Yo! Welcome back to The Reeder Newsletter — your weekly dose of content strategy and growth advice. First time reading? Subscribe here.
When I launched my podcast, I wasn’t chasing downloads or trying to go viral.
I wanted to build trust at scale. The kind of trust that doesn’t come from a click or a like, but from giving people real time with your voice, your thinking, and your point of view. That’s why I partnered with Share Your Genius. They don't just help their clients launch or uplevel shows. They help turn a microphone into a trust-building machine. Because when you consistently show up unfiltered and human, you earn something most content can’t deliver: belief. If you’re trying to grow trust in the market—not just awareness—start with your voice. Fuel your content engine with Share Your Genius.
PS: I trust them so much that I've hired them at Gong, Clari, and now they're my exclusive partner for Reed Between the Lines.
Not long ago, I ran a content audit for a client and saw something I'd never seen before.
Quick context: Most of their marketing mix wasn't working. That’s why they called me. (No one picks up the Batphone when there's peace in Gotham City.) But as I was going through the data, there was one thing that caught my eye: their “prospect newsletter” had a 13% click-through rate. Ahhh, a glimmer of greatness. So I dug into the email copy and they were doing what I call "link dumping." Link after link for various offers: Webinars, PDFs, podcasts, you name it. More blue links than copy. But people were clearly clicking something. Always on the hunt for a signal or something worth replicating, I wondered: What are they clicking on? Wanna take a guess?
The unsubscribe button. 😩 Batman doesn't use deadly force, but I had no choice.
I killed off their email strategy and installed my “95-5” email program.
We immediately stopped hemorrhaging valuable subscribers, and results jumped up like sugar-high toddlers at a bounce house.
Email is the most valuable marketing channel. It's also the most neglected.
Nearly every marketing team treats email like an afterthought. Most "email strategies" are dusty nurture sequences that don't nurture (or convert) anyone. And I've heard every excuse in the world not to invest in email.
-No one wants email -No one likes email -Or our audience doesn't like email Allow me to refute. Social followers are cool and give a lot of clout. But consider this: every time you post on social, you’re at the mercy of an algorithm. Your well-thought-out ideas are subject to get beat by puppy pics or another GD "AI workflow" hyped like it cured world hunger. But email is a direct line to your audience. You’re “a welcome guest” because they've invited you in. Plus, there's actually LESS competition because their inbox is far less crowded than social feeds. Even if you get 500 emails per day, there are ~2,000,000 LinkedIn posts published every day. I like those odds. If I was starting from scratch tomorrow, I would be exclusively on LinkedIn and email. And I could "eat" off that plate for months, maybe years, before expanding into new channels. (Just like I am today. I didn't add a podcast until years later.) Because every time you hit Send, it’s an opportunity to build a relationship with your audience and sell something — be it a free or paid offer. That's why LinkedIn + email is always part of the content strategy system I set up for clients.
It just works. (Assuming you do it right, of course.)
It’s the only corporate newsletter I read. And for good reason:
Instead of link dumping or sending me AI slop, they obsess over earning — and converting — attention from their audience. Plus, they inject their mission (winning competitive deals) into every newsletter. So I'm both entertained and aware of the problem they solve.
I asked Adam McQueen, the creative madman behind this email strategy, for proof. He shared:
10K+ subs
56+% open rate because of newsjacking angle (always our subject line)
Then a majority of our clicks end up being our more tactical stuff like ‘how to do XYZ in Klue’ videos or how to use GPT for competitive research etc.
Here’s a quick breakdown of their approach:
Part 1: Hook with Trending and Connected Topics
Always relevant and never about Klue (but always about competition).
Part 2: Introduce Klue Features and Updates
They earn your attention, then convert it. (Notice the problem-based headline.)
Part 3: Tactical Competitive Content
Marketers love how-to guides. These work even if you're not a client — but they make it clear that they work better inside Klue.
There's more to the newsletter, but this is the "core" in my opinion. This isn't just "cool marketing" either. It converts. From Adam McQueen: "In our last two editions, I was shocked that our demo button and then a video tutorial on a new feature got the second most clicks."
If you wanna see how he does it step-by-step, we talk about this email strategy on Reed Between The Lines.
He revealed their “content assembly line” step by step from idea to publication. Tap this link and jump to the 50-minute mark.
Worth a listen if you like to “look under the hood” like I do.
