Matt and Ryan Talk Newsletter Strategy, Legacy Media, Newsletter-First Creators, and More

Episode Description: 

In this episode, Matt and Ryan discuss the growing shift towards newsletters in the media landscape. They delve into the challenges faced by traditional media companies, emphasizing how newsletters offer an owned audience and help drive revenue and encourage engagement. They also explore the potential of newsletters for creators, including entertainment-based creators and e-commerce brands. Additionally, they touch on topics such as nurturing email lists, unlocking revenue streams, and the need for valuable content.

Key Topics Covered:

• Importance of Building, Growing, and Monetizing Newsletters: The podcast focuses on teaching how to build, grow, and monetize ​newsletters and features discussions with newsletter operators, creators, and media founders.
• Emphasis on Deep Conversations and Strategies: the importance of sharing insightful discussions that go beyond typical interviews, aiming to dive deeper into newsletter operations, growth tactics, and strategies.
• Challenges in the Media Industry: The podcast addresses challenges faced by large ​media companies due to decreasing social media traffic and the shift toward owned audience channels via newsletters, ​podcasts, and other platforms. This leads to a comparison between traditional media companies and the evolving strategies of newer media startups.
• Role of Newsletters in Media: The discussion emphasizes the growing importance of newsletters within media companies. The hosts suggest that starting a media company today requires a strong focus on newsletters, highlighting the primary role of newsletters in driving consistent growth, owning the audience, and retaining reader engagement.
• Impact on Creators and Trends: The episode explores the trend of creators leveraging newsletters to build owned audiences and discusses the potential benefits of transitioning from social platforms to newsletters. The potential for creators to develop newsletter-first strategies is highlighted, focusing on the ability to own and monetize audiences independently.
• Opportunities for Entertainment-Based Creators: The conversation touches upon the potential for entertainment-based creators, such as YouTubers or Twitch streamers, to leverage newsletters for engaging with their audiences. Ideas discussed include sharing behind-the-scenes content, announcing upcoming content, curating content, and utilizing newsletters for giveaways and promotions.
• Role of Tailwind in Newsletter Creation: The podcast extends to discuss the role of Tailwind, an agency specializing in creating and nurturing newsletters for companies and brands. The conversation highlights the value of newsletters as a revenue and marketing channel and potential opportunities for cross promotions, sponsorships, and new revenue streams.

Episode topics & Timestamps:

(00:26) Introduction and Overview 

(2:21) Challenges for Big Media Companies

(3:01) Decline in Social Media Traffic

(11:09) Media Companies And ​Newsletter Strategy 

(11:40) Newsletter First Approach  

(12:38) Importance of having an owned audience 

(18:40) Strategies for Entertainment Creators

(28:00) Tailwind Newsletter Services

(30:00) Upcoming Discussion Topics

Want more content like this?

Join Newsletter Operator for more strategies on how to grow and monetize your newsletter here: NewsletterOperator(dot)com

• Work with Ryan's agency Tailwind 
• Work with Matt's agency GrowLetter

Follow Matt McGarry @JMatthewMcGarry and Ryan Carr @ryan_boat on Twitter.