While I’ve been working on this blog, I keep hearing about this whole newsletter thing, and I feel like I’ve been living under a rock. People are out here turning email newsletters into six- and seven-figure businesses, and here I am, still trying to figure out how to make my blog’s CTA buttons not look like a toddler designed them.

I had zero clue how newsletters actually worked. Seriously. To me, newsletters were just those annoying emails I’d unsubscribe from the second I bought something online. But then I stumbled across some videos by these newsletter gurus, and, holy smokes, I realized I’ve been completely underestimating this whole newsletter game.

Here’s the mind-blowing part: newsletters aren’t just some random marketing tool. These things are basically money machines if you know what you’re doing. Some people are making millions. MILLIONS. I’m not even exaggerating—one guy's newsletter company sold for over $500 million. That’s not just “good” money; that’s “I can buy a private island and rename it after myself” money.

What really surprised me was how they’re using paid ads to grow their subscriber base. I always thought the only way to get subscribers was through word of mouth or maybe bribing your friends with pizza to sign up. Nope! Turns out, a lot of successful newsletter creators are using Facebook and Instagram ads to reel people in. And not just a few people—like thousands. And they're not spending millions on this either! One expert, Matt McGarry, mentioned he could snag a high-quality subscriber for as little as $1. Think about that: paying one dollar for someone who could end up generating$25 over time. That’s some serious return on investment.

Now, here's where I really started thinking about how I could implement this for my own blog. I’m already writing about how to make money online, and clearly, newsletters are another way to do just that. But honestly, I’m not the world's greatest writer. I mean, I get my thoughts across, but I’m no Shakespeare. Thankfully, I learned that you don’t have to be some kind of literary genius to succeed at newsletters. A lot of these successful newsletter folks are just really good at speaking directly to their audience, like they’re talking to a friend. It’s less about being perfect and more about being authentic and consistent.

One of the coolest tricks I picked up was this thing called content sniping. It’s basically where you take viral content—like videos that have already taken off on social media—and remake them for your own brand. You’re not copying; you’re “repurposing” (sounds classier, right?). It’s genius because you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. If something’s already going viral, there’s a good chance it’ll work for you, too.

On top of that, I also found out about these habit-forming elements you can include in your newsletter, like trivia, memes, or even fun facts. I guess the idea is that if you can make your newsletter something people look forward to—like their daily dose of random knowledge or laughs—they’ll keep opening it. And the more they open it, the more they engage with your content. It’s kind of like sneaking vegetables into a smoothie, except the readers are getting a side of monetizable content along with their memes.

At this point, I was starting to get a clearer picture of how newsletters could actually fit into my blog’s strategy. It’s not just about sending emails; it’s about building relationships. A newsletter lets you talk directly to your audience on a more personal level than a blog ever could. Plus, once they’re subscribed, you’ve got a direct line to their inbox, which—let’s be honest—is prime real estate in today’s world.

But that’s when I hit my first hurdle: I have no idea how to build an email list. I mean, I can slap a sign-up form on my blog using Beehiiv’s API, but then what? Just sit around waiting for people to magically find it? Turns out, there’s a whole system to this, and the gurus recommend using multiple strategies to get subscribers. Posting on social media, offering freebies, cross-promoting with other newsletters—it’s all about getting creative with how you lure people in.

One tactic that really stood out to me was offering a free product in exchange for a keyword comment on Instagram. You make a video (or reel, or whatever the cool kids are calling it), tell people to comment with a specific keyword, and then boom—your automation tool, like ManyChat, sends them a link to your freebie. It’s like turning your Instagram into a 24/7 lead-generation machine, which, honestly, sounds way better than the “post and pray” method I’ve been using.

I also learned that newsletters are an incredible way to monetize content. Sure, you can run ads on your blog, but newsletters take it up a notch. Once you’ve got a decent-sized audience, you can charge businesses to advertise in your newsletter. And the more niche your audience, the more you can charge. Business-to-business (B2B) newsletters, in particular, bring in the highest ad rates because those readers usually have buying power. Plus, there's the whole subscription model: people will pay to get exclusive content if it helps them solve a problem or make more money. So, in my case, writing about making money online? Prime territory for paid memberships.

Of course, there’s a catch to all this: you have to actually write the thing. Consistently. And that’s where I might hit a roadblock. I’m great at starting projects but, uh, not always the best at keeping them going. But I learned that the key is setting up a template and sticking to it. Kind of like a magazine that has the same sections in every issue. Once you’ve got a structure, it’s just a matter of filling in the blanks. And if I’m feeling stuck, I can always curate content from other sources and just add my own commentary.

Now, all of this sounds great, but I’m fully aware that this isn’t going to be an overnight success. Building a newsletter that brings in the big bucks takes time, effort, and a lot of trial and error. I’ll probably mess up along the way—who doesn’t? But the beauty of email marketing is that it’s pretty forgiving. You can always tweak, experiment, and improve as you go.

So, where does that leave me? I’m going to add a newsletter to my blog, obviously. I’ll start by integrating Beehiiv, setting up that CTA box, and putting my email collection on autopilot. Then I’ll start small: maybe a weekly or bi-weekly newsletter that complements my blog posts. I’ll share interesting articles, resources, and a few insights I’ve picked up along the way. And memes. There will definitely be memes.

Once I’ve got the hang of it, I’ll work on growing my list. I’ll use some of the strategies I’ve learned—content sniping, Instagram keyword comments, maybe even running some ads once I’ve saved up a bit. It’s all about experimenting and figuring out what works for me and my audience.

In the end, I think this newsletter thing might just be the missing piece in my blog’s growth strategy. It’s going to take some work, and there will be hurdles, but I’m up for the challenge. And who knows? Maybe one day, I’ll be the one making millions off my email list. If nothing else, at least my CTA buttons will finally look decent.