Tim Stoddart & Ethan Brooks: From 0 to 150k+ Subscribers In 7 Months
Jan 16, 2024
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Tim Stoddart and Ethan Brooks discuss how they grew The Milk Road newsletter from 0 to 150k+ subscribers in 7 months. They share content, growth, and monetization strategies. Tim breaks down the lead-gen industry and explores the concept of buying an existing online business. They also discuss investing in websites and lead generation, including challenges and potential growth opportunities.
The Milk Road's growth is attributed to a strong content strategy incorporating humor, visuals, and unique formats.
The Milkman, the brand mascot of The Milk Road, enhances the brand's identity and engages readers through personalized versions and interaction opportunities.
The Milk Road's success is driven by the implementation of the Newsletter Engine model, emphasizing quality content, community building, effective use of social media, and monetization strategies.
Deep dives
The Milk Road's Effective Content Strategy
The Milk Road newsletter has a strong content strategy that includes a humorous and punchy writing style. The newsletter incorporates memes and visuals, keeping readers engaged and entertained. They experiment with different formats, such as incorporating writers' voices in thread-like sections, which adds a unique touch to their content. The use of a mascot, the Milkman, adds personality and enhances the brand's identity. This strategy of creating content that resonates with the target audience has contributed to their rapid growth.
The Value of a Memorable Brand Mascot
The Milk Road's mascot, the Milkman, has become a memorable and recognizable part of the brand. The playful character is used in various ways, such as customized versions for different crypto coins and as section dividers in the newsletter. The Milkman allows for consistent and cohesive writing from multiple writers and adds a unique aspect to the newsletter's content. The mascot also provides opportunities for interaction with the community, such as welcome emails with questions and conversations on social media. The use of a brand mascot has proven to be an effective tool in engaging readers and enhancing the brand's identity.
The Newsletter Engine Model: Product, Monetization, Growth
The Milk Road follows the Newsletter Engine model, which consists of three main layers: product, monetization, and growth. At the product layer, the newsletter focuses on delivering high-quality content, using platforms like Beehive for their tech stack, and fostering a strong sense of community. Monetization currently relies on advertising, with potential for future expansion into other revenue streams. The growth strategy includes leveraging the founders' existing audience, effectively using social media platforms like Twitter, and continuously experimenting with content and engagement strategies. The implementation of the Newsletter Engine model has contributed to the success and rapid growth of The Milk Road.
Lessons and Considerations on Growth and Monetization
The growth and monetization strategies employed by The Milk Road showcase important considerations for newsletter creators. The success of the newsletter involves a combination of timing, quality content, experimentation, and effective use of social media platforms. While The Milk Road has experienced impressive growth in a short amount of time, it is crucial to set realistic expectations and avoid direct comparison. Every newsletter has unique circumstances, resource availability, and target audiences. Therefore, setting achievable goals based on individual circumstances is crucial for success. Additionally, understanding viable monetization options, such as ads, paid products, and community building, can contribute to long-term sustainability and profitability.
Advantages of Niche Brokerages in Business Acquisition
The podcast episode explores the availability and benefits of niche brokerages in the business acquisition process. The host highlights various specialized marketplaces that cater to specific industries or niches, providing ample opportunities for entrepreneurs to find potential businesses for acquisition. These niche brokerages, such as those focusing on small projects or micro-startups, offer targeted platforms to connect buyers and sellers. The host emphasizes the advantage of the price range and the possibility for expansion into different cities or areas using a successful local model. The discussion highlights the potential for entrepreneurs to leverage niche brokerages to find suitable businesses and expand their ventures.
Analysis of a Concrete Work Lead Generation Website
In this part of the podcast episode, the host and guest analyze the website of a concrete work lead generation business. They discuss various aspects of the website's performance and opportunities for improvement. One observation made is the lack of optimization for mobile devices, despite a significant portion of search traffic coming from mobile. The host identifies missed opportunities in terms of call-to-action placement, particularly the absence of a click-to-call feature. They also critique the website's weak SEO practices, such as ineffective title tags and missed opportunities for targeting local keywords. Additionally, the podcast explores the potential of lead generation businesses and the logistics of routing phone calls to buyers and payment structures in the industry.
The Milk Road grew from 0 to 150k+ subscribers in less than seven months. On this week's throwback episode, Tim Stoddart (@timstodz) and Ethan Brooks (@damn_ethan) dig in to show you what you can learn from their content, growth, and monetization strategies. Tim also breaks down the lead-gen industry with a live look at a website Ethan’s thinking of buying.
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