How to Add 3,000+ Email Subscribers Per Month

I'm adding 3,000+ new email subscribers per month.

But it took me 6 years to get there.

If I had to start over, here's what I'd do: pic.twitter.com/vOHKiZzFg0

— Jay Clouse (@jayclouse) June 18, 2023

1. Have a specific reader in mind

If you don't know who you're writing for, you won't have a lens for what to write.

So instead of thinking about an ambiguous "audience" think about a specific individual that you actually know well.

Assume you are writing to THEM.

— Jay Clouse (@jayclouse) June 18, 2023

2. Have a purpose

Readers are "hiring" your newsletter to fill some need.

It could be a functional need (I want to become a XX) or it could be an emotional need (I want to feel smart).

Pick a need and deliver the outcome.

Every issue should speak to that need!

— Jay Clouse (@jayclouse) June 18, 2023

3. Accept the suck

As kids, we don't care if we suck at something – we do it anyway because it's fun.

But as adults, we lose tolerance for being bad at things. Writing is hard – you WILL be bad at it.

But if you don't spend time being bad at it, you'll never get good at it.

— Jay Clouse (@jayclouse) June 18, 2023

4. If design is slowing you down, forget it!

The most important thing, in the beginning, is the CONTENT.

Yes, of course, you want your newsletter to LOOK great...but don't let it slow you down.

Start out with plain text.

It's good for inbox deliverability anyway.

— Jay Clouse (@jayclouse) June 18, 2023

5. Understand why email is great

Email is a personal medium. You can build a strong connection with your readers and develop a lot of trust.

That relationship can be very valuable to YOU as a creator and valuable to advertisers as well.

Email is an *amazing* sales tool.

— Jay Clouse (@jayclouse) June 18, 2023

(cont.)

This valuable asset can't be taken away from you.

Email is decentralized – so YOU own the right to communicate with the people who opt-in.

There's no third-party controlling if and when your email arrives in an inbox – it's all up to the recipient.

THAT RULES.

— Jay Clouse (@jayclouse) June 18, 2023

6. Understand why email sucks

Because email is decentralized, there's no third party incentivized to help more people FIND your newsletter.

So most Email Service Providers have no built-in discovery. @beehiiv, @SubstackInc, and @ConvertKit are changing this.

— Jay Clouse (@jayclouse) June 18, 2023

If you enjoyed this thread:

1. Follow @jayclouse for tips to become a smarter creator
2. RT the tweet below to share it with other creatorshttps://t.co/O9MNZPAcWk

— Jay Clouse (@jayclouse) June 18, 2023