Learning the Ropes
I promised awhile back to share progress on building a newsletter business. Time for an update, I suppose. First, to the metrics.
Godspeed now has 95 subscribers, five of you as paid supporters. (Thank you very much!) I've published 21 issues and written about 17,000 words, which translates into about 4+ subscribers per issue or a new subscriber every 179 words. Suffice it to say, subscriber growth has been far slower than I thought it would be. Guess I'm learning the ropes in the hard-knocks school of the newsletter business.
Most subscribers come organically through direct search, with a few joining as a result of social media. I've been re-posting to Medium, but so far that hasn't attracted much notice for Godspeed. All ideas for hastening growth are welcomed, as this is my primary platform for spreading the word about business for good. Of course, all ideas for improvements of the content also embraced!
Godspeed has been doing better on engagement. Open rates average 74%, which is pretty good. The typical issue has a click-through rate of about 15%, most of them to our partner One Work. (It's heartening there are so many people out there looking for jobs with heart.) I also get about one comment every other issue – it would be a good near-term goal to get that to average up to one per issue, so comment away and stay tuned for more updates.
In other news: As a guy who's made a living in branding for several decades, I'm fascinated by the train wreck of the Big E (Elon) at the new X (twitter). I've been on twitter since 2007 (two years longer than the new owner) and have hung in there through this ownership transition waiting to see how it plays out. But nothing has been as offensive to me as the new brand, "X." Billions in brand equity down the drain and, as a user, the feeling of being disdained. I'll probably stay on for another week or so to see if he changes back to the bird. How about you?
Finally, a quick shout out and 🙏 goes to Paras Jindal. Last week a tourist (me) lost his passport in Victoria, BC. Paras found it on the sidewalk and had the brilliant idea of searching for and finding me on...LinkedIn. Who says social media can't be a tool for good?
Godspeed, friends.
Russ
Quote of the Week
"Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube." Hunter S. Thompson
Cool Tools
• Don't give money - give impacts - B1G1 has one of the coolest charitable platforms around, tying your donations to actions that translate into "giving impacts." For instance, every time you gain a new customer (the trigger), you create a giving impact, whereby, let's say you then donate a predetermined amount to help purchase a bicycle for a female entrepreneur in Sri Lanka. Sell a book, give a food hamper to a farmer affected by disaster in Australia. You get the idea. B1G1 is B Corp certified, aligns with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, and integrates with 1% For The Planet commitments as well.
Trivia Time
Which of these job titles with impact companies is NOT real?
- Kelp Slinger
- Chief Squeezer
- Beer Ranger
- Director of Swimming Upstream
Today's trivia answer can be found at the bottom of this newsletter.
Find the Most Meaningful Work of Your Career
Our partner One Work has you covered with meaningful work that goes beyond a paycheck, a cubicle, or a weekly team Zoom call. In this week's "Burping Cow" edition, you'll find purposeful jobs like those below, along with many more at the One Work website.
• BLUE OCEAN BARNS - Moo! Here's your opportunity to help your bovine friends suppress the urge to burp – ply your trade for a super-cool, seaweed science, climate action company. People Operations Supervisor, Kailua-Kona, HI, or San Diego, CA.
• IGNITE! READING - There's magic here, people! Give kids the tools they need to succeed by helping them learn to read at an early age. Literacy Specialist, REMOTE.
• STASH TEA - Stash your talent at a certified B Corp known for its sustainability efforts and community involvement. Vice President of Marketing, Portland, OR, or Los Angeles, CA.
Check out One Work's full roster of purposeful jobs with mission-driven companies and organizations.
Trivia Answer
If you guessed “Director of Swimming Upstream,” you win today’s prize: crowing to coworkers about your trivia impact prowess (and sharing this newsletter with them). While we're often asked to do as much in our work – swim upstream – no such job exists, at least as far as I know.
Kelp Slinger is a position offered by 12 Tides. Chief Squeezer is the role CEO of Innocent Drinks. Beer Ranger is real job at New Belgium Brewing.
Have an interesting social impact tool, idea, or trivia question you'd like to share? Reply to this newsletter and let me know - I'd love to hear about it. You can also hit me up at rstoddard@oliverrussell.com.
Also - please don't hesitate to forward this to a friend you think would benefit from it - thank you!