You started a newsletter. Great! You followed the steps and did everything right, from selecting a topic and researching your audience to sitting down and writing. But after a while, it felt like you were writing into a void. Don't worry, I got you. 

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Whether you're looking to expand your subscriber base or starting from scratch, growing your newsletter audience is no easy feat and requires a unique blend of strategy, creativity, and consistency. So, let me take you through the playbook. 

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You already understand the basics of researching and creating a target audience, but let's take it a step further. In this guide, I will walk you through tools, tricks, tips, and actionable steps to expand your base quickly!

Leverage Your Understanding of Who Your Audience Is

Before we sort out more specific metrics like paid ads, social media, and referrals, let's take it back to where we started: target audience research. I know, I know, you already learned this, but bear with me here. A comprehensive and expansive understanding of your audience is essential in informing how you will approach your strategy for growing your subscriber base. 

Paid Ads For That Extra Umph

Once you have a good grasp of who your audience is and what they care about, you can begin to strategize on attracting a larger audience and what your readers are looking to gain by engaging with your content. A great way to facilitate this new engagement is through paid and sometimes even free ad opportunities.

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Paid ads are an excellent way to get your newsletter off the ground running and sprinting. Not only do they allow you to target the exact audience that would primarily benefit from your content, but they are also incredibly effective in expanding beyond that typical reach. The only pitfall is a harsh one, and that is that ads are expensive.

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According to the marketing service site Topdraw, advertisements on Google or major social media platforms can cost you from .50 cents to $5 for cost per click (CPC) or $6 to $40+ for every 1000 clicks/impressions (or cost per mile CPM). Below, I have provided two tools from Topdraw that list the average prices for every major online and traditional offline advertising platform. 

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While that may look like pennies up front, the long-term investment will be expensive, so it's crucial to ensure you're doing it correctly. Let's explore how you can optimize your Ad budget while still expanding your audience in a way that reflects the quality and value of your content. 

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• Targeting is Everything: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads allow you to fine-tune who sees your ads based on age, interests, location, and behavior. Use these tools to laser-focus your campaign on people most likely to engage with your newsletter.
• Ad Copy & Creative: Now that you know who your audience is, your next job is to meticulously craft the copywriting for your ad that answers your audience's "why?" and affirms their needs. This means prioritizing communicating your value- whether that's "expert insights," "life-changing tips," or "the four things you NEED to know for guaranteed success" your focal point needs to ensure your reader's return on investment. Keep it clear, brief, and benefit-oriented. And don't forget: visuals matter. Incorporate eye-catching colours and compelling images to maintain attention. 
• Budgeting Smartly: Test, test, and test again. Do not waste your time or money on offline advertisements. Online advertisements allow you many tools, like extensive performance tracking, finely tuned audience targeting, and customizable ad creation, all with an incredibly flexible minimum ad spend budget. Through online advertisements, you can maximize your budget by starting small, tracking performance, and scaling what actually works. 

Capitalizing On Free Digital Ad Opportunities: Get Exposure Without a Budget

Ask yourself, "Well, what if I don't have a budget or the means to do so but still need the exposure paid ads offer?" Don't worry, you're not alone. Plenty of alternatives exist that don't require setting aside an entire budget for what you consider simply a creative pastime. You can still get the visibility and traction that paid ads typically provide without breaking the bank.

While paid advertising does offer a quick way to increase your reach, numerous free digital opportunities can give you exposure and attract new subscribers without requiring significant financial or extensive time investment. Let's explore some of these free alternatives, so you can start seeing results without worrying about your budget.

Harness the Power of Social Media

Social media isn't just a tool for staying connected with friends, staying vaguely in touch with that weird uncle you haven't seen in 10 years, or watching political debates in the comments of a

Facebook deepfake. Facebook is also one of the best and free platforms for promoting your newsletter. By strategically utilizing your professional and even personal social media presences, you can reach new, potential, or current subscribers without spending a dime.

Share Snippets And Teasers

Post highlights, snippets, or key takeaways of the most compelling or value-communicating aspects from your newsletter to spark curiosity among your followers and their web of mutual connections. These snippets function like a free advertisement, drawing in people who want more.

Take Advantage of Stories and Reels

Utilize short-form content on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook through mediums like stories and reels. If done well and compellingly, these bite-sized content options are a quick opportunity to direct viewers to your newsletter, prompting further action.

Make it Urgent And Cross-Promote Your Newsletter

Consistently and continually remind your followers on social media to subscribe, and vice versa, remind your subscribers to follow you on social media. Use your posts to create a sense of urgency for your followers like "Don't miss out, subscribe for all the content you need" or "Subscribe for a last chance to catch up on this week's insights."

Leverage Hashtags

Research and consequently implement relevant hashtags within your niche to increase the discoverability of your posts and learn more about what and how people in your community are engaging with on social media. 

Create Shareable Content

Finally, encourage your audience to share your content. The more your followers share with their networks, the more visibility your newsletter gains. Creating and promoting shareable content will likely be your most significant return on investment because you let your community of followers and subscribers do most of the legwork for you. Don't know where to start? Here are some entry points: 

• Utilize compelling and unique visual content 

This includes: Infographics, Memes (do not overdo it),  and Quote Graphics. You can see three Instagram examples of how popular newsletters utilize these kinds of posts to promote shareable engagement: a Meme example from the popular content newsletter Girlboss (@girlboss), a Quote Graphic from The Daily Stoic (@dailystoic), and an infographic from the political and female based Feminist (@feminist). 

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• Encourage User-Generated Content (UGC)

User-generated content is a particular and valuable form of free advertising under the larger blanket of shareable content, which essentially encourages your audience to create content related to your newsletter. This could be in the form of contests or challenges that encourage your community to create content with the incentive of being featured in your next post or receiving a prize (like branded merchandise), in the form of testimonials or reviews, or even just inviting subscribers to share how your content has positively impacted their lives and then consequently featuring these stories throughout your posts and or site. 

• Take Advantage of Shareable Moments with Timing and Context 

Keeping a pulse on current events, what's trending, and even seasonal topics adds an extra layer of impact to your content by keeping things fresh and capitalizing on what is relevant. You can implement this by focusing your posts to coincide with popular holidays, global events, and cultural moments, for example, "How to Stay Productive During the Holidays" or "5 Ways This (political event) Will Affect You."

• Make It Easy 

Sometimes, the most effective way to encourage people to share your newsletter is to make it as easy as possible for them to do so; a great example of this is how the newsletter Passionfruit includes social links at the bottom of every post. By including social sharing buttons within your newsletter, subscribers can share it with their networks with just a click. To take it a step further, offer personalized sharing links to your subscribers so they can share your newsletter with a message that suits their style. 

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Get Your Name Out There

Traditional word-of-mouth is one of the most overlooked but effective ways to grow your community and subscriber base. An excellent way to harness that is by collaborating with and being recommended by other newsletters. But you are probably wondering: how do you get featured in someone else's newsletter? Ultimately, it's all about building a network and fostering relationships.

Reach Out to Fellow Newsletter Creators: There is Power in Numbers

Don't be afraid to introduce yourself to other large and small newsletter creators in your niche! Actively interact and share their content. You have much to learn from other writers, and not everything is a competition. 

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Take that initial jump and reach out with a friendly email or social media direct message (even better, both) by introducing your content, including things you like about theirs and where your works may align and intersect. Don't be afraid to introduce yourself to other newsletter creators in your niche. Reach out with a friendly email introducing your content and explaining how it aligns with their readership. Propose a collaboration where both of you benefit- sharing each other's newsletters on social media, co hosting a competition or giveaway, or simply giving each other a shout-out! 

A great example is​​ a podcast collaboration between journalist Anna Vingin and business executive/writer Ana Andjelic, "Everything is Marketing (w/ Ana Andjelic)." Here, you can see how a successful collaboration is curated and how you can integrate this collaborative content into your content layout. 

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Offer Value First

When approaching other creators, take a minute to take stock of where their content intersects with yours. Ask questions like: 

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• How is this creator's content similar to my own?
• Where does their content differ from mine?
• What are their strengths? What are mine?
• Where are potential weaknesses? Where are mine?
• How can I fill in the gaps they're missing? How can they fill in mine?
• What is the unique value I bring to their content? And vice versa?

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It is crucial to think about how their collaboration will benefit your content and how you can add value. Building relationships based on mutual value is key to long-term success, so make sure you present it up front with why this is worth their investment, proving that this is equally as beneficial to them as it is to you. 

Utilize Newsletter Directories 

Most newsletter platforms like Substack or Beehiiv will offer online directories where newsletter creators can list their newsletter alongside others, so site users can easily access the content or creators that fit their niche needs. Look into how you can network to get your newsletter listed in your community section. This is an excellent way to expose yourself to larger creators in your niche and get exposure from their subscribers who may also be interested in your content. 

Referrals: Harness the Power of Your Existing Subscribers

The odds are that you already have a small to sizeable base of subscribers, but you're here, so you're looking for some growth. However, here's the thing: the easiest and, consequently, quickest way to grow your subscriber base is from the readership you've already built. 

As we have already begun discussing, word of mouth is incredibly powerful, but don't suffer from tunnel vision and focus solely on other creators. They don't know you quite like your readers, who have already proved they understand your value by returning to your content. If your readers consistently consume your content and return to your page, they're likely enjoying what you're putting out there. They would likely be interested in sharing it with others within their community. But how will you encourage them to do so? Referrals.

Offer Incentives Through Referral Programs

Referral programs are an excellent way to encourage readers to share your newsletter with friends. 

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One excellent way to utilize this is through a tool like Sparkloop, which makes setting up referrals incredibly accessible and digestible to creators and readers. Sparkloop allows you to transform your existing subscribers into ambassadors who will promote your content within their network in exchange for rewards like access to exclusive content, physical or digital products like merch, discounts, promotions, and so much more. 

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Aside from being incredibly user-friendly, Sparkloop allows creators to accelerate growth through a variety of methods that include but are not limited to:

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• Promoting engagement by enhancing the audience's value return through rewards
• Access to cost-effective marketing that avoids paid advertisement.
• Provides room for your referral program to grow as your newsletter does. 

Make Referring Easy

Keep it simple! Make it accessible for your subscribers to refer your content to others digitally. Curate and include shareable links they can pass along, highlighting the benefits of subscribing. 

And don't forget! Encourage sharing by creating content that is worth sharing. By publishing insightful, actionable, and relevant thought-provoking material, your readers will naturally feel compelled to pass along your content.

Tip: Create "shareable snippets" like quotes, quick tips, or compelling images that are easy and digestible for readers to forward. 

End With a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA) 

So you've sold your readers on the premise of your value, you've given them the quality content necessary to share, and you need to take your sharing accessibility a step further with a clear and compelling CTA. You have given your readers a reason to share your content with a friend or on social media, but when the content is shared, accessed, and consumed, you want to provide this new readership with a convenient way to access more and subscribe: make it clear wha you want the next step to be. 

A strong CTA stands out visually and spatially, whilst simultaneously using action-based verbiage that encourages your audience to act immediately. For example, this CTA from the popular newsletter Mashable:

To ensure that your CTA stands out so readers can't miss it, disperse it throughout your layout, particularly at the top, middle, and footer for maximum impact.

List Segmentation: Growing Your List the Smart Way

As your base expands, you will realize that managing that ever-growing list of subscribers becomes more critical than ever- segmentation is key. By segmenting your email list, you can send more personalized and targeted content that leads to better engagement, as there is a higher likelihood that your audience will understand your value and feel that they are as well.  

Why Segmentation Matters

While it is easy to group an entire audience base, it is essential to acknowledge that not all your subscribers are the same. Therefore, you should treat them as such. By segmenting your list, you can send content tailored to a curated group of readers more likely to engage. 

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For example, if you have a beauty-centered newsletter, you should segment your audience into different groups, such as readers who care about hair care, skincare, makeup, fashion, etc. This way, you ensure that each group gets content that is more relevant to their interests based on engagement patterns. 

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You can segment based on a variety of factors, such as: 

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• Subscriber engagement level (active vs inactive subscribers)
• Interests or preferences (based on engagement behavior or survey responses)
• Location or demographic (For example, if your content is geographically, generationally, or culturally relevant)
  
  

Marketing Tools for Segmentation: 

Okay, you get it. Segmentation is essential for growing your newsletter. But you may be wondering where to begin. Thankfully, platforms like Kit and Beehiiv make segmentation super easy.

Kit

Kit is an excellent tool that hones in on simplicity by segmenting your subscribers in a way that is just a few clicks away through a "drag-and-drop editiong" program. Not only does Kit let you create different groups based on actions like email opens and clicks, but it makes getting your posts out to the right inboxes exactly when you want them to more accessible than ever with state of the art automation tools or even sign up forms—whether that is making sure your content gets out at the same time every week, sending a welcome email to new subscribers or even offering exclusive content to your most engaged readers- Kit makes consistency simple. 

Beehiiv

Beehiiv is similar because it also has a pretty intuitive segmentation program covered. Through their site, you can organize your audience based on data like demographics, interests, and engagement. Beehiiv makes setting up segments a breeze, and once you do, you can send out personalized campaigns that speak to each group you are trying to reach. Beehiiv's analytics also give you insight into how each segment performs so you can continue to adapt and refine strategies. 

Tools That Make Growing Your Email List Easier

While content quality, audience analysis, and strategy are essential to growing your newsletter, utilizing the right tools allows you to streamline your efforts into larger growth faster. Let's look at some of the quick tools that you can use to  grow your email list more efficiently:

Sparkloop

As you learned earlier, Sparkloop is one of the best tools for setting up and managing a referral program for your subscribers. 

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Aside from being incredibly user-friendly with Sparkloop, you gain access to tools that transform existing subscribers into ambassadors who will promote your content within their network in exchange for various rewards, such as exclusive content, physical or digital products like merch discounts, promotions, and so much more. 

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Creator Programs from Kit

One of Kit's unique features is its unique creator programs to help you grow your newsletter. Through Kit, as a small creator, you will gain access to extensive networks of other creators, opening the door to network, feature, and collaboration opportunities.

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Another great feature of Sparkloop and  Kit is that they integrate seamlessly, allowing you to customize and track your email list and referral programs efficiently. 

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Guest Collaborations

Another excellent way to expand your reach is by collaborating with other content and newsletter creators. Similar to the example you saw earlier with the podcast collaboration between writer Anna Vingin and businesswoman Ana Andjelic, collaboration is an excellent way to network, add extra creativity, and open yourself to audiences you may not have otherwise. 

Tool Collaborations and Brand Partnerships

Partnering with tools, products, or brands that service your niche audience is an excellent way to facilitate growth. For example, if your audience is essentially readers, teaming up with a subscription service like Book of the Month or a book recommendation tool like Bookfinder could help you tap into their base while simultaneously bringing your audience to them. 

Beginning Your Journey to Growth

As you've learned, growing your newsletter is not a quick fix. Your numbers won't skyrocket tomorrow, but you will see growth with the right strategies, tools, and consistency. 

Keep refining the process, adapting your content, and building strong relationships. Remember to stay true to yourself and the people who got you there: your audience!

You got this! 

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