Instead of a standard acquisition, Sanchez bought newsletters and posed as a sponsor or guest writer to funnel subscribers to her own list. She would grow the acquired asset simultaneously and then sell it for a profit, effectively getting paid to acquire new subscribers.
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During a major launch, the creator continued sending her regular story-driven newsletter. By weaving in authentic stories related to the launch theme and a subtle CTA, these emails generated over $300,000, proving that connection-focused content can outperform hard sales pitches.
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.
The acquisition of Bari Weiss's newsletter by Paramount wasn't just a media sale; it was an 'acquihire' that made her Editor in Chief of CBS News. This demonstrates that a successful newsletter can serve as a powerful portfolio to secure top executive positions, not just to generate revenue or sell a media asset.
Instead of just buying leads from partners like wholesalers or agencies, consider acquiring them. If your business has a more effective way to monetize that deal flow (e.g., higher margins, better LTV), you can generate more profit from their leads than they can. This turns a variable marketing expense into a profit-generating asset.
Instead of paying for leads, buy established, profitable media outlets at low multiples (3-5x EBITDA). These brands, like Flying Magazine, generate profit while also serving as a powerful, trusted top-of-funnel engine for your other data or product businesses.
Don't dismiss 'smarmy' or fringe marketers. Groups like the early pick-up artist community, spammers, and hackers are often pioneers of highly effective copywriting and growth techniques. Because their success is existential, they relentlessly test and perfect methods that mainstream marketers later adopt.
Media companies can scale paid acquisition infinitely by selling a low-ticket digital product (e.g., a guide) on the thank-you page after a free newsletter signup. If even a small percentage buys, the revenue can offset ad costs, making subscriber growth free or profitable.
To acquire a trade magazine, a marketing agency owner bypassed complex valuations. He calculated his own cost-per-subscriber for his newsletter, multiplied it by the size of the magazine's email list, and made an all-cash offer based on that simple, tangible metric.
A marketing agency acquired its industry's largest trade publication not to become a publisher, but to create a powerful lead generation engine. Owning the trusted media source for his target clients (real estate agents) provided an unmatched top-of-funnel strategy, driving high-quality leads directly to his agency.
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.