Leaderboard · Creators & education
Newsletter writers
Marketing plays for newsletter writers, ranked by votes.
Photo: İlgar Yusifzade
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1
Launch a referral program that rewards subscribers with perks
Set up a referral tool such as SparkLoop or a built-in Substack referral program, and give each subscriber a unique link to share. Offer a small reward at set milestones, such as a bonus post or extended archive access, when someone refers three or ten new subscribers.
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2
Set up cross-recommendations with three complementary newsletters
Find three newsletters that share your audience but cover a different topic, and ask each one to add your newsletter to their recommendations page, in exchange for adding theirs to yours. On Substack this appears on the subscribe confirmation page once both sides add each other.
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3
Build a five-email welcome sequence for new subscribers
Write a five-email sequence that sends automatically over the first two weeks after someone subscribes, starting with your best or most popular past post, then introducing your regular format, your writing schedule, and one way to reply and say hello.
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4
Turn your best past issues into indexable, searchable pages
Pick your ten best-performing past issues and republish them as standalone pages on your website with descriptive titles and a short summary at the top, rather than leaving them buried in an email archive. Link between related issues so a reader who lands on one can find others on the same topic.
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5
End every issue with one specific question readers can reply to
Add a single, specific question at the bottom of every issue, tied to that issue's topic, and ask readers to hit reply with their answer. Read every reply personally and use the best ones, with permission, in a future issue.
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6
Host a monthly open thread where readers discuss with each other
Publish one dedicated open thread each month, either as a post on your platform's comment section or a separate community space, with a prompt inviting readers to share what they are working on or struggling with. Participate yourself and highlight a few responses in your next issue.
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7
Repost your best paragraph from each issue natively on LinkedIn
After each issue goes out, pick the single strongest paragraph or idea and post it as its own native LinkedIn post, rewritten slightly to stand alone without the rest of the issue's context. Add a line inviting people to subscribe for the full version, with the link in the first comment.
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8
Swap a sponsored mention with a newsletter of similar size
Find a newsletter close to your own subscriber count in a related niche, and agree to run one paid or swapped mention for each other in a single upcoming issue, written in your own voice rather than a generic advertisement block.
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9
Hold a quarterly live reader Q&A over video call
Schedule a live video call once a quarter, open to any subscriber who registers, where you answer submitted questions and talk about what is coming next. Promote it a week ahead in your regular issue and send a replay link afterward to anyone who could not attend.
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10
Turn each issue into a short video recap for YouTube or social
Record a three to five minute video summarizing that week's issue in your own words, and publish it on YouTube or as a short-form video on social platforms, with a link back to the full written issue in the description.
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