How to Monetize Your Newsletter in 5 Easy Ways

As a seasoned marketer, you understand the importance of providing valuable content to your subscribers. However, have you ever considered monetizing your email newsletters?

Email monetization simply means turning your mailing list into a source of secondary income. Many marketers are hesitant to do this because of the belief that customers hate ads and that advertisements in a newsletter could hurt their business.

But according to MarketingTech, customers don’t mind seeing ads as long as they are relevant or provide something of value.

Let’s look at the numbers.

In a survey about advertising in email newsletters:

• 64% of respondents said they would click on ads that align with their interests and needs.
• 79% prefer a free app with ads rather than an ad-free experience — which means they will accept ads as long as they get something in return.
• The majority of Gen Zers are annoyed with ads that keep repeating after they have already made a purchase.

So, how do you start monetizing your subscription newsletter?

In this article, we will share five easy ways to create passive income from paid newsletter subscriptions, ads earnings, affiliate marketing, and more.

You will also learn:

• How to effectively market your subscription newsletter to your target audience.
• How to sell ad space within your newsletters.
• The benefits of offering premium content.
• Some best practices for managing subscriber lists and running a profitable newsletter.

By the end of this post, you’ll be able to monetize your newsletter content and optimize its profitability.

How Do Newsletters Make Money?

You can make money from your free newsletter content through these common methods.

1. Advertising

Publishers can charge advertisers a premium for placing ads within their daily newsletters. Unlike website display advertising, newsletter advertising feels tangible as it provides a familiar connection like running an ad in print.

Newsletters also have exceptionally high open rates — as high as 22% — so advertisers can feel confident that their ads are actually being seen by readers.

2. Sponsorships

Another way publishers can generate revenue from daily newsletters is by selling sponsorships to advertisers. Sponsorship opportunities include sponsored content and special promotions or offers related to the advertiser’s products or services. This type of sponsorship allows brands to gain visibility while still providing value to the reader through helpful content or discounts on products they might be interested in purchasing anyway. 

3. Affiliate Links

In addition to advertisements and sponsorships, newsletter creators can make money by including affiliate links within their content.

Publishers should always disclose any affiliate relationships with companies whose products they promote so readers understand what is driving these recommendations and if they should trust its authenticity. 

4. Product Sales

Another way for publishers to monetize their free newsletters is by selling digital products such as virtual conferences or ebooks that may be of interest to their subscribers. This could include webinars hosted by experts on certain topics covered by your newsletter – giving it even more value.

Offering exclusive deals on e-commerce stores that you own or from a third party can also help increase revenue streams from your newsletter subscribers. 

Now let’s break down each of these methods and see how they work.

Email has one of the highest ROIs in marketing

Newsletter Ads and Sponsorships

The most common way to monetize paid newsletter subscriptions is through ads and sponsorships, such as selling ad space or partnering with brands for sponsored content.

Selling ad space in your newsletter can be an effective way to generate revenue as long as you have enough paid newsletter subscriptions. You need to make sure that the ads fit with your target audience, otherwise, they will only turn your readers off.

When partnering with brands for sponsored content, consider how well their product or service fits into your subscriber list.

For example, if you write about health and wellness topics, then partnering with a health supplement company would make sense.

However, if your blog focuses on technology news and reviews, then a partnership with a clothing brand might not be appropriate for your readership base.

While newsletter ads and sponsorships are the easiest way for newsletter creators to make money, they are not the only options. Next, we’ll look at affiliate marketing as a means of boosting the financial success of your newsletter.

Affiliate Sales

Affiliate sales are a great way to make money online, but you need to know the basics before diving in. Here’s what you should understand about affiliate sales and how they work.

First off, it’s important to note that affiliate marketing is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes time and effort to build up your list of newsletter subscribers. But with the right offer at the right time, it can be an excellent source of passive income for years.

The key is finding products or services that fit well with your audience so you can recommend them without sounding too sales-y. Research potential affiliates and read reviews from other users who have purchased those items before recommending them yourself.

When selecting an affiliate program, look for one that offers generous commissions on each sale as well as access to helpful resources like banners or product images you can use on your website or social media accounts when promoting their products.

Once everything is set up properly, all you need do is add your affiliate links to your newsletters or blog posts and start earning commissions from each successful sale made through those links.

Earn Per Click

Earn-Per-Click (EPC) is a new way to earn money from email marketing. Every time someone clicks on your sponsored links, you earn a small amount of cash. It’s simple, easy, and free.

How does it work?

After creating a free account at a service like Swapstack, go through the list of participating companies and select which advertisers you want to promote.

When someone clicks on one of your links and visits the advertiser’s website, you get paid around $0.01 to $0.05 for that click. It’s like getting paid just for browsing websites!

The great thing about EPC is that there are no risks involved. Even if a visitor doesn’t end up buying something from the advertiser, there won’t be any negative repercussions or loss of earnings on your part.

Plus, unlike other online income sources such as affiliate marketing where commissions can take weeks or even months before being credited into your account balance, payments earned via EPC are sent directly to your wallet almost immediately after each individual visitor completes their action.

EPC is easy to set up and once you’re done, you can just let the program run in the background and wait for those payments to come in.

Sell a Product or Service

Selling products or services through your newsletter is a great way to monetize your email list. It can also be an effective way to get more customers for your business.

First, decide what you’re going to offer. If you have a product or service that solves a problem that is facing your readers, then this could be a good option. Think about how it will benefit them and make sure it aligns with the overall mission of your newsletter.

Once you’ve decided on what to offer, create an email pitch that clearly explains why they should buy from you and how it will help them solve their problem(s). Include testimonials from other satisfied customers to convince people to take action.

You should also consider offering discounts or special offers for subscribers only – this could be anything from free shipping to exclusive deals on certain products that may entice them into making a purchase.

Don’t forget about upselling – when someone purchases something from you already, suggest related items they might find useful too (e.g., additional accessories for the same product). This can significantly increase your revenue per customer.

Tip Jar Links

Tip jar links are an effective way to monetize newsletters. Tip jars provide a convenient way for readers to show gratitude and support, which can help with the expenses of running a newsletter.

The key is making sure that tip jar links are placed strategically in each issue so they don’t become too intrusive or annoying for readers. For example, it may be best to place them at the end of articles or near calls-to-action like subscription forms or sponsored posts.

Provide enough information about what your tip jar is for and how people can use it if they choose to support your work. You should explain why you need help with expenses such as hosting fees and email service provider charges, and how any donations will go towards supporting your newsletter efforts long term.

You may even want to create incentives like exclusive bonus content or discounts on merchandise sales available only through tipping links as a reward for donors who contribute more. This could further incentivize people who enjoy your work and want more from you.

Additionally, by providing multiple payment options (e.g., PayPal/Venmo/Cash App), you give your supporters a convenient way to donate to your tip jar.

It’s ok if not everyone donates – that is totally fine. The goal here is not to get millions of paying subscribers but to find ways to generate additional revenue streams from those who do appreciate what you’re putting out.

Best Practices in Newsletter Monetization

For publishers looking to monetize their newsletters, the first step is selecting a reliable software platform. MailChimp and Constant Contact are two of the most popular options for newsletter distribution. Both platforms offer features such as email automation, list segmentation, and analytics that make it easier to track subscriber engagement.

Additionally, both integrate with Broadstreet so you can easily add newsletter ad units throughout your content.

Screenshot from MailChimp

Once you’ve chosen your software platform, it’s time to think about where to place ads in your newsletters.

It’s tempting to put them at the top or bottom of each issue since that’s where they will stand out the most. However, research shows that placing ads within the body of an article increases click-through rates significantly. This means better performance for advertisers and higher returns for publishers.

Finally, tracking performance is key when it comes to maximizing revenue from newsletter advertising campaigns. Look at detailed reports on impressions, clicks, and other metrics so you can see which campaigns are working best for you — and why. With this data in hand, it becomes easier to optimize future campaigns as well.

Automate Your Newsletter Content

With BrandWell, you can plan and write a newsletter much faster so you can grow your email list and sell more sponsorship spots.

Here’s how we created a newsletter in just 16 minutes:

More than just a smart writing tool, BrandWell combines research, copywriting, and SEO in one awesome package. All you have to do is input your keyword.

Within a few minutes, you’ll get an original, fully optimized first draft ready for proofreading — a process you can replicate day after day so you can produce as many newsletter and blog posts as you want with minimal human resources!

FAQs – How to Monetize Your Newsletter

Can you monetize blogs and newsletters?

Yes, it is possible to monetize blogs and newsletters. You can make money off your email list by joining an affiliate program and placing ads or sponsored material.

Ultimately, the amount of money that you can make from your newsletter or blog depends on the quality and quantity of your content.

How do I monetize my LinkedIn newsletter?

You can start by offering premium content to readers who pay a subscription fee, or sell advertising space to companies interested in reaching your audience.

You could also include affiliate links and product promotions that generate revenue when clicked on or purchased.

Finally, consider including calls-to-action at the end of each article which directs readers to relevant products or services that you offer for sale.

Conclusion

Quality content should be the main focus of your email newsletter. It’s what will keep readers engaged and coming back for more.

When creating content for your emails you need to ensure it’s relevant to your target audience and provides value in some way – whether that’s educational or entertaining information or a useful product recommendation.

Make sure each piece of content is well-written and interesting enough to make people want to read on.

Once you have an engaged audience who is interested in what you have to say, there are various ways you can monetize your email newsletters. You can add affiliate links, sponsored posts, or advertisements placed within the body of the email itself. If done tastefully, these strategies can be effective at generating revenue without putting off subscribers.

Ultimately if done right, monetizing your email newsletter can result in long-term benefits both for your finances and reputation. As long as you keep producing quality content that resonates with your readers, they will keep coming back for more — which means more monetization opportunities for you.