July 9, 202410 min de lectura

💵 Why you should start your Newsletter & How much Money it makes me? · The Bunker #92

Hi friend 👋🏻!

A Newsletter in which we talk about UX Design and the Freelance Journey, dedicated to those who are starting out in both worlds and who feel identified.

From The Bunker, we accompany you on the way.

This post is not sponsored, but it could be. (Open DMs).

First of all, you might be wondering why I'm still running a Newsletter that's already 2 years old.

Why should I be writing an article every week for so long, and what should I expect by doing so?

Should you create a Newsletter in 2024? Is it still worth it? How much can you earn? Can you actually make money with a Newsletter? What impact does this newsletter have on my other products?

Welcome back to The Bunker for another week. Today, I'll explain why The Bunker exists, why you should create your own Newsletter, and what it can bring you as a professional.

First of all, starting a Newsletter has been one of the best decisions I've made in my professional career, and I'll explain why:

Why you should even care about a Newsletter?

I understand one of your questions might be, aren't Newsletters a thing of 2012? In 2024, wouldn't it be better to create a Twitter account or even start a YouTube channel?

The answer is: Yes, but it depends.

I would tell you that yes, creating a Newsletter in 2024 is something you should consider. However, if you prefer to prioritize your YouTube channel and not start a newsletter, that would also be a good option.

Now, why did I say yes?

For me, it's crucial to grow an email list. Platforms can disappear overnight, but you'll always have people's emails. This is perhaps the most important aspect.

I said it depends because if you have little time and decide to prioritize YouTube, it's okay to leave the Newsletter for the future. You know YouTube won't disappear in 2 years, but in the long run, growing an email list is recommended.

At the end of the day, an email list is much more valuable than an audience on Twitter or other platforms, and I'll explain why:

It gives you the habit of writing

Personally, I didn't have this habit before, and thanks to having something to write continuously, it has greatly improved my writing skills, even in speaking.

This is not only useful for having this skill, but because in the future, or as I've already done, if I decide to write a book, I already have this skill mastered, and writing a book will seem like writing many chapters of a long Newsletter.

Not only for writing a book in the future. Learning to write correctly will also help you learn to express yourself and plan much better, whether it's for a tweet or a YouTube video script. Knowing how to put your ideas on paper and give them shape and form is something you only learn through practice. Ultimately, learning to write, and write well, will bring countless benefits to anything related to better communication.

It gives you the habit of being consistent

This is possibly one of the most relevant aspects for me, it allows you to start the habit of being consistent in something.

Maintaining a Newsletter isn't committing to going to the gym 4 or 5 times a week; it's writing an article for 30-60 minutes just once a week. Honestly, it's an easy habit to maintain.

Even though it's easy, you start to learn to value things that are:

Long-term
And very consistent.

Later, when you want to tackle more challenging tasks, you'll already have experience maintaining a Newsletter for an extended period.

What you should be writing about

Newsletters are much more personal spaces; people appreciate what's more personal, something that won't be just to grab your attention on Twitter. I recommend writing about things you don't mention on other social media platforms.

Or if you prefer, publish the same content but adapt the tone. On Twitter, you might be more interested in showing the result directly, but in the Newsletter, you'll want to show the result and perhaps open up to your audience and explain everything you've had to go through.

The way people speak in Newsletters is much more genuine. And that's good because when it comes to economics, it's much easier to sell to people with whom you've built a stronger bond of trust than to those who follow you for your more generic content on Twitter.

Here you develop a much more personal connection, which we'll discuss in another section.

How often should I post?

Really, like any social network, you have to maintain a balance to be consistent enough without burning out, you have to find a way to make it sustainable.

If you post 2 times a day, maybe after 60 days it starts to become more difficult; the first week is usually the easiest, and then when problems come, personal matters, other projects... it starts to become harder. So you know yourself and know what you can commit to. Ideally, 1 or 2 posts a week is best.

Consider that someone's inbox is an intimate space, and while they may not consume Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube every day, I assure you they do check their email inbox. If they keep seeing your email and you keep filling their inbox, they might unsubscribe.

So ideally, 1 or 2 posts a week is usually enough. And if possible, try to aim for the early hours of the day or the late ones, and days when not many other creators are sending Newsletters, like Mondays, Fridays, or Saturdays. If you send it at the same time and day as everyone else, your post will go unnoticed.

Monetization

As for monetization, the most obvious model to make money on Substack is through the subscription model. You can offer exclusive content to your subscribers.

I actually earn very little from this, between €5 and €10 a month when 1-2 people subscribe each month, so I don't know if it's profitable or not. I understand it could be profitable for those with many subscribers.

However, there are countless ways to make money with your Newsletter, and much more efficient and profitable ways than membership subscriptions.

Some that I use:

Sponsorships: This allows you to establish promotion points for potential sponsors; you can add ads in the middle of the post and even at the end in the footer. Over time, there will be brands that want to appear in your Newsletter, and you can monetize these advertising spaces.
Your own products: It allows you to create a space for your own premium products, your courses, your books, etc. This is quite obvious; it's a direct source that allows you to promote your own products. This is probably the most reliable source for me. Since the Newsletter is a much closer space to the audience, it's easier to sell a product than when trying to capture everyone's attention on Twitter. If you have a premium product priced at €80-€150, having 10 people buy it per month means €1,500. And if you have 3,000 readers, getting 100 to buy is relatively easy. You can even have 3 people buy a €1,000 product, and you already have €3,000.
Affiliate marketing: It allows you to create a space where you can create interesting links, all with an affiliate link. Then readers who make purchases through your links will earn you commission on those purchases.

Connecting with the audience

I think the Newsletter is the best form of communication with your audience. By allowing you to share the same things you would on Twitter but in a much more personal way, it allows you to generate much higher trust.

And trust often translates into more sales. Someone's purchase is determined by how much trust they have in you.

Maintaining direct and personal communication with your readers allows you to create a loyal and engaged community. Additionally, you can receive immediate feedback on your ideas and content.

But well, if we set aside the topic of monetization, building trust will make people believe in you in a more special way, creating a more unique connection. It's where you can have more loyal followers who truly listen to what you have to say.

Talking about topics that you might not talk about on other social media platforms

This is the potential of the Newsletter: being able to discuss topics and in ways that you wouldn't on other platforms where you're clearly seeking the most attention possible.

As mentioned before, it allows you to approach the same topics with greater freedom and build a stronger trust bond, further reinforcing your personal brand.

What’s the best tool to start a Newsletter in 2024?

Definitely Substack, simply because of the possibilities it offers and because it's free. It's the best free tool available, offering analytics tools and more.

A Newsletter can become complex, and if you want to segment your audience and send posts to different people, I might recommend other tools. But if you want to start a Newsletter, have a space to upload something every week, and even earn money creating posts for your premium community, Substack is the place.

Don't overthink it. Create an account on Substack and start posting today.

So, why has this changed my life?

In a nutshell:

I’ve been able to promote my products in a more personal way to my audience, which is where they have bought the most, skyrocketing my finances.
I’ve built a stronger personal brand by speaking in a more relatable manner and for longer periods, thereby gaining more trust with my audience.
By writing about broad topics and sharing my knowledge beyond just design, I have managed to capture the attention of clients and getting more clients than ever.

To recap:

Talk about topics you wouldn't discuss on other social media platforms.
Use a different tone to communicate these topics, perhaps something more personal.
Be closer with your audience.
Creating a Newsletter will help you save people's emails for when Elon Musk goes crazy and shuts down the platform.
Use the space to monetize what you give away for free, offer advertising spaces, and promote your premium products to those who already consume your free content.
Be consistent.
Enjoy it.

Until next time,

Jordi Espinosa.

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