On the verge of giving up IM for good- any advice?

Are you focusing on many different things or sticking to one solid plan and giving it your all?

I think you have to stick to one thing as best as you can to start with and wait to see results. If you don't you shouldn't give up unless you believe you made a bad product choice (in which case you can always still switch it up right?)

I see you had success with the world cup offer, can't you do some kind of spin off of what you did with that? I know it isn't the world cup but important sporting events are always happening.

You had success promoting the World Cup and that's great... copy the formula you used to make that work and implement that elsewhere. There's always SOMETHING going on that you can promote. It's just putting the right offer in front of the right people at the right time. And it sounds like you made that work with the World Cup stuff.

Don't give up... there's money to be made... lots of money.

I'm sure not many people will agree with this but...

IM isn't for everybody. Yes it's a shame when people decide to give up, but some people have skills that are meant for elsewhere. Knowing when to give something up is important, but 30 calls isn't that many.

If you've had success promoting something already, the world cup, then find out where else you can use that skill to keep making money. Once you find that something you're good at keep at it, mastering one skill takes time but can really pay for that time if you continue to use and hone it.

Seasonal things happen every week or every year, maybe make a network of sites based on your ability to promote seasonal things?

I think for most people, IM takes a long time to learn. I'm pretty sure Ewen Chia said it took him at least 5 years (in his book "How I Made My First Million on the Internet").

You can give up if you want to. In the end, the ones who make it are the ones who want to enough.

Profit instruments is a very good course!! I'm using it myself and making 4k-5k/month just from this.. don't give up! try again and again and again!

Instead of focusing on following "blueprints" step-by-step, you learn the skills that make money... such as driving traffic, conversion, and monetization strategies.

Try using craigslist as it is free and a great way to prosper. It can be used to gain both affiliates and customers for your product or service.

CL is probably the best game going.

Malik it sounds as if you are truly burnt out here. Now as much as I am against quitting or giving up, I'd like to give you some serious advice that just might put you back on track here son.

First I think it may be time for you to take a break from the marketing world. Now before anyone jumps on this old man, let me first explain my insanity...

As we all know, the same thing daily especially with little or no results can be... trying. Unfortunately most people simply try to power through until the see success which works sometimes. However for the norm it's like running a marathon up hill, extremely tiring.

My suggestion is to take a short break, a few weeks to a month maximum. Get some time to really clear your head about where you want to go with your marketing. A lot of times on the road to success it's best to pull over and plot your course a bit before continuing.

Just get out there and talk to people see what people are actually doing to make money don't pay someone who has the " Over night Success" guide they will never work.

You have been given lots of advice in this thread. You have a LOT of experience. You have LEARNED A LOT about what you cannot make work. I have spent some wasted money on methods that looked easy, where the originator really was making money and really believed others could do the same. That has not proven true for me most of the time. You need to know yourself, first of all. You have tried other people's ideas, and they have not worked. What about your own ideas? What are your interests? What do you know a lot about - not in the IM niche - that others could benefit from?

It sounds like you need a break, first of all, and then a new plan, created by you, for you. A realistic plan that takes into account your learning style, your interests, your preferred methods. I recommend you create your own product, not in the IM niche. The product could be a downloadable information product, a membership site, a multimedia course on a topic you already know a lot about....those are just some ideas. If you have Skype you could offer live coaching on any topic. You could offer five minutes of that coaching over at Fiverr.

I wish you all the best, and sincerely hope you find something that works for you. We all need to "take the internet and make it our own" to succeed. Just HOW to do that? Only YOU can answer that for yourself...

My advice will be Just stick to one plan...don't try to too hard....take your time and start slowly....

My #1 advice ... is to go into a niche that you like and enjoy (not for the money).

The money will start rolling in slowly.

You have already gotten a lot of advice here, but we ALL have been in your shoes. What I would say is first figure out what you have skills in and then figure out what you like to do based on those skills.

I think what a lot of people do (you are not alone) is try to do too many things and grab onto each "promise" or tactic to make them money. Get a PLAN and THEN find tactics that will help you. I tried niche sites, affiliate marketing, etc. I learned that my skills AND what I liked were in writing. Then, I went from there. It is so much easier when you have a focus.

But, not everyone is cut out for this either. But, before you give up, think about what I said along with others here. The WF is a GREAT place for advice. It is also a built-in support network! Good luck in whichever you decide!

When I was feeling frustrated with Internet Marketing, I changed my approach. Instead of trying to sell other people's products and services and an affiliate I started selling my own. I picked up computer programming and have since created a few profitable websites, phone apps, small computer software, along with designing websites for a few friends. Since then, I earned more money that I ever did from selling as an affiliate and I've opened up a lot of new doors.

My recommendation is that you take a new approach. Not necessarily computer programming like I did, but don't be nervous to look around and see what there is to offer. There's a lot more out there than just being an affiliate.

I hope you stick with it. Never give up. There is money to be made.

I would strongly recommend you sell an actual product. Something unique. Something people will want to buy.

Well if you're on the verge of quitting then quit. Maybe it's not for you. To me it sounds like there's something you aren't doing right whether its focus or sticking to one thing or whatever.

Continuously going through course after course won't get you anywhere. If affiliate marketing isn't working for you, try something else unless of course you want to quit. Try creating a product to sell. If you don't know how, there's plenty of free information on how to do that.

Quit the cold calling crap and all that other junk. Find a hungry market and give them what they want! It's that simple. You know the deal. Focus on one thing and don't let the next shiny object distract you. Anyway I'm sure you've heard all of this before. Good luck on your endeavors.

Take a break

Figure out if you have the drive/passion/will ... to continue

Get a coach

May I be brutally honest? A 6 year old at a lemonade stand knows how to make money. SELL SOMETHING. Preferably something people want. Doesn't much matter if it's a product or service. That's your choice.


It seems as though maybe you are chasing the "secret" of making money when the secret is right in front of your nose - people make money by selling something others want to buy.


Also sounds like you have shiny object syndrome - trying many different things. Problem is, dabbling in a little of this and a little of that doesn't make money, as you have discovered.


Take a break for a week or two. Think about what kind of BUSINESS you would like to operate. Pick ONE thing that you can do well or learn to do well. Make a plan. Figure out how many sales you need to reach your goals. Figure out how much traffic you need to get that number of sales. Then do it. Work at it relentlessly for however many hours you can. Ignore the shiny new ideas. Stick with your business plan until it is making you money.

Consider the Colonel for KFC... he was denied his now famous chicken recipe over 1000 times before finally someone gave him a chance... and how, well his recipe is famous!

Everyone can be a Colonel in their own right. Giving up is the only way you will really fail... it doesn't matter if it takes 4 years or 10.

My advice to you is to forget about money. When you do something like IM for the money for too long without getting paid, you begin to self sabotage yourself with stress and pressure. It gets worse as time goes on because you feel as if you should be doing so much more than what you've done.

I would suggest doing anything you can to ENJOY any part of IM possible. For me I find enjoyment in blogging because you can literally blog about anything, it is like an extension of how you think and your personality, and it requires you to be committed because blogging for income takes a little longer to establish than some other methods.

However, if you do it correctly it rewards you HANDSOMELY and will always be enjoyable so long as you blog about what you like.

Your best bet is to establish a habit of writing and working to improve that skill. There are numerous of ways to profit from writing with IM other than blogging. With healthy writing skills and a clear focus on being productive, any proven plan you apply yourself to will work.

3 words...

get a mentor

it sucks when you try to do everything yourself..
you can't focus, you don't really try.. because no-one is
pushing you. you probably know a lot after 4 years..that's
about the same as me..

but even if you don't get a mentor, get some friends you
can talk biz with (i.e. mastermind group) or line up some
JV partners to do a project with...

good luck mate!

Only keep going if you will enjoy it and the potential rewards could/would be worth it.

I agree with the other posters about taking a break. Information overload can drag you down also. Don't spread yourself too thin. Finding success is frustrating, but we know it can be done. You should be able to find something else you can promote on clickbank. At least you've had some sales. Good luck.

Sounds like you have a little case of magpie syndrome, picking up shiny objects that catch the eye, whether they have value or not.

You mentioned 'profit instrument' if it's that course by Ritoban C you should take another look at it. As a test and using only the info in the free PDF and videos I built a 'Profit Instrument" in about four hours. And made money from it. Not a lot, but some.

If I could make money with the free version you should be able to with the paid for product. But I think the larger problem is that type of Capture Page video.

The type that glosses over the fact that real work and effort are involved in Internet Marketing and claim that a fifty to a one hundred dollar information product can end all your money problems instantly.

My advice would be that if you really want to work from home, WORK from home, and stop falling for "One size fits all" Magic Button Success Products, they won't work for you unless you work hard at them.

I agree with a couple of the posters earleir up the list.

Take a short break. Clear your head.

The step-by-step offered in a previous post is sound, although with the courses you have bought I wager that it is not all new information to you. Follow this religiously and, eventually, there will be money.

One thing I want to ask and add:

LIST?

Have you been building lists? If not, when you return to IM make sure that whatever you do, in whatever niche, you make sure you have an opt-in form and an incentive to opt-in above the fold on everything you put out.

Try to think outside of the box, if you are into SEO/IM for over 4 years and you can't get your website ranked it mean that you don't know enough about SEO. I suggest you to focus on one project, pick up an offer or get a new age/fresh relevant subject and make a blog, keep updating it and write/order a lot of articels, put google adsense and then start with off page SEO, backlinks, linkwheels, pyramid, AMR, do it for 2 month.. if you won't see improvement in your ranking in two month I guess that IM is not for you.

Good Luck.

You mensioned you were know how to do everything, but have not had success, why not offer your services to people?

You can make thousands every month by selling yourself as a web designer on Elance or Fiver, or any other similar website.

You can design web pages/websites for people, and even get some SEO practise in their, by doing this,not only are you earning, but it's good on-the-job practise, you never know, you may even crack the code

Hope this helps pal.

Pope.

No offense, my friend, but if ~$300 USD is all you've earned in 4 years of trying, it sounds like you've got some major issues with your mindset.

I have AdSense sites that make more than that each and every month, and took little more than a week or two to set up.

It aint brain surgery. Stick to the fundamentals:

(1) A solid method of monetisation. Could be:

(a) Promoting in-demand products. Physical (Amazon, other retailers) or electronic (Clickbank, etc). But pick the ones that are "useful", not the scammy, gimmicky ones that you couldn't imagine yourself ever buying even as a prospective customer with an interest in a relevant field.

(b) "Selling advertising" (Google AdSense, Chitika, banner impressions/clicks, etc.)

(2) Drive targeted traffic. It doesn't matter whether you're promoting stuff yourself or selling ads on your site - if your traffic isn't targeted, you aren't making much money. Two common methods of generating targeted traffic are:

(a) SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Write quality, keyword-optimised content (don't go overboard with them), then work on acquiring relevant backlinks. The higher their PR and the more context-relevant, the better.

(b) Article marketing. This can help with SEO, too, in that it can help you acquire quality backlinks. But backlinks aren't the primary objective of article marketing; the primary purpose is targeted traffic. You write great articles and syndicate them to other people's sites in front of their audience, who hopefully have enough of an interest in what you've written to click your resource-box links back to your site and decide to opt-in, click ads, buy stuff, or whatever. In most cases, you'll want to use an opt-in to build mailing list. Without a list, you'll struggle to generate sufficient ongoing levels of traffic to be making a regular income of any significance. Mailing lists are vital.

Skip the scams, forget the hype. There are few magic bullets, and even if there are a few "magic bullet opportunities" knocking about, you're unlikely to get in on them. Forget it and work on building a real, solid, authentic business.

Thank you all for your response, it has been overwhelming; I really underestimated the WF I have been a member for months but never use to get involved in discussions, all that is going to change in the future so thanks.

Heres what I have decided to do;

1) Take a break- This has been emphasis by a few warriors and I will set myself 2 weeks with No IM at all.

2) follow a single course- a few warriors have said that profit instruments course has worked for them so I will focus on this and nothing else

3) Get a mentor- though I am no sure about this one because money is kinda tight at the moment, does anyone know what the cost of a mentor would be, or is there a warrior who can mentor me in exchange for me to work for you to link building or something like that you usually outsource?

Success always begins in your mental image of the processes you are working.

If you are only finding failure, is it possible that you are only expecting failure?

We all have had to learn about what is possible, try a few things until we found our calling, practice failure until we learn confidence, then dive in with both feet to achieve the success "we knew" was possible all along.

I suspect that you just have not found that one thing that excites you to your core.

Once you do, no one will be able to stop you.

There are thousands of business models that have proven profitable for others, but just because others have succeeded with something is no assurance that you will succeed with the same thing.

What worked for me may not work for you. What worked for my friend may not work for you or me. And what will eventually work for you may not work for us.

At the lead of the train is education and training. The train's engine is following by work and failure. Near the caboose, you will find confidence and success.

Don't give up until you have examined all the possibilities.

1. start a fresh email address and do NOT sign up for any squeeze pages. Keep this email address 'business only'.

2. Seek advice from the big fish here on Warrior Forum. They are here and they are (mostly) available. Don't be intimidated and ask honest, real questions. Listen!

3. Take 2-3 days and formulated a step-by-step success plan. It doesn't matter if the plan is 4 steps or 400. Write them all down. Set a date on the calendar to start the plan.

4. Work the plan. Do not advance to the next step until you have completed the current one.

I know it sounds basic, but this is the 4-step I use to break any paralysis I'm having in my projects.

It works like a charm, every time.

Hello,

I know how you feel because for the last 2/3 years I have tried Internet Marketing, jumping from one 'brilliant' email offer to another without knowing whether it was a scam or genuine.

I researched the market to find the genuine Internet Marketers with the real training and guidance. The problem I then had was not sticking at one plan because it did not make me money overnight so I started something new! Big mistake. Also, using as an excuse the fact that I had a full time job and couldn't afford the time. Another big mistake.

I have started again and am sticking at it because if it can work for other people it can work for me AND it is starting to.

Pick an established and proven Internet Marketer with a Training Program and follow it all the way through.

Andrew

great advice here, wow

Malik, it sounds like you're jumping around too much, and not focusing long enough on any one method to be successful with it.

For example, you can't just cold-call 30 people and expect to set an appointment - before you call at least 500 or more prospects, you're really not in a position to say that it doesn't work. Telemarketing offices would have trouble hiring and keeping any sales staff if they followed your criteria for marketing success.

Whether you're doing online or offline marketing, you've got to be far more patient. This is not "hit and run" type marketing, you have to build up your momentum initially (which can take some time) before you start seeing any kind of consistent success - it definitely does not occur overnight in internet marketing (or offline marketing), and you have to get rid of your "get results quick" type mentality.

You're building a real business here, and you simply cannot expect things to magically skyrocket overnight!

Paul

There are lots of these stories on warrior forum, and lots of them lately.

I think when a person comes in here there are two problem.

1) They are lost and confused as to what really market can make them money.

2) Because of 1) THey give up and stop looking for more, or taking action on the information they hold in their knowledge bank.

I know this because i have been there in the beginning. YOu need to find out how you want to make money and what is working for you and go with that. What works for you might not work for someone else.

You have to get through the ups and the down, and just get your hands dirty before coming here and claiming you have given up and tried every avenue, because once you find something that works, and brings in money you will not have to work a day again in your life.

Good luck.

4 years is a long time to be struggling. But you need to do a real gut check and ask yourself if you really tried 110%.

My guess is that if you are honest with yourself, you'll see that you've been looking for a quick way to make money for the past 4 years, instead of trying to build a real online business model.

Just think where you'd be right now, if you had a blog/website/info product that you've been building and cultivating for 4 years!

Don't give up! Tell yourself that this is your last chance. Do or die!
This last time, build a solid plan and focus on one type of marketing. Whether it's CPA, building your own product or offline marketing.

I'm willing to bet you know enough about Internet Marketing to help local small businesses.

Anyway, I wish you luck with whatever your decision is.

I've been at this point many times. Sometimes I've had my best ideas after feeling this way. One idea that I had that helped increase my PayPal account was writing a bunch of articles. I picked a popular topic, did some quick research, and wrote a series of 10 articles. Sold them in packs of 5 here on WF as well as DPF. I might have pulled in $100 or so, but it was something! There are people that make good money just writing articles for others. And if you don't like that, find something you CAN do, and offer that service to others. It's simple, it's not a "system", and it works.

You've gotten a lot of good advice in this forum. I think the most solid is to take a break for now. Take a few weeks off. Then, before you come back, take a whole weekend (or whenever you can take 2 solid days off) to spend some time alone with a notebook. Jot down EXACTLY what you want in your life a year from today, 3 years from today, and 5 years.

Then jot down a simple plan of action on how you're going to get it. I did this over ten years ago when I was getting nowhere after 8 - 10 straight months of not making a single dime. It was the best thing I ever did.

There is definitely a disconnect here since I personally know people making a lot of money with sniper sites (don't know about the other ones you listed). You're doing too much at one time. To be blunt here, without actually seeing and knowing EXACTLY what you've done, it's difficult to diagnose where you're going wrong, but clearly you're jumping from one thing to another and that's a proven recipe for failure.

Offline marketing takes time to learn. It takes even more time to learn how to call prospects and learn the art and science of closing them. If you're giving up after 30 phone calls then you should send businesses post cards and have them call you; even then, though, you'll have to close them. There are several people that do this and the only time they have to call people is to follow up on their messages. But this may or may not be in your budget.

You're definitely giving up way too soon, you're not giving your business any kind chance of building momentum. I didn't land my first offine client until I had made over 300 calls! But guess what? I closed my next one 27 calls after that because I learned a lot during those first 300 calls. You're not giving it enough time.

You're focusing way too much on "money-makers" and are not focusing on building a business built on a solid foundation. But again, without knowing EXACTLY what you've actually done it's difficult to diagnose what you're doing wrong and what you're doing right.

You really should take a break, though, and come back in a month (or so) so you can come back with a fresh prospective.

RoD

P.S. These two threads might lead you in the right direction:

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...desperate.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...xcuses-10.html

Take it from someone who has only been at this for 5 months and making thousands per month.....

GET A COACH

It takes anywhere from 6-10 years to get great at something.

The Only Way to Become Amazingly Great at Something | zen habits

It doesn't mean that you have to be great to be successful or that you have to wait 6 years, but that there is a distinct learning curve. Even being good at it takes some time.

The crucial thing is the process, understand it. If you are failing first be clear why you are failing, if you can identify the reason you can change and become successful

I've only been into IM for about a year, but I'm pretty consistently making between $500 and $1000 a month. Not a full time income, and nothing to brag about, but I AM making money online. Over the past year, I've felt like you're feeling now at least 10 times. A couple of months ago, I was really feeling frustrated, and wasn't sure where to take my little online business next. I wasn't thinking of giving up, but I was feeling very overwhelmed and frustrated that my income stream wasn't growing faster.

So I didn't just take a break, I left the country for 3 weeks to clear my head. I've structured my life so that I can do this kind of thing 2 to 3 times a year (I keep my living expenses very low). I went to Mexico, laid on the beach, backpacked around, drank some tequila, and did a lot of thinking. I told myself that I wouldn't do any "work", but I planned to do a lot of time thinking about strategy and tactics (2 very different things). I kept a notepad in my pocket at all times. I didn't purposely sit down and decide "I'm going to think about my IM strategy right now" - I just left myself open to it and let it come naturally.

And what happened? I've learned that vacations are the best time to clear your head and gain new inspiration. The new routine and the break from the monotony of your daily grind tend to make your brain think in new ways. I came back refreshed and with about 10 pages of notes and ideas that I wanted to try out in IM.

Now, you don't have to leave the country. Not everyone can just jaunt down to Mexico for 3 weeks. But you CAN take a break and get out of your routine. Take a long weekend. Hop in the car, and just drive. Take a road trip. Go somewhere relaxing. And spend some time stepping back from what you've been doing. Keep your notebook handy to jot down your thoughts.

Maybe at the end of the weekend, you'll decide that you really DO want to give up. But I have a feeling that you'll come back refreshed, with some new ideas, and ready to kill it.

Now, what ABOUT strategy? I've only been in this for a year, and apparently I'm having more success than you already. What can you learn from what I'm doing?

There's already some great advice in this thread that I'd like to second for starters.

Adsense is a great way to get some income rolling in. It's easy. I heartily recommend spending some time putting together a little "adsense-farm" so that you at least have SOME money coming in.

Another thing that I've learned is that in the beginning, you need to make S**t tons of sites. You're probably not a keyword research expert yet. I'm not! So start cranking out 3 to 5 page websites based on the best kw research that you can do. Throw 3-5 backlinks at them. Some of these won't rank in the top 200 results. Others will hate page 2 with ease. Concentrate on those. If you make 30 websites, and 10 of them look like they're ranking pretty easily, focus your efforts on those. Build them out and throw more backlinks at them. Let the others wither and die.

Rinse and repeat.

Eventually, with the income that these spammy little sites bring in, you'll have enough money to finance hiring other people to build more of these little sites, as well as having the money to pay for a great design and copywriting etc. when you're ready to tackle a bigger project.

Hope this advice helps, and good luck!

Excerpt from “Confessions of a Crap-Head”

(crap-head)
“I remember when I first got into crap. It was great. Everyone was giving me crap for free. I loved the high. I thought they were all my friends – crap-heads together. Then when all the free crap was gone and I was hooked, my so-called friends started charging me for crap. So I bought it.”

“I didn’t know any better, I just wanted some crap. But the crap just wasn’t the same anymore. Sure, it promised the same high but never came close to what I expected it to be. The more crap I had, the more I wanted it. So I kept buying more and more crap, as much as I could afford. But then I couldn’t afford it anymore and started borrowing to pay for the crap. After a few months, the money ran dry. I owed so much I wondered how I could get myself out of the situation. That’s when I decided I could make some money selling crap myself. “

“So I thought I’d sell crap. Everybody else was doing it – why couldn’t I? But I just didn’t have the heart to sell crap to anyone. I was sick from all the crap – how could I push crap onto some stranger when I knew what it was doing to me - how useless it was, what a waste of time it was, it just seemed wrong. That’s why I wouldn’t do it. There’s enough crap out there if people want it. I’m not going to push crap on unsuspecting people when I know the truth.”

“Look at me now. I’ve taken so much crap I don’t talk anymore – unless it’s about crap. I’m so sick of crap. I wish I’d never got involved with it. It’s ruined me. Sure, I could have made some money along the way dealing crap, just to get more crap, but at the end of the day, it’s all just crap.

“I can’t look at myself in the mirror – all I see is crap looking back at me. I wish I had done it differently. I wish I had never gotten involved with crap. It’s such a waste of time. All the years I’ve wasted on crap I can never get back.

“If there’s a lesson I can teach to anyone out there who is thinking of trying crap – don’t do it. It will get you nowhere fast, and you’ll lose all your money on the way. At first it feels good, but then begins the slow descent into debt and misery. I got it wrong. Don’t make my mistakes.”


Transcript from a brief interview with a previous associate of crap-head….

(Interviewer)
So how did he get off the crap?

(Former Associate)
Well, he met this former crap-head, very heavy crap-head in his day. He’d lost everything chasing the crap, he went wherever he could get it. It finally broke him, physically and financially. Then he woke up and said to himself – I don’t need this crap, I’m not taking this crap anymore. And he stopped using it. Just like that. It was an epiphany.

Suddenly, it all became clear. He went away for a couple of years and re-educated himself – stopped taking all the crap and got himself clean.

How is he now?

Well, he’s not rich, but what he has got, he doesn’t waste on crap anymore. He’s smarter now, he’s got his crap together. He will never buy crap anymore – he’s fully recovered.

Can you tell me his name?

I can’t tell you who he is. He’s out there. You’ve just got to find him for yourself. He doesn’t sell anything, so don’t be expecting to buy any crap from him. He’s out there just to help people who are still buying crap. He’s determined to get people off crap – if he can do it, anyone can. He’s trying to stop the crap anyway he can – in fact, he’s dedicated himself to it.

Where can I find him?

He’s everywhere and nowhere. But be warned, if you do find him, don’t offer him any crap – he’s had enough crap - he just might throw it back in your face. There’s only so much crap one person can take, and he’s had a lifetime’s worth of crap.

So where did he get his crap from?

Oh, by these guys who really know their crap. They’ve been selling it for years behind the scenes. Nobody really knows them. They stay in the shadows, mostly. You’ll never find out their real names, they’re that shady. They come and go - in and out fast when they see a great crap deal, when the crap’s real hot. They get the crap stuff at cut price, take their own cut, then cut the crap themselves and sell the crap on at a massive profit. They’re making a crap load of money. No-one knows it’s not really their crap. They’re just passing the crap on to someone else to sell. Supply and demand as it’s called in the crap trade.

So what happens to all this crap?

Well, the distributors turn the crap into more crap and sell it as their own crap. No-one knows really, except for those who make the actual crap, and the people who buy the crap. It’s a secret society of crap. Even though everyone knows where it really comes from, crap-heads want the crap so much, they don’t care where it comes from or who, as long as they get their crap. That’s the beauty of crap – it sells like crap.

But listen. I’ve got some better crap. Not off that crap guy. A guy who’s got the real crap stuff. This crap is like crap you’ve ever seen before. Some real good crap. Keep it to yourself, this crap is crap hot! I can’t tell you how crap this stuff is. If word gets out, everyone will want this crap.

No Thanks. I tried crap once and didn’t like it. Are you a crap-head yourself?

No, no. I just use it when I need it. There’s some good crap out there if you know how to find it, but usually I just make my own crap – it’s pretty easy really. The good stuff is really tricky to find – it’s like Gold Dust. Very few people know of it, so if you find anyone who can get their hands on it, let me know. I heard of a guy they call ******, supposed to be in the UK somewhere. He’s got a mean reputation as the ‘go to guy’ who holds all the Gold Dust. ***** I think his name is. I’m going to check him out.

So what’s happened to crap-head?

The last time we talked, he ended up asking me to leave - too many questions apparently. He said he had to get online and help some people he knew were in trouble - he’s turned into some kind of vigilante. Who knows what he’ll do next.

He was really high, excited – not from the crap, but something he was about to do. He said he had to check his stats, whatever that meant. All I remember was as I was walking out the door, he slipped me a piece of paper and then disappeared muttering something about dogs…..

What was written on it?

It said…..

********

You’ve got be crazy. Gotta have a real need. Gotta sleep on your toes, and when you’re on the street, you got to be able to pick out the easy meat, with your eyes closed.

Then moving in, silently, downwind and out of sight you’ve got to strike when the moment is right without thinking.

And after a while, you can work on points for style. Like a club tie, and a firm handshake, a certain look in the eyes, and an easy smile.

You have to be trusted. By the people that you lie to. So that when they turn their backs on you – you’ll get the chance to put the knife in….

You’ve got to keep one eye, looking over your shoulder. You know, it’s gonna get harder, harder and harder, as you get older. And in the end you’ll pack up, fly down south, hide your head in the sand.
Just another sad old man, all alone, dying of cancer haaa haaa!!

And it’s too late to lose the weight you used to need to throw around. So have a good drown, as you go down, all alone– dragged down by the stone…

Gotta admit, that I’m a little confused. Sometimes it seems to me, as if I’m just being used. Gotta stay awake gotta try and shake off, this creeping malaise. If I don’t stand my own ground, how can I find my way out this maze?

Deaf, dumb and blind. You just keep on pretending........ That everyone’s expendable, and no-one has a real friend. But it seems to you the thing to do, would be to isolate the winner. And everything’s done under the sun, and you believe at heart everyone’s so caring…..

********

That’s all I can tell you.

Let's see how long this post stays up........

Malik, I would agree with everything that Fenderkid has said. It's great advice. I would take a break from IM marketing to clear my brain cache Then I would check out the amazon products that are hot sellers that I am personally interested in. For example, if there is a particular new electronic that I have been dying to own, I would create a WP blog on that. Because I am genuinely interested in the item that is also a hot item currently on the market, there is a certain ramping up of energy when I am engaged in marketing it.

The essence of successful IM are just 2 things really:

1) Traffic
2) Conversions

But some gurus have just made it more complicated than it is so they can sell their products to newbies.

I hope this helps

-Jayson

Create Squidoo lenses for free. I knew nothing about html and I'm creating wonderful lenses now. Webmasters like you are making a lot of money simply by creating Squidoo lenses. You can also sell many affiliate products. I'm using them to promote my ebooks and it's working.

Squidoo is somehow irritating sometimes because their system has many rules, and they keep changing them. You have to agree with them, and follow these rules. There are people making $2000 per month with their lenses, but they have around 800 - 1000 lenses, and they have promoted them everywhere. You need Many Backlinks.

I was making money by writing articles for Constant Content, but now I have to promote my sites even more than before because ezinearticles is not sending me the same traffic it usually did, even though Google is sending me more traffic. Anyhow, I saw that I was wasting time writing articles for other people instead of trying to sell my own ebooks and I'm creating lenses basically to promote my work.

I was fed up like you when I decided to make money as a writer instead of trying to sell my own work. However, this wonderful forum is teaching me how to make money. I didn't care about making money, but about promoting my knowledge. I was sure that everybody would buy my ebooks. I didn't know that in order to reach my audience I would have to beat all the competition we face online... I made so many mistakes! I spent A LOT OF money! Wish I knew how to create Squidoo lenses from the beginning of my journey online...

Anyhow, I'm making peanuts from Squidoo right now because I have created only 31 lenses. I write daily articles, I have a blog, I translate dreams for the public... I don't have time to create many lenses. But you can devote all your time to this practice like many lensmasters.

Participate Every Day of the discussions at the Squidu forum, and promote your lenses there.

Here is a perfect combination: promote your own products + get paid by Squidoo only for creating lenses + sell many Amazon, Clickbank, eBay, etc. affiliate products through your lenses by adding to your lenses all these products besides your own (if you have already created any product, this is not necessary), Without Spending Anything.

Here is a lens that teaches you how to create many lenses in a short period of time:

http://www.squidoo.com/passive-income-website-traffic-squidoo-beginners-guide

You'll also learn how to get traffic. Read the entire lens, and the comments. Everything in this lens gives you precious information. Visit all the other lenses I suggest. You are surely going to make money this way if you'll create many Quality lenses. Long lenses, with great content, and links from authority sites, giving trustful information to the public. I created a lens with only 3 of my articles and many links and it is my top lens right now. Be intelligent. Don't give up.

Here is a lens that will give you courage, and show you how to proceed:

http://www.squidoo.com/achieving-success-in-life

And here is my third, best advice:

Spend $37 in order to become a War Room member. If you want to seriously learn how to make money online you must become a War Room member. This is the best advice I'm giving you.


All the best!

To me, you should just go the adsense way. No list building, email marketing, conversion. Just write articles (you can outsource) and do SEO. Simple.

Hi Malik

I hope you don't give up. Unfortunately most of the products that you find out there are garbage. Alot of marketers just want the fast buck and will take advantage of you to get it. As I understand it, List Building is the best and sure fire way to become and remain successful. The people who are claiming to make huge amounts of money are making money off of their email list. Build a list up my friend. If you buy one more thing, buy a list building course. Also I would advise you to search for Paul Counts, Jeff Wellman, Keith Wellman, Eric Holmlund, and Liz Tomey. I would also sign up at ericstips.com

I sincerely hope this information can help you. Dont Give Up!

Anthony Spencer

Thoughts + Feelings = Manifestation

At least with that knowledge you could easily get employment as an affilaite marketer/SEO/assistant?

When I look back what made me the most money was ideas I created myself either from scratch or by mixing with other methods.

If you're looking for the "magic bullet method" you won't find it, you need to think outside a box and have persistence in one method.

Sam

I agree with some people here.
First of all take a break, you can't think clear while you are in the gutter.
Mind I said, take some time OFF, not go and wallow in your failure.

I went 7+ years without making a single penny, and I have learned from so many gurus that would make your head spin, I was the world's most educated broke internet marketer.

Second determine if this is for you or not, it may very well not be for you. But do think about one thing, what is the alternative?

If you do decide to come back to this online world, follow the simple methods and plans, forget about the bells and whistles, get back to the basics. Overall I think you'll find your answer when you are away.

I myself started having success in the offline world first, it's a business that started growing by itself. But instead of trying to charge thousands of dollars for a site and all that jazz I started doing $300 or $400 dollar sites, then the word got out and the ball started rolling.

Now I am beginning to outsource it.

Above all follow your dreams but change your behaviors.

I would advice you to start with adsense which is the easiest method to make money online. After you are settled with adsense, move on to other methods but don't try too many together.

Hi Malik,

All I can say is based on my personal experience but when I started listening to myself and taking on my own projects rather than listening to what others taught... that is when my IM business took off.

It sounds like you've got all the knowledge you need. Just do some research, go with a project you feel will work and follow through on it. IM can be a very lucrative venture once it all lines up.

Hope that helps,

David.

you sound like you need a hand? I tell you what, if you email me/pm me ill make you a sales page for one of my products, pay the hostings fees and put your clickbank code on the sales page. I will then teach you the best ways to promote it.

Hi, this is my first post at WF! I've been marketing for exactly 3 years (almost to the day) now and my story is somewhat similar to the OP (that IS correct lingo for "original poster," correct?) in that my results have been less than satisfactory.

In fact, my wife *secretly* wants me to quit! But I absolutely refuse. I've had enough success to know that all you need to do is scale up. But I, too, have fallen prey to information overload and product hopping.

I am currently taking the best of everything I've learned (based on my own results) and formulating my own system to follow. I echo everyone who advises to pick one process and implement it with ALL of your might. Failure to do this has been my personal downfall.

But I won't give up. The only way to fail is to quit.

Alcoholics Anonymous said it best: "Internet marketing works if you work it." I may have changed or added a word or two. ;=)

It's nice to be here.

I know how you feel, my problem is I keep getting "good ideas" to do and I get side tracked from what i was doing :rolleyes:. Now I just write down my good ideas and then continue working on my current project. If you keep working on the same project for a couple months it should have a pretty good foundation.

Just make sure you take a day off once and a while, like once a week, it really helps keep your head clear. I finally took a day off after working on IM for 6 weeks straight and it really helped rejuvenate me.

I say just keep at it, all it takes is one lucky strike to make it big.

I'm a telemarketer. If everyone gave up after making 30 calls with no sales, there would be no telemarketing industry! Pick one way to make money. One. Then do that until you're making money. There are enough ways online to make money online that everyone can find something they're good at.

dont give up.

find a passion and monetize...also just keep at it...there no blueprint...I am sure your resulf would be different if you called 100x more people.

hang in there.

Here's my advice to you -

Forget everything you know.

Delete every single IM ebook from your hard drive.

Stop coming to WF.

Separate yourself from the IM world completely...I can tell you right now that if you don't know how to mentally handle yourself you will quickly lose money and confidence trying to find the 'Magic' solution (We all know it's not there, but we keep looking anyways) and going from course to course, method to method.

Instead, rely on your intuition. Think about what would your ideal 'Business' be on the Internet...A business that you could see yourself LOVING.

Do you LOVE exercise? Start an exercise website.

Do you LOVE self-development? Start a self-help website.

Don't worry about competition, Don't worry about what anyone else is doing, only YOU! If you have a 'pet' idea, DO IT! You don't have to wait for a guru to figure out your method and write a course on it to be able to make money online. After 4 years I would think that most of your problems are mental, so hopefully if you find something that you LOVE and distance yourself from the IM world and what experience others are having (Not to mention all the IM courses), then hopefully you'll start seeing more of the success you want...In time.

Quitters never win. Basically you have to learn how to market your product and services because "marketing is 95% of the business". There are some great books that will help you in this regard. They are "The IRRESISTIBLE Offer" by Marc Joyner and basically all the books in No B.S. Series by super marketer Dan S. Kennedy.

You must also learn how to write effective copy that sells for that I would recommend Dan Kennedy's "Ultimate Sales Letter" . I hope this helps

Hi Malik,

I hope you can regain some hope by just looking at me.

I've joined this forum on the Nov of 2010 and at that time I had no knowledge whatsoever of IM. I was so fascinated that I used most of the time since then learning, buying courses and putting them in practice.

What's different with me is that every course I bought I had this thought in mind "I will at least make that money that I used to buy this course back", so I always put to action every single course I bought, and most of the courses here on WF work.

Now I've started earning properly since Feb of 2011 and in just 3 months I made 6k+ USD. I do lot of different things but together they bring in some cash.

But I guess what gave me the right push is the fact that I usually do not give up easily.

There's one thing that I always came across at the beginning when I was browsing this forum for some more answers, and the answers from those earning the money was always the same: keep focused, and don't give up. And there's really no magic formula out there, not giving up and doing your best is the best strategy.

For some reason and considering most people's posts I have been a lot quicker than others in reaching a good income but yeah if you like doing it and learning IM, you will be able to achieve this too in much quicker time.

So stop thinking you have failed and start thinking that you have to make this succeed for the sake of the time and money you have spent until now.

It will work out.

Isac

Don't give up just yet, you have to take into consideration that most of what is spread around in IM circles has been flogged to the death, if you can find one thing that you know in the 4 years you've been doing IM that has made even a tiny amount of money, then whatever you learn apply in line with that.But it takes time, my mjain beef with IM is the manner in which all the gurus make it seem so simple anyone can do it, and overnight they can start raking in the cash, most of the time this is just said to hook a sale, it's unfortunate but this is the main reason why many give up on IM, the realisation that the quick buck didn't arrive as they expected

That sentence alone for me is the exact reason you shouldnt quit. You have a lot of knowledge that many on here including myself probably dont.

How about creating some seo or webdesign guides, can be pdf or videos. Use them to build a list. I'm sure there is a lot of people especially on here who would welcome such guides.

I feel for you and have been in a similiar postion. But - I stuck with it and I learned SEO, now I have a business doing SEO for companies, and I own a handful of sites that make some money with more growing.

I think the problem is there are so many ways to making money online that we get sidetracked. You need superhuman focus to ignore the tons of emails that come in with a new technique so its hard - but it can be done.

Here is the secret to making money online - there is no secret!! Just treat it as a real business and stick with it without distraction. Pump your revenue back in to building on your system by using outsourcers from the warriors for hire section or fiverr.com and keep moving forward

Also after a few years I still haven't built a list - something i am correcting now

Good luck to you my friend

You gotta know what you want, and how you gonna get it.
Have a plan, and take action!
Most importantly, never give up!
If you truly think IM is for you then you should never give up!
PERSISTENCE is the key!

Good luck to you

Everyone else has provided great advice, so I won't add to that, but... I encourage you to stick with it. I have been in IM for 7+ years and have failed many times. I really have only started seeing positive results in the last six months. The feeling of being successful has washed away every painful feeling of failure over the last 7 years. I would do it all over in a heartbeat to get to where I am now.

Keep at it!

I think a lot of us have felt this way at one time or another. This forum is a valuable resource and you have been given some really good advice in this post. I would take some time off and re-evaluate. What worked for you, what didn't, and how you can improve what you did well. Find a mentor and learn from them. Stay focused and start small and grow from there. Best of luck to you!

Do NOT give up! This is the worst thing you could do at this point. Nothing good comes easy and great success could come be very close and you won't know if you quit now.

Hi there, I started IM about the same time as you and made loads of decisions that went horribly wrong for me and lost a fortune. I was on the verge of giving up totally one yr ago as I was sick to the core of offers of the next best thing, making things out to be push button simple. There were so many promotions each claiming to be the best I was disillusioned and in despair. Last year I turned a corner and found someone ethical who would teach me what I needed to learn and this has stood to me. I tried so many things and now I am more focussed and applying what I learn. Don't just try different things, try to be as specific about what exactly you want, are willing to do and are interested in. I could have given up as I was expected to fail but I refused to give in and give any one the satisfaction! The darkest hour is before the dawn. There is something out there that will work for you, hang in there!

I know the feeling. Between listening to the BS artists and spending a small fortune it is difficult to persevere....but what is the alternative?

Mike Lang

Hey James,

Nice of you to provide that blueprint for the OP.

Not trying to put it down or anything, but posts like this can be a little misleading to the new guys out there.

In my experience it's usually the smaller details that separate a failed campaign/website from a profitable one.

Anyone can attempt to do what you mentioned, but unless they understand the individual steps in detail they won't go far.

Since you're targeting low traffic keywords and using only exact match domains, it's pretty hard to fail at ranking the site (still very possible) in the top few spots ...

But at the same time, EVEN if you reach number 1 and get ~800 visitors each month, you can't just slap Adsense on there wherever you please and expect the magic to happen.

Site layout and Ad placement alone could be the difference from a site like that making $20 per month or $200+ per month.

That's what I mean by the smaller details. They're details experienced guys like you and I might consider general knowledge...

But for the average IMer who's never really "had success", details like that can make all the difference in the world.

Again, not trying to knock your post at all...just thought it might be helpful to some others out there.

Have a good one!

Thanks,
Chris

You've already identified some of your strengths that you feel you are knowledgeable or proficient in. Write them down to more accurately identify what they are.

Also, you have an abundance of courses in a variety of IM areas.

Now with that list of your IM strengths in mind, match up your strengths with an IM course (or an IM strategy) that best would utilize those strengths of yours. And pick a course (or strategy) that you have confidence in that it is solid.

Once you've done that, apply yourself diligently to working that course (or strategy) until you achieve some minimal results. Then expand on those results. Don't let yourself get distracted, and don't slack off. Read some motivational books or materials to keep your outlook on the positive side.

Hi:

Shireen here :-)

Focus on the one's that makes you most money so far & be good at it.

I suggest you make your own style and you WILL get followers.

sometimes, there is a time to call it quits. Not everyone can be a chief or a rock-star, or get rich in IM. Some are just made to do other things and it is no fault of their own. IM can get nasty and cutthroat. If you look at the ones that do succeed, you seldom see them following others, but rather learning from them and then putting their own twist on things. Most would call it thinking outside the box.

Only you know if it is time for you to quit. No one else can do this for you.

Good luck either way you go.