Podboxer - 🎧 Marketplace in an email

Newsletter business model

From Zero to $10,000 a Month with a Niche Newsletter and Directory

The Side Hustle Show is a great podcast with a huge back catalogue of episodes. A lot of the hustles started out small and grew into full time revenue streams. Like this one I listened to last weekend.

I'm a big fan of email newsletters and how they can form the core of a business model. So this episode was very interesting...

Andrew Allemann talks to host Nick Loper about building his podcast guest business using email and an online directory.

It's a low overhead, low touch business that's tapped into the growing podcast trend.

Lessons learned

• Andrew's idea came from needing an affordable solution to his own problem - finding more guests for his podcast. Your own problems are a good place to get an idea.
• The model he came up with is similar to Help a Reporter Out (HARO). You don't need to reinvent the business model. Take what works and apply to a different market. Then iterate.
• The MVP was built with simple no-code tools: Google forms, Mailchimp, Leadpages. And a cheap logo from Fiverr. Although he went big spending $300 on the domain name.
• To get the first podcast hosts signed up to his service, he cold emailed. But not mass sending  a template - he personalized each one. Cold email works when it's done the right way.
• To get the email addresses he outsourced to a freelancer. If you have the funds, leverage other people's time and talents.
• Once he got some revenue traction, Andrew built systems to automate and outsource the business so he can be almost completely hands off.
• Aside from paid channels, Andrew attracts attention from a guide he wrote. Even his competition recommends it to people. If you're going to use a lead magnet, make it epic.

The name is more important than you think

• According to Louise, other than the business model, the name is the most strategic decision you'll ever make.
• "Break out or blend in" - there's so much noise right now, you have to stand out.
• You want a name that pulls focus and creates a feeling.
• Make up a name, mess around with the letters. As long as it feels right.
• Removing a vowel from a name isn't a great idea - can be hard to say, hard to spell. And difficult to create a story around.
• Sound hierarchy discussion was interesting - how a name feels when you say it. Does it feel big or small?
• Unexpectedness in a name - you're in the attention economy so stand out.
• When testing names, leave your ego behind and let the market tell you what's sticky.

• What / who is my brand for?
• What’s the change I’m trying to make?
• What’s the story I want people to tell?
• What’s the sentiment I want people to feel?