Why most email list owners never make a cent

Hi Reader,

The money is in the list.

That’s a common internet marketing cliché.

But is it, really?

Starting an email list is easy.

Growing an email list? That’s work.

And monetizing a list?

That’s more work again… unless you know what you’re doing.

I’ve noticed a few key differences between those who don’t monetize their lists and those who treat it like a business.

They don’t want to annoy readers

An email list owner told me she rarely presses send. She doesn’t want to annoy her subscribers.

Nobody wants to be annoying, but subscribers don’t exist in a vacuum. They’re still getting emails from other creators.

Yours is but one email clamouring for attention in a stuffed inbox.

Even then, a good email open rate averages 30%, so a chunk of your subscribers will miss your emails the first time around.

Subscribers opted in to hear from YOU. So, reach out to them at least once a week.

And then do it again.

(Top email marketers like Ben Settle and John Bejakovic email their list daily.)

If someone gets annoyed by your emails, that’s good news.

They’ll unsubscribe. And what’s the point in paying for a sub who was never going to buy anyway?

They give away too much value

I subscribe to a few email lists where the owners send in-depth tutorials, guides, explainers, and updates. This type of valuable content is fun to read.

The only problem?

It disincentives the readers to buying, for one of two reasons.

They’ll perceive the content as less valuable because it came sans-charge.

Or they’ll try your helpful content out for themselves…and then move on because they have what they need.

Believe me, I invested hours in this type of explainer content a few years ago, and it did nothing for my ROI.

Save insights for your emails… and value for your products.

There’s no clear offer

Some newsletter owners slap a list of a dozen products or services into their emails, hoping that readers will buy something, ANYTHING!

Or they shy away from asking and take out every offer.

Successful email marketers include a call-to-action for buying a product or a service in every email.

They do it subtly and without high-pressure sales tactics.

And they promote only ONE product or service per email.

It could be something simple like subscribing to a paid version of the newsletter.

Or it could be something more involved, like buying or booking a consulting call.

If you’re going to write an email, it only takes a few minutes to include a call-to-action… and it will dramatically improve your ROI.

Do you need help monetizing your email list? Reply to this email with the words “LIST”. I’ve something that can help you unlock more revenue.

Write on,
Bryan Collins