Latest / The Newsletter Podcast with Fexingo: Substack, Beehiiv, and Email Newsletter Business / How Newsletters Use Curated Lists to Drive Subscriber Growth
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this newsletter strategy that has almost zero production cost, doesn't require you to be a subject matter expert from day one, and yet consistently drives subscriber growth. I'm talking about the curated link list — basically, a newsletter that's mostly links to other people's content with a sentence or two of commentary. Luna: Right, like Morning Brew's "The Daily Brew" — it's a roundup of business news links. But isn't that just an email version of a blog roll from the 2000s? Lucas: Exactly, but the difference is execution. Morning Brew doesn't just dump links. They write a short, punchy summary for each one — often with a bit of personality — and they organize them by category: tech, finance, politics. It's a curated experience, not a firehose. And it works. Their open rates hover around 35 to 40 percent, which is well above industry average for that volume. Luna: What about a smaller creator? Can an indie newsletter pull this off without a team of curators? Lucas: Absolutely. In fact, curation is perfect for solos. Take Ben Thompson at Stratechery. His daily "News & Links" posts are just a list of articles he found interesting, each with a few sentences of analysis. That's the paid tier, by the way — free subscribers get a shorter version. It's sustainable because he's already reading the news for his main articles. The curation is basically a byproduct of his workflow. Luna: So the key is that curation should feel like a value-add, not a lazy shortcut. If readers sense you're just regurgitating headlines, they'll bounce. Lucas: That's the make or break. The commentary is what differentiates you. Even one sentence that shows your perspective — why this link matters, what it means for your niche — turns a list into editorial. I've seen a newsletter called "The Sample" that grew to 50,000 subscribers by recommending other newsletters, not even individual articles. Their whole value prop is discovery: 'Try one new newsletter each day.' That's curation at a meta level. Luna: Interesting. So they're curating newsletters themselves. That's almost like a directory service. But how do they source links without burning out? Lucas: Most successful curators build a system. They use RSS readers like Feedly, set up Google Alerts for keywords, and follow smart people on Twitter or LinkedIn. The trick is to batch your link collection — spend 20 minutes in the morning skimming, save the best ones to a document, then write the newsletter in one sitting. The Hustle, before they were acquired, had a daily links section that took their writers maybe 30 minutes to compile. It boosted their open rates by 15 percent when they added it. Luna: Fifteen percent — that's significant. Was that from a specific test or just overall trend? Lucas: They A/B tested it. The version with the links section had a 15 percent higher open rate than the version without. The theory is that links give readers a reason to click — they're snackable. If your newsletter is all long-form original content, some subscribers feel overwhelmed and skip it. But a list of five links with commentary? That's low commitment. They can scan and click what interests them. Luna: Right, it lowers the barrier to engagement. But isn't there a risk that subscribers start expecting only links and then ignore your original pieces? Lucas: That's a real concern. The solution is to use curation as a complement, not a replacement. Most successful newsletters have a hybrid model: one original long-form piece per week, plus a daily or weekly roundup of links. Stratechery does this — the main articles are deep analysis, the links are quick hits. Subscribers get both. The links actually feed into the longer pieces because they surface topics you might want to explore further. Luna: What about monetization? If your newsletter is mostly links, can you still charge for it? Lucas: Yes, but you need to add enough proprietary value. Some creators put the full curated list behind a paywall, with commentary that's more insightful than what free subscribers see. Others use the curated list as a free lead generator and reserve original analysis for paid. The key is that the curation itself becomes a filter — you're saving subscribers time by finding the best content. That's a service people will pay for if the selection is good enough. Luna: I've seen some newsletters that just aggregate links without any commentary — just headlines and URLs. Those feel spammy to me. Lucas: They usually are. Without context, you're just a bot. The best curators add a layer of personality. Take "The Morning News" by Rosecrans Baldwin and Andrew Womack — they've been doing a daily link roundup for years with witty, sometimes irreverent commentary. It's become part of the brand. Readers don't just come for the links; they come for the voice. Luna: So voice is still the differentiator, even in curation. That's reassuring for indie creators who worry they have nothing original to say. Lucas: Exactly. And there's another angle: curation can be a relationship-builder. When you link to someone's article and say something nice about it, you're likely to get on their radar. Many newsletter cross-promotions start this way. You're essentially giving them a shoutout, and they might return the favor. Luna: That's networking without the awkward cold email. I've actually seen that work — one indie creator I follow credits a link from a bigger newsletter for adding 500 subscribers in a day. Lucas: Yeah, a single mention from the right newsletter can be huge. That's why curation is also a growth strategy. When you feature other creators, they're more likely to share your newsletter with their audience. It's a low-key referral loop. Luna: But what about the time investment? You said curation can be fast, but if you're doing it daily, it still adds up. Lucas: True. The trick is to set a strict time box. I know creators who spend no more than 15 minutes curating. They scan their feeds, pick 3 to 5 links, write a sentence per link, and hit send. The consistency matters more than comprehensiveness. A daily short curation beats a weekly long one if your audience expects daily content. Luna: And for niche topics, curation can position you as a trusted filter. If I'm in B2B SaaS, I'd rather get a curated list from someone who knows the space than try to read ten blogs myself. Lucas: Exactly. That's the value proposition: 'I read everything so you don't have to.' And if you add a weekly 'best of' or a theme, it becomes even stickier. Some newsletters have a 'Friday Favorites' or 'Weekend Reads' format that's pure curation with a personal note. It's low effort but high perceived value. Luna: Alright, so if someone wants to start a curated newsletter tomorrow, what's the one piece of advice you'd give? Lucas: Start with a niche you already read obsessively. Don't pick a broad topic like 'tech' — pick 'AI for healthcare' or 'European startup funding'. Your existing reading habits are your research pipeline. Then commit to sending a daily or weekly link roundup for 30 days. Measure the open rate and click-through rate. If people engage, you've got something. If not, tweak the commentary style or the link selection. Luna: And what about tools? Any recommendations? Lucas: I like using a simple Google Doc or Notion page to collect links throughout the day. Then paste into your email platform — Beehiiv, Substack, whatever. Some platforms have built-in link preview features that make it look polished. But honestly, the tool matters less than the curation quality. Luna: That's a good point. And I think this approach really lowers the barrier to entry for new creators. You don't need to be a great writer to start — you just need good taste. Lucas: Right. Taste is the new expertise. And over time, as you add more of your own analysis, the newsletter evolves into something more original. But curation is a perfectly valid starting point. Luna: You know, talking about all these strategies, I realize how much value this show provides. We don't run ads, and that's a deliberate choice. If these marketing conversations have sparked something you've actually used, you can support the show at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a simple way to keep us ad-free and focused on the content that matters to you. Lucas: Yeah, listener support is what makes this possible. And we appreciate every coffee. Now, back to curation — because I think there's one more angle we should touch on. Luna: What's that? Lucas: The dark side of curation: attribution and ethics. If you're linking to articles, you should always credit the original source and ideally link directly. Some newsletters have been called out for essentially stealing traffic or not providing enough value back to the original creators. It's important to be a good citizen in the ecosystem. Luna: Absolutely. And there's also the risk of echo chambers — if you only link to voices you agree with, your curation becomes less useful over time. Lucas: Exactly. The best curators include perspectives they disagree with, or at least a diversity of sources. That builds trust. So if you're starting a curated newsletter, think of yourself as a filter, not a gatekeeper. Your job is to surface the most interesting and relevant content, even if it challenges your own views. Luna: That's a great note to end on. Thanks, Lucas. Lucas: Thanks, Luna. See you next time.