You know that moment when you stumble on a brilliant growth tactic hidden in a Reddit thread or buried deep in a comment section? That’s the kind of stuff I live for.<\/p>\n
I’m Tom Orbach, a growth marketer and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree who created a viral post generator<\/a> that attracted 2 million users. Scrappy, under-the-radar tactics have been the backbone of Marketing Ideas<\/em>, my weekly newsletter for startup marketers. No paid ads. No polished design team. No brand halo to ride on. Just a willingness to test fast, double down on what worked, and ignore what didn’t.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n In this post, I’m breaking down the unconventional, effective tactics that helped me grow from 0 to 40,000 subscribers in 1.5 years. Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n For most of my 12-year marketing career, people have asked me for creative growth ideas, especially the kind that don’t rely on paid ads or big budgets.<\/p>\n It became a pattern. Whether I was working with startups, consulting with clients, or just chatting with friends in the industry, someone would always say, \u201cThat’s a great idea. Do you have more like that?\u201d<\/p>\n Over time, that demand snowballed. I got invited to speak at conferences, give guest lectures at companies and universities, and hop on calls with marketers looking for scrappy tactics that actually worked. It was clear there was a real appetite for practical advice, the kind that’s hard to find in blog posts or playbooks.<\/p>\n That’s what led me to launch Marketing Ideas, a weekly newsletter that delivers one actionable growth tactic at a time. No theory. No filler. These are just real things marketers can try immediately.<\/p>\n Of course, coming up with useful content was only part of the job. I also had to figure out how to get it in front of people. Here’s what really drove growth.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Before I ever sent a single email, I already had a subscriber list.<\/p>\n I spoke at conferences, company offsites, and universities. At the end of every talk, I\u2018d plug a simple landing page. I\u2019d say something like, \u201cI’m launching a newsletter soon to share more ideas like these. You can sign up now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n That one-liner and that barebones landing page got me nearly 1,000 early subscribers. And, not just casual ones. These were super fans who had just seen me speak, liked what they heard, and wanted more. When I sent my first issue, they were already primed to share it.<\/p>\n That momentum made all the difference.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n One of the most underrated growth tactics is to borrow someone else\u2019s audience.<\/p>\n I reached out to newsletter creators, especially those with paid subscriptions, and offered to write free guest content for them. They got high-quality material to monetize. I got visibility and credibility.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t just a list growth tactic. These guest posts helped me prove value to new readers, build trust quickly, and often opened the door to longer-term partnerships. Even if just 1% of their audience subscribed to Marketing Ideas<\/em>, that compounding effect really added up.<\/p>\n After those guest posts, I stayed in touch with the authors.<\/p>\n Not to squeeze more promotion out of them, but because I genuinely liked their work. When you approach creators as peers rather than as distribution channels, the relationships last. And, because we actually enjoyed each other\u2019s content, we\u2019d mention each other organically. That kind of endorsement hits way harder than a one-off shoutout.<\/p>\n It\u2019s slow, but it\u2019s sustainable and real.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n This one always works. I\u2019ll post something like:<\/p>\n \u201cDrop your website below, and I\u2019ll give you a custom growth idea.\u201d <\/p>\n Then, I reply to each person with an actual suggestion, usually something I\u2019ve already written about in the newsletter. At the end of each reply, I include a link to subscribe.<\/p>\n These posts get massive reach, drive hundreds of new subscribers, and often spark conversations with founders, marketers, and creators I\u2019d never have met otherwise. It\u2019s one of the most effort-intensive tactics I use, but also one of the most rewarding.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s not a gimmick. It works because it feels like what it is: real help, one person at a time.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n I include infographics in my newsletter issues, even when they\u2019re arguably unnecessary.<\/p>\n Why? Because people love sharing them.<\/p>\n If someone reposts one of my visuals on LinkedIn or X, it makes them look smart. A shared infographic feels like thought leadership. A shared newsletter link? Less so.<\/p>\n Even when the infographic doesn\u2019t add much new info, it amplifies reach. I\u2019ve seen the data: Issues with visuals are shared more frequently, linked more often, and ultimately lead to more subscribers.<\/p>\n Reddit was a surprise growth channel.<\/p>\n\nWhy I Started <\/strong>Marketing Ideas<\/em><\/strong>
\n<\/h2>\n\nWhat Really Drove Growth<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
1. Promote a landing page during talks, before the newsletter even exists.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Guest-write for other newsletters (especially paid ones).<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
3. Cross-promote through real relationships.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Offer free advice on LinkedIn.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
5. Use infographics to boost shareability.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
6. Activate superfans on Reddit.<\/strong><\/h3>\n