Should you ask newsletter subscribers if they own a business?

Somewhere between 15% and 20% of my local subscribers say yes when the signup survey asks if they own or run a business. A peer of mine checked his list and found 16%. That's your advertiser prospect list, and they handed it to you.

Why is it such a good question?

Three reasons:

1. You get a segment. Everyone who says yes can get emails about advertising, partnerships or coming on a local podcast.
2. It advertises your ads. The people who say no still saw a question implying businesses buy space with you.
3. It feeds offers. If your post-signup page shows offers, business owners can see an advertising offer while everyone else sees something else.

In my 2025 solo episode I called it a killer question. I still think so.

What do you send business owners?

Start with something like this:

Hey, we hope you're loving the newsletter.
We noticed you own a local business.
Would you be interested in advertising with us,
or coming on our local podcast?

On my podcast I suggested a step further to a newsletter consultant: a once-a-month email just for the business-owner segment. Show what you did that month, like your impressions and reach, and share things you wouldn't send the regular list. He liked it. Once a month makes them feel part of the community.

Can the business-owner answer pay for growth?

Maybe. Here's the math I walk publishers through. Say 15% of new subscribers are business owners. Show them a post-signup offer like "first ad 50% off this month," a $100 or $200 purchase. You only need about 1% of people to take it to cover your acquisition cost. I wouldn't promise it, but that's the logic.

Why add it now?

Because you can't add it later for the people already on your list. My older brands don't have it. Beehiiv's built-in survey wouldn't let me edit a survey after I created it, and I hadn't thought to ask early on because I didn't know what I was doing yet.

"I didn't ask the business-owner question until way late because I didn't even know what I was doing, and now I can't go back and get that data."

If you're building a survey today, put it in. The cost is one click for the subscriber.

How should the question be worded?

Plainly. "Do you own or run a local business?" with a yes or no. If you want to go further, follow a yes with "want to get in front of our audience?" or "want our media kit?" Keep it to one or two clicks so it doesn't slow down everyone else.