I don’t write until I have to. Until I’m under pressure. Feeling guilty.

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So here we go: I've had my coffee. Grabbed a second cup of coffee in a final act of defiant procrastination. And now I’m ready.

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And then Groundhog Day: that blinking cursor. What am I going to write about? Where’s that list of great ideas I’ve been jotting down in my Notes app? Shoot - those all suck. I’m stuck.

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The Blinking Cursor Problem

To get unstuck, I want to do some research to find some inspiration: what’s trending, what are my subscribers talking about, what can I help with, what does the data tell me?

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But I don’t have time for all that - I’m already behind the eight ball.

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The first rule of email marketing is launch. We must be regularly visible to our audience.

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The second rule of email marketing is to have something worth saying every time. We’re talking to our most valuable customers and prospects - we have a responsibility to deliver value for them.

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The tension between quantity and quality collides at the blinking cursor - the moment we sit down to create our next newsletter.

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I Don’t Have Time To Get Lost in Research

The problem with research is that you never reach the end. But you always feel like you're just about there, so you keep going.

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It’s a wormhole of Google tabs, YouTube videos, white papers, ChatGPT threads, Reddit posts, and tons of interesting side doors.

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I'm like a lost kid, sure that I'm one turn away from finding my way home. Sure that I'm about to find the perfect stat or killer quote that makes me exhale and think, "Now I definitely won't make a fool of myself."

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My Recipe for Newsletter Research

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of industry news and blogs
• 3 tablespoons of social media insights
• 2 teaspoons of Google Search trends
• 1 teaspoon of historical email data
• Equal pinches of anxiety and creativity

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Instructions:

1. Set a timer for 60 minutes. Research is important, but it can't go on forever.
2. Skim the latest industry news and blogs (1 cup). Look for common themes, surprising statistics, or contrarian opinions that catch your eye.
3. Scan social media (3 tablespoons) to see what your audience is talking about. What questions are they asking? What content are they sharing? Let their interests guide you.
4. Do a quick check of Google Search trends (2 teaspoons). Is there a critical mass of interest around one theme?
5. Look at your own performance data (1 teaspoon). Which past newsletters got the most engagement? Do you see any patterns in subject lines or topics?
6. When the timer goes off, stop researching. Pick the angle that excites you most and start writing, even though you won't feel "ready."

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There is no perfect recipe for newsletter research. What matters most is consistently showing up for your audience, letting their needs guide your focus, and drinking good coffee (feel free to substitute your procrastination method of choice).