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It took 12 long months to get our first 3000 newsletter subscribers

We’ve added 4000+ subscribers in the last 9 weeks

Here’s what changed:
A quick caveat...

I’m not really an expert on newsletter growth

I’m learning as I go and there’s plenty that we could do better

But Why We Buy has attracted 11,539 readers and was named as one of the top marketing newsletters by @Forbes

These 6 tips helped us get here...
Tip 1: Consistently remind people to subscribe

I promote newsletter signups each week using the same format

• I post the 1st reminder the day before the newsletter goes out
• I post the 2nd one three hours before it goes out

These posts work for 2 brainy reasons...
Sharing a screenshot of praise from a reader acts as SOCIAL PROOF that the newsletter is worth subscribing to

Consistently showing up in people’s feeds using the same format triggers THE MERE EXPOSURE EFFECT

The more people see something, the more they come to like & trust it
Tip 2: Optimize your opt-in page

I’m constantly A/B testing the newsletter opt-in page

So far this version performs the best with a 54% opt-in rate

It uses SOCIAL PROOF, AUTHORITY BIAS, and features some familiar faces

(Hi @amandanat and @dmurr68 👋)
Tip 3: Give people a reason to respond

If someone replies to your email that signals to their email provider that your email address is safe and it’s less likely that you’ll end up in spam

When I started giving people an incentive to reply—a surprise gift—I got 20X more replies
Tip 4: Deliver surprise value

People expect your newsletter content to be valuable (if it’s not they’ll just unsubscribe)

But you can wow ‘em by giving something extra

Everyone who signs up for Why We Buy gets a Free Buyer Psychology Cheatsheet

This is a smart move because...
When we receive something unexpectedly awesome, our brain floods with happy hormones

Behavioral scientists call this DELIGHT

And it’s delight—not satisfaction—that drives loyalty

Giving a free gift also triggers the reader’s urge to RECIPROCATE

On that note...
Tip 5: Ask for referrals... at the right time

Word-of-mouth is the best channel and tools like @sparkloopHQ make setting up newsletter referral programs easy

That said, I see many people make the same mistake when it comes to referrals
The mistake?

They ask for referrals BEFORE people experience their product

But if you wait until after someone gets value—like after reading 2 newsletters—they’re more likely to take action

Our referral program netted 374 new readers (and a sweet shoutout from @arvidkahl)
Tip 6: Be patient

There’s no such thing as overnight success

Why We Buy is growing quickly now, but the results we’re seeing today wouldn’t be possible without the work we did before

Growth compounds slowly at first... then fast

If you’re just getting started, be patient
tl;dr

1. Consistently remind people to subscribe
2. Optimize your opt-in page
3. Give people a reason to respond
4. Deliver unexpected value
5. Ask for referrals... at the right time
6. Be patient
Did you find this thread helpful?

Follow me for more buyer psychology and marketing tips → @katebour

And if you wanna delight me... smash that RT button


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