Growing an audience online is one of the most exciting and engaging activities. Through various channels, including email, you can offer value to like-minded individuals worldwide. As a bonus, you also have the opportunity to generate revenue from your audience.
There are many ways to monetize your online presence, whether by selling goods or services, offering sponsored content, or hosting ads on your site. Your email list is no exception! Generating income from your emails is similar to other online methods, with a few small tweaks. (And if you’re not collecting emails, now is a great time to start!)
This blog post walks you through three different ways to start earning revenue from your email marketing efforts. We’ve deliberately left out selling goods and services to highlight simple actions you can implement today. If you have goods or services to sell, you should be using your email marketing program for that!
Please note: These methods depend heavily on the email service provider (ESP) you work with. Always check your ESP’s terms of service before incorporating any of these options.
3 Ways Your Emails Can Generate Income Without Direct Sales
1. Become an Affiliate (and Use an Affiliate-Friendly ESP)
Affiliate and referral programs reward participants who recommend their products or services. Essentially, if you use and love something and share it with your audience, you can be rewarded—financially or with complimentary items—based on how many people sign up.
Look for affiliate programs, discount codes, or referral links for products and services you regularly use. Incorporate them into your emails or link them in your template for a simple way to earn rewards or generate side income.
Then, start telling your audience and sending timely reminders via email! Be aware that some affiliate and referral programs and ESPs have strict rules about affiliate marketing. Check to ensure you’re in full compliance with both the affiliate program and your ESP’s terms of service.
At FeedBlitz, we don’t restrict mailings associated with affiliate programs. As long as you comply with your individual affiliate program’s policies, you can send as many emails with affiliate links as you’d like.
2. Insert Ads into Your Emails
If you’ve put ads on your site, why not in your emails? Both offer coveted space, are viewed by your audience, and provide opportunities to generate revenue.
There are two main categories for inserting ads in your emails:
- Selling space in your email and manually inserting ads based on an agreement you’ve secured.
- Automatically inserting ads into your emails through an integration with an online ad service.
Either option can earn income from your emails without directly selling to your audience.
FeedBlitz offers a one-click advertising program to automatically insert ads into your emails, and you get to determine where the ads are displayed. Our clients typically see ad earnings between $2 to $3 (USD) per 1,000 opens for US-based readership, depending on real-time ad markets and available inventory. If you mail frequently to a large audience, this can help offset the costs of your email marketing or fund other endeavors.
If you’re monetizing your website with ads but not considering your emails, you could be leaving money on the table.
Highlighted Box: Want to learn more about FeedBlitz’s one-click advertising program? It’s quick and easy, and all ads are G-rated. We work directly with the ad company to ensure any political or inappropriate ads are quickly removed from inventory. Check out our monetization program or enable ads in your account.
3. Sign Up for Your ESP’s Affiliate or Referral Program
An email service provider is a service like any other, and many offer affiliate or referral programs to reward clients who refer them. Some ESPs may automatically enroll you, while others require manual sign-up to get started.
FeedBlitz offers a robust referral program for all clients, with no caps or limits, allowing members to earn a revenue share every month while the referral’s account is in good standing. The referral program works on a 2-tier basis and is a great way to generate another stream of side income while mailing your list. Details about the program and tier reimbursement are outlined here.
Nurture Your Audience to Grow Revenues
The options above depend heavily on your current sending habits (i.e., frequency and open rates) and the relationship you have with your audience. With minimal setup and effort, the highest earning potential comes from an active audience who regularly open your emails.
Regardless of how you choose to monetize your mailings, we highly recommend prioritizing high-quality email content that offers value to your readers. This builds a foundation of trust and leads to increased open rates. Whether selling directly or indirectly, both are ideal for earning revenue online.
Are you ready to start earning revenue with your emails? Learn more about our free trial and reach out to us on our Support Page to contact us via email, chat, or phone. Live support is available Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern.
