In partnership with
Smarter Marketing Starts Here
Most marketers waste money on channels that don’t actually drive results. The secret? Incrementality.
Our free ebook, Unlocking Incrementality: A Guide for Marketing Success, shows you how to measure what really moves the needle—so you can stop guessing and start scaling.
Inside, you’ll discover:
The difference between attribution and true incrementality
Proven testing methods to measure real impact
How to double down on the channels that actually work
Case studies from top brands already seeing outsized ROI
Don’t just run campaigns. Run campaigns that count.
Read time: 3 mins
Requirement: Social media
Insideletters helps you build a 1 person newsletter business. 3X weekly.
I don’t know why, but it’s so hot here. It’s almost November.
I’m a winter fanboy, and it’s still to come. I can’t wait for it.
But in this hot weather, let’s discuss a hot topic: ‘How to get your first 50 paying subscribers’.
Before that, I’d appreciate your help. Reply to this email and let me know whether you’re actually enjoying my newsletter or not. Thanks, let’s goooo!
Getting your first 50 paying subscribers is the hardest part of building a newsletter business.
After that, everything becomes easier because you have proof that people are willing to pay for what you write.
In the journey of getting your first 50, you’ll learn how to build your community, get tons of feedback, and find your best fans.
And most surprisingly, do you know what exactly you need? You just need to solve a painful problem and make people trust that you are the one who can solve each of their problems.
So here’s a step-by-step guide for you to acquire your first 50 paying clients.
Step 1: Start with a painful problem
99% of the newsletter creators I’ve seen start by thinking about what they want to write.
That’s not the ideal way. Instead, you should start with what people already want to read. Quora and Reddit are the best possible places for this.
Find a single problem that your readers are struggling with.
It could be how to grow their business, manage money, stay productive, or live better.
Then build your newsletter around solving that one problem in simple ways. People pay when your writing saves them time and effort in their lives or work.
Step 2: Build trust with free content first
Before people pay, they need to believe your free stuff is worth their time. Well, Insideletter gives you everything you need to build a 1 person newsletter business.
Similarly,
Focus on writing free issues that teach them and guide them. Show your thinking process, break down examples, and prove that you know your topic well.
Free content builds trust. Once readers trust your free emails, some of them will be ready to pay to go deeper. Because it’s easy to gather knowledge but hard to implement.
Step 3: Create just one reason to stay
You need 1000s of reasons to hold them.
Just one strong reason. If you’re making it paid, then…
Your paid version should include exclusive strategies, case studies, templates, or private 1-1 hot seat calls/something valuable.
Make it clear what paid readers get that free readers don’t. In simple language, ‘The free version shows what works. The paid version shows how to do it step by step.’ That simple difference makes someone decide to join.
Join the Insideletter community where I hand hold you to build your 1 person newsletter business.
Step 4: Use personal outreach
One thing that worked the best for me when it comes to subscriber growth is reaching out to the people on social media.
And I want you to do the same in this context. At the start, you don’t need to spend money on promotion. You only need to reach out to people who already know you, like your work, or are interested in your topic.
Send personal messages to 50 to 100 people who might find your content valuable. Don’t try to hard sell anything. Just share what you’re building, explain why it matters, and invite them to try it.
Many of your first 50 paying subscribers will come from direct conversations.
Step 5: Show proof early and often
People don’t buy just because of benefits.
They buy because they see proof that it works. Share screenshots, replies, or stories from readers who got results from your free or paid content.
Talk about what you’re learning, not just what you’re teaching. Proof builds trust faster than promises.
Even if your audience is small, showing small wins makes your newsletter feel valuable.
Step 6: Make it easy to pay
One of the most disgusting things is when people don’t add the unsubscribe link and send unwanted emails. Legally, it’s prohibited, but people never change. Well..
You shouldn’t make the same mistake, because getting users and retention is the hardest thing.
Add your payment or subscribe button in every email and on your social profiles. Most importantly, keep your pricing simple.
When people don’t have to think too much, they act faster. Many newsletter writers lose early subscribers simply because they make it hard to buy.
Step 7: Ask for feedback and improve
I don’t know how many times I’ve said this, but I’ll repeat it again.
Beg for feedback. Even after getting paid, never stop doing this. Remember, I did it too, check above, and please give me feedback.
Ask them why they joined and what they want more of.
Their answers will help you improve faster than any growth hack. Use that feedback to shape your next issues and make paying readers feel like part of the process.
It will never fail you.
Hope it was valuable for you.
Anirban ‘helping you get your first 50 paying subscribers’ Das.
Do you think this newsletter is helpful for your friends? You can ask them to sign up! It’s always free.
Check out my other newsletters:
Learn about the BTS of my newsletter.
Find the offbeat weekend travel spots in India.
