Email marketing is not dead…
In fact, it is growing right now, especially in the form of newsletters.
You heard me right, newsletters. Those really long emails that do nothing but deliver value and are usually loaded with affiliate links…
They are still a thing. A big thing.
In this review, I recently purchased Mushfiq’s Newsletter for Niche Sites Course and wanted to give you my thoughts on whether you should pick it up.
Spoiler Alert: It’s a good course and worth the investment.
Who is this course for?
This course is for anyone looking to build a profitable business by simply sending emails.
It is, however, focused explicitly on niche site owners.
As 2009 as it may seem, emails still are one of the best ways to convert people from “lurkers” to long-standing supporters and, eventually, customers.
This course will show you how to maintain a rabid fanbase that will check their email boxes specifically for your content.
This will not be a “cakewalk,” as assembling the emails will take time and effort. But the effort will be worth it once you have built a solid fanbase.
Who is Mushfiq?
Mushfiq Sarker is a well-known website flipper.
To date, he has flipped nearly 200 websites (and counting)
I will say, personally, Mushfiq has changed my trajectory when it comes to niche sites and flipping. I own all his products and have learned quite a bit based on his courses and interviews, including one at Blogger Evolution.
If your goal is to buy and sell a business online, then Mushfiq is one of the major brands to follow, and I wholeheartedly recommend him.
Newsletters for Niche Site Course Review
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the Newsletter course and see what I think about whether it’s worth it.
What I liked… Pros:
The course is very straightforward, succinct, and to the point.
There is zero fluff in this course. Helping you to stay on “course” (see what I did there) as you build your newsletter.
It is presented very plainly and with a voiceover PowerPoint presentation. It’s basically an organized brain dump from Mushfiq.
It hits every aspect of building a newsletter, learning how to make it consistent, and even getting sponsors that will pay you to email your list.
He breaks down some 8-figure newsletters and how they are monetizing so you can replicate them for your business. This is very helpful as you can see “how the sausage is made” for these huge businesses.
He breaks down tools he uses (and some he doesn’t, but at least has experience with) which shows that he has tested quite a bit to get his newsletters perfect for his audience.
One of the more valuable parts of this course is the Case Studies and the soon-to-come Acquiring Newsletters training.
Buying businesses is the best way to “skip the sandbox” that new businesses usually have as they grow, and he breaks down exactly how he does it, which is invaluable.
I even enjoy the media kit training because I have always struggled with it and just found someone I liked and copied theirs.
One final thing I really like about this course is the support.
Mushfiq is VERY attentive in his Facebook group. He will answer pretty much any question and does it for both paying and non-paying members.
The Facebook group is also very valuable because there are many successful marketers there that offer help as well.
What I didn’t like… Cons:
There are no frills and thrills with this course. It’s pretty plain-jane. In other words, it’s boring.
The entire course is voiceovers, PowerPoint presentations, and shared desktops.
So take that for what it is worth, but for me, it’s the information that should reign supreme, and that is what Mushfiq’s course shines.
That said… It would be nice to see him talking to the camera, even if it was to welcome me to the course, and then the rest be behind the screen.
Another thing that is a bit nit-picky for me is the lack of case studies.
Mushfiq mentions his newsletter a lot and uses it as the main case study in this course. Which is excellent, and I appreciate he shares his raw numbers with his students. But since this is a course for niche sites, it would be nice to see this with more than just his site.
The course is a bit short. I would love to have seen more, but the reality is this course is still in the very early stages of its development.
I am in Mushfiq’s other courses, and he goes back and updates and adds stuff to those courses he created years ago. So I see the same coming for this Newsletter course, but as of right now, it’s a bit bare-bones.
Even though that is the case, it would be better to get in now rather than later.
Mushfiq pre-sold his course to his email list and it sold out fast, which justified his creating the course in the first place.
So I know more stuff is to come with this course, but as of now, it contains what you need to get started and understand the business model… and that is it.
Are there any other courses like Newsletters for Niche Sites?
Honestly, I could not think of any.
There are some pretty crappy courses on Udemy and Skillshare, but I wouldn’t touch those courses with a 10-foot pole.
I fall short of calling this the best solely dedicated Newsletter course on the market.
As mentioned, this was a pre-sold course, and the demand was there. I even picked it up pre-sale and got this course at a rock-bottom price.
If you know of any courses similar to this one, please let me know, and I can include them here.
Course Walkthrough
Introduction
The introduction of the course covers the basics covering the benefits and even the drawbacks.
He also goes into the business model and explains why this can be very profitable with minimal resources and time.
This business model (like many others) requires execution, and the training itself can and will work.
Newsletter Breakdowns
These are powerful.
He shows how 8-figure businesses run their newsletters, which is always invaluable.
Honestly, you may be surprised how simple these newsletters run and churning out the cash they do.
He promises to do more other than the three that are there now as time goes on.
Newsletter Setup
I enjoy the setup here because he gives the tools he actively uses and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
I must say, some of the tools he recommends are pricey. However, the profit margins are insane and will become cheap once you get this ball rolling with sponsors.
Speaking of sponsors…
Newsletter Sponsorship
As mentioned, this course is a brain dump for Mushfiq, and this training is probably the best example.
He lists methods he has used that were successful and some that were not successful. This goes a long way, as the outreach for sponsorships can be a long and arduous task.
In fact, some may call it a waste of time as you hit brick wall after brick wall.
But knowing where NOT to go is usually more powerful than being pointed in the right direction.
Case Studies
As mentioned before, the case study included in the course is very transparent and comprehensive.
Mushfiq shares everything that has made his newsletter with TheWebsiteFlip.com so successful.
Everything from the opening email sequence, the deliberate structure of the emails, and even statistics on how he continues to grow and prune the newsletter.
My only gripe is I want more.
I would like to see a random dog niche site newsletter.
A golf niche site newsletter.
Really anything outside of the “online business” scope would be nice to see.
Acquiring Newsletters
At the time of writing this post, the Acquiring Newsletters section of the course is not completed.
This one is particularly interesting to me as I was always taught never to buy email lists… but this is different because you are buying a business and would be taking it over.
So why not buy an email list?
The structure of doing this correctly and naturally would be really nice to see.
Is Newsletter for Niche Sites Worth it?
I am always a sucker for an excellent online course.
I don’t know how to do everything. But when you know where you can go to learn everything, you are in a position of power.
This Newsletter for Niche Sites is seemingly one of a kind, and that is a good thing. Email is still an outstanding way to reach people, especially when social media changes algorithms constantly.
Having a business that lives almost entirely in a person’s inbox is a great place to live and connect with people within a few minutes of writing the email.
So yes, this course is worth it. I will put together many of the teaching and best suggestions to practice in my newsletter at Blogger Evolution. So make sure you are subscribed and join the community.