My journey with the ‘Last Week in Denmark’ newsletter began after a chance encounter with Sophie Kloppert at the International Citizens Days. I was instantly taken by the concept of a free, English-language newsletter that doesn’t clutter your inbox. Sundays have always been my day of relaxation, ideally spent with a cup of tea on the balcony, weather permitting, immersing myself in the news. Rejecting a TV at home might seem old-fashioned, but it doesn’t mean we’re disconnected – we do enjoy Netflix and DRTV among others.
Coming from a family steeped in journalism, I’ve always been captivated by different journalistic styles. As an anthropologist myself, the power of words and their impact on readers fascinate me deeply. This newsletter, particularly the writing style of author Narcis George Matache struck a chord with me. He simplifies complex stories without underestimating the reader’s intelligence, providing the necessary context to each piece.
When a subscriber competition was announced, my initial goal was simple – win the ethnic bag or T-shirt. I thought hard about how to promote the newsletter. A generic plea for subscriptions seemed too impersonal. So, I started with a basic but heartfelt message: ” Hey …,I wanted to let you know about this incredible newsletter I’ve found. It’s all about Denmark, delivered in English. The best part? It lands in your inbox only on Sundays and is absolutely free. Feel free to subscribe here: [link].”
Sharing this with my friends in Denmark quickly paid off – I won a t-shirt! But then doubt crept in when I couldn’t find my name on the leader board. Was it all a scam? I shrugged it off and decided to sleep on it. Yet, curiosity got the better of me, and the next day I was thrilled to discover I was leading in subscriptions!
To maintain my lead, I revised my strategy. I reached out across my networks – WhatsApp groups, Danish classmates, LinkedIn connections, and even former colleagues. A habit of mine is to keep detailed notes on people I meet – from taxi drivers to attendees at networking events – and this proved invaluable. I simply searched for ‘Denmark’ or ‘CPH’ in my contacts to broaden my reach.
I shared the newsletter’s merits in large groups, often being mistaken as the initiator, which gave me opportunities to talk more about it. After initially thinking I’d exhausted my contacts, the race for the top spots intensified. It was then I learned the grand prize was a laptop, something I hadn’t thought I needed until my husband, mentioned his laptop broke. This reignited my determination. What could be a better gift than this?
I personally reached out to acquaintances, explaining them how even a few additional subscribers through a chain reaction could make a huge difference. Their overwhelming support and positive feedback on the newsletter were humbling.
In the end, it was this community spirit and our collective faith in the newsletter’s ethos that maintained my leading position. I’m not just thrilled about winning; it’s more about how we all came together for a cause we believed in – spreading thoughtful, well-written news about Denmark to the international community here. A huge thank you to everyone who subscribed!
To all the readers out there, I want to highlight that this newsletter does an outstanding job of offering a weekly roundup of all Danish news in English. For a sense of belonging in a new country, it’s vital to invest time in understanding its societal framework and operations through such news.
