--- title: "How Confluence.VC Cracked the Code for Newsletter Engagement" canonical: https://www.beehiiv.com/case-studies/confluence-vc description: "Why the beehiiv Ad Network Became Their Secret to Scaling a High-Quality VC Audience" source: live-converter generated: 2026-06-02T11:36:58.734Z --- # How Confluence.VC Cracked the Code for Newsletter Engagement # How Confluence.VC Cracked the Code for Newsletter Engagement ## Why the beehiiv Ad Network Became Their Secret to Scaling a High-Quality VC Audience ![How Confluence.VC Cracked the Code for Newsletter Engagement](https://images.prismic.io/beehiiv/aCxCfidWJ-7kSVVr_Untitleddesign-3-.png?auto=format,compress) Written by Moshe Zippel Published on 05 Apr 2025 [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.beehiiv.com%2Fcase-studies%2Fconfluence-vc&title=How%20Confluence.VC%20Cracked%20the%20Code%20for%20Newsletter%20Engagement&summary=Why%20the%20beehiiv%20Ad%20Network%20Became%20Their%20Secret%20to%20Scaling%20a%20High-Quality%20VC%20Audience)[](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.beehiiv.com%2Fcase-studies%2Fconfluence-vc&text=How%20Confluence.VC%20Cracked%20the%20Code%20for%20Newsletter%20Engagement)[](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.beehiiv.com%2Fcase-studies%2Fconfluence-vc)[](https://www.threads.net/intent/post?text=How%20Confluence.VC%20Cracked%20the%20Code%20for%20Newsletter%20Engagement%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.beehiiv.com%2Fcase-studies%2Fconfluence-vc) ### Table of contents ### **Situation:** Confluence.VC is a daily newsletter delivering digestible, engaging insights for venture capitalists, founders, and executives. Founded by Clay Norris, it aims to be the “Morning Brew for venture capital,” helping readers stay informed without the usual industry noise. ### **Challenge:** Despite spending thousands on platforms like X, Meta, and other paid ads, the team found it difficult to consistently acquire _engaged_ subscribers—those who actually opened and interacted with emails. Growing a loyal audience, not just a large one, was proving to be the real hurdle. ### **Solution:** Confluence.VC turned to the beehiiv Ad Network to solve both growth and engagement problems. The platform provided a cost-effective, scalable way to advertise across relevant newsletters, helping them reach niche, high-intent audiences. Most importantly, it allowed them to focus on the right success metric: engaged subscribers. ### **Results:** - Discovered a reliable, month-over-month channel for marketing spend - Scaled their ad budget confidently within the venture capital niche- - Prioritized engagement over vanity metrics, building a sustainable, loyal reader base Founder Clay Norris put it best: “Stop wasting money on low-quality subscribers—chase engaged ones instead.” ## Related Case Studies ![How The Small Bow Left Substack for beehiiv and Grew Open Rates by 35%](https://images.prismic.io/beehiiv/ahVlu7K9tuLqEJDp_Untitleddesign-39-.png?auto=format,compress) ### How The Small Bow Left Substack for beehiiv and Grew Open Rates by 35% A recovery newsletter breaks free from Substack, builds its own branded platform on beehiiv, and immediately sees a 35% jump in open rates [ Read Case Study → ](/case-studies/the-small-bow) ![How TechCrunch Streamlined Editorial Workflows with beehiiv](https://images.prismic.io/beehiiv/aPdWMrpReVYa3gfP_Untitleddesign-29-.png?auto=format,compress) ### How TechCrunch Streamlined Editorial Workflows with beehiiv The Growth Playbook Powering TechCrunch’s Media Engine [ Read Case Study → ](/case-studies/techcrunch) ![How a Queer Sports Newsletter Doubled Its Revenue After Leaving Substack](https://images.prismic.io/beehiiv/agwKIqYofJOwHWi7_Untitleddesign-37-.png?auto=format,compress) ### How a Queer Sports Newsletter Doubled Its Revenue After Leaving Substack Why leaving Substack was the best business decision Frankie de la Cretaz ever made [ Read Case Study → ](/case-studies/out-of-your-league) ## BUILT TO PERFORM FOR PUBLISHERS AND ADVERTISERS [ Start Your Free Trial ](https://app.beehiiv.com/signup?plan=max)