Latest / The Newsletter Podcast with Fexingo: Substack, Beehiiv, and Email Newsletter Business / How Newsletters Use Podcasts to Grow Their Subscriber Base
Transcript
- Lucas: So you're a newsletter creator. You've got a few thousand subscribers, open rates are solid, but growth has plateaued. You could spend more time on SEO or social media, but everyone's fighting for attention in the same feeds. Luna: Sounds like the classic plateau. What's the move? Lucas: The move might be podcasting. Not as a distraction, but as a deliberate growth channel for the newsletter itself. And I've got a case that makes the numbers pretty concrete. Luna: Alright, I'm listening. Who's the case? Lucas: Lenny Rachitsky. He writes Lenny's Newsletter on business, product, and growth. Has something like 800,000 subscribers now. But about two years ago, he started a companion podcast called Lenny's Podcast. Luna: Right, I've seen that. He interviews product leaders and such. Lucas: Exactly. And in a recent breakdown, he shared that about 20 percent of his new newsletter subscribers come directly through the podcast. Either they hear him interview someone, they like the content, and they sign up from the show notes or a mention. Luna: Okay, that's a pretty clear channel. But 20 percent — is that incremental, or is it cannibalizing other channels? Lucas: He says it's incremental. The podcast audience is often different from the blog audience — people who prefer listening while commuting or working out. And once they subscribe, they're actually more engaged. Luna: More engaged how? Lucas: Lenny reports that podcast-originated subscribers have a 30 percent higher retention rate after six months compared to subscribers from social media. They're more likely to open emails and click through. Luna: That's interesting. So the audio connection builds a stronger relationship? Lucas: That's the theory. You get the person's voice, the conversational tone, the personality. It's harder to ignore than a text email. And Lenny is not alone — I've seen similar patterns from Morning Brew's podcast spinoffs and even smaller creators on Substack who offer audio versions. Luna: But what about the production cost? Podcasting takes time. Editing, hosting, distribution. For a solo newsletter writer, is it worth the investment? Lucas: That's the key question. Lenny himself says he spends about 10 hours per episode, including prep, recording, and editing. But he also repurposes that content heavily — clips for social media, transcripts for SEO, quotes for the newsletter. Luna: So it's not just a podcast, it's a content engine. Lucas: Exactly. And the cost can be low if you keep it simple. You don't need a studio. A decent USB microphone, a quiet room, and a tool like Riverside or Zoom to record remote interviews. Hosting on something like Buzzsprout or Transistor runs maybe 20 bucks a month. Luna: But for someone just starting, maybe 10 hours is a lot. Is there a lighter version? Lucas: There is. Some creators just record an audio version of their newsletter — a straight read with a bit of commentary. Substack and Beehiiv both have built-in audio features for that. It takes maybe an extra hour per issue. Luna: And that drives growth too? Lucas: Smaller effect, but yes. I've seen data from Beehiiv showing that newsletters with audio versions have about a 5 to 10 percent higher conversion rate from free to paid. Because paid subscribers expect a premium experience, and audio feels like a bonus. Luna: So if I'm a newsletter writer, I could start with audio versions, and then graduate to a full interview podcast once I have the bandwidth. Lucas: That's exactly the ladder. Start with simple audio. See if your audience engages. Then, when you have a backlog of content and a sense of what topics resonate, launch a podcast that expands on the newsletter's themes. Luna: Let's talk about cross-promotion. How do you actually use the podcast to get newsletter signups without being annoying? Lucas: The most effective method is a dedicated call to action in the podcast intro and outro. Lenny does a simple 'If you like this, subscribe to my newsletter at lennysnewsletter.com' — short, direct, no hard sell. He also includes a link in the show notes and sometimes mentions a specific article that listeners can read after. Luna: And what about embedding podcast clips in the newsletter itself? Lucas: That's becoming more common. You can embed a 30-second clip from a recent episode that teases a topic, then link to the full episode. It increases click-through rates because it adds audio variety to the email. I've seen some creators get a 15 percent lift in clicks just from adding a playable clip. Luna: That makes sense. It breaks up the text, gives the reader a different experience. But what about the flip side — using the newsletter to promote the podcast? Lucas: Absolutely. That's the virtuous cycle. In the newsletter, you can include a 'Listen to the full conversation' section. It drives podcast listens, which in turn drives more newsletter signups. It's a loop. Luna: But you have to be careful not to overdo it. If every email is pushing the podcast, people might unsubscribe. Lucas: Right. The ratio matters. Lenny does one mention per email, usually at the bottom. And he only promotes episodes that are directly relevant to the newsletter topic. If the newsletter is about growth metrics, the podcast episode should also be about growth metrics. Luna: So alignment is key. Lucas: Exactly. And here's another thing — you can use the podcast to test topics. If an episode gets a lot of engagement, you know that topic resonates. Then you can write a deeper newsletter on it. It's like a focus group in real time. Luna: That's smart. I've noticed some creators also repurpose podcast transcripts into blog posts or LinkedIn articles. It multiplies the content. Lucas: Exactly. A single podcast episode can generate: the audio file, a transcript, a blog post, 5 to 10 social media clips, quotes for the newsletter, and maybe even a video clip if you record video. That's a lot of mileage from 10 hours of work. Luna: But let's be realistic — not everyone is Lenny Rachitsky. He has a large audience already. For a smaller creator, will podcasting actually move the needle? Lucas: That's a fair point. The numbers are smaller, but the principle still works. I talked to a creator with about 5,000 subscribers who started a podcast six months ago. She said it now drives about 10 percent of new signups. Not huge, but it's additive. And the podcast itself has built a community that comments on episodes. Luna: So the podcast becomes another touchpoint. And if you're building a business, more touchpoints usually mean better retention. Lucas: Right. And the podcast also opens up sponsorship revenue. Some newsletter creators find that advertisers are more willing to sponsor a podcast than a newsletter, because audio ads have high recall rates. Luna: That's an interesting revenue diversification angle. Lucas: It is. But if you're going that route, you need consistent listenership — at least a few thousand downloads per episode — to attract sponsors. For most, it's better to focus on the subscriber growth first. Luna: And that circles back to the core question: should every newsletter creator start a podcast? Or is it only for certain niches? Lucas: I think it works best for newsletters that are personality-driven or interview-based. If your newsletter is purely analytical, data-heavy, or very short, a podcast might not add much. But if you have opinions, stories, or guests, audio is a natural extension. Luna: So it's about fit. And the willingness to invest time upfront with no guarantee of return. Lucas: Exactly. But the trend is clear. More newsletter platforms are adding audio features. Substack has its own podcast hosting now. Beehiiv lets you add audio to posts. The infrastructure is getting easier. Luna: And it's all about meeting people where they are. Some people just prefer to listen. Lucas: Right. And if you can capture that audience, you're building a more resilient subscriber base. That's the real win. Luna: You know, it's funny — we're talking about podcasting on a podcast that itself covers newsletters. We're kind of doing the thing. Lucas: We are. And speaking of that, I want to be transparent about something. This show is ad-free and listener-supported. A small group of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's what makes it possible to produce episodes like this, week after week, without chasing sponsors. Luna: Yeah, and we really appreciate those who do. It keeps the content focused on what's useful, not on selling ad slots. Lucas: Exactly. So if you've gotten value from these marketing deep dives, that's the way to keep it going. No pressure, just the honest truth. Luna: Alright, back to the topic. I want to ask about metrics — how do you measure success for a newsletter podcast? Lucas: Good question. The key metric isn't just downloads. It's the conversion rate from podcast listener to newsletter subscriber. You can track that with a unique URL or a landing page. Also, retention of those subscribers over 90 days. And engagement — do they open the newsletter after starting the podcast? Luna: So it's about quality, not just quantity. Lucas: Right. A thousand engaged listeners who convert are worth more than ten thousand passive downloads. And the podcast itself becomes a qualitative signal — if people listen to a full episode, they're likely interested in your deep content. Luna: One more thing — what about the technical side? Any pitfalls to avoid when starting? Lucas: The biggest is audio quality. If it sounds like you're in a tunnel, people will click away. Invest in a good microphone — a Blue Yeti or Audio-Technica ATR2100 — and record in a quiet room, ideally with soft furnishings to reduce echo. Editing is also important; remove long pauses and ums. Luna: And consistency? Weekly, biweekly? Lucas: Weekly is ideal if you can sustain it. But biweekly is fine too, especially if you're using the podcast to complement the newsletter. The worst thing is to start and then ghost for months. Set a realistic schedule. Luna: That's solid advice. So to wrap up — podcasting is a viable growth channel for newsletters, but it requires a strategic approach, not just recording for the sake of it. Lucas: Exactly. Start small, test, measure, and scale if it works. The hybrid model — text plus audio — is becoming the new standard for serious newsletter businesses. Luna: And the data backs it up. Lenny's 20 percent figure is a powerful benchmark. Lucas: It is. And it's not out of reach. With the right execution, any newsletter can build its own audio bridge to a larger audience.