Ian Stanley Review: Email Marketing Pros & Cons, Course Testimonials, and Alternatives in 2025 |Ippei: Why Local SEO Lead Generation is the #1 Online Business Opportunity in 2025

Updated On 2021-11-19

Ian Stanley is a copywriter, email marketer, author, comedian and entrepreneur. He founded Almost Passive Income in 2022. He helps people make money from email marketing via fill-in-the-blank templates you can get through his programs. Ian runs Email of the Month Club and 90 Days to Freedom. Ian is also a mentor at Spark by Clickbank affiliate program.

Online reviews about Ian Stanley are positive. Although most of them are in his sales pages with very few external reviews. Ian Stanley copywriting newsletter is frequently recommended on Reddit for aspiring copywriters. Justin Goff, co-founder of Copy Accelerator, recommends Ian’s course for anyone looking to monetize their email list.

According to Litmus, email marketing has a 3500% ROI. However, OptinMonster found 7 out of 10 emails get reported as spam with just a glance at the subject line. It’s a tough digital marketing channel, but rewarding when you break into it.

In a YouTube video on making passive income writing emails, Ian Stanley said: “These companies will pay you $3,000, $5,000, even $10,000 or more just to write these simple emails for them. And I’m not talking about Fortune 500 companies or massive corporations. I’m talking about local businesses like local gyms, coffee shops, dog groomers that will pay you thousands a month just to send simple emails for them.” Yes, some local businesses with budgets would pay for email marketing. But in my opinion, they’d rather pay for high-value leads that convert into paying customers. Email marketing is like the band playing in Titanic while the ship’s going down (nice to have and keeps morale up). But high-value leads are the lifeboats or the thing that actually keeps the business afloat when sales start sinking. In email marketing, spam filters can bury emails in Gmail’s Promotions tab or straight-up block them. Maintaining a good sender reputation feels like fighting black magic where one wrong word or link, and your open rate drops overnight. Plus, you’ll need constant content like nurture sequences, promos, storytelling, and segmentation every week, forever. One lazy campaign can ruin engagement metrics for months.

In this Ian Stanley review, we go over his background and his Almost Passive Income company. We also discuss his 90 DTF (Days to Freedom) program and his Confessions of a Persuasion Hitman book. Finally, we uncover whether email marketing is more feasible than local lead generation for creating a passive income source.

What are Ian Stanley Pros & Cons?

Pros	Cons
Good reputation. Ian Stanley is known as a skilled copywriter.	Not as active in the copywriting industry as before. In a video, he said he writes less copy and focuses more on his businesses.
Templates. You'll get 100+ fill-in-the-blank templates for email marketing.	Live coaching is only for group coaching. No 1-on-1.
There are 3 live coaching sessions per week.	Pricey. It costs $2000, which is too much for beginners.
90 Days Certification Program. Students who finish 90 DTF and pass the 2 exams, will get in Ian Stanley’s email list for opportunities.

Price	Ian Stanley's 90 DTF costs $2000.
Group	Ian Stanley has a Facebook group.
Refund Policy	Ian Stanley offers a Turning Pro guarantee. They will work with you until you get clients.
Reputation	Ian Stanley has a positive online reputation.

Who is Ian Stanley?

Ian Stanley is half English and half American living in Boise, Idaho. Before he became a copywriter, he was a tennis coach after college. He was earning $60 per hour. He also sold DirectTV in Best Buy. According to him, he was a top salesman but quit because of the long work hours. In 2013, he started copywriting after he took the Copyhour program. By 2015, Ian was selling $20 million by email marketing alone. His mentor is Ron Lynch, an infomercial expert. He also worked with David L. Deutch, a direct-response expert copywriter.

Ian’s also a prolific entrepreneur. Ian Stanley makes a quick buck via copywriting which takes him 20 minutes at best to do. He built Almost Passive Income from that principle. He also has a merch business, Feed The Wolf. He’s selling branded journals, mugs and shirts. Ian also has a water company, Fixt. When he’s not writing copy for emails or managing his companies, Ian Stanley is doing standup comedy. He had a “Coming Together” comedy tour with Garrett Gunderson in 2020. And his comedy specials are available on his Ian Stanley Youtube channel.

What is Almost Passive Income?

Almost Passive Income is Ian Stanley’s former company, Stand-up Conversions. Almost Passive Income focuses on email marketing and copywriting. They also cover wealth building and lifestyle mindset. According to Ian, they strive to work less than an hour a day. They target beginner and experienced marketers looking to make more money in less time. Almost Passive Income hosts live events which usually lasts for 3 days.

Almost Passive Income offers 6-Hour Email for free and the Welcome Email Template for $7. 6-Hour Email contains 3 templates you can send to new customers 6 hours after they opt-in to your list. The Welcome Email Template is the first upsell in Almost Passive Income. It also contains 3 different fill-in-the-blank templates. Ian also offers a subscription to Emails of the Month Club at $47 per month. Members will receive new email templates every month.

What is 90 DTF?

90 DTF or 90 Days to Freedom is Ian Stanley’s email marketing and copywriting program. He teaches how to make 6-figures by sending emails. The program covers the basics of email marketing and how to set up deals with businesses. 90 DTF runs on 3 steps:

Find a business that’s already earning.
Set up a deal that ensures you get paid while working for less hours.
Create “money-making” emails.

90 DTF students will get access to:

Software for finding businesses to work with
40 hours of content
100+ fill-in-the-blank email templates
3 live coaching calls per week
Access to FB group
8020 Email Copy course
90 Days Certification Program

What is Confessions of a Persuasion Hitman?

Confessions of a Persuasion Hitman is a book written by Ian Stanley published in 2019. The book covers Ian’s experience as a salesman, marketer and copywriter. Ian Stanley shares 13 rules in Persuasion Hitman. It includes setting clear boundaries, combining short-term income with long-term revenue and using the language of your prospects.

What is Ian Stanley’s Role in Spark by ClickBank?

Ian Stanley’s role in Spark by ClickBank is an email marketing mentor. He teaches new affiliates how to run email marketing campaigns and write subject lines. Ian also shares how he can increase conversion up to 10x in email marketing.

What Do People Say About Ian Stanley?

People say positive things about Ian Stanley. According to a Reddit user, Ian does a good job teaching how to get clients. Although there are fewer modules about that on 90 Days to Freedom, the live calls make up for it. The redditor also said Ian covers techniques on how to research business to work with. In another reddit thread asking for email copywriting advice, Ian Stanley was recommended. The redditor said it’s best to learn from email marketers like Ian Stanley and Chase Diamond.

Is Email Marketing a Good Career?

Email marketing is a good career for skilled copywriters. According to OptinMonster, almost 50% open emails based on email subject lines. Skilled copywriters who can write compelling subject lines can increase a brand’s open rate. According to ZipRecruiter, the annual average income of an email copywriter is $76,412. However, email marketing also has a below average click through rate. Forbes reported the industry average CTR for email marketing is 1.4%. It is way below the 5% “good” CTR, as per Salesforce Marketing Cloud.

What are the Other Email Marketing Programs Available Online?

Email Profit Academy by Shawn Josiah is a training program that teaches how to build a profitable email marketing business using affiliate offers, automated email sequences, and lead generation systems, focusing on creating passive income through done-for-you templates and proven strategies.
The Email Growth Club by Kylie Kelly is a mentorship-style membership that helps entrepreneurs grow their audience and revenue through authentic, relationship-based email marketing, emphasizing list-building strategies, email engagement, and personalized support for consistent business growth.
Email Profit Accelerator by Sayeh B. is a course designed for service providers and coaches that focuses on turning email subscribers into paying clients through strategic email funnels, automation, and content frameworks that streamline client acquisition and retention.

Final Verdict: Is Ian Stanley’s Strategies Worth Learning?

Ian Stanley’s strategies are worth learning for aspiring copywriters and digital marketers who want to master the art of persuasive email marketing and client acquisition. His programs, like 90 Days to Freedom and Almost Passive Income, provide clear frameworks, fill-in-the-blank templates, and live coaching that help beginners quickly build skill and confidence.

If you’re committed to writing consistently, testing subject lines, and managing client campaigns, his methods can generate a solid income and open doors to freelance or consulting opportunities. However, it’s not a true ‘set-and-forget’ system. You’ll still need ongoing effort, creativity, and client management to keep earning.

If you prefer a business model that compounds passively and doesn’t rely on constant writing or client work, local lead generation is a smarter long-term path because once your sites rank, they bring in leads and monthly income automatically, without daily upkeep or algorithm changes.

Does Local Lead Generation Bring In Better Passive Income Than Email Marketing?

In my 10 years of experience, local lead generation brings in better passive income than email marketing because it doesn’t depend on audience loyalty or retention like a candy vending machine with Skittles and Starburst in an arcade. It just sits there, takes coins, and keeps earning with no loyalty program required. Every day, new prospects search for services, giving you a steady stream of fresh leads. There’s no list decay, no unsubscribes, and no re-engagement campaigns. Unlike the constant content creation in email marketing, local lead gen doesn’t involve pumping out weekly newsletters or clever subject lines. It’s a set-and-forget model that drives continuous traffic even without daily or weekly updates. Plus, you don’t rely on inbox algorithms or spam filters in local lead gen. When your site ranks, your leads reach you directly through calls or contact forms. You can rent out one site’s local leads for $500 to over $2,000 monthly or 80% to 95% in profit margins.

Local lead generation can beat an almost passive income business model like email marketing because of its passive income potential. With email marketing, you have to always rewrite your templates or risk unsubscription. According to Constant Contact, 56% of people unsubscribe to email marketing due to irrelevant content. It might take a few minutes to write and send that email, but you still have to check that against data and trend research.