If you’re here, I’m guessing you suspect your email list could (and should) be doing more for your bottom line.
And you’re right.
Because if you’ve got a solid offer, a funnel that more or less works, and a list of subscribers… chances are, there’s revenue sitting right there in your email system. Quietly collecting dust. Or worse, slipping through the cracks.
Not a little trickle, either. I’m talking burst pipe levels of potential – while your focus stays stuck on pouring more leads into the top of your funnel.
Most businesses I work with are leaving thousands (sometimes hundreds of thousands) on the table. Not because their product isn’t good. Not because they’re not smart or strategic. But because email is often an afterthought – or an overwhelmed copywriter’s Friday afternoon job.
Want to know how to make more money from your email list?
The good news is you don’t need to overhaul everything. You just need to know where to press.
Archimedes (engage teenage history obsession) once said: “Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I will move the world.”
Your email list already contains that lever. Let’s find your place to stand.
Where email revenue really leaks (and why it’s not your fault)
After auditing dozens of email systems across industries, I’ve found the same problems pop up again and again – regardless of how polished the funnels look from the outside.
Here are the ten most common places businesses lose revenue through email:
1. Lead magnet drop-off
You’ve got a cracking lead magnet. People download it. And then… silence. Your welcome sequence isn’t earning enough trust to keep them around, so they drift off into “I think I downloaded something once” limbo.
One coaching client had an 83% drop-off rate after their lead magnet. We rewrote their welcome sequence – and their re-engagement jumped by 34%.
2. Webinar no-shows
You paid for traffic. People registered. But only 30–40% show up. Your pre-webinar emails aren’t building anticipation or urgency, so life gets in the way.
3. Post-webinar ghosting
They came, they clapped, they even asked a question in the chat – and then they disappeared.
This is where it really stings. Warm leads who didn’t convert, simply because your follow-up didn’t speak to the final friction or objection in their way. Or they got distracted by life and didn’t make it back before cart closed.
4. Cart abandonment
They almost bought. Almost. And without a recovery sequence in place? That revenue just floats off into the void.
5. Everyone gets the same emails
If you’re sending the same content to someone who opens every email as you are to someone who’s been lurking for months… it’s no wonder engagement is down.
Segmentation isn’t a techy nice-to-have. It’s a trust builder.
6. You’re not noticing buying signals
Some people are clicking everything. Re-reading your sales page. Poking around your offer.
But unless you’re tracking behaviour and responding accordingly? They’re not getting the final nudge they need.
7. Post-purchase silence
A customer buys – and hears nothing. No thoughtful onboarding. No next step. No relevant upsell or cross-sell.
You’ve worked so hard to win them over. Don’t ghost them now.
8. Cold lead neglect
That person who was so close six months ago? They’re still there. Still reading your newsletter. Still wondering.
But without a reactivation strategy, they’re just quietly twiddling their thumbs in the corner.
9. Seasonal misses
Tax time, New Year, or industry-specific peaks – if your email plan doesn’t map to your calendar, you’re leaving conversion windows wide open.
10. Missing referral momentum
Your happy customers could be your best salespeople. But they’re not referring others, because you haven’t given them a reason – or a system – to do so.
I audited a funnel last year where fixing one of these gaps uncovered over £170,000 in lost revenue.
And I’ve seen that play out more than once.
Why most email advice doesn’t work
There’s no shortage of email marketing advice out there. We’re all looking for how to make more money from our email list (especially when we’re paying through the nose for our email platform as our subscriber numbers rise). But most of it is:
- Too generic
- Too surface-level
- Too focused on content, not context
You’ve probably heard:
- “Write better subject lines!”
- “Send on Tuesdays at 10am!”
- “Clean your list!”
Fine advice. But it’s like telling someone with a leak in their roof to “buy nicer furniture.” It won’t fix the underlying problem.
And even if you do know what needs changing, you’re probably too swamped to get to it.
Because what email really needs isn’t just better copy – it’s strategy. Behavioural insight. Technical follow-through. And time you don’t have.
The Empathetic Email Philosophy (aka: why I don’t do manipulation)
Before I worked in marketing, I ran youth projects for 15 years. And one thing that world teaches you fast? You can’t fake connection. You can’t force people to trust you. You have to meet them where they’re at.
I take the same approach to email.
Instead of urgency timers and guilt trips, we focus on:
- Consent-based marketing
- Behaviour-led strategy
- Helpful, human messages
Because when people feel understood, they’re more likely to:
- Open your emails
- Click your links
- Buy your stuff
- Recommend you to others
This isn’t a nice theory. It’s how sustainable revenue is built.
How to make more money from your email list (based on size + stage)
Depending on your list size and team resources, I offer two ways to help you plug your leaks and unlock revenue.
Option 1: The Email Profit Audit
Best for: Businesses with 20K+ subscribers + a team to implement.
This is a full audit of your entire email ecosystem – from automations to segments to behaviour patterns.
You’ll get:
- A full revenue gap analysis
- Behavioural segmentation strategy
- Custom optimisation recommendations
- ROI projections based on list behaviour
- A clear, prioritised implementation roadmap
Investment: £5,000
I audited a funnel last year where fixing one of these gaps uncovered over £170,000 in lost revenue.
Option 2: The Email Profit Lever
Best for: Businesses with 2K–20K subscribers who want quick results without needing a big team.
This is a focused strategy + implementation offer. I find the highest-leverage gap in your current setup and fix it for you.
You’ll get:
- A review of the 10 most common revenue leaks
- Identification of your #1 profit opportunity
- Strategy + implementation to fix it
- A short report with future recommendations
Investment: £3,500 (payment plans available)
Not Sure Which One’s Right for You?
Ask yourself:
- How many subscribers do I have?
- Do I have a team to implement changes?
- Do I need fast results or long-term strategy?
- What’s my budget for optimising this channel?
If you’re still unsure, book a free call and we’ll figure it out together.
TL;DR
Your email list is a revenue-generating asset hiding in plain sight.
With the right lever—and the right person helping you pull it—you can:
- Increase conversions without more traffic
- Create better customer journeys
- Generate more sustainable revenue
Let’s uncover that leverage point and put it to work.
Empathetic strategy. Revenue-focused copy. Systems that actually work. That’s Words by Peta.
Still got questions about how to make more money from your email list? Let’s clear a few things up.
“Can’t I just figure this out myself?”
You can – especially if you’ve got the time, the systems, and the headspace to do a full audit of your email strategy, behaviour data, automations, sequences, and segmentation.
But most business owners I work with are too close to it. Or too busy. Or both.
I bring a fresh perspective, a strategic brain, and the kind of pattern-spotting that comes from auditing and optimising email systems across dozens of industries. I’m not handing you a to-do list. You get clarity, prioritisation, and (if you choose the Lever) implementation, too.
“How long does it take to see results?”
It depends a little on your setup, but here’s the general rule of thumb:
- Email Profit Lever: Because I do the implementation, clients usually see results within 2–4 weeks of go-live.
- Email Profit Audit: Results depend on how quickly your team implements, but most clients start seeing shifts in 1–3 months.
And if you send emails regularly? The impact often snowballs.
“What if I’m not techy?”
That’s totally fine.
- If you choose the Lever, I handle the tech for you – segments, automations, sequences, all of it.
- If you choose the Audit, your roadmap will include clear, detailed implementation instructions your team can follow (and I’m available for support if needed).
No jargon. No overwhelm. No pressure to learn how to code your own conditional split.
“Is this just copywriting with a fancy name?”
Not at all.
Copywriting is part of what I do, but this is about more than writing you better words. It’s about:
- Spotting where people are dropping off
- Understanding why they’re not converting
- Creating the systems, sequences, and segmentation to fix it
- Writing the right message, to the right person, at the right time
That’s what turns email from a box-ticking task into a profit-driving asset.
“What if I’m still not sure which offer is right?”
Easy. Book a call. No pressure, no pushy pitch – just a chat about what you’ve got, what you want, and how to make more money from your email list right now.