Don't know what to sell in newsletter?

4-Step Framework to Discover What Your Readers Will Actually Buy

If you’re stuck wondering:

“What should I sell to my audience?”

You’re asking the wrong question.

The right one is:

“What pain do they already have — and how do I make it go away?”

Here’s how to find out what people will pay you for

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STEP 1: Use This 4-Part Framework to Spot Monetizable Pain Points

You don’t need a guess.
You need data from your audience in 4 layers:

1. Surveys (Direct Signals)

Ask questions like:

• “What’s your biggest struggle when it comes to X?”

• “What have you tried that didn’t work?”

2. DMs & Replies (Conversational Signals)

Go through:

• Comments

• DMs

• Replies to your newsletter or posts

Look for patterns:

• Repeat frustrations

• Hesitations (“I want to do this, but…”)

• Things they ask you for help with

This is raw, unfiltered market research.

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3. Behavioral Signals (Action-Based Clues)

Watch what people do, not just what they say.

Track:

• Which emails get the most opens/clicks

• Which links or CTAs perform best

• Which content formats (tools, tutorials, case studies) they engage with most

  
  Your content data tells you what they crave.

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4. Topic Testing (Low-Effort Idea Validation)

Post short value nuggets across 2–3 topics to see what sticks.

On:

• Twitter

• LinkedIn

• Threads

• Your newsletter

Track:

• Engagement

• Shares

• Comments

• “I need this!” replies

Use the winners to shape offers around what already resonates.

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STEP 2: 3 Types of Monetizable Pain That Get the Fastest Results

Once you gather signals, categorize them:

1. “I don’t know how to do this” → Sell: Tutorials, templates, guides

Example: “How to pitch brands for newsletter sponsorships”

2. “I don’t have time to do this” → Sell: Done-for-you or shortcuts

Example: “Weekly curated list of viral TikTok audio + hooks for beauty brands”

3. “I can’t get results with this” → Sell: Coaching, tools, systems

Example: “1:1 newsletter audit to grow to 1,000 subs in 30 days”

These 3 pain points = $$$
Because people pay to eliminate frustration, confusion, and wasted time.

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STEP 3: Validate With a $0 Test Offer Before You Build Anything

Here’s how to know if they’ll buy — not just “like the idea”:

Use this test email/post format:

“Thinking of creating [product idea] to help you [solve X problem].
Would you be interested if I made this?
Reply ‘YES’ and I’ll send you more info.”

If at least 10–20 people respond — you’ve got a winner.
Now offer a simple pre-sale or waitlist page.

Zero cost. High signal. No guesswork.

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TL;DR: Don’t Sell. Solve.

To discover what to sell:

1. Ask the right questions (surveys & DMs)

2. Observe what they do (engagement & clicks)

3. Test ideas publicly

4. Validate privately before building

People pay to remove pain.
Find the pain — the money follows.

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✨Creating content you love takes time, coffee, and a lot of late nights. If you’ve been getting value from what I share and want to keep it going, you can buy me a coffee if it's worth a coffee—no pressure, just appreciation!