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We’re covering Newsletters aren’t dead, they are just evolving.

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Charlie Patel, Owner of Media Assets Newsletter

“The Death of Ad-Only Newsletters.”

The old-school "newsletter ad-only" model is basically on life support. Back when inboxes were less crowded, you could build a newsletter, grab cheap subscribers from Facebook ads, slap in some $50 CPM ads, and boom — profit. But now? Competition is insane, ad rates have dropped, subscriber costs are up, and Apple’s privacy updates wrecked open rate tracking. AI’s made summarizing content super easy too, so newsletters that just repackage the news are getting boring fast.

If you’re still running a daily newsletter packed with 1-2 ads and relying solely on that income stream, it’s time to pivot. The smarter move? Publish less but with better, original content that actually builds trust — then pair it with something like a podcast, YouTube, or a tight-knit community. On the monetization side, ads alone won’t cut it. You need to start selling your own stuff or help sponsors sell theirs through deeper campaigns — think dedicated emails, webinars, or full-funnel content. Basically, be a partner, not just an inbox billboard. (LINK)

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