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If you were to create a paid email list, how would you?

by Shawn Gossman
9 replies
Howdy,

I'm thinking about attempting a paid newsletter.

It would be 100% fee-based. I'd charge like $8 a month for one newsletter every week.

It's very niched down in the outdoor recreation industry.

Basically, I'd love to hear how you and others would go about creating a paid email newsletter. How would start it - in terms of marketing it and converting paid subscribers?

I just recently started my real first newsletter. Yeah, I'm a little behind in that area. I started adding subscriber popups on my blog, putting "magnets" into articles with my copy, and even offering a big guide to new subs. It's rapidly growing but of course, that list is free.

I'd love to keep it but offer a better more frequent one for a fee.

I'd love to read ideas and experience in doing this sort of thing!
#create #email #list #paid
  • Profile picture of the author agmccall
    If I was serious about this question I would probably not have my signature here on the forum. You are selling a coaching service on a blog that teaches people about internet marketing, yet you are asking about selling an $8.00 newsletter. This really does not say much about your coaching skills.

    With that said. I would, personally, never charge for a newsletter especially if I am going to promote products or services that would generate affiliate commissions for myself. You might be better off creating a membership section of your website.

    al
    Signature

    "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Thomas Edison

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    • Profile picture of the author Shawn Gossman
      Originally Posted by agmccall View Post

      If I was serious about this question I would probably not have my signature here on the forum. You are selling a coaching service on a blog that teaches people about internet marketing, yet you are asking about selling an $8.00 newsletter. This really does not say much about your coaching skills.

      With that said. I would, personally, never charge for a newsletter especially if I am going to promote products or services that would generate affiliate commissions for myself. You might be better off creating a membership section of your website.

      al
      My services are really catered around content creation, not mailing list marketing, but thanks for the suggestion

      Membership might be ideal. I'm doing that now with Patreon and earn a little bit.
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    • Profile picture of the author JamesMan
      I definitely agree on this, newsletter should be free to attract more viewers.
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  • Profile picture of the author danwalker
    Follow Ben Settle on this. He does an amazing job at converting new leads into subscribers and keeping them.

    Keeping subscribers is the hardest part. Just because you can get loads of sign-ups via advertising, doesn't mean they're gonna stay past month 1.

    What I notice is that everyone is boring. If you can simply be outlandish in stand out in that space, you'll win. Give people what they want, keep it as fresh as possible, and make it as interesting and exciting as possible. People seriously need to push the envelope when it comes to creativity.
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  • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
    Originally Posted by Shawn Gossman View Post

    I'm thinking about attempting a paid newsletter.

    It would be 100% fee-based. I'd charge like $8 a month for one newsletter every week.

    It's very niched down in the outdoor recreation industry.

    Basically, I'd love to hear how you and others would go about creating a paid email newsletter. How would start it - in terms of marketing it and converting paid subscribers?
    Starting from scratch? I don't think I'd charge. It would either be a slow process to achieve any kind of critical mass, or require a heavy investment in promotion.

    I'd concentrate on building a targeted subscriber list using quality content and then look to add sponsorship down the line.
    Signature


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  • Profile picture of the author usd2m
    This means, you do not have a own list of subscribers who subscribed to your product or service.
    If you are using a paid email list service for $8 and sending some promotional emails to unknown people I don't thing you are going to get much result.
    If you want to reach more people then you may try sending out large number of cold emails to several thousand people every day.
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  • Profile picture of the author RMRC
    Maybe at the bottom of all your current free email newsletters you could offer the paid one? That way all who subscribed already will continue to see that offer again and again and if they are enjoying the free content they might opt in for the paid email newsletter? Just an idea!
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  • Profile picture of the author Troy Arrandale
    Originally Posted by Shawn Gossman View Post

    ,


    Basically, I'd love to hear how you and others would go about creating a paid email newsletter.

    I'd love to keep it but offer a better more frequent one for a fee.

    I'd love to read ideas and experience in doing this sort of thing!
    Hey great start on your newsletter there!

    The best advice I ever got was to start a newsletter on Substack, which, I was told and am now finding out, attracts audiences looking for paid newsletters.

    I've been publishing my fiction newsletter there (and a sub newsletter sharing my positive health breakthroughs) for a year now and I just got a new subscriber today without doing anything but just using Substack.

    I'm just now beginning the conversion of my small amount of subscribers into paid subscribers ($5 a month), by studying Igor K's Email Intensive course on writing infotainment conversion emails and using that formula to now infotain them and then make a small effortless pitch anywhere from one paragraph to several paragraphs in.

    I also informed my free audience I was about to start pitching them so they wouldn't be shocked. I told them they'd start to see a paywall inserted on my actual fiction issues that would allow them to see the endings of the stories/issues if they signed up to pay.





    No conversions yet, but i'll keep trying.

    Also, Substack has a few sources and members giving detailed suggestions and experience of conveying their free newsletter to paid.

    PS. My first free fiction newsletter was a small amount of subscribers of people I knew or had met in person and manually added them, sending it out on Mailerlite. When I went to substack, I migrated that list over and stopped using mailerlite completely.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tiffany Lea
    I think that newsletter should be free and then when you gradually start increasing your email list you can start promoting your signature offers and programs through your newsletter.
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