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The Nugget with Michelle Martello

move or monetize

Published 25 days ago • 3 min read

May the notoriously finicky Amtrak wi-fi gods bless me right now.

I'm on the train headed to Boston to visit one of my favorite clients and I figured this would be an apt moment to answer a reader question that came in yesterday.

"Your email last week (this one move saved 2500 a month) on saving money by auditing your subscriptions really inspired me! I'm downsizing my business and realizing Kit is one of my highest expenses. I could save a lot by getting rid of Kit and using Kajabi for my email marketing instead. My audience has grown faster and bigger than ever, but having a hard time monetizing it!. Open to any other tips on downsizing, saving both time and money!"

A few ways to approach this problem:

  1. Get rid of Kit and just use Kajabi to send emails. This would require reworking all of the forms on their website, importing and warming up the new list to Kajabi and reworking all of their tags, sequences and automations. I'm personally not a fan of this option as I find Kit's functionality and features way easier to use. I find if something is harder to use or doesn't have all the features you're currently using, switching may actually cost you more in potential revenue than you might save. And tools like Kit's MCP integration* can reduce your workload in a massive way.
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  2. Cull the list on Kit and get on a lower level plan. This reader is already doing regular list cleanups to remove inactive subscribers (though I might suggest automating this with a customized version of Kit's cold subscriber cleanup automation so you don't even have to think about it). They could get a bit more ruthless with who stays on the list and reducing to a lower level plan - but this might only save a few hundred dollars. The juice might not be worth the squeeze - especially considering one private client could more than cover the cost of the subscription.
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  3. Find a way to generate the revenue to cover the subscription fee that doesn't require a lot of work.
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  4. Quit everything, go completely off-grid and help me build a dog sanctuary somewhere in the Virginia mountains.

While #4 is tempting, this probably isn't the most applicable option right now. So let's dive into option #3.
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This reader already has offers and programs they're selling (and we'd have to get into a deeper strategy session to discuss how to get more out of those).
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But one option that I don't think gets talked about enough?​
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Newsletter sponsorships.​
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A health, engaged list is an opportunity to get other brands in front of your audience - and get you compensated for it. There's two ways to do this with Kit.

  1. Signup for their newsletter sponsorship program - this matches creators directly with brands.
  2. Create your own sponsorship program and select the vendors you want to feature in your own newsletter.

Personally I've a fan of option #2 - you can determine your own rates and select exactly who gets featured in front of your audience. I've got several clients doing this generating thousands in additional revenue each month (without a whole lot of extra work). This can be an easy way to monetize your list without a heavy lift (like doing another launch) on your end.
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you've got this,
Michelle
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p.s. Looking to make the move to Kit or need help monetizing your list? Hit reply and let's chat.
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p.p.s. 100 dogs seems like a good number, right?

upcoming + work with me ​
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​Minima Sessions: Need to talk to someone who gets it? From detailed website reviews to email overhauls to getting started online, book a Minima Session and get in-the-trenches knowledge and actionable strategies. Perfect for anyone who wants to sell their knowledge, services or goods online. Inquire here.




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​tech I love​
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​WisprFlow​* - capture every thought quickly​
​Kit* - my favorite easy-to-use email tool (you're reading it right now!)
​Kajabi* - what I use to host courses and digital products.
​ManyChat* - what I use to automate messages on social media
​Hello Audio* - what I use to create private podcasts

Did this email end up in your promo, junk or spam folder? Do me a solid and drag it to your primary inbox - this tells your inbox you like me, like really like me. ​
*denotes affiliate link. I only promote and recommend products and services I use for myself or my clients.

People who read the fine print are my kind of people. You rock Reader. ​
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The Nugget with Michelle Martello

Digital Product Design + Online Business Strategy

Get my nugget-filled newsletter every Friday. The never boring, edutaining tech + digital strategy newsletter​ that's always worth the open. Get the latest tech tutorials, behind-the-scenes breakdowns and done-for-you strategic guidance from someone who's actually doing the work (and makes you laugh to boot).

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