Situation
The Portland Logbook, a hyper-local newsletter launched on beehiiv in February 2025, set out to connect the Portland, Maine community through compelling content.
Founded by Jake – a freelance artist and real estate broker – the newsletter saw immediate success and rapid early growth. However, Jake quickly discovered that his lack of technical expertise was a barrier – broken features, bugs, and a chaotic setup were undermining his momentum.
Challenge
Jake excelled at crafting content and branding but struggled with the technical side of managing a newsletter:
Account & Domain Setup: Configuring beehiiv correctly was a daunting task
Template & Content Structure: While Jake already had branding (logo, color scheme, digital artwork) already dialed in, creating a clean, consistent layout, eluded him. The newsletter looked awesome, jam-packed with content, but there was just a little too much going on at once
Homepage & Archive: Setting up these basic building blocks to capture readers effectively & host an archive of past issues was a mystery
Subscribe forms & automations: Jake also wanted a custom form, outside of the basic “subscribe today!” call-to-action, so readers could easily suggest & submit local events, attractions, and more
Lead Generation & Advertising: Jake wanted to maximize growth but didn’t know where to start
As a non-technical founder, he was juggling too many unfamiliar tasks while trying to maintain his focus on writing. Put simply, like most creators entering the newsletter space, he didn’t know what he didn’t know… and he needed help to turn his vision into a sustainable operation.
Solution
Thunderclap stepped in as Jake’s technical lifeline, providing hands-on support and leveraging beehiiv’s tools to streamline everything:
Account & Domain Setup: Thunderclap optimized Jake’s beehiiv account, and properly configured the domain for SEO and deliverability.
Template & Design: Using beehiiv design tools, we tweaked his template into a polished, consistent, and mobile-friendly, newsletter that matched Portland Logbook’s vibe.
Homepage & Subscribe Forms: Implemented subscribe forms to boost subscriber sign-ups and capture event requests. We also helped fix broken elements on his homepage, ensuring peak performance.
Growth on a Budget: Guided Jake through advertising via socials (Instagram to start)
Consulting: Provided general content strategy advice, organizing Jake’s ideas into a cohesive plan while letting him retain creative control.
Thunderclap handled the backend complexities, giving Jake peace of mind and freeing him to focus on what mattered most – writing and creating unique content.
Results
With Thunderclap’s support and beehiiv’s platform, Portland Logbook thrived:
Massive Reach: Grew subscriber count to 4% of Portland, Maine’s population in less than 3 months
Cost-Effective Growth: Instagram ads delivered new readers at $0.28 per lead (CPL) on average.
Enhanced Engagement: A mobile-optimized, professional template that boosted click-through-rates and overall engagement
Operational Efficiency: Jake could focus solely on content, with all technical worries eliminated.
Scalable Foundation: The streamlined setup positioned Portland Logbook for continued success.
Thunderclap’s expertise turned Jake’s overwhelmed startup into a thriving local newsletter, proving that with the right support, even non-technical founders can achieve big wins on a budget.