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Wait, Wait, Wait...I'm doing this wrong?

by paradox_qu
6 replies
So maybe I'm going about this the wrong way. I make How-to videos, like this one.

{I dont want this post to get deleted so I removed link} But just know that the video was awesome and showed how to turn a glass coke bottle into and automatic plant waterer, with 120,000 real views

Long story short I got distracted and stopped making new videos after 3 1/2 projects.

So I am going to start this back up and I was thinking about how to monetize it. Originally I was thinking about creating a new project/video a week and giving away the how-to pdf as an optin to my list. After on my list I would try to upsell them on products, and books, and what not, from amazon and similar places.

But after getting some feed back in another thread

{Ultimate list building FAIL} another thread on the WF

I started thinking that maybe I'd be giving away the farm. (aka doing A LOT of work for not as much as I would like to earn)

Another way to monetize my idea is making the Videos and then creating a membership site around them. Delivering exclusive content to the membership site and making the videos more like teasers.

I have also thought about making the videos but making them a little more vague and selling the how-to instructional pdf for a small fee $1-5. But I dont think the DIY community is huge on paying for content...example they are DIY people.

But I look at businesses like MAKE Magazine and other crafty magazines and they are able to make money, and so are a bunch of crafty people, e.g. Martha Stewart. Although she started off making money with her cable show and then books and then merchandise.

So IDK, I'm a little lost. I'm pretty sure I can make money with either way but I'm not sure what would be best; not only best but produce the quickest results.

-Nick
#wait #waitim #wrong
  • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
    Well, one way might be to make DIY products that require a purchase of some element to DIY. Then use affiliate links to sell what is needed - and find the best prices.

    Another idea might be to make book of all the stuff, and push it though Amazon or Kindle. Christmas is just around the corner.

    One of my first ideas for a website/business was to to an ebook and plans for DIY disco lights. These require a circuit board, some enclosures, and some very hard to find repeating fresnel lens paper (which I did finally find). It's something I will revisit again in the future, but I found vendors to affiliate with for some of the things needed, and realized I could totally affiliate to monetize - not to mention some adsense as well, and then email marketing to the DIY niche.

    Spend some more time to think outside the box - and don't be convinced that people won't pay for things.

    Think about recipes. People like Ron Douglas and Willie Crawford sell recipes which can be found free all over the web.
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    "May I have ten thousand marbles, please?"

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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    You can make money with Adsense with your videos on Youtube. Youtube allows this, you have to sign up with Adsense first, then link your account to Youtube.
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    ==>> Free book reveals make money with affiliate marketing
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  • Profile picture of the author jamesrich1
    Unfortunately no body here can give you a 100% winning strategy just ideas. Focus on continuing to provide value and drive traffic and recommend products or create your own that would be of interest to your audience.
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    • Profile picture of the author madhushan
      I would recommend you to find people who are making good sales in your field and team up with them. You can drive traffic to their websites and charge them for each click or each signup or each sale or a fixed amount per month. I am sure if you can put in all the work to get 120,000 real views, you can as well easily find the top sellers in your field.
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  • Profile picture of the author jmacinnes
    I think using affiliate data feeds would work perfectly for you. Below every one of your videos you could list the products required for the visitor to do the task themself and other related products.

    Let's take your automatic plant waterer video for example. Right underneath that content you could have a heading "Don't want to make your own, try out these" and then list 10 plant waterers. Ideas for other headings include "Other Coca-cola related products" and "Tool's you'll need to do it yourself".

    Dealing with datafeeds can be a hassle but fortunately there are many tools out there that can help you embed product advertisements into your blog. I run a company called SellFire that does just that. Check it out and PM if you need any help.
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  • Profile picture of the author RanD
    You were right to consider not giving too much away.

    DIY people don't want to pay for finished products, but they have to pay for something. If instructions you provide would save them money (over buying a premade item), while providing them with a fun project, I'm sure they would be happy to pay for quality material.

    DIY'ers are like cooks, they would rather make the meal than pay someone else to make it, but they would still pay for equipment needed to do the cooking, an would likely not have a problem paying for good recipes.

    Don't forget, DIY'ers will use tools and materials for their projects, and you can always make money referring them to good products that you have affiliate links for. For example, they made need a good set of xacto knives, or paint brushes, or some other special item they might need, and you can refer them to those items at Amazon, Lowes, Home Depot, Sears (websites), using affiliate links. If you use those items, you can easily write a review and explain why you prefer them.

    You should have no problem make money from affiliate products.

    As for your own stuff, you would have to make a judgement call on what the value is. There are various options you could use, depending on the quality, complexity, and how often you can create them.
    • You could supply your list simpler DIY projects, while coming up with bigger, better projects to package together and sell.
    • You could provide your list with text based instructions, but have a paid option to get detailed video instructions.
    • You could combine those two and include the bigger, better projects (that is unavailable to the list) in with the paid option.

    However, before starting a membership, you have to ask if this is something that you can provide them on a regular, long-term basis. If not, you would be better off doing one-off sales of packages. Besides, DIY'ers may be more resistant to monthly fees.

    You could definitely use videos as teasers. That would be a good idea. You could also use before and after photos.

    Before: the raw materials sitting loose on a table
    After, the completed product.

    You could then add the before and after photos of a group of products, strung together in a series, and make it into a video for a package you want to sell, or just as an advertisement for your site....depending on your need.
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