[This is guest post by Corey Haines of Swipewell.app]

Every newsletter writer needs their own swipe file.

A swipe file is a collection of email and newsletter examples to use for inspiration.

Steve Jobs said “good artists copy, great artists steal.”

With a swipe file, you’ll never run out of ideas ever again.

Don’t have one yet?

I’ll show you exactly how to build the most valuable resource you’ll have in your career.

(image via Corey Haines @ Swipewell.app)

The first step is to get the right SOURCES of inspiration.

Save every...

  • ad placement
  • launch email
  • subject line
  • newsletter CTA
  • welcome email

...you come across that leaves an impression on you.

In just weeks, you'll have a library of killer material to emulate.

This will make your life 10x easier.

Pay attention to what grabs your attention.

Every time:

  • An ad makes you click
  • A CTA makes you buy
  • A subject line makes you read

Add it to your swipe file.

Some people say don’t pay attention to your competitors.

I call B.S.

You should pay attention to what works and doesn’t work for your competitors.

Learn from them, but don’t copy them.

  • Sign up for their email lists
  • Go through their funnels
  • Study their welcome emails
  • Map out their automations

Here are some sites for email inspiration:

Here are some sites with tons of great marketing examples (more emails here too):

These are the best 3 methods I’ve found to build a swipe file you’ll actually use:

  • Notion
  • Gmail
  • SwipeWell

Let’s take alook at each one.

Notion

You can make Notion as simple or as sophisticated as you'd like. I opt for simplicity.

First, create a table and name it something like “Swipe File.”

If you want to save emails to Notion, there’s a handy Gmail add-on called “Save to Notion” you can find in the Google Workspace Marketplace.

Now, you don’t need or even want a lot of columns. My suggestion is to only add one additional column for tags. Here, you can go crazy and add all the tags you want for each item you swipe. Too many filtering mechanisms and you end up not wanting to do any filtering.

You can also create a “Gallery” view that makes each item a card for more visual reference.

Gmail

In Gmail, any email that you receive can be tagged with labels like “swipe file” or “newsletters.”

You can even set up rules for filters within Gmail to automatically label emails from a certain sender so you don’t have to do it manually.

First create a filter and hit 'Continue'
Then apply a 'Newsletters' label.

SwipeWell

SwipeWell provides a unique forwardable address that makes it super easy to swipe emails straight from your inbox.

Remember:

The most important thing you need to know about building a swipe file is to just start.

The best time to start a swipe file was a few years ago. The second best time is right now!

Start now and you’ll never run out of ideas for your newsletter ever again.

Create a FREE Swipewell account and get started today: Swipewell.app