EMAIL
MARKETING
MARKETING
EMAIL MARKETING
BACKGROUND
Thriving In Engineering was developed as a personal brand to showcase over 25 years of experience in software engineering leadership. At its core was the newsletter — a platform to share practical insights, build authority, and create a direct connection with the audience. Unlike social platforms, it provided full ownership over growth and engagement, making it the most strategic channel for long-term success.
Thriving In Engineering was developed as a personal brand to showcase over 25 years of experience in software engineering leadership. At its core was the newsletter — a platform to share practical insights, build authority, and create a direct connection with the audience. Unlike social platforms, it provided full ownership over growth and engagement, making it the most strategic channel for long-term success.
CHALLENGE
After a long publishing hiatus, the newsletter faced the dual challenge of rebuilding momentum and standing out in an oversaturated space where established voices dominated. The goal was to grow an active subscriber base, increase paid subscriptions, and position the brand as a reliable, relatable source of guidance for engineers and leaders alike.
After a long publishing hiatus, the newsletter faced the dual challenge of rebuilding momentum and standing out in an oversaturated space where established voices dominated. The goal was to grow an active subscriber base, increase paid subscriptions, and position the brand as a reliable, relatable source of guidance for engineers and leaders alike.
BACKGROUND
Thriving In Engineering was developed as a personal brand to showcase over 25 years of experience in software engineering leadership. At its core was the newsletter — a platform to share practical insights, build authority, and create a direct connection with the audience. Unlike social platforms, it provided full ownership over growth and engagement, making it the most strategic channel for long-term success.
Thriving In Engineering was developed as a personal brand to showcase over 25 years of experience in software engineering leadership. At its core was the newsletter — a platform to share practical insights, build authority, and create a direct connection with the audience. Unlike social platforms, it provided full ownership over growth and engagement, making it the most strategic channel for long-term success.
CHALLENGE
After a long publishing hiatus, the newsletter faced the dual challenge of rebuilding momentum and standing out in an oversaturated space where established voices dominated. The goal was to grow an active subscriber base, increase paid subscriptions, and position the brand as a reliable, relatable source of guidance for engineers and leaders alike.
After a long publishing hiatus, the newsletter faced the dual challenge of rebuilding momentum and standing out in an oversaturated space where established voices dominated. The goal was to grow an active subscriber base, increase paid subscriptions, and position the brand as a reliable, relatable source of guidance for engineers and leaders alike.
Our approach combined competitor insights with consistent, high-value publishing:
-
Deep-dive content: 1,500+ word newsletters, 3x per week, outperforming competitor volume and depth. - Audience-first storytelling: blending technical insights with personal experiences to build trust and relatability.
- Iterative optimization: continuous tracking of open rates, engagement, and subscriber growth to refine topics and clusters.
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Content clusters allowed for repurposing into eBooks, guides, and future newsletters, multiplying reach without extra resource strain.
- Our approach combined competitor insights with consistent, high-value publishing:
- Deep-dive content: 1,500+ word newsletters, 3x per week, outperforming competitor volume and depth.
- Audience-first storytelling: blending technical insights with personal experiences to build trust and relatability.
- Iterative optimization: continuous tracking of open rates, engagement, and subscriber growth to refine topics and clusters.
EXECUTION HIGHLIGHTS
-
3x weekly publishing on SubstackLong-form (1,500+ words) newsletters with storytelling and actionable insights - Competitor analysis as a baselineInformed positioning, frequency, and content depth to stand out in a crowded niche
- Content clustering & repurposingNewsletters converted into eBooks, guides, and future topic series
- Data-driven iterationPerformance tracked by open rate, engagement, and subscriptions to double down on winning topics
RESULTS
Within 1 year
- +1590%
Newsletter subscribers grew
- 300%+
Paid subscriptions increased
- 20,000+
Monthly views newsletter and Medium each scaled
- 42%Average open rate
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Resonance drives performanceNo matter how good a piece of content was, if it didn’t resonate with the target audience, it wouldn’t perform. Thriving In Engineering was aware of this concept going into the project, but it was proven time and time again, which led to the results above.
- Repurposing is a growth engineIf a topic/cluster performed well, there were additional opportunities to use that content or to build further content from it. These included collecting it into an eBook, building related clusters, or expanding upon the original cluster, all of which allowed for further testing, data collection, and refinement of the overall process, as well as audience research.
- Competitor analysis sets the paceCompetitor analysis provided key information that allowed Thriving In Engineering to form its content and branding strategy. Continued competitor analysis was necessary to assess for changes on the platform, with the audience, and in content marketing in general.
