email newsletter playbook: how to drive 3,000 weekly clicks

In this episode, I sit down with Louis Shulman of Orbit Flows Marketing to dive deep into why a warmed email list is the single most valuable asset a brand can own. We explore how consistent, process-driven newsletters can drive thousands of targeted clicks weekly, share real-world examples and metrics, and unpack the exact frameworks, templates, and AI-powered workflows Louis uses to produce hundreds of newsletters a month for some of the world’s fastest-growing companies. Whether you’re resurrecting a dormant list or scaling a six-figure send, you’ll walk away with concrete steps to build, clean, and monetize your newsletter with repeatable, bite-sized automation.About the GuestLouis Shulman Louis leads client success and content strategy at Orbit Flows, where his team of five writers produces over 50 email newsletters per week for a collective audience exceeding one million subscribers. He’s spent years perfecting the playbook for turning long-form expert conversations into high-impact weekly sends that consistently deliver 3,000+ clicks per issue.Key TakeawaysEmail Newsletters as Owned Media: A weekly newsletter is an asset you own and control, unlike social platforms or paid ads.Process Over Perfection: Success comes from simple, repeatable systems (templates, cadence, checklists)—not chasing “perfect” content.Customer Journey Mapping: Structure newsletters around problem-aware, solution-aware, and vendor-aware stages to guide subscribers down your funnel.Bridge of Belief: Craft content that anticipates and answers subscriber objections before they arise—turn objections into subject lines.AI as an Accelerator: Treat AI like a managed teammate—define clear sub-steps and approval checkpoints to get 90% of the work done, then add human polish.List Hygiene & Segmentation: Start conservatively, re-engage dormant subscribers with win-back sequences, and prune non-openers after five sends to protect deliverability.Lead Magnets & Growth: Educational email courses and targeted downloadable assets (e.g., “5 Day Course on Accounting Pitfalls”) drive higher opt-in rates than generic “join my newsletter” pitches.ROI in Click Equity: With a 170,000-subscriber list sending twice weekly, 10,000 clicks per send saves upwards of $800,000 in paid LinkedIn ads annually.Episode Highlights00:00 – 01:00 – Why Email Is King: The host frames newsletters as the most valuable, yet overlooked, marketing channel.01:00 – 02:00 – Sponsor Break: Acclaim Podcasting: Full-service agency that builds your weekly content machine (acclaimpodcasting.com).02:00 – 04:00 – Volume & Scale: Louis shares that Orbit Marketing dispatches 50+ newsletters weekly to 1M+ subscribers—and how one weekly send drives ~3,000 clicks.04:00 – 07:00 – Defining “Newsletter”: Establishing clear expectations, consistent format, and landing-page first mindset for newsletter signups.07:00 – 11:00 – Customer Journey & Content Strategy: Reverse-engineer subscriber beliefs at each funnel stage; problem, solution, vendor.11:00 – 15:00 – Objections into Subject Lines: Proactively address subscriber doubts (e.g., “Is TikTok still worth it?”) in your newsletter copy.15:00 – 18:00 – Ideation & Prompts: Three core content buckets—personal stories, business strategies, industry insights—and 100+ ghostwriting prompts for weekly topics.18:00 – 22:00 – Templates & Systems: Pin down a weekly structure with 3–5 sections to eliminate decision fatigue and ensure consistency.22:00 – 26:00 – AI-Powered Workflow: Build “Orbit Flows” with templates, voices, knowledge bases, and spaces—treat AI like a junior teammate with incremental approvals.26:00 – 30:00 – List Building & Hygiene: Start small with new or cold lists, run win-back sequences, remove non-engagers after five weeks to maintain deliverability.30:00 – 34:00 – Lead Magnet Mastery: Email courses and downloadable guides convert far better than generic newsletter invites—package education, not just tips.34:00 – 38:00 – Productizing Internal Tools: How Orbit spun its own AI newsletter engine into the OrbitFlows SaaS platform, with live demos of templates and research pipelines.38:00 – End – Final Advice & Connect: Louis drops his top three rapid-fire tips for B2B founders and shares where to reach him next.Resources & LinksGuest SocialsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisshulman/Orbit Marketing: https://www.orbitmarketing.io/X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/LouisShulman/Brought to you byAcclaim Podcasting: https://acclaimpodcasting.comOrbitFlows (Built by Louis & Team)Product Site: https://orbitflows.com