Cross-promotions and newsletter swaps: small collaborations that build trust

Not every collaboration needs a contract, a shared product and a split. Some of the most useful ones are tiny. You mention someone to your readers. They mention you to theirs. Everybody goes home.

That's a cross-promotion: two people recommending each other to their own audiences. When it happens between two email newsletters, it's usually called a newsletter swap.

By the end of this lesson, you'll know how to find a good swap partner, set one up step by step, write the mention so it's honest, and tell afterward whether it was worth doing.

The short version

• A swap works best between two people with similar-sized, related audiences who'd genuinely like each other's stuff.
• Agree on the basics in writing, even a short email: what gets shared, when, and how it's labeled.
• Only recommend people you'd recommend anyway. Your readers' trust is the whole point.

Why small swaps are worth your time

When you're starting out, the hardest part is getting in front of new people. Ads cost money. Social media is a slog. A swap puts you in front of readers who already trust someone, and that someone is saying, "This person's worth a look."

That's a borrowed bit of trust. It's useful, and it's also easy to waste. If you send your readers somewhere bad, they remember. So do theirs.

Swaps are also a low-risk way to test a working relationship. If a simple swap goes well, you have someone you might do a bigger project with later. If it doesn't, you've lost one newsletter slot. For the bigger kind of project, see Joint ventures: how to partner with someone without getting burned.

Common types of cross-promotion

You've got options. Start with whichever is easiest for both of you.

• Newsletter swap: each of you writes a short mention of the other in your next email.
• Social shoutout swap: each of you posts about the other on a platform where you both have followers.
• Guest piece: you write something useful for their newsletter or blog, and they do the same for yours.
• Resource list mention: you add each other to a "people I recommend" page on your sites.
• Free product swap: you each offer your audience the other person's free download, like a checklist or sample.

None of these involve money changing hands. That keeps it simple. If money does get involved, it's not a swap anymore, it's a paid promotion, and that changes what you need to disclose.

Step 1: Find a partner who fits

The best partner isn't the biggest name you can find. It's someone whose readers would actually like what you make, and whose stuff your readers would actually like.

Look for:

• A related topic, not the same one. If you write about budgeting for side hustlers, someone who writes about simple websites for small businesses is a good fit. Another budgeting newsletter might feel like competition to both audiences.
• A similar size. Not exact, just in the same neighborhood. Big gaps make the trade feel lopsided.
• A tone you respect. Read a few of their emails or posts. Would you be fine with your readers seeing this?
• Honest habits. No hype, no income promises, no fake urgency. If they do that, you'd be sending your people into it.

Good places to find partners: newsletters you already read, people in your niche you've talked with online, and people who reply to your emails with something thoughtful.

Only recommend someone you'd point a friend to without being asked.

Step 2: Make a clear, short ask

Send a personal note, not a template blast. Keep it short.

"Hi. I write a small newsletter for people starting side hustles, and I've been reading yours on simple websites. I think our readers overlap in a good way. Would you want to do a simple swap? I'd write a short mention of your newsletter in my next issue, and you'd do the same for mine. Happy to share my recent issues so you can see if it's a fit."

Things that help:

• Say why you think it fits, specifically.
• Offer to go first, or offer to share examples of your work.
• Make it easy to say no. Some people are busy or just not interested, and that's fine.

If they don't reply, one polite follow-up a week or two later is plenty. Then let it go.

Step 3: Agree on the details in writing

A swap is small, but it's still worth writing down. An email thread where you both say "yes, that works" is enough.

Agree on:

1. What each of you will share: a newsletter mention, a social post, a guest piece.
2. When: a rough date or the next issue.
3. What goes in it: a few sentences, a link, maybe a short line on who it's for.
4. Who writes it: some people write their own blurb for the other to use. Others prefer to write about the partner in their own voice.
5. How it's labeled: say plainly that it's a swap.

That last one matters. If you're both promoting each other in exchange, that's a connection your readers should know about. A simple "We're swapping shoutouts this week" does the job. The FTC's general guidance on endorsements is at ftc.gov. This is general information, not legal advice.

Step 4: Write a mention that's honest and useful

Your mention should help your readers decide whether they'd want to check this person out. Keep it plain and specific.

A good mention covers:

• Who the person is, in one line.
• What they write about or make.
• Who it's for.
• Why you're mentioning them, honestly: it's a swap, and you think their stuff is good.

For example:

"This week I'm swapping shoutouts with Jordan, who writes a short weekly email about building small business websites without getting lost in the tech. If you've been putting off your site, it's a calm place to start. Here's the link."

No "you have to read this." No "life-changing." Just enough to help someone decide.

Step 5: Check how it went and say thanks

After both mentions go out, take a quick look:

• How many new people joined your list in the days after?
• Did any new readers reply or click around?
• Did your own readers say anything about the mention?
• Was the partner easy to work with?

Don't expect a flood. Many swaps bring in only a handful of new readers, sometimes none. That's normal, and it isn't failure. You learned something about fit, and you made a connection.

Then send a short thank-you note. If it went well, say you'd be open to doing it again sometime, or to something bigger. If it didn't, a polite thanks is enough.

For more on building the list itself, see Starting an email list from zero.

Do this next

• List three people whose audience is related to yours, not identical.
• Read a few of their emails or posts to check tone and honesty.
• Send one short, personal swap request.
• Agree on what, when and how it's labeled, in a short email.
• Write an honest mention of your partner that says it's a swap.
• Check your list growth afterward and send a thank-you note.

Small favors, done honestly, add up. You don't need a big deal to make a good neighbor.