Make no mistake, the widely used phrase "Sign up for our free newsletter" sets just one expectation-- the newsletter is free! The future recipient is left to guess the frequency, as well as the content. Don’t be surprised when you see a high unsubscribe rate with the first drop.

Be extremely clear about what it is that you’ll be sending and how often you’ll be sending it. How about "Sign up for our free Daily Basket Weaving Tip"? Not only are the reader’s expectations clear, your editorial mission is clearly defined as well. No more internal brainstorming sessions on what your next newsletter should be about! Best of all, you’ll have a more devoted following from the get go.

Next: Step #3: Consider frequency