Should you create a paid newsletter?

Take a look at a recorded debate that up to this point has only been available to members of the Creative Companion Club.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Creative Companion]( Presented by [Circle](=) Hello my friend! There's a lot of buzz around the idea of paid newsletters lately. And there's nothing wrong with paid newsletters – I've subscribed to paid newsletters in the past, I've attempted paid newsletters in the past, but I think they should only be used in specific cases where they make a lot of sense. A couple of weeks ago, I got into a bit of an argument about this. Here's how it started: [Jay wanted to argue against the paid newsletter]()​ ​ Justin Moore is an awesome guy – and he's a member of the [Creative Companion Club]() too! He has [a great newsletter]( that shares paid brand deals and sponsorships that he sources himself – and it's all free! And he also recently shared just how impressive his subscriber growth has been over the last couple of months...due to this free newsletter: ​ [Justin Moore on Twitter]()​ ​ So I was fired up and ready to make my case for keeping that newsletter FREE instead of paid. Justin hosted a live debate between me and Jordan, and he let me share the recording with members of the Creative Companion Club. With his permission, I talked him into letting me share it with YOU this week as well. [Watch the debate]( ​ It's a whole lot of fun, and I think Jordan and I both made some really great points on when to create a paid newsletter vs. keep it free. And if you're considering one or the other, I recommend you check it out! PS: I can't vouch for Justin's newsletter Brand Deal Intel enough. It helps you: - Find which brands are sponsoring creators - Pitch more effectively - Get paid more money for each partnership - Immediately get better looking and tell funnier jokes (allegedly) 👉 [Join 3,604 creators and subscribe free]( (in one click!) ​ ​ [Sponsor Image](=) PRESENTED BY CIRCLE My favorite community-building platform Circle is an all-in-one community platform for creators & brands. It brings together engaging discussions, members, live streams, chat, events, and memberships — all in one place, all under your own brand. ​ I use Circle myself! It powers the [Creative Companion Club](). ​ I think Circle is perfect for communities big and small – so it's a great place to build your community because it will scale with you. And they just rolled out live video – so whether it's a 5-person group coaching call, a 50-person online class, or a 500-person broadcast with live Q&A — Circle has you covered. ​ If you're interested in testing out Circle for your community, start your 14-day free trial below. [Start your free trial](=) ​ ​ CLICK WORTHY 🔥 On My Radar A few links to ideas and opportunities that I think are worth checking out. ​ 🗣 [Creator Economy Expo (CEX)](=) – I'm excited to be speaking at the first ever CEX in Phoenix, Arizona next month! I'll be presenting on building a beloved membership, sharing a lot of the behind-the-scenes of the Creative Companion Club. The team is offering three free tickets to Creative Companion subscribers, so [enter the giveaway here](=) before Friday, April 22! --------------------------------------------------------------- ⚡️ [Growth Currency Newsletter]( – Growth Currency is the newsletter you need to help you start + grow + monetize your newsletter. Dylan sends weekly tips, resources, tools, and case studies to help you build a successful newsletter. It's really well-written, and I recommend you check it out. --------------------------------------------------------------- ✍️ [Justin Welsh's Content OS]()* – I recently purchased and got a ton out of Justin Welsh's Content OS course. It's very brief – about an hour long. But he provides a Notion template + his process for creating templates to be used for writing on Twitter. *Affiliate link ​ THIS WEEK ON CREATIVE ELEMENTS #98: Jay-Talking Memberships Discussing our approaches to launching a memberships [Creative Elements Cover Art]() Over the last month, Jay Acunzo and I have both launched our own membership programs. And while we were in the thick of designing and launching those programs, we thought it would be a good idea to record a podcast about it. This episode is part of “Jay Talking,” a series of conversations with Jay (Acunzo) that are less of an interview, and more of a conversation between two creators in the trenches of building their businesses. Jay is an author, a speaker, and a showrunner. He started his career in marketing working with ESPN, Google and HubSpot. He hosts [Unthinkable](), a storytelling podcast about creative people who break from conventional thinking to make what matters most. In this episode, we talk about how we structured our membership programs, the difference between creators following a Tesla vs. a Toyota model, the psychology of pricing a membership, how I pre-sold access to the [Creative Companion Club](), and the uncertainties we didn’t let hold us back. CREATIVE ELEMENTS • EPISODE 98 Jay-Talking Memberships Discussing our approaches to launching a memberships [Play episode]() =[Apple Podcasts](=) Spotify]( ​ ​ LAST WORD 👋 Thanks for reading! It's a busy, busy time over here at the Clouse House as we're almost a month away from our wedding! We also booked our honeymoon travel (which I'm so so so excited about) and things are becoming very real. I'm very thankful for the timing of launching the [Creative Companion Club]() because not only is it just the best to hang out with folks in there, but it's also making our dream honeymoon possible! Your support in both large and small ways (like reading this newsletter!) is such a gift. I never would have dreamed that I could have such a fulfilling, rewarding, amazing life as a professional creator...but you make that possible. Thank you! Cheers, Jay --------------------------------------------------------------- [Photo of Jay Clouse]( Jay Clouse [Say hi 👋 on Twitter]() or [Instagram]( Thanks for subscribing! You can reply to this email or [contact me]( anytime. Too many emails? [Change your preferences]( or [unsubscribe here](. Want to say thank you? [Buy Me A Coffee]() or send a note to P.O. BOX 797, Worthington, OH 43085 This email was sent with [ConvertKit]() and designed using [Palladio]().