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- How to get your first 10K newsletter subscribers
How to get your first 10K newsletter subscribers
I've studied the fastest-growing newsletters to find what actually works.
Not theory.
Not bought lists.
Real strategies from creators who built engaged audiences that open, click, and buy.
After analyzing dozens of newsletters, I've seen patterns emerge in how to go from 0 - 10k in 90 days.
How you get your first 100, 1,000, and 10,000 subscribers are COMPLETELY different.
Each phase needs its own strategy.
So I built a 90-day framework borrowing from creators like Ali Abdaal, Sahil Bloom, and Jay Clouse (from the early days, before they were huge names).
Your Step-By-Step 90-Day Growth Framework
The framework has three phases:
→ Foundation (0-100 subscribers)
→ Distribution (101-1,000 subscribers)
→ Scale (1,001-10,000 subscribers)
Each creates a more efficient growth engine than random tactics ever could.
Phase 1: Foundation (0–100 subscribers)
Your goal in the first phase is to prove your concept and find your first 100 subscribers.
This is your testing ground and the most important phase.
Week 1-2: Build your reader, format, and landing page
1. Define your reader avatar with scary specificity
Writing to everyone means writing to no one. When you nail down your reader avatar, content creation becomes 3X faster because you know exactly who you're talking to.
Plus, it helps you quickly identify the right distribution channels and makes monetization straightforward because you deeply understand what products your audience needs.
Here’s how to create your reader avatar:
What do they do for work?
What are their biggest challenges?
Where do they hang out online?
Example: Ali Abdaal's avatar
→ 25-35 year old professionals.
→ Want productivity tips but hate generic advice.
→ Already follow typical productivity content but want actionable systems.
Pick a newsletter format you can repeat easily.
Some examples:
Curated links + short takes (like Milk Road)
One deep-dive article per issue (like Lenny’s Newsletter)
3-2-1 model: 3 ideas, 2 quotes, 1 question (like James Clear)
Pick one structure. Stick to it for at least 90 days to understand how it’s working for your audience.
3. Set up your landing page + signup flow
We’ve worked with the largest newsletters out there.
In 90% of cases, the best-converting landing pages follow the same structure:
→ A headline with the promise of the newsletter
→ A subheadline that calls out the audience, explains how the promise will be delivered
→ And social proof—who reads it, or how many do.
Do not put other links on the landing page—quite literally the only thing someone should be able to do is sign up or leave.
What The Rundown’s landing page does well:
Headline with a clear, bold promise – “Learn AI in 5 minutes a day.”
Subheadline that explains what you’ll get and who it’s for – AI news, why it matters, how to apply it, trusted by 1M+ readers at Apple, OpenAI, NASA.
Visual preview of the newsletter on a phone – shows real content and layout.
Simple signup form with no distractions.
Bonus incentive – “Get free access to our expert ChatGPT prompt guide.
No friction, no distraction.
Week 3-4: Pick ONE primary distribution channel based on your strengths
The smartest creators start with one channel, get really good at it, then expand.
When you do this, you'll understand platform-specific nuances that others miss, build momentum through compound growth, and make content creation way more efficient.
Look at Dan Koe’s strategy.
→ He focused solely on X (formerly Twitter) for initial growth.
→ Then gradually expanded his presence on other social media platforms.
How do you pick yours?
There is no rulebook, but you ca use this general guide to start faster:
White-collar professionals, solopreneurs → LinkedIn
Tech, startups, VC → X
Creators, hobbyists → Instagram
Podcast hosts, DIY experts → YouTube
Focus 60% of your posts on Reels to reach new followers.
Reels are pushed to non-followers—making them your best bet for getting discovered.
Share quick how-to videos or tips
Tell short, personal stories with a hook
Show fun or relatable moments from your life
Take Kat Norton aka @miss.excel for example. Most of her content is short, fun Reels, each one teaching something simple. That’s how she gets noticed and pulls in new followers.
Post 20% as educational carousels to add value for existing followers.
These help nurture your audience and build trust.
Break down one idea step-by-step per post
How-to frameworks or mini-guides work well
Tease your newsletter in the last slide carousels like Ali Abdaal
Use 20% for Story Highlights and lead magnets to convert followers into subscribers.
Kat Norton made a Reel showing how to rearrange a Pivot Table. At the end, she asked viewers to comment “Pivot” so she can DM them the link to join her free class (lead magnet).
Now when they sign-up, she’ll get them to her email list.
Ali Abdaal’s “LifeNotes” Story highlight shows: Ali Abdaal uses a Story Highlight to promote his newsletter, “LifeNotes.” Inside, he shows:
His recent rebranding
What the newsletter covers
Why it’s worth reading
A link to join
→ Link your newsletter in your bio. Keep it short and tell people why they should click.
YouTube
Focus 60% of your content on deep-dive tutorials. Help people solve big problems by walking them through a full process.
Create videos within 30 minutes in the beginning.
That’s because YouTube prioritizes completion rate and so, you'd want your viewers to watch it until the end. Once you’ve got enough subscribers, go for longer videos if needed.
Focus each video on one major question or pain point.
Sharing a quick snippet from Jay Clouse’s YT channel:
Use 20% for quick tips. Make Shorts giving snackable advice.
Focus on one simple, useful tip
Break up longer videos to create multiple Shorts.
Use 20% for behind-the-scenes content. Share your workflow, tools you use, or small wins in vlog-style videos.
Keep it natural
Show the human side behind the content
When people start engaging, guide them to your newsletter with these simple tactics:
→ Mention your newsletter early and naturally inside videos
→ Add a newsletter link at the top of your video description
→ Pin a comment linking to your newsletter
→ Mention your newsletter on your profile.
X / Twitter
Focus 50% of your posts on value-packed threads. Threads are your best tool to teach, share stories, or break down complex ideas.
Each one should focus on solving a specific problem or showing how something works.
Keep it to 5–15 tweets
Make the first tweet a strong hook
Use simple language people can skim
This is the exact strategy Sahil Bloom used to grow his newsletter to 400K subscribers in 36 months that now earns him $70,000+ a month.
He used Twitter threads as mini-articles that led straight to his newsletter, Curiosity Chronicle. He started on Substack, then moved to his own site.
Here’s an example:
In this thread, Sahil broke down the idea of Memento Mori. At the end, he linked his newsletter and invited people to sign up.
Use 30% of your tweets for promoting lead magnets—like a guide, checklist, or template.
These get people to click, sign up, and join your newsletter.
In this example, you can see Dickie Bush promoting their 5-day free course. Upon enrolling, students will automatically join the PGA email list.
Use 20% of your tweets for quick insights. These are short, useful ideas that make people stop and think. They’re easy to like, save, and share—great for reach.
Try:
Tips and hacks
Infographics or charts
Quick stats or observations
Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) often shares sharp business tips, infographics and leads people back to his newsletter.
→ Optimize your bio to clearly explain your value and link your newsletter.
Focus 60% of your posts on educational content. Share frameworks, lessons, or systems people can use right away.
Write simple, clear posts that teach
Focus on 1 key idea per post
Justin Welsh built his audience by posting simple advice, relatable career stories, and occasional insights — all pointing back to his newsletter:
Use 20% for lead magnets. It’s one of the fastest ways to grow your list on LinkedIn without running ads. Your audience gets something useful, you get their email without being pushy.
Say what they’ll get, show a quick preview
Ask them to comment a word so you can DM the link
Make it clear: sign up to get the freebie
I posted this lead magnet last Thursday and my newsletter list exploded since👇
Use 20% for industry insights. Post your take on trends, tools, or big news in your field and point them back to your newsletter.
Peter Yang recently shared 5 AI prompts. He gave a short preview in his LinkedIn post, then linked to the full piece. —available only through his paid newsletter.
Phase 2: Distribution (100–1,000 subscribers)
This is where you build your distribution engine.
Week 5-6: Repurpose existing content
Don't create new content. Multiply what works.
Smart creators build a solid content library, then let it work harder.
One killer newsletter can spawn a dozen high-performing assets across platforms.
This approach gets you 5-7x more reach from the same work, saves 10+ hours per week on creation, and lets you test which formats resonate best.
Example workflow:
Write newsletter → 2,000 words
Break into Twitter thread → 15 tweets → link back to newsletter signup
Turn key points into LinkedIn carousel → link back to newsletter signup
Record key takeaways as short video
This is how Justin Welsh repurposes his newsletter content all across platforms:
Cross-promotion is the fastest way to grow when you’re small.
It works because the audience already trusts the person recommending you.
How to do it:
Find newsletters 50–200% of your size
Make sure there’s overlap, not direct competition
Check engagement rates (40%+ opens)
Offer clear value, pre-written copy, and custom links.
Start by promoting them first — reciprocity works.
Example: Codie Sanchez x Sahil Bloom
Codie Sanchez featured Sahil Bloom’s The Curiosity Chronicle inside her Contrarian Thinking newsletter — and Sahil did the same for Codie in his:
Phase 3: Scale (1,000–10,000 subscribers)
This is where systems compound.
Week 9-10: Lead magnet setup
Give your audience something valuable for free in exchange for their email.
Lead magnets like guides, templates, checklists, or resources provide real value to your followers, making them more likely to sign up for your newsletter.
Keep it exclusive to your newsletter to make it more attractive.
How to build it:
Solve ONE painful, urgent problem
Deliver a quick win within 5 minutes
Make it feel better than others’ paid content
Best formats:
Mini email course (5 days, 1 tip per day)
Here’s an example from Dickie Bush:
Templates, worksheets, or checklists, like Daniel Bustamante
Read my in-depth guide on launching high-converting lead magnets.
Week 11-12: Launch your referral program
Referral programs might be the single most underrated growth lever for newsletters under 10K subscribers.
Here's why they're pure gold:
Your existing readers do the marketing for you
Referred subscribers typically have 3x higher retention
The entire system runs automatically once set up
How to build it:
Reward tiny wins (3 referrals = bonus content, 5 = free mini-course, 10 = 1:1 coaching call)
Use tools like beehiiv or ConvertKit
Make it dead simple to share (custom tracking links)
Example: Milk Road offered subscribers an exclusive PDF on popular crypto topics for referring friends through the beehiiv Referral Program.
This initiative led to over 18K+ referred readers, with an average of 2.7 referrals per subscriber.
Your job is simple: test, measure, and adjust.
If something doesn’t work, fix it.
If something works, double down.
At this stage, make sure you also tighten your core setup:
Fix the basics.
Track what moves the needle.
Pivot fast if you hit a wall.
That's how you grow.
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