How to Grow and Monetise a Newsletter
If you’re wondering how to turn your newsletter into a consistent income stream, go grab a coffee and I’ll give you some ideas.
In this guide, I’ll share the exact process I’ve used to generate over $1,000 from my newletter last month. This strategy focuses on growth, engagement, and monetization,without resorting to hard sales tactics.
I use Substack for my newsletter, but what I’ll show you isn’t dependent on the platform.
Growing Subscribers
Substack offers a variety of tools to help you grow your audience organically. One of the most effective is the Notes feature, which acts like a social hub for connecting with other creators and potential subscribers. However if you use another platform just pick a short form social media platform such as Threads, Instagram of Bluesky and use that and add a link to your newsletter in your profile.
Here’s how I use Notes/Social media effectively:
I post 1–2 Notes each day, sharing helpful advice and insights from my experience. These Notes provide immediate value and are trying to help position me as a trusted expert in my niche.
Rather than constantly promoting my own content, I look for Notes from other creators where I can offer meaningful contributions.
For example, if someone shares a post that resonates with me with, I’ll leave a thoughtful comment or add an additional perspective.
This isn’t about self-promotion—it’s about building relationships.
I also explore the profiles of creators whose content aligns with my interests. Substack allows you to view their followers and subscribers, giving you insight into active users who might also find your content valuable. I follow these users and sometimes subscribe to their newsletters, if they sound interesting …
TIP: Create a good profile!
This approach prioritizes relationships over self-promotion. By contributing genuine value to others’ conversations, you naturally attract people to your profile and, ultimately, your newsletter.
If you prefer you can watch this video about my process
Followers Vs Subscribers On Substack
Understanding the difference between a follower and a subscriber on Substack is key to maximizing your reach.
Followers see your Notes in their feed but won’t receive your newsletters unless they subscribe. Subscribers, on the other hand, receive your newsletters directly in their inbox, giving you a more direct line of communication.
To optimize conversions, ensure your profile is complete and clearly communicates what your newsletter offers. A compelling description can make the difference between someone clicking “Follow” or “Subscribe.”
Once you’ve built an audience, the next step is turning those subscribers into paying members. Substack provides a simple way to set up payment options, but I’ve found that combining Substack’s tools with additional offers creates the best results.
Monetising Your Newsletter
Here’s how I structure my pricing:
• A $5 monthly tier gives subscribers access to exclusive content, such as weekly newsletter chapters.
• A $37 annual tier includes all monthly benefits.
• A $99 founding member tier offers everything in the lower tiers, along with access to all my courses, the community, and everything I create over the next year.
With the VIP Tier, I wanted to create a “no-brainer offer” that people would find difficult to ignore. This is the same as the All Access Pass I have created here on my blog.
In addition to Substack’s payment system, I include the all access offer at the end of each newsletter. This bundle consolidates all my resources—courses, books, community access—into one no-brainer deal.
A simple call-to-action like,
“Why not check out my All Access Pass” leads subscribers to a checkout page with all the details.
This strategy generated $1,000 in just four weeks with minimal effort.
Simplicity
The secret to this system is simplicity and authenticity. I share my best ideas without holding back, ensuring my audience sees the value upfront.
This builds trust and positions me as someone who genuinely wants to help. While the free content educates, paid options focus on helping subscribers apply what they’ve learned.
For example, my implementation community supports members in executing the strategies I teach. There’s no hard sell involved. I place my offers subtly—at the end of newsletters or within relevant sections, allowing the audience to opt in if they are interested.
One of the best parts of this system is how little time it takes.
Spending 15 minutes per day on Notes is enough to maintain visibility. Writing a high-quality newsletter takes about an hour, and it serves as the backbone of my monetization efforts. Substack handles the heavy lifting, from sending emails to processing payments, freeing up more time for you.
Growing and monetizing a Newsletter doesn’t require aggressive tactics or a massive time commitment. By focusing on consistent value, authentic engagement, and smart monetization strategies, you can create a sustainable income stream that works for you.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to optimize your existing newsletter, this no-pressure, value-first approach can help you achieve consistent earnings while maintaining your audience’s trust.
Do you have questions or tips for growing a newsletter? Drop them in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more insights on content marketing and monetization!