Newsletter growth strategies are ephemeral, as platform algorithms and user behaviors change rapidly. Matt McGarry's journey from 0 to 50k subscribers involved cycling through Twitter, paid ads, LinkedIn, and YouTube as primary channels, highlighting the need for continuous experimentation.
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Unlike social media, where algorithms and platform changes control your reach, an email list is a durable asset you own. This provides stability and a direct line of communication, insulating your business from platform volatility and ensuring you can always reach your audience.
Modern algorithms can surface any single piece of content to a massive audience of non-followers, regardless of past performance. This means marketers are always just one breakout post away from significant reach, making consistent experimentation more important than ever.
Instead of traditional newsletter cross-promotions, Alex Garcia initiated 'newsletter-to-video' swaps. He promoted a creator's YouTube channel in his newsletter in exchange for them promoting his newsletter in one of their videos, tapping into a different and highly engaged audience format.
When choosing between platforms like Beehive, ConvertKit, and Substack, prioritize the one used by others in your niche. This maximizes your chances of being included in their recommendation networks, a powerful and often overlooked channel for subscriber growth.
Unlike standard posts that are subject to algorithmic reach, a LinkedIn newsletter sends an email directly to every subscriber's inbox. This provides a powerful, free distribution channel with nearly 100% deliverability, allowing marketers to guarantee their content is seen by their most engaged followers on the platform.
Social media algorithms are fickle and AI summaries are reducing referral traffic from search. Email newsletters are thriving because they provide a direct, reliable communication channel where creators truly own their audience and distribution, hedging against unpredictable platforms.
Leveraging his existing authority on LinkedIn, Tom Alder promoted his yet-to-be-released newsletter and built a 5,000-person waitlist. This strategy capitalized on the excitement of a launch, converting his social media following into an email audience before writing a single issue.
Matt McGarry's 'Big Three' strategy posits YouTube, podcasts, and newsletters as core media pillars. All other platforms, like LinkedIn or X, should be treated strictly as discovery channels. This framework clarifies their role as top-of-funnel tools, preventing creators from misallocating resources on platforms they don't own.
Running paid ads for a new newsletter is a mistake. First, prove you can convert an existing organic audience (e.g., from social media). If your core followers won't subscribe, there's a content or messaging mismatch. Paid ads will only waste money by scaling a message that doesn't resonate.
The idea of "peak newsletter" ignores the massive, untapped B2B market. Most businesses still don't use newsletters for top-of-funnel marketing. Following HubSpot's model with The Hustle, companies can acquire their ideal customers cheaply via email and nurture them, a far more efficient strategy than expensive direct lead generation.