Summary

The article outlines three effective strategies for monetizing small email lists in 2022, emphasizing the potential for high conversion rates and growth.

Abstract

The article "3 Low-key Methods to Monetize Small Email Lists in 2022" discusses the viability of earning revenue from email lists, even with a modest number of subscribers. It introduces Swapstack, a free platform that connects brands with newsletters, allowing owners to engage in paid advertisements with minimal subscriber requirements. Letterwell is presented as a similar service with an affiliate program, though it requires a paid subscription for full access. Lastly, ClickBank, traditionally used by social media influencers, is recommended for its affiliate link opportunities, which can be incorporated into email content. The author advocates for the inclusion of affiliate links and advertisements as a non-intrusive way to monetize content without charging subscribers for access.

Opinions

The author believes that email lists, regardless of size, have significant monetization potential.
Swapstack is seen as a promising tool for small newsletter owners due to its free access and low subscriber requirements for brand collaboration.
Letterwell is acknowledged for its established presence and affiliate program, despite its paid subscription model.
ClickBank's affiliate marketing model is considered underutilized in email marketing, presenting an opportunity for newsletter monetization.
The author suggests that small email lists should focus on incorporating ads and affiliate links rather than implementing paid access models.
The article implies that monetizing through ads allows subscribers to continue accessing content for free while providing value through potential product recommendations.

3 Low-key Methods to Monetize Small Email Lists in 2022

Email lists are the side hustle filled with other side hustles

Email lists are the side hustle that keeps on giving, They have insanely high conversion rates and can grow quickly.

But wait, there’s more! Even newsletters with fewer subscribers can be monetized.

These methods you can use to monetize your small email list don’t even require too many subscribers at all. You can make money from them with any number of subscribers you have.

Even though the side hustle newsletter I’m growing is completely free, I have spent ample time researching methods of monetization. It’s not that I’m planning on monetizing my email list anytime soon, but I have considered the route I’d take if I did.

Here are the monetization methods I’d use to monetize my small email list in 2022.

1) Swapstack

Swapstack is still new, but very promising. It’s a startup with a lot of promise and is perfect for smaller email list owners who want to monetize their subscribers.

It’s a marketplace that connects brands to newsletters and vice versa. Either party can reach out to the other about collaborating on paid advertisements.

For us, the newsletter/email list holder, all we have to do is create accounts and provide the details of our email lists. Basically, we just need to add these following details about our email list or newsletter:

Number of subscribers
Click-through rate (CTR)
Niche

After adding that, you’re all set to start reaching out to brands on Swapstack. You’re also set for brands to start finding your newsletter and reaching out to you.

Most brands on Swapstack list their minimum requirements for subscribers and open rates. If your newsletter doesn’t meet those requirements then you can’t submit a proposal to collaborate.

I created an account and noticed some brands only have requirements of around 100 subscribers for their minimum proposal qualification.

The beautiful thing about Swapstack is since it’s still new growing, more and more brands are starting to pop up on the platform and not many newsletter users are on it yet.

2) Letterwell

Letterwell is extremely similar to Swapstack because it serves the same function as a bridge between brands and newsletters.

However, the reason why it wasn’t the first method on this list is that Swapstack is completely free to use and I love free stuff.

While Letterwell does have a free version, the features of the free version basically say you won’t find much success with it. The platform’s paid version costs nearly $70 a year.

The cool thing about Letterwell, besides offering a connection between newsletters and paying brands, is its affiliate program. They pay their affiliates a 10% commission on all sales they facilitate and $0.15 per sign up they refer.

I’m not an affiliate but consider that one a bonus monetization method on this list. You’re welcome!

Also, Letterwell is more established than Swapstack and therefore houses more brands looking for newsletters to work with.

But unlike Swapstack, your newsletter has to be approved to be listed on Letterwell after you register. I’ve found that as long as you don’t lie about how many subscribers you have or your CTR, your newsletter will get approved and listed.

3) ClickBank

If I were going to be monetizing my newsletter, I’d definitely have ClickBank in mind. ClickBank is designed for social media influencers to earn more money by helping them find brands to advertise with.

However, if I were going to monetize my newsletter in 2022 then I’d use those same affiliate links and start plugging them somewhere in my emails.

The best part: ClickBank is free to use for affiliates (that’s us, yay!).

So basically, all you have to do is sign up, see what products are offered, get your affiliate link for a product and then start including it in your email communications.

Not many email lists are doing this with ClickBank because as I previously said, it was designed for social media influencers. But affiliate links can be used anywhere and as long as you have an audience then you can use them to make a commission

Small email lists should focus on ads

I didn’t include methods on this list such as Substack’s paid version because it’s REALLY tough for smaller newsletters to get their subscribers to pay for monthly access.

Instead, I suggest monetizing your email lists by just tossing in a few ads with commission links here and there. Your subscribers won’t have to pay to access your content and they might even be exposed to a product or item they need.

It’s completely possible to monetize a small email list in 2022, you just have to get creative!

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