What is it?
When starting a new newsletter, one of the easiest initial growth tactics is to spread the word through your existing circle of friends, family and colleagues.
Draft up a personal email letting your network know about your new project, explain what the newsletter will cover and why it might be valuable for them.
Be up-front that you're asking them to subscribe - while making it clear there's no pressure if it's not a good fit.
The Good and the Bad
Examples of how to crush it
Contrarian Thinking
Codie Sanchez used her existing personal contacts to kickstart the growth of her email newsletter, "Contrarian Thinking".
By combing through her Gmail account for email addresses and reconnecting with friends she had lost touch with, she was able to add 400 subscribers to her newsletter.
This might not seem totally life-changing - but that initial audience became the social proof that allowed Codie to pitch herself as a guest for podcasts.
Over the course of the next two weeks, she secured around 10 podcast appearances, which helped her acquire hundreds more new subscribers.
Scot Chisholm
Scot Chisholm reached out to his existing network to jumpstart the growth of his new newsletter, "Never Say Die!"
He started the email with a friendly greeting, acknowledging their past connection and making the email feel personal.
Next, Scot described the purpose of the newsletter with a unique angle by relating it to the underdog spirit of "The Goonies".
And finally, he included a clear call to action to subscribe!
Dickie’s Digest
Dickie Bush's journey to building his newsletter to 15,000 subscribers started from humble beginnings.
In the early stages, he tapped into his closest personal connections to kickstart growth.
His first 10 subscribers were members of his immediate circle, including his parents, siblings, and best friends.
