Sharing My Ups and Downs Online (My Story)

20 replies
I been meaning to write this post for awhile but I humbly want to say I hate to brag and hate people that throw round income claims and things like that, but I know my story may inspire you guys so hear is a little jaunt into my history so far online...

I started about 3 years ago after reading the 4 hour workweek from Tim Ferris and I learned the value of having a passive income. At the time I had just quit my fulltime job at lowes home improvement center to pursue my passion of being a pro BMX racer.

At that time I quickly found out that the pay involving my hobby wasnt exactly much to write home about so I was forced to start hustling and figure out a way to make income which still left me time to train and ride my bike.

I started training people to gain muscle on the side to fund my bmx career and after reading Tims book I made a low budget DVD teaching bmx racers how to get faster on their bikes. I would sell this outta my back pack between my races at events and eventually taught myself wordpress and began a daily video blog talking about bmx and training.

After almost a year of making videos and blog post I was only making around 1,000 bux a month barely able to get by I moved back into my parents house to continue my online ventures.

I learned the the hard way about niche validation, the market for bmxers wanting to get strong is very small.

This point I was led into the world of affiliate marketing and since then I have had a ton of ups and downs but I can say I have been fulltime online now for the last 2 years.

I started affiliate marketing when I discovered the power of sniper sites, you see I just so happened to review a popular product and at the time that it launched I made something like 50 sales. What i had done was what now is coined the term "Launch Jacking".

After the initial shock of having a 1,000 dollar day I reverse engineered what I had done and began on a mission to create 100 sniper style blogs selling affiliate stuff. I have since hit that mild stone and last year I sat back and passively collected about 50k in commissions into my clickbank account.

this brings me up until about a few months ago when Googles little panda/penguin updates reered its ugly head.

I was about to learn why you shouldn't build your business on the sand known as Google

Since January I started to slowly watch my income become less and less consistent so I began to aggressively work on growing my email list.

I want to add that my niche is muscle building not internet marketing.

Since january I have been able to build my list to 7k subscribers and I email them daily.

This year I am on pace to do about 75k fulltime online so i am expecting a 25% growth from last year with the added bonus of my key asset, my email list.

I am a big fan of talking to your tribe everyday, I believe it has been the key component as to why I was able to immedietly recover my income and I will now be able to grow my income much higher and I have a legit asset of email fans that want to hear from me everyday.

I hope maybe this inspires some of you guys who may be in a rut. Keep taking action it will always pay off.

If anyone has a questions feel free to post them up
#downs #online #sharing #story #ups
  • Profile picture of the author fedor50
    Wow! Great informative post. Building your list to 7k subscribers is no easy task. Thanks for the inspiring story
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  • Profile picture of the author marketinguk
    Great post, all people on this forum who are building their business on SEO should see this and realise what i and many others keep saying, the only people who benefit in the long run from this are the SEO sellers.
    Trying to build an online presence by building a list is a viable and solid business model, and one which i certainly am continuing to work towards.
    Keep at it.
    Joel
    Originally Posted by RyanMagin View Post

    I been meaning to write this post for awhile but I humbly want to say I hate to brag and hate people that throw round income claims and things like that, but I know my story may inspire you guys so hear is a little jaunt into my history so far online...

    I started about 3 years ago after reading the 4 hour workweek from Tim Ferris and I learned the value of having a passive income. At the time I had just quit my fulltime job at lowes home improvement center to pursue my passion of being a pro BMX racer.

    At that time I quickly found out that the pay involving my hobby wasnt exactly much to write home about so I was forced to start hustling and figure out a way to make income which still left me time to train and ride my bike.

    I started training people to gain muscle on the side to fund my bmx career and after reading Tims book I made a low budget DVD teaching bmx racers how to get faster on their bikes. I would sell this outta my back pack between my races at events and eventually taught myself wordpress and began a daily video blog talking about bmx and training.

    After almost a year of making videos and blog post I was only making around 1,000 bux a month barely able to get by I moved back into my parents house to continue my online ventures.

    I learned the the hard way about niche validation, the market for bmxers wanting to get strong is very small.

    This point I was led into the world of affiliate marketing and since then I have had a ton of ups and downs but I can say I have been fulltime online now for the last 2 years.

    I started affiliate marketing when I discovered the power of sniper sites, you see I just so happened to review a popular product and at the time that it launched I made something like 50 sales. What i had done was what now is coined the term "Launch Jacking".

    After the initial shock of having a 1,000 dollar day I reverse engineered what I had done and began on a mission to create 100 sniper style blogs selling affiliate stuff. I have since hit that mild stone and last year I sat back and passively collected about 50k in commissions into my clickbank account.

    this brings me up until about a few months ago when Googles little panda/penguin updates reered its ugly head.

    I was about to learn why you shouldn't build your business on the sand known as Google

    Since January I started to slowly watch my income become less and less consistent so I began to aggressively work on growing my email list.

    I want to add that my niche is muscle building not internet marketing.

    Since january I have been able to build my list to 7k subscribers and I email them daily.

    This year I am on pace to do about 75k fulltime online so i am expecting a 25% growth from last year with the added bonus of my key asset, my email list.

    I am a big fan of talking to your tribe everyday, I believe it has been the key component as to why I was able to immedietly recover my income and I will now be able to grow my income much higher and I have a legit asset of email fans that want to hear from me everyday.

    I hope maybe this inspires some of you guys who may be in a rut. Keep taking action it will always pay off.

    If anyone has a questions feel free to post them up
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    • Profile picture of the author RyanMagin
      Thanks guys,

      Yeah I got hit pretty hard with penguin and was forced to evolve and do it fast.

      List building despite what most think is here to stay and is a very scalable and reliable way to make a living online
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  • Profile picture of the author marketinguk
    I also got hit badly, and that was the best thing that happened to me as although i also lost a big sale opportunity for one of my established sites, it made me realise that i never truly had a business just a short term bit of excitement and pleasure.
    From then on i realised what i had to do and what to avoid like the plague.
    Joel
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    • Profile picture of the author RyanMagin
      Originally Posted by Joel Ross View Post

      I also got hit badly, and that was the best thing that happened to me as although i also lost a big sale opportunity for one of my established sites, it made me realise that i never truly had a business just a short term bit of excitement and pleasure.
      From then on i realised what i had to do and what to avoid like the plague.
      Joel
      Yeah man me too.

      I took it as a good lesson in building a long term sustainable asset. I still love seo and will never stop making sniper sites as for a short time they can be very lucrative.
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    • Profile picture of the author cashp0wer
      Great informative post - 7K subscribers is great and not an easy feat. Everyone should read this post. Good luck in the future.
      Signature
      My Internet Marketing Blog - Warts And All!
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  • Profile picture of the author Sarah Harvey
    So would you say your 7k list is responsible for the majority of your income now or still your sites?
    Signature
    "Find the problem and provide the solution."
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    • Profile picture of the author RyanMagin
      Originally Posted by Sarah Harvey View Post

      So would you say your 7k list is responsible for the majority of your income now or still your sites?
      it is roughly 60/40

      60% now from my list, and the rest from my sites.

      Be mindful that not all my sites got hit, some still do well.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dayne Dylan
    Banned
    Curious as to how you are driving traffic and also, are you doing it to a squeeze type of page or a content site?
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    • Profile picture of the author RyanMagin
      Originally Posted by Dayne Dylan View Post

      Curious as to how you are driving traffic and also, are you doing it to a squeeze type of page or a content site?
      you refering to how I am building my list?

      I drive straight to squeeze but I must add I know my niche very well and my free giveaway is awesome.

      I have done the most from email trades with other list owners and I actively do facebook ads
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  • Profile picture of the author matthewtc
    Thanks for the great post. I am just starting to work on IM making sure I catch every detail. This is a great lesson that I will remember!
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    • Profile picture of the author RyanMagin
      Originally Posted by matthewtc View Post

      Thanks for the great post. I am just starting to work on IM making sure I catch every detail. This is a great lesson that I will remember!
      No prob man glad I could inspire
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  • Profile picture of the author imgeek2727
    Thank you for this. I agree. Building your list and working with your followers/readers to SPREAD WORD about you is the key. Google is just one source of traffic. The real source is CONNECTION. The connection between people. This should be the real target of every marketer. Connection outlasts any one single traffic source.

    The best way to cement connection is through a newsletter/mailing list. However, the best way to SPREAD your connection power is through BRANDS. I can't emphasize it enough. Build a BRAND! Even Google is insisting that people build brands. I suspect the old SEO tricks will disappear as Google focuses SOLELY on brand. It is not a question of IF but WHEN.
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    • Profile picture of the author luane
      Thank you, Ryan for sharing your ups and downs. That IS quite inspirational and I have begun to realize that relationship list-building with people who actually trust you is the key to a long-term business model, not just small bursts of affiliate marketing all over the board.

      Thank you for the logical way you presented here with what you did successfully and how you quickly recovered.

      Kristie from Georgia
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      • Profile picture of the author RyanMagin
        Originally Posted by luane View Post

        Thank you, Ryan for sharing your ups and downs. That IS quite inspirational and I have begun to realize that relationship list-building with people who actually trust you is the key to a long-term business model, not just small bursts of affiliate marketing all over the board.

        Thank you for the logical way you presented here with what you did successfully and how you quickly recovered.

        Kristie from Georgia
        No problem,

        Glad i could inspire

        Don't be fooled though the more affiliate links you have out strategically all over the internet, the more money you will make .

        Notice I said "Strategically"
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    • Profile picture of the author RyanMagin
      Originally Posted by imgeek2727 View Post

      Thank you for this. I agree. Building your list and working with your followers/readers to SPREAD WORD about you is the key. Google is just one source of traffic. The real source is CONNECTION. The connection between people. This should be the real target of every marketer. Connection outlasts any one single traffic source.

      The best way to cement connection is through a newsletter/mailing list. However, the best way to SPREAD your connection power is through BRANDS. I can't emphasize it enough. Build a BRAND! Even Google is insisting that people build brands. I suspect the old SEO tricks will disappear as Google focuses SOLELY on brand. It is not a question of IF but WHEN.
      Yeah man nothing beat a good relationship with your list...

      ONly downfall is they want to buy YOUR products lol.

      So it helps to transition from affiliate to vendor after you have asolid income from being an affiliate.
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  • Profile picture of the author Surminga
    Wow, great inspiration here mate. Wish you all the success and hoping a slice of your action can come my way soon
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    Surminga.com - SEO and Digital Marketing Agency

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    • Profile picture of the author RyanMagin
      Originally Posted by Surminga View Post

      Wow, great inspiration here mate. Wish you all the success and hoping a slice of your action can come my way soon
      well you know what they say...

      Most overnight success takes 3 years lol

      Keep taking action bro you will be fine
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      • Profile picture of the author KamilZora
        Your stories really deep man, Im a beginner in all this IM thing, i started by downloading google sniper awhile back and gave up so many times, In a few years i wish to write my success story, although it'll take awhile cuz i suck at affiliate marketin or gettin people on my site. But i hope to achieve the same as you. Really motivates me, im only 17 btw, starting young should benefit me in the future eh haha but im really dedicated though i spend my time online than going to chill with friends for a blunt, because that'll take me no where. good stuff man hope i reach that level.
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        • Profile picture of the author RyanMagin
          Originally Posted by KamilZora View Post

          Your stories really deep man, Im a beginner in all this IM thing, i started by downloading google sniper awhile back and gave up so many times, In a few years i wish to write my success story, although it'll take awhile cuz i suck at affiliate marketin or gettin people on my site. But i hope to achieve the same as you. Really motivates me, im only 17 btw, starting young should benefit me in the future eh haha but im really dedicated though i spend my time online than going to chill with friends for a blunt, because that'll take me no where. good stuff man hope i reach that level.
          Glad it could help you bro.

          At 17 you have a huge heads up o start a killer online biz now, dont wait...

          Take action.
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