The Top Three Ways To Grow Your Newsletter

If you're reading this to learn the top three ways to grow your newsletter you hopefully already know your newsletter type and business model.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry...you can go back and learn all about this as well.

Here are two deep dives you can read to learn more as you dive into newsletter growth:

1. The Ultimate Guide To Newsletter Types And Formats
2. The Ultimate Guide To Newsletter Business Models

If you already feel like you know your newsletter type, format, business model, and ideal ESP (email service provider), and you're ready for some growth tactics, then you're in the right place.

For this one we're going to be discussing the top three ways to grow your newsletter:

1. Organic Content Growth
2. Organic Internal Growth
3. Paid Acquisition

The biggest section is going to be our organic content growth section, and will actually make up the majority of this deep dive, but I will also touch on some of the other tactics that you'll want to grow into, and when you should consider implementing them.

You'll get five quick actionable ways to increase subscriber count from your organic social content TODAY, so be ready to take action on some of these and inject them into your content plan and social feeds.

I'll also give you some examples for each of the other sections from some of my favorite creators, but each of them (Organic Internal Growth and Paid Acquisition) will definitely need individual article deep dives [at a later date] to be optimal.

📬 Organic Social Content (0 -> 100K+)

Organic social content is the number one way to grow your audience.

But we have to remember that social media is strictly a discovery platform, and our main goal is [almost always] to bring our social audience over to email, which is our relationship platform.

Discovery Platforms:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Threads
• Instagram
• Facebook
• TikTok
• YouTube
• SEO

And more...

But relationship platforms are much more scarce.

Relationship Platforms:

• Podcasts
• Newsletter (Email)
• Private communities (Discord, Circle, etc.)

And guess which of these remains to be the number one platform of all?

Email.

As you can see in the image above, Alex Leiberman (Co-Founder of The Morning Brew) ranks email the number one digital media channel, and Neil Patel shares the stats that show that email is where people spend the most time each day; continuing to confirm it is the most powerful relationship platform.

I have collected over a MILLION organic leads for Superhero Jacked's newsletter using SEO and social.

That said, the BEST newsletter subscribers come from LinkedIn and Twitter, where the users are used to reading written content.

And considering this is The WriterCreator, focusing on helping writer-creators write their way to digital freedom, we'll be focusing on tactics to implement to those two platforms for this section.

If that wasn't clear, you'll be getting 5 tactics to implement TODAY for your Organic Content Growth on:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Threads*

**LinkedIn and Twitter are proven and extremely successful, but these methods can also carry over to Threads as well in some ways.

📬Organic Growth Tactic #1: Comment CTAs

Our first organic growth tactic is Comment CTAs.

Note: CTA = Call To Action.

This works on LinkedIn, Twitter and Threads and each has an unique way of going about it.

As you can see in the image above:

1. Left Side: Justin Welsh uses a Comment CTA on Twitter, which is a comment below his own post telling you about his newsletter and sharing a link.
2. Right Side [Top]: I am sharing a bit about my newsletter, similar to how Justin Welsh does, but this time in the comment section of LinkedIn (and instead of adding a website link, I am adding a link to my profile; more on this below).
3. Right Side [Bottom]: I am showing another way you can add a comment on LinkedIn, showing a benefit of opting in and things they will get immediately. It's important to test your Comment CTAs to see which are performing the best.

Note: Each of these things comes with specific notes, and for the sake of these, follow the strategies we use on Twitter for Threads as well.

In terms of a Twitter Comment CTA, tools like Hypefury can automatically "plug" this for you, and you can set one or more Comment CTAs for them to add to your posts after a certain period of time. 

Note: The reason they get posted after a period of time is to negate the negative effect an external link can have on your post's reach.

With LinkedIn there are tools like Taplio that can help you with content, but I almost always recommend to avoid schedulers being that LinkedIn is super strict about them.

That said, you can also comment immediately on your own posts without being penalized on LinkedIn, BUT they hide comments with links in them, which is why you see me linking directly to my profile in my LinkedIn CTA examples above.

Quick Recap on Comment CTAs:

• Consistently test different Comment CTAs on each platform.
• Comment 1 hour later with a direct link or use a tool like Hypefury for Twitter Comment CTAs.
• Comment immediately on your LinkedIn posts, but don't use a direct external link, and instead link to your own profile.

Organic Growth Tactic #2: Bio and Banner CTAs

This one is extremely simple, but something a lot of people neglect.

I personally don't think the banner CTA is absolutely necessary, but it can be a nice bonus depending on how you structure your profile description.

Mine profile description is almost entirely built around my newsletter, so I didn't see any uptick with a different banner, but again, this takes testing.

The examples above are two of my favorite creators with massive newsletters:

• Ben Meer - System Sunday
• Eric Partaker - Peak Performance Insights

Both of them understand that their newsletters are their most important asset, and they put them front and center whenever you find their content (and overall social feeds).

I used LinkedIn images for the sake of showing you them side by side and also making them fit nicely in the image, but Ben replicates this same banner on Twitter as well (and Eric isn't very active on Twitter).

Big Takeaway: Make your newsletter the place where all roads end. Make it front and center any time you can. Add the link everywhere. Add it to your branding. Make people well aware that it exists and that they should be on it.

Organic Growth Tactic #3: Direct CTAs

This one seems obvious, but there are so many people who forget to use direct calls to actions in their content and on their social profiles.

The same way you need to add your newsletter directly to your profile description and the link in your bio (please don't use a LinkTree), you also need to take advantage of direct call to actions elsewhere.

In the image above we see Jade Bonacolta using the Featured Section on her LinkedIn profile and also adding a direct link in her LinkedIn post.

There is a time and a place for adding a direct link right in your post and being okay with the fact that the platform will restrict your reach because of it.

For example, you'll see Justin Welsh does this in A LOT of his posts. Sometimes directly to his newsletter, and sometimes directly to an article. 

The reason is this: The tradeoff for him to send his audience to the newsletter and convert new subscribers outweighs the fact that he may lose a bit of reach on his posts.

You need to start thinking from this mindset with some of your direct call to actions as well.

Here are some ways to use direct call to actions in your posts:

• Keep up with the algorithm and know the best trade-offs.
• Example: Right now on LinkedIn you can add your external link in your post an hour after posting to negate some of the hit on your reach.
• Decide when it is proactive to take the hit on reach to convert more.
• Example: I do this AT LEAST once per week, and it's almost entirely done with the next form of direct call to action - Teaser Call To Actions.

Organic Growth Tactic #4: Teaser CTAs

This next one stems right off of Direct CTAs but takes it to another level.

Teaser CTAs are calls to actions that are teasing the newsletter to come.

If your newsletter is interesting enough, as it should be, your newsletter should be used as a lead magnet. 

If your readers are coming for the newsletter content instead of for a lead magnet, they WILL be more engaged readers.

For that reason, this is one of my favorite CTAs out of this entire list.

Let's take a look at the examples and then we'll break down how it works:

1. Chenell Basilio [Left] - Growth In Reverse: Chenell does massive case studies each week, so the day before she sends them out she uses a teaser on Twitter like the one above. As you can see, she still waits to add her link in the comment section.
2. Mike Romaine (Me) [Right] - The WriterCreator: In this fake example I made for you, I am showing how can use a direct teaser CTA about the newsletter that will send out the following day. These types of CTAs are the highest converting for me.

Each of these are very similar, but let's break it down another layer just in case...

If you have a newsletter that sends out weekly, use a teaser CTA the day before each email which teases the following days content [with a direct CTA and external link right in your post].

Note: If you send out more than once a week you should restrict Teaser CTAs to 1-2X weekly, and make sure you are consistently testing.

Organic Growth Tactic #5: Lead Magnet CTAs

I have used Lead Magnet CTAs to get 99.9999% of Superhero Jacked's subscribers, and I have an extremely unique way of doing it that I teach in detail because it goes directly with my Welcome Offer Methodology that earns me an extra $50,000 per year.

So I definitely don't dislike lead magnets...

BUT, I also think that you need to be careful with the way you're using lead magnets to get your subscribers.

Lead magnets can attract freebie seekers and less engaged readers because they're specifically joining your list for a free reward.

That said, they can also be an extremely effective way to grow your list faster.

So once again we need to find the best middle ground between two things...with testing!

The Best Lead Magnets:

• Quick and Actionable
• 1-3 Easy To Read Pages
• PDFs, Cheatsheets, Templates

People don't know you yet. 

Your entire job with your lead magnet is to give them a quick win and build trust so that they continue engaging with your newsletter. 

If you send them a course, FOR FREE, chances are they're not even completing it, and you just devalued yourself while losing a shot at potential subscribers by not being more strategic about your lead magnet(s).

I like using the example above of Matt Barker's Lead Magnet because:

1. It's a topic everyone wants on LinkedIn (Hooks).
2. It's something he's good at (he's a writer/copywriter).
3. It's something that relates to the topic of his newsletter.
4. It's a quick one sheet win that people can take action on immediately.

It hits all the marks, which is why Matt can consistently use it, instead of trying to offer it scarcely.

Big Takeaway: Lead magnets CAN be amazing. They have made me over 7 figures. But they can also kill list quality if not done right. 

Insert Uncle Ben: "With great power comes great responsibility!"

📬 Organic Internal Growth (3-5K -> 100K+)

The next way to grow your newsletter is organic internal growth.

I write 3-5K -> 100K+ meaning you should likely wait to start using these strategies until you're around 3,000-5,000 or so subscribers to really get the best bang for your buck.

That said, there are some that can be implemented sooner depending on specific situations, and some that you may choose not to use entirely.

What do I mean by "internal" growth?

The only reason I'm calling it internal growth is because with these tactics you are specifically leveraging your current subscribers to gain more subscribers.

Which is exactly why having more subscribers makes these tactics more optimal.

Here are a few different ways you can do it:

• Referral Programs
• Referral Giveaways
• Recommendations
• Cross-Promotions

That said, I want to specifically focus on referral programs and recommendations for this one and save cross-promotions and referral giveaways (which I'm not a huge fan of) for a later date being that referral programs and recommendations are almost always easier and superior in terms of simplicity and efficiency for Solo Writer-Creator Newsletters.

The image you see above shows Chenell Basilio hitting 30,000 subscribers and in the comment section saying that referrals and recommendations are two of her largest growth engines.

At the time (and as I am writing this) Chenell has more or less halted her social posting on Twitter and LinkedIn and is primarily relying on referrals, recommendations and other sources.

So the same way we broke down individual tactics for Organic Social Growth above, I will also be doing a mini deep dive into referral programs and recommendations for you below.

Internal Growth Tactic #1: Referral Programs

I'm starting with referral programs because this is going to be a massive win for your newsletter growth when you eventually hit the point where you can make it effective.

The great thing about referral programs is you get to leverage all the hard work you did to grow your list by allowing your subscribers to refer your newsletter to their friends/family/network in exchange for rewards.

The other great part about referral programs is the fact that once you set them up, they essentially just continue to run themself (depending on your reward systems).

Note: The initial set up isn't hard, but I do want to make note of the fact that it can take some testing to land on the most optimal referral style for you. As we'll breakdown, there are many different things you can offer, and structures you can follow.

There are nearly unlimited ways you can structure your referral program to make it unique to you and your newsletter, but I want to take a look at two complete opposites to give you an idea of the range you can take this.

In the image above you see:

1. Marketing Max - Growth Daily: Growth Daily has a massive referral program like you'd normally see from a Media-Brand Newsletter (which makes sense, since it is one), and even levels you up all the way to mugs, hats and apparel as you refer more people.
2. Justin Moore - Creator Wizard: Justin's program is extremely simple. Refer one person and get the Secret Sponsorship Research. That's it. 

For Solo Writer-Creators my favorite is having a program that allows people to get something at the 5-10 referral mark (this also helps avoid people just using spam emails of their own email addresses to get a reward if it's only 1 referral needed). 

Pair a 5-10 mark referral program with something that they can get more than once, and you have yourself a big win.

Example: Some newsletters use referral programs that allows people to get a shoutout in the newsletter once they refer 5-10 people.

With Marketing Max's referral program we see an example that was made popular by Morning Brew (which also made the entire Media-Brand Newsletter business model popular as well), and something that larger brands really want to take advantage of considering volume is the main goal for revenue growth.

*You can read more about Newsletter Business Models here.

Internal Growth Tactic #2: Recommendations

The only reason I'm really adding recommendations here is to acknowledge them and make sure you're aware of them.

The tactic of using them isn't something that can really be "tactical" at all, outside of creating awesome content and networking - but if you do that, these can be extremely powerful.

So let's just start with what they are and how they work:

1. What They Are: newsletter recommendations are something that trigger after someone goes to sign up for your (or any) newsletter that has a pop up form, allowing you or another newsletter to show other creators/newsletters you recommend.
2. How They Work: Both ConvertKit and BeeHiiv have their own internal programs that allow you to recommend other creators and newsletters within their networks. So, for example, other creators can recommend your newsletter so that each time they're getting a subscriber you have a chance at getting one as well.
3. Bonus Note: These pop up forms can also show paid recommendations that can be used extremely tactfully as self liquidating offers for advanced growth with paid acquisition.

So, if it's not obvious, this one is going to come from (as I said above) having a strong network and valuable content that people feel comfortable recommending to their future subscribers.

📬 Paid Acquisition (5-10K -> 100K+)

We are not going to be doing a deep dive for this one being that there is a TON of depth that needs to be discussed before starting paid ads, but I do want to make mention to it because it SHOULD be a place you eventually want to scale to.

I write 5-10K -> 100K+ meaning you should likely wait to start using these strategies until you're around 5,000-10,000 or so subscribers to really get the best bang for your buck.

But, I say that without there being any finite meaning behind the numbers other than the fact that you should have some monetization and growth methods starting to get built up (and effective) at that point.

Example: By 5-10K subscribers you should have an idea of a good welcome offer you can make new subscribers joining your list, and also a value ladder that can make your money back from your ad spend.

If you're a Media-Brand Newsletter then you need to know other specific things about your metrics such as sponsorship opportunities, niche specificity, landing page optimization, and internal growth systems (to make the most out of your new subscribers).

The thing I want to point out here, though, is the fact that upwards of 90% of growth for Media-Brand Newsletters like Morning Brew and The Hustle was paid acquisition at a certain point.

And, as you can see above, it's extremely effective for Solo Writer-Creator Newsletters as well; especially when you can create what is referred to as a "Self Liquidating Offer" that allows you to make immediate sales to "self liquidate" ad spend, so that everything that comes after (purchases made throughout your value ladder, sponsorships, affiliates, etc.) are pure revenue on top of that ad spend.

We will be breaking down paid acquisition in much more depth in later deep dives, but for now just be aware that they are not 100% necessary, but are extremely effective for accelerating growth.

📬 Where do you start?

Organic Social Growth is almost always your starting point.

I should really call it Organic Discovery Platform Growth (to fit in SEO and other tactics), but for the sake of what we learn about the most here at The WriterCreator, I say "social" to imply LinkedIn and Twitter [because they have the best newsletter readers].

That said, you should be actively thinking about other growth strategies that you're going to implement over time as your newsletter grows.

Let's do a quick recap:

• Organic Social Growth: 0 Subscribers -> 
• Organic Internal Growth: 3,000-5,000 Subscribers ->
• Paid Acquisition: 5,000-10,000 Subscribers ->

And as I mentioned, these are not finite numbers (hence the fact that they're ranges), and you can decide when the best time to start is at your own discretion. 

All of these methods can go another few layers deeper, with some advanced growth tactics being available for each of them, but your focus right now should be Organic Social Growth Tactics.

What Should You Do RIGHT NOW?

1. Analyze your Social Growth Strategy and how it relates to your newsletter.
2. Begin implementing the strategies we covered above that you think would drive immediate uptick in subscriber growth.
3. Start making a plan to use teaser CTAs, brainstorm effective lead magnets, and thinking about future referral program offers.

We will be going much deeper in all these strategies (especially Internal Growth Tactics and Paid Acquisition) in the future, so get grinding on the Social Growth Tactics now so you're ready to implement advanced tactics!