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What is your newsletter called?
<a href="https://deliverabilitydefined.kit.com/profile" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deliverability Dispatch</a>
When did you start this newsletter?
11/18/22
Why did you start this newsletter?
I actually had no intention of starting a newsletter! I was testing out our new editor features, specifically layouts, and was having so much fun making an email look beautiful. It was such an enjoyable experience that it made me want to start my own newsletter!
What has been your best newsletter growth strategy?
The biggest thing that’s led to growth for me is partnering with Nathan Barry (our CEO). Nathan added my newsletter to his recommendations so that whenever someone <a href="https://nathanbarry.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signs up to his newsletter</a>, a pop-up appears and asks if they would like to subscribe to my newsletter too. This has been a game changer for my list growth!
About how many subscribers did you have before Nathan recommended you?
Before Nathan recommended me, I had 138 subscribers.
When did Nathan start recommending you?
During one of our 1:1s, I mentioned that I’d started a newsletter and was looking forward to <a href="https://kit.com/features/recommendations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">growing with Recommendations</a>. Nathan generously added me to his list of Recommendations right then and there. I started seeing new subscribers roll in almost instantly!
What did you feel like when you found out?
I felt really honored that Nathan would recommend my newsletter to his subscribers. I know how important it is for creators to have trust from their audience. This means it’s important that if you recommend something to your audience, you’re confident that it will provide them value. Nathan recommending my newsletter to his audience felt like a huge compliment.
I was also really excited about the mystery of how many subscribers this would add to my list. I had no idea what to expect.
What changes did you start to notice after he started recommending you?
Once Nathan started recommending me, I received a steady trickle of subscribers every day. So far, those subscribers are highly engaged and seem to be a great fit for my content.
No one that Nathan has recommended to my list has unsubscribed.
How would being a part of a network of creators help you in your creator journey?
Growing your email list is hard. You can promote it to your audience on other channels like social media, podcast listeners, etc., but your own existing audience is only so big.
Connecting with other creators to help each other grow expands the audience you’re able to promote your own newsletter to.
Not only that, but these new potential subscribers are introduced to you by another creator they already love and trust.
Growth becomes much easier and faster once you’re able to <a href="https://creatornetwork.kit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collaborate with other creators</a> to grow together.
About how many subscribers have you gotten from Nathan’s recommendation?
I’ve received 64 subscribers from Nathan recommending me so far, which is 46% list growth. And he started recommending me just a month ago!
How has him recommending you changed things for you?
While my number of subscribers is still relatively small, Nathan recommending me has led to consistent list growth every day, which is extremely motivating.
Without Nathan recommending me, I would rarely be receiving new subscribers.
It takes so much work to <a href="https://kit.com/resources/blog/create-newsletter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">create a newsletter</a> each week and honestly, I don’t know that I would have kept going without the subscriber growth I’ve experienced from recommendations.
Each time a new subscriber joins my list, it provides motivation to keep going, keep writing, keep sending.
Even if I only get one new subscriber a day, the slow build is significant enough to keep my newsletter going.
How does it feel to have someone recommending your newsletter like this?
It feels wonderful! When someone recommends your newsletter, especially another creator you admire, it instills a sense of confidence in your work.
What does this mean for you when it comes to the personal goals you have for why you started this newsletter in the first place? 
The subscriber growth I’ve gained from Nathan’s recommendations has validated the idea of my newsletter and the fact that it can provide value to other creators.
Sometimes it feels like email deliverability is too niche and that not very many people are interested, but the fact that it’s resonating with Nathan’s audience is a great signal for me to keep going.
What advice do you have for any other creators looking to be a part of the creator network?
My advice would be to find creators who share similar interests, focuses, or subscribers that you do.
A question that you can ask yourself is: what are other newsletters some of my subscribers are probably signed up for? Once you have an idea, connect with those creators and start recommending each other!

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