I did a masterclass in newsletter growth this week (want to get mine to 10k members this year).

An overview of the top six channels you'll need to use from SparkLoop - their tools, of course - Upscribe recommendations and their Partner Network. Louis shared some helpful growth tips too (he's working on newsletter growth all day, every day so knows his stuff!) You can watch it here.

Interesting to hear him say the old tools and techniques for email marketing don't work anymore – what are these?

Masterclass #2: Roadmap to 1M+ Subscribers is on Weds 25 Jan – you can register here.

Overall, a productive hour (great questions, love this community). I'm excited to try some new things this year.

My goals for ‘23 - getting to 10k subscribers (+ £10k monthly income overall) and I want to develop my paid product and promote it better - haven’t pushed it. I’ve struggled with time (client work) and differentiation. Nobody wants more of the same, so it needs to be an entirely different product, not a paid newsletter.

Names and positioning are important in terms of perceived value.

Josh Spector sent me some helpful tips, and I've bought his newsletter course. Questions coming over for your podcast - thanks, Josh!

So I've called the paid product Do One Thing – a behind-the-scenes look at how I do something specific to grow my newsletter and business. A deep dive into my creative process and my first solopreneur six-figure year.

It's about doing one thing well and doing less – newsletters are a huge time commitment, and if you bring in something new, you need to let something go, so part of my strategy is saying no to things. Focus and consistency.

Here’s a good book on the art of subtraction and the untapped science of less.

You can sign up for Do One Thing here. I hope to build this into a helpful resource and community.

I'll also invite you to set up a free 1-1 call with me to find out what you're working on and how I can help. This will help shape my strategy and any products I create.

Cool tools for newsletters

Swapstack – drive growth with newsletter sponsorship at scale. Collect tips, run affiliate deals, or sell ads
The Newsletter Booster and Newsletter Tips Collection | Josh Spector
Growth groups on Facebook, ugh, but they're really good. And everyone's there. Bookmark them, then you don't have to use Facebook – Newsletter Nerds (1.9k), Newsletter Creators (4.7k), Substack Writers (3.6k)
Not Another Newsletter and 30 Ideas to Improve Your Newsletter This Year | Dan Oshinsky, Inbox Collective
Substack Course - by Casey Botticello. Foundational topics, tips, and strategies to accelerate your growth on the platform

If you're writing a newsletter, send me the link so I can check it out and share it. Substack’s new Recommendations tool is awesome - I’m getting daily subscribers.

I'd also love your recommended reads on creativity, culture and tech – making a list.

The other thing that’s really helped me is having an accountability buddy – thank you, Marianne Lehnis for reaching out. We’re at a similar stage with our businesses and she’s local so we can co-work and go for walks (Wealth Walks are something else I want to get going!)

Writing a newsletter can be a lonely venture, and our little chats have kept me sane. It’s worth reaching out to someone in a similar niche to see how you can help each other.

Keep moving!

Nika

5 Things

Why I Create Annual Themes | Trevor McKendrick on the benefits of doing brand advertising for the values you want to live. My theme for 2023 is ‘Keep moving!’ hence the sign off.

Makers + Mavericks Off Grid 2023 - a one-day event from the gods of content creation | Hiut Denim. 100 people max (it’s a small barn). Love their newsletter and it’s built their community. See the M+M 2022 list here.

33 Unusual Tips to Being a Better Writer | James Altucher on the most important writing (and communication) advice he ever got, No coffee, no creativity…👌

The Common Path to Uncommon Success: A Roadmap to Financial Freedom & Fulfillment | John Lee Dumas. Loving the energy in his daily podcast - 30-mins is the sweet spot. An inspiring read on quitting everything and six-figure podcasting.

The House of Beautiful Business - a global platform that connects over 25k members who want to get more out of business and out of life. You can now join for FREE! Next Open House is tomorrow, Mon 23 Jan - Dispatch from Davos | WEF.

Playlist of the week

Best film I’ve seen lately and very of the moment. Imagine being told you’re officially old at 40 and it’s all downhill from here.

Mesmerising.

Feedback, questions, ideas? Hit reply or email me: nika@nikatalbot.io

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#TS 109: How to grow your newsletter in 2023