Subscriber engagement is becoming one of the most enjoyable parts of my affiliate marketing journey.
Over the past few days, I’ve had a couple of email conversations with people who subscribe to my mailing list.
And I genuinely appreciate those conversations!
It’s easy to become obsessed with statistics when you’re building an online business. Subscribers, clicks, traffic, commissions… there’s always another number to check.
But behind every email address is a real person.
And sometimes a simple conversation is more rewarding than watching another number appear on a dashboard.
Meanwhile, my total affiliate earnings remain at approximately $1,700, and I haven’t gained any new subscribers since my previous update.
So the numbers haven’t changed.
But there’s still plenty happening behind the scenes!
Before sharing today’s updates, here are three lessons I’m learning about subscriber engagement, email marketing and building an online business.
1. Subscriber Engagement Is About People, Not Just Numbers
When I started my affiliate marketing journey, my main priority was learning how to generate my first commissions.
The platform that helped me achieve that was ClickBank Profit Club, created by my mentor John Thornhill.
It’s where I’ve generated my ClickBank affiliate earnings so far.
If you’re curious about how the platform works, you can explore ClickBank Profit Club and join for free here.
There are optional paid upgrades, but you can explore the free membership before deciding whether anything else is right for you.
Looking back, getting started was only the beginning.
One of the things I’m learning is that generating sales and building a sustainable online business aren’t necessarily the same thing.
You also need to attract people, communicate with them and gradually develop trust.
And that’s where subscriber engagement becomes important.
Why Personal Email Conversations Matter
I’ve recently exchanged emails with a couple of subscribers.
Nothing particularly complicated. Just normal, friendly conversations about what we’re doing.
But I’ve really enjoyed them.
It’s interesting to hear about other people’s experiences, answer questions and occasionally learn something new myself.
When someone takes the time to respond to one of my emails, I want them to feel that they’re communicating with a real person.
Not just another automated marketing system.
Of course, email automation has its place.
I use it myself, and it makes running an online business considerably more manageable.
But I don’t want automation to replace genuine communication.
I want it to support it.
What Is Subscriber Engagement in Email Marketing?
Subscriber engagement describes how people interact with the emails they receive.
Some common indicators include:
- Opening and reading emails.
- Clicking links to learn more.
- Replying with questions or comments.
- Continuing to interact with future messages.
- Taking action when an offer genuinely interests them.
Email marketing platform Campaign Monitor explains these behaviors in its guide to improving email engagement.
Personally, I think direct replies are particularly interesting.
A click tells you that someone was curious enough to investigate something.
A conversation can tell you much more.
What they’re interested in.
What they’re hoping to achieve.
And what information they might find useful.
That kind of feedback could become increasingly valuable as I continue developing my business.
2. Building Beyond My First Affiliate Commissions
Another important lesson is that earning your first affiliate commissions is just one stage of the journey.
My bigger ambition is to build something that can generate more consistent income over time.
That’s why I’ve also been exploring opportunities beyond simply promoting other people’s products.
One of those opportunities is Coaching Profit System, another program I’ve been working with.
Where ClickBank Profit Club helped me get started and generate my first commissions, Coaching Profit System represents a potential next step toward building my own digital product and developing something I can continue improving.
If you’re interested in that side of affiliate marketing, you can learn more about Coaching Profit System here.
For me, developing my own product is becoming an increasingly important goal.
And that brings me to another exciting development.
An Exciting New Offer From John Thornhill
I’ve received what I consider a fantastic new affiliate marketing offer from my mentor, John Thornhill.
I’m planning to start sharing it with my email subscribers shortly.
And I’m genuinely looking forward to it!
I’ve mentioned John many times on this blog because his mentorship has become an important part of my journey.
Our recent conversations have been especially productive.
In my previous blog post about my affiliate marketing journey and traffic strategy, I explained some of the decisions John and I made about my business.
We discussed where I should concentrate my efforts, how to improve traffic generation and the possibility of developing my own digital product.
We’ve now agreed on a general direction for that product, with the ambition of having it ready before the end of 2026.
There’s still a great deal of work ahead.
But having a clearer plan feels incredibly motivating.
Promoting Affiliate Offers Without Losing Trust
Something I want to become better at is introducing affiliate offers in a way that feels natural.
I don’t want to send promotional emails simply because there’s another product available.
I want to understand what the offer provides and who might benefit from it.
That becomes even more important when you’re building relationships with your subscribers.
Not every product will be suitable for everyone.
And that’s perfectly fine.
The objective shouldn’t be to convince every subscriber to purchase everything.
It should be to provide useful information and allow people to make their own decisions.
I’m still learning how to do that effectively.
Hopefully, the new offer from John will be well received.
But regardless of the results, I’m sure the experience will teach me something.
My Affiliate Earnings Are Still Around $1,700
Now for the financial update.
My affiliate earnings haven’t increased since my previous blog post.
I’m still sitting at approximately $1,700 in cumulative ClickBank commissions.
And there haven’t been any additional email subscribers either.
Would I have preferred to report another sale?
Absolutely!
But I also understand that progress in affiliate marketing doesn’t happen at a perfectly predictable pace.
Sometimes several encouraging things happen within a short period.
Then you might experience a quieter week.
That’s simply part of the journey.
I’m pleased with what I’ve achieved so far, particularly considering that I started without any meaningful experience of earning money through affiliate marketing.
But I also recognize how much work remains.
My long-term ambition is to build an online business generating $10,000 per month.
That’s a very different level from where I am today.
And I certainly don’t want to pretend otherwise.
For now, I’m concentrating on improving the things I can influence.
Creating useful content.
Building my email list.
Improving subscriber engagement.
Learning more about traffic generation.
And continuing to develop my marketing skills.
The financial results will ultimately determine how effective those efforts have been.
But I believe there’s value in building the right foundations.
3. Progress Isn’t Always Measured in Dollars
The third lesson from today is something I’ve mentioned before, but it deserves repeating.
A productive day doesn’t necessarily mean a profitable day.
There are plenty of activities that contribute to building an online business without generating immediate revenue.
And today has been a particularly good example.
Researching My Next Fit After 40 YouTube Video
I’ve recently started working on another video for my YouTube channel, Fit After 40.
This is a project I really enjoy because it combines two of my interests: fitness and online business.
Over the past few days, I’ve spent quite a bit of time researching potential products for the next video.
And I think I may have found a promising candidate!
I’m not quite ready to reveal which product I’m considering.
But I’m optimistic about the direction I’m heading.
One thing I’ve learned from my previous YouTube work is that product selection deserves serious attention.
It’s tempting to find something that looks interesting, check the affiliate commission and immediately start putting a video together.
But I think there’s more to consider.
For example:
- Is there genuine interest in the product?
- Does it have positive customer reviews?
- Is it suitable for people over 40?
- Does it solve a real problem?
- Can I create a video that genuinely helps viewers?
- Is the affiliate commission reasonable in relation to the work involved?
These are all questions I’m trying to answer before committing too much time to production.
I want to find products that are relevant to my audience rather than simply choosing whichever one offers the highest commission.
And I think I’ve made some promising progress.
Of course, the real test will come later.
First, I need to finish my research, create the video and see how viewers respond.
There’s still plenty to learn!
Publishing Content and Staying Active on Social Media
Another part of today’s work involves sharing this blog post.
As usual, I’ll be publishing content across several platforms, including Substack, LinkedIn and Facebook.
I’ve been experimenting with different ways of attracting visitors to my website.
And I’m increasingly interested in understanding which platforms bring the most relevant traffic.
Getting visitors is important.
But attracting people who actually want to read my articles, subscribe to my emails or explore the products I recommend is even more valuable.
It’s a similar principle to subscriber engagement.
A large number on a dashboard might look impressive.
But it’s what people actually do that matters.
I also know that maintaining a presence across several social media platforms requires time.
That’s why I’m continuing to look for ways of making the process more efficient.
I enjoy creating content, but I also want to spend time on activities that can move my business forward.
Finding Time for Fitness and Life Outside Work
Of course, today hasn’t been entirely about affiliate marketing.
I’ve also managed to fit in a couple of workouts.
Exercise is an important part of my everyday routine, and I try to prioritize it regardless of how busy things get.
It helps me maintain my fitness, feel better and get away from the computer for a while.
And that’s something I think is important.
One of the reasons I’m building an online business is to create more freedom over how I spend my time.
Not to spend every waking hour working!
This evening, I’ve also got other plans.
I’ll be heading out for a while, so there won’t be any more business work tonight.
And I’m perfectly happy with that.
The business will still be there tomorrow.
I believe that finding a balance between work, exercise and everything else is important if you’re hoping to build something sustainable.
After all, what’s the point of creating more freedom if you never allow yourself to enjoy it?
How I Want to Improve Subscriber Engagement Going Forward
Today’s conversations have given me some ideas about how I’d like to approach my email marketing in the future.
First, I want to continue responding personally whenever subscribers contact me.
Second, I want my emails to feel useful and interesting rather than simply promotional.
Third, I want to understand my audience better.
What are people struggling with?
What are they trying to accomplish?
And what can I share that might genuinely help them?
I’m not suggesting that I have all the answers.
Far from it.
I’m still learning, experimenting and making adjustments along the way.
But I think developing those relationships could become one of the most rewarding parts of the business.
And hopefully, it will also help me make better decisions about the products and opportunities I recommend.
I’m particularly interested to see how subscribers respond to the new offer from John Thornhill.
It will be another opportunity to learn what works and what doesn’t.
Final Thoughts: Small Steps Still Move You Forward
So that’s where things stand on October 15, 2026.
No new subscribers.
No additional commissions.
My total affiliate earnings remain at approximately $1,700.
But I’ve enjoyed some genuine conversations with subscribers, received an exciting new offer from John Thornhill and made progress researching my next Fit After 40 YouTube video.
I’ve also continued creating content, kept up with my workouts and made time for something outside work this evening.
All in all, I’d call that a pretty good day.
One thing this journey keeps reminding me is that progress isn’t always immediately visible.
Sometimes it comes from making another sale.
Sometimes from welcoming another subscriber.
And sometimes from a useful conversation, finding a promising product or simply developing a better understanding of your business.
I’m still working toward my bigger goals.
And there’s a long way to go.
But I’m enjoying the process.
If you’re building an email list yourself, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you focus more on attracting new subscribers or developing relationships with the ones you already have?
Feel free to leave a comment.
Thanks for following along with my affiliate marketing journey!
Fredrik
Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you make a qualifying purchase, at no additional cost to you. My earnings reflect my personal experience and are not a guarantee of similar results. Building an online business involves work, uncertainty and financial risk.
