Have you ever wanted to start a paid newsletter?

Paying for a newsletter might make many people raise an eyebrow and chuckle.

But there are paid newsletters out there that make bank. For example, Trends, a paid newsletter owned by The Hustle, charges nearly $300 per year to subscribe to their mailing list. It’s claimed to have over 15,000 active subscribers.

That’s nearly $500,000 a year.

That’s not even counting what they earn from advertising and other sales!

So, are you still interested in learning how to start a paid newsletter?

Start a Free Newsletter before you Start a Paid Newsletter

You can’t just start a paid newsletter and expect it to make money.

Chances are, it won’t. It probably won’t ever make any money.

That’s because there is no trust or loyalty built up to persuade someone to pay for your newsletter. So you must develop that trust and loyalty before starting a paid newsletter.

You can do this by starting a free newsletter first.

Start a free newsletter to build up a community to sell your paid version of the newsletter eventually.

Why?

Why start a free newsletter if you plan to sell a newsletter subscription eventually?

Because as I said, you can build loyalty by offering an excellent free newsletter.

Then one day, you make it more excellent than it has ever been before. This is after you build your audience. You make it more perfect than expected, but you include a copy in the newsletter saying it’s a preview of your new paid newsletter option.

You’ll still offer the great free option, but your paid option will be more in-depth.

It’s extra work to maintain two newsletters, but converting a loyal audience to paying customers will be easier when they already have an idea of your kind of content.

It’s easier to start a paid newsletter after establishing a community that trusts you versus starting one at zero.

And if you start to make enough money with your paid newsletter, you can hire more writers to help you keep both lists active.

And you can always sell advertisements on your free newsletter to monetize it, too. That’s a very common strategy of newsletter makers.

If you want to Start a Paid Newsletter, you better know how to write!

Seriously.

Not just anyone can start a paid newsletter.

You have to be a good writer. You have to be a good storyteller. You have to capture the attention of your audience and keep their attention.

You have to use the right copy.

You have to use the right visually appealing media.

Your subject lines matter.

Your headings are essential.

Every single sentence you write should be audited to serve a purpose.

No one wants to spend money on something that is poorly presented. So, I recommend that you join a paid newsletter before you start a paid newsletter.

Get to know one before you start one.

Learn the ropes and get good at it.

To start a paid newsletter, you need to know what you’re getting into. You need to build an audience. You need a community of loyal followers. You can get all that accomplished by following the advice above. And you can get more tips by following me on Twitter, too.

About the Author

Shawn Gossman has created content, blogged, ran online communities, and shared a passion for digital marketing for over twenty years. Shawn believes the best way to help content creators, businesses, brands, and marketers is to give away more than you sell. The same advice is recommended for the readers who follow this blog. Shawn also offers various services for extra help in content creation and blogging.