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How a news start-up gained 16k+ newsletter subscribers in four days: The Media Roundup

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Growing for good: How a news start-up gained 16k+ newsletter subscribers in four days

After talking to RocaNews’ Max Towey on the podcast back in July, I gave the social-first news start-up a follow on Instagram. The brand has since grown on me; I have to admit enjoying their factual, bullet-point approach and the random stories they throw in (my husband had to suffer me explaining the history of shrunken heads last week).

So when I saw their Story pop up about their newsletter growth campaign, I wanted to check back in with them. By the time our scheduled chat at the end of the week came around, RocaNews had smashed their initial 1,000 subscriber target and were well on the way to 20,000 new email subscribers.

But it’s not just a smart growth hack here. What I love is how this particular strategy is making a difference in the local community, and Roca’s ambitions to do more. Intrigued? Read on, and give the Instagram embed a watch. It’ll bring a smile to your face.

Four steps to delivering successful purpose-driven campaigns, from Women’s Health UK

Another great example here of publishers doing good. When Women’s Health learned that its readers were struggling with low self-confidence, it responded with empowering messages and content. “It would be far too simplistic for us to just pump out fitness content constantly, we have to be seen as an intelligent and responsible brand that is trying to make a difference,” said EiC Claire Sanderson.

Publishing ideas to steal: working less, registration walls, and taking a chance

In this week’s edition of publishing ideas to steal, Peter Houston suggests (seriously!) a four day work week, registration walls – even if you have no intention of paywalling anything – and taking a chance on someone. There’s a bonus BS detector quiz ????

Slow journalism could be a solution to journalistic crises

Being the first is a false value in contemporary journalism. If journalists can work without pressure, taking the time the work deserves, they can focus on the essence of journalism: verification. A slow approach can be a parachute for journalism, as Alberto Puliafito explains for The Fix.


This content originally appeared in The Media Roundup, a daily newsletter from Media Voices. Subscribe here: