This battle-tested system just works.
Most creators are doomed to failure.
The reason? They think that they have to become the next Justin Welsh or Dan Koe and attract an audience of 100k+ email subs.
Newsflash: You probably won’t.
But that doesn’t mean that you can’t make a comfortable living with a tiny newsletter.
I’ve been monetizing micro-audiences (less than 10k subs) for a decade… and let me show you how you can do it too.
Delete this mental model from your brain
Big numbers mean big bucks.
If that’s what you’re thinking, then you have the wrong mental model. Just like how eating more doesn’t always make you healthier, bigger audiences don’t automatically translate to more income. It’s like assuming a bigger car always means a better ride, but then you find the compact car handles the twists and turns of life’s roads with more agility and ease. Or thinking a larger book must hold more wisdom, only to discover the most profound truths in a slim paperback.
Most creators I work with operate in small niches. So, by essence, the number of people who are interested in what they have to offer is limited.
Who wants six-packs? Who wants to make more money?
Short answer: Everyone.
With a smaller audience, you can create deeper, more meaningful connections. These aren’t just followers; they’re your mini-fan club, ready to hang onto your every word and, more importantly, open their wallets when you have something to sell.
So, let’s flip the script on audience size. Focus on those who really care and have an urgent problem to solve.
It’s not about filling the room; it’s about who’s in it.
Build This Non-Negotiable Asset Starting From Today
Social media followers are cool. But they’re about as stable as a house of cards.
An email list? That’s solid ground. It’s direct access to your audience’s inbox, where you can charm them, woo them, and, yes, sell to them.
No algorithms, no competing with cat videos, just you and your subscribers in a world of your own making. It’s your direct line to your most engaged fans, your most loyal customers, and potentially your biggest income source.
I make over 90% of my income by sending emails. Else, I’d be a broke bum.
Start building that list. Now.
The Only Three Ways to Make More Money
Here they are:
– Sell to new clients
– Sell at higher prices
– Sell more to existing clients
When you have a tiny audience, selling to new clients is not the game you want to play. It’s hard and exhausting. And the numbers just won’t work.
Remember, it takes the average person at least 7 contacts to buy. Selling to existing customers who already love your dope is 100x easier.
They know what to expect; they’re sold on your stuff. Which means, no refunds and no pain for the arse customers.
Plus, when people already know what to expect from you and that you’re legit, they’re more likely to buy at higher price points (more on that later).
Bottom line: Focus on existing clients.
Become a Product Launch Machine
Most creators don’t have enough products to sell, so they’re broke.
Believe it or not: I have clients who buy EVERYTHING I put out there. But if I don’t have anything new to sell to them, then I’m leaving a huge pile of cash on the table, every month.
If you know your stuff and create content consistently, you have a dozen of them buried in your email list, too!
They’re literally here, reading your stuff, and wanting to buy from you.
But here’s the catch: those superbuyers won’t send you money just because you’re cute. You need a way to ethically ask for it. An ethical bribe. And that bribe is called an online course.
I’ve created over 69 courses in the past years, and I’ve boiled down the creation and launch process into a simple 10-hour game plan (get it for free here). At one point, I was even launching a new course every 2 weeks. All this to say that with the right process, everything becomes easier.
Increase your offers = Increase your income.
Work on the Unscalable
Everyone’s chasing scalable income.
But let’s get real: to rake in the big bucks, you need to embrace the unscalable, at least initially.
Here’s a choice: churn out content like a factory, hoping to catch a few fish in your wide net, or go deep-sea fishing and land that one big catch.
Would you rather spend 10 hours writing 10 articles and make 5 sales or work 10 hours closely with a single client for a cool $5k?
Unscalable tasks, like personalized services or high-touch consulting, can be incredibly lucrative. Even if they don’t look so. Think in terms of return on time invested, not just the size of your audience.
It’s also a great way to justify higher prices, remember?
People won’t pay $5k for a course. But will for your time.
Do the unscalable.
Conclusion
It’s not about the size, but the system.
You don’t need a stadium-sized audience to make a stadium-sized income. What you need is a system that leverages your small but mighty list for all it’s worth. Forget about the obsession with big numbers.
Instead, play a game you can win.