What is the Most Profitable Side Hustle? [Best Answer]

I've personally experienced the frustrations and setbacks that come with trying various online businesses.

For months, I tried my hand at freelance writing, tirelessly submitting proposals on platforms like Upwork and Indeed, only to face rejection after rejection.

The competition was fierce, and breaking into the market seemed nearly impossible.

My next venture was affiliate marketing, where I invested heavily in Facebook ads to promote weight-loss products.

I was optimistic, but my excitement quickly turned to despair when Facebook banned my ad accounts due to policy violations.

A few months later, my journey took a positive turn when I discovered email marketing.

Unlike freelance writing, email marketing didn't require advanced skills or endless hours of work.

I didn't need to compete against thousands of other freelancers for projects, nor did I have to worry about social media platforms shutting down my accounts.

Email marketing offered a straightforward path to building a reliable and scalable side hustle.

With email marketing, I quickly built a subscriber list through targeted campaigns and lead magnets.

This approach allowed me to generate revenue faster and more consistently than any of my previous ventures.

The automated email sequences I set up saved me time and provided a steady income stream, enabling me to focus on growing my business without the constant pressure of client acquisition or content creation.

In this blog post, I want to share my experiences and highlight why email marketing stands out as the most profitable side hustle.

By comparing it to other popular online businesses, such as freelance writing, graphic design, web development, and more, I'll show you how email marketing can offer a more accessible, stable, and lucrative path to financial independence.

Let's get started...

Email marketing platforms allow you to set up automated email campaigns, saving you time while keeping your audience engaged.

This helps you make money automatically while enjoying your free time with your family and friends.

For Example:

Emily sets up 10 automated email sequences for new subscribers. Each new subscriber receives a welcome email, followed by a series of educational emails, and finally a promotional email, all without Emily lifting a finger after the initial setup.

You own your email list, unlike social media followers. If a social media platform changes its rules or goes away, you still have your email subscribers.

For Example:

Tom’s Instagram account gets hacked and he loses access to his 50,000 followers. However, he still has his 10,000 email subscribers, allowing him to continue marketing his products without interruption.

Email marketing is the only business model that gives you access to customers and buyers using a fast-traffic source called solo ads.

Solo ads will help you build a buyer's email list quickly without going on for Facebook or Google ads that require complex technical skills.

For Example:

John has started email marketing, but he doesn't know how to run Facebook ads to build his email list and make sales. So, he discovers solo ads and builds his email list to 3,000 subscribers in 24 hours.

Email marketing allows you to communicate with your subscribers one-on-one.

By sending messages directly to their inbox, you can create a personal connection with each subscriber.

This method enables you to deliver targeted content that speaks to their interests and preferences.

For Example:

If you offer a new keto diet plan, you can send an email to subscribers who are interested in losing weight with a ketogenic diet, sharing success stories, and providing tips that align with their goals. This targeted approach makes your message more relevant and personal to their needs.

Email marketing offers an exceptionally high ROI, often cited as $36-$42 for every dollar spent.

This impressive return shows email marketing’s efficiency and profitability. Traditional online businesses, such as social media advertising or e-commerce, often fail to produce such a high ROI due to higher costs and lower engagement rates.

This high ROI makes email marketing an attractive side hustle, allowing individuals to maximize their earnings and grow their businesses without needing large upfront costs or ongoing expenditures.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to start an email marketing business as a side hustle.

What is a niche?

A niche is a specific segment of a market. For example, internet marketing is a market, but affiliate marketing is a niche.

Here are top niches:

1. Health (e.g weight loss)

2. Finance (e.g real estate)

3. Personal Development

4. Make Money Online

5. Business Opportunity

Choose one of these niches according to your passion, interest, and skill. Then go to the next step.

Choose a good email marketing platform that has opt-in page templates, automation, and strong email delivery rates.

The purpose of email marketing software is to manage your email list, create an opt-in page, send email campaigns, and set up email automations.

My favorite email marketing platform is Systeme.io because it's free for managing 2,000 email contacts and has easy-to-use features for campaign creation and automation and opt-in page creation.

Create an Opt-in page:

What is an opt-in page? It's a simple web page that allows you to collect people's email addresses.

Make sure to write a good headline and sub-headlines on your opt-in page to grab people's attention.

Use A Lead Magnet:

To motivate people to give you their email address, you should give them a free gift, which is called a lead magnet on your opt-in page.

A lead magnet can be a free video training course, membership, report, or free e-book.

See the example of an opt-in page below:

Drive Traffic:

There are two ways to drive traffic and build your email list: paid traffic and free traffic.

Paid traffic is my favorite way to build my email list because it helps you build a big email list quickly.

You can run Facebook ads, Google ads, or other social media ads, but they require technical skills, copywriting, and some design skills to convert traffic visitors into leads. And if you violate their ad policies, they will ban your account.

So, the best bet would be to use solo ads to drive traffic and build an engaged email list in 24 hours or less.

SpeedWealth is an automated list-building system that provides you with the top solo ad providers in the market.

Moreover, you can use social media as a free traffic source to build your email list. But you need to create helpful content daily around your niche to build a strong relationship with your audience and promote your opt-in page.

I recommend choosing one social media platform as a beginner to create content due to better management.

Create Emails:

Write emails that are relevant, valuable, and engaging for your audience.

Use a conversational tone and personalize your messages with the subscriber's name and other details.

There are 3 types of emails:

1. Content Email

It provides valuable information, tips, and solutions. The purpose of content email is to gain trust by providing valuable content. For example, 5 Tips To Lose Your Belly Fat.

2. Story Email

It can be your story or someone else's story, such as a success story, because it builds connections and relationships with your subscribers. Check the samples of story emails here.

3. Promotional Email

It's used to promote a product or a service. You can mention the benefits of your product and how it can solve their problems. Click here to discover examples of promotional emails.

Welcome Series:
Set up an automated welcome series to greet new subscribers and introduce them to your brand.

A typical welcome series includes a thank-you email, an introduction to your products or services, and a follow-up email with valuable content.

In the pursuit of financial independence, many individuals explore side hustles.

From freelance writing to graphic design, the opportunities are plentiful.

However, one side hustle stands out in terms of profitability and ease of entry: email marketing.

Email marketing offers numerous advantages over other popular side hustles. It requires minimal technical skills, provides a predictable income, and allows for automation, making it less time-consuming and more efficient.

Unlike other ventures that demand high-level expertise, extensive time commitment, or significant startup costs, email marketing can be started quickly with lower barriers to entry.

For beginners looking to build an email list fast, taking an email marketing course and using a done-for-you email marketing system is crucial.

A good course provides the foundational knowledge and strategies needed to succeed, while a done-for-you system simplifies the process with pre-built landing pages, email swipes, and top affiliate offers.

This combination accelerates the learning curve and streamlines the setup, enabling beginners to start generating income quickly.

Related Articles:

1. Best Email List Builder Software (100% Automated)

2. The Easy Online Side Hustle for Beginners Revealed

3. Best Traffic Source For Building An Email List