Even the best algorithms will never know you as well as your friends do. When it comes to growing a media outlet, word of mouth helps expand your subscriber base while making it more targeted. And the good news is, we can even make this technically possible.
The smartest sponsorships are often hiding in your inboxes. Let’s take a look at *Bulletin*, the newsletter featuring positive news by journalist Jean Abbieteci. Every week, Abbiateci enables his 20,000 subscribers to share “Bulletin” with their close circle via Facebook, Twitter, or WhatsApp, with tailored messages for each platform. While the system generates fewer newsletter sign-ups than Facebook ads, the new subscribers prove to be much more loyal, with “an open rate of over 50%.” It’s the quality of the audience that counts, not just the quantity.
Based on this observation, the business and tech newsletter *Morning Brew* decided to take it a step further by making referrals its primary acquisition channel. Did you share their newsletter with 25 people? They’ll send you a T-shirt. And if you manage to hit the 1,000-subscriber mark, you’ll find yourself on a plane headed to their newsroom. The strategy is paying off. More than 2.5 million subscribers, an open rate of over 40%, and even an acquisition by Business Insider’s parent company for $75 million. Now all you have to do is work on your address book.
However, audience engagement isn’t limited to newsletters. The media outlet Les Jours, for example, relies on financial sponsorship to attract subscribers. By sharing a simple promo code with your friends and family, both you and the people you refer will receive one month of free access.
By the way, if you like this newsletter, feel free to recommend it to other media enthusiasts. Who knows, we might just send you some notebooks and stickers soon to say thank you 👀
