Listen to the Episode
About a month or so ago, people went crazy for Trader Joe’s mini canvas bags. There were lines, there was pandemonium and people seemed to be losing their minds for these cute little totes. It reminded me of the Stanley Mug craze-the Trader Joe’s fandom wanted that damn bag. As a foodie, I’ve been a bit amused and bemused by how much I love Trader Joe’s it’s a grocer filled with air fryer snacks and seemingly random food whimsy. Is there a food scientist somewhere just dreaming up some of these combinations of food? One thing that I’ve realized recently is that I’m low-key addicted to the Aisle of Shame newsletter and I thought I would share some of the reasons why. Maybe you could apply these observations to your newsletter. One thing that needs to be clear-Aisle of Shame is NOT produced by Trader Joe’s. I was shocked.
Disclaimer
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Show Notes
I have no idea when the Aisle of Shame newsletter lands in my inbox. I just know that every week (typically at the beginning of the week) I get at least one addition of the newsletter and I set time aside to check out the different interesting tidbits shared in that week’s edition. I look at the following:
- Unique products that are shouts out
- Seasonal items that are offered for a limited time
- New ways to enjoy a fan favorite
- Funny takes
What Makes this Newsletter So Addictive
There are a number of reasons why Aisle of Shame is so good. I thought I would share a few.
- Unique takes on food culture specific to the grocer
- Rankings of specific types of food items such as best cheeses, crackers, etc.
- Actual Trader Joe’s/Aldi/Publix Audience feedback informs and guides the takes that the team at Aisle of Shame
- SEO-Search Engine Optimized Posts-The posts are unapologetically optimized for search but also to entice readers to click.
- Eat Smart: 7 Trader Joe’s Meals Under 500 Calories-And 7 Calorie Bombs
- This post is effective because we’re in the middle of May and people are trying to get fit and fabulous for summer
- New and Returning Items of the Week: Trader Joe’s (05/19-05/25)
- A fan favorite the Brazil Nut Body Scrub/Body wash and lotions were in this list.
- You scroll down the page because you’re curious to see what’s on the list
- The foods are a perfect fit for the time of year-I see you key lime pie.
- Don’t Miss These 61 Must-Try Trader Joe’s Summer Finds, Picked by a TJ’s Insider
- This was the list that I got really excited by, some of these foods I’d never heard of before but I wanted and would eat
- Eat Smart: 7 Trader Joe’s Meals Under 500 Calories-And 7 Calorie Bombs
Maybe I’m still in my big back season because of how well curated this newsletter is. You’re probably asking yourself-What does any of this have to do with YOUR NEWSLETTER? Glad you asked. Here’s some helpful tips.
How to Create an Addictive Newsletter
- Understand what your audience is OBSESSED WITH and then share it over and over again
- It may take you awhile to figure this out. Recently I was talking to some of my Creators Getting Paid community members and asked them what they would like to see more of in the newsletter. One of them said that they’d like to see more creator interviews. I love recording those interviews BUT I’d fallen out of the habit because of how busy I was this spring. I’m glad that I got this feedback. Guess who’s batching a ton of interviews next week so that this won’t happen again.
- Have an endless sense of curiosity about the topic of your newsletter-I love, love, love speaking to other creators and learning about different monetization strategies, communities-all the things.
- Design unique sections or content segments-In Aisle of Shame they have dedicated sections and content segments for each grocer. I have Podcasters Getting Paid as a section of Creators Getting Paid.
- Are you showing that you actually like your newsletter? Or, is it a chore? Do you design opportunities for your readers to be in community with you and to speak with you.
- Don’t assume that your readers have had the chance to read previous additions of your newsletter-Are you backlinking to previous editions
- Have you designed a content structure or editorial calendar that reflects that takes into account time of year, interest, urgency and wants and needs based on time of year and other external factors.
There are several other reasons why I am so addicted to Aisle of Shame ultimately, I want to ask you two other questions are you having fun with your newsletter? Are you batching at least some of your content and do you take a break from time to time so that you’re not always in content creation mode?
In my Creators Getting Paid I also explored the following question “How to Make Your Brand Eco-System as Addictive as Trader Joe’s”
