With the rapid multiplication of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, finding effective solutions without wasting hours on research has become a constant challenge.

There's An AI For That emerged as the answer to this challenge, starting as a popular aggregator website and expanding into a newsletter launched in April 2023. 

What began with requests for curated updates has grown into the world's largest AI newsletter, boasting 1.7 million subscribers, all without spending a single dollar on paid advertising.

John Hayes joined the team after founder Andrei Nedelcu sought editorial support for the initially AI-generated content. Even a newsletter dedicated to AI tools required a human touch to scale. 

Hayes has played a key role in transforming the newsletter into a daily publication that drives significant traffic back to the main site while generating substantial revenue through premium sponsorships.

This case study will demonstrate how There's An AI For That utilized beehiiv to understand their readers and scale.

The Platform That Keeps the Buzz Going

You can’t have a beehive without a queen; and, for the team, beehiiv reigns supreme.

From day one, the newsletter has lived on beehiiv, which Hayes dubs the “number one newsletter platform in the world.”

The reasons are simple: beehiiv’s pricing is unbeatable for mega-lists, and its features—like advanced analytics and automation—make scaling to a million-plus subscribers not just possible, but painless.

“For having more than a million subscribers and then going to other platforms, the pricing is...just outrageous compared to beehiiv, so that's been a very standout thing for us.”

Andrei Nedelcu mentioned beehiiv in an interview once, saying, “I think beehiiv is partially responsible for the resurgence of newsletters. What they did was drastically lower the price of sending emails. They’re [beehiiv] moving super fast. It’s just amazing. I have no plans of abandoning them. I’m loyal to whoever delivers.”

The Secret Sauce: Daily Content and Smart Testing

What began as a thrice-weekly newsletter recently shifted to daily publication to boost engagement.

The team leverages beehiiv’s robust features, particularly A/B testing and subscriber segmentation, to understand what resonates with their audience and tailor content accordingly.

"Being able to segment out, so we can see who's interested in what as far as our subscriber base goes, so we can kind of gear content towards them," Hayes explains when discussing his favorite beehiiv features.

Why Trust Me

Linda Hwang has extensive experience in B2B marketing and previously worked at a renowned international facilities management company. There, she played a crucial role in creating effective content and social media marketing plans. Now, Hwang is a marketing consultant who helps small businesses create compelling brand stories.

Show Me the Money: Premium Sponsorships

The newsletter monetizes exclusively through sponsorships, with its in-house sales team handling outreach and placement.

The team can command $6,000-$8,000 per newsletter placement, with packages potentially costing even more depending on specific requirements.

While they've experimented with beehiiv’s native ad features in the past, they've found direct sponsorship sales to be more profitable. 

However, the team is currently testing secondary ad placements to maximize revenue on days without primary sponsors.

Advanced Analytics Drive Growth

The newsletter team relies heavily on beehiiv's advanced analytics to track what's working and continuously improve their content strategy. The ability to easily analyze click data and subscriber engagement has been instrumental in their growth.

"We've been able to look at user data or just subscriber data and see what's working and what's not," Hayes explains. "With beehiiv, it makes it very easy to pinpoint those things a lot easier than some other platforms."

Words of Wisdom From the Trenches

For those looking to start their own newsletter, Hayes offers straightforward advice: "It's not easy. I mean, it can be to a point once you get a system down, but it's going to take time and effort."

What’s Hayes’s top tip for newsletter newcomers? Study what successful newsletters are doing. 

"Look at what other successful newsletters are doing—don't copy them, model after them because they're doing what works."

The There's An AI For That team clearly practices what they preach, having followed the newsletter playbook to perfection while using beehiiv's tools to scale their operation into one of the web's most impressive subscriber success stories.

The Buzz Behind the Success

The team at There's An AI For That have truly showcased the incredible impact of strategic adaptation and data-driven decision-making.

Their journey—from dabbling with native ad features to mastering the art of direct sponsorship sales—highlights a key lesson: constantly evolving and discovering what resonates with your audience are crucial.

If you’re looking to make waves in the newsletter world, take a page from Hayes’s playbook: study successful newsletters, adapt their strategies, and make them your own.

It’s not just smart; it’s essential!

Ready to elevate your newsletter game?

Dive into the possibilities with beehiiv and unlock your growth potential today!