How To Make Your First Newsletter Dollars
Don’t kid yourself.
Monetization is the point of a newsletter — either indirectly or directly.
Your newsletter’s goal is to drive you revenue. Some newsletters drive users to a SaaS (Software as a Service) website, or product page on Amazon or Gumroad (indirectly). Others drive revenue right inside their newsletter — directly.
And what’s the easiest way to drive direct newsletter revenue?
Affiliate sales.
What are Affiliate Sales?
It’s pretty simple, actually.
You sell a product or service for someone else — and receive a commission on the sale.
That’s an affiliate sale. And the first revenue I ever earned with my newsletter — with only a few hundred subscribers.
You don’t need a massive audience. Just an engaged audience that trusts you.
Affiliate Links
Affiliate sales typically only work with a unique, custom link.
For example, when I signed up for the Ship 30 For 30 (← affiliate) I was given a unique affiliate link. I shared the link in my newsletter raving about the course and made a couple of sales, which earned $50 in commission each.
What can you sell?
You can sell almost anything, but you shouldn’t sell everything.
The most successful affiliate newsletters and websites only drive their readers to products & services relevant to their interests and needs. The more aligned your affiliate products are with your content, the better the chances of a conversion.
Popular affiliate products & services to sell are…
- SaaS tools & subscriptions
- Amazon & ecommerce products
- eBooks, online courses, & community memberships
But what affiliate products should YOU sell?
It might be tempting. But again — don’t try to sell every product under the sun.
