👋 Hello newsletter enthusiasts,

Let’s dive deep into Go-to-Millions, a newsletter created by Ari Murray, Chief Growth Officer at Sharma Brands and Go-to-Market… or Go-to-Millions? 🙃 (GTM) operator who has “had a hand in launching and growing some of the biggest brands in the world,”

Her newsletter, Go-to-Millions, reaches over 42,000 readers. It keeps you up to date on all things Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) and marketing, three times a week!

Murray also has a podcast and “academy” where you can learn more about building websites that convert, and get live feedback on your own site.

Murray is also a part of Workweek, “a new kind of media company” with ~20 creators with various offerings in different spaces like Marketing, Finance, etc.

As described by Workweek, “Every business decision today is influenced by content — but it's not just newspaper articles or dull white papers. Today, individual content creators make an impact with tweets, newsletters, memes, and more. Workweek is a growing collective of industry experts who are changing the world of business by creating content you'll actually enjoy,”

We’ll walk through some high-level flows for the Go-to-Millions newsletter below.

🐾 Thank you for reading, stay pawsome.

🔑 Key observations

• Content diversification: Go-to-Millions enhances engagement by exploring various content avenues, whether that’s the newsletter, a podcast or an educational course, catering to various audience preferences.

• Balanced branding: Within Workweek, Go-to-Millions maintains its unique voice while contributing to the collective brand identity, demonstrating a strategic balance between individuality and cohesiveness.

• Seamless sponsorship integration: The newsletter features integrated sponsorships, being mindful of readers' experience and potentially enhancing engagement.

• Dynamic audience interaction: Through tools like surveys and a job board, Go-to-Millions takes a responsive engagement strategy, aiming to provide direct value and evolve based on reader feedback and needs.

• Strategic content timing: The tailored content cadence acknowledges readers' varying daily schedules, optimizing engagement by aligning content depth and type with the day of the week. For example, sending a longer email on Sunday because readers may have more time to read.

🟡 Landing page

Upon encountering Go-to-Millions and Workweek, users typically arrive at a landing page, inviting them to subscribe to the newsletter.

Consistent, yet distinctive

Each landing page within Workweek's ecosystem maintains brand consistency while allowing individual newsletters to showcase their unique flair. The standard layout spotlights the category, the name of the newsletter, a brief description, a sign-up box and the creator's photograph.

Strategic design for subscriber conversion

Almost all roads point to a newsletter sign up.

Workweek's landing pages are fine-tuned for conversion, with nearly every element placed to guide visitors toward newsletter sign-up. With an array of 28 out of roughly 37 clickable elements on the homepage designed to lead users towards a subscription, the architecture prioritizes capturing reader interest efficiently.

Whether you're exploring general areas like “Creators”, “Industries”, or specific “Newsletters”, the narrative is consistent: you’re never really more than a step away from a subscription invite. This approach amplifies sign-up opportunities, ensuring that roughly 75% of user navigation options funnel towards newsletter engagement.

Observation

In essence, the landing page strategy employed by Workweek is a testament to thoughtful design, where user engagement is maximized by a blend of consistency and individual creator charisma. Every click is a calculated nudge towards subscription, highlighting the platform's commitment to building a robust newsletter readership.

📧 Sign up flow

There are various ways to sign up for Go-to-Millions:

• The hub: Workweek homepage

• Directly: Go-to-Millions page

• Via social: Linktree

After subscribing, subscribers encounter an (optional) additional step: a survey presented with “Required” fields in red, juxtaposed against a “Thanks for subscribing” header.

This created a little bit of confusion.

Technically, it’s not an extra step in the sign up process since a Welcome email is dispatched shortly thereafter affirming a successful newsletter sign up, but again, it created a little bit of confusion.

In general, surveys, particularly during a sign-up process, can deter potential readers.

It’s a balance: You want to avoid overwhelming new subscribers while gathering insightful data to tailor content effectively, or gather a deeper understanding of readers.

If the value of providing this information is clear, subscribers are likely to engage despite the minor inconvenience.

It's worth experimenting with the sign-up flow to find the sweet spot between gathering valuable insights and not overwhelming potential subscribers.

✔️ Confirmation method

When signing up for a newsletter, you often encounter various methods to confirm your subscription, such as selecting the correct image to prove you're not a robot or checking your email for further instructions.

After signing up for Go-to-Millions, there didn’t appear to be a visible CAPTCHA or prompt to “check the inbox for a confirmation email”. You are redirected to the survey highlighted above with the “Thanks for subscribing” copy at the top of the landing page.

Again, this was a little confusing if this survey was required to receive the newsletter, but a couple of minutes later a Welcome email arrived, reaffirming the subscription.

👋 Welcome email

Not long after subscribing, new readers are greeted with a friendly Welcome email.

The email highlights:

• Who is writing Go-to-Millions, with a little background information on the writer.

• When you can expect to receive Go-to-Millions (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday).

• What to expect to receive: “…we’ll chat about our SHOPPING ADDICTIONS (oops, I mean Go-to-Market strategy + how to build & operate 7+ figure brands online).”

In our analysis of newsletter Welcome emails, it was common to feature tips to ensure the newsletter lands in your inbox, like “moving to Primary”.

For Go-to-Millions, Murray asks for you to reply to the email, and provides a question for the reader to answer:

This can help with deliverability as well as provide some interesting insights from readers.

The Welcome email is a great opportunity to establish expectations for subscribers and offer additional avenues for engagement.

Regardless of the specific content you choose to include in your Welcome email, one crucial aspect is the timing. Sending the Welcome email shortly after sign-up is key.

📅 Depends on the day of the week

Consistent, yet flexible

Each edition of Go-to-Millions, sent every Wednesday, Friday, Sunday and occasionally on other days, adheres to consistent branding. However, it ensures novelty by introducing unique elements in each issue.

Opening greeting and subject line

With a consistent “Bonjour Millionaire” greeting and a simple yet noticeable “🍀” emoji in the subject line, Go-to-Millions strikes a familiar but engaging tone right from the start. The subject line's brevity ensures it’s easily digestible at a glance, inviting readers into the content.

Content tailored to the day

The content structure varies, but here are some general sections we noticed:

Wednesday:

• On copywriting

• On funnel hacking

• On websites

• On shopping lol

• On branding

• On growth

Or a dive into a topic like ad creative with various examples. In this scenario, there tends to be a sponsor near the top and maybe bottom.

Friday:

The preheader tends to mention “READ TIME: 2 MINUTES” specifically for the Friday sends.

• Go-to-market tip of the week

• Meme of the week

• Tool of the week

• Added to my wish list this week

• Brand of the week

• Website of the week

• So long, farewell!

Sunday:

These sends tend to be a little longer. It might be “swipe file-esque?” or a library of ad examples, or something like “Ask Ari”.

Cadence and timeliness

When you start a newsletter, or as you send newsletters, you think about cadence.

Is it a daily newsletter?

What about a weekly newsletter?

Or how about an every other day newsletter?

As you explore this, think about how each send can bring value to the reader.

The Go-to-Million’s decision to deep dive into a topic on Sundays may be based on the assumption that readers have more time on Sundays to engage with a subject, versus on a Wednesday.

If you’re sending newsletters X amount of times a week, will each send be the exact same, or can you add something unique to the send? How much flexibility can be built in to account for timeliness and relevance?

Go-to-Millions is pretty consistent throughout the week with voice, tone and overall messaging, but they may do something unique depending on what’s going on in the world.

For example, they did a “SEASONAL PRODUCT DROP STRATEGY” in one of their newsletters focused on autumn and pumpkin spice with an example of what Ari would do.

It’s timely, fits the newsletter and brings in the unique voice of the writer. This showcases how timely references can make content more relatable and engaging.

🤝 Sponsorships

Go-to-Millions featured a variety of different sponsors across industries, but the format was mainly text-only besides some sponsors having a logo at the top of the email.

This really took a “integration over interruption” approach.

Instead of stark, visually striking ads, readers encounter sponsored content that feels like a natural continuation of the newsletter itself.

Here are some examples

Example featuring Motion:

Example featuring Tandym:

Despite being Sponsored Content, it blends in with Go-to-Million’s voice and tone. This makes it feel less like a traditional advertisement and more like an extension of a conversation Go-to-Millions is already having with its readers.

This approach makes advertisements feel less disruptive, potentially increasing reader engagement with the sponsored material.

Navigating the editorial and promotional balance

Incorporating sponsored content into your newsletter is a big decision.

If you choose to do so, you may need to consider whether you want to edit the copy provided by the brands. This decision can sometimes feel like treading the line between editorial integrity and advertising.

It seems like the ultimate goal is to integrate sponsored content without it feeling like a disruption. Achieving this balance can help preserve the engagement of your audience.

In summary, Go-to-Millions exemplifies a blend of content and sponsorship. By integrating advertisements in a non-disruptive manner and maintaining a consistent narrative style, they create a space where promotional material feels less like an ad and more like an informed suggestion.

This subtle strategy could potentially create a more positive reception and engagement from readers, but depends on your newsletter and your goals.

💻 Job board

The concept of job boards embedded within newsletters is not just a trend, but an evolution that aligns with the inherent nature of newsletters.

Just as newsletters can offer niche, curated content to subscribers, a job board within this setting has the potential to offer specialized opportunities that cater to a specific audience.

Go-to-Millions and Workweek have stepped into this domain, hinting at the potential it sees.

The Job Board is mentioned on the Go-to-Millions page on Workweek, but not really in the newsletter. It also seems to be a Job Board shared across Workweek creators and not inherent to Go-to-Millions.

It appears the Job Board might be something they’re working on expanding considering the Job Board is currently empty. And with its understated presence in the newsletter, it might be an indication that Go-to-Millions and Workweek are setting the stage for a more extensive rollout in the future.

Rationale behind newsletter job boards

Targeted audience: Newsletters, especially those as specialized as Go-to-Millions, are adept at reaching a specific demographic. By integrating a job board, they are creating a pathway for companies to tap into this audience.

Diverse revenue streams: While sponsorships can be an effective monetization strategy for newsletters, job boards represent an additional avenue to generate income, further diversifying the revenue model.

Value proposition: A tailored job board doesn’t just benefit the newsletter and the hiring companies; it also offers subscribers access to curated opportunities aligned with their interests and expertise.

Crafting a resonant Job Board

Curated and cohesive: The power of a newsletter's job board is in its ability to offer specialized listings that align with the reader. A scattered approach with random listings may dilute its effectiveness. In contrast, a thoughtfully curated board can elevate the reader experience.

Consistency with newsletter’s ethos: Just as the content of Go-to-Millions is crafted with care, the job board should mirror its ethos. It should feel like a seamless extension of the newsletter, rather than an add-on.

In conclusion, the journey of Go-to-Millions' and Workweek Job Board is still in its early days, and its full potential is yet to be realized. However, with the right strategy and execution, it may enhance the newsletter's offering, creating a win-win scenario for the platform, advertisers and subscribers alike.

🔍 Surveys

Surveys can be a crucial tool for newsletters like Go-to-Millions, serving as a bridge between the creators and their audience. They facilitate a deeper understanding of subscriber preferences, guiding content strategy and potentially influencing business decisions such as sponsorships and referral programs.

Post sign-up survey

Go-to-Millions introduces a survey immediately after sign-up, seeking to glean insights from readers right from the onset. However, its optional nature and the timing — situated between the sign-up and the welcome email — may lead to overlooked participation.

Strategically, sending a follow-up survey about a day after the subscription could capture more responses. This delay allows readers to experience the newsletter content and provide more informed feedback.

Purpose-driven data

Surveys, especially those for new subscribers, should be designed with clear objectives. Whether it's to understand demographic data, reading preferences or feedback on potential initiatives like a Referral Program (which Go-to-Millions recently did), each question should serve a purpose.

The insights gathered are not just numbers but a guide that can shape content personalization, enhance reader satisfaction and even inform sponsorship strategies, ensuring they resonate with the audience's interests.

On the advertising front

Surveys can influence the “Advertise with Us” narrative. By showcasing reader demographics, preferences and feedback, Go-to-Millions can provide data-driven insights to sponsors, demonstrating a deeper understanding of their audience.

This targeted approach not only strengthens the value proposition for current and potential sponsors but also ensures that advertising content is relevant and engaging for readers.

The unsubscribe survey

We believe in making it as easy as possible to unsubscribe. If you don’t want to receive the content you previously opted-in for any more, it should take minimal steps to unsubscribe.

Post successfully unsubscribing, some brands incorporate an optional survey to help share feedback on why they unsubscribed which can be helpful. Understanding why readers choose to unsubscribe can provide as much insight as knowing why they subscribed.

This feedback can be crucial for any iterative process, offering real-time cues for improvement.

Conclusion

Surveys are more than just questionnaires; they are conversations with subscribers. For newsletters, these dialogues can be helpful in navigating the balance between engaging content and data-driven business decisions.

They inform content strategy, business expansions and reader retention efforts. However, their timing, frequency, and relevance should be calibrated to ensure they are insightful, not intrusive.

➕ Expanding beyond newsletters

Go-to-Millions’ ecosystem extends into other realms of content, leveraging various formats to engage its audience and provide additional value.

Podcast

Go-to-Millions ventured into podcasting at the beginning of 2023. However, with the last episode dating back to April 18, 2023, and a library of ~13 episodes, the initiative seems to be on a hiatus. Despite the pause, the existing content — a click away from the newsletter's email footer — represents a reservoir of insights, likely echoing the newsletter's voice and themes.

The Academy

The brand also branches out into education with the Million Dollar Website Academy. This high-value offering, priced at around $949, punctuates the regular newsletter content, presenting subscribers with an opportunity for deeper, more structured learning. The Academy, presumably, builds on the newsletter's content, providing more comprehensive, actionable guidance.

Workweek: A symphony of niches

Beyond its individual ventures, Go-to-Millions fits into the larger mosaic of Workweek — a platform seemingly focused on the art of content from individuals.

Workweek's strategy underscores the power of targeted content, with each newsletter, including Go-to-Millions, catering to specific audience segments while upholding the platform's overarching aesthetic and quality standards.

This approach not only preserves individual writer authenticity but fosters a diverse community of readers.

Observations

Through its auxiliary content avenues, Go-to-Millions illustrates an important strategy: extending audience engagement beyond the primary content offering. Whether through the potentially temporary pause in podcasting or the more substantial commitment of its Academy, the brand maintains touchpoints with its audience. These initiatives, directly and indirectly, enhance the brand's value proposition, offering varied content consumption modes and learning opportunities.

Moreover, Go-to-Millions' existence within the Workweek umbrella is a testament to thoughtful, strategic content curation and niche targeting. Each entity under Workweek resonates with a distinct audience subset, yet all align with the parent brand's ethos — creating a harmonious balance between individuality and collective identity.

❓Question

Thank you to everyone who answered in the previous newsletter and provided feedback!

🐶 Pawsitive vibes

💌 Thanks for joining the pack of newsletter enthusiasts! Keep on reading, writing and sharing your newsletters with the world.

Also want to shoutout folks that have been sharing their feedback with us. Thank you!

🎉 Have a great weekend!