How I gently and joyfully grew my newsletter list
And just 4 more days to sign up for my popular self-paced course Small business newsletter magic 💌
Small business newsletter magic is for sale for just 4 more days. If you’ve been wanting to create a newsletter that is effective, joyful and all you, now is the time.
When I work with clients on their newsletter, one of the biggest hurdles is often growing their list—and the impatience and frustration that comes with it. Of course list size is not everything: open rates famously drop once your list gets bigger, and list size is very relative too. But having a larger list can feel motivating, and can sometimes make selling your services and products easier too.
In this post, I share 4 things that have helped me gently and joyfully grow my newsletter list: from less than 250 subscribers in late 2022 to over 3,500 subscribers today. I won’t be offering you a magic pill or a secret (because there isn’t). What I’ll share instead are the kinds of things I support you with in Small business newsletter magic, and that have worked for me.
#1 Outreach and community
I love reaching out to my own community to help share my work, and to create new connections (and am always happy to reciprocate). Over the years, I’ve done collaborations and guest interviews on my website, podcast interviews and guest posts. I’ve also asked business buddies to share about my offers in their newsletters.
For example, these are the guest posts I wrote for Small business newsletter magic:
5 ways to add more personality to your small business newsletter, for stationary brand Sarah and Maude
Turning your newsletter into your most powerful resource, for book marketing expert
’s Substack newsletterOvercoming newsletter paralysis, for brand designer
’s Substack newsletter
All of these collaborations add up—and the beauty of guests posts and podcasts is that they remain live. New subscribers still find me, for instance, through the interview I did on the Art Juice podcast (which brought a lot of new subscribers to my list).
#2 Blog, SEO, Pinterest
I’ve become convinced that the key to growing your business and your newsletter list is to not put all your eggs in one basket. But to also have a minimal number of baskets—I don’t want to be spread thin, I need my marketing to remain sustainable and as evergreen as possible.
My blog/website, SEO and Pinterest are my absolute favourite ways of evergreen marketing. They all require some work upfront, but the beauty of all of these platforms is that they just keep ticking along in the background.
💌 The key to newsletter growth is being intentional about the role of your newsletter in your business and marketing—and develop a strategy that is truly sustainable for you. That’s why the first module in Small business newsletter magic is about setting solid foundations, and working as efficiently and effectively as possible.
#3 Lead magnet/email series
Since leaving social media in late 2021, I’ve had so many questions about marketing without social media—so much so that I created a free email course around it. And this email course remains very successful, with new subscribers every month. Since setting it up and marketing it initially (through my website/blog, SEO and Pinterest), I have not done a single thing to market it. It’s just magic.
💌 If you sign up for Small business newsletter magic by the end of this month, you’ll also get my new bonus workshop on creating effective and joyful lead magnets to grow your list organically (and in your sleep 😅).
#4 Keep going, keep going, keep going
Newsletter growth is a slow and long game—and there is only so much we can do, and relatively little we have control over.
What you can do:
be intentional and have a sustainable plan;
accept that there’s a lot of serendipity involved in growth of any kind;
stay away from the numbers: they are not everything and close scrutiny will drive you insane;
keep going, keep going, keep going.
It’s completely normal to feel disheartened by newsletter growth, or feeling like you’re writing into the void. If that’s you right now, you’re not alone—I shared one of the audio pep talks from Small business newsletter magic a few weeks ago that can be supportive if that’s where you’re at. Listen to it here.
Your newsletter can be your most effective marketing tool. You just need to know how.
What people like you love about Small business newsletter magic
Just now I started working on the first 2 videos of your Small business newsletter magic course. I already feel so at home. :) — Ine Muys, artist and reading coach
What’s included in Small business newsletter magic
Small business newsletter magic is a self-paced course that consists of 7 modules:
Introduction and making a plan.
Your newsletter foundations: make your newsletter an organic part of your business.
Writing I: how to add personality and find your voice.
Writing II: the 3 types of emails, generating ideas for posts and writing for the screen.
Sending: develop a frequency that works for you, smash the myth of consistency and tackle emotional struggles.
Growing: discover organic, community-focused ways of growing your newsletter.
Beyond the newsletter: repurposing your newsletters and building on them for new products and services.
+ 5 audio pep talks for when you need a little extra encouragement to send that newsletter, when you’re feeling disheartened or otherwise dealing with the wild ride that a newsletter can be
+ a bonus workshop on creating joyful and effective lead magnets (new this year)
+ a free bonus email series to sign up for to help you keep come back to the course every week, in case you need a little more accountability (optional)
📌 Practicalities
modules | 7 modules, with a video each
workbooks | questions, templates and checklists to help you go deeper
bonus | 5 short audio peptalks to turn to whenever you feel stuck or disheartened with your newsletter + a bonus workshop on effective and joyful lead magnets
price | €268 (around $300 or £225), in full or in 2 or 4 instalments at no further cost.
what | self-paced, with lifetime access to the course
when | limited time only: available to buy until 30 June 2025.
What people like you love about this course
“I’m currently doing your newsletter course and am loving it! :)” — Susannah W.
📽️ Watch the trailer
What makes this course so special
My signature blend of clarity and gentleness;
Based on 6+ years of writing my own newsletter and so many conversations with clients about their newsletter;
Easy-to-follow and effective videos and workbooks. 20 years of teaching in higher education have taught me how people best learn, which makes me really good at creating workshops and workbooks;
No sleazy ten-step plans or promises: I share everything I’ve learned, and help you create the small business newsletter that works for you and your business;
For experienced and new newsletter writers, no matter the newsletter service (e.g. Substack, Mailchimp, Flodesk, etc.) you use;
Practical and emotional support: from what to write, when to send and how to grow, to newsletter paralysis, feeling like you’re not offering enough value and disheartenment when no one replies.
I’ll be back in your inbox with another gentle reminder soon, and will return to our normal schedule in July. Have a good, restful end to your month x
Female Owned is more than a newsletter. If you are ready to do business differently, I’d love for you to become a paid subscriber and become part of our gentle community of small business owners, freelancers and creatives. You’ll get bonus resources (the accountability club! the mini-mastermind! the new mini podcast series!) and behind-the-scenes posts right in your inbox.