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The "growth strategy" nobody is talking about
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7 years ago, I left a comment on a Dutch guy's blog post. Last week, he slept on my couch. I know, I know - this could be the start of a pretty dramatic story. Luckily, I'm only talking about my co-founder Jari Roomer, who visited us in Vienna for a 4-day workshop to map out what 2025 will look like for us at Write • Build • Scale. When I first met Jari, we were both new to online writing. And to be fair, we didn't really know what we were doing. But we were both excited about the opportunity to make money by writing online and chatted frequently to update each other on our best-performing pieces and earning reports. 6 years later, Jari was at a pivotal time in his business: After building a fully automated productivity business, he was ready for the next step in his career. He wanted to share what he learned by helping other experts and creators monetize their skills through digital products and simple sales funnels. This was perfectly aligned with what my partner Philip and I have already been doing for years, so we teamed up. Ever since we have:
That's only the tip of the iceberg, but it shows how powerful a great collaboration can be. Teaming up with other creators can fast-track your growth and help you reach thousands of new readers every month. And it doesn't have to be complicated. You can start with cross-recommendations, promote each other's work, or co-create content that's interesting for both audiences. The truth is, there are only three ways to grow your audience on the internet:
Substack, in particular, is making it stupidly simple to build effective collaborations with other creators, and we can already see the effect for our members inside Substack System: Melissa, for instance, gained over 100 new subscribers through a simple Substack Note where she encouraged genuine conversations with her readers: Our members Tim and Mac joined forces and hosted a live stream for their audiences to talk about a topic that's relevant to readers of both publications: Another Substack System member, Alexandra, has started to leverage cross-posting to reach more readers through her content: These are only a few of many more examples that we're already seeing inside Substack System, and I couldn't be more proud of how quickly our members are taking action and creating tangible results. But regardless of whether you're publishing on Substack or not, I want to encourage you to spend 30 minutes this week to think about potential collaboration options you could pursue. Is there a creator you've been wanting to reach out to for a while?
Would you like to try a new format, like audio or video?
Are you using recommendations? (They're available for most email service providers nowadays!)
Would you like to be an affiliate partner to help promote someone else's product?
There are a gazillion opportunities to collaborate with other creators. What matters is that you find the few options that feel good and effective. Hit "reply" and let me know if you have any questions about creator collaborations. I read all replies and respond to your questions! 💌 Big love from my screen to yours, PS. Tell me: What’s the hardest part about writing on Substack for you? (I'll respond with personalised recommendations.) PPS. Enjoy this cute selfie of me, Jari, and Philip in Vienna's amusement park before we had a delicious oriental lunch with lots of hummus: |
Write • Build • Scale with Sinem Günel
I help you write confidently, build your audience, and scale your income. Subscribe for first-hand insights and actionable strategies to turn your ideas and knowledge into a thriving digital business, so you can make money doing what you love.
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