Podcasts about sparkloop

Meeting summary for Sparkloop Writer MBA Membership call (02/20/2024)Quick recapThe team explored various strategies for monetizing their subscribers, such as a partner program, magic links, and referral programs. They also discussed the effectiveness of targeting "whale readers" on Facebook and the potential of combining fiction and non-fiction content. Additionally, they discussed different ways to monetize their book-selling business, including sponsorships, products, and subscriptions. The challenges of earning through referral links and the cost and benefits of subscriber acquisition in the nonfiction space were also discussed.SummaryCross-Promotion and Monetization StrategiesRussell proposed the use of magic links for cross-promotion among fiction authors, highlighting that the earnings could vary depending on the number of subscribers. Monica raised questions about the cost and potential return on investment, which remained unresolved. The team discussed various strategies for monetizing subscribers on their email list, including a partner program and the use of magic links and partner links in emails. The importance of understanding the subscriber's profile, interests, and demographics was stressed. The idea of targeting 'whale readers' was also discussed.Facebook Ads, Network Fee, and Revenue GenerationThe meeting focused on the advantages of targeting "whale readers" on Facebook, emphasizing its effectiveness and potential for generating revenue, particularly for those just starting. The team also discussed the implementation of a network fee model that would generate revenue from advertisers, highlighting no upfront costs and fees from Stripe and a network fee. Monica and Russell also discussed the potential for authors to generate additional revenue through the Earn side, without a focus on growth. They explored the possibility of combining fiction and non-fiction content and the potential for authors to be successful in multiple partner programs. Cole highlighted potential complications depending on the email platform used, but confirmed the possibility with ConvertKit. The group also discussed changes in pricing, with Cole mentioning the removal of platform fees. Russell emphasized the low-risk nature of this strategy, especially for those with a large subscriber base. Monica concluded by summarizing that the Creator Pro account is still required for the referral program, but there is no additional fee.Referral Program and Sparkloop Partner DiscussionThe team discussed a referral program that incentivizes users to share newsletters with friends and family in exchange for rewards. Cole clarified that the program is a growth tool that can be integrated with other vendors, reducing the need for physical merchandise. Monica, new to the platform, found the program names and offerings confusing, but appreciated the clarification. Cole agreed to send out an email detailing the platform's specific offerings. Russell shared his experience with the Sparkloop partner program, highlighting its benefits and the rigorous approval process for platform users. He also emphasized that users are only charged if they meet the set qualifications, and there is no charge for unsubscribed, non-opening, or disqualified users. Cole was about to present Russell's account details on screen for a more detailed discussion.Publisher Onboarding and Ad Spend Cap DiscussionThe team discussed the onboarding checklist for publishers, with Cole explaining the process and setting payment preferences. Russell inquired about the minimum ad spend per month, to which Cole confirmed a $2,000 cap with a light partner program in the works. The conversation also touched on the impact of the cap on lead quality and screening, and Cole explained their strategy to optimize based on performance. Monica asked about recommended screening methods and email campaigns. Cole suggested a sequence of 5 emails to optimize click rates and mentioned that they provide templates for these sequences. The team agreed to continue the discussion via email. They also discussed the potential for fiction authors to benefit from networks like Bookbub and acknowledged the diverse interests of many readers.Subscribe Autopilot Feature DiscussionRussell, Monica, and Cole discussed the functionality of their partner network, focusing on the "Subscribe Autopilot" feature. Cole clarified that this feature automatically adds all publications within their network, allowing users to choose specific ones if they prefer a curated list. The team concluded that this feature is useful for optimizing revenue per subscriber and adaptable to user preferences. The team also discussed setting up and managing accounts on Sparkloop and ConvertKit, with Russell expressing concerns about users not opening important confirmation emails. Cole emphasized the importance of having a dedicated account representative, with the team also discussing the potential of using ConvertKit for cross-promotions among authors.Monetizing Book-Selling Business StrategiesMonica and Cole discussed various ways to monetize their book-selling business, including sponsorships, products, and subscriptions. They also considered the use of a low ticket/high ticket product framework. Russell emphasized the importance of having a large mailing list for sponsorships to be profitable. The topic of using Sparkloop for monetization was also discussed, with Cole explaining how it can automatically reject certain subscribers to avoid costs. The group also explored the idea of a self-liquidating offer as a potential strategy for monetization. However, Cole mentioned that they currently lack data on the timing of when subscribers make purchases.Health, Welfare, Relationships, and Strategic Content PackagingMonica and Cole discussed various categories that fall under the umbrella of health, welfare, and relationships. Cole shared insights from Justin Welsh about these categories, suggesting that content should be packaged strategically, keeping in mind the cost and value it provides. He also emphasized the importance of being specific when solving a variety of problems. Towards the end, Cole invited attendees to reach out to him via email for further discussions and assistance. Russell concluded by highlighting the benefits of Sparkloop for advertising and marketing, emphasizing its cost-effectiveness and ability to maximize returns.Subscriber Acquisition and Monetization StrategiesRussell and Monica discussed the cost and potential benefits of subscriber acquisition in the nonfiction space, suggesting that a cost of around 50 to 60 cents per subscriber is reasonable. They also touched on the challenges of earning through referral links, with Russell mentioning that he had a low success rate. Monica emphasized the importance of monetizing their current audience and using advertising to grow. They also discussed the potential of low ticket offers, with Russell suggesting that a series of books could be a good low ticket offer. The conversation ended with Monica emphasizing the importance of creating a self-liquidating offer.Self-Liquidating Offers: Challenges and StrategiesMonica and Russell discuss the challenges of creating successful self-liquidating offers for retailers and the importance of self-optimizing offers for authors. They talk about the difficulty of creating self- liquidating offers and the need to find a way to grow an author's career by becoming revenue-neutral or making a profit from a series. Russell explains that self- Liquidating offers are the only game in town for authors, and he hates audience growth and optimization. Monica shares her experience with this approach and how it can be exhausting for her. They agree that the best way to achieve self-Liquidating offers is to find an offer that is expensive enough to drive traffic for free and keep scaling up until it becomes profitable.Next steps• Cole will share the hub of email templates with Monica for their email after the meeting.• Cole will work on getting data on the timing of when someone joins a newsletter and when they make a purchase. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.writermba.com/subscribe

Check out the tools I use for my newsletter business:➡ Beehiiv – Build and monetize your newsletter: [https://www.beehiiv.com?via=chris-koerner]➡ SparkLoop – Grow your list with co-reg: [https://dash.sparkloop.app/signup?aff=b0c6f403]I'm back with another Q&A episode! This week, I advise Dustin on recovering from business failure, suggesting he consider buying a business and exploring local opportunities. Then, I help Demetrius focus his many ideas, suggesting he validate them with online tools rather than launching them right away. I also talk about focusing on improving your current business and getting more customers. Finally, I discuss the power of newsletters with an anonymous listener, explaining the benefits of co-registration and using Facebook ads to drive traffic, as well as recommending Beehiiv and SparkLoop.Using these links gets you a discount and helps support this podcast.

Matt and Ryan talk about the takeaways from the newsletter conference, the B2B industry, the pros and cons of ads or promotions in newsletters, newsletter ideas, and many more.Want more content like this?Join Newsletter Operator for more strategies on how to grow and monetize your newsletter here: NewsletterOperator.comWork with Ryan's agency Tailwind Work with Matt's agency GrowLetterFollow Matt McGarry @JMatthewMcGarry and Ryan Carr @ryan_boat on Twitter.Episode Topics & Timestamps00:00 B2B newsletters are confident moneymaking plays.04:44 Creating podcasts, newsletters, and social media content drives business. Monetizing as a media company with ads/courses/memberships. B2B media is more lucrative than B2C. Sell directly to the audience for business growth.06:36 Media companies struggle with ads, and B2B creators thrive.10:17 Focusing on the specialized audience for high value.13:03 Workweek thesis: Identify niche industries for influence.17:34 Generate immediate revenue through targeted advertising strategies.19:52 Text blasts boost webinar registrations, and powerful marketing.25:12 Influencer marketing: finding underpriced attention is key.27:28 Smaller newsletters offer better advertising opportunities.31:37 Consider higher CPA for better long-term value.34:15 Many subscribers sign up for multiple newsletters.37:34 Prefer widget installation for faster revenue generation.40:33 Automated newsletters can be customized for relevance.44:45 Automated sequence customized for life events.46:02 Create a newsletter portfolio to build relationships.49:09 Leverage Facebook, content, and SEO for marketing.52:31 Publish podcast, send a screenshot for an invite. Live call.

Enjoying the podcast? Then you'll LOVE the Send & Grow newsletter where we share deep dives, tips, and news for smart newsletter operators like you.WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE >>==================================Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Josh Spector—marketing strategist and publisher of For The Interested: a one-paragraph newsletter for experts with simple, proven ways to use writing to grow your business.Josh has been publishing For The Interested for 8 years and has built a substantial following transforming his insights into a pivotal resource for experts aiming to monetize their skills.In this episode, Dylan & Josh explore:Rapid Growth Techniques: How can small, daily actions significantly boost your newsletter subscriber count? Josh unveils practical, bite-sized strategies.Engagement Metrics: What's the single most telling metric for newsletter success, and how can it guide your content strategy?Advertisement Innovation: Why traditional newsletter ads fail and how a simple shift in focus can multiply your click-through rates.Revenue Boosting Moves: Josh discusses straightforward levers you can pull to dramatically increase your newsletter's income.A Thought-Provoking Take: Are we really in a newsletter bubble? Josh shares his unique perspective on the state of the newsletter industry....and much moreOTHER LINKS MENTIONEDFor The Interested newsletterJoshSpector.comSkill Sessions (sign-up and receive a $100 Amazon GC—listen to the end of the episode to find out how!)Josh on LinkedInJosh on TwitterDylan on Twitter/XSparkLoop Certified Experts DirectorySparkLoop's Paid Recommendations — the game-changing way to instantly monetize your newsletter.SparkLoop Partner Programs — grow your newsletter at 10x speed.SparkLoop Affiliate Contest — recommend other newsletters to SparkLoop for a chance to win a FREE trip to Cancun!

Enjoying the podcast? Then you'll LOVE the Send & Grow newsletter where we share deep dives, tips, and news for smart newsletter operators like you.WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE >>==================================Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Gunnar Holm of Grow Joy, a newsletter growth agency focusing on paid Meta ads.In this episode, Dylan & Geoff discuss…The Genesis of Lookout Media: how Geoff identified a niche for local newsletters in Canada's media landscapeKeys to Local Newsletter Success: the essential elements that have fueled Lookout Media's growth and how they differentiate themselves from other local mediaInnovative Growth Strategies: learn how Lookout Media expands its reader base in competitive cities.Monetization Mastery: Geoff shares Lookout Media's unique formula for reliable & diversified revenue.Expanding the Scope: why they've branched into food journalism and how diversification has enriched their offerings and audience engagementValuable Advice for Operators: Geoff offers tips for local media operators based on his experiences, successes, and failures....and much moreOTHER LINKS MENTIONEDLookout MediaVancity LookoutOttawa LookoutGeoff on LinkedInGeoff on TwitterDylan on Twitter/XSparkLoop's Paid Recommendations — the game-changing way to instantly monetize your newsletter.SparkLoop Partner Programs — grow your newsletter at 10x speed.SparkLoop Affiliate Contest — recommend other newsletters to SparkLoop for a chance to win a FREE trip to Cancun!

Enjoying the podcast? Then you'll LOVE the Send & Grow newsletter where we share deep dives, tips, and news for smart newsletter operators like you.WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE >>==================================Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Gunnar Holm of Grow Joy, a newsletter growth agency focusing on paid Meta ads. In this episode, Dylan & Gunnar discuss…→ The Dominance of Meta Ads: why Gunnar uses Facebook & Instagram ads as a newsletter growth platfrom→ Crafting High-Converting Ad Creatives: the secrets behind creating ad content that feels native to social platforms, significantly lowering your cost per acquisition→ The Power of Targeting and Retargeting: how specific targeting and leveraging lead magnets can drastically improve growth→ Landing Page Optimization: learn the essentials of a high-converting landing page → Innovative Growth through Paid Recommendations: how Gunnar uses SparkLoop to offset ad costs and achieve rapid growth without breaking the bank→ Practical Advice for Newsletter Operators: actionable tips you can apply to your newsletter growth strategy immediately→ ...and much moreOTHER LINKS MENTIONEDGrowJoy.co (Gunnar's Growth Agency)Gunnar on LinkedInGunnar on TwitterDylan on Twitter/XSparkLoop's Paid Recommendations — the game-changing way to instantly monetize your newsletter.SparkLoop Partner Programs — grow your newsletter at 10x speed.SparkLoop Affiliate Contest — recommend other newsletters to SparkLoop for a chance to win a FREE trip to Cancun!

Enjoying the podcast? Then you'll LOVE the Send & Grow newsletter where we share deep dives, tips, and news for smart newsletter operators like you.WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE >>==================================Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Ryan Sneddon of Naptown Scoop, a pioneering local newsletter dedicated to Annapolis, Maryland.In less than four years, Ryan's grown Naptown Scoop to a full-fledged local media business with a small staff and a target annual revenue of $350k. He plans to grow to over $1M in revenue in the upcoming few years—all from a local newsletter with under 18k subscribers. In this episode, Dylan & Ryan explore:The Genesis of Naptown Scoop: How Ryan's dissatisfaction with traditional employment pathways led him to create a local newsletter that now connects thousands.Overcoming Growth Challenges: Strategies and insights on expanding a local newsletter's reach and engagement, including the pivotal role of community involvement.Monetization Pathways: From direct advertising to innovative community events, Ryan shares how Naptown Scoop has turned local attention into a thriving business model.The Power of Local Influence: How owning a local newsletter opens unparalleled opportunities for business ventures, partnerships, and community impact.Future Visions: Ryan's ambitious plans for Naptown Scoop and advice for aspiring newsletter creators looking to make a difference in their communities....and much more, including Ryan's candid thoughts on the balance between being a local 'celebrity' and a committed newsletter operator.OTHER LINKS MENTIONEDNaptown Scoop newsletterThe Life of Scoop newsletterRyan on LinkedInRyan on TwitterDylan on Twitter/XSparkLoop's Paid Recommendations — the game-changing way to instantly monetize your newsletter.SparkLoop Partner Programs — grow your newsletter at 10x speed.SparkLoop Affiliate Contest — recommend other newsletters to SparkLoop for a chance to win a FREE trip to Cancun!

You've started an email list but now what? How do you add more subscribers and grow your audience? This episode looks at a strategy for email list growth called "newsletter swaps." A newsletter swap is a cross-promotion you do with another newsletter operator. We'll talk about the benefits of doing swaps, how you do them, who to do them with and a few pitfalls to avoid before you start your collabs. You'll love this episode if: You're growing your email newsletter You're thinking about cross-promotions You appreciate a good "how to" Find your buyers faster with the Low Energy Leads newsletter: https://read.lowenergyleads.com Mentioned in this episode: Episode on starting your list: https://www.lowenergyleads.com/2 Episode on email list experiments: https://www.lowenergyleads.com/15 My newsletter swap page: https://lexroman.com/swaps Lettergrowth: https://lettergrowth.com/ InboxReads: https://inboxreads.co/ Reddit (newsletters): https://www.reddit.com/r/Newsletters/ ConvertKit Creator Network: https://creatornetwork.convertkit.com/ Beehiiv Creator Network: https://www.beehiiv.com/features/recommendations Sparkloop: https://sparkloop.app/ Lenny's tweet on cross-promo: https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1581331300325109765?lang=en Matt McGarry's newsletter for list growth: https://www.newsletteroperator.com/ Jamie's Minimalist Hustler newsletter: https://minimalisthustler.com/ Josh Spector's newsletter for creatives: https://fortheinterested.com/subscribe Connect with Lex Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lexroman.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://read.lowenergyleads.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexroman⁠⁠⁠⁠ Toolkit: ⁠⁠⁠https://lexroman.com/toolkit⁠⁠⁠ Buy Me a Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lexroman ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sponsor This episode is brought to you by Space Cookie Designs, shipping out of this world web design. Stacey Nicholls with Space Cookie Designs is all about elevating your online presence from “Oops, still working on it” to “Oh wow, you HAVE to see my site!" Learn more at thespacecookie.com Credits Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!) | License code: CYHCUU5DLPVC8OTQ  Thank you for being part of the Low Energy Leads community! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lex-roman/message

Enjoying the podcast? Then you'll LOVE the Send & Grow newsletter where we share deep dives, tips, and news for smart newsletter operators like you.WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE >> ==================================Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. In this episode, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop sits down with Alex Brogan of Faster Than Normal.Faster Than Normal began as a curiosity-fuelled project but has quickly evolved into a vital resource for over 70k+ subscribers who are learning insightful mental models, concepts, and frameworks for personal growth.In this episode, Dylan and Alex discuss...The Genesis of Faster Than Normal: How Alex's journey from an early passion project to a substantial newsletter unfolded.Strategic Growth Tactics: The pivotal role of social media, LinkedIn's fertile ground, and leveraging platforms like SparkLoop and Refind for exponential subscriber growth.The Pitfalls and Peaks: Lessons learned from experiments in growth strategies, including the underestimated power of paid and organic recommendations.Monetization Insights: From sponsored content to affiliate marketing, discover the strategies that turned Faster Than Normal into a profitable media venture.The Infinite Game: Alex shares his long-term vision for the newsletter, focusing on providing unmatched value to entrepreneurs and business leaders....and so much more!OTHER LINKS MENTIONEDFaster Than NormalNewsletter Mastery Course (15% OFF promo code: NEWSLETTERMASTERY) Alex on LinkedInAlex on TwitterDylan on Twitter/XSparkLoop's Paid Recommendations — the game-changing way to instantly monetize your newsletter.SparkLoop Partner Programs — grow your newsletter at 10x speed.SparkLoop Affiliate Contest — recommend other newsletters to SparkLoop for a chance to win a FREE trip to Cancun!

In this week's episode of the Send & Grow podcast, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop sits down with Jeremy Enns, the bearded brains behind the Scrappy Podcasting newsletter and Podcast Marketing Academy.Jeremy is not just a podcast marketing expert; he's a master at intertwining the worlds of newsletters and podcasts to create a unique blend of content that captivates audiences.In this episode, Dylan & Jeremy dive into:The Synergy Between Newsletters and Podcasts: How Jeremy leverages this dynamic duo to build a loyal audience.Podcasting for Newsletter Operators: Jeremy shares why he believes creating a podcast can be a game-changer for newsletter operators and under what circumstances it truly makes sense.Practical Steps to Start Your Podcast: From ideation to execution, Jeremy outlines the how-tos of podcasting for newsletter enthusiasts looking to expand their reach.Newsletters for Podcasts: Flipping the script — the benefits of having a newsletter for your podcast....and a treasure trove of actionable advice and insider tips for anyone looking to enrich their content strategy with podcasts and newsletters!OTHER LINKS MENTIONEDpodcastmarketingacademy.com/sparkloopPodcast Marketing Trends Explained on Apple PodcastsPodcast Marketing Trends Explained on SpotifyDylan on Twitter/XDylan on LinkedInSparkLoop's Paid Recommendations — the game-changing way to instantly monetize your newsletter.SparkLoop Partner Programs — grow your newsletter at 10x speed.SparkLoop Affiliate Contest — recommend SparkLoop, earn commissions, and win a FREE trip to Cancun!

Welcome back, everyone, to another episode of the Niche Pursuits News Podcast! Dig into the latest news in SEO, AI, and content creation with Jared and Spencer! They kick off this week's episode talking about Google's March Core Update. They talk specifically about scaled content abuse and how Google is going in and manually deindexing sites, sharing a study that looked at 79,000 websites on certain ad networks, of which 1146 were deindexed. Could this be a scare tactic by Google? Is it doing this manually to save its crawl budget? What exactly is going on? Google updated its quality rater guidelines to ensure that they ding those sites that don't disclose which articles were written with AI, describing AI-generated articles as the lowest form of content when ti comes to EEAT. Spencer offers some advice for content creators using AI and says that Google is going after sites with AI-generated content. He does make an important distinction, though. Tune in to hear what he says. Then they discuss how Google put out an FAQ on “pure spam” manual action notices, but as Jared notices, there is one important thing missing from the post. What is it? They then move on to a funny news item. John Mueller, one of Google's Search Liaisons, saw his site get dropped from Google, although it was recently reindexed. It's not clear why this happened or if it was a stunt, but it's definitely news! Spencer and Jared have some encouraging words for listeners about the core update overall, so listen to the episode to hear what they have to say. Moving along, they announce Mediavine's new program, Journey, for sites getting around 10k sessions per month. This is a great alternative for people with smaller sites to allow them to get monetized with Mediavine. As this is a new program, Spencer and Jared have a lot of questions about it and about how it will run, and why it's being launched now. Things take a “nerdy” turn afterwards as Jared talks about how Google Search Console has rolled out the new core web vitals. What changes have been made, and what is INP all about? Moving along, they share that Reddit has announced a new tool for business growth, allowing companies to spot trends, track mentions, monitor post performance, etc.  The goal is to help brands promote themselves organically, and it could be a good platform to use as people consider diversifying away from Google. Tune in to listen to what Spencer and Jared think about this idea. And the last item on the agenda is the news that the Associated Press has launched an e-commerce site with product reviews.  What is so unsettling about this headline for Spencer? What do they say about presidential campaigns, blenders, and multivitamins? As for Shiny Object Shenanigans, Spencer gives an update on his Amazon Influencer Program side hustle. He reports that his earnings are steady this month, at $1,600, with no major dips but also no major growth. Jared chimes in with his earnings this month, too! He also talks about his new premium Niche Pursuits Community, for which he just did an expert call to talk about the program, sharing all of the juicy details about how he built this income stream.  When it's Jared's turn, he talks about adding a new, professionally edited video and thumbnail to his Weekend Growth YouTube channel.  He also talks about how he's using SparkLoop to grow his newsletter subscriber list, and after spending +$200, he has acquired +200 subscribers. Tune in to hear all of the details and learn more. As for their Weird Niche Sites, Spencer goes first and reveals Horse Name Ideas. This weird website has hundreds of categories as well as a name generator, and perhaps what's most surprising is what he reveals when he looks at Ahrefs. But when Spencer and Jared discuss the site owner's photo, the About page, the mission statement, and the contact phone number, what happens? Listen to find out. When it's Jared's turn, he shares Healthy Wage and even reads from its Wikipedia page. This DR60 site is only ranking for 3.6k keywords, but it does have social proof and is very popular. How can the principles of this page be used by other site owners? Check out the episode to hear what they say. And that brings us to the end of another episode of the Niche Pursuits News podcast. See you all next week for another hour of inspiration and information from Spencer and Jared. Be sure to get more content like this in the Niche Pursuits Newsletter Right Here: https://www.nichepursuits.com/newsletter Want a Faster and Easier Way to Build Internal Links?  Get $15 off Link Whisper with Discount Code "Podcast" on the Checkout Screen: https://www.nichepursuits.com/linkwhisper Get SEO Consulting from the Niche Pursuits Podcast Host, Jared Bauman: https://www.nichepursuits.com/201creative Ready to join a niche publishing mastermind, and here from industry experts each week?  Join the Niche Pursuits Community here: https://community.nichepursuits.com

Enjoying the podcast? Then you'll LOVE the Send & Grow newsletter where we share deep dives, tips, and news for smart newsletter operators like you.Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Ryan Sager & Jesse Watkins of Who Sponsors Stuff. In this episode, Dylan, Ryan & Jesse discuss…How they became Experts: Ryan and Jesse's journey from managing a multimillion-dollar newsletter ad division to founding Who Sponsors Stuff2023 Ad Market Retrospective: A look back at the challenges and shifts within the newsletter ad space in 2023, setting the stage for what's to come.2024 Ad Market Trends & Predictions: What newsletter operators should be paying attention to in 2024. Starting with Sponsorships: Whether you're at 1,000 or 100,000 subscribers, uncover the right time and strategy to introduce ads to your newsletter.Pricing and Performance: Learn how to set your ad rates and ensure your ads perform well, enhancing sponsor relationships and securing renewals.The Future of Newsletter Sponsorships: Ryan and Jesse's take on the balance between subscription and ad-supported models, and why ads can be a win-win for your content and audience....and much more!OTHER LINKS MENTIONEDWho Sponsors StuffThe Newsletter Conference (use code SPARKLOOP for $100 off your ticket!)Ryan on LinkedInRyan on TwitterJesse on LinkedInDylan on Twitter/XSparkLoop's Paid Recommendations — the game-changing way to instantly monetize your newsletter.SparkLoop Partner Programs — grow your newsletter at 10x speed.SparkLoop Affiliate Contest

Enjoying the podcast? Then you'll LOVE the Send & Grow newsletter where we share deep dives, tips, and news for smart newsletter operators like you.Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Noor Chopra. Noor writes the Touristy newsletter: "quick bites on Business, Tech and the Future of Consumer Culture, served with a side of millennial sarcasm."Touristy, loved for its witty tone and skimmable format, has captivated a diverse audience, soaring to an impressive 111,000 subscribers in just four years. The impressive part? She's grown it 100% organically. In this episode, Dylan & Noor discuss…The Birth of Touristy: How a pivot during the pandemic led to the creation of a unique newsletter platform.Growth Tactics: The unscalable yet effective strategies Noor employed to kickstart subscriber growth.Content Creation: The art of curating engaging and relevant content that resonates with readers.Monetization Journey: From the first ad dollar to a diversified revenue stream without spending on ads.Engagement Secrets: Maintaining an astonishing open rate and the role of visual content.Future Aspirations: Noor's vision for Touristy and potential ventures into podcasting....and much more!OTHER LINKS MENTIONEDTouristy newsletterNoor on LinkedInNoor on Twitter/XDylan on Twitter/XSparkLoop.appSparkLoop's Paid Recommendations — the game-changing way to instantly monetize your newsletter.SparkLoop Partner Programs — grow your newsletter at 10x speed.SparkLoop Affiliate Contest

Enjoying the podcast? Then you'll LOVE the Send & Grow newsletter where we share deep dives, tips, and news for smart newsletter operators like you. Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Chenell Basilio. Chenell writes the popular Growth In Reverse newsletter.  Since publishing her first edition to 4 people, she has since grown her newsletter to over 30k subscribers organically in the past year. In this episode, Dylan & Chenell discuss…The Genesis of Growth In Reverse: How Chenell's curiosity about newsletter monetization led to the birth of an invaluable resource.Research-Driven Content Creation: The meticulous process behind each deep dive and how Chenell uncovers the secrets of newsletter growth.The Power of Community and Networking: Chenell's strategy in leveraging social media and genuine engagement to boost her subscriber count.Monetization Without A Paywall: How Chenell utilizes sponsorships and coaching to sustain her newsletter, maintaining free access for her audience.The Future of "Growth In Reverse": Chenell's vision for expanding her content through coaching, speaking engagements, and potentially, audio formats....and much more!OTHER LINKS MENTIONEDGrowth In Reverse newsletterChenell on LinkedinChenell on Twitter/XDylan on Twitter/XSparkLoop.appSparkLoop's Paid RecommendationsSparkLoop Partner ProgramsSparkLoop Affiliate Contest

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Tarzan Kay. Tarzan has written a weekly newsletter to her email list for over 7 years. In that time, she went from making $15,000/yr as a piano teacher to over $2M a few years later. But the success wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She's since made a 180° change in her approach. Since doing so, She's built a robust community around her newsletter, primarily serving course creators, coaches, and service providers by sharing invaluable insights on emails. In this episode, Dylan & Tarzan discuss…From Email Marketing to Newsletter Pro: How Tarzan transitioned from an email marketer to a full-fledged newsletter operator.Relational vs. Transactional Communication: Learn the stark differences between traditional email marketing and the more personal, engaging world of newsletters.Building Trust Through Consent: Tarzan shares her strategies for maintaining subscriber trust through consent practices and why it's crucial for newsletter success.Monetization and Content Creation: Uncover the nuances of newsletter monetization, including ads, sponsorships, and creating compelling content that resonates.Sustaining Engagement Over Years: Tarzan reveals her secrets to keeping a newsletter fresh and engaging for over seven years....and much more!OTHER LINKS MENTIONEDTarzan Kay's newsletterTarzan on LinkedinDylan on Twitter/XSparkLoop.appSparkLoop's Paid RecommendationsSparkLoop Partner ProgramsSparkLoop Affiliate Contest

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Tom Alder of Strategy Breakdowns — a weekly newsletter diving into .Tom recently quit his job at Atlassian to go *all in* on Strategy Breakdowns—a big gamble for many, but with a LinkedIn audience of over 75k followers, Tom has increased his odds for success with taking Strategy Breakdowns to new heights.In this episode, Dylan & Tom discuss…Exceptional Growth: Discover how Tom leveraged his LinkedIn to amass a following of 75k.Conversion strategies: Tom reveals his most successful tips for converting LinkedIn followers to newsletter subscribers.Content Mastery: How Tom crafts engaging content that not only educates but also entertains, increasing the potential for virality.Monetization Pathways: How Tom is crafting multiple revenue streams, optimizing for long-term sustainability—and why.Strategic Insights for Newsletter Creators: Tom shares the why and how of his strategic decisions, offering actionable advice for newsletter operators seeking growth and engagement....and much more!OTHER LINKS MENTIONEDStrategy Breakdowns newsletterTom Alder on LinkedinTom Alder on Twitter/XStrategy Breakdowns - 6 Months Into Strategy Breakdowns ("build-in-public" post)Dylan on Twitter/XSparkLoop.appSparkLoop's Paid RecommendationsSparkLoop Partner ProgramsSparkLoop Affiliate Contest

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Yong-Soo Chung, the visionary behind First Class Founders – a cutting-edge platform designed to intertwine the creative and entrepreneurial spirits.Yong-Soo, a serial entrepreneur, has embarked on a journey from owning several businesses to launching First Class Founders. His innovative approach bridges the gap between content creation and business operation, aiming to equip the next generation of creators-turned-company founders.In this episode, Dylan & Yong-Soo discuss…The Evolution of Creators into Entrepreneurs: Why the future belongs to those who can blend creativity with business.Building in Public: Why Yong-Soo is building First Class Founders in public—and if you should do it too.The Synergy between Newsletters and Podcasts: How leveraging one boosts the other, and how to execute it.Growth Levers for Newsletters: Learn Yong-Soo's Five Growth Levers on scaling your audience & newseltter.Predictions for the Newsletter Space: What's next for newsletters? Yong-Soo shares his bold predictions for the industry....and much more!Other Links MentionedFirst Class Founders newsletterFirst Class Founders podcast Yong-Soo on Twitter/XYong-Soo on LinkedInDylan on Twitter/XSparkLoop.appSparkLoop's Paid RecommendationsSparkLoop Partner Programs

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Tyler Parker & Colton Sakamoto, the co-founders of Office Party, a free 2x-weekly newsletter that's a curated guide for career advancement, tackling everything from job market trends to the impact of AI on employment.Colton and Tyler's partnership approach in managing and growing Office Party is a path far less traveled in the newsletter space—which is what makes this conversation unique and fascinating. In this episode, Dylan, Colton, and Tyler discuss:How they decided to split up their roles and why.Their collaborative approach to growing the subscriber base—with a surprising & successful Facebook strategy.Their insights on the benefits, challenges, and dynamics of running a newsletter as a duo.Whether or not you should consider a partner for your newsletter...and much more!Other links mentionedOffice Party newsletterColton on Twitter/XColton on LinkedInTyler on LinkedInDylan on Twitter/XSparkLoop.appSparkLoop Upscribe Paid Recommendations

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Bill "Doc" Kerr, founder of Open Source CEO, a weekly newsletter helping founders, investors, and leaders in tech who want to outperform the competition.Bill's journey as the founder of Open Source CEO offers a unique perspective on newsletter creation and growth—given he's a full-time CEO himself at his own startup, Athyna. His insights provide invaluable lessons for founders & CEOs keen on exploring similar paths.In this episode, Dylan & Bill delve into:The Genesis of Open Source CEO: How Bill carved a niche for this newsletter separate from his business at Athyna.Growth Strategies for Newsletters: Bill's approach to using social profiles, ads, and referral programs to scale up.Synergizing Roles: How Bill harmonizes his responsibilities at Athyna and Open Source CEO, creating a mutually beneficial relationship.Content Creation Insights: Bill's take on reducing friction in the creative process and utilizing advanced tools for content research.Expansion and Future Plans: The roadmap for Open Source CEO and how it aims to broaden its reach and content spectrum.Advice for CEOs and Founders: Bill's tailored guidance for those at the helm looking to venture into newsletter creation.Impact Assessment: Exploring how Open Source CEO enhances Athyna's business, from lead generation to team engagement....and much more!Other links mentionedOpen Source CEOAthynaBill on Twitter/XBill on LinkedInDylan on Twitter/XSparkLoop.appSparkLoop Upscribe Paid Recommendations

The newsletter world stopped being polite and started getting real this week, and TBH this is the moment Adam's been waiting for his whole life.  He breaks down the Twitter feud between SparkLoop's Lewis Nicholls and beehiiv's Tyler Denk, which ended with Tyler responding, “Didn't you sell your failed company in a fire sale?” to the SparkLoop Co-Founder's tweet about their closed recommendation ESP network.  Who's right and who's wrong? And is SparkLoop's bully strategy ultimately doomed to fail?  Tune in to find out why Adam thinks both need to pay heed to the lessons that past clickbait farms like BuzzFeed have taught us about improving metrics at the risk of creating inevitable churn and why focusing less on industry beef and more on quality over quantity in the newsletter industry is at a critical boiling point.    View the Twitter beef here.   Want to get into it further?    Follow Adam on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdamRy_n and sign up for the Perpetual newsletter, where he dives deeper into media: https://workweek.com/brand/perpetual   And if you love listening to Perpetual please leave a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/mediamoves   Thank you so much!

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with LeQwane Lynch, founder of Alerts Daily, a daily newsletter he started, scaled, and sold in under a year.In this episode, Dylan & LeQwane discuss…The Rapid Growth of Alerts Daily: LeQwane shares how he leveraged a private community & social media into a newsletter reaching tens of thousands.Effective Growth Strategies: How LeQwane nailed organic growth, reaching a massive audience—without paid advertising.Monetization Techniques: How LeQwane transitioned from a community-based model to integrating sponsors effectively.The Art of Selling a Newsletter: How LeQwane built Alerts Daily with a sale in mind from the beginning so he could attract the right buyers.Future Endeavors: How LeQwane's new venture is helping newsletters grow organically....and much moreOther links mentionedReachSubs.coAlerts Daily IGLeQwane on Twitter/XLeQwane on LinkedInDylan on Twitter/XSparkLoop.app

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Anthony Castrio of the Bot Eat Brain newsletter.Anthony launched Bot Eat Brain (BEB) in Sept. '22 alongside his full-time project, Indie Worldwide. Despite BEB being a side project, Anthony earned over $50k in revenues for 2023 and scaled growth to over 20k+ subscribers—going from 1k to 20k in 4 months!In this episode, Dylan & Anthony discuss…The Birth of Bot Eat Brain: Uncovering the initial spark that led Anthony to dive into the AI newsletter space.Growth Strategies: How Anthony grew his newsletter from 1,000 to over 20,000 subscribers—in 4 months!Secrets to Monetization: Navigating the challenges and triumphs in building a profitable newsletter.Building a Content Team: The behind-the-scenes look at how Anthony assembled a winning writing crew.Envisioning the Future: Anthony's ambitious plans for Bot Eat Brain and the potential game-changers on the horizon....and much moreOther links mentionedBot Eat Brain newsletterAnthony on Twitter/XAnthony on LinkedInDylan on Twitter/X

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Dan Barry of the Revenews newsletter.Dan has managed brand partnerships for major media businesses like Finimize and The Daily Upside where he was responsible for bringing in over $3M in ad sales revenue in just over 3 years.In this episode, Dylan & Dan discuss…How to prospect for ideal brand partners—and how to know if they're ready to advertise.Dan's 5-step approach to newsletter ad sales, from Prospecting all the way to Post-sale management.How to manage expectations during the sales process—and what to do if an ad flops.The number one thing to do before you share ad pricing. What Dan is doing now with his latest Revenews newsletter venture—and why you should pay attention....and much moreOther links mentionedRevenews newsletterDan on Twitter/XDan on LinkedInDylan on Twitter/X

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Amanda Goetz of the Life's a Game newsletter.Amanda's journey in the newsletter world is as fascinating as it is instructive. From her experiences in marketing and entrepreneurship to finding her unique voice in the newsletter space, she shares valuable insights from reaching 20k subscribers in a few months while maintaining a high engagement rate and driving revenue. In this episode, Dylan & Amanda discuss… The two most important things Amanda considered when choosing her newsletter niche—and why. How Amanda scaled newsletter growth while maintaining incredible engagement levels. Amanda's clever Octopus vs. Swordfish approach to sponsorship sales & monetization. Her 90-10 Rule when it comes to content—and what makes a newsletter a "must-read".   Amanda's advice on starting a newsletter—including content creation, audience building, and staying authentic. Her vision for the future of newsletters and what she believes to be the biggest opportunities for growth in 2024. ...and much moreOther links mentionedLife's A Game newsletterAmandaGoetz.comBreak An Egg newsletterAmanda on Twitter/XAmanda on LinkedInDylan on Twitte/X

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, podcast host Dylan Redekop sits down with Tiffany Uman, a career coach and workplace expert, and the creator of the Peak Performers newsletter.With her Peak Performers newsletter, Tiffany channels her wealth of experience from her time at L'Oreal into empowering others in their careers. She's a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, a LinkedIn learning instructor, an author, and speaker.In this episode, Dylan and Tiffany discuss… The Genesis of 'Peak Performers': What drove Tiffany to create an intimate, community-focused newsletter. Evolving Newsletter Strategies: Learn how Tiffany shifted her newsletter approach in 2023, and how the change has impacted her business. Significant Growth and Engagement: Insights into how Tiffany's strategic changes resulted in a 70% growth in her email list and a nearly 50% open rate. Community Leveraging and Monetization: Strategies Tiffany employs to grow her newsletter audience, including her collaboration with SparkLoop and approaches to monetization. Looking Ahead to 2024: Tiffany's massive newsletter aspirations for subscriber growth—and how she plans to achieve them.  Creating with Passion: The importance of a clear mission and genuine enthusiasm in newsletter creation, and direct impacts on subscriber engagement and content quality. ...and much more!Other Links MentionedPeak Performers newsletterTiffanyUman.comTiffany on LinkedInDylan on Twitter

Welcome to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. Today, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop sits down with Brad Barrett, co-founder of ChooseFI, to explore the pivotal role of newsletters in the journey of content creation and community building.Brad shares his rich journey from modest beginnings with a personal finance blog to the monumental success of ChooseFI, a podcast that has achieved over 65 million downloads. Along his journey, Brad's experienced the transformative power of newsletters, which have been instrumental in nurturing a dedicated community, facilitating growth and generating significant revenue.In this episode, Dylan & Brad delve into: The Evolution of Brad's Newsletter Strategy: Learn from Brad's early experiments with email autoresponders to his more sophisticated, targeted strategies. Building Community through Newsletters: How Brad's focus on community engagement and personal connection turned his newsletters into a thriving platform for interaction and growth—and exactly how he's executing this strategy. Earning Revenue & Maintaining Trust: Learn how Brad's unique approach to affiliate marketing and product endorsements maintain & build trust while driving 6-figure revenues. The Power of Cross-Promotion and Networking: Find out how Brad has successfully leveraged cross-promotions with other content creators and its impact on growth. Localized Community Engagement: The innovative approach to transform Facebook groups into segmented email lists for more meaningful, direct community interactions. ...and much more Other links mentionedChooseFI newsletterChooseFI podcast Brad on TwitterChooseFI communityDylan on Twitter

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Sam Klemens of The Rollup, a unique and irreverent newsletter about finance. Sam started The Rollup less than a year ago. In its short existence, The Rollup has garnered over 14k subscribers and now makes enough revenue for Sam to devote his full-time focus on it—and even hire an assistant. In this episode, Dylan & Sam discuss… Sam's Unique Approach to Content: How The Rollup differentiates itself by curating investment information while offering a fresh perspective Subscriber Growth Insights: How Sam went from unscalable strategies to leveraging scalable growth through  Innovative Revenue and Advertising Strategies: How Sam overcame newsletter ad pricing challenges to selling out, and the critical role of analytics in targeting subscriber growth Advice for Aspiring Newsletter Creators: Sam's three biggest success factors for aspiring newsletter publishers Focus on Quality and what's next: How Sam maintains high-quality content with a manageable schedule and his future aspirations for 'The Rollup' ...and much more! Other Links MentionedThe Rollup newsletterSam on TwitterDylan on Twitter

In this episode of the Newsletter Operator Podcast, ​Jon Elder, the founder of ​Black Label Advisor, shares his journey from commercial construction to building a successful consultancy in the Amazon space. He started a side gig by launching his first brand on Amazon, which eventually led to the creation of the newsletter "Amazon Insiders." The newsletter focuses on the niche community of Amazon sellers and has seen rapid growth to over 15,000 subscribers.Key Topics Covered:Background and Entrepreneurial Journey: Jon Elder shares his transition from the commercial construction industry to creating a consultancy for Amazon sellers and the establishment of the "Amazon Insiders" newsletter. He emphasizes the need for transparent consulting within the market and how the newsletter became a potential second revenue stream for his business.Micro-Niche and Newsletter Growth: Jon Elder explains the concept of a micro-niche, the revenue size, and the passion required for success. He discusses the launching of Amazon Insiders and the strategies he used to grow his newsletter, including reaching out to contacts, conducting newsletter swaps, utilizing tools like SparkLoop and Twitter ads, and making strategic newsletter acquisitions.Monetization Strategy: Amazon Insiders primarily focuses on sponsorships, with 85% of revenue generated from sponsorships. Jon Elder provides insight into how he approaches finding sponsors, packaging ad deals, and pricing, emphasizing the importance of building strong relationships with sponsors and promoting consistency in ads for better returns on investment.Growth Plans and Advice: Jon Elder discusses his future growth plans, which include increasing content production on Twitter, potential newsletter acquisitions, and reactivating Twitter ads. Additionally, he offers advice to those starting a niche B2B newsletter, emphasizing the importance of finding a unique voice, seeking partnerships, and not being hesitant to ask for support.Episode topics & Timestamps:(00:00) Introduction to Newsletter Operator Podcast (00:30) Introduction of Jon Elder, founder of Black Label Advisor (01:00) Jon's Background and Entrepreneurial Journey (2:00) Launching Amazon Insiders Newsletter (3:00) Defining Micro Niche (5:00) Choosing a Newsletter Topic (6:00) Growth Strategies and Subscriber Acquisition (7:00) The Role of SparkLoop in Subscriber Growth(11:00)Additional Growth Channels such as Twitter (16:00) The Use of a Mastermind Group for Engagement(19:00) Monetization through Newsletter Sponsorships (28:00) Approach to Identifying and Reaching Out to Sponsors (33:00) Pricing and Packaging of Newsletter Ads(33:00)Strategies for Achieving Growth Goals(41:00) Advice for those Starting a Niche B2B Newsletter Want more content like this?Join Newsletter Operator for more strategies on how to grow and monetize your newsletter here: NewsletterOperator(dot)comWork with Ryan's agency Tailwind Work with Matt's agency GrowLetterFollow Matt McGarry @JMatthewMcGarry and Ryan Carr @ryan_boat on Twitter.

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Jay Clouse of Creator Science, a newsletter. Jay Clouse is the successful founder and operator of Creator Science — a creator-led business that did over $300k in 2022 and is on pace to nearly double that in 2023. But Jay's journey started with a newsletter way back in 2017. And despite many other projects & initiatives, Jay's newsletter is still one of his most powerful distribution channels. In this episode, Louis & Jay discuss… Why narrowing your target audience could be the key to growth How Jay has increased trust & a deeper connection with video  Strategies for leveraging the recent newsletter "boom" to grow your own list Ways to diversify your newsletter revenue streams Key factors in creating a resilient newsletter business ...and much more! Other Links MentionedThe Creator Science newsletterThe Creator Science podcastThe Creator Science YouTube channelCreator Science Revenue Model (swipe file)Jay Clouse on TwitterLouis on Twitter

Getting started with ConvertKit's Creator Network, collaborating with other creators to accelerate growth, and monetizing your email list with Nathan Barry. ----- Welcome to episode 430 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork interviews Nathan Barry from ConvertKit. Grow Your Email List with ConvertKit's Creator Network Nathan Barry is back on the podcast this week to chat about all things email marketing and strategic business growth. ConvertKit recently started the Creator Network and Nathan is here to explain what it is, as well as how food creators can use it to grow their email lists. Nathan walks listeners through how to get started with the Creator Network and shares compelling case studies about how creators have strategically utilized the Creator Network as part of their business models. This is a great episode for anyone looking to diversify their income streams in a new way. We think you'll leave this episode feeling inspired to try something new and with a fresh perspective on sharing your content. In this episode, you'll learn: How ConvertKit has changed over the years and what it offers to creators. How email should fit into your marketing model. Why ConvertKit started the Creator Network (and more about how it works). How to get started with the Creator Network. Tips for optimizing your profile on the Creator Network. How to use the Creator Network strategically to optimize growth for your email list. How to collaborate with other creators within the Creator Network. More about ConvertKit's acquisition of SparkLoop and how to monetize through SparkLoop. About flywheels and how the concept applies to business. Resources: ConvertKit 140: From $300k in Product Sales to $9m in Software Sales with Nathan Barry Follow Nathan on Twitter James Clear: The 3–2–1 Newsletter Sahil Bloom: Curiosity Chronicle Ryan Holiday: Reading List Susan Cain: The Kindred Letters Lamberts Lately The Perfect Loaf 393: How Passion and Sourdough Feed a 9 Million Pageview Food Blog with Maurizio Leo SparkLoop Morning Brew The Skimm The Hustle ActiveCampaign MailChimp NathanBarry.com Mark's Daily Apple Primal Kitchen The Billion Dollar Creator essay Billion Dollar Creator Podcast Join the Food Blogger Pro Podcast Facebook Group ----- This episode is sponsored by Businessese and Clariti. Learn more about our sponsors by going to foodbloggerpro.com/sponsors. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to podcast@foodbloggerpro.com. Learn more about joining the Food Blogger Pro community at foodbloggerpro.com/membership.

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Mike Benitez of The Merge, a newsletter delivering military news & technology trends for people in the national security space. Mike is a retired US military fighter pilot. Since retiring, he's been working in the military tech space -------- while publishing The Merge as a passion project.  In this episode, Louis & Mike discuss… How Mike maximizes his audience to help with growth AND content The pillars of success for The Merge's referral campaign The creative ways Mike is driving revenue ...and much more! Other Links MentionedThe Merge newsletterThe Merge podcastThe Merge on TwitterLouis on Twitter

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Michael Houck of Houck's Newsletter, a newsletter for startup founders. Michael has worked for world-renowned startups like Uber and AirBnB. Those experiences—along with building his own startup—have helped him build Houck's Newsletter to over 63k subscribers while quickly approaching $1M in total revenue, including $250k in ARR. And it all started as a side hustle. In this episode, Louis & Michael discuss… How Michael has grown his newsletter by 50k subscribers in a few months The key mindset shift more newsletter operators can benefit from All the ways Houck's Newsletter earns revenue (not just paid subscription!)  The most important metrics Michael's focused on for revenue growth How Michael drives paid subscribers with free content  ...and much more! Other Links MentionedHouck's NewsletterMegaphoneMichael on TwitterLouis on Twitter

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Aleyda Solis of SEOFOMO, a newsletter for SEOs. Aleyda Solis started the SEOFOMO newsletter to keep up with SEO news for her consulting services. "I was saving all the links anyway," she told us. Now SEOFOMO goes out to over 27,000 SEO professionals (or SEOs). And her newsletter brings in over $80k per year in addition to her consulting service. In this episode, Louis & Aleyda discuss… How she used her newsletter to grow her consulting business  How Aleyda created giveaways to maximize growth—for free Her unique referral program strategy How she manages affiliates & sponsorships ...and much more! Other Links MentionedSEOFOMO NewsletterAleyda's SEO Consulting websiteAleyda on TwitterLouis on Twitter

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Matt Brown of Extra Points, a paid newsletter for the college sports industry. Matt was laid off from working at Vox during the pandemic. He started the Extra Points newsletter as a business experiment. And it's paid off. With 16k subscribers, including 3k paid, Matt's leveraged his experience, business savvy, and network to build & sell a newsletter in under 3 years. After selling to D1 Ticker, Matt's remained as head publishing for Extra Points.   In this episode, Louis & Matt discuss… Starting a newsletter as a business Matt's philosophy for free vs. paid content How to leverage earned media for growth Using a video game as a lead magnet for paid subscriptions  ...and much more! Other Links MentionedExtra Points newsletterAthletic Director Simulator 3000 (video game)D1 Ticker Matt on TwitterLouis on Twitter

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Jon Elder of Amazon Insiders, a super niche newsletter set to hit $100k in revenue. Jon is an ex-Top3000 Amazon Seller who grew his Amazon business to over $10M in sales—and then sold for 7 figures. Now he publishes Amazon Insiders — the fastest-growing newsletter for Amazon sellers. In this episode, Louis & Jon discuss… The key strategies he used to go from 100 to 10k subscribers How Jon is leveraging his expertise to monetize to $100k His strategy for hitting his 100k subscriber goal What makes his newsletter stand out among the competition ...and much more! Other Links MentionedAmazon Insiders newsletterJon's Consulting business (Black Label Advisor)Jon on TwitterLouis on Twitter

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Eric Lam of Exploding Ideas, a fast-growing newsletter about business start-up ideas on trending topics. Eric is always looking for business ideas. So he started the Exploding Ideas newsletter where sends curated startup ideas in "million dollar niches" to all his subscribers. But for paying subscribers, Eric sends a second weekly edition with an even deeper dive (more information, tips & resources) for that week's business idea.In this episode, Louis & Eric discuss… How Eric's newsletter has grown quickly since starting up 4 months ago His Reddit growth playbook: how to organically grow your newsletter with Reddit Eric's newsletter monetization funnel anyone can replicate  ...and much more! Other Links MentionedExploding IdeasEric on TwitterLouis on Twitter

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Ryan Carr of the Blakely Digital: an agency dedicated to helping newsletter operators grow their audience & revenue. And Ryan knows a thing or two about newsletter growth. Ryan was the Growth Lead at The Hustle when they were acquired by Hubspot and now — with his agency — helps drive growth for newsletters like Bankless DAO and Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life, to name a few. In this episode, Louis & Ryan discuss… 3 common traits of newsletters creating "high-quality content" The first—and most important—question Ryan asks new growth clients The best channels to test the waters with paid growth What's working right now for paid growth on Twitter ...and much more! Other Links MentionedBlakely DigitalRyan on TwitterLouis on Twitter

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop content marketer Dylan Redekop sits down with Joe Pulizzi of The Tilt Media. Joe is considered the "godfather" of content marketing, founding Content Marketing Institute in 2007 and selling it 9 years later. In addition to writing a number of content marketing books, he's founded The Tilt Media, a growing newsletter & education business, along with its own live event: the Creator Economy Expo. Joe has been in the media game for a long time and has a lot of lessons to share. In this episode, Dylan & Joe discuss… How to make a newsletter model successful for your business How to leverage the "Subscriber Hierarchy" Why most operators should only focus on ONE platform    10 different ways to monetize a media business  Why right now is the best time ever to build a content or media business  and so much more! Other Links Mentioned Joe Pulizzi on Twitter Joe Pulizzi on LinkedIn Dylan on Twitter Content Inc. Podcast This Old Marketing Podcast

Tune in to this bonus episode of the Ecommerce Coffee Break Podcast, where I spill the beans on a groundbreaking marketing strategy that allows you to grow your email list and make money simultaneously.On the Show Today, You'll Learn:The importance of growing an email list for merchants and marketers The challenges in growing an email list organicallyHow to make money while growing the email listHow to monetize the signup process for other newslettersWhich email service providers are recommended for implementing this strategyLinks & Resourceshttps://sparkloop.app/https://www.beehiiv.com/https://www.clauslauter.com/http://ecommercecoffeebreak.com/Get access to more free resources by visiting the podcast episode page at https://bit.ly/448Ox6gEpisode SponsorFor inquiries about becoming a guest or sponsoring the podcast, email claus@clauslauter.com.Subscribe & Listen Everywhere:Listen On: ​ecommercecoffeebreak.com | Apple Podcasts/iTunes | Spotify | Amazon Music/Audible | Stitcher | Deezer | Google PodcastSubscribe today so you don't miss an episode!By rating and reviewing the show in the app that you are listening to, you will enable us to invite bigger and more impactful guests.Tag the podcast on InstagramSupport the showGet free marketing ideas to help grow your revenue on Shopify. In your inbox for free. Every Thursday. Consumed in 3 minutes or less. Join 3,500+ Ecommerce Merchants, Founders, and Marketers here: newsletter.ecommercecoffeebreak.com

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Ryan Sager & Jesse Watkins of Who Sponsors Stuff. They are the co-founders of Who Sponsors Stuff—a database that tracks which brands & businesses are advertising in email newsletters and brings the data straight to you. Ryan and Jesse have a wealth of combined knowledge and success working in the newsletter ad space.In this episode, Louis, Ryan, and Jesse discuss… The best ways to prospect for ideal newsletter sponsors What you should include in your rate card How to increase repeat advertisers What you should do if a campaign doesn't perform well and so much more! Other Links Mentioned Who Sponsors Stuff Newsletter ad calculator  Louis on Twitter Who Sponsors Stuff on Twitter

As a creator, you are never going to feel “ready” to build something. The hardest part is getting started and accepting that creation is an iterative process, and the mistakes you make along the way will lead to stronger content over time. In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa talk with Dylan Redekop, Growth Currency Newsletter Strategist and Product Marketer at SparkLoop, about his journey building his newsletter from scratch. What started as a multitopic newsletter niched down into a newsletter that helps creators and solopreneurs start, grow, and monetize their own newsletters. Dylan delves into the best ways to keep lists clean and audiences engaged, even if your newsletter is still in its nascent stage. There's no need to wait until your audience reaches a certain threshold to seek monetization opportunities.Together, they discuss Dylan's process in choosing his niche, tips for growing and monetizing newsletter content, and the power of referral networks in gaining high-quality subscribers.Key Takeaways [06:40] - An introduction to Dylan. [09:26] - How Dylan chose his newsletter niche. [12:15] - Dylan's advice to anyone niching down. [15:36] - How to grow and monetize your newsletter. [25:04] - How referral networks expand your list. [32:25] - How to keep your list clean while using partner programs. [36:43] - Where to find Dylan and his newsletter (@growthcurrency) Quotes[12:35] - “The subscribes and the unsubscribes, it's all vanity metrics. What matters is that the people that are reading your newsletter and are subscribed to it are interested in it, and you don't just want people to hang on because the numbers look good.” ~ @growthcurrency[20:13] - “You only need to have one person on your email list to sell them something, right? People get caught up in, ‘I need to have a certain amount of subscribers to make a sponsorship deal or to sell my ebook or my course or my service.' But I don't think you have to wait. Why wait until you have a certain threshold to start trying?” ~ @growthcurrency[26:00] - “The reason why I love [partner programs] is because it's cost-controlled and it's quality-controlled. When you create a Facebook ad or an Instagram, as soon as somebody clicks, you're paying, regardless of if they unsubscribe or never open an email. You don't have that quality control filter.” ~ @growthcurrencyLinks Dylan Redekop on LinkedIn Dylan Redekop (@growthcurrency) on Twitter Dylan Redekop (@growthcurrency) on Instagram Growth Currency SparkLoop The SparkLoop Partner Program The SparkLoop Partner Network ConvertKit Sponsor Network Substack Craft + Commerce Conference Creator Wizard Tinder Subscribe to the Marketing Design Dispatch Subscribe to the monthly Deliverability Defined newsletter! Ask Alyssa & Melissa questions or suggest content for our next monthly newsletter! Connect with our hosts Alyssa Dulin Melissa Lambert Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Deliverability Defined Website Try ConvertKit's deliverability in actionIt's now free to use ConvertKit with an audience of 1,000 subscribers or less! Start building your audience and reaching their inboxes: convertkit.com/pricing. 

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Katelyn Bourgoin of the Why We Buy newsletter.  Katelyn's newsletter is earning over $300k in annual revenue—and it's not even her full-time business. She founded Customer Camp in 2019 where she helps businesses figure out what triggers customers to buy so they can market smarter. In this episode, Louis & Katelyn discuss… How she leverages social media to grow & promote her newsletter How Katelyn created gamification inside her newsletter The lessons Katelyn learned from selling newsletter sponsorships Her #1 piece of monetization advice for new newsletter operators  Other Links MentionedKatelyn on TwitterLouis on Twitter

EPISODE DESCRIPTION Nathan Barry is a creator, author, speaker, designer, and the founder of ConvertKit. ConvertKit powers the audiences for creators like Gretchen Rubin, Chris Guillebeau, Pat Flynn, Tim Ferriss, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Tim McGraw. If you're not familiar with Nathan, he was a guest on episode number 96 of this show a little more than a year ago. Nathan and I caught up about a month ago at CEX, the creator economy expo in Cleveland and there is some big news. ConvertKit acquired Sparkloop. In this episode, you'll learn: What you can expect from the creator network The acquisition of Sparkloop And how to build a flywheel as a creator Full transcript and show notes Join the Creator Network Follow Nathan on Twitter / YouTube Nathan's Website *** CONNECT

This week, we have a special episode of The Copyblogger Podcast. At the CEX conference, Tim sat down with Nathan Barry, the founder of Convertkit. We talk about ... - the Convertkit sponsorship network - how Nathan deals with the weight of running such a big company - how creators can create "flywheels" of growth - why using Sparkloop to generate revenue is such an important first step. Links - Convertkit - Convertkit Creator Network - Sparkloop.app

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Manny Reyes from Workweek Inc. Manny was on the Morning Brew team before joining Workweek in a paid acquisition role.  In this episode, Manny & Louis discuss: the key differences in marketing & publishing a B2B newsletter vs. a B2C newsletter the best way for creators to get started with paid newsletter growth the most important metric Workweek looks at to determine paid growth budgets  what Manny would do to get 100,000 subscribers starting from scratch ....and much more! You can find Manny Reyes on Twitter, and Louis is at @louisnicholls_ . Other links mentioned: Workweek 

Josh and Chris go live every 2nd week to discuss their businesses, recent progress, struggles and focus for the next few weeks. In this episode we discuss: - FB ad fixes and landing pages - Youtube channel update - testing AI - sales calling update and rant - email list cadences and marketing - catchup on recent books we've read Resources we mentioned: - Sparkloop - VidIQ - Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi - Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield - Winning by Tim Grover - The 4 Thoughts that Fuck You Up by Daniel Fryer - Driven by Robert Herjavec - The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty - Harpa.ai Make sure to like/subscribe for more! Find Josh at https://solopreneurgrind.com/ Find Chris at https://conversionalchemy.net/ Summary: 00:00 Josh and Christopher discussed their recent vacations and the benefits of taking time off. Christopher fixed his Facebook ads and pixel with the help of a professional on Fiverr. 09:36 Christopher discussed his recent testing of Facebook ads for his newsletter and the possibility of offering a free portion of his ebook as a newsletter giveaway. He also mentioned using Sparkloop to monetize his newsletter and breaking even with his ad spend. Josh provided advice on split testing and upselling the full ebook to his email list. 18:49 Christopher and Josh discussed their goals for the next two weeks. Christopher planned to post his second YouTube video and evaluate his Facebook ads, while Josh aimed to make 30+ cold calls per day, finish a new demo script, and do 10 letter growth outreach. They also talked about the challenges of sales outreach and the importance of not burning bridges with potential clients. 28:15 Christopher and Josh discussed their email strategies, with Josh recommending that Christopher keep his emails shorter and more focused on one key idea. They also talked about books they had recently read, with Christopher recommending "Never Eat Alone" for networking and Josh enjoying "Winning" for its motivational stories. 37:25 Josh and Christopher discussed their recent reading habits, with Josh recommending a fantasy book called The City of Brass and Christopher expressing his preference for movies over fiction books. They also briefly mentioned some AI tools they plan to test out in the future.

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Emanuel "Manu" Cinca of Stacked Marketer—and now also of Psychology of Marketing. Manu is the first returning guest to the Send & Grow podcast, back for round #2 (listen to the first episode here). We invited Manu back after he & the Stacked Marketer team acquired the Psychology of Marketing (PoM) newsletter, started by Abhishek Shah. In this episode, Manu & Louis discuss the acquisition, including: how the acquisition talks evolved from a brief message to closing the deal the #1 reason why they acquired PoM the positive signals & red flags Manu looked for during the process Manu's advice for anyone interested in selling their newsletter  ....and much more! You can find Emanuel Cinca on Twitter, and Louis is at @louisnicholls_ . Other links mentioned: Stacked Marketer newseltterPsychology of Marketing newsletterTactics newsletterEmanuel on LinkedIn

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Nathan Barry, founder & CEO of ConvertKit. Nathan started ConvertKit 10 years ago and has since grown it to one of the largest creator-driven newsletter platforms in the world. On top of running an 8-figure business, Nathan's a consistent creator who writes several newsletters, including a new paid newsletter. In this episode, Nathan talks about the state of creator-driven newsletters today and how creators can build—and are building—massive  6-to-7 figure businesses on the backs of their newsletters. We also discuss: how Nathan thinks about paid newsletters and his publishing strategy (1:09) 3 things he sees the most successful newsletter operators have in common (12:00) what the ConvetKit Creator Network is and how it's helping Creators grow & monetize (20:33) how Nathan believes newsletter operators can grow & monetize most effectively (26:36) ....and much more! You can find Nathan Barry on Twitter, and Louis is at @louisnicholls_ . Other links mentioned:  ConvertKit Nathan's Paid Newsletter The ConvertKit Creator Network Upscribe by SparkLoop

E27: Three months ago, I decided to launch the First Class Founders newsletter.Problem is, I had no subscribers, no list, and, essentially, no idea what to do or, even, where to begin!Today, my newsletter has over two thousand subscribers. It has an open rate of 40% and a 10% click-through rate. In case you are wondering, yes, that IS indeed a high number. How did I achieve this? What did I do that was so effective? What's my secret sauce?Get ready to take notes because I plan to reveal all my secrets to you today!DISCLAIMER: Twitter just updated their API pricing plans impacting many of the tools mentioned in this episode. This is a fast-changing development so please check the individual websites for updates on how each tool is handling this situation.***TOPICS:Great Content is Not Enough (3:41)Using Beehiiv to Swap Recommendations (5:42)When Swapping Recs: Growth Rate > List Size (7:00)In-Network Recommendation Engines: ConvertKit, SparkLoop, Substack (7:10)How to Cross Promote Your Newsletter Using Lettergrowth (7:27)How to Create Beautiful Snapshots Using Xnapper (8:25)How to Design Your Newsletter Using Canva (9:12)How to Use Twitter to Repurpose Newsletter Content Using Typefully (11:27)Track Your Most Important Metrics Using ilo.so  (13:11)How to Convert Followers on Twitter Using Birdy.so (14:54)How to Engage with Your Twitter Followers Using Engagement Builder (16:05)Using Auto-DMs on Twitter to Grow Your Newsletter (18:22)How to Manage Your Twitter DM Inbox Using Inboxs (19:42)Summary of Newsletter Tools (21:16)***LINKS:BeehiivLettergrowthXnapperCanvaTypefullyilo.soBirdy.soEngagement BuilderHivoeInboxsEpisode 22EpisJOIN: First Class Founders Premium MembershipDOWNLOAD: Hyper-Visuals For Our Episodes (Free)***FOLLOW / REVIEW:- Follow - Leave 5-star review***CONNECT W/ YONG-SOO:- X- Threads- LinkedIn- Newsletter***First Class Founders is a show for indie hackers, bootstrapped founders, CEOs, solopreneurs, content creators, startup entrepreneurs, and SaaS startups covering topics like build in public, audience growth, product marketing, scaling up, side hustles, holding company, etc. Past guests include Arvid Kahl, Tyler Denk, Noah Kagan, Clint Murphy, Jay Abraham, Andrew Gazdecki, Matt McGarry, Nick Huber, Khe Hy, and more. Episode you might like:Future of Newsletters with Tyler Denk, Founder & CEO at BeehiivFrom Zero to 100K Subscribers: How to Grow Your Newsletter like a Pro with Newsletter Growth Expert Matt McGarry...

When it comes to building an "owned audience," nothing beats an email list. Louis Nicholls is a newsletter expert, and he shared with me how to monetize a list, how to grow it reliably, and why cold emails are often done spectacularly wrong.Louis will show you how to do email right.00:00:00 Why did you choose to build SparkLoop?00:05:23 Grow an audience, monetize a list00:09:07 How do you maintain customer quality in a network?00:14:55 Advice on how to cross-link your knowledge with other channels.00:18:48 How much is too much in terms of "buying" subscribers?00:21:59 What makes a newsletter word of mouth-worthy?00:27:48 Struggling with self-promotion00:31:51 What makes a good or a really bad cold email?00:36:44 Why all cold emails look the same00:42:57 Why a good message is never cold00:48:57 Borrowed audiences always have riskMy new podcast project: Arvid & Tyler Catch Up / https://catchup.fmThe blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/louis-nicholls-growing-your-newsletter/ The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/8e4bcbf9The video: https://youtu.be/FNolzZtXjLIYou'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Justin Moore, founder of the Creator Wizard newsletter. Justin's creator journey started back in 2009 with a YouTube channel. Since then, he's built a successful business as a Sponsorship Coach, backed by his rapidly-growing Creator Wizard newsletter where he shares weekly sponsorship opportunities with over 22k readers (his list has doubled in size since the time of this recording!). In this episode, Justin shares why and how he started Creator Wizard—and how it's a LOT different today than just a few years ago when he began. We also discuss: how he's using backend offers to monetize his newsletter (5:09) the lesson he learned from losing 30k subscribers (15:10) key growth levers Justin's used (19:40) how he 5x'd newsletter subscribers in a year (22:25) why Creator Wizard's referral program has worked so well (26:18)   the returns Creator Wizard is seeing in paid growth (29:30) what he'd do differently if he started over today (35:00) his advice to newsletter operators monetizing with sponsorships (39:00) ....and much more! You can find Justin Moore on Twitter, and Louis is at @louisnicholls_ . Other links mentioned:  Creator Wizard Creator Wizard on Twitter Upscribe by SparkLoop

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Jason Woodruff, creator of The Pour Over newsletter. Jason started The Pour Over as a news-based but "Christ-first" newsletter. Their mission is to provide unbiased, non-partisan news. Jason shares how he struggled through slow growth and missing growth goals to now reaching over 350k inboxes. In today's episode, we discuss: how they grew to 350,000 newsletter subscribers what Jason would do today to grow a newsletter from scratch the platforms they're investing in paid growth ....and much more! You can find The Pour Over on Twitter, and Louis is at @louisnicholls_ . Other links mentioned:  Podletter The Pour Over on Instagram

Louis Nicholls is the co-founder of SparkLoop, a product that helps newsletter operators grow through referral partnerships. Indie hackers might know Louis from his Sales for Founders course which he ran a few years ago, as well as his many other projects.What we covered in this episode: How Sparkloop Started How Louis met his cofounder Manuel Going Niche vs Broad Pursuing a growing market What is your unique competitive advantage? Avoiding shiny object syndrome Speaking to your customers How does a newsletter referral program work? Can you start a referral program from the beginning? What's the value of a newsletter subscriber?Sparkloop calculator Sparkloop growth from day 1 How big is Sparkloop? How to start and grow a newsletter Louis' favourite newsletters Lenny's Newsletter Morning Brew Why We Buy Recommendations Book: Wuthering Heights Podcast: Default Alive Indie Hacker: Josh Ho Follow Me Twitter Indie Bites Twitter Indie Bites YouTube Join the membership Personal Website Buy A Wallet 2 Hour Podcast Course PodPanda (hire me to edit your podcast) This Indie Life Podcast Sponsor - AhrefsThank you to Ahrefs for sponsoring Indie Bites. Ahrefs is the most complete and valuable SEO tool on the market. Bootstrapped companies such as VEED and Transistor have used Ahrefs extensively to understand how to craft their SEO strategies, which have been such a pivotal part of their growth.If you want to get more traffic from Google on your side-project, I'd recommend first trying out Ahrefs Webmaster Tools for free. You'll see what keywords your pages are ranking for, understand how Google sees your content and discover what changes you need to improve your search ranking. You should also check out their YouTube channel to understand both the basics of SEO and some more advanced techniques.To try out Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, head to ahrefs.com/webmaster-tools

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Mary Tobler, the brains behind the fun puzzles and games you find in the Morning Brew newsletter.Publishers and newsletter operators alike are waking up to the value of having a “games” strategy and — like with most things newsletters — Morning Brew have been leading the way.In today's episode, we discuss: how games and puzzles fit into the newsletter format why publishers are starting to prioritise games and puzzles in their newsletters (why) should you add games to your newsletter? And how to get started You can find Mary on Twitter, and Louis is at @louisnicholls_ .

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Brian Morrissey, creator of The Rebooting newsletter and podcast. Before starting The Rebooting as an outlet to share commentary and insight into building sustainable media businesses, Brian was president and editor-in-chief at Digiday Media.In today's episode, we discuss: transitioning from managing a large media brand to being a solo creator the value of consistency as a publisher how the newsletter industry and "creator economy" are likely to develop in the future You can find Brian on Twitter, and Louis is at @louisnicholls_ .

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Sophia Patten, Head of Events for Workweek. Sophia plans and runs all kinds of different events both for the Workweek brand and their individual newsletter creators.Events are a super hot-button topic for newsletter operators right now. With the potential to grow community, boost audience growth and add new revenue streams.We discuss: when should you run your first event? And why? how to plan your first event tips for improving your events and translating it into business results You can find Sophia on Twitter, and Louis is at @louisnicholls_ .

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with author, podcaster and newsletter creator Arvid Kahl. Arvid is in the process of setting up a referral program for his newsletter, The Bootstrapped Founder. And asked me if I could help him with his reward strategy. We decided to record the whole conversation — to give you an inside look at what to think about when coming up with the perfect rewards for your own referral program.You can find Arvid on Twitter, or at TheBootstrappedFounder.com And Louis is at @louisnicholls_ on Twitter.

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Katy Huff, ex-professional-newsletter-ad-slinger for The Hustle, turned cofounder of MadRev.We jump straight into the details of how to sell more ads and sponsorships for your newsletter. Including: how important is is a media deck, really? how should you package your ad sales? what results should you be reporting to sponsors, and how? how did Katy approach ad sales for The Hustle? ... and much, much more.You can find Katy over at MadRev.co and Louis at @louisnicholls_ on Twitter

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Pat Trousdale, founder and operator of The Daily Upside.We jump straight into the good stuff, including: how The Daily Upside grew to over 300k newsletter subscribers without any social media presence what growth and revenue channels are working for The Daily Upside today what newsletter metrics is Pat paying attention to ... and much, much more.You can find Pat on Twitter at @pat_trousdale and Louis at @louisnicholls_

Thank you to this month's sponsor, SnapShooter (an awesome backup service)! Listeners get 50% off for 6 months when signing up with the coupon code "outofbeta".Thank you to our Show Notes sponsors:Mailman: Make your inbox, truly yours.Mailman allows you to control who can send you emails, and at what hours. Tame your inbox with Mailman - check out Mailman (and get 30% off the first year on annual plans).Interested in sponsoring? Get in touch.Peter is considering starting a newsletter so he invited Louis Nicholls, founder of Sparkloop, on the show to share his knowledge about starting and growing newsletters. Louis previously ran "Sales for Founders" and today he is starting and growing Sparkloop, a tool that helps newsletter authors grow via word of mouth.Links:Matt on TwitterPeter on TwitterOut of Beta on TwitterSummit - Matt's startupReform - Peter's startupLouis on TwitterSparkloopSales for Founders podcast feedSend & Grow by Sparkloop

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Jacob Donnelly, GM of B2B at Morning Brew and creator of A Media Operator — a media business covering the business of media.We jump straight into the good stuff, including: how should media brands think about monetizing their email audiences? what growth channels worked for the AMO newsletter? paid subscriptions vs advertising — which revenue stream wins? ... and much, much more.You can find Jacob on Twitter at @JayCoDon and Louis at @louisnicholls_!!Use exclusive coupon "SENDGROW" to get 10% off your subscription to AMO!!

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Emanuel Cinca, creator of the Stacked Marketer newsletter.We jump straight into the good stuff, including: how to actually keep your email-list clean what audience growth channels are performing for Stacked Marketer right now what mistakes publishers make when trying to close sponsorship & advertising deals ... and much, much more.You can find Manu on Twitter at @emanuelcinca and Louis at @louisnicholls_

5 years ago, email was dead. Now it's not only growing, it's the life's blood of the creator economy. As a creator or small business owner, without a good, helpful, and nurtured email list, you're leaving money on the table. And to tell you why Louis Nicholls from SparkLoop is here this week. We talk all about what makes a good newsletter, what mistakes to avoid, how to come up with good content, and how to make money. It's a packed episode, and totally worth your time — especially if you're an independent creator. Top Takeaways: Your email growth goals are way smaller than they should be. You can double or triple your subscriber list if you approach it professionally — with a plan in place for growth. The people who fail to grow their list treat it like a hobby.When it comes to content, start with who you're writing for. Talk to people in your target audience and answer their questions. By the time you're ready to launch the newsletter, you should know of at least 50 people who would sign up for it.When it comes to making money, high ticket items are your best bet. Your worst bet? Low-priced subscriptions. Louis says that memberships for creators are like a golden hampster wheel. Sure it's recurring revenue, but there's also the pressure of delivering each month. Show Notes: Louis NichollsLouis on TwitterSparkLoop AppMorning BrewCreate&SellFree Tool: MagicCreator CrewSponsored by: Tailor Brands | NitroPack | Nexcess | TextExpander

Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls sits down with Becca Sherman, cofounder and COO of Workweek.We jump straight into the good stuff, including: what's more important... individual personalities or brand? what audience growth channels are performing for Workweek right now? what newsletter metrics does Becca really care about? ... and much, much more.You can find Becca on Twitter at @becsherm and Louis at @louisnicholls_

Are you planning a referral program to grow your audience? There's a strategy to make it work. On this week's episode, Tim Stoddart (@timstodz) and Ethan Brooks (@damn_ethan) talk about lessons learned from the godfather of referral programs, Louis Nicholls. Nicholls is the co-founder of SparkLoop*, the app that powers 7 of the 10 largest newsletter referral programs in the world. It's been used by major players like Tim Ferriss and James Clear to grow their audiences, and building it has given Nicholls unique insight into what does and doesn't work in referral marketing. Tune in to learn: How big your audience should be before starting a referral program What kinds of engagement and conversion rates you can expect to see The psychology behind referral programs and how to target your “whales” How to choose prizes that work economically and more… The guys also dig into an interesting new framework called the “Outlier Algorithm” which can help you identify and pursue rare, high-value skills throughout your career. (*Disclosure: Tim invested in SparkLoop back in the day) Links to Cool Stuff Mentioned In The Show SparkLoop Aleyda Solis' SEO FOMO Newsletter Brennan Dunn's Create and Sell Newsletter Michael Simmons' piece on the “Outlier Algorithm” For more great insights, check out… Copyblogger Academy where you'll learn the 3 skills you need to become an effective content entrepreneur in today's world. Trends where you'll find cutting-edge research on emerging business trends, plus hands-on advice on how to capitalize on them. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/copyblogger-podcast/message

Creators always ask, “how do I grow my audience?” While the answer is different for everyone, when you're an emerging creator with a tight budget, referral programs are a great way to expand without burning revenue. And not only expand, but find subscribers more likely to engage.As we continue moving away from open rates as our main metric, referral programs are a great step toward increased engagement. Luckily, where there's a will, there's an app. Tools like SparkLoop smooth out the logistics and make tracking your referral progress fun and easy. In this episode, Alyssa and Melissa discuss the benefits of a referral program, the steps to referral success, and examples of creators who are doing it right. Key Takeaways [07:09] - Referral programs are a great way to grow your audience in a way that's relatively “hands-off”. [08:39] - Tools like SparkLoop help you automate your referral program. Automation is especially useful if you're a small creator. [14:24] - People trust referrals from friends more than anything else. A referred subscriber has built-in trust with you that otherwise, you would have to spend time, money, and energy to establish.  [16:11] - Referral programs reward subscriber engagement.  [16:47] - Using incentives not only drives traffic to your newsletter but also the content outside of your newsletter.  [19:22] - Referral programs lower the cost of subscriber acquisition and get people excited about your upcoming content.  [22:18] - Before launching a referral program, you need a newsletter with measurable subscriber value rather than a brand new newsletter with no built-in audience.  [24:08] - You also need a clear explanation of how your referral program works so it's obvious to your subscribers what they have to do.  Quotes[12:12] - “Any other way to try and find people to join your list, like maybe doing paid ads, can only do so much to get the right person in front of that sign-up form. And it's kind of more like casting a wide net and hoping to find the right people. But this is perfect. Your subscribers clearly are the perfect fit for your email list, they're already there, they signed up for it, and they likely know other people who also would love your content.” ~ @alyssa_dulinLinks Contact Us! Morning Brew theSkimm SparkLoop ConvertKit Creator Pro account Manuel Frigerio Louis Nicholls Codie Sanchez Nathan Barry's newsletter SparkLoop's growth calculator SparkLoop rewards library James Clear The 3-2-1 Newsletter Great Talks Most People Have Never Heard Nathan Barry's podcast Brennan Dunn Create & Sell Angel at ConvertKit Isa at ConvertKit  Connect with our hosts Alyssa Dulin Melissa Lambert Stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Twitter Facebook Instagram Deliverability Defined Website Try ConvertKit's deliverability in actionIt's now free to use ConvertKit with an audience of 1,000 subscribers or less! Start building your audience and reaching their inboxes: convertkit.com/pricing. 

Referral programs sound good, but how do you make them work? That's something that today's guest can talk about with authority. Louis Nicholls is the CEO and co-founder of SparkLoops, a referral tool for newsletter growth. Listen to today's interview as Louis discusses some advice for launching a referral program, creative things to try with a referral program, and what prompted the idea for SparkLoop in the first place. Topics Discussed in Today's Episode: What SparkLoop does Advice for launching a referral program Creative things to try with a referral program James Clear's referral program Where the idea for SparkLoop from The baby steps to get traction When to go all in The key drivers of growth for SparkLoop Half-baked ideas that Louis likes Advice Louis would give on starting a course What helped SparkLoop get to its level of scale The nicest thing someone has done for Louis Resources: Louis Nicholls SparkLoop Louis on Twitter Jim Huffman website Jim's Twitter GrowthHit The Growth Marketer's Playbook

Płatne Newslettery są cudowne. Przez ostatnie miesiące uruchomiłem 2 płatne mailingi, uruchamiam kolejny i pomagam kilku osobom w startach ich mailingu. Przestudiowałem też ponad 1000 płatnych mailingów z całego świata. I takich, które mają przychody 500 USD rocznie i takie, które mają przychody 20 MLN USD rocznie. Oto lekcje. Sponsorem programu jest Szkoła Płatnego Newslettera. https://akademia.pl/live - Obejrzyj wykład o płatnych newsletterach i dołącz do MiroBurn w przedsprzedaży. Linki do newsletterów: wMinutę - newsletter o marketingu/sprzedaży dla twórców TrzyPoziomy - newsletter o MiroBurn CoolGuysCapital - newsletter o rynkach finansowych Scotts Cheap Flights - newsletter o zniżkach na loty Watch Newsletter - newsletter o zegarkach Bartek Pucek - newsletter o startupach/VC Divstocks - newsletter o spółkach dywidendowych Dietetyka Oparta Na Faktach - newsletter o dietetyce The Van Trump Report - newsletter o agrokulturze (20 MLN USD / rocznie) The Hustle - darmowy newsletter dla przedsiębiorców (finansowany reklamami) Trends - płatny newsletter dla przedsiębiorców AI Newsletter - newsletter o AI (newsletter na sprzedaż) Axios - duży zestaw newsletterów Inside - duży zestaw newsletterów Pomp - newsletter o krypto Daily Coding Problem - newsletter z 1 zadaniem programistycznym Inne linki: Duuce - portal do sprzedaży i kupna newsletterów Substack - portal do newsletterów Reveue - portal do newsletterów ActiveCampaign - system do wysyłania maili LeadPages - system do tworzenia stron SparkLoop - system do polecania mailingów Zappier - narzędzie do integracji Stripe - system do płatności SalesCRM - koszyk płatności MailingR - koszyk płatności (stricte pod płatne mailingi) EasyCart - koszyk płatności

Louis is the co-founder and an evangelist for Sparkloop, which is a groundbreaking new platform that is helping entrepreneurs grow their newsletter by doubling and even tripling their subscribers. Follow Louis on Twitter @louisnicholls_ Sparkloop is a simple referral program, that enables newsletter creators to give out prizes and incentives in exchange for referrals. In this conversation Louis and I talked about how Sparkloop was created, and why the simple interface is what allowed it to become the dominant product in the space today. In addition, Louis and I went in depth about his process, his beliefs and his personal strategy. Louis believes in focus. He doesn’t distract himself with shiny objects and prizes. He is all in on his commitment to growing Sparkloop. In addition, we also spoke about the concept of deep work, and the balance between being focused on the work that moves the needle, while also giving yourself permission and space to do some of the tedious tasks that are required to run a business. I loved speaking with Louis. He is building something big and I look forward to watching his continued success.

How do SaaS sales and customer success compare? Today we speak with Louis Nicholls, co-founder of SparkLoop. You'll learn how to approach customer success with long-time-to-value products, what to watch out for with sales calls and demos, the benefits and drawbacks of freemium, and much more.Visit our website for the detailed episode recap with key learnings.Show notesSparkLoop — referral tool for newslettersReferralHero — a referral tool run by Louis's co-founder, ManuelGymhopper — the first of Louis' startupsClassPass — fitness, spa, and beauty app with similarities to GymhopperPostPerk — marketing SaaS tool for eCommerce, one of Louis' companies that he recently soldSales for Founders — Louis's famous courseArrows — tool for creating mutual action plans with customersTen Email Ideas for Your Customer Success Automation — Jane's blog postFind Louis on TwitterEmail LouisThanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about the show on Twitter mentioning @userlist, or leave us a review on iTunes.SponsorThis show is brought to you by Userlist — the best way for SaaS founders to send onboarding emails, segment your users based on events, and see where your customers get stuck in the product. Start your free trial today at userlist.com.

As a newsletter creator, how do you decide where to put your marketing dollars? And which growth channels will yield best results?Jenny Rothenberg, Director of Growth at Morning Brew, joined the team as a growth manager a little over two years ago. She's had a front-row seat as the newsletter grew to 2.5 million highly engaged subscribers, and she shared the engagement-focused approach to growth with SparkLoop cofounder Louis Nicholls.Morning Brew has grown significantly from branching out into new channels to acquire subscribers, but it isn't just about the numbers. The key is to keep your eye on quality over quantity.“Even though they're signing up on the same landing page and they're getting sent the same newsletters, the variance of user quality is so strong across different channels,” Jenny says.Though Morning Brew's subscriber count is an impressive and important metric, that's not actually the metric the company cares about.What could be more important than subscriber numbers to the head of growth? Engagement.Listen in to learn about Morning Brew's approach to newsletter growth and how you can be strategic about growth — even when your budget is limited.

On the show today is Pedro Cortes. Pedro is a messaging and positioning consultant who works with SaaS companies to revamp their site using conversion copywriting and design best practices.I wanted to bring him on because Pedro developed a fantastic SaaS landing page template that I've referenced many times and is my go-to guy for SaaS landing pages. He's worked with many companies and seen real, tangible results from his work. You'll hear about the big mistakes SaaS companies are making with their landing pages and website in general, how he uncovers website visitors biggest pain points, obstacles, and hesitations and then weave those into the copywriting he produces, and his four-question process to develop positioning that makes your product resonate with customers.More on Pedro: @pedroforcmo on Twitter Pedro's free SaaS landing page cheatsheet Sponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

On the show today is Chase Dimond. Chase is the co-founder of the email marketing agency Boundless Labs. I wanted to bring him on because since launching Boundless Labs in June of 2018, they've helped clients do $50 million in email attributable revenue. This guy lives and breathes email marketing for e-commerce. You'll hear about how he started and grew an email travel series from 0 to 500K subscribers in just 10 months, all the mandatory email campaigns and flows you need to have set up for your store, and the Black Friday / Cyber Monday playbook he uses for all his clients to cut through the noise and get results.More on Chase: @ecomchasedimond on Twitter The $50M Ecommerce Email Marketer Chase's free weekly newsletter Sponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

On the show today is Steph Smith. Steph is the head of product for Trends, which is a membership site for entrepreneurs under The Hustle. Previously she did content marketing for TopTal and is also the author of Doing Content Right, which did $40,000 in sales in the first month of launching.I wanted to bring her on because Steph really knows her stuff when it comes to content marketing. She's done it for SaaS companies, marketplaces, newsletters, communities, and even herself. She's also a fantastic example of how to build in public the right way.You'll hear about how she applies lessons learned playing chess and being a chemical engineer as a marketer and leader today, what the keys to her successful book launch were, and a Black Friday / Cyber Monday email that generated over 7 figures in annual recurring revenue literally overnight.More on Steph: @stephsmithio on Twitter Doing Content Right Sponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

On the show today is Taylor Lagace who is the co-founder of Kynship, an influencer marketing agency. I wanted to bring him on because unlike a lot of others in the influencer marketing space, Taylor actually knows his stuff. He's actually been there and done that. In fact, he's basically helped pioneer many of the cutting-edge strategies that brands are using successfully today.You'll hear about Taylor's thoughts on micro-influencers vs larger influencers, how they approach sourcing influencers and structuring deals, and their unique influencer whitelisting strategy that will blow your mind.More on Taylor: @taylorlagace on Twitter Kynship Sponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

On the show today is Mojca Zove — the founder of Super Spicy Media (a boutique Facebook ads agency) and the creator of The Science of Facebook Ads, which speaks for itself.I wanted to bring her on because she's one of the go-to practitioners on Facebook ads. She's worked with a lot of brands and really knows her stuff on Facebook ads. She's also got an interesting perspective across marketing for her clients, marketing herself, and her own digital products.You'll hear about how she ran ads for Carole Baskin of "Tiger King" fame, her end-to-end facebook ads playbook and how it was developed, and her experiments with other ad channels and how they compare to Facebook.More on Mojca: @mojcamars on Twitter The Science of Facebook Ads Sponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

Louis Nicholls is the co-founder of SparkLoop, an email newsletter referral program where you can have each of your subscribers refer their friends to unlock cool rewards.SparkLoop is amazing. They're growing really quickly in the audience-building space and ConvertKit actually gives away free SparkLoop accounts to all of our creative pro customers.In today's show, Louis talks about how to increase your email list growth rate by more than 30% with a referral program. He also gives his (hot!) take on paid newsletters, discusses how best to monetize your audience, and so much more.Links & Resources James Clear Tim Ferriss Brennan Dunn Anne-Laure's Ness Labs Art of Newsletters 018: Anne-Laure Le Cunff – Building a Loyal Audience & Growing Your Newsletter Louis Nicholls' Links SparkLoop's Referral University Personal site: LouisNicholls.com Twitter: @louisnicholls_ Episode TranscriptLouis: [00:00:00] I think you should be creating content probably in other places. Most often people who get to a hundred subscribers and carry on, they get there relatively quickly because they've been being useful in other places. For example, on Twitter, in forums, you should focus less on getting more subscribers through the door and more on being useful and creating content. Nathan: [00:00:25] In today's episode, I talked to Louis Nicholls from SparkLoop and SparkLoop is an email newsletter referral program where you can have each of your subscribers refer their friends to unlock cool rewards. So, for example, if you refer three friends to a newsletter, you could get access to the special content, 10 friends, you get a t-shirt 50 friends, you get something extra incredible.SparkLoop is amazing. They're growing really quickly in the audience, in the audience building space and, ConvertKit's actually an investor in SparkLoop and we give away SparkLoop accounts for free to all of our creative pro customers. So the article is so good. Talk about how to grow your email list by more than, or increase your email list growth rate by more than 30% with a referral program, as well as Louis' take on paid newsletters, how best to monetize your audience and so much more.So let's dive in.Louis, welcome to the show.Louis: [00:01:17] Nathan. Thanks for having me, excited to be here.Nathan: [00:01:19] All right, so let's talk SparkLoop right at first. you've been in the newsletter industry for awhile. You've been watching this whole space, building lists of your own. What was the impetus for wanting to start SparkLoop?Louis: [00:01:32] Yeah, I'm kind of half from me, but also half from my co-founder Manuel. So Manuel had been running a, like a generic referral tool called referral hero for a couple of years. It was, or it still is pretty successful at a lot of clients, you know, larger fortune five hundreds as well as smaller ones. And that was in like the generic referral space.So mainly e-commerce SaaS and so on. And I was at that point where I just sold my last company was kind of looking around for things to do and keeping myself kind of engaged. So I was running a small newsletter, doing a small course teaching founders, how to do sales and doing kind of like that classic.I call it marketing consulting, but really just kind of helping other founders who reached out with some kind of like consulting gigs. And one of them ended up being a paid newsletter in like the flight steals space. And they, I think they probably, at that point seeing what morning brew was doing with their referral program and they were really eager to add one in.So they asked if I knew of anyone who could help do that. And I said, well, I've done referral programs before. And the software I've used is from my friend, Manuel, who runs her federal hero. So I thought, well, if anyone knows what tool to do or what, what tool to use, it's going to be Manuel. So I'll ask him, reach out to Manuel.And he says, well, you can kind of make referral hero, do this with a lot of work. there isn't really a better option out there. But it's funny you say this cause you're like the fourth person this week has asked me if we can get referral here at working with newsletters. So maybe we should look a bit into this together.And, that's kind of, I think where it starts, if we didn't originally planned the Spock week to be a new tool necessarily, we thought it could be kind of inside of referral Europe. But as we. Kind of understood more about exactly how it was supposed to work and kind of the integrations that newsletters need to be successful. We've realized it really needs its own dashboard and its own integrations. And at that point it may as well be a separate product.Nathan: [00:03:46] Yeah. And so we're recording this in January, 2021. when was that? That, you two started working on.Louis: [00:03:55] I think the first time we probably started talking about it was in summer 2019. Yeah. So about a year and a half ago. Nathan: [00:04:03] Yeah. And so now, I mean, SparkLoop powering referral programs for a whole bunch of people. I know James Clear, a lot of ConvertKit customers, who are some other examples that you could share?Louis: [00:04:15] Yeah. James Clear, Tim Ferriss would be two big ones from kind of that personality author space, I guess. then we have a lot of info-product creators using us people like Vernon Dunn. and Anne-Laure from Ness Labs, who I know you had on the, on the podcast recently. And then we're seeing a lot of interest from kind of the, the media companies as well.So, Punchbowl news, we just recently launched a using us front office sports, people like that.Nathan: [00:04:46] Nice. Okay. So when someone's thinking about a referral program, What are some of those misconceptions, right. Someone comes in and they're, they're like, I'm going to copy. What morning brew does exactly. Like, and then it's going to explode. We're going to have viral growth. Like it's going to solve all of my, user acquisition problems.What are some of the things that people come in with and where do you either say, no, this is actually the best practice or like sort of reset their expectations.Louis: [00:05:16] Yeah. I mean, how long do you have we could, we could go at this all day, I think. so I'll start with some common ones. The, I think the most common one we see straight off the bat is that some people that newsletters are just too small for it to be worth one. so if you have, if you're a hundred or 200 subscribers, yes, you can grow.I don't know, 20%, 50% faster with a referral program, but 20 or 50% of five new subscribers a week, just isn't worth the time you'd put into it. Right. And you could be cross posting or doing something way more useful at the time instead. so that's the main one when we seeNathan: [00:05:55] What sort of minimum threshold that it, that it does make sense.Louis: [00:05:59] Yeah. Good questions. So I think if you don't monetize your newsletter yet, or you monetize it via sponsorships, Then you're probably looking at somewhere between the thousand to 2000 subscriber. Mark is when it starts to really be something you should think about. If you do monetize, especially if you have, you know, courses or something like that, where you're like the value of a lifetime value of a subscriber is, is high, is 20, 30, 40, $50.Then it can make sense, you know, with hundreds subscribers. I mean, I use it for sales to founders, my newsletter and cost because. I only have about 1,500 or I did only have about 1,500 subscribers on that list, but each of them was worth about $56 on average. So even getting two or three new subscribers for me a month is a big deal.Nathan: [00:06:51] Yeah, that makes sense. when you're looking at. I feel like I have so many different questions, but when you're looking at the revenue per subscriber across lists, since you have this insight now across a whole bunch of different newsletters, what are some of those defining things? Is it always the highest when someone has a paid course?Louis: [00:07:13] These are, I think one of the things that we've seen so far that do tend to have the highest lifetime value per subscriber, it depends. So yeah, I think cost is probably like the highest consistent one that we've seen on average. And then you also have services, which are super hard to define because you'll have maybe 5,000 people and list.And one of them is going to pay $200,000, but you don't know which one it is. So like leaving them aside. Cause that's like a whole different thing. Nathan: [00:07:46] I would say it's to average that where you're saying like, Oh, I made $200,000 off the list. So every subscriber is worth $200. It's like, no. Yes and no. Like, technically that is the average and no, you shouldn't make business decisions based off of that.Louis: [00:08:01] Totally. Yeah, totally. So I think info-product creates is probably at the top. And then you have paid newsletters, paid communities as well, which tends to be a tiny bit lower. then after that you have sponsorships affiliates, stuff like that. Yeah.Nathan: [00:08:15] Yeah. Okay. So going back to the, the difference in what people are expecting from a referral program, you know, versus what they should actually do, what are some of those things that come to mind?Louis: [00:08:26] Yeah. So we talked about already about the, the idea that you don't want to start when you're too small. The other thing you have to bear in mind is that you have to be sending regular emails for it to be worthwhile because. You need to be asking people often to share. And if you only send an email every month or every three weeks or so, that doesn't give you very many opportunities to, to nudge people to, to refer.So they tend to see pretty poor results. And it, it does tend to be the daily newsletters. Like the morning brew Punchbowl will get the best results. And then, you know, twice a week weekly, they get great results as well. Anything where you're not sending at least once every week tends to be more difficult.Nathan: [00:09:10] Yeah, that makes sense. And is that, is that a call to action that you're putting in every email? is that something that you do dedicated emails for? How, how does it perform best?Louis: [00:09:23] What we tend to see is that you want to have a, a call to action, like a referral section inside of every email that you sent out. Unless that email has some other really important call to action in it. So if you're launching a new course or you really want to drive people to a particular link particular website or video, then maybe skip that week because you don't want people going off in different directions and doing different things.But in general, you'd have it in every single newsletter. Normally either towards the bottom or somewhere in the middle, where people are going to see it. And then we also recommend that you probably want to. Have a specific welcome email. So when someone joins your newsletter, you presumably have a welcome sequence or several welcome sequences, depending on whether people, you know, where people joined from or why they joined.And what you normally don't want to do is to introduce the referral program in email one, because they haven't had a chance to, to trust and get to know you yet, but normally a couple of days later. So between. Seven and 14 days after they sign up, you want to say, Hey, you know, I, I hope you're really enjoying the content.It's all free. It would mean the world to me. If you would share it with a couple of people that you think will get value as well. And I'll have that email somewhere in that.Nathan: [00:10:42] That makes sense. Yeah. I mean, you're, you're effectively asking for a sale in some way, right? In this case, they're not paying with dollars. They're paying with, A bit of their time and their reputation, right. Where if I'm saying, Hey, you know, my friend Barrett, like Louie's email is really good, you know, go pay attention to it.I'm like attaching a little bit of my reputation to that. And so if you're doing that before, there's trust built up where you're saying, Hey, you should, you should go pitch your friends on this. And you know, we're on email one or email two. It's probably premature.Louis: [00:11:16] Sure. Oh, yeah, for sure. I think that's an interesting point that you raise about the, I mean, the trust is absolutely spot on, but also that you're, you're asking people to pay, like to pay you in a way. we do see that you can almost separate. The approach that you take with the referral program out into two kind of distinct ones where what most people are used to is kind of like the really transactional approach of morning brew, where it's quite obvious, they're saying, Hey, please go and do this work for us.Please go and refer. These people actively work towards it to get this reward, this price that we're giving you in return for the work. And that can work well. But it's also like once you have that, once you state that relationship with your subscribers, then it's very difficult to roll back from that from asking them to do work for you.So what we normally recommend is to start off with more of a nudge and to say, Hey, we're not asking you to go and do work for us, but we know for example, Nathan, we know that you enjoy. Might newsletter about whatever it is. we know that that must be a lot of other people on the ConvertKit team who really should be reading this as well, that you should be sharing it with.So as a thank you for sharing it with them, he has a small little thing just to say, thank you, basically.Nathan: [00:12:34] And so what's an example of one of those small things that you would do where it doesn't feel as transactional, or like this big ask.Louis: [00:12:43] Yeah. So that's, that's a really interesting thing as well. So most people they come in and they naturally assume when it comes to rewards that they need to do either some kind of discount, so money off something, or that they need to do some form of physical swag or gift. So maybe mugs t-shirts ad pod cases, stickers, even something like that.And. Those are expensive. Firstly, you know, you don't necessarily want to be paying for those and then shipping them and coordinating all of that. It can be a pain, but also secondly, they tend to underperform from what we've seen compared to what makes really good rewards, which is rewards in our experience that are based around either exclusivity or around urgency.Either getting access to something that there's no other way for them to get access to often that's content, maybe in your case, it could be. and so James clear, for example, has a secret newsletter that he sends every month, which you can only get, if you make three referrals or we've seen people do, kind of small coffee chats via zoom once a month of inside of clubs.We've seen all of this, for example, who will say, you can get a, a chapter from the book that I ended up removing from the book, and then no one else has read. For example, that kind of thing. It's something that you can only get if you, you know, if you make the referral something exclusive or on the urgency side, which works really well for infoproduct creative schools creates us, is to say, I'm going to give you early access to something.So when I had my last launch at the sales of founders course, for example, the course was launching on a Monday, on a Wednesday. I emailed my list and said, Hey, on Monday on Monday, you're going to get access to this thing for free. If you'd like to get it on Friday, just share this link with two people.And just that act of doing it grew my list by about 30%, even though it was only a two day difference, which you'd never think of it working like that.Nathan: [00:14:49] Well, and there's no marginal cost to it, right. Where I would assume coming in that. I need to be on the other camp of, do this thing and I will send you a t-shirt and you're like, well, that's a, that's a $15 all in cost, you know? And so what I hear you saying is sure, you can do that, but here's a digital version that has no additional costs that performs just as well, or even sometimes better.Louis: [00:15:16] Yeah, totally. I mean, if you think about where the sweat comes from, it's often because the really big newsletters that got popular with referral programs, the main two really are morning brew and the skin and that both very strongly branded newsletters focused mainly on college students and college students were really identify with it and they would really like to have a free t-shirt.If you're selling to, or if you're writing emails, if you're creating content for people who are maybe professionals that all of a sudden a free t-shirt, if you're making 150 K a year, it doesn't really move the needle that much. Whereas, a coffee chat with other people who are in your industry would be super interesting for you.Nathan: [00:15:59] Yeah, that makes sense. Okay. So, let's put on our free consulting hats for a second. And let's say hypothetically, someone named Nathan Barry had a newsletter of. 26,000 subscribers and was considering starting a referral program. all hypothetical, of course. what would, what would you recommend, that program would look like?Louis: [00:16:22] I think the first, I mean, I'd have to ask some questions first. So I think the first question I would probably ask is why people are signing up for the newsletter. So what did they turn up there for?Nathan: [00:16:31] Yeah. that's a good question. So it's a lot of content on a design marketing and audience growth, combined with, You know how to run a startup or a money or that sort of thing. Honestly, it's a very, very broad newsletter, right? Things like this podcast are going out to it. and another point, you know, just for, for references, it's a list that, didn't go cold, but definitely got a lot colder as I focused on convert kit.You know, so for example, the list peaked at 30,000 or 32,000 subscribers, and I've just slowly kind of trimmed it down and cleaned it. as it, you know, it's not growing fast, it's growing, I don't know, 2010 to 20 subscribers a day, not the hundreds of subscribers a day that you would expect to get to those numbers.Louis: [00:17:21] Sure. Sure. Yeah. That's interesting. So then the other question that I tend to ask as well is, how you, or what you want the people on your newsletter list to do. So once someone subscribes, what is kind of the, the end goal for them, are you monetizing in some ways that something like them, some action you'd like them to take.Nathan: [00:17:41] I want them all to sign up for ConvertKit. but I'm gonna say at this point, convert, it is. So much bigger, whereas four years ago, five years ago, my audience was driving ConvertKit and, and now, you know, ConvertKit's email list is 10 to 20 times the size of, of my individual audience. So, Yes, they could buy the books and courses, but I don't push those very much.So I think it's, you know, I was talking to, on Malik who, started to gigging, years ago and now as a venture capitalist investor and he recently switched to convert kit and he had this, this thing that I hope he executes on this idea of. Saying, he's only going to allow 10,000 people on his email list.He wants the 10,000 most engaged people, right? So he wants like a 70% open rate or higher. And if someone doesn't open it consistently, he's going to kick them out and then let in the next like 500 as he clears out that, that slot. And I don't know that I'd ever go that extreme though. Like I liked the idea, but I would want people who.I would want the most engaged people who are there for a conversation or who are really fans of the work, rather than just getting to the largest possible list.Louis: [00:19:01] Got it. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So I love that idea, right? I'm not sure I'd have the audience to pull it off, but it's a, it's a fun one. so normally when people have a list they tend to have, they tend to be trying to monetize the list in some way, right. If you're using a referral program, So you would maybe, for example, with one of your books, I want to go eBooks.What you might do is to say, okay, well, I would really love people who sign up to buy one of the books and then maybe they will see through that. They will learn that they should use convert kit. Or they will take a course of mine or they will, I don't know, spread the word in some way internally. So the company buys convert kit or something like that.So what you normally do that is you would try and tailor the reward to be something that someone who's kind of on the fence about buying the book would want. So it might be a free chapter from the book, for example, and you'd set that up as. W when it comes to rewards strategy, which isn't something we really talked about, what you tend to want is to always have a reward that you can win.So making between one, three referrals. So that's really easy to win because if you have a reward at that level, then everyone who sees it thinks, okay. Yeah, sure. If I share this on Twitter, if I share this with a couple of friends, I'm going to get at least one or at least two people to sign up the short.So I'm definitely going to get this thing. So I would have something in that space for between one and two referrals. It's digital, it's easy for you to do, you know, you can set up an automation and convert kit or your email tool to just send them the free chapter as a, as a download link on. So they make the number for ferals and you don't really have to think about it again.And then what you might do on top of that is to have another reward somewhere between maybe five and 20 referrals. And that would probably be something that's slightly more, more exclusive. The people are probably going to have to work a tiny bit towards, or they're going to have to have quite a big list or quite a big kind of social sphere to be able to get straight off with one chat.And that in your case, again, it's difficult because you're not trying to monetize directly, but something you might do that, that we've seen work well is for example, to say, okay, a lot of the people on your list, for example, probably marketers and would probably like to get themselves featured or in front of other people who are also on the list.So you might say, well, I will give a shout out at the bottom to the three people each week who make the most referrals or, once you make 20 referrals, I will give you a big shout-out in the footnotes of the newsletter or something like that.Nathan: [00:21:34] Yeah, that makes all that sense. Something that comes to mind is, there's a lot of content that I. Am intrigued on or want to write a write about around money. And particularly like, I have a lot of people on my list who say, have followed whatever in authority or something else over time, they execute on that.And now they've made a hundred thousand dollars a year online, whereas before they were making 40,000 in their old job, or now they're making 250,000 a year. And they're like, what? Even. What is happening, you know, you, if you go from 60,000 to 250,000, which you can do from a single, you know, course launch product launch, your world is completely different.But if you post about that sort of thing publicly, then there's all like, you have to deal with everyone saying like, look at you. You're now in the 1%, or I don't know, like all the negative talk around it. And so one thing that came to mind is doing this like a secret course. That, you know, I'm on money that shares a bunch of these things that once you're at this level, you should pay attention to, but that requires, you know, three or five or 10 referrals.And I think that would be really interesting, cause it both is only for the most engaged people, which will prevent some of the public backlash. and you know, it could be a compelling reward.Louis: [00:22:58] Totally took. And I think, you know, that's a great title. And also with it being, I mean, it's, it's your like Nathan Barry newsletter write people up as to hear from you. And that has similarities with James clear with the Tim Ferriss newsletter, where really what they, what subscribers they want at the end of the day is they want more James.They want more Tim and they want more. Nathan. so having something like that, that's exclusive, that's an insider thing that you can give them is a great way of doing it. And maybe even layering on like, A monthly coffee chat or every quarter, maybe a coffee chat, something like that. Just some way that people can connect, that obviously in your case, you wouldn't want it to take up too much time, but something where, you know, people can get more of what they signed up for, which is more Nathan barrier, basically.Nathan: [00:23:44] That makes sense. What are some of your favorite programs that you've seen people put together? We talked about James. what are some other examples that people Vic's executed really well on the reward tiers or how they promote it?Louis: [00:23:57] Yeah. So something I've really liked is I'm a manual stacked marketer and he does a great job of mixing in. digital and physical rewards together. So he keeps the first couple of reward, referrals that people would make. So up to about five referrals, it's all digital things that are completely free for him to give away, like, access early access to conference tickets and stuff like that.And then from there he layers in physical rewards. So a mug, a t-shirt and so on, and he actually takes it all the way up to, I think for a thousand referrals, he will fly you to Vienna to get lunch with him. which I don't think has happened yet, but there are people out in that far away.Nathan: [00:24:44] I can see that I, in a post COVID world, I have an absurd number of airline points. I, you know, that could make them,Louis: [00:24:51] Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we we've had people make over a thousand referrals before. So I was saying this to, to Trevor mackendrick who uses us in his newsletter and he, his, his kind of big, shiny, reward tier at the top. And the motivational one that kind of grabs headlines and gets people talking about it is I think for a thousand referrals, he will buy you a billboard in San Francisco and put whatever you want on it.And so I was explaining that there's a chance that he may actually have to do that. So yeah.Nathan: [00:25:24] Yeah. what, obviously you get these outliers of a thousand referrals. Are those always coming from someone who has a big audience? or do you see it from, you know, a subscriber who is really just hustling, like crazy.Louis: [00:25:41] yeah, you don't tend to see too many people hustling, like. Crazy to be honest. And you, you don't normally want that because if they're working for it, then the engagement of the people that sending it away is probably going to be quite low. so that's fine. If you have like a morning group or a hustle style audience, where really they're happy to get a lot of people through the door and their audience is super broad and people will, you know, they do an amazing job in the first two weeks, making sure that people who aren't a good fit, segmented out and cleaned away.And it's all fine. if you were running a more niche newsletter, especially if you have like an info product or something like that, a paid newsletter, then you really are looking for engaged subscribers, people who are really gonna identify with it. So you, you almost don't want their awards to be too good to the point where people will start to try and trick the system and get people to sign up who maybe wouldn't have been too interested.Nathan: [00:26:33] That makes sense. I think a fear that people would have with a referral system or particularly. Referral system, is it that engagement would be lower over time, right? That those subscribers would be, less than one thing that I'm realizing is inside the reporting and convert, you could segment down to referred subscribers and then just see their open rates trending over time and compare that to, you know, the more general cohort or a cohort that came from paid advertising, or that came purely from organic search.What have you seen is that. Does that fear play play out or are they just as engaged as those that sign up organically?Louis: [00:27:13] Yeah. I mean, I don't want to sound like I'm saying referral programs are the best for everything they're not, but when it comes to engagement, I think anybody who uses spark group and probably anybody who uses any referral program would say that the engagement is better than pretty much any other source they get.I've heard that engagement from people who've come. Fire influences is pretty good. I think that was the head of growth at morning brew was talking about that a couple of weeks ago when we were chatting. But other than that, everything I've heard so far is basically that the people who come from referrals, because the difference between like people coming from a giveaway, like a traditional giveaway, right?If you go on Twitter and say, Hey, sign up to my newsletter this week, and you'll be in with a chance to win a Mac book or something like that, which people do well, you get loads of people who sign up because they want to win that book. Whereas, if you tell your existing audience, Hey, I'm going to give away a signed copy of my book this week to one person who makes at least one referral, or the people who they've referred.They've only signed up probably through your existing landing page or through like a landing page, which is they're there for the newsletter. Right. But they're not only there for the newsletter that they have for their newsletter. They know that friend is subscribed to. And that they've had from like, recommended to them and that they can chat about with that friend.So that likely to be way back to quality than anything else. And what we actually see is that, especially if you're going to go out and do paid advertising. So if you're going to do Facebook ads, for example, to your newsletter, Then, what you really want to do is you want to add in a referral program first, you want to see which people are researching and which people are being referred.And then you want to build a custom audience around that because those people are likely to be much better, kind of acquisition sources through Facebook for a custom audience, then just, you know, trying to build an audience in general.Nathan: [00:29:02] Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And then, then you're going to get, you know, for every dollar spent on Facebook to get a subscriber, you're going to get a little bit more of an incremental gains of, you know, another quarter of a subscriber on average or something like that.What are you seeing on, like, on some of the numbers, you know, if we were to spin up a, a referral program and execute it, maybe it's not the most, perfectly executed referral program ever, but we're following these best practices, making compelling content and that kind of thing, say to a 25,000 subscriber list, I don't know, 30% open rates, something fairly average. where do you see in a left on, on subscriptions?Louis: [00:29:45] Yeah. So what we tend to to measure by is, is kind of the growth rate, right? So if you're growing, let's say. Take X percent a week or X percent a month. What difference do we make to that? It's kind of how we measure ourselves. And what we tend to say is all we tend to see is that anybody with completely free digital rewards that cost them nothing, not putting a lot of thought into it, not running regular referral giveaways, which make a massive difference at really kind of trying to do the bare minimum, of, of, of time and, and money investment.They can get to somewhere between 15 and 20% faster growth with a referral program. the average that we have across all of our sparkly customers is about 35% at the moment, which is just slightly higher than I think the morning brew has from what I've read. and I mean, it goes the whole rain track.We've had people who have consistently grown 300% faster, 400% vested, but. That's sending daily newsletters. They have a super like gamified sequence. They have this wide audience normally of, of teens or of college students who are really interested in signing up. So it's, if you have that perfect storm, that really the sky's the limit, but yeah,Nathan: [00:31:01] Anything could change on that, but that's a great way to represent it, of whatever momentum you already have. We're looking for a lift on that rather than, you know, again, it goes back to if you, if the subscribers aren't there to begin with it, doesn't, it doesn't work. This is only a lift on what's already happening.Louis: [00:31:22] Yeah, exactly. I mean, the truth is that people do even without a referral program, you will have some people sharing. You will have people writing about the newsletter. You will have people sharing it in Facebook groups. And if you're like without doing anything else, if you're seeing basically no growth.That's normally something that's gone wrong, that, that a referral program isn't going to fix in the same way, the probably paid ads. Also, aren't going to fix that. There's something more fundamental that needs to be, to be sorted out.Nathan: [00:31:51] can you break from referral programs for a little bit like newsletters in general, newsletters are having this, this resurgence, right. There's been various waves of it. One was in the blogging. I feel like when maybe it's just when I came into blogging, but when there's a big wave in 2008 to 2010 something, 2012, something like that, I feel like tiny letter push newsletters a lot.And. 2013, 14, somewhere in there and then died often. Then now it's sub stack and your view and convert kit and all of us, right? There's this big wave. And in newsletters, do you think that's something that is here to stay? What do you, what do you think is different this time from, other particular waves we've seen in the past?Louis: [00:32:33] Wow. Big question. I think it's, I think it's interesting. I think people, so what I've seen is over the last couple of years that, I mean, info-product creators have always known that they need to own their own email list. I think. And people have always been blogging and there's no, and yet it would be a good idea to be able to email people the same things that they don't have to come and discover me every time and check if something's going on.And then I think over the last couple of years, what I've seen is that people who are maybe more into like the, the nerdier kind of technical industries have kind of copied onto the same idea, right? So we've seen people moving from a tech journalism, into newsletters. We've seen. Podcasters realizing, Oh, wow.I should probably own this audience as well. people on certain platforms who've been kind of, especially, I think, you know, people with Facebook audiences, for example, who've seen, okay. Yes. I have this group with 70,000 people and, but tomorrow I may not be able to email or to reach even five of them.So they've kind of woke up to that threat and realized yeah. Any to, to own that audience in a way that really own the email. Makes it easy with the kind of content that you want to send them. And what I'm seeing at the moment, especially from like conversations with people who are, you know, talking to us at sparkly is that we're getting a lot of interest from kind of younger and maybe slightly more or less, less, less closely related to the tech industry industries.So people coming from YouTube, people coming even from Tech-Talk from Instagram, all those people that you wouldn't even necessarily think that they would have. A big email list, like, personal trainers who don't, who do most of that on, on Instagram, for example, they are suddenly really aware that they need to start growing their email list.And, I think that's kind of it. I definitely think it's here to stay at least, you know, for the foreseeable future. I think it's a really interesting time to be, to be an email for sure.Nathan: [00:34:37] Yeah, it's really fun. But like no one in the last two years is or said like isn't email dying, whereas before they did. And you're like trying to explain, no, it's not at all. You know, like we see, these. Trends and the numbers and it's just, it's crazy. But now it feels like the mainstream sort of, press in general sentiment is catching up where people are realizing that they should have this hub and spoke model where the email list is their hub and then the Tik TOK and YouTube and Twitter and et cetera, are all these spokes that drive backLouis: [00:35:10] Yeah, totally.Nathan: [00:35:13] Something else that. I've been wondering about your take on this? You and I are both fairly vocal on, on Twitter about, email lists, monetization methods. what's been your take on paid newsletters and how have you seen those play out?Louis: [00:35:27] Oh, I so difficult. I think a lot of people are going to get done by paid newsletters. And I think I see a lot of people right now who have been really struggling to get a hundred subscribers and who, if they had tried to monetize in some other way, wouldn't be making $500 a month, but we would be making closer to, you know, 5,000 or $10,000 a month.I mean, I was thinking about it with my own list of sales with founders. If that was a weekly list, an email where I would be just giving some sales tips each week or giving the same advice in a weekly format. I don't think I would be at even $2,000 in monthly recurring revenue with that as a paid newsletter.But I mean, in the first year of doing it, I was in the six figures with it, with courses and with, with coaching. so I think, especially at the, I think. People, a lot of people have gotten into that too enthusiastically without maybe realizing that you are on a treadmill at a certain point and you have to then decide, okay, do I, you know, hire, do I make this more professional?Do I want to keep creating content or outsource the content creation to someone else for a long time? you know, like long-term to be able to grow it to something sustainable or do I want to add in different monetization streams? I think labs who. Maybe originally kind of started off with the idea of it being a paid newsletter, but realized actually it's more of a paid community with other things going on there.And the newsletter again is really kind of just a way to get in that. I've seen other people like, like Dan from capital, he tried the, the paid newsletter and it didn't quite go so well. And you realized consulting and services were for a much better shout. So. That's one of the things I think also if I look at like substance, for example, that the challenge that they're going to have is that it's super difficult to layer other products and other services on top of that.And that's going to become, I think, a real, a real blockade when people realize, Hey, for the same amount of work I could be making, you know, two, three, five times as much money quite easily.Nathan: [00:37:37] Basically the same point that I made on Twitter a while ago is, let's say we're trying to optimize for. Earning a hundred thousand dollars as a creator, as an independent creator online, I want to go from zero to a hundred thousand dollars in annual revenue. What's the best path to do that. And if that's our goal, I don't think it's paid newsletter.Now, if the goal is I want to have the simplest business model and I want to make sure that money just shows up really consistently, and I have a straight, a difficult, but straightforward life. Of showing up writing one to three articles a week, promoting them in this way and making sure that I get the same $2,005,000 a month, that just shows up like clockwork.And then a paid newsletter is fantastic for that because it's going to be very predictable. You and I both know from product launches that you can have a bunch of like $500 weeks, and then you can have a $50,000 a week and then a bunch of. You know, and then it'll taper off again and, well, that's far more money, usually over the course of a period of time.It can be stressful, right. Especially if we wanted to hire employees and there was something like dealing with payroll when you have these spikes, but I'm totally with you when I see. I guess I'm of two minds on paid newsletters, one it's incredible. And I love that the willingness to pay is there in the market.And it just, it added a whole new monetization method for creators where you can choose whatever you prefer. and then the other side I'm like that is a whole lot of work for not as much revenue as you could through a course or through coaching or through, you know, so many other other methods.Louis: [00:39:24] Yeah, totally. And, you know, I don't think it's necessarily either, or, and I think there are just kinds of newsletters that need to be like that. Right. So, Isaac, over at tangle, for example, He's writing news. Like it needs to be up to date having an info product or a course or something to him. It wouldn't really make sense.Whereas, you know, a paid newsletter in that case, because it's a regular content that needs to be updated all the time. Then that's an absolutely amazing way of, you know, of supporting him. Whereas there are other people who, you know, the founders want to come to me for example, and learn sales. Well, they don't want to learn sales for three years.If they're learning sales from me for three years, that means I've done a terrible job at teaching them not to do sales. Right. So I want them to sign up for my newsletter. I want them to stick around for a couple of months and then I want them to not need my newsletter anymore. And, you know, I think that, you know, you just have to kind of, there will be a good mix of business models depending on what your audience wants.And I think understanding what your audience wants is the most important thing.Nathan: [00:40:24] You see, in platforms of people choosing, you know, sub stack, review is just acquired yesterday by Twitter. so that's exciting. New news. I guess in full disclosure, ConvertKit is a shareholder in SparkLoop, through an investment earlier this year. No, last year I keep forgetting it's 20, 21. but what are you saying?Because SparkLoop integrates with a lot of different platforms, and takes over this platform, agnostic approach, which I think is fantastic. where are you seeing in why people are choosing each platform?Louis: [00:40:58] Yeah. It's it's so I think we honestly don't see. I hope I don't get told office. We don't see that many people choosing review. I think, it's just not, I think that will change now with Twitter. But up until now, it was kind of pricey. And they had like, you know, more limited features and maybe we're focused more on, kind of the slightly larger media companies, when it comes to sub stack, I think the advantage, the reason people go for what are the advantages sub stack has that people go for them a lot is also kind of the downside for the creator that makes them move somewhere else, which is that it's very strongly subset, grounded.You know, you're on sub stack and sub stack considers. You as a subscriber to be a substance subscriber, what just a, a subscriber to a particular newsletter that happens to be using sub stack in the backgrounds. So again, it's that they make it very, very easy to get in and to get started. And I think that's a great thing.And I think, you know, having as many people as possible blogging and creating newsletters and sharing what they, what they know with people is, is absolutely amazing. But I also think that there comes a point quite quickly when you start to realize with a tool like that. I mean, there are new ones popping up every day.You do get to the point where you realize, well, if I could just send a welcome sequence, if I could just do this one thing, if I could just tack people here or give them this link or just. If I could just sell for this one specific thing, or even just change this one tiny thing, then without doing any extra work, I could be making twice as much money.And I know that kind of, you know, I can take this audience with me wherever I want to go. And I think that is the big reason that I'm seeing that you have a lot of people coming into sub stack and finding newsletters and being inspired by substance and things like that, but then quickly turning to other tools that give them that kind of, You know, give them the flexibility to actually own their audience and actually, you know, make money and give their audience what they want.Nathan: [00:43:04] Yeah, that makes sense. I mean, I think that's why you're seeing a lot of publications start really easily on sub stack and then graduate from sub stack over time. I mean, just, just last week, Mario moved the generalist often sub stack and over to convert kit and then. ConvertKit and Pico and, and, you know, collection of tools.And then, Dan and Nathan moved every off to their own custom built platform. And so I think you're just going to see more of that as people come in and then grow and, and, and graduate out.Louis: [00:43:40] Yeah, I think it is, it is, it is graduating, right? That's how people, it's almost, it's, it's a consistent word that people use. They graduate from subsect to something else, which I think is a, it's a really accurate way of putting it, but also maybe not the best thing for sub stack as a company that. That people graduate from them when people call it graduating.Nathan: [00:44:01] It's not a dig on sub stack in particular because. Like when you graduate from high school, you're not like, Oh, that was a terrible waste. Well, maybe it depends on your high school experience. Right. But, but you're like, I learned all of this and now it has set me up for university. Right. And, and so it's sort of that thing of when you get started, I think in writing a newsletter, there's so much to do, and we see this with convert kit where you'll get someone say who has 200 subscribers.And they're like, let me launch a referral program. Let me, look at this crazy automation. I segment this so many different ways and they're learning all of that. And you're like, hi, quick point, you have one person that made it down. This like obscure branch of your automation. Like by the time you took 200 and, and branch all the way down, what you actually need, the habit you need to work on is writing consistently and publishing and promoting that content.And that's what sub stack has done so well. And so it's. It's this initial training rounds. And then once you're at the thousand 5,000, 10,000 subscribers, and you have the writing habit, then it's like, okay, I'm here. Now I can graduate and use, you know, a tool like ConvertKit or something else that is going to have the sequences and segmentation.The challenge that we have is ConvertKit is building a tool that, that beginner can start on as well. cause I think sub stack has demonstrated that they can make the market so much bigger.Louis: [00:45:27] Yeah, totally. I love that. It's like that analogy I just reminded me of, I didn't know when you were a kid and playing sports, whether you you'd see those, like you'd always want like the best, you know, running shoes or like the best. And in my case, like the best like goggles or the best swimming, like, They're like the best, like swimming trucks and stuff like that.And it's always like, well, you don't necessarily need to have like the perfect best equipment to get started. You just need to actually go and practice. You need to go and run. You need to go to play and you don't need to spend $5,000 on a pair of shoes or something like that.Nathan: [00:46:02] I agree. as we start to wrap up, I'd love to hear. You know, we talked a newsletter referral programs quite a bit. but I'd love to hear some of your more general advice for someone who's starting a newsletter and maybe growing from, I should start with getting any, any advice for someone looking to get those first hundred subscribers for their newsletter.Louis: [00:46:24] I don't know. I think the first 100, I, I'm almost more of a fan of, I think you should be creating content probably in other places. And when you, before you start your newsletter, I think if you're gonna start writing a newsletter about something in particular, Most often people who get to a hundred subscribers and carry on, they get there relatively quickly because they've been being useful in other places, for example, on Twitter, in forums.Maybe even, you know, physically in, in, in, in, in places like in a, in a company or somewhere like that, that may be less than them with COVID. So I think for those first 100. I, I almost think you should focus less on getting more subscribers through the door and more on things useful and creating content in other places by people can find it on getting the subscribers from there.I think people are very, they're very afraid to go and share this amazing blog post or this amazing email that they've written. In different places to stick it, maybe on medium to tweet, thread it out, to put it on indie hackers, or how can you use, or some Reddit sub forum, something like that. I think people should be sharing it much more often than if people like it.Then they're going to go and sign up to get more of that. They're not going to say, well, I've read this now, so I don't need to go and sign up. I think that's something that I see a lot of people making a mistake with.Nathan: [00:47:43] Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah. And just building that habit of promoting and publishing consistently can start on something as easy as, as Twitter, you know, or whatever channel. So I think that's great. Something else that I often encourage people to do is to do direct outreach and to say. Like go find, start with 10 people.You'll reach out directly find, find 10 20, who might want to sign up. Even if that first group is just doing it, because they're like, not that interested in your topic, but I like you as a person. And so I'll support your thing. And that sort of gets that initial quick momentum.Louis: [00:48:20] Yeah. And you know, you can also piggyback off other people, right? Like, I mean, I only have only 3000 probably subscribers on Twitter, but if someone writes something about me or mention something that I've said in that newsletter alongside three or four other people that I would like to be mentioned alongside, and then they tell me that's on Twitter.Well, I'm. Almost certainly going to retweet it and share it with people that I know. Right. And I think most other people are not too close to being as vain as I am. So I think you can, you can pretty easily piggyback of other people's audiences to get those best hundred or 200 asNathan: [00:48:52] Yeah, that makes sense. It reminded me, I've been seeing more like newsletter collaborations, you know, that's something that's very common in the YouTube world. YouTube is direct advice to creators as you should. You should collaborate. Get, bring these two channels together. You'll both get a bunch of subscribers release one video on each channel. Have you been seeing more newsletter collaborations and how well have they been working?Louis: [00:49:15] Yeah, we have, we actually, it's something that people keep emailing me about when they sign up a spot group as well and saying, Hey, do you know anyone else who has a similar newsletter? and I think that that is a really interesting problem space that also hasn't quite been solved yet. For some reason.I think partly because it's very difficult for computers to work that out. But a recent one that I saw was it was again Trevor McKendrick and, and Josh Spector did it, a recent takeover that went really well, where they basically, they introduced each other in that weekly edition of that newsletter.And then set, this is going to be a takeover in effect. Josh is going to share some knowledge here. I think you're really going to enjoy it. So, you know, putting your personal, what behind it, your personal trust to say, this is what I'm reading and listening to. And at the end, you can go and sign up here.So I think we are going to see a lot more of that. And I think we're also going to see a lot more people is slightly different. I think we're going to see a lot more people building the framework, the structure of that newsletter around the idea of share-ability. So something that James clear does a really good really well is.Each of his bits of his three, two, one newsletter. There is a very handy link to, to share it, tweet out that thought or to share that thought somewhat. But I think we're going to see more people building that format in to make it super easy for their readers to, to share something that they found interesting.Nathan: [00:50:36] It's interesting. I was a person who always underestimated the value of a, like a tweet button or something being there. We recently added it where after you create a landing page and convert it, it has, you know, a share on Twitter or Facebook button right there. That's prominent. And there's now like 50 shares a day.That show up just from that button, like just on Twitter, like, on Facebook, I think it's actually double. And you're looking at this and you're like just coming from the explicit ask to share and promote makes a huge difference. So I can totally see that with James. And when he gets down to the quote or some thought, it's like tweet this, I knew the person who originally would say like, no, if they want to tweet it, they'll just highlight the text jumps at Twitter and do it. And the fact of the data is that that's actually having the button and making it, having the call to action makes a huge difference.Louis: [00:51:35] Yeah, I think, I mean, I I'd be the first to admit I'm a super lazy person. if you give me a button and just say, Hey, you could go and do this, then I'm much more likely to do it, even though maybe I don't think of myself as the kind of person who would be affected by that.Nathan: [00:51:48] that makes sense. Okay. So in the newsletter takeovers or the collaborations, I think the natural thing that I would have thought about is like, Hey, let's do cross promotions, you know? If you're enjoying my newsletter, you should also go check out the reason I really like these people you shared with Trevor of them.Basically they wrote the same content, right? Cause they've wrote their weekly newsletter and then they just, they just purely swapped. and so it was that same great value and it wasn't an additional lift for them. They have visits. Someone had to do the newsletter matchmaking, right. knowing each other and that sort of thing.But I guess I also thought yesterday, Lenny rigidity, who's been on the show before, did it with April Dunford or at least ran a guest post from April Dunford on, on pricing and strategy and positioning. And that's such a big thing. I don't think James talks about this a lot, but he did a ton of guest posts early in his career.That's how he built his very first audience was. Going out and guest posting like crazy. So I think we'll see a lot more of it.Louis: [00:53:01] Yeah, totally. No, I agree.Nathan: [00:53:03] Are there other things with SparkLoop that you've seen that people are doing, that it was working really well for newsletters or, or any, any final thoughts on. Like, as you put together your referral program, make sure to do these things.Louis: [00:53:18] I'm trying to think. So I think there are really two things we didn't necessarily touch on too much. That might be interesting. so the one is just that the, obviously the ease of use of the referral section is a big thing. So having the actual referral link itself inside of the newsletter and having shareable, like one click to tweet on click to, to share on Facebook, for example, having those links in there as well, so that you don't have people, you don't make your subscribers go and click on a button and then.In to the referral programs that generate that referral link and then share from that, that tends to,Nathan: [00:53:53] is a refer. Is there has a referral for account by default, basically.Louis: [00:54:00] exactly. Yeah. I think that's a big thing that some people that realize makes a massive difference and it's often you see people who try out to referral program where there are so many steps involved to getting like for people even to begin sharing that they don't get good results. And then they assume, you know, a referral program in general, it doesn't work for me not, Oh, the specific way that I set this up was just super complicated for my subscribers. and then the other thing I would say that we've been sleeping on a bed at sparkly. We didn't realize because no one else was doing this. Just, just how, how much potential is that is the idea of running referral giveaways.So of having like a time limited window where you basically say, okay, instead of. Let's say getting this reward for three referrals, this rewards for five referrals and so on saying, okay, on a Monday, email goes out, make one referral this week and you'll be entered into a giveaway, to win whatever it is.One of three of these, these things by Friday. So it adds in some urgency. And what we're seeing as well is that a people respond super well to it because they think, okay, everyone can make one referral and I'm in with a chance to win this big thing. And B we're seeing people using that either as a sponsorship opportunity.So saying, you know, reaching out to a sponsor and saying, Hey, can you give me. So the price for this and return to the exposure and also maybe pay for that as a, as an additional advertising slots, if you do advertising or even using it to reach out to, to potential sponsors, especially if you're a bit smaller and to say, okay, look marketing team at this company. You know, we know it's difficult for you to get the budgets, especially to work with us. Cause we're smaller. Why don't you just sponsor us? You know, why don't you give us two or three of your products to run as a referral giveaway. We'll mention you we'll include a link and we can use that as a way to build up a relationship.And then let's talk about you actually sponsoring us for money in a couple of months and that's, that's worked super well so far.Nathan: [00:55:58] Yeah, a lot of sense. I mean, thinking back to the early days of convert kit, when you know, you're doing, we would do content marketing, right. To try to get customers, but there's, there was no incentive to sign up. Right. Then it's like, Oh yeah, I can work it. Now I'll switch to that sometime this year, this decade, you know, and there, there's no reason to do it right then.And that's when we started webinars where you would have some time limited thing, and you're like, look, if you sign up for ConvertKit on this webinar, then we're going to give you this discount or these additional bonuses or something else. And it takes this thing that someone is intending to do at some point.And they go to like, great, I'm going to do actually do it right now. And that makes a huge difference. And then, you know, for those that don't sign up in the webinar, you add another timeline of like, if you do it by the end of the week or, Know tomorrow or something like that. And you're basically looking for any opportunity to take something of like, I want to do this and we'll do it someday.And you're just saying great, anytime you want so long as it is before Friday, and that's going to make a big difference. It turns out urgency matters. So I love that.Well, good stuff. we should start to wrap up. I'd love to hear you may, if you just want to let people know one where to go sign up for SparkLoop, if they're considering starting a newsletter, actually, if you have a getting started guide or sort of that it needs any content, around, knowing if a newsletter for our program is right for them, that would be good.And then where people should follow you on other platforms.Louis: [00:57:32] Yes. So I am @louisnicholls_ on Twitter. louis@sparkloop.app is a great place to reach me. If you have any questions, sparkloop.app is the website that SparkLoop. But the best place to go. And maybe this can be included in the, in the show. Notes is actually sparkloop.app/referral-university.And that's a free, five email course that we've put together. That includes a free month of SparkLoop where you can get, sorry. My video seems to have gone for some reason. Don't worry. It's not an important part. yeah, basically if you, if you go over that, you can get. A, a Fremont and sparkly and also a series of five lessons where we will walk you through what a referral program might do.See you, whether it's the right time, how to set one up, what rewards to use and that kind of thing.Nathan: [00:58:24] Sounds good. That's perfect. Well, I'm a big fan of SparkLoop, obviously, because. I invested in SparkLoop and we've been promoting it. And as part of creative pros, if you're using ConvertKit and you're on the creator pro account, you get it for free. so definitely take your newsletter, start a referral program, and you're going to see pretty significant growth if you've set it up correctly with a bunch of tips that, that living food itself, Louis.Thanks so much for joining me today.Louis: [00:58:49] Yeah, Nathan. Thanks for having me. It's been great.

On the show today is Ashley Levesque. She's the Director of Marketing for Demio, a leading webinar platform. She was also previously a marketer at Soft Robotics, a robotics manufacturer.I wanted to bring Ashley on because it's not every day you talk to someone who's done marketing in the robotics industry, let alone someone who's done it really well.She also doesn't come from a traditional marketing background. She was a theater kid, a waitress, and an executive assistant and then found her way into marketing — though as you'll hear, there's actually a very consistent theme throughout her career.You'll hear about how you can bring life and humor to boring industries like robotics (and why there's no such thing as a boring industry), how they leveraged channel sales to extend their marketing far beyond themselves, and what it means to be a challenger brand in an old, established industry.More on Ashley: Ashley Levesque on Linkedin Demio Sponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

On the show today is Taylor Lindsay-Noel. Taylor is the owner of Cup of Te, host of the Tea Time with Tay podcast, and, believe it or not after listening to our conversation, is just getting started with her entrepreneurial journey.I wanted to bring her on because, in the summer of 2008, I was a tall and gumpy 13-year-old who liked playing video games. Taylor was a 14-year-old elite gymnast on track to represent Canada at the 2012 Olympic Games. But on July 15th of 2008, she had a tragic accident on the gym floor that broke her neck and would leave her with full to partial paralysis in all four limbs. Despite this, she's now a successful owner and operator of an e-commerce business that was just featured in Oprah's "Favorite Things" — a listing and stamp of approval only awarded to a few select brands every year.You'll hear about how Taylor used writing and poetry to sort through her thoughts and communicate better, how her podcast led to starting an e-commerce company, and of course how she managed to get featured in Oprah's Favorite Things.More on Taylor: @taylorln on Twitter Taylor's story in the Toronto Star Sponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

On the show today is Val Geisler. Val is now the Customer Evangelist for Klaviyo and was previously the Chief Email Officer of Fix My Churn. She's worked with many SaaS and e-commerce companies to improve their email marketing and retention.I wanted to bring Val on because she is one of the go-to's for all things email marketing. She eats, breaths, and lives email.You'll hear about how her background as a stage and event manager helped her build out her consulting practice and collaborate on email marketing, how you can level up your transactional emails to build your brand, upsell, and drive loyalty, and her flagship Dinner Party Strategy for setting up onboarding emails.More on Val: @lovevalgeisler on Twitter The Dinner Party Strategy Sponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

On the show today is Jay Acunzo. Jay is the founder of Marketing Showrunners — which helps marketers create their audience's favorite show. He's also a keynote speaker and consultant who's worked with brands like Drift and Wistia to create some of my favorite shows.I wanted to bring Jay on because he's "the guy" when it comes to creating a podcast or video series for your business. I first came across Jay when he created a podcast series for Drift and since then he's created many more amazing series like I Made It for Podia and Against The Grain for Help Scout. He also has great thoughts on how to define a show premise, which also translates really well to positioning, designing value propositions, and creating a pitch that resonates.You'll hear about why he loves podcasting and the unique opportunity it presents to connect with your audience, how to develop a strong premise for your show so that you don't blend in with every other generic show out there, and his approach to prepping for interviews, interviewing, and crafting a compelling story.More on Jay: @jayacunzo on Twitter Marketing Showrunners 3 Clips podcast Sponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

On the show today is Dan Murphy. Dan is the Director of Marketing at Privy — one of the leading Shopify apps. Previously, he was the Director of Product Marketing at Drift — the conversational marketing platform.I wanted to bring him on because Dan is a student of product marketing — a discipline in marketing that isn't talked about enough. He's fantastic at product launches, positioning, education, and driving product adoption.You'll hear about the key to successful product launches and how to keep them up without overhyping yourself, what he learned running marketing for a local politician, and why writing a book was one of the first things on the to-do list when he started at Privy.More on Dan: @_danieljmurphy on Twitter The Product Launch Masterclass Sponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

On the show today is Alex Hillman. Alex is a partner of Stacking The Bricks (which produces the popular 30x500 course), founder of the OG co-working space IndyHall, and the author of The Tiny MBA.I wanted to bring him on because Alex doesn't consider himself a marketer, but he's a fantastic marketer. He and Amy Hoy are always top of mind for me when I think of marketing digital products like courses and books.You'll hear about the similarities between teaching and marketing, "flintstoning" marketing and avoiding the temptation to automate, scale, and delegate everything, how he's marketing his new book, The Tiny MBA, and how to build an audience in way that's truly helpful and not spammy or self-promotional.More on Alex: @alexhillman on Twitter Use the code SWIPEFILES to get 20% off The Tiny MBA Here's the Twitch streamer Alex referenced: Harris Heller launches StreambeatsSponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

On the show today is Taylor Holiday. Taylor went from professional baseball player to accidental e-commerce marketer to agency owner and now to being a part of a whole host of businesses all related to direct to consumer e-commerce.I wanted to bring him on because Taylor has a fascinating background in sports that very tangibly affected his career as a marketer. He's established himself and his agency Common Thread Collective as one of the top resources for DTC marketing. He's got some amazing experience and insights on Facebook advertising that we can all learn from.You'll hear about how they got a Power Balance bracelet onto the wrists of millions and millions of athletes, how he worked with athletes like Kobe Bryant, Drew Brees, and Derrick Rose, and how a trip to Vegas for a high-stakes poker tournament ended up getting them a crazy amount of free advertising and exposure.More on Taylor: @taylorholiday on Twitter Common Thread Collective Sponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

On the show today is April Dunford. April is the author of one of my all-time favorite marketing books, Obviously Awesome: How to nail product positioning so customers get it, buy it, love it.I wanted to bring April on because she's THE person to go to regarding positioning. Positioning is probably the most essential part of marketing and yet the least understood. April is a very unconventional thinker. She's not afraid to disagree, tell people they're wrong, or offer up her opinion. She's also consulted with hundreds of companies, spoken at conferences around the world, and written some amazing material on all things positioning.You'll hear about how she doesn't think Product-Market Fit is a useful concept, the pros and cons of creating a category, the tried and true method for working out your own positioning, and many more unique insights, examples, and case studies that she hasn't shared elsewhere.More on April: @aprildunford on Twitter aprildunford.com Obviously Awesome Sponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

On the show today is Eric Bandholz — the founder and CEO of BeardBrand, which produces beard, hair, and skin products for men. He also hosts the Practice Ecommerce podcast.I wanted to bring Eric on because several years ago I wanted to start a line of beard balms and oils and then discovered BeardBrand and knew that they had just nailed it. So I left that to them — and they've established an amazing brand.Eric and BeardBrand really embody the premise of the show that everything is marketing since they started a Barbershop, their 1.6 million subscribers on YouTube know them for their education and documentary-style videos, and they prioritize customer service so much so that they offer free consultations over text.You'll hear about how they develop products, Eric's experience on Shark Tank, and building a brand through content marketing.More on Eric: @bandholz on Twitter BeardBrand Practical Ecommerce podcast Sponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

On the show today is Rand Fishkin. Rand is the founder and CEO of SparkToro, an audience intelligence and market research tool to discover what your audience reads, watches, listens to, and follows. He previously founded Moz, one of the market-leading SEO tools, and also authored a fantastic book about his journey through the startup world called Lost and Founder.I wanted to bring him on because he's a truly original thinker. Rand really gets to the core of an issue and uses first principles thinking to understand the dynamics, incentives, and ingredients, which has allowed him to produce some outstanding work.You'll hear about how you can leverage niche channels to diversify away from the traditional platforms like Facebook and Google, the future of content and SEO, get an inside look into his own marketing and growth strategy for SparkToro, and lots more.I ran out of time to ask him about a few marketing examples in his swipe file, but he was kind enough to send over some links to outstanding 10x content and marketing examples via Twitter on topics like politics, corporate PR, selling onions, and butter marketing.More on Rand: @randfish on Twitter Create a free SparkToro account 121 Examples of 10X Content Sponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

On the show today is Hiten Shah. Where do I start with Hiten... most notably he's the founder of the software companies FYI, Crazy Egg, and KISSmetrics. He's also been involved in starting a number of other companies. He writes a newsletter called Product Habits. He does a podcast called The Startup Chat. He angel invests. He has a grand career in tech.I wanted to bring him on because Hiten has been in the world of tech and startups for a long time. And with time and experience comes wisdom. I'm always impressed by the way that Hiten sees the world and how he thinks about marketing. He also has a unique ability to be very objective and honest about himself. We get into this with his companies but he's not afraid to talk about where things have fallen short. And given his experience with Crazy Egg and KISSmetrics, Hiten knows what works and doesn't work — he's seen it all and has been on the forefront of marketing for a long time.You'll hear about what go-to-market model Hiten would start with if he was founding a new startup today, why marketing is everyone's job, why all of his landing pages are just a headline, subheadline, call to action, and some sort of illustration, and why there's no such thing as having done zero marketing.More on Hiten: @hnshah on Twitter FYI The Startup Chat podcast Sponsored by SparkLoop — the referral tool for newsletters. Hundreds of smart newsletter creators use SparkLoop to get more, high-quality email subscribers on autopilot. Get started in 5 minutes and start a free 30-day trial → sparkloop.app/eim

Sixteen years ago Gayle Carpenter took a risk. She left the security and support of full-time employment as a design director to start her own creative and brand agency.    Just two weeks after launching Sparkloop Gayle found herself pitching to Red Bull UK. She won the contract and still counts Red Bull among her clients today along with some other household names including The Prince's Trust, Prudential, Checkatrade, Homeserve and Asics.   Gayle has kept her vision, kept her team small and focussed, and has offices in London and Bath to maximise business opportunities.  In this episode she shares her personal business journey and the principles of how to create an authentic brand as well as giving her advice for women in leadership roles. Hint: It really is time to ditch the power suits! Host: Patricia Keating Guests: Gayle Carpenter, founder Sparkloop www.sparkloop.com Follow Tech Manchester: Twitter: @tecmcr LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/ Facebook: Tech Manchester