To Boost Or Not To Boost?

Welcome To The Orbit Marketing Newsletter 🪐

This Week We’re Diving Into:

• 🔋 To Boost Or Not To Boost: Are Paid Referral Programs Like Beehiiv Boosts and SparkLoop Upscribe a Good Idea for B2B Newsletters?

• 🎥 Why Every Founder Needs To Build “Digital Gravity”: A conversation with Cody Schneider, Co-Founder of Swell AI.

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.

Are Paid Referral Programs Like Beehiiv Boosts and SparkLoop Upscribe a Good Idea for B2B Newsletters?

One of the "fastest" ways to grow a newsletter is through paid referral programs like Beehiiv Boosts and SparkLoop Upscribe.

But is this really a good strategy for B2B newsletters? Let's take a closer look.

🧠 What Are Beehiiv Boosts and SparkLoop Upscribe?

Beehiiv Boosts and SparkLoop Upscribe are paid referral programs that allow newsletters to quickly gain new subscribers by paying to be recommended by other newsletters.

With Beehiiv Boosts, you set your own price per subscriber and tap into Beehiiv's network of newsletters to get recommended to their audiences. You only pay for active, engaged subscribers (in theory).

SparkLoop's Upscribe works similarly - you add a recommendation widget to your newsletter sign-up forms and can either swap free recommendations with partner newsletters or pay a fixed fee per referral to get access to SparkLoop's network.

Sounds great, right?

🪩 Where Paid Referrals Shine

There are a few scenarios where investing in paid newsletter referrals can make sense for B2B publishers:

1. Reaching a new audience segment - If you want to quickly reach a new type of subscriber that is outside your typical audience, paid referrals from newsletters in that niche can give you an instant headstart.

2. Accelerating growth early on - For new B2B newsletters still establishing their audience, an initial boost from paid referrals can accelerate “zero-to-one” growth and help reach critical mass faster.

3. Promoting high-value offerings - If you have a high-priced product, event, or service to promote to your newsletter subscribers, paying a premium to acquire those subscribers could pencil out.

⚠️ The Pitfalls of Paid Newsletter Referrals

However, there are some significant drawbacks to watch out for with paid B2B newsletter referrals:

1. Quality Over Quantity: Rapid subscriber growth doesn't automatically translate to high-quality leads. A flood of unengaged subscribers won't boost your open rates or conversion rates. Worse, it can hurt your sender reputation and deliverability. Remember, you're aiming for qualified leads, not just numbers.

2. Cost vs. ROI: These platforms can be expensive. While the promise of fast growth is tempting, you need to carefully analyze the cost per subscriber (CPS) and the potential return on investment (ROI). If the cost outweighs the value of the new subscribers, it's not a worthwhile investment.

3. Potential for Spam and Reduced Trust: Incentivized referrals can sometimes lead to spam-like behavior, where subscribers promote the newsletter excessively to claim rewards. This can further damage your newsletter's reputation which can be challenging to rebuild.

🧑‍⚖️ The Bottom Line: Strategic Growth, Not Just Growth

Paid referral platforms can be a tool in your B2B newsletter growth strategy, but they shouldn't be the foundation.

Instead, focus on creating high-quality, valuable content that attracts and retains your ideal customer profile. Use paid referrals strategically, targeting specific audiences and campaigns where the ROI is clear.

Think of it this way: Would you rather have 100 highly engaged, qualified leads or 1,000 disengaged, irrelevant subscribers? The answer is obvious.

At Orbit Marketing, we specialize in crafting compelling B2B newsletters that attract and convert. We understand the nuances of selling B2B and can help you build a sustainable strategy focused on quality over quantity.

Ready to take your B2B newsletter to the next level? Let's talk.

🎥 Cody Schneider: Why Every Founder Needs To Build Digital Gravity

Cody Schneider took Rupa Health from a $20M to a $110M valuation in six months.

Over the past 10 years of building companies, he amassed a significant following on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube by sharing his marketing playbooks.

As the President of Acclaim Podcast Agency, he has successfully grown numerous podcasts, achieving Top 20 rankings for shows like The Root Cause Medicine Podcast and The Biotech Startups Podcast.

In this video, you’ll learn:

• 📈 Why Email is Still King: Cody shares how pairing cold email, nurture sequences, and newsletters can drive massive growth—even in industries that overlook email marketing.

• 🎙️ Podcast + Newsletter Synergy: Discover how combining podcasting and newsletters makes sales conversations easier and more productive.

• 🔄 The Analytics Flywheel: Learn Cody’s framework for analyzing data, iterating quickly, and capitalizing on growth spurts to maximize return on effort.

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. Tune Into The Orbit Marketing Podcast - Actionable tips and insights on email marketing, directly from industry leaders. Listen now.