S01E47: Coaching Session: Tips from a Newsletter Pro — with Josh Spector of For The Interested
— A one-paragraph newsletter shows you simple, proven ways to use writing to grow your business based on how others have done so.
1hr listen
How Peak Performers grew by 70% and increased engagement with a simple strategy pivot.
Knowing your audience is priceless.
And the newsletter featured today knows its audience better than most.
Meet Tiffany Uman and her newsletter Peak Performers—a newsletter that's redefining career advancement.
Despite just launching Peak Performers in August 2023, Tiffany has carved out a niche that's resonating deeply with her audience of high-performing professionals.
The result?
A staggering 70% growth rate and soaring engagement levels since shifting to a newsletter-first strategy only months ago.
In today's Friday Feature, we're zooming in on how Tiffany:
- Has funneled growth with social
- Transitioned to a Newsletter-Centric Approach
- Solves audience’s problems with Originator content
#1 - Funneling with Social
Being “active” on social platforms and posting daily is great. But you’re missing a huge opportunity if you’re not driving eyeballs to your newsletter.
And Tiffany gets that.
She is intentional about how she uses social media not only to drive engagement but also to convert impressions to subscribers for Peak Performers.
🧐 Why it’s awesome
Newsletter “discovery” is a challenge. But we can use “rented” platforms like social media to cast a wider net and increase newsletter exposure.
→ Broader Reach: Engaging on multiple platforms attracts a wider audience.
→ Increased Subscriptions: Effective funneling boosts newsletter subscriptions.
→ Enhanced Brand Presence: Multi-platform presence strengthens overall brand visibility.
🙋 How Peak Performers does it
Tiffany has an impressive social following…
→ 12k LinkedIn followers
→ 80k TikTok followers
→ 144k Instagram followers
So, does she just toss the link to her newsletter sign-up page in her bio?
Nuh-uh.
Tiffany actively engages her audience on social—sharing snippets and valuable insights that direct followers to her newsletter. She sets up the follower to hook them in, then pitches her newsletter—including a testimonial for social proof. Chef’s kiss.
✏️Steal this for your newsletter
You may not have Tiffany’s social following, but you should still aim to convert followers to subscribers.
And there’s ample opportunity to do so.
While having a link in your bio is the low-hanging fruit, it’s not enough. You need to regularly promote your newsletter in your posts.
→ Post Teasers. Follow Tiffany’s lead from above and craft a setup & pitch where subscribing is a no-brainer and obvious next step.
→ Exclusive Content Offering. Offer exclusive content or early access to followers who subscribe to your newsletter.
→ Collaborate. Two heads newsletters are better than one. Partner with other newsletter operators or thought leaders in your niche on social media to broaden each others reach. These collaborations can introduce your newsletter to a broader audience and drive subscriptions.
🎧 Bonus: Learn more about Tiffany's growth strategies in our recent chat →
#2 - A Newsletter-Centric Approach
Email marketing is a fantastic strategy to sell to your audience—when properly executed. But “doing email marketing” is different than operating a newsletter.
Tiffany had been doing email marketing for several years.
But she shifted to an engaging newsletter format in the summer of 2023—and it’s made a massive impact.
🧐 Why it’s awesome
→ Engagement Over Sales: A focus on content leads to more meaningful subscriber interactions.
→ Improved Metrics: A newsletter-centric approach typically results in better engagement and open rates.
→ Sustainable Relationships: Builds a more loyal and engaged subscriber base.
🙋 How Peak Performers does it
Tiffany's email strategy was sales- and launch-oriented, which didn't resonate as strongly with her audience.
It was a one-sided conversation. So Tiffany made a change this summer.
“I wanted to have this really intimate space, intimate community where I could go even deeper in providing high value, high actionable, practical, tangible tips that my community could walk away from and never feel alone.” — Tiffany Uman
She launched her newsletter with two weekly editions:
1 - Peak Performers: “Every Monday, we cover a crucial topic along with actionable tips to position you as the top 1% in your career.”
2 - Inner Circle: “Delivered every Friday, highlighting inspiring content, member-only career wins and the latest projects I'm working on.”
After making this deliberate shift, Tiffany quickly saw the positive results.
→ Tiffany on her 70% growth:
“From the moment that we shifted into newsletter strategy opens & engagement rates have skyrocketed. We've grown my subscribers by over 70% since shifting this to a newsletter strategy.”
→ Tiffany on improved open rates:
“The open rate is now close to 50% compared to prior where my, my open rates were much less and the engagement rate where we're seeing, you know, especially amongst these new subscribers that we're bringing in proves they are engaged and reading every email I'm sending.”
✏️ Steal this for your newsletter
If your current strategy is heavily sales-focused, consider shifting towards providing more value-driven content.
Take a page out of Tiffany's book and start providing more value with helpful content for your audience rather than constantly selling & promoting.
When a product or service becomes a natural extension of the newsletter you're sending, the interaction is less jarring, more inviting, and easier to close.
#3 - Solving problems as an Originator
Newsletters can come in so many shapes and sizes. As LeQwane points out below, there are 3 types of newsletters:
- Originators
- Curators
- Aggregators
Peak Performers is what LeQwane would dub an “Originator”: it’s original content created by Tiffany Uman, and it’s written with the direct intention of helping her readers achieve their career goals.
🧐 Why it’s awesome
Being an Originator-type newsletter with a focused reader avatar is a powerful strategy.
→ Focused messaging: content is created to help a problem all your readers face, rather than a fraction of them
→ Unique value: personal experience & knowledge helps you stand out from other newsletters
→ Easy engagement: your readers know they’re going to read something helpful & actionable every time your newsletter hits their inbox
🙋 How Peak Performers does it
Tiffany leverages her 10+ years of experience in the professional world to craft her content.
Each edition is packed with helpful content her target audience can benefit from—and take action on. Take the section below from a recent edition:
- First, she sets the stage with clear headings that layout each section.
- Then she adds content for you to take action on, with questions or actionable steps.
- Then she provides a clear example for extra clarity and guidance.
✏️ Steal this for your newsletter
Whether a newsletter is an Originator, Curator, or Aggregator, you can always benefit from solving your audience’s specific problems.
If you’re not sure what their problems are, ask them.
Tiffany solicits reader feedback to better understand her readers’ pain points and create content that will better serve them.
“I always prompt responses for new subscribers in the Welcome email. I want to know what they want to learn from me. What do they need help with? It's been so eye-opening and lets me connect right off the bat, and actually start a conversation to see where they're at and how I can take it to a next step with them.”
Adding it up…
Tiffany Uman's approach with 'Peak Performers' offers valuable lessons in building a newsletter that not only grows but thrives.
By focusing on strategic growth with her social audience, focusing on a newsletter-centric content approach, and creating focused, “originator” content, Tiffany has carved a unique path with a trajectory for huge success.
Apply these strategies to your newsletter for tangible growth and success.
Here are 3 things to do next:
- Check out the Peak Performers newsletter if you haven’t already →
- Listen to our whole chat with Tiffany Uman on our podcast →
- Give us your take: what newsletter is doing something different and innovative we should feature next? Maybe it's yours... EMAIL US and let me know!