✈️ How to Launch a Successful Newsletter

Welcome to First Class Founders, your favorite destination to learn the best growth tactics for founders & creators one week at a time.

Here's what we've got for you on today's flight:

• 🤝 New Coaching Clients

• 💻 Newsletter Growth Secrets

• 📝 Breaking Down My DM Template

• 🚀 How to Launch a Successful Newsletter

• ❓ 3 Questions All Newsletters Should Ask Themselves

Stow your belongings away — we're taking off!

✈️ Episode Itinerary

Emails.

They seem so old-school, right?

And yet, as of November 2021, Substack had over a million paying subscribers and the top 10 authors on Substack collectively make $20 million per year.

If that alone doesn't change your perception of regular ol' email as a powerful business on its own, maybe you should stop right here.

Still here? Good.

Because today, we're talking about newsletters.

More specifically, how I launched this newsletter, First Class Founders.

This week's newsletter is extra special because as I write this (Tuesday at 4:12pm), I'm sitting on exactly 1,000 subscribers. Wait, what? 1,000?!

In just 2 months, I hit my first big milestone.

Thank you to everyone for joining me on this journey!

Okay, that's enough about me.

Let's dive in...

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Growing Business of Newsletters (1:00)

• Who Should Have a Newsletter? (1:53)

• How Many Subscribers Should You Have Before Launch? (2:38)

• How to Choose Newsletter Topics (3:06)

• How To Get Your First Subscribers (3:55)

• Building in Public (5:46)

• Newsletter as a Start Up (9:03)

• 3 Questions to Ask Yourself (9:25)

• Content is Everything (10:45)

• Content + Distribution = Growth (14:18)

• Pass the 'Regret Test' (17:27)

• Ask Me Anything (17:54)

🥨 Growth Snack of the Week:

In-flight service time! Here, I share bite-sized growth snacks (read: hacks) building my audience for First Class Founders. 

Snacks are meant to be tried and shared. If you do try them, please tag me on Twitter and let me know what you think!

How to Boost Your Newsletter Using Auto-DMs on Twitter:

Today, we're talking about auto-DMs on Twitter. Now, I know what you're thinking.

Auto-DMs have a bad reputation because of how spammy cold DMs can be. Don't worry, the strategy we'll cover today isn't spammy or malicious.

In fact, I'm getting messages in response to my auto-DMs, like this:

Just like my new follower Aunt Boozy here, your followers will THANK YOU.

Now, I'm giving all of YOU (because you're awesome) my exact template... in a minute.

Plus, I have a special discount code for the auto-DM tool I use for First Class Founders subscribers only.

But first, I need to explain HOW this works and WHY it's so effective.

So first off, these auto-DMs aren't cold DMs. I send them to new followers only.

This is very important because it sets the positioning of the relationship from the start.

Everyone who receives an auto-DM from me opted-in to seeing more of my content by following me, first.

Your first line should remind them that THEY followed YOU first.

How do I do this? Like this:

See what I did there? Not only am I thanking them for following me, I'm setting the tone that THEY followed ME first.

In other words, they initiated the relationship, not me.

It's subtle but important if you want to ask them to do anything, like signing up for your newsletter.

Next, I get right into it because... everyone has a short attention span nowadays, you know?

There's something about using orange diamonds as bullet points. I don't know what it is, but I've found them to be more effective than plain bullet points. Try it out.

Notice how I use key terms like "build your audience" and "make more money."

This is deliberate. These are trigger terms that people pay attention to. It keeps them reading.

Notice how I also use "..." at the beginning and at the end. Again, this is to hold their attention.

Let's move on to the next piece:

Here, I'm filtering for entrepreneurs. Quite frankly, I don't want them to sign up if they aren't my target audience.

Next, I clarify that this is a completely free newsletter with a link to subscribe and a green checkmark, again, to grab the readers' attention.

Okay, we're almost there. Now the final piece of the auto-DM message:

You don't want to end the message abruptly with an ask. So, I keep it friendly and tell them they can message me at any time.

This is another subtle gesture of giving. You're keeping the lines open. You're giving them the opportunity to reconnect with you in the future.

You could also give them a free e-book or other lead magnet here. I don't have a lead magnet, so I use this messaging instead.

Now, let's put this all together. Here is the entire template:

Voila! Now, you have an auto-DM for your new followers that should convert them into newsletter subscribers.

Now, I promised you a special discount code for the exact auto-DM tool I use, didn't I?

I reached out to Luca, the Founder of Hivoe, and he was kind enough to create an exclusive discount code for the First Class Founders community only.

Pro tip: You can also use Hivoe to run DM giveaways on Twitter also. Awesome tool, isn't it?!

Here's what my friend Prateek had to say about this DM strategy:

That's it! Try this out yourself and let me know on Twitter (like Prateek did) what you think! (And don't forget to share this snack with your friends!)

Hope you enjoyed this week's Growth Snack! 😋 

🤝 Coaching Opportunity

I'm opening up my calendar to work 1:1 with one or two entrepreneurs looking for coaching in marketing or e-commerce.

I don't do this often because I run 3 companies and they keep me rather busy.

But, nothing makes me happier than seeing other entrepreneurs succeed.

It'll be four 1-hour sessions, weekly.

100% money back guarantee.

No fluff, no BS.

Just results.

If this interests you, let's chat.

Just reply to this email.

🎛 Metrics Dashboard

I'm building First Class Founders in public. So each week, I share my numbers exclusively through subscribers of this newsletter only. Enjoy!

Podcast:

• 90-Day Downloads: 14,116 (+409)

• 30-Day Downloads: 2,055 (-228)

• 7-Day Downloads: 473 (-27)

👍🏻 Recommendation: Thinking of starting a podcast? I recommend Buzzsprout.

Newsletter:

• Subscribers: 1,005 (+252)

• Open Rate: 42.6%

• Click Rate: 9.4%

👍🏻 Recommendation: Interested in starting a newsletter? I love using Beehiiv.

💺 Passenger of the Week

I met Chris through the Newsletter Blueprint community.

He writes an excellent newsletter called The Conversion Alchemist covering habits, decision making, psychology and mindset... especially as it applies to my SaaS and E-commerce businesses. 

Here's the pitch:

"Learn what makes people tick and write higher-converting copy for your SaaS, Ecommerce or service business - in 2 minutes a day."

You can sign up here.

💬 Final Word

If you enjoy a particular newsletter, don't forget to reply and tell the newsletter creator how much you enjoy them. It really makes their day!

Have a great rest of your week!

Yong-Soo Chung — Serial Entrepreneur, Podcaster