Wondering how to make money with email marketing?
Check out this post and learn about the ways to utilise your email list to make a stable income.
- How to Make Money With Email Marketing?
- Why Does Email Convert 5-10x Better Than Blog Traffic?
- The Email-to-Blog Connection (They Work Together)
- What Actually Gets People to Sign Up?
- Where to Put Your Opt-In Form (Placement Matters)
- Building Your Email Sequence (What to Send)
- Email Platform Recommendations
- The Numbers That Matter
- Common Mistakes People Make
How to Make Money With Email Marketing?
I have two websites making money from affiliate marketing.
Website A gets 10,000 monthly visitors. It makes about $200 per month in affiliate commissions.
Website B gets 2,000 monthly visitors. It makes about $1,500 per month in affiliate commissions.
Website A has 7x more traffic. Website B makes 7x more money.
How is this possible?
Website B has an email list. Website A doesn’t.
That’s the entire secret that nobody talks about. Your blog traffic is nice. It’s great for brand building. But your email list is where the actual money comes from.
Let me show you why, and more importantly, how to build one that actually makes money.
Why Does Email Convert 5-10x Better Than Blog Traffic?
Here’s the fundamental difference: blog visitors are researchers. Email subscribers are buyers.
When someone lands on your blog post from Google, they’re exploring. They might read it. They might click a link. They might not.
When someone gets an email from you, they’ve already said: “yes, I want to hear from you.” That’s a different relationship.
Let me show you the actual numbers:
Blog traffic
- 10,000 monthly visitors
- 2% click an affiliate link (200 clicks)
- 0.5% actually buy something (1 purchase)
- Average commission: $50
- Monthly revenue: $50
Email list
- 1,000 subscribers
- 20% open the email (200 opens)
- 10% click an affiliate link (20 clicks)
- 5% buy something (1 purchase)
- Average commission: $50
- Monthly revenue: $50
Wait, that’s the same revenue. But look at the traffic difference. You need 10,000 blog visitors to make the same money as 1,000 email subscribers.
Now scale it up:
Blog traffic
- 50,000 monthly visitors
- 2% click = 1,000 clicks
- 0.5% buy = 5 purchases
- Monthly revenue: $250
Email list
- 5,000 subscribers
- 20% open = 1,000 opens
- 10% click = 100 clicks
- 5% buy = 5 purchases
- Monthly revenue: $250
Same revenue again. But the email list needs 5x less traffic.
This is why successful affiliate marketers don’t obsess about getting massive blog traffic. They build email lists. It’s way more efficient.
The Email-to-Blog Connection (They Work Together)
Here’s how the best strategy actually works:
Your blog attracts traffic from Google. Blog posts are ranking for keywords. People land on your site from search.
Your blog posts have opt-in forms. Somewhere on the post, you have a form asking for email addresses in exchange for something free.
People join your email list. They get whatever you promised (checklist, template, mini-course).
You send them emails. Now they hear from you regularly.
You recommend products via email. When there’s a relevant product or deal, you email your list about it.
They buy through your affiliate links. That’s where the money comes in.
This is the funnel. Blog traffic → Email list → Sales.
Without any one of these steps, it breaks down.
I had a client who got tons of blog traffic but had no email opt-in. 50,000 monthly visitors and $100/month affiliate income.
I added a simple email opt-in to their top 10 posts. That was it. One change.
Six months later: 2,000 email subscribers and $500/month affiliate income. Same blog traffic, but now they had an email list converting it to sales.
What Actually Gets People to Sign Up?
Most people think the opt-in is something fancy. It’s not. It’s simple.
You need:
- A valuable lead magnet (something free they actually want)
- A simple email form (just name and email)
- Strategic placement (where people will see it)
- A clear promise (what they’ll get when they sign up)
Let me show you what works:
Lead magnet that works: Checklist
Example: “WordPress Security Checklist“
People love checklists. They’re actionable. They’re not too much work to create. People actually use them.
When you offer it, say: “Get our WordPress Security Checklist – 27 items to secure your site today“
High converting. People click it.
Lead magnet that works: Template
Example: “Email Marketing Template Library“
People love templates because they can use them immediately. No thinking. No creation. Just use.
“Get 10 ready-to-use email templates for your campaigns“
Very high converting.
Lead magnet that works: Mini-course
Example: “5-Day SEO Crash Course“
Email course where you send 5 emails over 5 days teaching something valuable.
“Sign up for our free 5-Day SEO course“
Good converting, but requires more work to set up.
Lead magnet that doesn’t work: Generic ebook
“Sign up for our free guide to WordPress“
No specificity. No clear value. Low converting.
People see this and think “will this actually help me?” and skip it.
Where to Put Your Opt-In Form (Placement Matters)
You can have the best lead magnet in the world, but if nobody sees it, nobody signs up.
Best placement: Inside the blog post content
Put it after about 300-400 words of the post, inside the content itself.
Why? Because at that point, people have already read enough to know if the post is valuable. Now they’re interested and willing to give their email.
I tested this with a client. They had an opt-in form at the bottom of posts (after all 2,000 words). Only 1% of visitors saw it.
I moved it to 400 words in. Now 4% of visitors see it and convert.
That’s a 4x improvement from just changing placement.
Good placement: Sidebar
People scroll and might see it. But it’s less prominent than inside-post.
Converts at about 1-2% of visitors.
Good placement: Pop-up after 1 minute
After someone has been on your page for 60 seconds, a pop-up appears asking for their email.
Converts at about 3-5%.
The downside: some people hate pop-ups and will leave. But the conversion rate is high enough that it’s worth it.
Building Your Email Sequence (What to Send)
Once you have email subscribers, you need to actually email them. But not just “buy this product” over and over.
Here’s a sequence that works:
Email 1 (Immediate – Welcome)
“Hey [Name], welcome! Click here to get your free [lead magnet]“
This confirms they got the right email and gets them the thing they signed up for.
Emails 2-5 (Provide Value)
Send 4-5 emails over the first 2 weeks just teaching something valuable. No selling.
Example email subject: “The one thing most people get wrong about WordPress security“
The email: explains that thing, provides value, signs off.
No affiliate link. No pitch. Just value.
Email 6 (Soft Recommendation)
“By the way, I use [Product] and really like it. Thought you might find it useful.”
This introduces them to a product you recommend. Not pushy. Just introducing it.
Emails 7+ (Regular Sending)
Mix of 80% value and 20% recommendations.
Most emails provide value. Every 5th email or so recommends something.
When you recommend something, you include your affiliate link.
Frequency:
Send 2-3 times per week if you have good content. Once per week minimum.
If you stop emailing them, they forget about you.
I had a client who emailed every 2 weeks. Their click rate was terrible (2%).
They switched to 2x per week. Click rate went to 8%.
Frequency matters. People need to hear from you regularly.
Email Platform Recommendations
You need an email service provider (ESP). This is software that manages your email list, sends emails, and tracks opens/clicks.
Beginner option: Mailchimp (Free up to 500 subscribers)
Free tier works fine if you’re just starting. Allows unlimited sends.
Downside: Limited automation features. You’ll outgrow it quickly.
Better option: ConvertKit ($29-$99/month)
Built for creators and affiliates. Excellent for email sequences.
Automation is powerful. Easy to set up the funnel I described above.
I use this and recommend it most.
Professional option: ActiveCampaign ($15-$300+/month)
Most powerful platform. For advanced automation and segmentation.
Overkill if you’re just starting, but best in class once you’re serious.
Budget option: Substack (Free)
Simple email newsletter platform. Good if you just want to email subscribers.
Limited affiliate features, but growing rapidly.
The choice depends on your needs. Start with ConvertKit if you’re serious about affiliate marketing.
Real Example: The Email That Makes Money
Let me show you what an actual email looks like when you’re promoting an affiliate product.
Subject line: “This is the hosting I use (and why it matters)”
Body:
Hey [Name],
I get asked all the time what hosting I use for my sites.
The answer is [Hosting Company]. I’ve used them for 3 years and had zero downtime issues.
Here’s why it matters: slow hosting = fewer rankings. I tested my sites on their competitor’s hosting. My load time went from 1.2 seconds to 2.8 seconds. My rankings dropped 5-10 positions.
Three weeks later, I switched back. Rankings recovered.
That’s the impact of good hosting.
If you’re serious about ranking your site, hosting matters. [Hosting Company] isn’t the cheapest ($200/year vs. $50/year elsewhere), but it’s worth every penny.
Currently, they have a [discount code] going for 30% off.
Here’s the link if you want to check them out: [affiliate link]
Talk soon, [Your name]
This email:
✅ Provides value (explains why hosting matters)
✅ Uses personal experience (I tested this)
✅ Includes real numbers (load time, ranking impact)
✅ Has a call to action (here’s the link)
✅ Feels like a real person (conversational tone)
✅ Discloses affiliate relationship (implied by “here’s the link”)
This type of email converts at 5-15% for relevant products.
If you have 1,000 subscribers and 5% click through and 5% buy ($50 commission), that’s one email that makes $250.
Send this type of email once every 2 weeks, and you’re making $500+/month from email alone.
The Numbers That Matter
Email list building
Month 1: 50 subscribers (from 5,000 blog visitors × 1% opt-in)
Month 2: 100 subscribers
Month 3: 150 subscribers
Month 4: 200 subscribers
Month 6: 400 subscribers
Month 12: 800+ subscribers
Revenue per subscriber
Month 1-3: $0 (just building trust)
Month 4-6: $0.50-$1 per subscriber per month (one email promoting products)
Month 6-12: $1-$2 per subscriber per month (more regular recommendations)
Year 2: $2-$5 per subscriber per month (list is engaged and buying)
Real example
1,000 email subscribers × $2/subscriber/month = $2,000/month in affiliate revenue
That’s from ONE email list. This is why email matters.
Common Mistakes People Make
Mistake 1: No lead magnet (or a bad one)
“Sign up for my newsletter!”
Nobody cares. Why would they give you their email? For a newsletter about what?
Always have a lead magnet. Always.
Mistake 2: Not promoting the opt-in
You have an opt-in buried in the sidebar and wonder why nobody signs up.
Promote it everywhere. Inside posts, pop-up after 1 minute, dedicated landing page, multiple places.
Mistake 3: Not emailing regularly
You get 100 subscribers and send one email every 2 months.
They forget you exist. Send 2-3 times per week minimum.
Mistake 4: Emailing only sales pitches
Every email is “buy this, check out this product, use this link“
People unsubscribe. They feel sold to.
80% value, 20% sales is the right ratio.
Mistake 5: Not disclosing affiliate relationships
“Here’s a product I recommend” without saying you make money from it.
People can tell. It hurts your credibility.
Always be transparent: “I use this, and it’s my affiliate link, so I make a commission if you buy.”
People respect honesty.
Conclusion
Here’s the truth nobody wants to admit: the people making real money from affiliate marketing aren’t obsessing about blog rankings.
They’re building email lists.
Blog rankings take months. Email list building takes weeks.
A small email list making $1,000+/month is way more valuable than a big blog making $100/month.
So if you’re serious about making affiliate income, start with your blog (for traffic), but immediately focus on building an email list.
That’s where the actual money is.
