Newbie? You're not making any money? Here's the world's simpliest blueprint...

Respectfully, I disagree with you Andy.

Ryan is right. Yes it's simplified but this is precisely what this forum is for.

Step 1. If in doubt, ask others on the forum for their opinion and take advice from more experienced Warriors. Time to create the new thread - 5 minutes give or take. Time to read the replies which matter - depends how long the thread becomes but mere minutes comparatively speaking.

Step 2. If they're clueless about copywriting, pop into the Copywriting Forum and ask a question. Or, if they cobble together some sales copy for their squeezepage, ask for a free critique in the same forum. They'll get answers before lunchtime which they can implement instantly. They don't need to get it perfect straight off the bat - practice makes perfect given time.

Step 3. Driving traffic? Similarly. Ask a question on the forum. I mean seriously, if they can't start with Twitter, which any simpleton should be able to get their head around in 2 minutes, they need to get out of the game full stop. Just start with the most simple steps and start building your targeted traffic strategy very simply one step a time.

Again, if in doubt about any of these steps, just ask questions. No question is too dumb - we were all there once.

Step 4. If they don't take daily action they shouldn't be in the game. Go and get a job. And if you can't get a job, take daily action. Simple choice really.

About learning the fundamentals of copywriting again, just ask any copywriter what the absolute basic advice is and most will be willing to help out, to set the newbie on the right track.

Step 5. Ditto.

Step 6. I don't think you can really compare setting up an effective squeezepage list building campaign with understanding or carrying out heart surgery. This would be like comparing how to ride a bicycle to taking a rocket built by Nasa to the moon.


Ryan was simply making the point in very basic terms that there are no problems only solutions and all it takes is a willingness to learn and to at least make a start implementing a few basic steps.

In other words... start taking simple action now.

They're not going to get everything right instantly, they're going to make mistakes but if anyone takes just a bit of action one step at a time, day by day, in 365 days time they should be making some reasonable money month on month. Enough to consider taking the next logical step.

I saw his thread in an entirely positive light. I guess where some see problems, others see solutions and opportunity.

Best,


Mark Andrews

Well said!

I'd add that the "just give value and you'll make money" concept (which so many people like to agree with on this forum) is also utter nonsense. You can give the best value in the world, but if you don't have really strong sales copy to persuade people to buy stuff, you will still get zero sales.

Chris

LOVE it!! Doesn't get more simple or more true than that...

Maybe a "newbie" is someone who already knew what the IM terminologies are all about, how they work, etc.

I know a lot of stuff about listbuilding, SEO, salespages, blogging, etc., but I still consider myself a "newbie" because I still haven't found success online.

A newbie doesn't necessarily mean someone who is a complete moron about IM. He/she may have inadequate knowledge or experience.

But I agree with rosetrees. The steps are viable, but they take a very long time for a newbie to accomplish.

Spot on, rosetrees!

There are two types of teachers:
One teacher has struggled through it and believes others need to as well. Somehow they believe the struggling is a higher value of wisdom, than being a valued mentor in showing them how to steer clear of major mistakes. They will hoard their knowledge until the student exhausts every avenue... then they will trickle in some more information- just enough for the student to struggle on to the next step. Sounds egotistical doesn't it?

The other teacher who has struggled through it as well has compassion. This teacher wants to share their knowledge and experiences freely with their student so they can avoid the same mistakes and agony. This teacher has a sense of goodwill to bringing up a student; honing them into greatness. One possesses empathy and generosity - one does not.

Peace.

I think the Blueprint is just showing us the steps on how to make money online using that strategy. If a newbie doesn't know about some of the terminologies, then I guess it's already his/her part to learn about those things.

At least, when they start studying and researching, they have something like a direction. I am a newbie myself, hence I have come up with this reply post.

Just my 2 cents for whatever they worth on the subject matter.

Cheers,
Louie Tugas

Bloomin' hec some of you are being a little harsh on Ryan, no?

Not you Stephan. I thought that was an excellent find. Here is the giant blown up version of that wall plan...

http://assets.unbounce.com/s/images/...aphic-1800.png

Come on folks, Ryan wasn't intending this thread to stir up such controversy, far from it. He was actually just trying to be helpful, that's all. Nothing more and nothing less.

Back in the day when I was a newbie in all of this several years ago, if I didn't understand something, I looked it up.

"Oh look an odd expression, what the blazing dickens is that?"

Go to my 2nd tab which just so happens to be on Google. Surprise surprise. Type in the word or expression and see what pops up.

If a web search didn't bring anything useful up, switch out to Google Images. No luck there still, I would type in to Google Web Search again: Internet marketing dictionary.

And so get all of the information I needed to compile a clearer better picture in my mind, what I was trying to accomplish or find out about.

Incidentally, here is an Internet marketing dictionary...

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post4785539

As they say, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink it.

Now some of you are saying you have to spoon feed these newbies and to an extent I agree with you. But at the same time you can make everything so easy, so extraordinarily easy that you've just failed completely to hit your target market.

For if someone needs to be spoon fed, like a baby, the most exceedingly basic information constantly - just perhaps they shouldn't be in this business or any business period. That's what jobs are for (for these folks) somewhere where all the prior thinking has already been done for them.
They just turn up at work at 8am, do the repeat task as instructed, stop at 5pm and go home, rinse and repeat 5 days a week.

No disrespect to them at all, not in the slightest but some people, a lot of people in fact... are just never cut out for any form of self employment. Period.

You could put every step to them in the most easy to understand language possible and they still wouldn't do anything with it. They just have very little desire to put the work in. They lack the self discipline.

I've a couple of friends who have never worked in their entire lives. One guy I know, I mean he's reasonably intelligent, reckons he suffers from depression. Never had a job or done anything since leaving school over 30 years ago. Claimed benefits the entire time. His home rent paid for him. Free medical care. Free dentist care. Free council tax. And on top of all of that receives $115 a week to spend on food, cigarettes or whatever else he chooses to spend his allowance on.

You could put everything in the most simple language possible for him but he still wouldn't do anything with it. He's just bone lazy in his mind (nice guy but he drives me personally up the wall.) Believes after all of this time that he's not capable of doing anything for himself, but there you go.

On the other hand, if a person has a genuine desire to bring in some extra money or to create a full time self employed income, they don't mind getting off their backsides and putting some effort in of their own accord. They know everything can't be done for them and in fact, if you do this you're helping no one.

In school you were given at first very simple knowledge. But you had to put some effort in yourself to move you onwards to a higher level of understanding. Often this would require homework, further research. You knew it was worth it because by putting in the extra work, delving a little deeper into the subject, eventually the extra effort would pay off. You knew there was a reward for you at the end of the day.

The teacher didn't say, here you go Tommy, let me do it all for you. No, the teacher gave Tommy the simple tools and then gently nudged and encouraged little Tommy on his way. The rest was up to him.

And so it is with Internet marketing or setting up any kind of business. More experienced folks can only go so far teaching the subject. 'Newbies' have either got it in them to move on under their own propulsion or they haven't. You can spoon feed the 'have nots' all day long but if they're not prepared to do any of the little bits of research themselves, they're going to be a waste of time.

If they are your target market, sure keep it simple, but don't make the mistake thinking you have to provide absolutely everything for them. You're not trying to capture them, you are in fact trying to release them to go out there and do this on their own.

I think I'll leave it there for now, at this rate you guys will have me writing all night on the subject.

Best regards,


Mark Andrews

Really? Seriously? Flyers? Share with friends? You had "countless ways to drive traffic" to choose from and you chose those?

I think you just made Andy's and the Devil is in the details people's points.

I pretty much stopped reading after three. Personally I think such simplistic approaches give newbs an entirely false impression and precisely the kind of impression that leads them to buy a number of those easy money make it end 30 days eating popcorn on your couch "products".

No offense to the Op. I don't think he meant any harm. Just my feedback on the whole simple quick ten points to success notion - it feeds directly into the easy money thinking.

Very like your point of view!

The foundation has been laid down. Now it is time to start construction. Don't expect to be spoon fed newbies. If you don't understand a word, do a quick search or if you don't understand a process, start analyzing.

The OP is right: it IS simple. But as someone else said, his view is from 40,000 miles away. It's waaaay too general.

Andy is MORE right. "Newbie" is a relative term and what's easy for some is very difficult for others. I've spent HOURS and HOURS learning little things that SHOULD be simple (web design for example) -- but aren't. Just setting up a simple squeeze page can be very difficult and/or time-consuming if you're not very techie or knowledgeable about HTML, PHP or whatever.

Granted, I was learning all that before WordPress, but even with WordPress, just changing the littlest thing can take hours and drive you crazy while you figure out HOW to do it. (I just spent a good 30 minutes trying to remember how to edit the title of one of my sidebar items for example. :p My site is a custom-designed WP site and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to edit the title!)

Aside from technical issues (which online ANYTHING is rife with), there's picking the right market, knowing who your target market is, what they'll buy and why, positioning your business against the competition, etc.

Picking the right product/service for the right target market is not as simple as it seems. And most newbies have NO clear idea on their WHO: their ideal target market. This is a HUGE problem. Most newbies think EVERYONE would be a good prospect for their product/service. Even those with some experience don't realize that the more tightly they define their target market and the more specific (i.e. smaller) their niche, the more likely they are to dominate that niche and become THE go to person/business.

It seems counter-intuitive, but the smaller your niche (i.e. "pond"), the more likely your success. In a pond, you can become the big fish. In the ocean, you'll just get lost (and eaten).

Then there's the sales/conversion process (copywriting, traffic, etc.) which usually requires a good amount of testing, tweaking and staying power. You have to stick with it until you find the right combination.

Yes, the online marketing process IS simple, as you've outlined. I'm not trying to over-complicate it, but the devil IS in the details.

Don't oversimplify it. You might make a struggling newbie feel stupid when all he/she needs to do is hang in there and do a little tweaking.

Michelle

Thanks. Confusion create inaction, simplicity create action. Just get
started one step at a time...

Totally agree!

What's your reasoning behind that?

I don't think anyone would disagree with this but a business model that is not actionable is no business model. Thats what Andy and others are really getting at. Drive traffic is not a business model. Its a dream. Even an outline for business success must be actionable or its useless. How much of a business model is this?

1) Start a business
2) Get lots of customers
3) Make sales and profit

IF we can agree that this is useless then the debate is at what point getting more detailed would such a overview become useful? I and others would argue that simply "drive traffic" is most definitely not useful (its just verbage) and its the key in the cog since no monetization of any business model can work without it.

Looks like they've touched a nerve there Rob.

You're right just because people are just starting out doesn't mean they're stupid. However spinning your wheels with tactics like one commenter mentioned of handing out flyers as an IM strategy is counter productive.

There is definitely research and work to get started in this business.

Thanks for pointing out the fact that getting started with a clear plan is key. Plan the work and work the plan.

Very good point for newbies. They could and should take definite action even while they are learning.

They could start by finding a good niche, search this forum and google for how to find a good niche and keywords (there have been many posts on here about that) and get that step done.

Yes, it most likely will take more than 5 minutes but is a start.

I think the primary trouble with newbies is that there are so many headlines promising tons of money with little work that they look for one of those easy ways until they finally either quit or have to start over for real.

Thank you!

Yes this is list building and me too I wish someone gave me a clear plan to follow without trying to make it more complicated than it is.

Ryan

Exactly. Everyone comes from different walks of life and have many different life/work experiences that make up who they are. Those experiences set them apart from everyone else and will impact how they take action.

I could write a killer report on how to make money working with musicians/bands, but if I just wrote "#4: Hook bands up with venues" the average person without my contacts would most likely have a problem. Which means they might try to skip this step...having a direct impact on my "plan".(then calling me names for not delivering $$ into their bank account)

Overall there is nothing wrong with the OP as one of many biz models. However, it is up to the individual to fill in the gaps below each line item, which comprises of a combo of knowledge and experience.

~keith

Been there.. That is what I mean, when people who have been in the IM for some time know how to do niche research so they often just say: "Pick a niche", but there are so many wrong ways to do this.