😎 The newsletter empire playbook

👋 Hey!

Ready to turn your newsletter into a growth machine? This week, we're diving deep into the tactics that scaled newsletters from zero to millions in revenue.

From AI-powered workflows to unconventional monetization plays, we've got the playbook you need. Let's get started! 👇

🔥 This Week's Hot Takes

Nostalgia marketing surges as brands remix the past. Leaning on nostalgia breaks through content noise and helps newsletters stand out with instantly relatable, trust-building stories and branding.

Beehiiv revamps Post Template Library for faster, custom drafts. Setting defaults and visual previews means creators spend less time formatting and more time hitting "send."

WordPress launches enhanced newsletter tools to take on Substack. Lower fees, seamless migration, and broader features mean more control and savings for newsletter creators ready to level up or leave Substack.

Pre-launch waitlist conversion drops 50% after 3 months. Launch quickly—if people wait over three months, only 10% convert versus 20% for waitlists under a month.

New platform 'Scrollz' launches for inbox-free newsletter reading. It lets creators reach readers outside crowded email inboxes—could boost discoverability and long-term subscriber engagement.

💡 Growth Hack of the Week

Turn Paid Ads + Webinars Into Email Subscribers & Sales

How: Run Meta ads that drive traffic straight to your newsletter or webinar sign-up page. After sign-up, immediately invite new subscribers to a live webinar where you deliver value and pitch your main offer. 

Why: Paid ad subscribers may be less engaged, but pairing ads with webinars quickly builds relationships and drives conversions, especially for premium products.

Expected Result: Expect faster, more consistent newsletter growth and see nearly double email CTR from webinar-registered subscribers!

Want to learn more? See this example.

📨 Newsletter Dissection

Spotlight: Olly Richards' free newsletter for educators

What Works:

• Radical transparency—shared a 118-page Google Doc breaking down every part of his business, open for all to see

• Authentically casual, frequent emails (3-5x/week) using a 'trusted friend' approach rather than standard weekly newsletters

• Bulletproof content system—voice app to Trello for idea capture, daily morning writing, and quantity-over-quality mindset

Creator Quote:

"The kind of people I'm aiming at have seen it all before. They know when they're being marketed to. They just want the information."

Want the full breakdown (and free access to Olly's legendary Google Doc)? Check out his case study here.

🧰 Tool of the Week

AWeber's Free Newsletter Starter Kit

Why You'll Love It: Anyone can start a newsletter in minutes—no tech skills or budget needed. Platforms like AWeber offer free plans and built-in AI to remove friction. 

Best For: Complete beginners who want to launch their first newsletter without getting overwhelmed by technical setup.

How to Start a Newsletter: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners.

🧪 A/B Test of the Week

Test: Personalized sender names vs. generic company names

Result: Emails with personalized sender names saw 0.53% higher open rates and 0.23% higher CTR than generic company names.

Takeaway: Small personalization touches can compound into meaningful performance gains—but avoid testing too many elements at once, or you won't know what's driving results.

Read the complete analysis here.

⚙️ Automation Deep Dive

Notocat 2 + Notion: Instant Newsletter Repurposing

Before: Newsletter creators had to manually copy and format Notion content for email, costing a few hours each week.

After: Notocat 2 auto-converts Notion pages into trackable, beautifully formatted newsletters—no copy-paste needed. Check it out here.

Result: Users report saving 3+ hours per newsletter, plus gaining analytics to see what's resonating.

Try Notocat for free to streamline your workflow and amp up your content recycling!

📈 Poll of the Week

😂 Meme of the Week

When you have 47 newsletter ideas saved in your notes app but still stare at a blank screen every Sunday night…

🔗 Quick Links

• Automate your newsletter easily with HeyNews.

• Avoiding internal newsletter pitfalls.

• Buttondown adds SimpleAnalytics integration.

• Medium publishes a guide for finding active publications.

Thanks for reading,

— Eren Daskesen & Cagri Sarigoz