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- 📌41K Town, 18K Subs, $350K - unfair advantage
📌41K Town, 18K Subs, $350K - unfair advantage
Anatoly Zaslaver
December 06, 2024
Hey, glad you're here!👋
Every week, I break down newsletters that grow and monetize.
All insights are delivered in 4 minutes or less.
Backstory
Meet Ryan Sneddon, an ex-software engineer turned newsletter founder.
He launched Naptown Scoop in Annapolis, Maryland, a town of 41K.
Three years later, he boasts 18.3K subs and $350K in revenue.
No journalism background, no big city - just focus and hustle.
Ryan shows how local newsletters can be powerful business opportunities.
What's in it for you?
1. Fast growth tactics that work
2. Pros and cons of local newsletters
3. How to monetize a small but engaged audience
4. Download Ryan’s template and start building yours today
Naptown Scoop feels like chatting with neighbors—warm, casual, and local.
Here's its structure:
- Intro: Quick greetings and recap
- Ad: Local business spotlight
- Digest: Key local stories
- Snapshot: Picture with context
- Events: Sponsored event updates
- Messages: Local community posts
- What's Happening: Daily town updates
- Weather: Forecast and event calendar
Packed into 1,800+ words, Monday to Friday.
Simple, yet effective.
What's the tone of your newsletter?
Is it conversational or more formal and journalistic?
Takeaway:
- Adjust your tone to match your topic
- Align it with the habits of your audience
Deliverability
Ryan skips typical strategies like thank-you pages or surveys.
Yet, his open rate tops 60% - way above average.
Why?
People care about their town, especially on Fridays 😉.
Fridays feature restaurant reviews and weekend events, boosting engagement.
Here's how the Welcome Email is structured.
What does your sign-up flow look like?
Takeaway:
- Use SOI (single opt-in)
- Don't skip the thank-you page
- Include a short survey and send a welcome email
Growth
Ryan leveraged Meta ads to scale.
With an initial $1,000 test, he saw traction, so he invested $5,000 more.
The advertising optimization is relatively simple.
He focuses solely on the Annapolis area.
This narrow focus helped him control costs effectively.
As a result, his CPA remains below $1.50/sub, which is a good result.
His theory?
Hit critical mass through paid acquisition, then let it snowball.
When he hit 15K subs, he paused ads, and organic growth took over.
His referral program adds subs too, but paid ads have been more effective.
The newsletter now has 18.3K subscribers.
It plans to expand to nearby cities, reaching a total of 110K residents.
Monetization
Ryan made $200K last year from 18K subs - $11.11 per sub.
This year, he’s targeting $350K, focusing on sponsorships and paid support.
His LTV per sub is $19, which stands out in the industry.
Can you imagine a town of 41K residents where half read the same newsletter?
Ryan has gained celebrity status—people know him as 'that newsletter guy.'
He’s invited to parties and events simply because of his newsletter fame.
Ryan says he has an "unfair advantage" with 18K loyal subscribers.
If he starts a business, 18K subs become 18K business partners.
Do you leverage the power of your subscribers for monetization?
Takeaway:
- Want to monetize like Ryan? Start by partnering with your audience
- Build on the trust within your community
Did you learn something new today? |
P.S. Oh, and..
I hope you found value here.
P.P.S.
Questions about newsletter growth, monetization, or other how-to topics?