QUICK POLL

THE MAIN THING

 📈 How To Deal With Bot Clicks In Your Newsletter

As newsletter publishers, we often put too much faith in our click data. 

The reality is that security bots can distort the performance of CTA links, especially on platforms that aren't great at filtering automated activity. 

You might think a link performed well, when in fact a swarm of bots simply crawled every URL in your newsletter. 

This creates a false sense of momentum and makes it harder to judge what your readers care about.

The simple solution to monitor bot clicks

3 easy steps:

1. Add a hidden link to your newsletter template and put it where your readers are unlikely to see it or click it. This could be a tiny transparent image or a period styled as a link in your footer. 

Here's an example from Louis Grenier's newsletter. You can see the period containing the link right after the '7' in his address.

2. Send any clicks on the link to a unique URL you can track. Your readers won't notice it, but bots will click it because they scan every element of your message.

3. Monitor the clicks on that hidden link. If you send to 1,500 subscribers and see 375 clicks on the hidden link, you have roughly 25% bot traffic. Apply that percentage to all your click data.

If the link gets very few clicks, you can trust your engagement data with a bit more confidence.

This easy addition to your newsletter helps you make better judgment calls about the effectiveness of your content. It also avoids the confusion that comes from celebrating results that were never driven by real readers.

Have you tried this in your newsletter? 

Reply with the name of your ESP and the percentage of bot clicks you see, and I'll report back on the data next time.

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THINGS IN BRIEF

1. Send your readers to dinner

What if you could get your readers together IRL for a 'branded' dinner experience?

This is exactly what River offers. Their platform lets you match up your audience for 6-person dinners while they take care of all the arrangements.

This is ideal if you have a local newsletter, but it could work for your readers if they live in the same town or city. 

Bonus: You can earn revenue from these dinners.

2. Revelations from a 37,000 subscriber newsletter

Matt Brown runs the popular 'Extra Points' newsletter. 

With a large subscriber base and digital products on offer, you'd assume that all is well. But, last week, Matt opened up about the challenges of turning his newsletter into a business and his need to remove himself from the tasks slowing him down.

A couple of revelations in his yearly overview surprised me, and I know you'll relate to several of his concerns.

3. What you need

If you don't feel 'ready' to work on something new and believe you need more resources to begin, it's often because you're procrastinating or fearful. The best way to overcome that is to start!

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ONE LAST THING

☝️ 2 reasons to ditch 'filler' content

It's tempting to add 'filler content' to your newsletter. Don't do that.

It's better to send a shorter newsletter than to put something in each section because you feel like you have to.

Only include content you truly believe is valuable to your readers.

One way to ensure you provide value content every time is to ask yourself two questions:

1. If someone sent me this link, how happy would I be to receive it?

2. Would I share this content with everyone I know who's in this industry/business/space?

If the answer is no, leave it out.

Do you ever skip a section in your newsletter?

Reply with a 'Yes' or 'No.'