0 to 834 Subscribers In 15 Days: How I'm Building a New Newsletter From Scratch

Join the Write, Grow, Sell waitlist here >>Anastasia Negru is the cofounder of AffordiHome, a media brand focused on affordable properties in Europe. She discussed the growth of their newsletter, audience engagement strategies, revenue generation challenges, and the introduction of consultation services. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding customer needs, effective marketing strategies, and the potential for future growth in the real estate sector.Episode Topics & Timestamps00:00 Introduction to AffordiHome and Its Business Model02:51 Growth of the Newsletter and Subscriber Engagement05:53 Content Strategy and Audience Acquisition09:00 Revenue Generation and Business Challenges11:50 Consultation Services and Client Engagement14:46 Future Growth Strategies and Business Model ExplorationLinks Mentionedhttps://www.affordihome.com/ https://x.com/affordihome 

Matt and Ryan discuss various strategies for building an audience, leveraging AI in marketing, and innovative sales techniques. They share insights on content creation, the importance of copywriting, and the effectiveness of using Google Docs for marketing. They also highlight the value of building a media brand and the tools to help entrepreneurs streamline their processes.Want more content like this?Join Newsletter Operator for more strategies on how to grow and monetize your newsletter here: NewsletterOperator.comWork with Ryan's agency Tailwind Work with Matt's agency GrowLetterFollow Matt McGarry @JMatthewMcGarry and Ryan Carr @ryan_boat on Twitter.Episode Topics & Timestamps00:00 Introduction and Milestones02:58 Content Creation Strategies05:55 Leveraging AI in Marketing08:54 Building an Audience on LinkedIn11:39 Sales Strategies and Funnels17:58 Innovative Marketing Techniques23:45 Tool Recommendations for EntrepreneursLinks Mentionedhttps://moodboard.beehiiv.com/https://lovable.dev/

Jordan DiPietro is the former CEO of Hampton, a community business that's scaled to over $10M in annual revenue. Episode Topics & Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Hampton and Community Business Models03:07 Marketing Strategies for Community Growth05:56 Sales Process and Lead Conversion Techniques09:12 Content Marketing and Lead Generation12:09 The Role of MoneyWise Podcast in Community Engagement15:06 Building Relationships in Community Spaces18:04 Core Groups and In-Person Retreats21:12 The Evolution of Community Dynamics25:51 The Importance of In-Person Connections26:40 Confidentiality and Community Integrity27:57 Balancing Exclusivity and Growth30:57 Criteria for Membership in Exclusive Communities33:29 Staying Focused as a CEO35:38 The HubSpot Acquisition of The Hustle42:07 The Future of SaaS Companies Acquiring Media45:47 Jordan's Next Chapter: Writing and CoachingLinks MentionedJordan's newsletter: https://jordandipietro.beehiiv.com/ Jordan's website: https://jordandipietro.com/

Matt and Ryan discuss Ryan's recent venture into creating a newsletter focused on AI-assisted marketing workflows. He shares how he grew his AI-focused marketing newsletter from 0 to ~900 subscribers in 15 days using LinkedIn. The discussion covers effective content marketing tactics, the importance of high-quality lead magnets, and lessons learned from experimenting with email marketing. They also explore a case study of Ted Williams, who successfully launched a local newsletter with impressive engagement metrics.Want more content like this?Join Newsletter Operator for more strategies on how to grow and monetize your newsletter here: NewsletterOperator.comWork with Ryan's agency Tailwind Work with Matt's agency GrowLetterFollow Matt McGarry @JMatthewMcGarry and Ryan Carr @ryan_boat on Twitter.Episode Topics & Timestamps00:00 Introduction and Overview of New Ventures03:03 Growth Strategies for Newsletters06:04 Engagement Tactics on LinkedIn08:58 Shameless Content Marketing12:09 Lessons Learned from Subscriber Growth15:03 Experimenting with Email Marketing19:52 Case Study: Ted Williams and Local NewslettersLinks Mentionedhttps://moodboard.beehiiv.com/ 

Matt shares a step-by-step guide to launching a newsletter and landing your first 1,000 subscribers. He breaks down niche selection, category design, the “job to be done” framework, and tactical strategies for idea validation, social media outreach, and subscriber growth.Want more content like this?Join Newsletter Operator for more strategies on how to grow and monetize your newsletter here: NewsletterOperator.comEpisode Topics & Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Newsletter Growth03:09 Choosing the Right Niche06:07 Hyper Scale vs. Hyper Niche Newsletters08:56 Category Design and Unique Positioning11:55 Defining Your Job to Be Done14:57 Validating Your Idea and Gaining Subscribers19:48 Maximizing Your Announcement Post24:31 Building Your Subscriber Base25:11 Leveraging Social Media for Growth30:43 Converting Followers into Subscribers

Matt and Ryan share strategies for growing on LinkedIn, converting engagement into email subscribers, and building long-term content engines. They also explore video content, email optimization, and rebranding the podcast. Want more content like this?Join Newsletter Operator for more strategies on how to grow and monetize your newsletter here: NewsletterOperator.comWork with Ryan's agency Tailwind Work with Matt's agency GrowLetterFollow Matt McGarry @JMatthewMcGarry and Ryan Carr @ryan_boat on Twitter.Episode Topics & Timestamps00:00 Growing Your Audience on LinkedIn02:42 Lead Magnet Strategies for Engagement06:52 The Challenges of Email Subscriber Growth08:07 Exploring Organic Channels for Email Signups11:18 The Shift to Video Content13:38 YouTube as a Growth Platform20:04 Finding Effective Content Formats24:51 The Long-Term Commitment to Audience Building25:48 Optimizing Email Engagement through Base Sending Segments30:05 Strategies for Managing Dormant Subscribers33:52 The Importance of Email Frequency and Engagement38:01 Rebranding and Expanding the Podcast's Focus44:18 Exploring New Terminology for Audience-First Businesses

Chenell Basilio is the founder of Growth in Reverse, a newsletter and podcast that reverse engineers how top creators grow their audiences to 50,000+ subscribers. Want more content like this?Join Newsletter Operator for more strategies on how to grow and monetize your newsletter here: NewsletterOperator.comWork with Ryan's agency Tailwind Work with Matt's agency GrowLetterFollow Matt McGarry @JMatthewMcGarry and Ryan Carr @ryan_boat on Twitter.Episode Topics & Timestamps00:00 Introduction and Background02:48 Content Creation Essentials05:58 Choosing the Right Platforms09:11 Niche Selection and Audience Engagement11:51 Strategies for Subscriber Growth14:50 Collaboration and Networking17:53 Tactics for First 1000 Subscribers27:58 Strategies for Growing Your Audience30:53 Leveraging Substack for Engagement34:29 The Power of Pop-Up Newsletters39:54 Analyzing Growth Metrics42:20 Building Community and Networking47:18 Business Models and Revenue StreamsLinks Mentionedhttps://growthinreverse.com/30-days-of-growth-list/

If you’re running a “newsletter business” the way most people do, you’re doomed to fail. To explain why and what to do now, I’ll break down the history of newsletters and why founders and publishers must pivot to what I call newsletters 3.0.Want help building a media brand? Get in touch here: GrowLetter.com

Matt and Ryan discuss newsletter-first business ideas—from niche media brands to local community stories—sharing insights on engagement, monetization, and building with purpose.Want more content like this?Join Newsletter Operator for more strategies on how to grow and monetize your newsletter here: NewsletterOperator.comWork with Ryan's agency Tailwind Work with Matt's agency GrowLetterFollow Matt McGarry @JMatthewMcGarry and Ryan Carr @ryan_boat on Twitter.Episode Topics & Timestamps00:00 Exploring Newsletter Business Ideas10:10 Dyslexic Advantage: A Media Opportunity20:04 Gamified Coding Challenges: Engaging Communities30:01 Local Community Connections: Humans of [Your Town]

Apply to attend: Audience.CampMatt and Ahrif give you a behind-the-scenes look into Audience Camp, a new event for founders and creators in Asheville, North Carolina, this fall.