What newsletters can learn from McDonald's

The most important skill for a great newsletter operator is this…

The skill of acquiring a subscriber and turning a profit on that acquisition.

Sometimes that means turning subscribers into paid attention for advertisers…and other times it means converting them to your own paid products.

But a lot of newsletter operators struggle to turn a profit on their acquired audience.

They know they have a valuable audience, but they haven’t found product-market fit yet.

Let me tell you a story about McDonald’s — yeah, the McDonald’s.

The owner of the McDonald’s franchise, Ray Kroc, found himself in a similar position.

He knew he had something valuable with the McDonald's brand and its efficient service model.

But despite his efforts, the profits were not rolling in as expected.

The franchise was doing well, but not well enough to sustain long-term growth and profitability.

Enter Harry Sonneborn, who changed the game entirely.

Sonneborn realized that McDonald’s real value wasn't just in selling burgers and fries.

It was in the land on which the restaurants sat.

He proposed that McDonald's should own the land and lease it to franchisees.

This created a steady, reliable revenue stream from real estate.

This shift in strategy transformed McDonald's from a fast-food business into a real estate powerhouse.

The rental income from franchisees provided a stable financial foundation.

This allowed McDonald's to thrive and expand globally.

So, what can newsletter operators learn from this?

Ray Kroc knew he had something valuable, but didn’t know how to make money from it.

You might be in the same situation…

You might be sitting on gold (your audience), but struggling to monetize.

Just like McDonald’s had valuable real estate, you have a valuable audience.

The key is to unlock the potential of this 'real estate' by finding innovative ways to monetize.

Sometimes, the value of what you have isn't immediately obvious.

By thinking outside the box and exploring different revenue streams, you can transform your newsletter into a profitable venture.

Your audience is your goldmine.

It's up to you to find the best way to extract its value.

Remember, it's not just about acquiring subscribers.

It's about turning those subscribers into a sustainable source of income.

With creativity and strategic thinking, you can turn your newsletter into a thriving business.

Just like McDonald's turned their fast-food chain into a real estate empire.