Your Newsletter Is That Local 10K Race That Nobody Knows Is Awesome

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I recently found myself toeing the line at a local 10k race (I love races—especially in my hometown). 

But as the race announcer counted down, “5, 4, 3, 2…” I scanned the “crowd.” One thought came over me: “Where is everyone?”

By the end of the race, that thought had been bouncing around my head with every stride. 

It was such a shame. 

The race was a ton of fun (I finished 7th overall!). But it could have been a lot more fun—and a lot harder to finish Top 10—if more people showed up.

There were only 250 finishers (~300 signed up). But the surrounding population of my town and the town right across the river is approx. 212,000 people. 

So 0.14% of the surrounding area attended. That’s… unremarkable. Especially for something as relatively accessible as running. 

So what was the problem? Here’s my guess:

→ Almost nobody knew about this race. So almost nobody showed up. 

And it reminds me of how many approach promoting our newsletters. 

Most newsletter creators know they should promote their newsletter more often.
But we kind of suck at it. And so nobody shows up.

And I get it. I’ve been there. Often.

Self-promotion feels a bit weird as is. So when you finally get your act together and bang out a social post that’s got potential—one you’ve labored over a lot longer than you’d like to admit—you need to make that CTA to “subscribe for more” at least a kinda compelling. 

Or you’ll risk putting in all that effort for what? Some engagement and vanity metrics? Not worth it. 

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‍The CTA Afterthought Problem

Just like an article’s headline or email subject line, the CTA needs to do a LOT of heavy lifting. 

What’s the point of making your fingers bleed on the keyboard if nobody’s compelled to read your article, open your email, or click through to your subscribe page from your social post? 

Don’t make your CTA an afterthought. 

It’s tempting to put zero thought into it. After all, your brain is mush from writing a banger (hopefully) post. And then you remember, “Oh dang, gotta actually get people to subscribe…” 

What do you say that doesn’t sound repetitive or desperate?
How do you convince someone to subscribe—especially if they’ve seen your pitch before?

The CTA Solution

Here’s the answer: create a library of newsletter CTA pitches, and then rotate through them.

The benefit is if you take a bit of time to work on these pitches ahead of time, they’re plug’n’play for you to use at any given moment. 

And a bonus: you aren’t always using the same one! Keeping things fresh is only going to help in the long run.

Moreover, you can see which pitches convert better, then use those more frequently. 

Below are 5 proven angles you can use to promote your newsletter—without repeating yourself or sounding like a broken record.

In each section, I’ll share…

→ the type of CTA
→ the pitch template
→ and an example where I just add in my newsletter name (Growth Currency) so you get the idea. 

1. The Transformation Pitch

This pitch focuses on what changes for the reader once they start reading your newsletter.

Template: "[Reader] used to [problem]. With [your newsletter], they [result]."

Example: Early-stage founders used to waste hours pitching media. With Growth Currency, they land press features with one email.

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2.The Credibility / Social Proof Pitch

Build trust by showing how many people already rely on you.

Template: "Join [#] [type of reader] who trust [newsletter name] to [result]."

Example: Join 5,500+ creators who trust Growth Currency to grow their audience and revenue—in a weekly 5-minute read.

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3. The Relatable Pain Point Pitch

This pitch highlights a familiar frustration and positions your newsletter as the remedy.

Template: "Tired of [problem]? [Newsletter name] helps you [solve it]—without [annoying trade-off]."

Example: Tired of guessing what works? Growth Currency gives you proven tactics—without the fluff, gimmicky hacks, or $$$ course price tags.

4. The Storytelling Pitch

Connect through vulnerability or a personal journey.

Template: "In [situation], I [lesson learned]. That’s why I created [newsletter], so you don’t have to [repeat mistake]."

Example: In 2021, I spent $1,000 on a course I could’ve replaced with 4 newsletters. That’s why I created Growth Currency—to save you time and money.

5. The Bold Hook Pitch

This one is for the attention-grabbers. Challenge the norm and offer your newsletter as the smarter alternative.

Template: "Most [audience] do [common mistake]. The smart ones [do this instead]—they read [newsletter]."

Example: Most newsletter creators chase viral growth. The smart ones build systems to grow, optimize, and monetize. They read Growth Currency.

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Make it actionable

Here’s your playbook:

• Write 5 pitch variations using the formats above
• Rotate them across LinkedIn, your landing page, and onboarding emails
• See which ones resonate—and double down

If you want all five pitch templates in a downloadable PDF, grab it here >>

And if you want more strategies like this…

Subscribe to Growth Currency

Every week I share tactics to help you grow, optimize, and monetize your newsletter—without the gimmicks.

📩 Subscribe free: https://growthcurrency.net

Or if you're more the DIY type…

📥 Grab my 1KS Roadmap: https://www.growthcurrency.net/1ks-roadmap

‍Bonus 👀

One other super smart thing you can do to grow your newsletter? Use Kit to create the landing page you send your traffic to. You've nailed the pitch, now nail the conversion point. With Kit, you can send newsletters AND grow on autopilot with the Kit Creator Network.

I personally have gotten nearly 2,000 subscribers from the Kit Creator Network alone!

Kit makes the whole newsletter thing WAY easier. And legit more fun.

Trust me. I’ve tried all the major ESPs.

Kit offers the most user-friendly and customizable features for creators like us. I’ve been using Kit for nearly 4 years and recommend it to everyone — and not just because I’m an affiliate. I sincerely love the product, their team, and vibe.

Get a FREE Kit plan that includes your first 10,000 subscribers →

More stuff from me.

→ Check out my brand new podcast about newsletters with Chenell from Growth In Reverse👇

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→ FREE 5-day email course to help you get your first 1,000 newsletter subscribers
→ FREE Email Opt-In Template from a Best-Selling Author
→ Connect with me: LinkedIn || Threads || Bluesky