Side Projects & Growth Lessons

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Side Projects & Growth Lessons: My Dad Newsletter Case Study

Alright, let me share something personal that might help your marketing game. I started a newsletter called Dad Day back in August - a thrice-weekly email for dads who want to crush fatherhood.

I started it to scratch my own itch - turns out other dads dig it, too.

Here's what I've learned:

1. Focus Beats FOMO: • One clear goal: Growing the email list • Instagram's nice for brand awareness • But email subs? That's the real game

2. The Numbers That Matter: • Nearly 20k subscribers • 50%+ open rate • 8% CTR

3. What's Actually Working: • Welcome emails that invite replies • Post-signup surveys for golden insights (I’ve received thousands) • Paid acquisition at $0.75(ish) per sub • Being real about the dad journey

Why it works:

• Clear focus on one metric

• Constant testing and tweaking

• Authenticity over perfection

Quick wins you can steal:

1. Add a simple "reply and tell me where you're from" to welcome emails

2. Start collecting first-party data immediately

3. Test small copy changes in welcome sequence

The big lesson? Side projects keep you sharp. They're like a marketing lab where you can test, learn, and grow without the pressure of client work.

Speaking of which... if you need help growing your email list or social presence, that's kind of our thing. Hit reply and let's chat.

P.S. Are you a dad? Check out Dad Day. Not a dad? Sign your partner up (just tell them first - we're not about that spam life 😉).

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