How to start a paid newsletter

In a world flooded with free content, monetizing one’s knowledge has become more challenging than ever—challenging but not impossible.

Despite the massive content influx, people still crave quality, depth, and authenticity. A majority are willing to pay for valuable, exclusive content. In 2024, 80% of the publishers shared that premium subscription-based content was their most important digital revenue stream.

Paid newsletters are one of the key subscription-based content types you can use to transform your expertise and passion into a sustainable revenue stream. The proof of their growing value is in the numbers. 

For instance, a paid newsletter like ‘Letters from an American’ is estimated to earn a minimum of $5 million in annual subscription revenue.

So, how do you start a paid newsletter, and what steps should you take to ensure it stands out and succeeds? This guide will walk you through the process of starting a successful paid newsletter.

What is a paid newsletter?

A paid newsletter is a subscription-based service where readers pay to receive exclusive content delivered straight to their inbox. As shown below, paid newsletter subscribers pay a recurring annual or monthly fee for access to this premium content.

So, what is the difference between free and paid newsletters? 

Free newsletters don’t charge subscribers an annual or monthly fee. In addition, they often provide general information and serve as marketing tools. Paid newsletters, on the other hand, focus on delivering specialized content that is not readily available elsewhere.

Why start a paid newsletter?

Paid newsletters offer numerous benefits to creators. Here are some of the key reasons why you should consider launching a subscription newsletter:

Show your expertise

A paid newsletter is a powerful platform to showcase your knowledge and expertise. Remember, the best paid newsletters thrive on specialization, meaning you will be covering niche topics and providing unique perspectives and insights.

Over time, consistently sharing valuable content in your paid newsletter will earn your audience’s trust, helping you establish yourself as a thought leader. This will help you build a stronger personal brand that continues to attract a dedicated readership.

Low-investment initiative

One of the most appealing aspects of starting a paid newsletter is the low initial investment required. You don’t need a physical office or extensive resources. 

With a laptop, a reliable internet connection, newsletter software, and great content ideas, you can begin publishing and distributing your email newsletter to your paid newsletter audience. 

This makes it an accessible option for individuals or even small businesses looking to create additional revenue streams.

Source of recurring income

Paid newsletters follow the subscription model, which provides a steady, recurring income stream. That means the newsletter will generate a consistent flow of income as long as you continue to provide valuable content to your readers.

Easy to scale

Unlike other business ventures, premium newsletters don’t require substantial investments in resources to scale successfully. 

As your subscriber base grows, you can quickly expand your offerings. For instance, you can add new premium content formats, host exclusive events, or create additional subscription tiers that attract a wide range of readers. 

In addition, the digital distribution system means you don’t need to worry about physical inventory or shipping costs. This lack of significant additional expenses allows you to increase revenue without raising the overall cost of your paid newsletter.

Good engagement rates

Paid newsletters typically have high engagement rates compared to other content formats. That’s because the content is unique and tailored to the audience’s interests. 

Also, remember you are interacting with interested audiences that chose to pay for your content, meaning they are more likely to read and interact with your material.

Besides, email is a more direct and personal communication channel. So, unlike social media posts, which compete for attention, newsletters land directly in the subscriber’s inbox. This boosts open rates and encourages subscribers to engage with your paid newsletter.

Finally, if most of your audience interacts with your content, they’re also likely to provide feedback. You can use that feedback to refine your content and grow your subscriber community.

How to start a paid newsletter?

We’ve established that a paid newsletter can easily help you turn your ideas into a rewarding endeavor. But where do you begin? Here are 11 essential steps you should follow to bring your newsletter vision to life.

1. Define and set your goals

Clearly defining and setting your goals will enable you to build a strong foundation for your paid newsletter, which is why it’s the first crucial step to starting a successful newsletter. 

The goals you set at this point will guide your content strategy, marketing efforts, and overall direction. 

But how do you identify the most ideal goals for your paid newsletter?

Start by establishing your newsletter’s purpose. Outline the value you want to provide your readers and how it will differ from the free content sources available. Are you an industry expert on a certain topic? Maybe you have insider knowledge or want to build a community around your interests. 

Once you identify your primary purpose, set goals that not only align with it but also ensure your paid newsletter succeeds. You could have different goals targeting different aspects of your newsletter business, like revenue and audience growth. Here are some examples:

• Grow the subscriber base to X within Y months
• Get to $X in monthly recurring revenue within Y months
• Grow annual subscribers to X within Y months
• Produce X exclusive newsletter issues per month

Whatever goals you set, make sure they are measurable. 

You should also assess the level of commitment you are willing to give to your paid newsletter. Remember, while it might not require much, a paid newsletter requires consistent effort and time. 

Being honest about your capacity and commitment will help you create realistic goals and a content schedule that will ensure you maintain your newsletter’s content quality and engagement rates.

Though setting clear goals is crucial, it’s also important to remain flexible. The digital landscape and subscriber preferences are constantly changing, so be prepared to adapt your goals and strategies as needed. 

Regularly review your progress and adjust your goals based on what you learn from your audience and market trends.

2. Determine your niche

Sticking with a specific niche will differentiate a newsletter from others and ensure the content always resonates with the audience that has paid for the specialized insights. 

It’s, therefore, crucial to identify your ideal niche before creating your paid newsletter.

Here’s how you can determine your ideal niche:

• Identify your interests and expertise: Start by considering your interests, passions, and areas of expertise. What topics are you knowledgeable about, and what subjects excite you? If your niche aligns with your strengths, it will make it easier for you to produce engaging and authoritative content consistently. 
• Research market demand: While choosing a niche that interests you is key, it’s equally crucial to consider market demand. So, conduct thorough research to understand what topics are currently popular and identify any content gaps you can fill. 

The ideal niche will have growing interest and little competition, giving you a winning chance to establish yourself as an authority in the field.

• Evaluate long-term viability: Consider the long-term viability of your chosen niche. Is it a topic with lasting relevance, or is it a passing trend? While trending topics can offer quick gains, a niche with long-term value will sustain your newsletter’s growth over time. The latter allows you to build a sustainable newsletter business. 

Once you’ve identified potential niches, define your unique value proposition (UVP). Your UVP sets your newsletter apart and offers distinct value to your email subscribers. 

Ask yourself what unique insights, perspectives, or formats you can provide that are not readily available elsewhere. For instance, you can share a fresh take on a common topic by conducting in-depth analyses or exclusive interviews. 

Remember you expect subscribers to pay, so ensure your value proposition is worth their time and money.

3. Define your target audience

Your chosen niche will give you a general idea of your target audience. For instance, if your newsletter focuses on fitness, your target audience could be athletes or busy professionals. From this knowledge, you can use research to identify specific target audience segments.

If you have an existing audience, chances are you already have an idea of who you want to subscribe to your newsletter. So start there. Research them and outline their demographics and psychographics. 

Demographics are quantifiable aspects like age, gender, occupation, and geographic location. Psychographics cover the attitudes, values, interests, and lifestyles. 

Both aspects will help you create a clear picture of your ideal subscribers.

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You can also find your ideal audience by researching existing newsletters and publications in your chosen niche. Some make it crystal clear, but you will need to conduct a deep audience analysis for others. For the latter, analyzing the type of content they offer, its tone, and style will help you deduce who their target readers are. 

Besides helping you identify your target audience, competitor research can also show you content gaps that help you identify new audiences and opportunities to explore. That will give you a competitive advantage over the existing paid newsletters.

You can also leverage social media platforms, forums, and online communities in your niche to observe and engage with potential audience members. Pay attention to the questions they ask, the content they share, and the discussions they participate in to clearly understand who they are.

Once you have enough information, create detailed audience personas to help you visualize your target audience. Check out this simple example.

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Remember, depending on your niche and content offerings, you may have multiple segments within your target audience. If you do, segment your audience to create tailored content and marketing strategies that resonate with each group. 

For example, if you are starting a tech newsletter, you can have segments or editions for tech enthusiasts, industry professionals, and casual users.

4. Create a schedule

Creating a schedule for your paid newsletter is a foolproof strategy for ensuring consistent content delivery, which greatly impacts subscriber engagement. 

A well-planned schedule helps you manage your time effectively, maintain a steady flow of content, and set clear expectations for your subscribers.

The first step in creating a schedule is deciding how often you will publish your subscription newsletter. Daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly? Ideally, the frequency should balance your ability to produce high-quality content with your target audience’s preferences. 

You should also consider the type of content you plan to share. 

For instance, if you publish in-depth topics requiring extensive research, then a monthly newsletter is better than a weekly one. Otherwise, you will be overworking and will end up getting burnout.

Next, choose a specific day and time to send your newsletter and stick to it. This will help subscribers know when to expect your content and can increase engagement rates. Use analytics to help you identify when (day and time) your target audience is most likely to open and engage with your emails. 

Our research shows most people open their email first thing at 4 am. Friday has the highest open rate, 20.58%, followed by Monday at 20.43%.

Creating a content calendar is another vital part of scheduling. A great content calendar will help you plan your topics, themes, and editions, ensuring you always have content to share. It will reduce last-minute rushes and allow you to publish well-researched and polished content.

Finally, be open to experimenting with different publishing schedules to find what works best for you and your audience. But ensure you promptly communicate any changes you make to avoid disappointing or frustrating your subscribers.

5. Decide on the content formats 

Your chosen content format can influence how your subscribers perceive and interact with your content. It also determines your workflow, from content creation to delivery.

Here are some tips for choosing content formats for a subscription newsletter:

• Understand your audience’s preferences: Different people consume content in various ways. While some prefer reading long-form articles, others engage more with visual or multimedia content. So, survey your audience or analyze your competitors to identify popular formats in your niche.
• Choose a mix of formats: You don’t have to stick to one type of content format. Offering a variety of content formats will keep your newsletter fresh and engaging. For instance, you can combine long-form articles, visual content, and links to relevant podcasts.
• Align the content formats with your content goals: Consider how each format serves your objectives, whether it is educating your audience, growing newsletter subscription numbers, or building authority. For instance, if your goal is to establish authority in your niche, long-form educational articles and case studies are the ideal formats to use.
• Assess your resources and capabilities: Different content formats require varying resources, time, and expertise. So, assess your capabilities and resources before committing to a particular format. 

For example, producing high-quality videos requires specialized equipment, editing software, and skills. This will be a massive undertaking if you are a beginner working alone or with a small team. 

Whatever formats you choose, remember that consistency and quality are the keys to earning subscribers’ trust. Therefore, clear guidelines for each format, such as word count for articles, design standards for visuals, and production quality for multimedia content, must be established.

6. Choose a suitable platform

The platform you choose will affect the delivery, management, and monetization of your paid newsletter. A suitable paid newsletter platform will ensure the newsletter reaches its target audience efficiently and provides a user-friendly experience for creators and their subscribers.

Some key features to look for in a platform include:

• Monetization options and integrations: Since you are creating a paid newsletter, the monetization features are crucial. Look for platforms that offer flexible payment options, like monthly or annual subscriptions. Also, the platform supports integration with popular payment gateway providers like PayPal and Stripe.
• Ease of use: An intuitive interface will save you time and reduce the learning curve, allowing you to focus on content creation rather than technical issues. Some platforms will offer custom templates or a drag-and-drop builder that simplifies the customization process, especially for creators with limited technical skills.
• Detailed analytics: A great platform will offer access to detailed analytics to help track your newsletter’s performance. The insights from the in-depth analytics will help you identify the content types and design elements that resonate with your audience.
• Pricing: Paid newsletter platforms approach pricing differently. However, the top software will charge you based on the number of subscribers and emails sent per month. Most do not support unlimited subscribers unless you’re on a higher-tier plan like an enterprise package. So, consider the number of subscribers you expect to attract when choosing a platform. Also, make sure the platform can scale with your needs as your newsletter grows.
• Seamless content delivery: Ensure the platform can handle different content formats, like text, images, YouTube videos, and podcasts, without compromising quality.
• Customer support: Reliable customer support is invaluable. Choose a platform that offers multiple support channels, like live chat, email, and phone support. Community resources, like forums, user groups, and knowledge bases, that allow users to share helpful tips and solutions are also excellent additional features.

GetResponse is a great example of a paid newsletter platform. Our platform has been one of the best email marketing software on the market, and we’re excited to introduce tools for paid newsletters. 

With our content monetization platform, you can create, market, and monetize your knowledge all on one platform.

Join the waitlist to be one of the first to access these incredible tools designed exclusively for creators.

7. Create a pricing model

Your paid newsletter subscription price will depend on the quality of your content, the expertise you provide through your content, and your target audience. 

However, the majority of consumers value online content at $10 per month or less, which is why 71.1% are willing to pay that much. Therefore, it makes sense for your paid newsletter price to be in the $10 range. 

Still, you can experiment with a higher price tag, especially if you’re targeting C-Suite and B2B audiences. 

Another way to find the ideal price is to analyze how your potential competitors price their offerings. This analysis will help you establish a reasonable and competitive price that reflects your newsletter’s unique value.

8. Build a landing page

A well-designed landing page is essential for promoting your paid newsletter and converting visitors into subscribers.

To build an effective landing page, start by creating a compelling headline. Your headline is one of the first things visitors will see, so it needs to grab their attention and clearly communicate the value of your newsletter. 

Check out this great heading in the landing page example below.

Your landing page should also provide information about the newsletter and show ways subscribers will benefit from signing up. The Career Capital newsletter does this by sharing an “About section”, sharing key details about the newsletter.

Besides that, the creator includes a section outlining some positive outcomes subscribers can expect.

Once you’ve built a loyal subscriber base, you can include a testimonials section that showcases the credibility of your paid newsletter.

Notice how the CTA “Subscribe Now” is visible and strategically placed throughout the landing page, making it hard for potential subscribers to miss.

You’ll also notice that the featured premium newsletter landing page uses a clean, simple design that boosts its readability. 

Looking to build great landing pages for your paid newsletters? Use the GetResponse landing page creator to create landing pages that convert in minutes, thanks to our AI-powered creator, drag-and-drop editor, and 200+ customizable templates.

9. Perform testing

Before launching, test your newsletter product with a small group of beta subscribers. 

The idea is for someone else to experience your newsletter and provide feedback on the integrations, payment systems, and email rendering. You can then use that feedback to refine your content and iron out any technical issues before sending and promoting your newsletter.

After officially launching your paid newsletters, you can A/B test different elements of the email to identify those that resonate most with the audience. Some key variables you can A/B test include headlines, call-to-action (CTA) buttons, subject lines, content formats, and layout designs. 

For example, you can test different content layouts to see which results in higher open rates and engagements.

10. Grow your subscribers

A large subscriber base increases your earning potential not just from paid newsletter subscriptions but also through sponsorships. 

So, how do you grow your email list? 

• Leverage social media: Promote your newsletter on social media platforms where your target audience is active. Share snippets of your content, lead magnets, or exclusive offers to entice followers to subscribe.
• Offer a free sample issue: Allow potential subscribers to preview your content with samples, such as a free weekly newsletter, to demonstrate the value of your paid newsletter. However, ensure that the free content is high-quality to entice users to upgrade.
• Collaborate with other creators: Partner with content creators in your niche to expose your newsletter to new subscribers. You can propose mutually beneficial collaboration opportunities like guest appearances on podcasts or YouTube videos and co-hosting webinars. u
• Use paid advertising: Widen your reach with Google Ads and social media ads. Target your ads based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and keywords to ensure they reach the right people.
• Use lead magnets: Get users into your funnel by using lead magnets to acquire new subscribers for your free newsletter. You can then use the free less-unique version of your newsletter to promote the exclusive content available on the paid newsletter subscription service.

Implementing these strategies can help you grow your email list and subscriber base effectively.

11. Start publishing your content

It’s now time to start publishing your newsletter. 

Chances are you’ll need to experiment with different content styles and types in the first few issues of your newsletter. This should help you find the right combination that works best for your audience and your big goal for the newsletter.

However, the best practice is to blend several types of content to optimize user engagement. For instance, you can introduce slideshows, podcasts, videos, and infographics instead of just publishing long-form text-based content. The next section will cover these and other paid newsletter content ideas.

Another idea is to cover hot topics and trends related to your niche. Doing this will help keep your subscribers engaged with timely and relevant content. In addition, it will position your newsletter as the go-to source for the latest information.

While your paid content needs to be valuable and high-quality, it does not have to be brand new. Therefore, you can revisit previous topics with updated information, new perspectives, or additional data. This approach will add more value to your content while keeping your content fresh and relevant.

Examples of paid newsletter content

Some of the content types you can include in your paid newsletter to encourage more subscriptions and keep your subscribers engaged include

• Member-only events: Host exclusive events such as webinars, Q&A sessions, or live streams. These events provide unique opportunities for subscribers to interact directly with you or any industry experts you host.
• Early access: Give paying subscribers early access to content, digital product releases, or special reports. This exclusivity makes them feel valued and encourages them to stay subscribed.
• Interviews and podcasts: To give your newsletter a more personal approach, share exclusive interviews with industry experts or podcasts discussing relevant topics in your niche.
• Trends, forecasts, and market reports: Offer in-depth analysis of industry trends and forecasts. This type of content is valuable for paying subscribers who want to stay ahead of the curve in their field. It is also a great way to establish authority in your niche.
• Case studies: Share detailed case studies that explore successful projects or demonstrate real-world applications of concepts, strategies, or digital products.
• Learning materials: Provide educational content, such as tutorials, guides, how-to articles, or e-books. Such learning materials help subscribers develop new skills, deepen their understanding of a topic, or solve specific problems.

Ultimately, the exact types of content you’ll use will depend on your niche and your goal for the newsletter. Pick content types that will bring you closer to your big goal.

Real-life examples of paid newsletters

Check out these two great paid newsletter examples:

Stratechery

Stratechery is a well-known newsletter that covers business, strategy, and the impact of technology. Founded by Ben Thompson, a former Microsoft employee, Stratechery has become a highly regarded newsletter that shapes conversations and thoughts across the global technology industry. 

It is currently estimated to have around 40,000 paid subscribers.

In addition to sharing in-depth content and detailed reporting about tech topics, Startechery offers daily updates and exclusive interviews with key industry players.

Stratechery often offers free bi-weekly articles. However, you must be a paying subscriber to access the comprehensive three weekly emails and podcast episodes. 

The current newsletter subscription fee is $15 per month or $150 per year.

Sinocism

Sinocism is a newsletter written by Bill Bishop, a former media executive who lived and worked in China for over a decade. 

The newsletter provides commentary, reporting, analysis, and curated links to important news related to China. It covers various topics, including politics, economics, and international relations. This has made it an excellent resource for investors, policymakers, executives, analysts, diplomats, journalists, and scholars.

Sinocism currently has over 234,000 subscribers.

While you can get occasional free newsletter issues, most of Sinocism’s content is gated. That means you must be a paying subscriber to get the most value from the newsletter. 

Luckily, the platform has multiple paid subscription plans, as shown above. You can choose between individual or group subscription plans and monthly or annual membership. 

You can also buy a Sinocism newsletter subscription as a gift. Current students are eligible for a 70% discount.

Conclusion

A paid newsletter is a great way to generate recurring income from your expertise and interests. But as we’ve discussed, running a successful paid newsletter will require careful planning and execution. 

We have also outlined 11 key steps to starting a paid newsletter that will be an asset to you and your subscribers, from defining your goals and niche to choosing the right platform and content formats.

Remember, your subscribers pay to get detailed information or in-depth insights they can’t simply get from a quick internet search. So, to build and retain paying subscribers, ensure you always deliver high-quality exclusive content.