{"id":4906,"date":"2025-06-16T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/?p=4906"},"modified":"2025-06-17T13:17:55","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T13:17:55","slug":"the-unconventional-scrappy-tactics-i-used-to-grow-a-newsletter-to-40k-subscribers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/16\/the-unconventional-scrappy-tactics-i-used-to-grow-a-newsletter-to-40k-subscribers\/","title":{"rendered":"The unconventional, scrappy tactics I used to grow a newsletter to 40K subscribers"},"content":{"rendered":"

You know that moment when you stumble on a brilliant growth tactic hidden in a Reddit thread or buried deep in a comment section? That’s the kind of stuff I live for.<\/p>\n

I’m Tom Orbach, a growth marketer and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree who created a viral post generator<\/a> that attracted 2 million users. Scrappy, under-the-radar tactics have been the backbone of Marketing Ideas<\/em>, my weekly newsletter for startup marketers. No paid ads. No polished design team. No brand halo to ride on. Just a willingness to test fast, double down on what worked, and ignore what didn’t.<\/p>\n

\"Download<\/a><\/p>\n

In this post, I’m breaking down the unconventional, effective tactics that helped me grow from 0 to 40,000 subscribers in 1.5 years. Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n

Why I Started <\/strong>Marketing Ideas<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"marketing<\/p>\n

Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

For most of my 12-year marketing career, people have asked me for creative growth ideas, especially the kind that don’t rely on paid ads or big budgets.<\/p>\n

It became a pattern. Whether I was working with startups, consulting with clients, or just chatting with friends in the industry, someone would always say, \u201cThat’s a great idea. Do you have more like that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Over time, that demand snowballed. I got invited to speak at conferences, give guest lectures at companies and universities, and hop on calls with marketers looking for scrappy tactics that actually worked. It was clear there was a real appetite for practical advice, the kind that’s hard to find in blog posts or playbooks.<\/p>\n

That’s what led me to launch Marketing Ideas, a weekly newsletter that delivers one actionable growth tactic at a time. No theory. No filler. These are just real things marketers can try immediately.<\/p>\n

Of course, coming up with useful content was only part of the job. I also had to figure out how to get it in front of people. Here’s what really drove growth.<\/p>\n

What Really Drove Growth<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"growth<\/p>\n

Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

1. Promote a landing page during talks, before the newsletter even exists.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Before I ever sent a single email, I already had a subscriber list.<\/p>\n

I spoke at conferences, company offsites, and universities. At the end of every talk, I\u2018d plug a simple landing page. I\u2019d say something like, \u201cI’m launching a newsletter soon to share more ideas like these. You can sign up now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"marketing<\/p>\n

Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

That one-liner and that barebones landing page got me nearly 1,000 early subscribers. And, not just casual ones. These were super fans who had just seen me speak, liked what they heard, and wanted more. When I sent my first issue, they were already primed to share it.<\/p>\n

That momentum made all the difference.<\/p>\n

2. Guest-write for other newsletters (especially paid ones).<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"tom<\/p>\n

Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

One of the most underrated growth tactics is to borrow someone else\u2019s audience.<\/p>\n

I reached out to newsletter creators, especially those with paid subscriptions, and offered to write free guest content for them. They got high-quality material to monetize. I got visibility and credibility.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t just a list growth tactic. These guest posts helped me prove value to new readers, build trust quickly, and often opened the door to longer-term partnerships. Even if just 1% of their audience subscribed to Marketing Ideas<\/em>, that compounding effect really added up.<\/p>\n

3. Cross-promote through real relationships.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

After those guest posts, I stayed in touch with the authors.<\/p>\n

Not to squeeze more promotion out of them, but because I genuinely liked their work. When you approach creators as peers rather than as distribution channels, the relationships last. And, because we actually enjoyed each other\u2019s content, we\u2019d mention each other organically. That kind of endorsement hits way harder than a one-off shoutout.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s slow, but it\u2019s sustainable and real.<\/p>\n

4. Offer free advice on LinkedIn.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"tom<\/p>\n

Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

This one always works. I\u2019ll post something like:<\/p>\n