23 Tips to Monetize Your Newsletter

A frequent question that has come up in my coaching groups over the years is -“How do I make more money with my newsletter.” I am assuming you are collecting emails, building a list, and sending something to your subscribers on a regular basis. You might giggle, but I have coached people who said, “My business doesn’t need a list because my people tend to buy my service once, and they are done so I don’t need to stay in contact with them.”

What about staying front and forward so you are the first person they mention when giving a referral? Or, are you sure that your client will never need an update, upgrade, or an add-on service that you might create in the future? Or what if they don’t buy in the beginning, but buy your service after being on your list for a few months?  Have I convinced you to be sure to 1) create a list and 2) stay in contact with your list? Make your sign-up form for your newsletter exciting by offering a bonus gift for signing up (a pdf, report, ebook, mp3, cheat sheet, etc).

Let’s move forward assuming you are collecting names, building a list, and are committed to staying connected to your list.

One of the best ways to stay connected and keep your list engaged is to create a newsletter.  

You can call it a newsletter, ezine, webzine, or online magazine. If you are curious about the differences you can check out this article . A newsletter or ezine tends to evolve over time. My version 1.0 of my newsletter was a weekly coaching tip that I started sending out in 2007. This tip included a quote and a coaching tip. That’s it. Fast forward it to today, and my Your Path to Success e-zine is a twice-a-month newsletter with articles, book recommendations, coaching tips, thought for the day, affirmations, events, and more.  Pause here and notice that for over 14 years, I have been sending my list a regular communication from me. Every time I send out my newsletter, I have sales, sign-ups for webinars, and I get comments from readers.

Don’t throw together a newsletter just to get it done. Although sending something is better than ignoring your list. Here are 23 tips for monetizing your newsletter, and for creating a solid, inviting, and valuable connection with your community. Your people will begin to look forward to your newsletter, ezine, webzine, or online magazine.

Start by first getting into the right mindset. Your mindset will either make this a chore or an inspiring creation. You are in the business of transformation. Are your newsletter and your business transformational? It’s time to get excited. You don’t “have to” create your newsletter; you “get to” create a newsletter that engages your community and inspires them to want more from you. Remember why you are passionate about what you do and offer. Allow your inspiration to flow as you create. Share these ideas with your team. You can use the list as a checklist to see what you can uplevel. Also, note that you do not want to send all of these items in every email you send to your list- just your newsletter. Your other emails should have very few photos and links to ensure email deliverability.

“You are in the business of transformation. Are your newsletter and your business transformational? It’s time to get excited.”

Sheri Kaye Hoff

1. Create a name for your newsletter/e-zine. My name for mine is Your Path to Success. However, I used different names in the beginning. Sheri’s Coaching Tips and The Living Joyfully e-zine were two previous names. You can change the name, change the template, etc. You don’t need to pick a name thinking it will never change. Good questions to ask are “What is the essence of my e-zine? What information will I be sharing? What value do I want to add to my community? How am I helping people? How does my e-zine make a difference? Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a commission. I only recommend what I believe in and have tried.
2. Use a template or have a template created for you (delegate this to an assistant) that follows the theme of your website/branding. Most email services like ActiveCampaign, MailChimp, aweber, constant contact, ontraport, 1shoppingcart, infusionsoft, etc. have templates you can choose from. Active campaign is interesting because it gives the features of ontraport and infusionsoft at a fraction of the cost. You can also create a pdf version in Canva.
3. Create sections for your newsletter that make sense for you. Typical sections might be: Intro, Featured Article, Featured Product/Service, Tips, Schedule of Events, What’s New, etc. Note: you are required to have an opt-out link in any email that you send. This includes your newsletter. Most people have this at the bottom. All templates from your email service include this already. Don’t delete it. Your email service will also include your signature at the bottom of the email/newsletter which includes your business mailing address.
4. Include a regular item that you sell (you might have the image of one of your books or an intro product/service in the upper right-hand corner). This item is perhaps a lower-priced item and rotated less frequently, maybe once a month or quarter. Keep in mind that new subscribers may not have purchased your book or intro product/service yet. Repeat exposure is likely to result in a sale. Currently, I promote my Art of Abundance Course and my Living Your Vision Course
5. Include links in the right bar and/or footer section in every e-zine. These links could be blogs, Free Sessions, Free Gifts, About, Books, etc.
6. Make sure you add your contact information and let people know the best way to contact you. I prefer email or text or instant message because I am often on the phone with clients.
7. Use images that are linked to other resources/products, but don’t overdo them. You can use images that link to videos, too, if you have a YouTube channel you are promoting or a Vlog.
8. In your intro section, be friendly and inviting. Let people know why they should keep reading. Be you. Share a personal story or insight.
9. In your featured article section, you can repurpose a blog post from the month. (I do this often because many people on my list may not have seen the most current blog articles). You can also write a new article.
10. Offer something that people can only get because they are subscribers. This could be a percent off a product or service or a special free gift, etc. You could also have a contest. You could give away an Amazon gift card as a prize for answering a question based on the featured article. Instead of giving it to the first person who answers you could do a drawing to make it fair to all time zones. I do this a few times a year.
11. Make sure to offer a featured product or service. And rotate these offers. Less is more. This means that you don’t want to cram your newsletter full of offers. Choose to focus on one (besides your book or intro product). Write two to three paragraphs describing the offer and then link it to a sales page. Your featured product will be a high value and a higher-ticket item. For example, if your book is $15, you might sell an e-course or workshop for $97 to $297. If your intro offer is $97 you could offer a featured product at 497 or higher. These are just guidelines. Offer what feels right to you. I have sold 2k and 3k items right from newsletters.
12. Include an affiliate disclosure if you are using affiliate links.
13. Include a brief bio and photo of you. This helps with credibility. People will remember why they should use your ideas and information.
14. Be consistent. Decide your frequency: once a week, every other week, twice a month, once a month. (I don’t recommend going longer than a month between newsletters). Don’t let gaps go on for several weeks or months without sending newsletters to your list. Your amazing business will fade away in their memories. The largest gap I had in the last 14 years is when I nearly died in the summer of 2015 and was in ICU for a week. I didn’t send a newsletter for two months. Otherwise, I have been consistent.
15. Create a twelve-month content calendar. Choose monthly themes. Decide your topics ahead of time. Pick topics that reinforce the commitment to the transformation that you provide through your products and services.
16. Use an app to keep track of ideas. I love Google Keep. When an idea pops into your head, add it to your Newsletter Idea List in Keep.
17. Review everything. Delegate to your assistant. Don’t have one? (affiliate link) Try Task Bullet. Test your newsletter links. Make edits. Hire an editor. Sometimes it helps to review and then look at it again the next day.
18. Before you send your newsletter, visualize your newsletter creating sales for you, helping people, and making people smile. You can use the technique created by Neville Goddard.
19. Imagine the results that you want. Reaffirm the intention that you are solving a need and helping people.
20. Open your email list, look at the names and say thank you to the people on your list. It might sound silly, but it gives you the right energy focus. I have a large list and I still do this. I will say thank you and go through several pages of my list.
21. Send/schedule your newsletter/e-zine. Choose a time that makes sense. Experiment to see when you get the most opens. This depends on your optimal clients/target market. For example, if your market works 9 to 5. You may want to send before, during lunch, or after work. You could send it out during the time that you want to connect with people. You will find your own best times after tracking results.
22. Track Your Results. Notice your open percentage, your clicks, purchases, and feedback.
23. Make notes for improvement and notice what worked well.
24. Bonus Tip: If your newsletter is content rich with specialized information, you may be able to charge a subscription fee for it. You could have a free newsletter and a content upgrade.
25. Bonus Tip: If you have a large list or a highly specialized list, you may be able to sell ad space in your newsletter.

If you are already sending out a newsletter, take a few minutes to evaluate it and notice if you need or want to make changes based on these guidelines. Promote your e-zine with a landing page.

If you liked this, you will love my free guide How to Book More Clients in Two Weeks or Less

In Happiness,