Why newsletters are the ultimate funnel

Why newsletters are the ultimate funnel and how you can take advantage of it

TL;DR: Newsletters are no longer just a content channel. They’re becoming one of the most powerful marketing funnels. Built on first-party data, they let you nurture the 95% of your audience who aren’t ready to buy, while identifying and activating the 5% who are.

Quick Hits

• WhatsApp to start showing ads in their Status and Channels section. More than 1.5 billion people visit this section daily.

Why you should use your newsletter as your main funnel

Newsletters have exploded over the past five years. You probably know the big names: Morning Brew, The Hustle, and others that went from scrappy inbox experiments to media powerhouses.

Most of those early newsletters focused on media, business, and daily news. They built massive audiences and opened the door for a whole new wave of newsletter builders, creators, consultants, SaaS companies, and solopreneurs.

But something interesting is happening now.

Newsletters are evolving. They’re no longer just a content channel.

They’re becoming the ultimate funnel.

The 95–5 rule

There’s an old rule in marketing: 95% of your potential customers aren’t ready to buy. Only 5% are actively in the market for a solution right now.

And newsletters are perfect for this dynamic.

Because they let you do two things at once:

• Nurture the 95%. Build trust, educate, entertain, and stay top of mind.

• Identify the 5%. Watch who’s clicking, replying, or filling out surveys. Then take action.

Other channels don’t let you do this as easily. With ads, you’re constantly guessing. With organic content, you don’t know who’s actually reading. But newsletters are built on first-party data. That changes everything.

What makes newsletters so effective as funnels?

A few key ingredients:

• You own the relationship. Email isn’t filtered through an algorithm. You talk directly to your readers.

• You know who they are. Emails, names, click behavior, interests. Over time, you can build a real picture of your audience.

• You can ask and observe. Run surveys. Track behavior. Segment based on responses.

• You can act on it. Use that data to send better content, run targeted automation campaigns, or even start 1:1 conversations.

In short: newsletters are content, CRM, and analytics in one.

Quick break to re-introduce myself since my last post brought some new subscribers!

I’m Daniel, and I write this weekly newsletter from Medellin, Colombia, with this view:

I’ve been in the newsletter space for a while, but I’ve also worked at different startups leading Growth, Revenue and Ops teams.

My purpose here is just writing about what’s in my mind about something that I really enjoy: newsletters.

Back to today’s topic…

How brands are turning newsletters into funnels

Some are doing it with advanced tools. Others are just being smart and intentional.

Here’s what we’re seeing:

• Micro-segmentation. Not just “new subscribers” vs “customers.” We’re talking tags like “clicked pricing,” “filled out survey,” or “works in fintech.”

• Surveys built into the flow. A one-question poll after signup. A link that segments based on topic interest. Simple, but powerful.

• Behavior-driven outreach. Someone clicks a specific link three weeks in a row? That’s a lead.

• Communities tied to the newsletter. Where the most engaged readers hang out, ask questions, and signal interest.

The best part? You don’t need to start with a complex setup. Just knowing this is possible changes how you write and structure your emails.

Until next week,

Keep growing your newsletter!

Dani