How I'm Growing My Email List To 100k+ Subscribers

Summary

This video provides actionable advice for growing a successful media business or newsletter in 2025. Key strategies include leveraging text messaging for higher engagement, turning paid advertising into a reliable revenue source, and mastering one paid and one organic growth channel. The video also emphasizes the importance of diversifying revenue through both direct sales and sponsorships, and offering more than just newsletter ads, such as webinars, custom content, and lead generation. By focusing on these elements, businesses can achieve sustainable growth and increased profitability.

Takeaways

• 😀 Text messages have significantly higher open rates (80-100%) compared to newsletters (50%), making them a more effective communication tool.
• 😀 Using surveys to collect phone numbers allows for personalized engagement and can boost event registrations and customer acquisition.
• 😀 Learning to turn advertising into profit is crucial, especially as big tech platforms limit traffic and growth opportunities for businesses.
• 😀 Focus on mastering one paid advertising channel (e.g., Meta ads) and one organic growth channel to build a sustainable business.
• 😀 Relying solely on sponsorships for revenue is risky. Businesses need to diversify by also offering their own products or services.
• 😀 New media businesses should avoid heavy reliance on sponsorships unless they have a massive audience, as it’s harder to secure sustainable brand ad dollars.
• 😀 Newsletter ads, particularly primary ads, may not be as effective as dedicated marketing methods like webinars, lead generation, or custom content.
• 😀 Treat sponsors as marketing partners, offering more than just traditional ad placements. Consider providing webinars, custom content, and social media integrations.
• 😀 By offering value-added services like lead generation and custom content, you can charge higher rates and build longer-term relationships with sponsors.
• 😀 Every social platform has hundreds of millions or even billions of users, providing ample opportunities to acquire customers and subscribers.
• 😀 Mastering the art of selling, whether through direct product sales or advertising partnerships, is the key to long-term profitability in media businesses.

Q & A

Why are text messages considered more effective than email newsletters for engagement?

Text messages have a much higher open rate than email newsletters, with open rates typically reaching 80-100%. Even if users do not engage with the message, they still see it. In contrast, email newsletters often have open rates around 50%, meaning half of the audience might never see the content.

How can surveys help in building a more customized subscriber experience?

Surveys can be used to collect valuable information about subscribers, such as their preferences, interests, and contact details. This allows for a more personalized experience, enabling creators to tailor content, offer relevant products, and collect phone numbers or emails for future communication.

What is the main challenge with relying on big tech platforms for organic growth?

Big tech platforms, such as Meta, Google, and YouTube, prioritize keeping users on their platforms, which makes it increasingly difficult for businesses to drive traffic to external websites or grow email lists. These platforms want to keep users engaged with ads and content, rather than directing them off the platform.

How can learning to turn advertising into profit be beneficial for a business?

Learning to effectively turn advertising into profit is crucial because big tech platforms are incentivized to make advertisers successful. If you can convert traffic from paid ads into paying customers or generate revenue through sponsorships, your business can remain profitable even as organic growth becomes harder.

What is the recommended strategy for growing a business using both paid and organic channels?

It is recommended to master one paid growth channel (such as Meta ads) and one organic growth channel (such as a specific social platform or content strategy). Focusing on these two channels allows for more sustainable growth without spreading resources too thin across multiple platforms.

Why is it important to focus on selling products or services for a media business?

Selling a product or service is the primary way to generate revenue from an audience. A media business or creator needs to have a clear method of converting their audience into paying customers or obtaining sponsorships to stay financially viable.

What is the issue with a media business that relies too heavily on sponsorships for revenue?

If a business relies too heavily on sponsorships, especially without a large and established audience, it can be at risk. Sponsorships are not always guaranteed, and sponsors may not renew their contracts if they don’t see a return on investment. Over-dependence on sponsorships can create an unstable revenue stream.

What are primary ads in a newsletter, and why might they be ineffective for selling?

Primary ads in a newsletter are short ads, often located at the top of the email, that can generate some sales. However, they are less effective than dedicated marketing strategies such as custom content, webinars, or lead generation campaigns, as they are not as personalized or targeted.

How can media businesses sell better for sponsors beyond just running ads in their newsletters?

Media businesses can sell more effectively for sponsors by offering services such as webinars, sponsored social content, custom blog posts or emails, lead generation, and dedicated marketing campaigns. These options allow sponsors to see a clearer return on investment and enable the media business to charge higher rates for these services.

What should a media or creator business aim for in terms of revenue mix between direct sales and sponsorships?

A successful media or creator business should have a balanced revenue mix. While sponsorships can make up a portion of the revenue, it is important to not rely too heavily on them. Ideally, the mix might be 80/20 or 70/30, with a significant portion coming from direct product or service sales rather than sponsorships alone.