4 Strategic Ways to Monetize Your Email Subscriber List

It's Not Size that Matters. 

Have you heard that phrase before? Maybe not within the context of email marketing but the truth rings loud in clear.

Before I launch into 4 ways to monetize your email subscriber list, I need to get on my soapbox.

Is it even possible to monetize my small email list?

Do you want the short answer?

Yes.

Do you want to hear more?

You can monetize your blog with a small list. It is conversions that matter. {Say that again in your head.} You don't have to have a huge list with thousands and thousands of subscribers to monetize your email newsletter. What you do need is quality and the growth of your business and its income will follow.

Key Tenets of Email Marketing

• If you have a quality list, there will be trust and loyalty.
• If you have a quality list, there will be conversions.

Related Read: My Top Subject Lines for August 2017

You want your reader to trust and to be loyal to you. Then your conversions will speak for themselves.

Four Ways to Monetize Your Email Subscriber List

#1 – Pageviews

Using content-based emails is a great way to drive traffic to your blog, increase your brand exposure, and earn advertising revenue.  There are key elements to garnering these page views, however.  You must consider deliverability and copy strategically.

The email must not only land in Jane's inbox (deliverability), she has to see it (timing), open it (subject line copy), and then click thru to the URL (email copy).  We will get into how to make that happen in a later module but, for now, tuck this knowledge into your back pocket. Then you can make an informed decision about how often to send emails with a page views goal.

#2 – Affiliate Partnerships

Generating revenue as a blogger goes well beyond advertising revenue. Page views are great but you want quality, sustainable traffic (a.k.a.: sticky traffic) so that your readers will convert into customers for higher priced products. Besides your own products, promoting affiliate products is a beneficial, income generating strategy.

Partnering with other bloggers (or affiliate partners) offering products, programs, and services within your niche is a tremendously lucrative way to earn revenue.  You need to seek out partners with relevant products, programs, and services.  Once partnered they likely will have a promotional plan with assets, timeline, and creative for you to use during your promotion. If not, use your own promotional plan.

Related Read:  Why You Should Delete Half Your List

#3 – Brand Sponsors

Finding brand sponsorship is possible as an option for monetization.  I have heard of single sponsorships covering all newsletters, or if you're up for it, finding many sponsors to cover over time works well, too. Identify brands based on relevant content. Seek connections through your network and be prepared to provide to metrics to the brand to prove your value.

Brands Will Care about these Metrics

• # of Subscribers
• Open Rate
• Click Thru Rate
• Open Rate / Click Thru Rate

#4 – Product Conversions

This piece of the pie is also known as selling your stuff! Now, it isn't as easy as simply SELLING your stuff. You have to be strategic and implement email campaigns that funnel your reader (aka “Jane”) to a soft and then hard sell email. This requires nurturing and getting to know your reader so that you can target effectively.

I hope you found this post helpful. Connect with me on Facebook and let me know your thoughts.

Marnie