How Simple Newsletters Make Me More Money

Newsletters are profitable, but they’re far from passive.

Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

Here are a few popular types you can set up and profit from.

A few years ago, I ran a B2B newsletter for a SaaS company. These types of branded newsletters are like assembly lines — complex and rigid. We spent a day or two rounding up content from across the business, such as blog posts, e-books, and guides.

We mapped this content to the company’s latest offers. Then, we shoved all the content into a highly designed-template. It took a day or two every week. The purpose was to drive software trials and demos. I still die a little when I think of all the stakeholders who wanted to sign off on the content.

This type of newsletter strategy works well if your company already sells a product or service and you need a way of keeping in touch with past customers and clients.

A content newsletter can drive juicy traffic if you publish content a few times a week, say on a website, YouTube channel, or social media. You can monetize on-site via display ads or affiliate offers.

This model requires lots of content and an extensive list. I followed it for a few years, sending a newsletter every Friday rounding up the latest blog posts on my sites. You need lots of…