How-To Guide: Growing your email newsletter subscriber list

Growing an email newsletter subscriber base from scratch can feel overwhelming. Use these strategies to achieve organic email newsletter subscriber growth designed for longevity and a loyal audience, not just a quick increase in numbers.

Start within your network

The easiest way to gain a few subscribers is to ask people who already know and care about not just your newspaper, but the people who write for it. 

1. Require every staffer to subscribe. Not only is the email newsletter a good way to make sure your staff all know the top stories, but having another channel to showcase exceptional content can improve your team morale. Go a step further and have a link to your email newsletter subscription list in your email signatures.
2. Ask friends and family to subscribe. Encourage your staff to share a sign-up link with their personal circles. Not only are these people likely to subscribe, but they’re also more likely to stay subscribed and engage with the content their loved ones are working hard to produce.
3. Pitch to professors. Ask faculty members to promote the newsletter to students in their classes. Many professors, especially those teaching journalism, political science, and business courses, will be happy to do so, as campus news often touches on the curriculum they teach.
4. Re-engage alumni. Your student media organization’s alumni want to see the organization succeed. The newsletter allows alumni to stay connected and informed on what is happening at your paper and on campus since they’ve graduated.

Target potential readers looking for more campus news

Look for segments of the campus community that are searching for information but might not know your newsletter exists.

1. Target incoming students. This could be promoting the link in new student orientation resources, setting up a table during orientation and move-in, or placing signs in dorms. The easiest time to get a student to start engaging with your news content is when they first arrive on campus.
2. Tap into parent circles. Post a link in the official parents’ Facebook group for your university. Parents are very loyal readers because the content gives them a view into their students’ daily lives on campus.
3. Activate street teams at campus events. Organize a street team with clipboards for email addresses and QR codes with the subscription link outside large campus events that attract sports fans, alumni, and the broader community. This could be at football games or your art fair, depending on your campus traditions.

Advertise your newsletter

Your student media organization already owns valuable advertising inventory. Use that space to advertise your own products, including your email newsletter.

1. Run house ads. Promote your newsletter through house ads on your other channels, such as print, on your website, and on the out-of-home placements on your newsracks. Make sure that the newsletter signup link is prominently displayed.
2. Promote new newsletters to existing subscribers. If you already have one newsletter but are looking to start another one, such as a sports edition, promote the new newsletter to existing newsletter subscribers through house ads and mentions in the introduction.
3. Engage your social media following. Regularly share links to your newsletter through posts, stories, and your link-in-bio. Promote your newsletter as a way to get more carefully curated, intentional news.
4. Invite advertisers to subscribe. Encourage potential and local clients to subscribe to your newsletter to receive a succinct digest of what’s happening on campus and what college students are paying attention to. Seeing the newsletter in their inbox also builds trust and lets them see the exact value of your partnership firsthand.

Get creative

1. Host a bake sale. Stevenson University’s The Villager grew its subscriber list by hosting a “bake sale” where it gave away cookies in exchange for students’ email addresses. Most college students won’t turn down free food, making this an effective way to gain subscribers in an afternoon.
2. Produce a really good email newsletter. Keeping your existing subscribers engaged is just as important as gaining new subscribers. A consistent publishing schedule and a high-quality, informative newsletter are the best ways to build a sustainable and marketable email newsletter.

What’s Next?

Once your subscriber list hits growth mode, make sure to update your flytedesk account manager. Higher engagement numbers directly translate to better revenue opportunities for your student media organization. 

Your account manager can also help you expand your email newsletter in other ways, such as helping you level up your content and helping you pitch email newsletter advertisements to local clients.