Optimizing Referral Programs for Subscriber Growth

Build your business with beehiiv: https://www.beehiiv.com/greg-isenberg?utm_campaign=Q22025-greg-isenberg-partnership&utm_medium=influencer&utm_source=podcast&utm_source_platform=podcast&via=greg-isenberg-Q22025&utm_marketing_tactic=awareness&utm_creative_format=podcast&utm_content=greg-isenberg&utm_term=greg-isenberg

Join me as I chat with Tyler Denk, co-founder of Beehiiv, to discuss how to grow a newsletter to 100,000 subscribers. He demonstrates Beehiiv’s platform features including customizable websites, subscriber data collection, automated welcome sequences, and multiple monetization options. Tyler emphasizes there's no "silver bullet" for growth—success comes from combining multiple strategies that each contribute incrementally to building a valuable audience asset.

Get the 5-step guide to 100K subscribers: www.gregisenberg.com/beehiiv-business

Timestamps
• 00:00 - Intro
• 02:58 - Overview of newsletter growth potential
• 04:03 - Website building and email capture features
• 15:00 - Subscriber data collection and welcome automations
• 25:00 - Cross-promotion and "Boost" network for growth
• 38:06 - Lead magnets and referral programs
• 55:00 - Customized email collection based on content  
• 1:08:35 - Monetization strategies (sponsorships, paid subscriptions)
• 1:10:55 - Final thoughts on consistency and getting started

Key Points
• Beehiiv’s all-in-one platform includes website building, email capture, subscriber data collection, referral programs, and monetization tools
• Multiple growth channels work together: lead magnets, email gating, referral programs, and cross-promotion with other newsletters
• Monetization comes through direct sponsorships, Beehiiv’s ad network, and the "Boost" feature where newsletters pay each other for subscriber referrals

1) Website & Email Capture Strategy

Beehiiv gives you a full website builder where you can create:
• Custom landing pages
• Email capture forms
• Pop-ups targeted by traffic source
• Different signup flows

The key? Create MULTIPLE entry points that convert 15-20% of visitors to subscribers.

Tyler's Windows 98-themed site stands out because it's INTENTIONALLY different!

2) The Subscribe Flow Magic

This is GENIUS:

After someone subscribes, Tyler shows:
• Sponsored newsletter recommendations
• A quick survey collecting demographic data
• A welcome page with popular content

This data helps him:
• Sell premium sponsorships
• Create targeted content
• Understand his audience (60% founders!)

3) Network Effects & Passive Growth

Tyler gets 200-300 FREE subscribers weekly through Beehiiv’s recommendation network!

How it works:
• Other newsletters recommend his in their subscribe flow
• He recommends others in his flow

"It's like getting $400-600 of value weekly just for existing on the platform" 

4) The Boost Network (Paid Acquisition)

Tyler spends $2-3K monthly buying subscribers through Beehiiv’s Boost marketplace.

• He pays $2.50 per subscriber
• Only pays for subscribers who ACTUALLY ENGAGE
• Has autopause features to cut off low-quality sources
• Manages 155+ acquisition sources in one dashboard

It's like a vending machine: put in $2.50, get $4 back!

5) Lead Magnets That Convert

Tyler shared his seed deck on Twitter (100K views) with a simple signup form.

The magic:
• Created a custom landing page in Beehiiv
• Set up a different signup flow (no recommendations)
• Built an automation to deliver the deck instantly
• Added new subscribers to his newsletter

Pro tip: Get sponsors for your lead magnets to fund MORE promotion!

6) The Referral Program (1% of growth)

Tyler built Morning Brew's referral program (led to 1M+ subscribers) and implemented a simpler version:

- 1 referral = Access to Series B deck (digital, zero cost)
• 3 referrals = $10 off merch (dropshipped, zero cost)

7) Monetization (The Engine)

Tyler makes $20-30K monthly through:

- Direct sponsorships ($7K per placement)
• Boost network referrals ($2-4 per subscriber)
• No paid subscription (though many make $100K+/year this way)

Beehiiv’s sponsorship storefront lets advertisers book directly with just a $10 transaction fee!

Notable Quotes:

"Writing weekly and sharing my thoughts online has probably been the highest leverage thing that I've done in my entire career. It's opened so many doors to angel investing, meeting other founders, meeting people who are doing really cool shit." - Tyler

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND TYLER ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/denk_tweets
Big Desk Energy: https://www.bigdeskenergy.com