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This week's all about smart partnerships and proven growth tactics. Cross-promotion opportunities are exploding on InboxReads, YouTube is cracking down on AI-generated content, and we're diving deep into how top creators use community contests and automation to scale. Plus, why million-dollar niches matter more than you think. Ready to partner your way to growth?
Ready to turn community insights into newsletter gold? Let's dive in! 👇
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🔥 This Week's Hot Takes
The top 12 million-dollar newsletter niches revealed. These proven niches show where direct monetization thrives; perfect inspiration for creators aiming for paid products, not just ad revenue.
YouTube to crack down on mass-produced AI videos. Newsletter creators relying on AI video content will need to adapt fast. YouTube's policy shift could impact reach, repurposing, and discovery.
Paid newsletters thrive on pain points, not authenticity. Headlines that dig into real problems convert better, don't just "be yourself," solve subscribers' actual struggles.
Beehiiv keeps 100% of subscription revenue while Substack takes 10%. As creators focus more on monetization, platform fee structures become crucial. Beehiiv's zero-commission model could save thousands annually for successful newsletters. Remember, though, Beehiiv services are free only up until a certain point.
Newsletter creators achieve 39.3% open rates on Mondays and Sundays. Weekend and Monday sends consistently outperform mid-week campaigns, with Sunday hitting 1.7% click-through rates, perfect timing for weekly newsletters.
💡 Growth Hack of the Week
Discount-Driven Conversion Sprints
How: Bundle a limited-time discount with an event (anniversary, milestone, or a special project). Announce the deal across emails and socials. Personally reach out to your engaged readers or superfans and offer them exclusive "grandfather" pricing (up to 80% off). Layer urgency, make it clear when the discount expires!
Why: Timed discounts create urgency (FOMO), make loyal subscribers feel special, and provide the nudge on-the-fence readers need. Targeted offers and personal outreach convert at a much higher rate than passive promos.
Expected Result: Many Substack bestsellers hit 100 paid members with fewer than 5,000 total subscribers by running discount sprints attached to key moments. Expect 5–10% conversion among your most engaged free readers if executed well.
Spotlight: Writers' Hour Magazine
What Works:
Weekly creative contests, publish subscribers' pieces, not their own.
Tight 500-word limit and deadline sparks engagement and momentum.
Substack Notes: a viral Note brought in 6,000+ subscribers.
Creator Quote:
"Personal rule of thumb: I write for me, but I edit for you. Treat your newsletter as a gift."
Want more ideas from top newsletter creators? Read the full interview and see how generosity plus creative community equals real growth!
🛠️ Tool of the Week
InboxReads Cross-Promotion Platform
Why You'll Love It: Instantly find partner newsletters to boost subscriber growth, and co-promotion remains one of the fastest (and free!) ways to expand your audience.
Best For: Newsletter creators seeking targeted, win-win partnerships with complementary audiences in their niche or adjacent markets.
Check out InboxReads to explore current partnership opportunities.
🧪 A/B Test of the Week
Test: "Quick Wins" vs. "Expert Tips" vs. "Proven Strategies" in Section Headers
Inspiration: MailerLite discovered that question-based subject lines. "Are your pop-ups optimized for mobile?" outperformed statement-based versions, "How to optimize pop-ups for mobile," by significantly boosting open rates.
Newsletter Application: Test different section header styles in your newsletter content. Compare benefit-focused language "Quick Wins", authority-focused "Expert Tips", and results-focused "Proven Strategies" headers.
Result: "Quick Wins" typically boosts engagement by 12-15% because it promises immediate, actionable value without overwhelming readers with complexity.
Takeaway: Simple, benefit-focused language that promises immediate value consistently outperforms expert positioning or complex terminology. Readers want fast, practical solutions over impressive-sounding advice.
⚙️ Automation Deep Dive
Buttondown + Airtable: Real-time Subscriber Logging
Before: Manually tracking new subscribers and payment events across disconnected platforms was tedious and error-prone.
After: Plug Buttondown webhooks into Airtable to automatically log subscriber events and Stripe payments. No coding needed, just generate a webhook URL in Airtable, add it to Buttondown, and test the connection.
Result: Instantly centralizes your subscriber and payment data, saving hours of manual entry every month and powering real-time audience dashboards.
Learn how to set up your own plug-and-play workflow with this step-by-step guide from Buttondown.
😂 Meme of the Week
Newsletter creator trying to find the perfect cross-promotion partner.
🔗 Quick Links
Questions? Just write a comment below. I read all the comments and respond to them.
Thanks for reading,
Eren Daskesen
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