It’s a different ball game when your email list is only real buyers – no “subscribers” you need then to convert to buyers. You can invest more time and money in such a list and get a much better return.
Instead of building a whole mechanism to attract people by creating and promoting content, use existing content that ranks well on the SERPs and advertise directly on (or in) that content.
Most people don’t hesitate to pay for a newspaper or magazine but will probably not pay to read something similar on the web. Maybe it’s because they do not get anything physical they can say they own. They miss the feeling that owning something gives because it’s not physical.
A series of experiments trying to have a physical element of owning as part of paying for an online subscription. One way might be to have a printed copy of anything they read and would like printed periodically (weekly or monthly) and delivered to the subscriber. In essence, they get their own magazine – uniquely theirs – in physical form to own forever.
You might find that people looking for information (educational content) and people who come to buy, do it at different times of the day.
Have your content management software change the featured content and also the specific content shown for specific URLs, based on the probable intent of the visitor. For instance, if you have an article on how to be an early riser, you should have two versions of it (but with only one URL). One version – the one for information seekers – is more educational and tries to win the trust and appreciation of the reader and has a “join our email” list call to action, while the other one is more sales oriented with a different – “buy now” – call to action.
A different way to monetize your content.
A free content website where you can pay as you like for the content you like to pay for. To make micropayments, you pre-purchase site credits for fixed amounts ($1 for 100 credits, $5 for 600 credits, etc.), and you can spend these on articles you enjoyed by simply filling in the right amount on the content page. Each content page also shows how many credits it has earned from visitors.
Have a better audience for your website.
A website that shows no content unless you are logged in as a member. Membership is free, but you have to register. No functionality or content are given without registration. It’s a secret “club” for members only.