Found a neat little personalisation hack thanks to Andrew King from EmailLove (check ‘em out if you haven’t—it’s like Really Good Emails but with extra charm).

Here’s the problem: you’ve got subscribers whose first names you don’t know. Normally, you’d just slap in a generic “Hey there” or “Hi friend” and call it a day.

But Andrew’s idea? Way cheekier.

Instead of hiding it, *highlight* it.

Use something like “Hey Billy No-Name” or “First Name Goes Here” and link it straight to their preference centre.

Why? Cos it’s playful, obvious, and nudges them to fill in the blanks.

Here’s how to do it in Klaviyo (though the logic works elsewhere too):

1. Set up a conditional block.
2. If you *have* their first name, show “Hey [First Name].”
3. If you *don’t*, hit ‘em with the “Hey Billy No-Name (click to edit).”
4. Link that text to the preference centre using the platform’s shortcode—don’t just paste the URL.

Simple. Effective. A bit cheeky.

I’m testing this in my next newsletter. Might even go full “Billy No-Name” for laughs.

Would you try it? Or got a better fallback? Let me know. 👀

(And yes, this is me resisting the urge to overcomplicate things. Pinky promise.)

LinkedIn’s a goldmine for growing your email list—especially in B2B. Here’s how to tweak your profile and posts to turn connections into subscribers.

• Banner & bio: Mine screams “Subscribe to my newsletter” with a clear CTA and link. No subtlety here.
• Featured section: I’ve pinned my newsletter signup alongside other key links. Dead simple, but most people miss it.
• Tease your emails: Like Noah Kagan, I hint at upcoming content (“Full story in tomorrow’s newsletter—sign up now”). FOMO works.
• Every. Single. Post.: Add a signup CTA at the bottom. Mike does this religiously—no post goes live without driving to his list.

The trick? Use every inch of LinkedIn—profile and posts—to funnel people to your email list. No sleaze, just smart leverage.

By using a double opt-in you’ll lose 20%-40% of subscribers.

Yes, those numbers are accurate.

20%-40% of subscribers will never confirm their email – and they’ll likely never hear from you again.

Most of those subscribers wanted your newsletter but they forgot, got busy, or your email got lost in a folder.

It’s best to send emails to everyone and remove subscribers who don’t engage after 30-60 days.

You can also use email validation tools to prevent bots from getting on your list.

Here’s a video showing you how I approach this: