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Newsletter 0 to 1,000 Subscribers

A step-by-step playbook for growing your newsletter from scratch to 1,000 subscribers. Covers platform choice, content strategy, and growth tactics.

4phases•24tasks•~3-6 months

Phases & Tasks

Choose platform (Substack, Beehiiv, ConvertKit)
1h
Substack for discovery, Beehiiv for growth features, ConvertKit for flexibility.
Define niche and audience
45m
Who is this for? What will they learn? Be specific. Narrow > broad.
Write compelling description
30m
What readers get. Why should they subscribe? Focus on value.
Create landing page
1h
Headline, description, social proof (if any), clear signup form.
Write 3 issues before launching
6h
Have content ready. Send consistently from day 1.
Set publishing schedule (weekly recommended)
15m
Weekly is sustainable for most. Consistency > frequency.

Tell everyone you know personally
1h
Friends, family, colleagues. Ask them to subscribe if interested.
Add signup to email signature
10m
Every email you send is an opportunity. Link to your newsletter.
Post in communities where your audience hangs
2h
Relevant subreddits, Discord servers, Slack groups. Be helpful first.
Cross-promote with similar newsletters
1h 30m
Find newsletters with similar audiences. Swap recommendations.
Repurpose issues as Twitter threads
45m
Turn each issue into a thread. Link back to full issue.
Add signup CTA to all content
30m
Blog posts, Twitter bio, LinkedIn. Every piece of content drives signups.

Guest post with newsletter mention
4h
Write for other blogs in your niche. Include newsletter link in bio.
Podcast appearances
2h
Be a guest on relevant podcasts. Mention your newsletter.
Create lead magnet (PDF, template, etc.)
3h
Offer something valuable in exchange for email. Bonus content works.
Start referral program
1h
Reward subscribers for referring friends. Beehiiv has this built-in.
Optimize signup conversion rate
1h 30m
Test headlines, CTAs, landing page layout. Small improvements compound.
Engage subscribers (ask questions, reply)
1h
Ask questions in issues. Reply to everyone who writes back.

Paid cross-promotions (Swapstack, etc.)
1h 30m
Pay to be featured in other newsletters. Test small, scale what works.
SEO-optimized web versions
1h
Make issues searchable. Long-term traffic source.
Collaborations with bigger newsletters
2h
Co-create content. Interview their audience. Cross-pollinate.
Consistent high-quality content
3h
No shortcuts. Quality is what retains subscribers and drives referrals.
Test and optimize subject lines
45m
A/B test when you can. Track open rates. Learn what works.
Consider paid ads to landing page
2h
Twitter ads, Reddit ads. Calculate CAC and only spend if unit economics work.

Ready to start this playbook?