netflix newsletter strategy

I’ve never been much of a basketball fan.

Even when my hometown team (the Toronto Raptors) won the NBA title in 2019…

I was pretty indifferent about it.

What’s more:

For the last 3 years, I’ve lived a literal stone’s throw away from the arena where they play…

Yet still haven’t been hooked.

However… 

That may be changing thanks to a new Netflix doc called Starting 5.

It follows 5 top players across different teams throughout the 2023-2024 season…

Including Lebron James…

(the only one whose name I knew lol)

And, like so many other sports docs I’ve watched over the last few years…

I’ve found it supremely fascinating.

Seeing what goes on behind the scenes…

How much it takes to reach the top of the mountain…

Not to mention the wild personalities some of these players have…

Makes for thoroughly enjoyable viewing.

And this is no accident.

In fact, it’s a brilliant strategy Netflix has deployed to compete in sports against broadcast behemoths like NBC, ESPN, and others.

Instead of bidding billions of dollars to broadcast the games themselves…

They’ve courted both diehard fans and “sports curious” viewers with story-driven documentaries…

That can be produced for a tiny fraction of the cost.

Such as:

- Full Swing (golf)
- Receiver (football)
- Break Point (tennis)
- Drive to Survive (F1)
- Quarterback (football)
- Sprint (track and field)

In other words:

Storytelling is their secret weapon.

A lesson that also applies to anyone looking to build a profitable newsletter around their expertise.

Just like how Netflix chose not to compete on the nitty gritty…

And used stories & personality to carve out their own adjacent lane…

I advise you to do the same.

Instead of boring ‘how-to’ info that anyone with a ChatGPT subscription can pump out…

You can differentiate yourself through storytelling…

And use it as a vehicle to showcase your:

- values
- beliefs
- boundaries
- experiences
- and personality

The end result is one-of-one content that can’t be copied…

Unlike the latest LinkedIn post from your favorite creator.

Plus if you know how to connect these stories to what you sell…

Well, it makes for a highly lucrative combination ;)

This approach is what I’ve recently started referring to as “Email Storyselling.”

Something I’ll be diving into in greater detail when I release my forthcoming book on the topic.

Stay tuned for more.

Jim Hamilton