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Industry · Newsletters, blogs & media
How newsletters, blogs & media businesses make money
The 1M.chat dataset has 307 newsletters, blogs & media businesses. 162 of them have a revenue figure the founder reported in an interview. Their median is $8.5K a month, and 11% were at $1M a year or more when interviewed, with a median team of 1 employee. The growth channels founders credited most often were organic social media (68%), SEO & organic search (62%), email & newsletters (43%).
Revenue at interview
| Under $1K/mo | 12 | |
| $1K–$10K/mo | 75 | |
| $10K–$50K/mo | 45 | |
| $50K–$83K/mo | 12 | |
| $1M+ a year | 17 | |
| $1M+ a month | 1 |
Growth channels credited
| Organic social media | 68% | |
| SEO & organic search | 62% | |
| Email & newsletters | 43% | |
| Content marketing | 37% | |
| Communities (Reddit, forums, Slack groups) | 23% |
Share of 120 businesses with channel information; founders often name several.
Business models in this group
| Ads, sponsorships & affiliate | 208 | |
| Subscriptions (SaaS & memberships) | 53 | |
| Selling physical products | 15 | |
| Services, agency & consulting | 11 | |
| Courses & digital products | 10 | |
| Marketplace commissions | 5 |
Tools named most: Twitter (50%), Instagram (25%), Ahrefs (21%), Google Drive (21%), Monday.com (8%) — of 24 that listed tools.
Case studies
Read how they did it
- Man of Many: how a men's lifestyle publisher built a $4M a year businessmen's lifestyle publication covering products and culture$4M/yrfounder-reported 2023
- Tooltester: a website-builder review site that makes $1.4M a year from SEO trafficTooltester helps freelancers and small businesses create websites and market them using the best web tools.$1.4M/yrfounder-reported 2023
- Financial Samurai: a personal finance blog at $120K a year that started with a $1,000 adFinancial Samurai is a personal finance site that helps people achieve financial independence.$120K/yrfounder-reported 2021
- The Holistic Enchilada: a curly hair blog that earns $96K a yearBlogs about curly hair and clean beauty, helping people transition to natural texture.$96K/yrfounder-reported 2022
Examples
Highest founder-reported revenues in this group
| Business | What it sells | Revenue / month | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| WorkologyNewsletters, blogs & media | HR resources, podcast and workplace tools | $1Mfounder interview 2021 | United States |
| Casino GuruNewsletters, blogs & media | Online casino reviews and information | $773Kfounder interview | Slovakia |
| Prime Publishing LLCNewsletters, blogs & media | cooking and crafting websites and newsletters | $600Kfounder interview 2022 | United States |
| Man of ManyNewsletters, blogs & media | men's lifestyle publication covering products and culture | $4M/yrfounder interview 2023 | Australia |
| Station 16 Editio...Newsletters, blogs & media | Art prints, toys, collectibles and gallery services | $350Kfounder interview | Canada |
| KickFlipsNewsletters, blogs & media | Sneaker resale newsletter and Discord community | $250Kfounder interview 2021 | United States |
| Mbrella FilmsNewsletters, blogs & media | corporate video, commercial and film production | $250Kfounder interview 2023 | Thailand |
| Confidently MomNewsletters, blogs & media | Lifestyle blog and consulting services | $250Kfounder interview 2020 | United States |
| Modern ProducersNewsletters, blogs & media | Software and tools for music producers | $233Kfounder interview 2019 | United States |
| DollarSproutNewsletters, blogs & media | Personal finance blog about earning and side hustles | $200Kfounder interview | United States |
| Entrepreneurs on ...Newsletters, blogs & media | podcast, online courses, coaching, journals | $194Kfounder interview 2019 | United States |
| Anno Domini NationNewsletters, blogs & media | Digital music licensing and beat production | $175Kfounder interview 2024 | United States |
| Millennial Money ManNewsletters, blogs & media | personal finance blog and make-money content | $150Kfounder interview | United States |
| Snackable StudiosNewsletters, blogs & media | Services helping video creators grow and monetize content | $143Kfounder interview 2018 | Canada |
| I Know The PilotNewsletters, blogs & media | Travel deals newsletter and flight comparison | $140Kfounder interview | Australia |
| TooltesterNewsletters, blogs & media | Reviews and tutorials of website builders, hosting and marketing tools | $1.4M/yrfounder interview 2023 | Spain |
| Free To UseNewsletters, blogs & media | Free music downloads for content creators | $85Kfounder interview 2025 | Denmark |
| Wholesome YumNewsletters, blogs & media | healthy and keto recipes, app, and food products | $84Kfounder interview | United States |
| Making Sense of C...Newsletters, blogs & media | personal finance and lifestyle blog | $83Kfounder interview 2020 | Living on a Sailboat |
| BuildapreneurNewsletters, blogs & media | affiliate marketing content and guides | $80Kfounder interview 2021 | Highland |
Revenue as the founder reported it in a Starter Story interview, at the interview date; not current revenue. “What it sells” is a 1M.chat summary. How this data is built
Questions
How much do newsletters, blogs & media businesses typically make?
Among 162 newsletters, blogs & media businesses with founder-reported revenue, the median was $8.5K a month at the time of the interview. The sample is founders who chose to be interviewed, so it leans toward businesses that were already working; treat it as a range of real outcomes, not an average for everyone who tries.
How many newsletters, blogs & media businesses reached $1M a year?
18 of 162 (11%) reported at least $83K a month, the run-rate for $1M a year.
How did newsletters, blogs & media businesses find customers?
Of 120 with growth-channel information, founders most often credited organic social media (68%), SEO & organic search (62%), email & newsletters (43%), content marketing (37%), communities (Reddit, forums, Slack groups) (23%). Channels are grouped by 1M.chat from what founders said worked.
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