Facebook launches newsletter platform Bulletin

Facebook has launched a standalone newsletter service called Bulletin that lets writers send free or paid content out to subscribers.

The social media giant unveiled the service on 29 June.

Bulletin offers a set of publishing and subscription tools that creators can use to share their articles with readers. The creators have the option to share their content directly with readers or across Facebook.

The service is a competitor to the likes of Substack and Revue, the latter of which Twitter acquired in January.

What can you do with Bulletin on Facebook?

Bulletin lets writers operate a standalone website under their own brand. Creators can customise their websites and content with several embed and styling options.

Through their websites, creators can offer several subscription-based features. The features include direct access to content, commenting abilities, and subscriber-only Facebook groups.

In addition, writers have access to Facebook’s other features such as Facebook Live and Live Audio Rooms so they can further engage with their readers.

Writers will have access to tools that let them keep track of their readership and help them grow their audience.

Content published on Bulletin will be eligible for distribution in Facebook News. The service will also integrate with Facebook Pages so creators can publish across different multimedia formats.

Readers can sign up for paid subscriptions and make payments via Facebook Pay.

As part of the launch, several writers across different genres will be the first to offer content on Bulletin.

The writers include Malcolm Gladwell, Dorie Greenspan, Jane Wells, and Adam Grant.

At launch, writers who partner with Bulletin will keep all of the subscription revenue during the duration of the partnership. They will also keep ownership of their published work and subscriber lists.

Going forward, Facebook will add more products and services to Bulletin. They include legal resources, design support, and assistance with financial services through third parties.

Bulletin is currently not offering writer signups. Instead, Facebook said it would approach how to make it available to other writers over time.

Featured image: Unsplash/Alex Haney

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