5 newsletter predictions for 2025

Happy New Year!

I hope you were able to ring in 2025 however you wanted to…

Whether that meant staying in, watching Netflix and going to bed before midnight….

Finding a house party where there’s no fee for drinks or cover…

Or going to a nightclub with loud music and lots of people.

Personally, I went with Option C…

Which means I spent last night shouting in other people’s ears, pretending I know how to dance, and sweating through my suit.

It was a ton of fun…

Despite having a few too many wobbly pops and paying the price today 😂

Anyhow, since we’re now officially in 2025…

Here are my newsletter predictions for the coming year:

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PREDICTION #1: More competition

First off, a report from Captain Obvious.

But the competition factor is still worth mentioning, as Beehiiv, ConvertKit and Substack all saw major growth last year. 

That’s because more and more people are starting email newsletters.

A trend that’s likely to accelerate in 2025.

Especially if reach on social keeps shrinking like the stockpile of holiday treats in my pantry.

What it means:

Strong positioning and unique “one-of-one” content will be necessary to make your newsletter stand out.

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PREDICTION #2: Lead gen will be less effective

AI has democratized ‘how-to’ information.

The dark side for publishers is competing on ‘how-to’ is now basically impossible.

It’s created an insatiable appetite for “value” among free leads…

Meaning no matter how much you deliver, it’ll never be enough to satisfy them.

What it means:

More publishers will shift to purchase campaigns so they can build an audience of buyers instead.

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PREDICTION #3: Fewer recommendations

This bubble is gonna pop in 2025.

(if it hasn’t already, tbh)

Big publishers are paying a lot less for recommendations through Sparkloop, Beehiiv, etc.

That’s because they produce lower-quality leads.

Something I’ve seen first-hand with my freelancing newsletter.

What it means:

More people will compete for fewer opportunities and smaller payouts, making it even less viable as a long-term monetization tactic.

PREDICTION #4: Sponsors will get pickier

More newsletters means more options for brands looking to sponsor.

So they can afford to be pickier.

This means holding out for bigger audiences, higher levels of engagement, and more favorable deal terms.

What it means:

Content-driven newsletters with fewer than 20,000 subscribers will have a much harder time monetizing through sponsorships.

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PREDICTION #5: Storysellers will win

This is another downstream effect of AI…

And the explosion of free ‘how-to’ information that’s hit the market.

Because when everyone is following the same playbook, eventually it stops working.

Which, in turn, creates opportunities for new playbooks to emerge and become dominant.

And in only-mildly-self-serving fashion… 

I predict my Email Storyselling Playbook and those faithfully following it will be one such example.

What it means:

Learning how to sell through storytelling will be an essential skill for any coach, consultant or online expert who wants to win in 2025 without a massive audience.

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Well, there you have it.

As you can imagine, these 5 things are driving my plans for growth & monetization in 2025.

I recommend you adjust yours accordingly as well.

More on exactly how to do that in future emails…

But for now, I’m going back to the couch so I can return to low power mode. 

Cheers✌️

Jim Hamilton

P.S:

If you haven’t grabbed your copy of the Email Storyselling Playbook yet…

Do that here