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Hey, Grow Newsie reader!
Feeling stuck at the same subscriber count? Tired of shouting into the void on social media? There's a growth strategy that top newsletter creators swear by—and it costs absolutely nothing.
I'm talking about newsletter cross promotion.
More than half of successful newsletter creators attribute their growth to cross-promotions, and some have added thousands of subscribers through strategic partnerships. Today, I'm breaking down exactly how you can do the same.
Newsletter cross-promotion occurs when you promote other creators' newsletters to your readers in exchange for them promoting yours to their audience. Think of it as a newsletter swap that benefits everyone involved.
Unlike paid advertising, cross-promotions leverage trust. When you recommend another newsletter, your audience pays attention because they already trust your judgment. Research shows that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know, far surpassing trust in ads.
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Successful creators have reported impressive results: one newsletter sent 1,200 people to a partner's sign-up page with 250+ subscriptions, while another added between 4,000-8,000 subscribers from cross-promotions alone.
The magic happens because:
You're reaching people already interested in newsletters
Trust transfers from the recommending creator to you
It's completely free (just an exchange of promotional space)
Both parties win with new, engaged subscribers
1. Find the Right Partners
Target newsletters with similar audience interests and comparable subscriber counts (within +/- 200-300 subscribers works well). Don't waste time on partnerships where audiences don't align—it erodes trust with your readers.
Where to find partners:
Social media communities (Twitter, LinkedIn groups)
Platforms like Lettergrowth, SparkLoop, and InboxReads
Newsletter directories and forums
Newsletters you already read and admire
2. Quality Over Quantity
Don't blast cold emails to everyone with a newsletter. Focus on building genuine relationships with creators whose content aligns with yours. One high-quality partnership beats ten mismatched ones.
3. Create a Compelling Pitch
When reaching out to potential partners:
Mention specific issues or content you loved from their newsletter
Explain why your audiences overlap
Highlight your engagement metrics (open rates, click rates)
Propose specific collaboration ideas
Make it easy to say yes
4. Structure Your Swap
Provide your partner with pre-written promotional copy, including key talking points about your newsletter. This ensures your value proposition is communicated clearly while making their job easier.
Include:
A short description (2-3 sentences)
What makes your newsletter unique
Who it's for
A clear call-to-action with your signup link
5. Choose the Right Placement
Effective cross-promotion formats include:
Dedicated section in your newsletter ("Newsletter of the Week")
In-content mentions woven naturally into your writing
Post-script recommendations at the end of your issue
Social media shoutouts as supplementary promotion
6. Test and Track Results
Set clear KPIs before launching, such as new followers, engagement rates, or referral traffic, and use analytics tools to monitor campaign performance.
Track:
Number of clicks on the partner link
Actual subscriptions gained
Unsubscribe rate (to ensure audience fit)
Engagement of new subscribers over time
7. Build Long-Term Relationships
When you find a partner where audiences align well and both get great results, do another cross-promotion in a few months or explore other collaboration formats like podcast appearances.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Partnering with newsletters that don't match your niche - This confuses your audience and brings unqualified subscribers
❌ Only doing one-off promotions - The real power comes from building a network of creator relationships
❌ Not vetting your partners - Always review their content quality and engagement before committing
❌ Forgetting to deliver value - Your recommendation should genuinely help your readers, not just serve your growth goals
Advanced Tactics
Newsletter Takeovers: Let a complementary creator write a guest edition, introducing their expertise to your audience while exposing them to your community.
Bundle Giveaways: Partner with 3-5 newsletters to offer a joint prize, where entering requires subscribing to all participating newsletters.
Content Collaborations: Co-create content (guides, resources, interviews) that you both share with your audiences.
Action Steps for This Week
Identify 5 potential newsletter partners in your niche with similar audience sizes
Craft a personalized outreach template highlighting why you'd make great partners
Prepare your promotional copy so partners can easily share your newsletter
Set up tracking for your first collaboration (UTM parameters, dedicated landing page, etc.)
Start reaching out to your top 3 choices
The Bottom Line
Newsletter cross promotion is one of the most cost-effective growth strategies available. It requires time and relationship-building, but the ROI is unbeatable—especially when you're just starting out or hitting a growth plateau.
By teaming up with aligned partners who share similar audiences, both parties can accelerate subscriber growth and build trust through mutual recommendations.
Start small, focus on genuine partnerships, and watch your subscriber count multiply.
Keep growing!
With love,
Nikhil
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