Growing an audience is one of the most exciting and engaging things you can do online. Through a variety of many different outlets, including email, you’re able to offer value to like-minded people across the planet. And as a bonus, you also have the opportunity to earn revenue from your audience, as well.

Whether by selling goods or services, offering sponsored content or hosting ads on your site, there are many different ways to monetize your online presence. And your email list is no exception! Generating income from your emails is quite similar to other methods available online, with a few small tweaks. (And if you’re not collecting emails, it’s a great time to start doing so!)

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 from this list to highlight simple actions you can implement today to get started – if you have goods or services to sell, you should clearly be using your email marketing program to do that!

Please note: These outlets are heavily dependent on the email service provider (ESP) you work with. Always check with 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 are designed to reward participants who recommend their product or service. Essentially, if you know of something that you use and love and you share that love with your audience, you can be rewarded—whether financially or with complementary items—based on the number of people who sign up.

   Search for the products, goods, and services you use regularly to see if an affiliate program, discount codes, or referral links are available. Incorporate them into your emails or link them in your template for a simple way to earn rewards or generate a side income.

   And then, start telling your audience, and sending timely reminders, via email! Please note that some affiliate and referral programs and some ESPs have strict rules about affiliate marketing. We highly recommend to you check before you send 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 your mailings associated with affiliate programs. As long as you’re compliant with your individual affiliate program’s policies, you are welcome to send as many emails including affiliate links as you’d like.

2. Insert ads into the emails you send.

   If you’ve put ads on your site, why not in your emails? Both your site and your emails offer coveted space, are viewed by your audience, and are opportunities to generate revenue.

   When it comes to inserting ads in your emails, there are two main categories:

   1. Selling space in your email and manually inserting ads based upon an agreement you have secured.
   2. Ads that are inserted automatically into your emails through an integration with an online ad service.

   Either option is a viable way to 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 run 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 and to a large audience, this can help to offset the costs of your email marketing or used towards another endeavor.

   If you’re monetizing your website by showing ads, but not taking your emails into consideration, you could very well 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 just like any other. And many services offer their own affiliate or referral programs to reward clients who tell their friends and network about them. With some ESPs, you may automatically be enrolled, and with others, you may need to manually sign up to get started.

   FeedBlitz offers a robust referral program, now in place for all clients, with no caps or limits, with members earning 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 option to generate another stream of side income while you are mailing your list. Details about the program and tier reimbursement details, are outlined in great detail here.

Nurture your audience to grow revenues.

The options offered above heavily depend on the sending habits you currently have (i.e., frequency and open rates) and the relationship you have with your audience. With minimal setup and minimal ongoing efforts, the highest potential of earning comes from an active audience who regularly open your emails.

However you choose to monetize your mailings, we highly recommend your priority should be sending high-quality email content that offers value to your readers. This not only builds a foundation of trust but leads to increased open rates. Whether selling something directly or indirectly, both are ideal when it comes to 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 even over the phone. Live support is available Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern.