Hey there, happy Friday,
Hope your week's been good. I'm trying out a new format. Let me know what you think!
We just hit a pretty big milestone: a 79% lift in newsletter leads and an 8% bump in open rates. How'd we do it? We stopped aiming for sheer volume and instead focused on three key moves:
Instead of lobbing the same PDF offer at everyone, we got intentional about what each audience wants. For early-stage founders, we offered a curated "business ideas" database from the analysts at The Hustle. For AI power-users, we pulled together over 100 ready-to-use prompts to boost productivity. Next up, we'll narrow it down even further, giving each segment precisely what they're looking for, not just what we have in the old archive.
By filtering out bots and cutting low-quality acquisition channels, we saw open rates climb 8%. But it's more than housecleaning; it's about building a network of engaged readers. To grow our lists we're partnering with independent newsletters that share our editorial DNA and investing in organic social. Through swaps and co-marketing, we bring in folks who genuinely engage with each send. While we're intentionally limiting our scale, the quality of our subscriber base is unmatched.
Instead of blindly buying clicks, we partner with independent creators who treat their newsletters like a community. They understand their readers deeply, and when we collaborate on custom offers, conversion rates jump. The best part? We're seeing a 50% lower cost per lead on these partnerships compared to traditional channels like Meta and Google. Going forward, we may co-create pulse surveys and curated series. When readers sense an authentic, thoughtful collaboration, they engage.
The Bottom Line: By personalizing what we offer, focusing on higher-quality acquisition sources, and joining forces with the top voices in our space, we're not just hitting targets. We're building long-term relationships with our readers.
Until next time ✌️
Kyle
P.S. Huge thanks to Rob, Scott, Dom, and Chris for leading the charge this year.