9 Things Beginners Should Ignore When Starting a Newsletter
Newsletter & Email Growth: Growth In Reverse · Chenell Basilio and Dylan Redekop
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Show Notes
We're launching 30 Days of Growth on April 20th! Sign up at 30daysofgrowth.co for free.
Get 30 ways to grow and optimize your email list, from creators who have successfully done it.
The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.
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“Stop wasting time picking the ‘perfect’ newsletter tool. Just start publishing. You can always switch later." — Dylan
We're breaking down the most common mistakes newsletter creators make in the early days — from obsessing over tools and automations to focusing on viral growth too soon.
We are challenging the conventional “how to start a newsletter” checklists floating around online (and even ChatGPT’s advice), showing how little you actually need to start. And why over-planning, over-designing, and over-automating are the real growth killers.
If you’ve been “getting ready” to launch for months, this episode will hopefully convince you to just start.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Why most creators waste weeks setting up automations they don’t even need
- Why you don't need a welcome sequence at first
- How Chenell recommends for getting your first 10 subscribers without a landing page
- The one tool mistake that can cost you hundreds of dollars—and zero new readers
- Whether or not you should invest in paid ads for early growth
- Why planning your “perfect” newsletter launch might actually be procrastination in disguise
- Why tracking analytics in the beginning doesn't matter (and what to track instead)
- Why chasing virality before you’re ready can backfire hard
- How to use early replies and feedback to shape your newsletter direction
- The mindset shift that separates stuck creators from those who actually hit send
LINKS MENTIONED
- Tom Alder's GIR Deep Dive
- The Obvious Choice by Jonathan Goodman
- Dylan's 'Resend To Unopens' Experiment & Article
- Get Chenell's brand-new offering for newsletter creators: The Growth Vault — newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.
- Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here.
- Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questions
- Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/
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