303 - How To Start/Scale A Newsletter in 2025 with Matt McGarry, Founder + CEO of GrowLetter
Jan 3, 2025
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Matt McGarry, Founder and CEO of GrowLetter, shares his expertise on the power of newsletters for B2B companies. He discusses the essential first steps in launching a newsletter, including the importance of value propositions and consistent engagement. Matt stresses the need for audience feedback and the benefits of repurposing content. He also dives into effective monetization strategies, emphasizing early calls to action. With practical insights, he shows how newsletters can be scaled and optimized for maximum impact.
Newsletters are undervalued assets for B2B companies that foster audience engagement and can be launched with minimal resources.
Establishing a clear value proposition and incorporating feedback from a small subscriber base are essential for newsletter effectiveness and growth.
Deep dives
The Power of Newsletters in Marketing Strategy
Newsletters serve as a crucial component of a marketing strategy, providing a platform to build audiences, earn trust, and generate revenue. They are categorized as owned media, allowing businesses to connect directly with their audience without interference from algorithms, making them more reliable than social media or search traffic. An engaged email list is considered one of the most valuable assets, as it enables businesses to generate more customers and revenue. By focusing on newsletters, marketers can create a powerful content flywheel that enhances their overall digital presence.
Steps to Launching a Successful Newsletter
Starting a newsletter requires a clear value proposition and an understanding of the target audience to effectively address their needs. It is essential to begin quickly without overthinking and to establish a basic framework for the content, which typically consists of three to five sections for reader engagement. An initial focus on generating a small subscriber base can help to maintain consistency and encourage continuous feedback, leading to improved content over time. By iterating based on reader responses, marketers can evolve their newsletters into valuable resources tailored to their audience.
Strategies for Growing a Subscriber List
Gaining subscribers even before the first newsletter is sent can create momentum and encourage ongoing engagement. Utilizing existing contacts through personalized outreach or leveraging social media can significantly increase initial subscriber numbers. A content strategy that includes regular social media posts can drive interest and create a funnel of potential subscribers who value the additional information provided via the newsletter. Incorporating compelling calls to action, both pre- and post-mailing the newsletter, can further amplify subscriber growth and engagement.
Monetizing Your Newsletter Effectively
Monetization can begin as soon as the newsletter is launched, even with a small audience, by offering products or consultations related to the newsletter's content. For those building a larger media-focused newsletter, securing sponsorship or advertising deals can be pursued once a reasonable audience size is achieved, typically around 1,000 to 5,000 subscribers. Early engagement with subscribers through calls to action can lay the groundwork for future income opportunities. Overall, integrating monetization strategies early on ensures that building an audience evolves into a sustainable business model.
Newsletters are one of the MOST underrated assets for B2B companies.
They’re important, they keep your audience engaged, and you don’t even need a ton of resources to get it started. This week’s guest is Matt McGarry, the Newsletter Guy, whose mission is to bring these ideas to life. You need a value prop and template before you start. How long should it be? How should you get feedback from your audience?
Don’t forget: consistency is key, and we’re not just talking about the send schedule. If you send to 10, 20, 50 people you know initially, it gives you someone to write to on a regular basis. Also, referrals can help you grow your numbers.
Plus, should you repurpose content? The answer is always YES.
If you’re looking to start a newsletter but have no idea where to start, this is the episode for YOU.