9 Newsletter Promotion Ideas For Explosive Growth
Email newsletters are powerful tools to grow your audience — they directly land in recipient inboxes, unlike social media, where algorithms decide what users see.
Publisher newsletters earn an open rate of 22%, relatively higher than social media channels, such as Facebook. But building a thriving newsletter community can sometimes make you feel like running through a ghost town.
Newsletter promotion is the secret sauce to engaging and monetizing your audience effectively. Let’s explore 9 growth ideas and examples from top industries to turn your newsletter into a must-read in its niche.
1. Use Teasers For Upcoming Newsletter Content
Everybody loves a good sneak peek. Include a newsletter hint in your social media posts and website’s upcoming content. This could be a compelling excerpt from an article or industry news, a teaser image, or a video.
You can also step up the game with quizzes and polls related to upcoming newsletter topics. Encourage participants to subscribe to receive the full analysis. Conversely, you can launch a teaser email campaign for existing audiences to create buzz around your newsletters.
Teaser Newsletter Promotion Example
Havenly is an online interior design and home decorating company and it employs a simple “Coming Soon” email to keep customers excited. The email is visually appealing and piques the recipients’ interest.
2. Experiment With Guest-blogging
Guest blogging on popular sites increases the chances of more people seeing your content. If the business allows it, include your newsletter link in the author bio or subtly weave it into the blog copy.
You can start by:
- Creating a central theme for your guest blogging. This could be industry trends or areas of expertise you want to showcase.
- Reach out to similar blog owners in your niche for guest blogging opportunities.
- Promote the guest blog on your social media channels and website.
Guest Blogging Newsletter Promotion Example
Aytekin Tank is a guest blogger at The Startup, a publication that provides tips on building businesses from the ground up. In his author bio, Aytekin strategically places a link to his lead magnet, where he also offers a subscription to his newsletter. It’s a twin opportunity to entice visitors to give their email addresses for two different resources.
3. Offer Exclusive Downloadables for Newsletter Signups
If you haven’t reached your newsletter sign-up goals yet, exclusive downloadables are a great place to start. You can bundle interesting and up-to-date content in the form of checklists, case studies, or templates.
You can also create:
- Video tutorials,
- Audio resources,
- Wallpapers and graphics,
- Discount coupons or codes,
- Guides and whitepapers,
- Exclusive access to webinars or events.
Most people would be willing to give their email addresses in exchange for exclusive content, especially when you highlight its value upfront.
Newsletter Subscription Promotion Example
Noom, a health and fitness app, uses subtle and respectful language to encourage readers to reach their weight goals. By offering an exclusive discount on top of a free trial, Noom increases the likelihood of higher subscriptions.
4. Use Strategic Website Popups
A well-timed website pop-up can be your gateway to gaining more subscribers. Time these pop-ups strategically, for example: when users are about to leave the site or after they’ve spent a specific amount of time on your site.
Also, ensure that:
- The pop-up aligns with the content on the webpage.
- You’re using compelling and direct language to communicate your newsletter’s value.
- The pop-up is visually appealing without being intrusive.
- You’re offering incentives or discounts to encourage newsletter signups.
- You have a clear CTA such as “Subscribe to [Newsletter name]”
Website Popup Newsletter Promotion Example
Fable and Mane, an ayurvedic hair care company uses a consistent color scheme and greets users with a friendly pop-up and simple form fields encouraging newsletter signups.
5. Use the Power of Newsletter Referrals
If you already own an email list, you can reward existing subscribers to refer your newsletter to their friends and family. Mention the rewards (discounts, coupons, exclusive access to content, or physical products) in your promotions, whether on social media or emails.
Newsletter Referral Example
Hylo, an athletic footwear company’s referral email is straightforward — it thanks users for signing up and asks them to refer their friends for exciting rewards. With their mission to support runners, the reward system helps them get more eyes on their brand.
6. Consider Newsletter Cross-promotion
Cross-promotion is a mutually beneficial strategy to reach more audiences. It involves partnering with businesses in your niche to promote each other’s newsletters to respective audiences.
This can expand reach, grow subscribers, and build lasting relationships.
However, be mindful of the following:
- Look for newsletters that cater to similar audiences.
- Clearly communicate the benefits of promoting your newsletters.
- Consider creating co-branded content that resonates with both sets of audiences.
- Request your partner to promote it across their marketing channels.
Based on your ESP, you can use their “Recommendations” feature or “Creator Networks” to recommend your newsletter to their audiences.
Newsletter Cross-promotion Example
In this example, Nikhil Krishnan, the owner of ”Out of Pocket” discusses his favorite newsletters in the issue.
7. Use Social Media to Promote Newsletters
You can use social media ads to reach your goals quickly, but you can also accomplish them by consistently posting on relevant platforms.
Determine the type of audience you want to reach and engage them with interesting polls, videos, or questions. This will open up conversations and gather a pool of interested people.
Here are some ways to strategize social media posts:
- Create compelling visual content: Create eye-catching images and videos to showcase your newsletter’s benefits.
- Share interesting content: Share statistics, quotes, or insights from recent newsletters to encourage more sign-ups.
- Use hashtags: Research relevant hashtags and use them sparingly to draw attention to your content.
- Host Q&A sessions: Host question-and-answer or Ask Me Anything sessions to break the ice and increase interest in your newsletters.
- Collaborate with influencers: Partner with credible influencers in your niche to help promote your newsletters.
- Implement giveaways or contests: Give away gifts or host contests where users must enter their email addresses to participate.
- Share testimonials and reviews: Showcase positive reviews from happy subscribers who benefited from your newsletter.
Social Media Newsletter Promotion Example
The user shares content about their new cryptocurrency ecosystem, encouraging people to visit the newsletter. The post provides direct and clear communication, informing readers about the next steps.
8. Take Advantage of Newsletter Directories
Newsletter directories are online platforms that source and list newsletters from creators and publishers.
Common newsletter directories include:
- Newsletter Junkie is a curated newsletter directory across industries such as technology, business, lifestyle, etc.
- Paved is a marketplace for sponsored email newsletters that allows advertisers to connect with newsletter creators and sponsor their content.
- Substack Discover lets users discover and subscribe to other newsletters on the platform.
- LetterWell connects advertisers with newsletter creators to buy space in their emails.
Newsletter Directory Example
Newsletter Junkie takes a straightforward approach to let creators understand and use the platform. Interested people can submit their newsletters by filling up a simple form.
9. Use a Dedicated Newsletter Landing Page
A landing page can guide people toward the next steps, whether it’s capturing their information or promoting your newsletter.
Your headline is your first impression, so use strong verbs and clear benefits to capture attention. Include a glimpse of how your newsletters help solve a specific problem and direct readers toward the sign-up form. You may include social proof and social sharing buttons if they don’t take the attention away from the main content.
To understand what works with your audience, A/B test your landing pages and offer a lead magnet in exchange for signing up.
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Landing Page Newsletter Promotion Example
CD Baby is a music distributor that aims to get independent musicians seen and heard across platforms. Their landing page immediately points to the benefits of working together along with a subscription fee.
A Recap of Newsletter Promotion Strategies
Let’s recap the above strategies in the table.
| Newsletter Promotion Techniques | How to Do It |
|---|---|
| Teasers | Use social media posts, website banners, or email previews to hint at upcoming valuable content |
| Guest blogging | Collaborate with similar guest posting sites and showcase your expertise |
| Exclusive downloads | Offer checklists, guides, and video tutorials to build trust |
| Website pop-ups | Use a pop-up to offer a freebie and encourage subscriptions |
| Referrals | Incentivize existing customers to recommend your newsletter to their circle |
| Cross-promotion | Partner with businesses to mutually promote content |
| Social media | Use engaging polls and interactive content to capture the attention |
| Newsletter directory | Join a newsletter directory to gain visibility to a broad audience |
| Landing page | Create a dedicated landing page to capture visitor information in exchange for incentives or valuable content |
Publishing a newsletter is a great way to connect with audiences, but it requires consistent efforts to build loyal followers.
If you rely on email marketing to create a fanbase or nurture existing ones, you must ensure your efforts are seen by your audience. Think of email deliverability as getting past the security gate at your reader’s inbox.
While you can’t control whether someone opens your email or not, you can control how likely it lands in their inboxes by using a reliable email services platform.
Refine Your Path to Newsletter Success
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