He hit 7k subs in 2 weeks (Elon helped)

Welcome To The Orbit Marketing Newsletter 🪐 

This Week We’re Diving Into:

• 🧠 Growing Your Newsletter from Scratch: Learn the playbook Nic Conley used to get 7,000 subs for his newsletter in only two weeks.

• 🔗 How to Tap Into LinkedIn to Grow Your Email List: Breaking down Carlos Gill’s profile-SEO, group-hacking, and LinkedIn Live tactics.

Read time: 4 minutes

At Orbit Marketing, we’ve helped 50+ businesses launch weekly newsletters. If you are struggling to nurture your prospects, stay top of mind, or publish consistent content, click here to learn more about how we can help.

How Nic Conley Grew “The Follow Up” To 7,000 Newsletter Subscribers in Two Weeks

Building a B2B newsletter to 7,000 subscribers usually takes months of grinding.

Nic Conley did it in two weeks.

Let's break down his exact playbook and explore which of his experimental growth tactics defied conventional timelines.

These insights come from this interview on Louis Shulman's YouTube channel. Watch the full breakdown here.

🗣️ The Word-of-Mouth Engine

Nic's launch included a simple but effective referral program with rewards for sharing.

This approach, inspired by Morning Brew's famous referral system, tapped into three powerful forces:

• Trust multiplier. A link from a colleague lands warmer than any ad copy.

• Built‑in distribution. Every new reader became a recruiter via a personal link.

• Compounding curve. Once the list found product–audience fit, referrals drove a sizable chunk with zero ad spend.

Referral programs work best when you already have some traction or a compelling hook. They amplify existing momentum rather than creating it from scratch.

✍️ Making Content That Triggers Responses

Most newsletters track open rates. Nic tracks replies.

He avoids tired topics like "Is cold calling dead?" and instead writes actionable, evergreen sales strategies, like price anchoring techniques or real-world case studies.

His content is designed to start a conversation. When a reader hits reply, it signals true engagement. They did not just consume the content. They connected with it.

The takeaway is simple. Write content you would want to read and respond to.

When in doubt, focus on telling a true story from your own life experience.

💰 Paid Ads That Actually Worked

While most newsletter creators struggle with paid acquisition, Nic found success with Facebook and Twitter ads.

Facebook ads: Reliable for B2B when you know your audience. Nic could target specific job titles, company sizes, and interests related to B2B sales.

Twitter ads: Nic capitalized on a brief window of opportunity after Elon's takeover. Nic was getting subscribers for 30-40 cents during a two-to-three-month period when the platform was pushing aggressively for new advertisers.

The lesson: Paid ads can work, but timing and channel fit matter. Don't expect magic if your targeting or offer is weak.

🛠 Put It to Work This Week

🔹 Draw a tight fence. Pick one micro-vertical and commit to serving only that audience for 90 days. The newsletter name, examples, and CTAs should all scream “made for us.”
🔹 Build a two-tier referral ladder. Reward 3 referrals with a quick-win resource (checklist, swipe file).
🔹 Schedule a weekly “reply check.” After each send, spend 30 minutes responding to (and saving) every meaningful reader email. Use those replies as raw material for future topics.
🔹 Retire one cliché topic. Identify a worn-out headline in your niche (“Is cold calling dead?”) and replace it with a real story or fresh tactic you’d forward to a friend.

Want to go deeper?

Watch the full interview with Nic Conley on Louis’ YouTube channel.

How to Tap Into LinkedIn to Grow Your Email List

Carlos Gill (best-selling author, former LinkedIn insider, and GetResponse evangelist) shows why the world’s largest professional network is still the fastest way to funnel qualified leads into your newsletter.

In this mini-workshop, you’ll learn:

• ♟️ Profile SEO That Pulls Leads In: Front-load your headline with buyer keywords, then swap your public website link for a direct newsletter opt-in page

• 🎯 Group Hacking for Warm Outreach: Join up to 50 industry groups; every member instantly becomes a “mutual” you can DM or invite without a cold pitch.

• 🔗 Conversation → Conversion Messaging: How to maximize public thread replies into conversion opportunities.

Whenever you are ready, here’s how we can help you:

1. Done-For-You Weekly Newsletter - Start a weekly publication to nurture your prospects on auto-pilot, build authority, and stay top of mind. Learn more.

2. Prefer To Write Your Newsletter Yourself? - Get a free trial of our our newest product, Orbit Flows. Learn more.

3. Join The Orbit Marketing Partner Program - Learn more about how to partner with Orbit Marketing. Get more info.