3 Sneaky Ways to Monetize Your Small Audience (Even If You Think You're Too Small)
With a quiet launch so only you know if it bombs or not
Most influencers—especially those with smaller channels, groups, or followings—think they need huge numbers before they can start making money. That’s a lie the big names want you to believe.
The truth? You don’t need a massive audience. You just need the right strategy.
I’ve helped countless influencers go from barely scraping by to making real money with their content. And today, I’m going to show you three ways to monetize your small audience—plus a secret pre-sell trick that could have money hitting your PayPal before you even create your offer.
Tip #1: The Micro-Offer Method
Most influencers overcomplicate their first offer. They think they need a fancy course, a 100-page ebook, or a huge coaching program.
Wrong.
Instead, start with something tiny, irresistible, and easy to buy.
👉 A cheat sheet
👉 A 2-page guide
👉 A mini-workshop (under 60 minutes)
👉 A “behind the scenes” training
Charge $9, $19, or $29 for it. Your goal is to get your first buyers, not your first million—yet.
Once someone pays you, they’re way more likely to pay again. That’s how you start building a real business, not just an audience.
Tip #2: Sell Before You Create (Yes, Really)
Most people spend weeks or months building their first offer… only to hear crickets when they launch it.
Here’s the better way:
Announce your idea in your group, email list, or social media.
Example: “Thinking about putting together a quick training on how to get brand deals with a tiny audience. Would that be useful to you?”Watch who raises their hand. If you get engagement, those are potential buyers.
Tell them it’s coming and offer an early-bird price. You don’t even need a sales page. Just DM or email them:
“Hey! I’m putting together that brand deals training. Going to record it next week. If you want early access, you can grab it for $27 before I launch it for $49.”
Boom. You get paid before you create—and you only build offers that people actually want.
Tip #3: Use Your DM Box as an ATM
Your DMs and email inbox? That’s where the money is.
Instead of blasting out a generic offer, start private conversations with the most engaged people in your audience.
Here’s how to do it right:
Ask a simple question (Ex: “What’s your biggest struggle with monetizing your audience?”)
Listen to their response (They’ll tell you exactly what they need.)
Offer a direct solution (Your micro-offer, coaching, or training.)
Most influencers ignore this because they’re waiting for a big launch. But I’ve seen people pull in $500 to $5,000 in a week—just by having real convos with their audience.
The Secret Pre-Sell Trick: “Hand Raisers First”
Want to make money from your next training before you even create it? Here’s the quiet, behind-the-scenes way to do it.
Instead of a big launch, start with just one question:
“I’m thinking about doing a live 2-hour Zoom training on [TOPIC]. If you’d be interested, just comment ‘INTERESTED’ or DM me.”
Why this works:
✔️ No pressure—people just express interest, no commitment.
✔️ You create exactly what they want (not what you think they want).
✔️ You only talk to the people who actually care.
Once they raise their hand, ask them to send you an email to get details. Why? Because now, they’ve taken a small step towards buying.
Then, in your reply, you say:
“Awesome! I’m finalizing the details now. If you want in at the early-bird price ($47 instead of $97), you can grab your spot here: [PAYMENT LINK].”
You don’t need a fancy funnel. No big sales page. Just a simple PayPal, ThriveCart, or Stripe checkout link.
And just like that… you’re pre-selling your training before it even exists.
What To Do Next?
If you’ve been waiting to monetize your audience, stop waiting. You don’t need a huge following—you just need the right offer, the right strategy, and a way to pre-sell before you create.
👉 Pick one of these methods
👉 Test it this week
👉 And start making money from your audience—sooner than you think
Let me know which tip you’re going to try first! Drop a comment or DM me—I’d love to hear your thoughts.
~Mike
PS. Visit the website for product’s you could create this week. epicprogressonline.com