In partnership with

Smarter Marketing Starts Here

Most marketers waste money on channels that don’t actually drive results. The secret? Incrementality.

Our free ebook, Unlocking Incrementality: A Guide for Marketing Success, shows you how to measure what really moves the needle—so you can stop guessing and start scaling.

Inside, you’ll discover:

  • The difference between attribution and true incrementality

  • Proven testing methods to measure real impact

  • How to double down on the channels that actually work

  • Case studies from top brands already seeing outsized ROI

Don’t just run campaigns. Run campaigns that count.

Download the guide and start proving your impact.

Do you think about this?

Open rates climbing. Subscriber count growing. Engagement looks healthy.

But when you check actual revenue? Things aren’t lining up.

Here's what nobody tells you about newsletter growth: Activity doesn't equal income.

You can have 5,000 subscribers with 45% open rates and still make $0 from sponsors. Because sponsors don't pay for email opens. They pay for results they can measure.

The question you're not asking

Most newsletter creators track surface-level metrics:

  • How many people opened?

  • How many clicked?

  • How fast is the list growing?

But the creators making real money from sponsors ask deeper questions:

  • Which traffic sources bring subscribers who actually click sponsor links?

  • Which acquisition channels drive the highest engagement long-term?

  • What's the revenue-per-subscriber by source?

You're not building a newsletter to collect impressive open rates. You're building it to generate revenue that flows into your bank account whether you post on Instagram today or not.

That requires knowing what's actually driving results vs. what just looks like it's working.

Why most creators can't answer this

You post on Instagram. Views look good. Subscribers trickle in. You assume Instagram is working.

But you never tested what would happen if you didn't post for a week. Maybe those subscribers would've found you anyway through recommendations or search.

You're giving Instagram credit for growth that might've happened regardless.

This is the difference between correlation and causation. Between feeling busy and actually building.

The creators stuck making $200 from sponsor deals can't prove their impact. The ones pulling in $1,500+ for placements have the data showing exactly which subscribers drive sponsor results.

Here’s what to track instead

Stop obsessing over total subscriber count.

Start tracking:

  • Revenue per subscriber by source (Instagram organic vs. newsletter swaps vs. other channels)

  • Sponsor link engagement by acquisition channel (which subscribers actually click?)

  • Long-term value (subscribers who stay and engage vs. those who ghost after week 1)

When you know Instagram post type A brings subscribers who engage at 8% while post type B brings subscribers who engage at 2%, you've found your leverage point.

That's how you scale newsletter revenue without just "creating more content."

Remember: You're not building a content hobby. You're building an asset that generates income independent of your daily activity.

Measure what matters. Cut what doesn't. Double down on what drives actual revenue.

— Digital Savage