How the Financial Times Quadrupled Its Email Subscribers in Four Years

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The Financial Times realized that a newsletter was the biggest lever they could pull to skyrocket revenue in their business.

The realized that newsletters weren’t just a side channel. They were a direct line to their audience… a powerful way to build relationships, drive conversions, and generate revenue.

The Newsletter Boom

At first, FT newsletters were mostly used to keep existing subscribers engaged.

But with an overcrowded digital space and algorithms constantly shifting, relying on outside platforms for traffic wasn’t a winning strategy.

The FT needed a way to own its audience and control the conversation.

So, they flipped the script.

Newsletters weren’t just about sending updates. They became standalone, high-value content experiences… emails so good that readers didn’t need to click away to get value. The strategy worked.

The Strategy That Changed Everything

The FT doubled down, launching a robust portfolio of 16 premium newsletters (perks for high-tier subscribers), 17 standard newsletters (available to all paying FT subscribers), five free newsletters, two evergreen course-based newsletters, and 11 automated email digests.

Some of these newsletters became so valuable that the FT turned them into paid products.

One breakout success? The US Election Countdown newsletter (now White House Watch). It pulled in over 100,000 subscribers, completely free.

By taking control of its audience and delivering consistent, high-quality content, the FT built a newsletter ecosystem of engaged readers.

The Rise of Personality-Driven Newsletters

Newsletters used to be an afterthought. It was something tacked onto the end of a content strategy.

But the FT saw an opportunity: newsletters could be more than traffic drivers. They could be destinations themselves.

The best-performing newsletters weren’t faceless updates. They were personality-driven, packed with exclusive insights, analysis, or commentary that readers couldn’t get anywhere else.

Instead of treating newsletters as a tool to push people back to the website, the FT made the newsletter the experience. And it paid off.

The Business Impact

This shift created a ripple effect across the FT’s entire business model. By offering standalone newsletter subscriptions, they unlocked a new revenue stream.

Retention was high, cancellations were low, and most importantly, more free readers converted into paying customers.

They also launched Editor’s Digest, a newsletter designed to convert free registrants into paid subscribers.

The result? It became the FT’s most successful newsletter for conversions.

The Secret Sauce: Knowing What to Measure

Most brands look at open rates and call it a day. The FT went deeper.

They focused on action rates… how many people actually engaged. Other key metrics included:

• Growth in list size

• Unsubscribe rates (or lack thereof)

• Direct conversions to paid subscriptions

• Reader feedback and engagement (replies, survey responses, and poll participation)

Simple tweaks to subject lines led to big wins. For example, newsletters mentioning Trump saw higher open rates, while those referencing the EU underperformed.

Data-driven decisions turned small adjustments into massive growth.

The Future of Newsletters

Every few years, someone declares the death of email.

But while social media algorithms shift and new platforms rise and fall, email remains the one channel brands fully control.

For many companies, newsletters aren’t just surviving they’re thriving. By treating them as high-value content instead of a promotional afterthought, we cracked the code:

• Give great leaders (you) their own stage.

• Make newsletters worth reading, not just clicking.

• Use them as a relationship bridge, not just a traffic funnel.

The result? More engaged readers. More paying customers. More predictable revenue.

For business owners, agency owners, and marketers, the lesson is clear: newsletters are a growth engine for your business.

The key? Treat it like a product, not an afterthought.

Start a newsletter. Build an audience. Own your traffic.

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