"Plan B" can still make you money when "Plan A" fails

[Keith Kogane]

I wouldn't be anywhere in internet marketing today if it wasn't for my "Plan B".

The big overly-ambitious, ever-changing, never-starting genius million dollar website/product idea that you're always "working" on? That's "Plan A" and LOTS and LOTS of people in internet marketing have a "Plan A". I have one myself.

But the sad fact is, that "Plan A" is probably never going to happen for most (myself included). In this field in particular, it's very easy to have a vision that exceeds your grasp.

The fact is, if you're a newbie (or even a veteran IM hobbyist who has been at it a while but never made any money) you just don't have the experience and resources to pull off a "Plan A" kind of deal.

And I'm talking about these guru-style mega launches where you have JVs out the wazoo and monster-mega lists to mail your offer to. Believe me, all those guys that can clap their hands and make thousands - it's TRUE - but it was a long time coming.

But not ONLY that - it could be that you just have a great idea for a niche e-commerce store, or an awesome idea for a paid newsletter - or even MULTIPLE of these.

Probably hundreds of thousands have had really good ideas that WOULD have worked if they hadn't been attempted by unskilled amateurs. If you're like me, you have a whole graveyard of projects that died on the operating table, simply because I wasn't a good enough surgeon to make the attempt (yet).

This is where many, many people stop. Some give up and quit IM altogether, some just stay at this level forever, always trying the next big thing, but always coming up short, spending more on courses than you ever earn back with the info inside.

But you know what? I'm not ready to give up my "Plan A" yet. Heck, I've got at least FIVE "Plan A" projects in my head right now. They "fight" for my attention and brainpower constantly, and I foolishly flit from one to the other without ever making any real progress. Regardless, that's my DRIVE and I don't want to give it up.

So I'm NOT telling you to give up on your own "Plan A" - certainly not. You NEED to keep it warm. "Plan A" is great, because having that kind of mindset is what makes you a 2%-er. It's a fire in your belly. And ONE DAY it might be a fortune in your bank account. But not YET.

Because you have a whole lot of learning to do to get there, and Internet Marketing (like most things) requires you to learn by DOING. You can read all the ebooks in the world but until you actually TRY things and most likely FAIL, you don't actually learn a thing.

So I encourage you to keep trying at "Plan A" and even though it's going to be tough going, and you're going to probably mess it up royally PLENTY of times. I know I did!

But the fire in my belly for "Plan A" remains and that's because I had a "Plan B" to help prop it up and keep me going and actually STOP me from getting discouraged.

So since we know what "Plan A" is, what's "Plan B"?

"Plan B" is a backup that I created for myself that was the total OPPOSITE of my "Plan A" in every way.

"Plan A" is sexy and cool, "Plan B" is boring.
"Plan A" is clever, "Plan B" is kind of dumb (but it works).
"Plan A" requires lots of resources (brainpower and labor), "Plan B" requires minimal amounts of either and is INCREMENTAL, so it can be worked on a little bit at a time.
"Plan A" had no guarantees of working, "Plan B" had to be a sure thing.
While "Plan A" was to make a ton of money fast, "Plan B" was all about making teensy amounts of money FOREVER in a cumulative way.
"Plan A" needed to be PERFECT or it would never work, while "Plan B" was so simple it couldn't NOT work, even if you did it "wrong".

Every single day that I worked on "Plan A" without ending the day with money in hand from the effort, I FORCED myself to work on stupid old boring "Plan B". At least a little bit, EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I knew when I came up with my "Plan B" I would need to take my own natural weaknesses and make them into advantages. I needed to basically TRICK myself into doing a stupid, mindless, repetitive task that was PROVEN to make money, even though I'd rather spend my time doing something else.

That's why I made it like "homework" or a "punishment" for not being able to pull off "Plan A" yet.

I designed it to be BORING so I wouldn't get distracted and accidentally turn it into a "Plan A".

I designed it to be DUMB so I wouldn't have to think about it, I could just do it, even if I was mentally burned out from working on "Plan A" all day.

I designed it to be made almost completely out of copying and pasting, so that the labor was minimal, and I could do it in between working on other things and the efforts would add up.

I chose an EXTREMELY simple profit model so that no matter what I did, the money-making component was built-in, so it would make a profit regardless.

I'd heard over and over that perfection is the enemy of good enough. I'd heard over and over that all it took is consistent work to succeed. So I created a simple set of tasks that would MAKE me do that, without having to think about it.

But only after I'd indulged myself in my fantasy big-idea "Plan A" project for a while.

I could experiment and try every new technique under the sun for as long as I liked. But before I went to bed, I needed to spend an hour on "Plan B".

Very simple rules. Progress guaranteed.

Here's the "Plan B" that has gotten me where I am today.

Step 1. Find some keywords. I like to use SpyFu and Google's tools so you can estimate the value of those words. But to be honest, all you need to care about is "are people paying for it?" - if Yes, it's good.

Step 2. Search for free articles that contain those keywords. Article directories are numerous.

Step 3. Post those articles to a blog. Blogger suffices. At first I would create a bunch of posts as drafts and then just log in every couple of days and publish one. This allowed me to build many blogs pretty rapidly.

Step 4. Put some ads on them. AdSense is easiest, but I branched out into posting my own affiliate ads quickly and find that to be more profitable most of the time, but I almost always start with AdSense (or YPN, MSN, AdBrite, Azoogle - some AUTOMATED ad system).

Step 5. Build a few backlinks to an article I already published. To do this, go to Google News, Blog, or Forum search. Look for your keyword. Post a comment with a backlink anywhere you can from the results you get.

That's it. That was my whole "Plan B" in a nutshell.

As time went on, it continued to evolve and get refined and I started to make better choices about content and backlinks. Eventually, I was making enough with "Plan B" that I was encouraged to work on it full time.

Which was really cool, because it was EASY. I could daydream and think about "Plan A" while systematically copying, pasting, rinse, repeat.

And it DID take quite a while for things to get that way. I knew "Plan B" would work, but it was going to be slow. It took at least a year, probably slightly more, before I'd say the line was crossed and the work I put in at the beginning became worth it. But "Plan B" worked perfectly. It was consistent effort applied to a proven system.

There was no way that it could NOT be profitable. It took an hour a day, and inside of a year, it was paying my mortgage.

Now, I'm not telling you to copy my own "Plan B" because unless you happen to be a lazy daydreamer who hates to work, it may not be your style.

But I want to encourage you to develop your OWN "Plan B", especially if the size of your "Plan A" graveyard is looking depressing, and you've been at IM for a year and don't have any consistent income to show for it.

Find something foolproof and go at it like a fool (but a CONSISTENT fool) and you'll be amazed at where you find yourself when you were trying to go somewhere else the whole time.

NOTE: If anyone WANTS to try my "Plan B" above, once you make enough money to afford it, start buying domain names and then doing the same thing with WordPress installed on your own sites instead of relying on Blogger forever.

It shouldn't take very long for that to happen. Anyway, that's my story. Anyone else end up finding success with their own "Plan B"?

[PeteHarrison]

Hi Keith,

You should really compile these posts into a book
Excellent advice as usual, do your auto-blogs come under Plan B as well?

Pete

[niklasgroup]

its really depend on the solution that you make but it will help you lot!

[Keith Kogane]

Originally Posted by PeteHarrison

Excellent advice as usual, do your auto-blogs come under Plan B as well?

The autoblogging came about when I moved onto WordPress from the original "Plan B" I listed above. Once I was on WordPress, I no longer had to log in and publish each blog each time because I could post-date the publishing. With all the time that saved, I started looking into what I could do to automate the retrieval, generation, and posting of content, as well as how to automate backlinking, bookmarking, etc. All that stuff we know we're supposed to do.

The rule I made for myself about "Plan B" was that it had to stay the same - the only improvements I could make were to automate and streamline what I was already doing. I disallowed myself to add any new elements to the system. Eventually, it's eveolved to the point I'm at now, about 100 active blogs later.

Originally Posted by PeteHarrison

You should really compile these posts into a book

Writing and selling my own info products in my niches is constantly a "Plan A" project and while I'm good at writing, I'm not too good at setting up all the sales-y funnel stuff that comes with selling and delivering a digital product. I work on it a little here and there though, so maybe one day. In the meantime, I've still got "Plan B".

[Lucky500]

Hey Keith thank you for keeping the hope alive, even before reading the whole thread I am already replying and giving you thanks.

Let me go back to my reading now.

[Lindsay Brynn]

This is a great post! I do this too. I develop my own products and use ghostwriting as a plan B. I actually really like writing for other internet marketers though. I always knew I liked to do this for myself but never thought I would actually enjoy the Plan B.

So for your blogs you actually go to a place like EZA and take articles for your blog and put up Adsense and things like that? I never tried that and figured it wouldn't bring in much traffic since it wasn't original.

[charlesburke]

Keith,

This brings back a realization I had over 40 years ago. I was selling Fuller Brushes door-to-door and having a terrible time with consistency. Then one day it hit me. The guys who were making steady money were just going out and knocking on the doors. The job wasn't really selling - it was simply hitting a hundred doors each day. The ones who relaxed and just did it were the consistent earners.

My realization - the secret of success is slow, stupid plodding. (That wording came about because I was still caught up in resenting how my "brilliance" wasn't counting for much.)

So it was a real pleasure to read your Plan B post. Very insightful and - for the newbies here - it's the proven key to keeping yourself moving even when your master plan has gone off the rails (or is waiting to be birthed).

Cheers from warm and smiling Thailand,
Charles

[TheNightOwl]

On the one hand, Keith... another fantastic post.

On the other it makes me wanna cry. Like, really honestly cry.

Charles's parenthetical comment (re: brilliance not counting for much) struck a nerve, too. Hmm... time for a little break.

Good thread.

[Keith Kogane]

Originally Posted by Lindsay Brynn

This is a great post! I do this too. I develop my own products and use ghostwriting as a plan B. I actually really like writing for other internet marketers though. I always knew I liked to do this for myself but never thought I would actually enjoy the Plan B.

So for your blogs you actually go to a place like EZA and take articles for your blog and put up Adsense and things like that? I never tried that and figured it wouldn't bring in much traffic since it wasn't original.

Thanks Lindsay! That's a good example of another "Plan B" route - pick something that suits you and you can do without expending too much effort (mental or otherwise) and just grind at it in the background. If you design a good Plan B, you'll LIKE doing it. I know I really enjoy what I do, and even if I spend all day at it, it doesn't feel like I was working at all, you know?

"Plan B" can be ANYTHING that you can do TODAY that will get you paid. For me, I counted posting ads because that was a device CAPABLE of making me money. It should be a service or a product or something that ENDS with you PAID. Write a short report and sell it as a WSO if you can, and make like, one a week or something.

Build a site that sells something, and then make "Plan B" nothing but building backlinks. It can be whatever you think of, as long as its easy and will end with money. Hope that helps others with their own "Plan B" - it DOES NOT need to be mine - I just shared because I knew people would ask if I didn't. My "Plan B" isn't the point of the post, YOURS is - so thanks again for sharing that!

To answer your question: Yes, I go to lots and lots of article directories - pretty much any place I can find that has articles that I'm allowed in writing on their site to reprint. Then I republish them with ads. Mostly now, it's ads from my own system that promote affiliate products, but they look pretty much like your typical AdSense kind of ads.

Most people never try it, and maybe it doesn't bring in as much traffic as original content would, but I wouldn't much know, and it does bring in traffic, and it's certainly easier than writing all the stuff I post.

NOTE: My process has evolved quite a bit from what I started out with, as your own Plan B should. If you're interested in other things I've tried, the links in my sig go to other WarriorForum threads where I've gone into more detail. It's essentially the exact same model, but with a slightly more complicated publishing process.

I simply use more WordPress plugins to add some original snippets and backlinks and things. But almost all the content still comes from free directories and other sites I cover for my niches.

Originally Posted by TheNightOwl

On the one hand, Keith... another fantastic post.

On the other it makes me wanna cry. Like, really honestly cry.

Charles's parenthetical comment (re: brilliance not counting for much) struck a nerve, too. Hmm... time for a little break.

Good thread.

Aw, don't cry. Just get to work!

[Vijay M]

Keith,

The middle link in your signature leads to a blank page.

Thanks for the interesting post. What's your exit plan? Have you ever tried to sell any of the automated blogs?

My A plan is IM and the B plan is my regular job.

[JohnHuizinga]

Originally Posted by Vijay M

Keith,

The middle link in your signature leads to a blank page.

It's still available here:
Another Automated Blog Tactic (Even Easier Than Before)

[Sam_Jones]

That is very long one, but I guess the method has been working for you. One can only say good for you.

[Keith Kogane]

Originally Posted by Vijay M

Keith,

The middle link in your signature leads to a blank page.

Thanks for the interesting post. What's your exit plan? Have you ever tried to sell any of the automated blogs?

My A plan is IM and the B plan is my regular job.

I should fix that one day. I have a PDF of it if you want, just PM me! Or you can get it from this guy:

Originally Posted by JohnHuizinga

It's still available here:
Another Automated Blog Tactic (Even Easier Than Before)

Thanks for posting that John!

Originally Posted by Sam Baker

Nice Post! I Liked It!

Usually I keep my Plan A within means or scratch it. If its not within my means, I usually try not to start a project. Te funny thing is that my Plan B is usually the one that fails.

That's what I mean - your Plan A might keep changing for tons of reasons. You scrap it and try something else, over and over, and like you said, it never pans out.

If you have a Plan B that's failing, it's not a Plan B according to my definition. Plan B must NOT be ABLE to fail. It's got to be something that can work even in spite of itself. For me, I knew that if you build a niche blog and post to it every day it WILL climb the SERPs and thus, WILL get traffic. Some percentage of that traffic WILL click ads.

Plus, it allowed me to build a bunch of platforms on which I could keep trying NEW things. Want to try list building? Okay, which blog is getting the most traffic and put an opt-in box. Plan B has to be fool proof. You can tell you're on the right track with Plan B because the only way it won't work is if you don't do it, and the reason no one does it is because it's boring and lame.

As an example, let's think about weight loss instead of IM. Plan A would be all the magical diets that come out over and over and over. Plan B would be doing an hour of light exercise (like taking a walk) and not eating too many calories a day. It's easy, anyone can do it, and it WILL produce results even if you can't stick to your restrictive diet. A simplification, I know, but I think it makes the point I'm trying to make.

Anyway, hope that helps!

[yourreviewer]

Honestly folks, this is REALLY great advice. Often we keep running after things that are "SEXY" but often it is the same, old, boring basics that will bring the big bucks. Why spend 1997$ on a new course when you can use that budget for getting a ton of articles written.

[Keith Kogane]

Originally Posted by yourreviewer

Honestly folks, this is REALLY great advice. Often we keep running after things that are "SEXY" but often it is the same, old, boring basics that will bring the big bucks. Why spend 1997$ on a new course when you can use that budget for getting a ton of articles written.

399 articles, going by the rate in your sig, lol! I see what you did there - clever!

[jokarl]

But isent this building your plan B on duplicate content? I havent tested it very much but thought duplicated content would rank very poorly, if at all? Even if it works I would be careful in the future because im sure the big G is working on something to fight duplicate content. In 5 years you can imagine how much dupe content there will be if nothing changes and it all cant be indexed (or can it?).

[Keith Kogane]

Originally Posted by jokarl

But isent this building your plan B on duplicate content?

Yes it is.

Originally Posted by jokarl

I havent tested it very much but thought duplicated content would rank very poorly, if at all?

If you haven't tested it, why would you think that?

Originally Posted by jokarl

Even if it works I would be careful in the future because im sure the big G is working on something to fight duplicate content.

I don't think you understand how the search engines work.

Originally Posted by jokarl

In 5 years you can imagine how much dupe content there will be if nothing changes and it all cant be indexed (or can it?).

Yep, I was right.

[charlesburke]

Interesting -- this thread, which is one of the most intensely practical I've read on WF, is not getting nearly the attention that the threads in your sig received. The difference? Maybe it's that this one doesn't deal so much with techie toys, but instead probes into the ticking inside our own heads.

Gosh, I guess that's not fun... maybe we'd rather have something external to screw around with.

Oh, and Keith, as you said,

while I'm good at writing, I'm not too good at setting up all the sales-y funnel stuff that comes with selling and delivering a digital product.

Maybe it doesn't really need to be all that sales-y. Look at Paul Myers' sales letters. Simple, understated, almost flat-footed at first glance, but I (and many others) have bought nearly everything he's offered over the past several years. For the heck of it, I just ran a "calculate occupied space" on my Paul Myers folder, and it's a shade over 2 gigs. And the guy isn't particularly sales-y. But he does give great advice and offer solid products (many of which are not even created by him).

I wonder if you're readier than you think?

Ever seriously considered outsourcing that part, or partnering it? I'd be willing to bet real money you'd be flooded with offers in an instant if you ever hinted at wanting to do JVs.

Or another scenario -- do a James Brausch and take on unpaid interns. I expect you'd even find interest there.

Cheers from warm and smiling Thailand,
Charles

Originally Posted by Keith Kogane

Yes it is.



If you haven't tested it, why would you think that?



I don't think you understand how the search engines work.



Yep, I was right.

OMG!! Keith that is just too funny! ... Yep people just never learn do they, I mean they have a gold mine right in front of them and they can not even see it.

Anything and everything you ever wanted to know about marketing, websites, business, and etc. Is right here!!!! If they would only take the time to read it.

James

[Keith Kogane]

Originally Posted by charlesburke

Interesting -- this thread, which is one of the most intensely practical I've read on WF, is not getting nearly the attention that the threads in your sig received. The difference? Maybe it's that this one doesn't deal so much with techie toys, but instead probes into the ticking inside our own heads.

Gosh, I guess that's not fun... maybe we'd rather have something external to screw around with.

Well it's like the weight loss example I gave above. No one wants to hear that you need to stop eating so much and exercise, because no one wants to do it. They want the result, but not the work. They're willing to trade money to all kinds of people who offer that promise. Same is true here in IM. I'm guilty of it myself, which is why I came up with a "Plan B".

Originally Posted by charlesburke

Maybe it doesn't really need to be all that sales-y. Look at Paul Myers' sales letters. Simple, understated, almost flat-footed at first glance, but I (and many others) have bought nearly everything he's offered over the past several years. For the heck of it, I just ran a "calculate occupied space" on my Paul Myers folder, and it's a shade over 2 gigs. And the guy isn't particularly sales-y. But he does give great advice and offer solid products (many of which are not even created by him).

I wonder if you're readier than you think?

Ever seriously considered outsourcing that part, or partnering it? I'd be willing to bet real money you'd be flooded with offers in an instant if you ever hinted at wanting to do JVs.

Yeah, I'm a fan of Paul's and several others like him that are big on content. You're right of course and I realize I'm just making "loser" excuses. So no more. I'll write one this weekend. Unless I do something else instead.

Originally Posted by charlesburke

Or another scenario -- do a James Brausch and take on unpaid interns. I expect you'd even find interest there.

Actually I HAVE thought about doing that very thing with part of my autoblogging system so that I can get people to build more blogs for me in exchange for learning the method. We split the ads on the first one you build using the method, and you only get the next lesson upon verification of each step. Then once you learn the whole thing, you are of course, free to replicate it in different niches for yourself as many times as you like.

I almost think that approach could actually pay off MORE in the long run that actually writing the method up and selling it. I average about $1 per day per blog in my system. In this scenario I'd be splitting it, and let's additionally assume that not all of these blogs will do as well as mine. So let's say I only get a dime per day per blog in this scenario. That's $36.50 a year per person who completes the course.

I'd need like 2800 people to complete the course in that scenario to have a completely passive 6 figure income.

Of course, my system is somewhat complicated, and getting 2800 people to complete it correctly is probably a stretch. I don't know - food for thought for sure. I guess I might have derailed my own thread here with this last bit, but hey, my thread.

But to put it back on point, do you see what I mean about "Plan A" always changing and being some amorphous non-project? Am I going to make any money from that Plan today?

No. So tonight, I'm going to tuck my wife into bed and then build another blog.

[LilBlackDress]

Hey Keith,
I would like to be your first on the auto blog system. I put in tons of time each day and I have some domain names we can use. Plus I am ethical and honest. I would love step by step direction on this. When do we start

[melanied]

I used to be a member of Article Underground, and I picked up a phrase there that's stuck with me. "Build Pages, Get Links." I have it printed out on a big poster by my desk.

There's a lot of nuances you can get lost in within those two steps, but when I start getting distracted by my newest shiny toy, looking at that poster helps to remind me that it really does come down to just those two steps.

1) Build Pages
2) Get Links

I think that's my version of "Plan B" - just bringing myself back to basics when I try to make it more complicated.

[AndyBlackSEO]

Why do you need a plan B when you can just re-word plan A. Not all plans work out so make them adaptable.

It took the inventor of the lightbulb over 100 attempts before he got it right. Then her made millions.

[Keith Kogane]

Originally Posted by AndyBlackSEO

Why do you need a plan B when you can just re-word plan A. Not all plans work out so make them adaptable.

It took the inventor of the lightbulb over 100 attempts before he got it right. Then her made millions.

What's funny about that is that the guy who invented the lightbulb didn't make squat. Edison took the idea and refined it. Along with the bajillion other patents Edison got for things he was working on all at the same time.

Sounds to me like the dude had a LOT of "Plan B" in effect, and wasn't concerned about being ORIGINAL, not about being the BEST, but about his RESULT being the FASTEST and EASIEST to produce.

Kind of like the "Plan B" I described, no? I dunno. I could be wrong.

[mohd]

Damn, I almost cried when I read your post Keith. This is what exactly I'm experiencing right now.

Yeah, I want to have the most "PERFECT" system in the world making me thinking that it would make me at least $500/day, in fact I had created about 5 different Perfect Traffic Generation Technique! (to me) - but NEVER execute even one of it.

Throughout my whole life I had only made as much as $300 and that was 2 years ago (as an affiliate) when I was kind of starting to get involved in this IM thing. And the way I spend for my so-called "PERFECT" system is what I should feel ashamed of.

One thing I realized, I can never achieve my "DREAM" plan as each step taken consume a whole lot of my capital (as of right now). So, like you said, why don't I make a new plan? A new plan in which it is so simple (still perceive it's ethical values) that I don't feel any or less pressure when doing it!

I'm gonna start NOW!!!

And Keith, thanks a million for this. I'll learn as I experience this new completely opposite to my so-called "PERFECT" plan.

Mohd Faid

[sogeshirts]

Hi Keith thanks so much for your posts on autoblogging. I have a question about when you reprint an article on one of your blogs do you reprint the authors name and bio box as well? Also how often do you post to each of your blogs. Once a day?

[Keith Kogane]

Originally Posted by sogeshirts

Hi Keith thanks so much for your posts on autoblogging. I have a question about when you reprint an article on one of your blogs do you reprint the authors name and bio box as well? Also how often do you post to each of your blogs. Once a day?

Of course I keep everything intact is indicated in the Terms of Use of whatever site the content comes from. I look at it this way. If my own article is on Ezine, there's a hundred ways a visitor can leave and only one they can reach me through.

However, if someone else's article is on my site, it totally reverses it. The ads and backlinks are all mine except for the few the author gets and the one to the directory. I'm fine with that.

I don't have a set posting formula that I repeat in every niche. Once a day is the most I try for though, unless all I post is micro-content. Most of my niche sites are only updated 2 or 3 times a week though.

Originally Posted by mohd

Damn, I almost cried when I read your post Keith. This is what exactly I'm experiencing right now.

Yeah, I want to have the most "PERFECT" system in the world making me thinking that it would make me at least $500/day, in fact I had created about 5 different Perfect Traffic Generation Technique! (to me) - but NEVER execute even one of it.

Throughout my whole life I had only made as much as $300 and that was 2 years ago (as an affiliate) when I was kind of starting to get involved in this IM thing. And the way I spend for my so-called "PERFECT" system is what I should feel ashamed of.

One thing I realized, I can never achieve my "DREAM" plan as each step taken consume a whole lot of my capital (as of right now). So, like you said, why don't I make a new plan? A new plan in which it is so simple (still perceive it's ethical values) that I don't feel any or less pressure when doing it!

I'm gonna start NOW!!!

And Keith, thanks a million for this. I'll learn as I experience this new completely opposite to my so-called "PERFECT" plan.

Mohd Faid

Man, that's two people brought to tears. Kind of scary, lol.

Good luck, Mohd, and please PM me if I can help!

[sogeshirts]

Keith thanks for the information. As someone who is not having much success with plan A right now I think some form of Plan B is in order.

[LegitBlogger]

I agree with you, Keith. That's many "talented" people
are NOT successful. I know many so-called talented
people who aren't successful (yet). But since there
are always "bills" to pay, a Plan B is certainly very
important, for everyone with a "sexy" Plan A.

Anyway, to buttress your point, here's the popular quote:

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful
people with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve
the problems of the human race."

Persistence for you, in this case, is to consistently
and "stupidly" work on PLAN B day in and day out, for
the particular amount of time you have to.

Like I said earlier, I agree with you, 100%,

.

[charlesburke]

Unless I do something else instead.

Got a great belly laugh from that one.

So tonight, I'm going to tuck my wife into bed and then build another blog.

If I were a lady, I'd probably say that's sweet. But since I'm a guy and not allowed to talk like that, I'll just give you a digital punch on the arm and say "good goin' dude."

Cheers, Charles

[newBum76]

Originally Posted by Keith Kogane

Step 5. Build a few backlinks to an article I already published. To do this, go to Google News, Blog, or Forum search. Look for your keyword. Post a comment with a backlink anywhere you can from the results you get.

Hi Keith, I got a couple questions for you...

1. Do you mean backlinks to your blog? Or do you mean just backlink to the article on ezine, goarticles, or wherever it is you found it and that will benefit your pagerank since the article is in your blog? (still learning how everything fits together so I hope this question isn't too silly)

2. So all you do is create backlinks to your blog and you don't do any article marketing for it?


This thread has some great info here and is helping to motivate me, so thanks for sharing!

-Jon

[gianne2705]

It should be.Plan b serves as your next option if the first one wouldn't work.I always have this in my business.There are unexpected things to happen and as a marketer always be prepared for it.

[wisecrone333]

I love the whole idea of the "Plan B". I have a new product that I dream will make me heaps of dosh, but without a list I can't get JV partners or even participate in giveaways, so I plod on with my "Plan B" (a lot like yours) hoping that soon one of these routine, mundane, but still fun (because I don't have to go out to work) little plans will work.

The secret is having fun no matter what

Best wishes
Lisa

[Keith Kogane]

Originally Posted by newBum76

Hi Keith, I got a couple questions for you...

1. Do you mean backlinks to your blog? Or do you mean just backlink to the article on ezine, goarticles, or wherever it is you found it and that will benefit your pagerank since the article is in your blog? (still learning how everything fits together so I hope this question isn't too silly)

2. So all you do is create backlinks to your blog and you don't do any article marketing for it?


This thread has some great info here and is helping to motivate me, so thanks for sharing!

-Jon

Hey Jon,

1. I mean backlinking my own copy of the article. I want my copy to rank better eventually, so I don't add backlinks to the original. Although if I can find other copies of the article on a blog elsewhere, I'll get backlinks from them to my copy if I can. All roads lead to rome, all backlinks you create should lead to sites you own (or at least properties you contol).

2. Yes, that's correct. I do very little article marketing. I should do more, but I don't really writethat much content, so I don't have much to spread around. I find it's a lot easier to just write comments on blogs and get backlinks in other ways.

Hope that gives you a better picture of what I mean. Feel free to ask any other questions you might have!

Originally Posted by wisecrone333

I love the whole idea of the "Plan B". I have a new product that I dream will make me heaps of dosh, but without a list I can't get JV partners or even participate in giveaways, so I plod on with my "Plan B" (a lot like yours) hoping that soon one of these routine, mundane, but still fun (because I don't have to go out to work) little plans will work.

The secret is having fun no matter what

Best wishes
Lisa

This makes me think of something that might need a distinction - while I find my "Plan B" pleasant, I guess maybe I wouldn't say it's super-crazy-funtime. It's kind of boring, but it's also mindless, so I'm free to let my mind wander, or play online poker, or watch TV, or work on my back porch while my dogs play in the yard.

And those things are actually pretty fun, and I get to continue my lifelong pursuit of the goal of SLACK. Thanks for the responses, guys!

[MichelleGreene]

Great Post Keith! thanks for being so generous with your knowledge.

[Kurt Henninger]

Hey man, there is a ton of truth to this. Often we get distracted by the big, new shiny thing and don't go back to what really works, and has worked for years on the internet. Build pages and backlinks.

However, I'll add a twist to that. Build pages, backlink, and build your list.......so you can market over and over to those on your list.

Long term, that is where the $$ is at. Has worked for years, will continue to work.

[Nail Yener]

This was one of the few threads that I read to the end without getting bored. Keith, you keep saying that you don't like writing much, however every one of your post on this forum shows that you are really good at writing, at least on this very niche -internet marketing-.

If only I could come across this thread a year ago when I first started from zero to learn about internet marketing. I guess I would have been at a different point today. Nevermind, what you tried to mention is really priceless knowledge about ourselves.

I have lots of Plan A's, Plan B's, and even Plan C's. although I am working on all these plans seperately, I lack consistency and dedication. I get bored too fast if something I try doesn't work. And I jump from niche to niche and from plan to plan.

While reading the thread, I decided to take action and created a Blogger blog on a niche I was researching for a few hours. I found some keywords and noticed that there are tones of articles out there about the niche -this is a physical product people buys online-. I will update the blog with articles, videos and other stuff I find here or there. and I will be backlinking to each post. I will not be spending too much time on it, about half an hour tops.

I am not sure if this will work, though I am not sure if any of my Plan A's or Plan B's will work either. And I can't tell that if I don't take action about them. From now on, I will continue working on Plan A's and Plan B's and I will continue working on what I started today too.

Thanks again.

[madison_avenue]

Nice post Keith . How are any of the articles you are posting getting any traction in the search engines, aren't they seen as duplicate content? So google will select the original article to display first, rather than your one.

[bobsstuff]

Keith,
Your "Plan B" is simple and brilliant and could help a
lot of people who are struggling to make their first dollars.

On that thought, I see this as an excellent way to get your
spouse/SO/rooommate involved in internet marketing.

My wife has never created any IM presence. She is on FaceBook, a
couple forums and MySpace, but only for her own pleasure.

What if I created a simple "PLAN B" for her to follow? She is
open to working at IM, and could do many things online since she
is not intimidated by computers.

I think you have given me a fantastic idea to get her involved
in IM and create her own online income. She might even be better
at this than I am. That's a scary thought (for me).

Since "Plan B" will be all she knows, she won't get distracted
by all of the "plan A's" around.

I like this idea.

[lakshaybehl]

Plan A: Make some money
Plan B: Spend it....

Only plan B... nah!!!

[ajbarnes777]

Originally Posted by bobsstuff

Keith,
Your "Plan B" is simple and brilliant and could help a
lot of people who are struggling to make their first dollars.

On that thought, I see this as an excellent way to get your
spouse/SO/rooommate involved in internet marketing.

My wife has never created any IM presence. She is on FaceBook, a
couple forums and MySpace, but only for her own pleasure.

What if I created a simple "PLAN B" for her to follow? She is
open to working at IM, and could do many things online since she
is not intimidated by computers.

I think you have given me a fantastic idea to get her involved
in IM and create her own online income. She might even be better
at this than I am. That's a scary thought (for me).

Since "Plan B" will be all she knows, she won't get distracted
by all of the "plan A's" around.

I like this idea.

You know, I already looked at this thread as brilliant (thank you btw Keith!), but this really takes it to another level!

My wife and I have always been thinking of ways for her to break into internet marketing and you're right, this will most certainly help her get her feet wet....and get our bank account fatter!

Thanks again Keith, I really needed to read this thread this morning. I've ran into a serious complication with EZA and needed to rethink my entire internet marketing strategy and this may be just what I need to get the ball rolling again with my earnings.

Expect a lot of Karma to come your way my friend for sharing such valuable information!

[Anonymous Affiliate]

I am not very sure about this to be honest... I like to focus all my attention and productivity on one project before moving to the next one. In my opinion, there's nothing more dangerous in IM than trying to juggle few projects at the same time, spreading yourself too thing.

[Sonomacats]

This was exactly what I needed to light a fire under my behind. Because my life has been in total upheaval the past 2 years, I needed something I could focus on and something that was simply, straight-forward and doable. AND that I could really see how and why it would work.

So thank you Keith!

I did come up with one wrinkle that I wanted to share since you've been so generous.

The funny thing is that I am a writer, but haven't been able to get myself to actually start writing articles again. So when I saw your post, I immediately started putting things together. I have a ton of sites that have been gathering digitial dust since my car accident 2 years ago and now I finally have a use for them!

As I started gathering articles, I realized how really badly they were written. So I'm rewriting the articles as I grab them. This way, they're 100% original content and I don't have the outgoing links.

Just a tip for those of you who are interested in doing this yourself:

(1) Pull the article up in whatever word processing program you use - Word or Open Office.

(2) Make sure you put the original text in blue or red or divide it off from the top of the page so you don't accidentally plagarize the material.

(3) Put the first paragraph in your own words, then delete the original first paragraph.

(4) Do each paragraph the same way.

As you get rolling, you may find yourself going off in a slightly different direction than the original article. That's actually great. You're now using your own voice and creating original content. And the material you don't use can be inspiration for your next article.

So thanks again Keith!