Your Newsletter Has 0 Subscribers! Let’s Change That!

Your newsletter has zero subscribers. Here are 10 ways to change that.

These 10 go beyond your normal: Post to twitter, facebook, LinkedIn tips. None of that. These tips should get you started and on the way to 50 subscribers in a week.

I bet: If you do all 10 of these tips, you’ll get 50 subscribers this week.

Not all of them get you 5 each. Unless you have 5 Moms. But some you can take the number I suggest, and double it. I bet you have 20 people you know who you’ve worked with in the past.

IF you don’t, email me: andrew@kampheyapproved.com

IF you do get 50 subs! WOO HOO email me: andrew@kampheyapproved.com to let me know.

1. Get Your Mom To Subscribe.

Your family members are great sources of support, emotionally at times. In this instance you want them to get your emails. Send your landing page, and each issue to anyone you respect, you look up to.

It could be a father figure, or a mentor. Send it to them. Make sure they subscribe. Ask them why they haven’t subscribed yet if they did.

Follow up.

2. Email 10 Colleagues.

People you work with, or have worked with in the past. Email 10 of them.
Ask them to take a look at your landing page, and read the first email they get.

And if it’s people you’re friendly with, follow up until they tell you why they didn’t subscribe.

If you get through 10 in the first day, email 10 more the next day.

3. Say Who The Newsletter is For

If you use Substack, make sure your landing page not only tells people what is in your newsletter, but also who it’s for.

This also helps define who you’re reaching out to and connecting with.

4. Add a Lead Magnet

Offer something for free in the first email. Something your readers already want, or even already have. you can offer it to new readers for free. As long as they open the welcome email, they’ll get it.
Some Format Types
- PDF Beginners Guide
- Google Sheet Swipe File
- PDF of Examples
- 100 Tips PDF

5. Show, Don’t Only Tell

If your newsletter has any visual elements. Comics, Illustrations, Design. Show it off. Show your potential subscribers what they see in each newsletter.

If you’re sharing case studies, put your best one on the landing page. Summarize it.

6. Create Issue 0

If you haven’t sent issue one yet, you should create a dummy issues. An issue that is for all intents and purposes an issue. Call it Issue 0, send it to 10 people you already know and tell them to sign up to get issue 1.

Your main way of getting subscribers is to show you did cool stuff, do cool stuff, and signal that you’ll continue doing cool stuff.

So show them the cool stuff you made (this week).

7. Explain the Benefit

Don’t tell people what the content of your newsletter is. Explain why it matters.
You’re not sending updates or new, you’re sending insights, Curated, hand-picked information… etc.

“Case Studies” is okay.

“Best Practices” is better.

“Case Studies to Show what works and learn best practices” is best.

8. Don’t use pop-ups

GOD, I HATE POP UPS!

but I’ve used them… and they work, because they are annoying. but if you have 0 subscribers now… don’t use POP UPs.
Use a simple form that only asks for their email. Don’t ask for name, or anything else. Get the email. Ask questions later.

RIGHT NOW: GET THE EMAIL!
And make sure that the signup form is above the fold. It should be the first thing people see. Everything on the page should lead someone to sign up.

9. State When You’re Sending

If you haven’t sent any issues. Start in 6 days. Everything you do, tell people the date and time you’ll send the first issue.

Put it on the landing page.

Everywhere you post, everyone you email, tell them the specific date, day of the week and time that you’ll send the first issue.

This provides your subscribers a motivating factor. A bit of FOMO. If they don’t sign up by that time, they’ll have to go to the archives. OH NO.

If you have sent past issues, tell people the date and time of your sends.

My newsletter goes out 9 AM Friday morning. EST. Make sure you subscribe before then to get it in your inbox.

10. Email Journalists and Writers

If your industry has people who cover it. Email them and tell them what you’re doing. This has a very low probability of working. But when it does you will start a very good relationship for later on.

It’s in a journalist’s best intersects to keep their finger on the pulse of the industry. And their email addresses are almost always public.

If your industry or topic doesn’t have journalists covering it, which if you’re in an emerging tech, could be the case, try this.

Email anyone related, who also writes or has a newsletter. Subscribe to their newsletter. Respond to the first issue you get, and tell them about your newsletter. The idea here is to signup, and make sure they are active.

Also, if they send great work, you can feature a link to their newsletter in yours.

11. BONUS:

I walked through 14 newsletter’s signup flow on IndieHackers.

There’s more tips and specific feedback there.

AND…

Here are a list of things to check, because if you’ve done all the above and have 0.. your signup form might not work.

1. Subscribe with a dummy account.

Test your landing page. Can someone subscribe? Find out if you can subscribe.

2. Read your welcome email again.

Make sure you get an email. Does it read nicely in an email reader. On your phone? What’s the subject? Do I want to open the email? Why?

3. Subscribe on Mobile.

Many signups happen on mobile.

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If you do all 10 tips above, email me: andrew@kampheyapproved.com

No matter if you get 50 subscribers or not. I wanna know if it all works.

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