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<p>Khe Hy—the creator behind <a href="https://radreads.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RadReads</a> did the unimaginable: he left his Wall Street job in 2015 without a plan of what he’d do next. Despite that, he did something that ended up changing his life: he emailed 36 people and grew that small list into an audience of 27,000+ people over the next five years.</p>
<div id="attachment_33761" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-33761" class="size-full wp-image-33761" src="https://media.kit.com/post/MA4mhBF6-khe-hy-radreads-subscriber-growth-trajectory.jpg?fm=pjpg" alt="RadReads subscriber growth trajectory" width="1500" height="501" srcset="https://media.kit.com/post/MA4mhBF6-khe-hy-radreads-subscriber-growth-trajectory.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=200&amp;w=600 600w, https://media.kit.com/post/MA4mhBF6-khe-hy-radreads-subscriber-growth-trajectory.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=342&amp;w=1024 1024w, https://media.kit.com/post/MA4mhBF6-khe-hy-radreads-subscriber-growth-trajectory.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=257&amp;w=768 768w, https://media.kit.com/post/MA4mhBF6-khe-hy-radreads-subscriber-growth-trajectory.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=130&amp;w=390 390w, https://media.kit.com/post/MA4mhBF6-khe-hy-radreads-subscriber-growth-trajectory.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=513&amp;w=1536 1536w, https://media.kit.com/post/MA4mhBF6-khe-hy-radreads-subscriber-growth-trajectory.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=684&amp;w=2048 2048w, https://media.kit.com/post/MA4mhBF6-khe-hy-radreads-subscriber-growth-trajectory.jpg?fm=pjpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><p id="caption-attachment-33761" class="wp-caption-text">The RadReads subscriber growth trajectory.</p></div>
<p>And here&#8217;s how.</p>
<h2 id="chapter-1">How Khe uses evergreen automations to maintain an engaged email list</h2>
<p>Building a community is all about having an engaged email list and finding the best way to connect with your audience. Here is the 3 step system Khe uses to build an engaged list of 27,000+ subscribers with a 53% open rate (which includes marketing and launch emails!).</p>
<h3>Create dedicated lead magnets for every topic</h3>
<p>Khe attracts readers interested in topics like GTD productivity method, Notion, and a concept he calls $10K work. For each topic, he offers a <a href="https://kit.com/resources/blog/lead-magnets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dedicated lead magnet</a> (some of which convert at a 12% conversion rate!).</p>
<p>One way he does this is by creating dedicated landing pages for any partnerships he does. For example, when he presented a tutorial as a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjhFov5bkas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">guest on the Keep Productive YouTube channel</a>, he used a <a href="https://kit.com/features/landing-pages" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kit landing page</a> to give Keep Productive viewers the free template he talked about in the video:</p>
<div id="attachment_33755" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-33755" class="size-full wp-image-33755" src="https://media.kit.com/post/h1oECxHn-khe-hy-radreads-keep-productive-landing-page.jpg?fm=pjpg" alt="Khe Hy Keep Productive" width="1500" height="690" srcset="https://media.kit.com/post/h1oECxHn-khe-hy-radreads-keep-productive-landing-page.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=276&amp;w=600 600w, https://media.kit.com/post/h1oECxHn-khe-hy-radreads-keep-productive-landing-page.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=471&amp;w=1024 1024w, https://media.kit.com/post/h1oECxHn-khe-hy-radreads-keep-productive-landing-page.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=353&amp;w=768 768w, https://media.kit.com/post/h1oECxHn-khe-hy-radreads-keep-productive-landing-page.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=179&amp;w=390 390w, https://media.kit.com/post/h1oECxHn-khe-hy-radreads-keep-productive-landing-page.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=707&amp;w=1536 1536w, https://media.kit.com/post/h1oECxHn-khe-hy-radreads-keep-productive-landing-page.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=942&amp;w=2048 2048w, https://media.kit.com/post/h1oECxHn-khe-hy-radreads-keep-productive-landing-page.jpg?fm=pjpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><p id="caption-attachment-33755" class="wp-caption-text">Khe’s landing page for Keep Productive viewers. <a href="https://radreads.ck.page/554f2b585d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Image via RadReads</a>.</p></div>
<p><a class="btn btn-xl btn-primary" role="button" href="https://app.kit.com/pages/preview/canyon" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Like the look of that landing page? Grab it for yourself</a></p>
<p>After a reader opts into his list, Khe sends an engaging welcome email to let the reader know a bit about RadReads, what to expect in the future of his newsletters, and even asks readers to tell him a little bit about themselves.</p>
<div id="attachment_37296" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-37296" class="size-full wp-image-37296" src="https://media.kit.com/post/Xrwtx0bZ-khe-hy-radreads-welcome-email-1.jpg?fm=pjpg" alt="RadReads welcome email" width="1500" height="1497" srcset="https://media.kit.com/post/Xrwtx0bZ-khe-hy-radreads-welcome-email-1.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=599&amp;w=600 600w, https://media.kit.com/post/Xrwtx0bZ-khe-hy-radreads-welcome-email-1.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=1022&amp;w=1024 1024w, https://media.kit.com/post/Xrwtx0bZ-khe-hy-radreads-welcome-email-1.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=766&amp;w=768 768w, https://media.kit.com/post/Xrwtx0bZ-khe-hy-radreads-welcome-email-1.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=1533&amp;w=1536 1536w, https://media.kit.com/post/Xrwtx0bZ-khe-hy-radreads-welcome-email-1.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=2044&amp;w=2048 2048w, https://media.kit.com/post/Xrwtx0bZ-khe-hy-radreads-welcome-email-1.jpg?fm=pjpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><p id="caption-attachment-37296" class="wp-caption-text">The RadReads welcome email.</p></div>
<p>These initial quick wins with personalized content and an intro into Khe&#8217;s universe create the kind of perfect first impression that makes new readers feel seen and welcome.</p>
<h3>Create email sequences based on where subscribers came from</h3>
<p>With all his dedicated landing pages and lead magnets, Khe has built a wide net of resources to attract his readers. He uses <a href="https://kit.com/resources/blog/email-marketing-automation-examples" target="_blank" rel="noopener">automated sequences</a> to send hyper-targeted emails to his new subscribers based on how they entered his email list and their interests:</p>
<div id="attachment_33753" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-33753" class="size-full wp-image-33753" src="https://media.kit.com/post/NGOCA6Mg-khe-hy-radreads-convertkit-sequences.jpg?fm=pjpg" alt="Khe Hy Kit" width="1500" height="538" srcset="https://media.kit.com/post/NGOCA6Mg-khe-hy-radreads-convertkit-sequences.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=215&amp;w=600 600w, https://media.kit.com/post/NGOCA6Mg-khe-hy-radreads-convertkit-sequences.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=367&amp;w=1024 1024w, https://media.kit.com/post/NGOCA6Mg-khe-hy-radreads-convertkit-sequences.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=275&amp;w=768 768w, https://media.kit.com/post/NGOCA6Mg-khe-hy-radreads-convertkit-sequences.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=140&amp;w=390 390w, https://media.kit.com/post/NGOCA6Mg-khe-hy-radreads-convertkit-sequences.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=551&amp;w=1536 1536w, https://media.kit.com/post/NGOCA6Mg-khe-hy-radreads-convertkit-sequences.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=735&amp;w=2048 2048w, https://media.kit.com/post/NGOCA6Mg-khe-hy-radreads-convertkit-sequences.jpg?fm=pjpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><p id="caption-attachment-33753" class="wp-caption-text">Khe’s sequences in Kit.</p></div>
<p>As you can tell by these numbers, this works. Khe’s standard welcome email has a high open-rate—an excellent 70%—and other emails based on lead magnets have as much as an 88% open rate!</p>
<p>If we dive into the longest sequence on this list, here’s what we’ll find:</p>
<div id="attachment_37293" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-37293" class="size-full wp-image-37293" src="https://media.kit.com/post/pgzpHVFM-khe-hy-radreads-notion-email-onboarding-sequence-1.jpg?fm=pjpg" alt="RadReads Notion" width="1500" height="965" srcset="https://media.kit.com/post/pgzpHVFM-khe-hy-radreads-notion-email-onboarding-sequence-1.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=386&amp;w=600 600w, https://media.kit.com/post/pgzpHVFM-khe-hy-radreads-notion-email-onboarding-sequence-1.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=659&amp;w=1024 1024w, https://media.kit.com/post/pgzpHVFM-khe-hy-radreads-notion-email-onboarding-sequence-1.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=494&amp;w=768 768w, https://media.kit.com/post/pgzpHVFM-khe-hy-radreads-notion-email-onboarding-sequence-1.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=240&amp;w=373 373w, https://media.kit.com/post/pgzpHVFM-khe-hy-radreads-notion-email-onboarding-sequence-1.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=988&amp;w=1536 1536w, https://media.kit.com/post/pgzpHVFM-khe-hy-radreads-notion-email-onboarding-sequence-1.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=1318&amp;w=2048 2048w, https://media.kit.com/post/pgzpHVFM-khe-hy-radreads-notion-email-onboarding-sequence-1.jpg?fm=pjpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><p id="caption-attachment-37293" class="wp-caption-text">Khe’s Notion onboarding email sequence.</p></div>
<p>This 10-email sequence attracts engaged, curious subscribers—the open rate remains around 50% even at the end of the sequence, giving Khe more opportunities to build trust with his audience.</p>
<h3>Set up visual automations to nurture subscribers and launch courses</h3>
<p>And to put all his landing pages and sequences together into an evergreen system, Khe uses Kit’s <a href="https://kit.com/features/automations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visual automations</a> to connect different triggers, sequences, and events.</p>
<p>If we step back and look at his Notion onboarding automation—one that nurtures subscribers interested in Notion resources—we can see it triggers the sequence we looked at earlier in five different ways (think landing pages and forms placed in different resources):</p>
<div id="attachment_33750" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-33750" class="size-full wp-image-33750" src="https://media.kit.com/post/wjylaqpE-khe-hy-radreads-notion-automation-convertkit.jpg?fm=pjpg" alt="Khe Hy Kit" width="1500" height="929" srcset="https://media.kit.com/post/wjylaqpE-khe-hy-radreads-notion-automation-convertkit.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=372&amp;w=600 600w, https://media.kit.com/post/wjylaqpE-khe-hy-radreads-notion-automation-convertkit.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=634&amp;w=1024 1024w, https://media.kit.com/post/wjylaqpE-khe-hy-radreads-notion-automation-convertkit.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=476&amp;w=768 768w, https://media.kit.com/post/wjylaqpE-khe-hy-radreads-notion-automation-convertkit.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=240&amp;w=388 388w, https://media.kit.com/post/wjylaqpE-khe-hy-radreads-notion-automation-convertkit.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=951&amp;w=1536 1536w, https://media.kit.com/post/wjylaqpE-khe-hy-radreads-notion-automation-convertkit.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=1268&amp;w=2048 2048w, https://media.kit.com/post/wjylaqpE-khe-hy-radreads-notion-automation-convertkit.jpg?fm=pjpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><p id="caption-attachment-33750" class="wp-caption-text">Khe’s automation for nurturing Notion-specific segments of his audience.</p></div>
<h2 id="chapter-2">Send dedicated content to your audience with Kit automations</h2>
<blockquote class="blockquote-sm"><p>To have a toolkit like Kit at your disposal is so powerful. Kit is dynamic, modular, and easy to use. It really understands and anticipates the needs of people like me. I&#8217;m selling and following up. And I can do it in a way that&#8217;s enjoyable- I log into Kit and it makes me happy to be there</p></blockquote>
<p>Want to see your open rates increase?</p>
<p>Take a shot at creating systems like Khe created to set up personalized content from landing page opt-ins to email sequences for all his readers. And with a <a href="https://app.kit.com/users/signup?plan=1k" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kit 14-day free trial</a>, you can check out all the features of our Creator Plan that you&#8217;ll need to create evergreen automatons to run all your communication for you.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


How Khe Hy of RadReads maintains a +50% open rate with his 27,000+ subscribers

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