10 (Profitable) Newsletter Business Ideas To Start In 2025

In this episode, I share a comprehensive guide to launching profitable newsletter businesses in 2025, focusing on niche markets and proven monetization strategies. The episode covers various newsletter concepts ranging from local news to B2B decision-makers, with detailed implementation steps and revenue projections for each model. Special emphasis is placed on using newsletters as a foundation to build larger businesses through multiple revenue streams.

Timstamps:
• 00:00 - Intro
• 01:41 - Newsletter Idea 1: Marketing newsletter for global talent
• 07:50 - Newsletter Idea 2: Platform-based educational newsletters
• 11:12 - Newsletter Idea 3: Unofficial sports team coverage
• 12:51 - Newsletter Idea 4: Local real estate investor news
• 20:42 - Newsletter Idea 5: B2B decision maker
• 24:48 - Newsletter Idea 6: Niche ad examples for media buyers
• 26:24 - Newsletter Idea 7: Meme-based news coverage
• 29:10 - Newsletter Idea 8: Industry-specific AI tips
• 31:00 - Newsletter Idea 9: Leadership lessons and profiles
• 34:25 - Newsletter Idea 10: Local community newsletters
• 37:02 - Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Link Mentioned:

Matt’s full article: https://www.newsletteroperator.com/p/...

Matt’s Twitter/X: https://x.com/JMatthewMcGarry

Key Points:
• Detailed breakdown of 10 different newsletter business models with monetization strategies
• Focus on building profitable newsletters with low startup costs and high scalability
• Emphasis on combining paid acquisition (Facebook ads) with organic growth
• Strategy for turning newsletters into larger businesses (software, marketplaces, agencies)

1) Marketing Newsletter for Global Talent

• Target overseas marketers seeking US jobs
• Cost: $0.25-0.50 per sub via FB ads

• Structure:
1) Remote job listings
2) Digital marketing news
3) Marketing tutorials

Monetization path to $28k/mo:
• Job board ($18k/mo)
• Recruiting blasts ($10k/mo)

2) Platform-Based Newsletter

Pick ONE tool (Figma, Notion, Perplexity AI) and go deep.

The gold mine here:
• 20-50% recurring affiliate commissions
• Sell premium templates
• Potential acquisition by the platform
• Build & sell SaaS tools to your audience

3) Local Real Estate Investor Newsletter

The math:
• 5-10k subs
• $2 CPA
• $7.5k/mo in ad revenue
• $50k from seminars
• $50k from premium subs

Total: $190k/year with just 10k subscribers!

4) B2B Decision Maker Newsletter

The secret sauce:
• Need only 2k subs (if they're the right people)
• Target C-suite in specific industry
• Collect detailed subscriber data
• Charge premium for targeted access

5) Visual News & AI Newsletters

Two massive opportunities:

A) Meme-based news
• 2-4 stories/day
• Prosumer focus (tech/finance)
• Visual over Text in 2024

B) Industry-specific AI tips
• Target specific verticals
• Focus on time/money saving
• $200/year subscription model

6) Local Community Newsletter

The playbook:
• Focus on positive news
• Thursday "Weekend Plans" format
• $0.50 CPA possible
• Target high-LTV local sponsors

Real example: Naptown Scoop makes $400k/year in one city!

7) The bigger opportunity?

Don't just think "newsletter"
Think "audience building machine" that can spawn:
• Software products
• Marketplaces
• Agencies
• Communities

Start with newsletter, expand into empire.

Pro tip: for ANY of these:
• Use pre/post CTAs on social
• Build one social channel alongside
• Collect subscriber data beyond email
• Think paid first, organic second

Pick one and start this weekend!

Notable Quotes:

"Newsletter businesses are a cheat code... you can build a marketplace, you can build an agency, you can build so much on top of a newsletter."

"You don't need 100,000 subscribers to make $100,000 a year. With 5-10,000 subs, you can make $190,000 a year."

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startu...

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter:   / gregisenberg  
Instagram:   / gregisenberg  
LinkedIn:   / gisenberg