26 Comments

Brilliant article, I'm find it to be true as well. I can charge $500 for s journey coaches product easier than 1 $35 subscription to a newsletter.

I sell $5000 coaching course hybrid in another industry and same thing there. I can barely give away my paid newsletter in the same niche.

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That’s the right math

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We sell 10-15 of those $5000 packages a month... Not playing with paid newsletters for it anymore

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Crushing it!

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Years and years of building and tweaking and problem solving. Super blessed to have a team helping me run an amazing program

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👊

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Sep 4Liked by Matt Giaro

Great post, Matt. Former Ben Settle fan...still like the guy, but $97? Really?

I'm at the point where all the bandwagons, paid newsletters, are a red flag.

I've bought enough digital products to know what value doesn't look like. People out there reading this probably have too. All we have to do is provide the value we've been missing.

By doing so, you'll set yourself and maybe someone else free. Man, that's the stuff right there. The money will come.

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thx for the restack

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Aug 30Liked by Matt Giaro

I agree. A paid membership or subscription makes sense when you really offer something that is a real service for the receiver (learning is imho no service and is better offered in a course or coaching).

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yep

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I'm starting to realize that the paid newsletter may be a bad idea so thanks for reiterating this

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glad it was helpful

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But what do you do if you offer a free newsletter but nobody's buying your online courses, coaching, or digital products?

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you get better at selling your stuff

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Or maybe I should focus on selling other people's stuff through affiliate marketing! Ha!

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a possibility

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On second thoughts. whats the use of becoming a writer on Substack if cannot earn much from paid subscribtions?Those who write here are persuaded to be a seller of other items but what if everyone doesn’t like to sell stuff....Would have been more easier to earn througj a regular blog where also you write for free but could earn from adsense or placing ads etc..

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well, you can monetize your work with something else like coaching, client work, courses, etc.

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Agreed on this point. Thanx for pointing out the bitter truth that I had at the corner ofvmy mind all the time , but, yet not sure of my action plan either.

In Medium, however, it's easier to get subscribers to sign up coz they are not paying to read just one newsletter or writer's posts but for reading all the writers' publications. Imagine, by just by paying $5 every month to Medium , as a subscriber, you are able go read all the writers' work! then the subs wouldn't think so hard to subscribe !! ?????

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medium and substack are two different beasts.

I suggest reading this, too:

https://mattgiaro.substack.com/p/writers-are-massively-leaving-medium

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Absolutely agree with what you wrote Matt. Recently I though if I should have a paid newsletter but keep thinking is not the time nor the right strategy.

You fully convinced me on that and your model makes way more sense.

Thanks for sharing this

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Glad it was helpul.

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I like this perspective, Matt. I have a couple of paid subscribers, but I honestly don't feel good about it. I think you've convinced me to put it all back to free again.

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Glad it sparked some thoughts :)

As I mentioned in the article, it's all about the strategic vision.

And if something feels wrong, ditch it. Because it's all about alignment

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I 100% agree with you there on the alignment thing. You really have me thinking...!

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Glad I did :)

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