Newsletter Operator

Matt McGarry and Ryan Carr
  • 5.0 (36)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Learn how to grow and monetize your newsletter! We interview the best newsletter operators, founders, and creators on how they grow their audiences and make money. Hosted by Matt McGarry and Ryan Carr.

  1. 7H AGO

    The Future of Newsletters: Experts’ Predictions For 2026

    What’s changing in newsletters, email marketing, and the creator economy — and how do you grow, monetize, and scale in 2026? In this FREE online event, 8 industry experts share 15+ data-backed predictions on newsletter growth, email deliverability, audience development, and media monetization — plus actionable strategies you can apply immediately. 🎤 Featuring: Tyler Denk (beehiiv), Matt McGarry (GrowLetter), Robin Re (Industry Dive), Greg Van Horn (Launch Potato), Nathan May (The Feed Media), Max Bidna (Growth Daily), Chris Miquel (Audience Bridge), and Daniel Bustamante (Ship 30 for 30). If you’re building a newsletter, email list, or media business, this event will help you create a clear, tactical plan for growth in 2026. Timestamps: 1:00 Speaker Introductions 3:06 Tyler Denk 18:20 Greg Van Horn 29:10 Nathan May  44:07 Robin Re 55:50 Chris Miquel 01:08:10 Marketing Max 01:22:57 Daniel Bustamante 1:36:56 Matt’s Takeaways  1:38:20 New Media Summit Bonus 1: Use code 'NEWMEDIA' and receive 20% off Beehiiv. Bonus 2: FREE Guide: How to get your first 1000 newsletter subscribers in 30 days. Bonus 3: Our New Media Summit promotional discount has ended — however, you can still save $400 by purchasing today with early-bird pricing. 👉 Grab your ticket to New Media Summit. New Media Summit is where today’s top speakers, media founders, newsletter operators, publishers, and marketers come together to share real tactics and build meaningful connections — and many of the experts in this event will be there. February 26-27

    1h 41m

  2. DEC 16

    15 Steps to Sell Your First Digital Product

    This episode is a complete 15-part breakdown of how to sell your first digital product from scratch. I walk through how to choose the right product, validate demand, and price it for maximum conversions. You’ll learn why you don’t need a huge audience to make real money. I also cover launch strategy, promotion timelines, and common mistakes that kill first launches. If you’re a creator, founder, or newsletter writer aiming for your first $1k–$10k launch, this is for you. Watch the full episode on YouTube linked here. Watch my monetization masterclass here. FREE Guide: How to get your first 1000 newsletter subscribers in 30 days >> Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction to Selling Digital Products 01:09 Building an Email List for Success 03:48 Understanding Your Audience's Needs 06:08 Types of Media Products 06:50 Pricing Your Product  08:15 Your Tech Setup 10:26 Overcoming the Need for Testimonials 11:31 Navigating Sales Without Being Salesy 12:25 Mastering Copywriting 13:56 Promoting Your Product Effectively 15:29 Establishing Credibility as a Seller 16:48 Your First Launch 18:26 Refunds and Customer Concerns 19:14 Creating a Minimum Viable Product 20:04 Validating Your Product Idea 20:53 Running a Pre-Sale for Your Product

    22 min

  3. DEC 5

    10 Reasons You Should Start a Newsletter in 2026 (You’re NOT Too Late)

    In this video, I break down why so many people hesitate to start a newsletter— and why that fear once held me back too. You’ll learn the biggest advantages of launching one, from owning your audience to building a scalable, high-profit media business with multiple revenue streams. I also share my full journey, including early failures, the lessons that changed everything, and how my newsletter eventually grew to 50,000+ subscribers and a multimillion-dollar business. By the end, you’ll understand not only why a newsletter can transform your income, but also how it accelerates your skills, opportunities, and long-term growth—no matter your starting point. FREE Guide: How to get your first 1000 newsletter subscribers in 30 days >> Timestamps: 00:00 Overcoming the Fear of Starting a Newsletter 00:55 The Value of Owning Your Audience 04:03 Low Startup Costs + Big Income Potential 07:31 Scalability and Major Business Potential 09:18 Multiple Revenue Streams You Can Build 12:02 Building Skills Through Publishing 15:07 The Right Motivation for Starting a Newsletter 18:45 Personal Journey, Failures & Lessons Learned 22:05 Taking Action: Launching Your Newsletter

    23 min

  4. NOV 28

    The Future of Media: Why Only 3 Platforms Will Matter

    In this Q&A, we discuss the future of media and why newsletters, YouTube, and podcasts will dominate. Matt shares his MAGIC Framework for converting social followers into email subscribers. We discuss Beehiiv’s newest features, including dynamic content, native analytics, and its ad network. The Q&A also covers paywalls, reader behavior shifts, and the biggest newsletter design mistakes. Finally, Matt explains how to know when you’ve hit content–market fit and when to use paid acquisition. FREE Guide: How to get your first 1000 newsletter subscribers in 30 days >> Timestamps & Questions: 00:00 Introduction 00:48 What do you think the future of media will look like? 04:39 How do you drive traffic from a discovery platform to your newsletter? 11:01 How do you recommend utilizing paywalls and gated content? 13:29 What’s the best new Beehiiv feature for smaller creators? 16:05 How do you know a discovery platform is working? 16:53 How should you utilize dynamic content? 19:08 Should Beehiiv integrate better with Shopify? 20:00 Does this put pressure on Kit and Substack to evolve? 22:03 What’s the most underrated moat a newsletter can have? 23:12 How will reader behavior change overtime? 25:01 How will B2B newsletter evolve? 26:38 Advice for someone sitting on an idea for 6 months? 28:32 How do you know when you have audience market fit? 30:04 When should you run paid ads? 31:53 What are the biggest design mistakes you see?

    34 min

  5. NOV 12

    What’s REALLY Worth More: Followers or Email Subscribers?

    In this episode, we break down how to build a profitable, future-proof content business. You’ll learn why email subscribers are far more valuable than social followers, how to balance content frequency and quality, and how AI is reshaping media and audience engagement. We also cover how to identify real problems that lead to valuable products and how to test newsletter ideas to find your perfect niche. FREE Guide: How to get your first 1000 newsletter subscribers in 30 days >> Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:30 How do you know if a Newsletter idea is worth pursuing?  2:15 What's more valuable: 10,000 email subscribers or 100k Instagram followers?  3:15 What are you thoughts on buying active email lists? 4:57 How do you think about frequency vs quality? 6:00 How to avoid last minute changes from sponsors?  8:25 What shift in the media industry are founders not ready for? 11:43 How do you think about community building? 14:01 How can you sell digital products to moms?  16:38 If you could only monetize your audience in one way, what would you choose? 18:33 What's a contrarian opinion you have on the newsletter industry? 19:10 How to launch a newsletter based newsletter while living abroad? 20:26 How to approach content when competitors copy you? 21:44 How do you think about standing out in a crowded market?

    24 min

  6. NOV 7

    I Ranked 30+ Newsletter Growth Tactics From Best To Worst

    In this episode, I break down 30 different newsletter growth channels—from social and search to partnerships and paid ads—and rank them based on scale, effort, and subscriber quality. I’ll share surprising data showing just how wildly subscriber value can vary between sources, plus the framework I use to evaluate conversion and lifetime value. We’ll cover channels like YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, SEO, Meta ads, cross-promotions, and more. If you’re trying to figure out which few channels to focus on for real, sustainable growth, this video will point you in the right direction. FREE Guide: How to get your first 1000 newsletter subscribers in 30 days >> Timestamps: 00:00 Overview of the Newsletter Growth Tier List 01:33 How I’m Ranking 30+ Newsletter Growth Channels 02:11 Organic Social: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Substack Notes, X, TikTok 10:42 Paid Social: Meta, LinkedIn, X, and TikTok Ads 14:41 Search & SEO: Organic vs. Google Ads 18:05 Partnerships & Collaborations: Guest Posts, Podcasts, and Cross-Promotions 24:07 Organic Growth Tactics: Referrals, Giveaways & Communities 28:52 The Worst Channels Hurting Your Newsletter 37:54 The Tier List Recap 38:53 My Recommendation  40:09 Real Data Breakdown: Conversions & Revenue per Source 45:01 What I've Learned From The Data

    48 min

  7. OCT 31

    I Helped 100 People Get 1,000 Newsletter Subscribers (Without Ads)

    In this Q&A video, I answer questions about how to start, grow, and monetize a newsletter. I explain how to get 1,000 subscribers in 30 days using my “1K Challenge,” which includes daily posting, commenting, and outreach on platforms like LinkedIn or Instagram. I cover how niche is too niche, why cross-promotions between newsletters work best when both sides match clicks, and how to measure success beyond open rates by focusing on revenue and engagement. I also share thoughts on the future of newsletters— shorter formats, weekly cadence, and using them to drive product or service sales instead of relying only on ads. FREE Guide: How to get your first 1000 newsletter subscribers in 30 days >> Episode Questions & Timestamps 00:00 Introduction & Q&A Overview 00:18 Is it possible to get 1,000 subscribers in 30 days? 09:58 How niche is too niche? 11:15 How do you approach partnerships and cross-promotions? 14:28 Can you still trust open rates and click-through rates? 17:32 How many links are too many in a newsletter? 18:20 How can you find and sell the right product to your audience? 21:56 What’s the next big shift in the newsletter industry? 24:19 Is there opportunity for newsletter aggregators?

    27 min

  8. OCT 21

    UPDATE on This Podcast, My Content, and Our New Event

    In this episode, I unveil the vision behind the new New Media Summit—our upcoming 2026 conference focused on the future of media—and how we’re leveling it up with bigger speakers, more actionable sessions, and better networking. I also share why I’m shifting to a YouTube-first content strategy in 2025, how weekly Q&A episodes fit into that plan, and why newsletters remain the backbone of our business and monetization. New Media Summit FREE Guide: How to get your first 1000 newsletter subscribers in 30 days >> Timestamps: 00:00 Podcast Direction & Content Strategy  02:21 Introducing New Media Summit  04:38 What You Can Expect This Year 06:46 Networking, Community, and Venue Experience 08:35 Our Commitment to Quality

    9 min
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5
out of 5
36 Ratings

About

Learn how to grow and monetize your newsletter! We interview the best newsletter operators, founders, and creators on how they grow their audiences and make money. Hosted by Matt McGarry and Ryan Carr.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt McGarry and Ryan Carr
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    87
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Newsletter Operator
  • Show Website
    Newsletter Operator

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