First of all, I’m not okay.

I’ve died 100 deaths so far at seeing Taylor and Travis together.

She never lets us in. She never does these things.

As I’ve said, I’ve died dead… and my poor non-Swifitie husband has heard enough, but Swifities — you know this is HUGE.

Okay, (deep breath) moving on.

I just read a fascinating breakdown of how Industry Dive grew from 0 to $110M in newsletter revenue… and sold for $525M.

A lot of their growth moves are totally doable for us small-but-mighty creators, so I’m adding them to my own to-do list… and sharing here so you can too.

Here’s what’s on the list (and I’m going to think out loud here):

1. Bootstrap the right way. Spend on growth that compounds, not vanity. They launched with $400k, paid themselves $0 for 18 months, and avoided VC strings.

• I’m not really spending money to grow my list… and I don’t really want to. So, I’m gonna skip this one for now.

2. Pick niches with staying power. Pick regulated industries, high-spend sectors, big trade show audiences, and places where tech is shaking things up.

• Yeah… I don’t think I’m doing this either. (Jeez, so far we’re off to a bad start.)

3. Split big audiences into smaller, focused lists. Instead of one massive list, they launched 5 niche newsletters at once, often seeding new lists from existing ones.

• Oh, I have two. Media Maven (this one — hi, thanks for being here) for marketing stuff and Shelf Made Stories on Substack for my fellow bookworms. The bookish one covers a few different topics: a.) how people make money with books, b.) my current writing process, c.) my current reads

4. Collect and actually use first-party data. These are things like demographics, role, industry, and behaviors to guide both content and ad/sponsor results.

• I don’t have this info and don’t really want to harass you to get it. At least not right now. But I get why it’s super important.

5. Exploit underpriced distribution. Use LinkedIn groups, one-click Twitter signups, and barter partnerships with associations, events, and niche communities.

• I hate LinkedIn groups. I don’t play on Twitter/X anymore, but I can share my lead magnets more… okay. There’s an idea. Yeah, one for five!

6. Offer client-controlled content. This includes white papers, webinars, and gated resources that can run without editorial bottlenecks.

• I do have a bunch of freebies I don’t promote. This is a good reminder to get them out there more. (two outta six)

7. Productize your ad/sponsor inventory. Focus on primary newsletter sponsorships, lead-gen white papers, and repeatable webinar packages.

• Eh. I’m not hunting down sponsors right now. (But if you want to do this, stop what you're doing right now and get Justin Moore's book Sponsor Magnet. I read it over a weekend. It has EVERYTHING you need to know.)

8. Invest in in-house talent over time. Start scrappy with freelancers, then bring the best in-house for depth and loyalty.

• I mean, if the time comes, but it’s not necessary now.

9. Mix B2B depth with B2C formats. Listicles, quick hits, and engaging headlines paired with deep industry reporting.

• Okay, I like the mix. I mean, I did start with my girl Taylor in this one… did I not?! (Up to three!)

10. Treat growth like a quota. Review results weekly, iterate fast, and give your growth team (or yourself) room to test new ideas.

• The problem here is that I don’t really have a growth goal, so I’m not sure what to look for in results. Setting a goal is the starting point (I haven’t started yet).

11. Be a partner, not just a channel. Offer packages that walk a sponsor from awareness to leads to sales.

• Okay, I will later.

12. Look bigger than you are. This means consistent, professional design in your newsletter, landing pages, and media kit.

• I think my sh*t online is beautiful, if I do say so myself. (Four out of 12 is… kinda bad.)

Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t have thought out loud because I’m basically saying “nope, nope nope” to all of these growth tactics. Maybe I need to get with the newsletter growth program?!

Christina

P.S. If you’ve tried any of these, I want to hear your wins… and flops.

P.P.S. Ummm, 12 tips. Like, as in TS12. Just sayin’ 🧡