Why Your Podcast Needs a Newsletter, Part 4

Q&A with Josh Taylor on how he expands his Wild West frontier with a newsletter

Howdy Besties! 🤠

If you’re podcasting and still thinking about starting a companion newsletter, here’s your sign to saddle up and get started. Just look at The Wild West Extravaganza, a podcast where

Wild West Josh

brings real stories from the Old West to life, and his companion newsletter keeps listeners hooked with behind-the-scenes tidbits, fun facts, and deeper dives into the era’s fascinating history.

Josh’s newsletter isn’t complicated—he keeps it casual, sending updates when inspiration strikes (about once or twice a month). It’s proof that you don’t need a rigid schedule or a polished sales funnel to connect with your audience. Just pick a platform (Substack works like a charm for him and me) and share something you’re excited about.

His best tip? Don’t overthink it. A quick, value-packed post is all you need to stay top of mind and grow your community.

The Wild West Newsletter

is a great example of how effective the keep-it-simple strategy can be—Josh gets paid subscribers purely because people love supporting his work.

Bottom line: your podcast fans are ready to hear from you. Time to pony up some words and hit publish! 🐎✨ And if you need help getting started, I’ll help you come out the gate with guns blazing—see the bottom of the post for info about my upcoming workshop.

Let’s get into Josh’s wisdom-packed Q&A!

What’s the basic premise and tagline of your podcast?

JT: True tales from the Wild West. A history podcast covering real life people and events from the Old West era.

When and why did you start your companion newsletter?

JT: I started it in September of 2022 just as a way to stay in contact with listeners and a way to share additional information, updates, fun facts, etc.

Also, I wanted one centralized way of communicating with my audience.

What’s your strategy? How do your podcast and newsletter play off each other and work together within your ecosystem of content, promotion, and monetization? How does your newsletter serve your podcast?

JT: I honestly don’t have much of a strategy. I don’t have a set schedule and usually just send out new editions on a whim. That said, it usually works out to once or twice a month. The content will either be expanding on something we’ve already discussed on the podcast, something I plan on discussing in the future, or just an interesting fact or anecdote related to Old West history. Sometimes for fun I’ll share behind the scenes stuff from the show.

As far as monetization, I don’t run any ads yet but I do have an option for paid subscribers. Even though I make it abundantly clear that the newsletter is 100 percent free and there are no perks for becoming a paid member, people still choose it as a way to support. Having more than one way to support the show (Patreon, Buy Me a Coffee, YouTube memberships, Into History, Substack) has really been beneficial.

[Editor’s note: Josh has had tremendous success on YouTube with a simple production strategy, check out his previous Q&A below for more on this.]

20K+ Subscribers on a Static Image YouTube Channel! 📹

Where do you host, and why? Are you satisfied with your hosting platform?

JT: Substack. So far I’m happy with it and I love how simple it is. I do sometimes wonder if I’m missing out by not going with one of the more “professional” mailing list options but I’m not exactly setting up a sales funnel or anything. I’m just communicating with my audience and for that Substack works just fine.

What’s your #1 tip for podcasters who are thinking about starting a companion newsletter for their show?

JT: Don’t overthink it. Just pick a platform and keep it short and simple. At first I thought I needed to write an essay each week but I don’t think people really want that. Josh Spector’s For the Interested newsletter is a great example of how to pack a ton of quality into something super short and simple.

Anything else you’d like to add?

JT: Grammarly and Canva have both been great tools for the newsletter!

Thanks so much, Josh!

➡️ Make sure to listen to The Wild West Extravaganza and subscribe to

The Wild West Newsletter

on Substack to get the latest in your inbox.

If you want more tips on how to slay your companion newsletter game, check out my previous Q&As with

Paul Zakrzewski

,

Arielle Nissenblatt

, and

Elaine Appleton Grant

.

Why Your Podcast Needs a Newsletter

Why Your Podcast Needs a Newsletter, Part 2

Why Your Podcast Needs a Newsletter, Part 3

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Trying to grow your podcast through paid advertising?

If so, you gotta check out my latest post on my most expensive advertising experiment to date. In case you missed it, I spent $2K on ad space in the Castbox app. In the post, I spill all the deets, including how the results compared to my other advertising experiments, and whether or not it was worth it.

See whether this was some of the best or worst money I’ve spent in my career as an indie podcaster.

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Join the Masterclass for Starting Your Newsletter 📝

Podcasters, as you can see, a newsletter is the secret weapon you need! It’s the ultimate tool to deepen listener connections and grow your audience.

If I’ve managed to convince you that newsletters are a lucrative supplement to your podcast, one that deepens listener connections and grows your audience, I have more good news. I’m hosting a workshop to tell you exactly how to get started.

Join me for my three-hour masterclass, Start a Newsletter to Supercharge Your Platform, Network, and Business.

You’ll learn:
✅ How to craft irresistible content your audience will love.
✅ Strategies to sustain a consistent newsletter.
✅ Tips to grow your reach and engagement.

When: Saturday, January 4th from 11am-2pm PST

By the end, you’ll have everything you need to launch your podcast’s perfect companion. Can’t make it live? Enjoy 60-day access to the recording.

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So… ROLL CALL! 🗣

Do you have a companion newsletter for your podcast? Drop a link in the comments below and tell us about it!