime.

And that could be an opportunity. An opportunity for podcasts maybe too.

Friday mornings though? Can’t figure it out.

Maybe Friday productivity has plummeted so much post-COVID, that people distract themselves with Twitter, email, etc. during the work day than other days of week.

On Friday, we may be tied to our screens, but not tied to our work.

Maybe it’s the fact that I call it an “EOW thought,” and the thought of reaching the end of the week makes people feel good.

Really, I have no idea. But I’ll keep thinkin’ about it.

#3. Clicks (Also) Suck

My click-to-open rate is pretty bad. At least, by my standards.

It feels like it hovers in the 2-4% range, with the highest getting to 7-8%.

Cool, I guess?

I’ve already made my thoughts known on CTR’s.

But 2%, 8%, it doesn’t matter, I have felt the impact in the wild.

Texts. LinkedIn messages. Emails. Venmos. People telling me to keep going.

If I only looked at the click throughs, I’d be telling myself an incomplete, and paltry, story about the newsletter.

So it’s evidence, once again to:

• Not get caught up in clicks. They’re kind of bullshit. If anything, what kind of psychopaths are actually clicking these things? (Just kidding, you’re not psychos!)

• Broaden how you measure anything, and think of untraditional ways to assess impact. And remember - impact, at its core, should just be felt.

That’s it for now. I hope I have more learnings for you in the future.

And maybe even a logo. And those stickers.

But most of all, thank you all for reading, listening, writing me, commenting, and yes, even clicking.

I couldn’t do this without your support, to keep going, to keep thinkin’.

Hope this finds you well on Monday.

Stay thinkin,

Danny