How Amazon Insiders turned niche expertise into a $100k newsletter.

Today’s lesson: Don’t be scared to niche down. It can be incredibly lucrative.

We’re analyzing how a super niche newsletter called Amazon Insiders is on pace to drive $100k in annual revenue with 10k subscribers. 

Jon Elder grew his Amazon business to $10M in revenue—then sold it. So he started Amazon Insiders originally as an Amazon ‘hacks’ newsletter. It’s now the fastest-growing newsletter for Amazon sellers.

His newsletter is super niche—but his strategies to hit $100k in revenue are worth diving into.  

In this Friday Feature, you’ll learn learn the keys to Jon’s hyper-niche success  — and how you can steal them:

• Using your newsletter as a sales conduit
• Acquiring 5k+ subscribers with Automated growth
• Unearthing your “overnight success”

#2 - Newsletter as a sales conduit 

Substack revolutionized the paid newsletter. 

Morning Brew, 1440, and The Hustle make millions in advertising revenue. These are sexy numbers with attractive potential.

In these outlier cases, the newsletter is the product.

They are the exceptions, not the rule. 

The rule is a newsletter like Amazon Insiders. Jon quickly realized there are faster & better ways to drive meaningful revenue with a niche audience than relying on sponsorships & paid subs. 

So Jon leverages his newsletter as a sales conduit.

🧐 Why it’s awesome

 When the newsletter is the product (see Morning Brew, 1440, etc), readership size often determines earning potential. 

So newsletters closer to 10k than 100k should look to drive product or service sales from your newsletter. 

Here’s why: 

• Quicker path to meaningful revenue. Selling a $250 consulting call is possible with 1 subscriber. Selling a $250 ad with 1 subscriber is not.
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• ‍Flexibility. Newsletter ad rates fluctuate with demand, and inventory is capped. With a product (digital or physical) or service offer, you set the price, the quantity, and the frequency.
  

🙋 How Amazon Insiders does it

Jon is using his newsletter to build his reputation & authority to land consulting & async coaching clients. 

Amazon Insiders is the direct conduit for communicating expertise with potential clients, earning their trust, and providing a service solution, when they’re ready.  

Jon does it by…

• Building trust with experience. Jon uses his years of Amazon selling knowledge & experience to build his credibility & authority on the topic. Each week he’s building more & more trust with his readers.
  
  
• Sharing the latest news & what it means. Jon proves he’s still tuned in to all things Amazon with his “Hot Amazon Seller news” section where he shares the latest news and his take on how it affects sellers. Jon told us, “anyone can regurgitate the latest Amazon news,” so he provides insight to how the news impacts his readers. 

• Promoting his services. Jon includes his services—including the opportunity to advertise in Amazon Insiders—in the footer of his newsletter.

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✏️Steal this for your newsletter

​Not all newsletters are the product—so leverage your newsletter to sell a product (or service). 

To see the most success, you’ll need to:

• Align content & services. Your content and service offering need to be aligned. Amazon Insiders helps Amazon sellers. Jon offers Amazon business coaching & consulting.
  
  
• Signal with experience. Jon often references his experiences selling on Amazon, signalling his credibility & authority. Leverage a captive audience with your newsletter by using it as a portfolio for future clients. 

Follow Jon’s template for inspiration, or if you want more ideas…

→ Justin Moore of Creator Wizard has earned $593k with his newsletter’s diversified offer ladder—and he spilled the beans in episode #12 of the Send & Grow podcast.

→ Consider the Rule of 10s.

#2 -  Acquiring 5k+ subscribers on autopilot

Amazon Insiders has grown by 5k since launching a SparkLoop partner program in April.

Jon has effectively doubled his subscriber count in the last 4 months—and he’s done it on autopilot.

But how?

With a SparkLoop Partner Program.

A Partner Program with a pilot phase + smart audience fit makes it ridiculously easy & cost-effective to grow a niche newsletter like Amazon Insiders with paid recommendations.

🧐 Why it’s awesome

Newsletters of all types—niche, broad-appeal, and everything in between—have used a partner program to acquire high-quality, engaged subscribers.

Partner Programs are the perfect solution for busy newsletter operators looking to invest in growth without sacrificing time.

Smart operators are using partner programs because they’re…

• Quick & easy to set up. Only 20-25 mins with our step-by-step onboarding checklist.
• Cost-controlled growth. Choose your monthly budgets & CPA once, adjust as needed.
• Easily managed for engaged, high-quality subscribers with our flexible quality criteria & engagement screening.
• Automated. Choose your settings, budgets, and then let the Partner Network drive new subscribers.

🙋 How Amazon Insiders does it

Acquiring 50k+ subscribers per month (like other Partner Programs are achieving) isn't realistic for a super niche newsletter — but adding 5k+ in paid recommendations is.

And Jon’s been able to do that with his Partner Program because he’s…

• figured out what a subscriber is worth (CLV), making it easy to set CPA & monthly budget
• maximized growth potential in the Partner Network & ConvertKit Creator Network by allowing partners to use Upscribe & Magic Links to recommend Amazon Insiders
• only paying for engaged, high-quality subscribers that meet his niche criteria & pass engagement screening

✏️ Steal this for your newsletter

Smart newsletter operators take advantage of the rapid & automated growth that partner programs offer.

Hundreds are re-investing their newsletter revenue into a partner program, creating an automated growth flywheel.

Here’s some quick math to show you the potential:

→ A $5k monthly budget and $2.00/sub could potentially acquire 2,500 subscribers—in 30 days!

→ At a CLV of $5, you just added $12.5k+ in potential revenue.

Bonus Tip: use Upscribe to earn an additional $5-15 for every new subscriber.

Turn on the #1 growth lever for your newsletter with a Partner Program.

Still not sure?

​Talk with our resident expert ​Cole Bridge​ about which newsletters we could match with yours—the Partner Network is rapidly growing, we’re sure to find a good fit.

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🎧 Bonus: Listen to Jon share his growth strategies for Amazon Insiders with us in this recent chat →

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​#3 - Unearthing “overnight success”

Jon grew his Amazon business to $10M over 5 years, giving him a huge advantage from Day 1 of publishing his newsletter.

Think about it: he'd grown & sold a successful Amazon business before hitting send on the first edition. So it's no surprise he had 100 subscribers on launch day.

Amazon Insiders was an overnight success 5 years in the making.

Unearthing your 'overnight success' isn't about instant fame or luck—it's about leveraging unique experiences, skills, and relationships built over time.

For Jon, this meant drawing on learnings over 5 years and tapping into his network of fellow Amazon sellers and clients.

🧐 Why it’s awesome

Building a newsletter around your past success is your unfair advantage.

Nobody shares your unique experience. AI can’t replicate it. Personal experience is inimitable.

Anyone can publish an Amazon-based newsletter.

But Amazon Insiders publishes unique content central to Jon’s “overnight success”. And it comes with major benefits:

→ Unique experience bolsters credibility.
→ Credibility builds trust.
→ Infusing personality & relatability increases the know-like-trust factor.

✏️ Steal this for your newsletter

Where can you unearth your overnight success? Try…

• Evaluating where you can extract lessons, insights, and personality to create content readers could only get from you.
• Proving yourself: include stories about your experience that prove your credibility.
• Sprinkling in personality: “People want to buy from people, not brands.” This is especially true with services like consulting, coaching, and freelancing. Check out examples of newsletters that infuse unique voice and personality, like:
  → ​Total ANNARCHY by Ann Handley
  → Creator Wizard by Justin Moore
  → Creator Science by Jay Clouse

Lastly—consider this: do you have 100 people ready and willing to read your newsletter like Jon did?

→ Analyze your existing network on LinkedIn, Twitter or other relevant platforms.
​→ Scan your Gmail contacts. Who among your colleagues, clients, or fellow industry professionals might be interested in your content?

Building your subscriber base doesn't have to start from scratch; it often begins with leveraging established relationships and credibility.

Adding it up…

Jon's journey & success with Amazon Insiders shows us how tapping into past successes can be a powerful catalyst for newsletter growth & monetization—even for a niche newsletter.

And he can focus on creating the best content for Amazon sellers knowing that growth is on autopilot with his SparkLoop partner program.

That’s a winning recipe.

Here are 3 things to do next:

1. ​Check out Amazon Insiders if you haven’t already →​
2. ​Listen to Jon Elder on our Send & Grow podcast →​
3. Give us your take: what newsletter is doing something different and innovative we should feature next? Maybe it's yours... Hit reply and let me know!