Will Hayward on relaunching a successful solo newsletter
Nov 18, 2024
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Will Hayward, a journalist and columnist specializing in Welsh politics, shares insights from his impressive journey of relaunching his newsletter. He discusses how he transitioned from a major publisher to independent journalism and swiftly grew his subscriber base to over 3,000 in just weeks. Will emphasizes the significance of audience engagement and strategic sponsorships while maintaining ethical standards. He also envisions an ambitious future with plans for live events to enhance content quality and shape political discourse.
Will Hayward's successful relaunch of his newsletter reflects a growing demand for local journalism and individual voices in Wales.
Despite challenges in personal branding, Hayward emphasizes audience engagement and high-quality content for effective newsletter monetization.
Deep dives
Transition to Freelancing
Will Hayward's shift from Reach PLC to becoming a freelance journalist marks a significant career transition. After leaving his role as Welsh Affairs Editor, he launched a personal newsletter, quickly gaining over 3,000 subscribers in just six weeks. This success showcases his ability to connect with an audience eager for insights on Welsh politics, reflecting his expertise and established brand within the region. The rapid growth of his subscriber base demonstrates a strong demand for local journalism in Wales, emphasizing the importance of individual voices in a crowded media landscape.
Impact of Devolved Politics
Hayward's insights into Welsh politics reveal the complexities of covering a devolved government that only gained significant powers in recent years. His experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the stark differences in governance between Wales and England, particularly in public health decisions. His book, which examines these differences, underscores a growing awareness among the populace regarding the Welsh Parliament's role in their lives. This awakening signifies a broader engagement with local governance, crucial for fostering informed citizenry.
Challenges of Building a Personal Brand
Building a personal brand has been both a boon and a challenge for Hayward as he navigated the competitive world of journalism. While his newsletter gained recognition, exemplified by winning the Best Politics Newsletter award, he also faced challenges tied to this branding. The connection between his identity and content complicates the potential for future scalability and the involvement of other contributors. Despite the discomfort with his brand being so personally identified, he acknowledges its role in fostering trust in a landscape plagued by misinformation.
Monetization and Growth Strategy
Hayward's approach to monetizing his newsletter emphasizes value and audience engagement over discounted subscriptions. He prioritizes high-quality content, ensuring that free subscribers are still offered meaningful insights, which can help convert them to paying members over time. This strategy involves creating various subscription tiers to foster deeper connections with readers, encouraging a sense of ownership and appreciation for independent journalism. Hayward aims to sustain long-term growth by gradually increasing his output and pursuing sponsorship opportunities while maintaining editorial integrity.
This week on The Publisher Podcast by Media Voices, we're joined by Will Hayward, journalist, author and columnist specialising in Welsh politics. He also writes The Will Hayward Newsletter, which he relaunched in September after running it for nearly a year as one of Reach plc's Substack experiments, where it won Best Politics Newsletter at this year's Publisher Newsletter Awards.
Since going it alone, he's built up more than 3,000 subscribers in just seven weeks, with revenues and subscriber numbers now exceeding its previous iteration. He talks about his journey into covering all things Wales, what he's learned working at the UK's largest regional publisher, and what opportunities he spotted in going solo, even if it meant having to restart his newsletter from scratch.
This season is sponsored by BlueConic,the customer data operating system that makes your data work harder, so you don’t have to. Whether it’s capturing valuable audience insights or activating them with precision, the possibilities are endless with BlueConic’s all-in-one platform.