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- 📌Forget the secret sauce – THIS newsletter's success is all about a system
📌Forget the secret sauce – THIS newsletter's success is all about a system
Anatoly Zaslaver
December 16, 2024
Forget the secret sauce – this local newsletter's success is all about a system.
Geoff Sharpe and Robert Hiltz have built a replicable model that's turning heads (and inboxes) in Ottawa and Vancouver (here's how they did it..).
In this edition:
Contrarian view on Paid Growth vs Organic Growth. Paid is a boost – check out the arguments.
The Power of Niche + Audience Focus - How to nail down a local newsletter niche and build a loyal reader base.
Free Templates - Get your hands on Ottawa Lookout templates & use them for your growth.​​
Quick Facts:
Creators: Co-founders: Geoff Sharpe & Robert Hiltz.
Newsletters: Ottawa: Ottawa Lookout & Capital Eats
Vancouver: Vancity Lookout Eats
Start Date: Early 2022
Niche: Local Newsletters
Goal: Helping locals to understand, explore, and love the cities they live in.
Where to find them: Ottawa - ottawalookout.com / Vancouver - vancitylookout.com
Frequency: Ottawa/Vancity Lookout - Mon, Wed, Fri
Capital Eats/Insider – once a week each.
Subscriber Count: Ottawa & Vancouver 65K+
Platform: Beehiiv
Let’s take a closer look at the Ottawa Lookout newsletter.
And let’s break it down into 4 categories:
1. Content
2. Deliverability
3. Growth
4. Monetization
Different note, but curious about your thoughts.
Newsletter acquisitions – ever considered it?
Buying or selling, sounds interesting?
Reply if you'd like to chat!
This newsletter is all about community building, tapping into the shared experiences and concerns of residents.
Their 12-section formula:
1. Personal note from the editor
2. Weather forecast
3. Main local news
4. Sponsored segment
5. Local statistics
6. Transportation updates
7. Broader local news agenda
8. Local event listings
9. Food and drink recommendations
10. Community highlights
11. Interactive games
12. Quick poll
1,900 words (~ an 11-minute read) and you know all the news in your city.
Want the template that fueled the Ottawa Lookout's success?
Download it now and tailor it to your niche:
Get Your Template Here:
Deliverability
Strong deliverability is not magic, it's a blend of tech-savvy and persuasive copy.
Let's break down a winning sign-up flow from the Ottawa Lookout team:
The Opt-in Page:
- Simple, single Opt-in, mobile-friendly above-the-fold design.
- Snagging attention with stunning Ottawa landmarks.
- Social proof from 55,000 local subscribers.
Post-Signup:
A quick signup confirmation eases any doubts.
The 5-question survey tailors future content, increasing the sub's engagement.
The cross-promotion of Capital Eats introduces a sister newsletter.
Welcome Email:
1. Subject Line: "Look out, it's the Lookout" – Intriguing and attention-grabbing.
2. The warm, personal greeting from Robert Hiltz builds an instant connection.
3. A clear mission statement and links to past newsletters demonstrate value.
4. Strong CTAs to reply "OK" (boosting sender reputation), & whitelist the email.
5. Promotion of Capital Eats is timely and makes it easy to sign up for it.
Want to boost YOUR open rates by 58%?
Download the proven Opt-In, Survey, and Welcome Email templates – they're the same ones used by the Ottawa Lookout to achieve their success.
Get Your Templates Here:
Growth
Ottawa Lookout's newsletter success is a calculated strategy serving a real need.
Post-subscription recommendations promote a sister newsletter, Capital Eats.
Local Love: Newsletters for Ottawans, by Ottawans, hits that sweet spot of shared experience.
Like bumping into a friend at a crowded party – instant connection!
Filling the Void: Ottawa's a big city with even bigger news appetites.
Lookout Media stepped up where others hadn't.
Paid Power: Co-founder Geoff isn't afraid to spend money to make money.
His background in paid media fuels aggressive subscriber acquisition through targeted Meta & IG ads.
Forget the slow burn of organic growth, he's buying subscribers.
And guess what? It's working.
Wanna see the metrics?
CPA: A mind-boggling $0.70 per subscriber?! (Targeting specific cities helps a lot).
Engagement: 58% open rate, 12% click-through rate.
Forget the naysayers who claim paid subs are disengaged – these folks are reading.
Newsletter Cross-Promotion:
A family of three newsletters means constant opportunities to cross-promote and capture attention.
Smart Offering:
From welcome emails to landing pages, Lookout Media cleverly showcases its other newsletters, making it easy for readers to subscribe to more.
Geoff’s philosophy of boosting the initial growth using paid tactics increases growth and exposure.
It helps focus on subscriber retention and keeps what you’ve got rather than losing time on organic growth.
Even if you disagree, it’s worth looking at this approach closely – invest time and check if it could work for you too!
Monetization
Most newsletters rely on ads, right?
Lookout Media said, "Hold my beer."
They're raking in 75% of their revenue from memberships, turning the traditional model on its head.
Think of it like this: they've built a loyal fan club that pays for exclusive access, while advertisers are just the cherry on top of 25%.
The Membership:
How Lookout Media Keeps Subscribers Hooked:
Three tiers of memberships, with annual plans offering a juicy 21% discount.
Why?
Because annual members are more likely to stick around, lowering churn and boosting the lifetime value (LTV) of each subscriber.
It's no wonder that ~85% of paying members are on annual plans.
Advertisers?
They're Not the Main Course: Sure, ads bring in some cash, but they're carefully curated.
Diversification is important – not putting all their eggs in one advertising basket.
The Future is Bright:
Geoff and Robert aren't stopping there.
Events, real estate partnerships, and even job boards are on the horizon.
Talk about untapped potential!
To summarize:
Local newsletters are an undeniable, right-from-the-start advantage of highly engaged people sharing common experiences.
Consider paid sub-acquisition instead of organic one.
Prioritize annual memberships over ads & build a loyal fan base.
Tap into your community's unique needs and interests by exploring events, partnerships with local businesses, city activity sponsorships, and more.
P.S. Oh, and..
If you have specific questions about how other newsletters grow, monetize, or use segmentation tactics (or any other detail that's hard to find), feel free to connect with me.
Always happy to chat!