Help, I'm starting a newsletter!

[Clinton]

Yeah! I'm starting a newsletter!

My 101 Ways to Make Money Online article has had millions of views to date.

There are three cardinal rules when you have a high traffic page like this:
1. Build a List
2. Build a List
3. Build a List

I didn't.

Somehow the whole idea of a list for the sake of having a bunch of people to promote to .... didn't appeal to me. Also, I didn't fancy the regular commitment of sending out a newsletter.

But the commitment part is not a problem any more. I've hired people, including some from this forum, who've put together high quality, unbiased information on affiliate programs & Adsense alternatives, detailed reviews of MMO products and courses etc. etc. There's already a ton of good information that I'd be happy to send out under my name (about $xx,xxx worth).

But, here's the deal ...

I'm hoping that the whole thing can become self-funding and that somehow the newsletter will generate enough money to pay for a steady flow of such new research and content. It doesn't need to make a profit.

My self-imposed rules:
1. The main newsletter has to be free.
2. It would have to make money without affiliate links. I've always argued that affiliate links compromise the credibility of the advice so I prefer no affiliate links in the newsletter.

Here's the link.

How do I go monetising it so it breaks even and stays broken even? How do I get new signups (without aggressively promoting it)?

[Kay]

I applaud this move - very much so. I just wonder how you'll differentiate yourself from all the others who claim that their offerings are there "to help people". I guess a lot of it is down to reputation but when you're up against "gurus" with a load of "disciples", many of them shills, you will have to do something completely different to make it believable. Sure, I trust you, as I'm sure most EP people do.

Not having aff links is one way forward, but you still have to get people to sign up to your newsletter (and monetise it) without your "aggressively promoting it". I know you won't agree with me, but I'll say it (again) anyway. Not everything on the Internet is free. If you want to sell something, then sell it and stop being so coy about the fact that not everything is FREE for all takers.

Goodbye, everyone. You can vote for my reinstatement to be a mod again here (oops, what happened to the link?)

According to the last Online Olympics I can jump 6m, just wait to see how how high I fly after this kick up the bum.
http://experienced-people.net/forums/showthread.php/4858-Results-of-The-First-Online-Olympics-Flippa-Infographics-Style?

[tke71709]

2. It would have to make money without affiliate links. I've always argued that affiliate links compromise the credibility of the advice so I prefer no affiliate links in the newsletter.

I think you need to rethink your stand on that.

When I was thinking about doing a site for noobs to the MMO niche I considered the following. Provide a clearly identified affiliate link in the email and provide a clearly identified non-affiliate link next to it so that people could choose whether to buy through the link or not.

For example (none working examples) Great Product Affiliate link OR Great Product Non Affiliate Link.

My thought was to make things a little simpler by doing something along the lines of http://www.test.com (NA) with the NA being the non-affiliate link but I think you would want even greater transparency.

The mere act of providing affiliate links does not necessarily bias the advice, that is up to the intent of the writer of the content.

[Clinton]

I hear what you're saying about affiliate links and there are people whose aff links I trust implicitly.

Haven't we had this discussion before?

Particularly as this is the MMO market, I prefer the starting point for this newsletter to be no aff links. If that turns out to be a complete disaster and I can't make enough money to keep it going I'll admit defeat, write to everyone about the change of policy and give them the opportunity to cancel.

Call this an experiment if you like

[crabfoot]

I agree with tke71709, but there is another way around it.
There has to be a site associated with the newsletter - a home page.
(I can sell you a suitable domain, very good, very cheap - I actually have one that Alexa told me has Mr Clinton's letters as a key phrase).

If you won't have aff links in the letters, you can put them on the site. Then you have a line that says "If you feel like giving me a few pennies for this info, visit the site, where some of the links are aff links".

[ian]

How about building a big, quality list and selling advertising in it? Smashing Magazine do this in their bi-weekly email and they charge a good premium for it since they have almost 100k subscribers.

[crabfoot]

How about building a big, quality list and selling advertising

That's the trouble with Clinton - he doesn't like advertising, either - he records TV programs so he can avoid the ads - methinks this has to be indirect means of making money.

[TheodoreK]

I'm hoping that the whole thing can become self-funding and that somehow the newsletter will generate enough money to pay for a steady flow of such new research and content. It doesn't need to make a profit.

Why not tell the general public themselves about this and use the newsletter's unbiased and non-profit nature as marketing tools? (a la wikipedia: "help us keep this newsletter free of aff links -donate here")

I am sure many people would gladly donate money (and click through aff links!) if they knew your intentions plain and simple. This could also help with the new signups problem as an unusually good, free newsletter can create long-term publicity in the MMO circles, especially with these boards to back it up.

Am I being too optimistic?

[Clinton]

Then you have a line that says "If you feel like giving me a few pennies for this info, visit the site, where some of the links are aff links".

That's a good idea!

The page they get linked to could have a collection of non-MMO affiliate links such as hosting, Amazon books etc.

You talk about my recording TV programs as if it's something odd. I find it unbelievable that people watch any stuff live!

But, as ian says, I could also sell advertising, not everybody is against seeing ads. It'll take a while before there are enough subscribers to impress an advertiser though.

Thanks, Theo, yes I could try the donate option as well. It hasn't worked well for me in the past but that's no reason to give it another shot. This could be run alongside crabfoot's idea.

[ian]

That's a good idea!

The page they get linked to could have a collection of non-MMO affiliate links such as hosting, Amazon books etc.

You talk about my recording TV programs as if it's something odd. I find it unbelievable that people watch any stuff live!

But, as ian says, I could also sell advertising, not everybody is against seeing ads. It'll take a while before there are enough subscribers to impress an advertiser though.

Thanks, Theo, yes I could try the donate option as well. It hasn't worked well for me in the past but that's no reason to give it another shot. This could be run alongside crabfoot's idea.

I'm with you on the TV ads. I hate them and always fastforward.

But if I'm subscribed to a list about making money online (run by someone I trust) and I see an ad that is of interest to me, I'd click.