Day 2: The “Free Advice Flywheel” That Drove 650+ Subs

Today, we’re talking about how Tom Orbach from Marketing Ideas has figured out how to earn hundreds of subscribers from a simple comment thread.

He’s gotten over 650 subscribers from just two posts.

No ads. No paid tools. Just generosity with a smart P.S. line.

Let’s get into it.

🔍 How Tom Did It

Tom turned two comment sections into list-growth machines. Here’s how:

1. He posted a simple offer: “Comment your startup and I’ll reply with a free marketing idea.”

2. Hundreds of people responded with their website hoping Tom will help them out.

3. He replied to every comment with a thoughtful, bite-sized marketing idea, followed by “P.S. I share more ideas like this in my newsletter.”

4. People didn’t even need to comment to convert into subscribers. Many read the replies, saw the newsletter callout, and subscribed anyway.

5. Bonus: one reader even reposted Tom’s advice, creating a second wave of visibility and engagement.

This lever works because it turns engagement into attraction – and generosity into leverage.

People love public, personalized advice. Everyone wants free feedback, especially from someone with Tom’s experience.
The comment section becomes content. Even lurkers find value in the replies and end up subscribing.
The newsletter plug feels natural. It’s not promotional, it’s additive. He’s just given them custom advice, so people feel compelled to give him their email address.
The thread builds credibility fast. More replies = more proof = more subscribers.
It’s repeatable. Tom reuses insights from past newsletters, turning old content into new visibility. And keeping people in his ecosystem by sharing relevant content he’s already created.

~250 subscribers from this LinkedIn post
~400 subscribers from a Substack Notes thread
Bonus virality and new subscribers from people resharing Tom’s advice on their own channels (like this).
These comments are evergreen and can continue driving people back to his work.
He gets to repurpose content he’s already written, which keeps people in his ecosystem and showcases his work. This can build affinity for his work and increase the probability of people subscribing.

Pick a topic you’re known for (marketing, design, retention, etc.). It doesn’t even have to be business or marketing related. This would be awesome for practically any niche. Some I would personally love?
- Gardening (where to plant what)
- Running (ideas for training or nutrition)
- Home improvement (fun DIY projects to improve your home)
Choose a platform where your audience hangs out. This might be Substack, LinkedIn, Twitter, Reddit – even Facebook Groups can work if your audience is there.
Post a prompt: “Reply with X and I’ll share Y.” Keep it simple and generous.
Respond to every comment with useful, specific advice. Of course, it might get hard to reply to *every* comment if this takes off (maybe you just reply to everyone who comments in the first 6 hours or so). Reuse past newsletter content where you can – this saves your brainpower and helps people stay in your ecosystem.
At the end of each comment, add something like: “P.S. I share more of these in my newsletter. Here’s the link.”
Run it again in a few weeks. Rotate platforms (LinkedIn, Notes, Threads, etc.).

Your expertise and dedication to respond to every comment (the comprehensive responses are what make this work).
A platform where people can comment LinkedIn, Substack Notes, Reddit, etc.
Optional: spreadsheet to track replies and keep content ideas

Most creators wait for someone to find their newsletter. Tom made it impossible to miss by helping first, and linking later.

You don’t need a big platform to run this play. You just need something helpful to say, and a smart little callout to signup for your newsletter.

See you tomorrow,
Chenell

P.S. After the campaign ends, catalog the questions and your responses: they’re a goldmine of content ideas and social proof.

P.P.S. Check out Tom’s newsletter, Marketing Ideas, for more incredible, well, marketing ideas. It’s a must read for me.