Getting really frantic about not getting anywhere :-(

104 replies
Hello,

I'm not particularly new, and I have tried learning IM by buying WSO's and have not gone anywhere with it.

This is really what I want to do but I have been "running around in circles" that I can't figure out what to do.

I want to start fresh and think of myself as having heard of IM for the first time right now.

Where do you think is the best place to start?

As I haven't done a good job at doing this on my own, is there some sort of a study group or workshop that doesn't cost an arm and a leg to join?

Thanks for your help guys!
#frantic
  • Profile picture of the author Ross Cohen
    There are plenty of ways to make money online. One of the main reasons so many people fail is because of the shear number of opportunities. New ideas seem better than your current one, you switch your whole game plan, and this happens over and over so you end up getting nowhere. Take this one word seriously: focus. You need to focus to make real money online. It's true.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      Stop looking for a way to buy yourself a profit. Take the WSOs you bought and try the methods they are selling you. Stop buying and stop joining anything until you have tested each and every one of them to find what works for YOU.

      Lesson #1 - you earn by what you DO - when you are buying one thing after another you are in someone else's target market for THEIR earnings.

      Get out of the employee "tell me what to do" thinking and into thinking "what business will I build and what steps will I take".

      kay
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      • Profile picture of the author jss1008
        Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

        Stop looking for a way to buy yourself a profit. Take the WSOs you bought and try the methods they are selling you. Stop buying and stop joining anything until you have tested each and every one of them to find what works for YOU.

        Lesson #1 - you earn by what you DO - when you are buying one thing after another you are in someone else's target market for THEIR earnings.

        Get out of the employee "tell me what to do" thinking and into thinking "what business will I build and what steps will I take".

        kay
        Thanks Kay! I actually didn't get a hold of those WSO's primarily for the earnings. I just wanted to learn and earn after a while of course, but with all the lists I have gotten myself into and the recommendations the people whose lists I am in, I just got suckered into WSO hoarding. That and the very fact that I did want to get out of the employee lifestyle.

        I must admit that I am still in the "tell me what do to thinking" because I don't know anything about IM, in practice...
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by Ross Cohen View Post

      There are plenty of ways to make money online. One of the main reasons so many people fail is because of the shear number of opportunities. New ideas seem better than your current one, you switch your whole game plan, and this happens over and over so you end up getting nowhere. Take this one word seriously: focus. You need to focus to make real money online. It's true.
      Thanks Ross! I see what you mean, and I agree that what I lack is focus. I think it's primarily because of how we (I in particular) were taught in school. Even in college, we did have a very structured learning environment, so when I first heard about IM and tried to investigate it, I was exposed to a lot of information that I got overstimulated and I didn't know where step 1 was, and step 2, and so on...
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      • Profile picture of the author Ken Hoffman
        Based on what you described you desperately need a coach. Someone to lead you, hold you accountable, and help you get results. I finally did and it really helped me. One way to get started cheap is Lisa Haylett's WSO for easy affiliate marketing. It's $27 AND it includes 3 months of unlimited coaching via email. Invaluable. I'm sure there are others too. The only reason I know of Lisa is I wrote the sales copy for her WSO. She's very positive, enthusiastic, and she has been highly successful with affiliate marketing. If that's not what your interested in, then find someone else to be your coach.

        I'm telling you, from personal experience, that people who lack focus tend to be very creative and can produce excellent results...IF...they get the guidance needed. Without it, it's far too easy to keep floundering.
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        • Profile picture of the author jss1008
          Originally Posted by Ken Hoffman View Post

          Based on what you described you desperately need a coach. Someone to lead you, hold you accountable, and help you get results. I finally did and it really helped me. One way to get started cheap is Lisa Haylett's WSO for easy affiliate marketing. It's $27 AND it includes 3 months of unlimited coaching via email. Invaluable. I'm sure there are others too. The only reason I know of Lisa is I wrote the sales copy for her WSO. She's very positive, enthusiastic, and she has been highly successful with affiliate marketing. If that's not what your interested in, then find someone else to be your coach.

          I'm telling you, from personal experience, that people who lack focus tend to be very creative and can produce excellent results...IF...they get the guidance needed. Without it, it's far too easy to keep floundering.
          Hello Ken! I believe you've hit the bull's eye. I do need a mentor, I think. I admire those who can just get a book, read through it and just do it. I'm afraid I am unable to do that in the beginning. I dun'no, maybe it's cultural or just the way I was brought up.

          Do you have a link to Lisa's info? I'm not sure if this will be considered plugging a service here and if it is not allowed, but I really need real resources and tangible help! :-(

          Thanks again!
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          • Profile picture of the author Marcus Rockey
            Originally Posted by jss1008 View Post

            Hello Ken! I believe you've hit the bull's eye. I do need a mentor, I think. I admire those who can just get a book, read through it and just do it. I'm afraid I am unable to do that in the beginning. I dun'no, maybe it's cultural or just the way I was brought up.

            Do you have a link to Lisa's info? I'm not sure if this will be considered plugging a service here and if it is not allowed, but I really need real resources and tangible help! :-(

            Thanks again!
            Hi

            An interesting post. There seems to be a primary problem that needs addressing before you pick up another product.

            1. Do you have a vision? If you are to succeed in IM you must have a vision, target, goal. And not something that is only in your mind but something written down, firm and that you really want. Once you have that you can look at your second step.
            2. Your strengths and weaknesses. What are you best at? Write it down, ask your friends and discover your most natural abilities. Once you have that it's time to look at your weaker points. Again friends and family can help you with that.. (especially your significant other! ).
            3. Now ask yourself how your strengths and weaknesses stand in the way of your vision? Discover that and you can move forward.

            I agree with others. Jumping from one to the next to the next will NEVER EVER WORK.

            Do the above before you do anything else for your online business.

            Marcus
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    Decide what you're good at or what you enjoy and then use that to start making money. If you keep jumping from one shiny new thing to the next you will stay broke and depressed forever. FOCUS is the key to success.
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    Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by laurencewins View Post

      Decide what you're good at or what you enjoy and then use that to start making money. If you keep jumping from one shiny new thing to the next you will stay broke and depressed forever. FOCUS is the key to success.
      Thanks Laurence! Again, I agree.
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  • Profile picture of the author stesnees
    There is a wso (another one I'm afraid!) here http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...ee-access.html This is a coaching wso that currently has a $10 one time forever price before it turns into a monthly fee.
    I was exactly the same as you before I got myself a coach, I see things differently now. FOCUS is indeed the key.
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    • Profile picture of the author Tina Golden
      First, put your wallet away unless you need to buy tools or the basics like a domain or hosting.

      Pick just one of the WSOs you already bought that sounds like something you would like to do. Follow it step-by-step. If you hit a wall, come in and ask a specific question to get you past that wall.

      Work that method for at least a month to see if you start seeing any results. You will not likely be earning a living at the end of that month but you should be seeing some sort of results if the business model is good and you are working diligently.

      As to the advice about getting a coach, I don't recommend it at your stage. You need to get over the "hold-my-hand" mentality first, which you will do if you follow my advice above.

      You've already spent enough money on your education. Now it's up to you to have the gumption to put it to use.
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      • Profile picture of the author jss1008
        Originally Posted by Tina Golden View Post

        First, put your wallet away unless you need to buy tools or the basics like a domain or hosting.

        Pick just one of the WSOs you already bought that sounds like something you would like to do. Follow it step-by-step. If you hit a wall, come in and ask a specific question to get you past that wall.

        Work that method for at least a month to see if you start seeing any results. You will not likely be earning a living at the end of that month but you should be seeing some sort of results if the business model is good and you are working diligently.

        As to the advice about getting a coach, I don't recommend it at your stage. You need to get over the "hold-my-hand" mentality first, which you will do if you follow my advice above.

        You've already spent enough money on your education. Now it's up to you to have the gumption to put it to use.
        Hello Tina! Thanks! I didn't expect this kind of advise actually, but it does make sense. I will look at my hoard again and see which one I will put action on first. :-)

        And I do think I have spent more than enough on information, LOL!
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by stesnees View Post

      There is a wso (another one I'm afraid!) here http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...ee-access.html This is a coaching wso that currently has a $10 one time forever price before it turns into a monthly fee.
      I was exactly the same as you before I got myself a coach, I see things differently now. FOCUS is indeed the key.
      Hello steness! Thank you for the link... I have just taken a look at it. It is a watch over the shoulder thing and it provides coaching. Does it provide individual mentorhip?
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      • Profile picture of the author stesnees
        I'm not sure how he works to be honest, this is not the coach I am with. I just saw it and thought the price might be right for you to get started with a coach.
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        • Profile picture of the author jss1008
          Originally Posted by stesnees View Post

          I'm not sure how he works to be honest, this is not the coach I am with. I just saw it and thought the price might be right for you to get started with a coach.
          Gotcha, stesness! Thanks for the information again. :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Chri5123
    Originally Posted by jss1008 View Post

    Hello,

    I'm not particularly new, and I have tried learning IM by buying WSO's and have not gone anywhere with it.

    This is really what I want to do but I have been "running around in circles" that I can't figure out what to do.

    I want to start fresh and think of myself as having heard of IM for the first time right now.

    Where do you think is the best place to start?

    As I haven't done a good job at doing this on my own, is there some sort of a study group or workshop that doesn't cost an arm and a leg to join?

    Thanks for your help guys!
    Hey there,

    First thing to do is CALM DOWN!

    Relax, you will not learn everything that you need to know overnight BUT that does not mean that you can't learn one method of making money and take action.

    What you need to do is stop buying WSO's.

    If you want to get started then there is more than enough info on this forum for free.

    The HARD (or tricky) part is piecing together all of the information so you know what to do.

    But it is a forum - so you are covered there!

    Start doing - whether it be promoting a product as an affiliate, promoting Amazon products, CPA, Adsense - pick one and get learning but more import implementing what you learn.

    Then ask questions as you go along.

    Most of all ENJOY it!

    If you want to become successful at anything it becomes a pretty big part of your life so get ready for an awesome ride!

    To Your Success,

    Chris Jones
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by Chri5123 View Post

      Hey there,

      First thing to do is CALM DOWN!

      Relax, you will not learn everything that you need to know overnight BUT that does not mean that you can't learn one method of making money and take action.

      What you need to do is stop buying WSO's.

      If you want to get started then there is more than enough info on this forum for free.

      The HARD (or tricky) part is piecing together all of the information so you know what to do.

      But it is a forum - so you are covered there!

      Start doing - whether it be promoting a product as an affiliate, promoting Amazon products, CPA, Adsense - pick one and get learning but more import implementing what you learn.

      Then ask questions as you go along.

      Most of all ENJOY it!

      If you want to become successful at anything it becomes a pretty big part of your life so get ready for an awesome ride!

      To Your Success,

      Chris Jones
      Hello Chris! Saw right through me, did you? I'm virtually having a virtual panic attack, if you know what I mean, LOL. Thank you for the valuable input. You are definitely correct in all points.
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  • Profile picture of the author YasirYar
    Originally Posted by jss1008 View Post

    Hello,

    I'm not particularly new, and I have tried learning IM by buying WSO's and have not gone anywhere with it.

    This is really what I want to do but I have been "running around in circles" that I can't figure out what to do.

    I want to start fresh and think of myself as having heard of IM for the first time right now.

    Where do you think is the best place to start?

    As I haven't done a good job at doing this on my own, is there some sort of a study group or workshop that doesn't cost an arm and a leg to join?

    Thanks for your help guys!


    You should tell us exactly what knowledge you have at this point, so that we can help you better.

    Do you have any blogs or anything? If not, you could always start a blog or a website and try marketing a relevant product as an affiliate, through Digital Products Retailer: Affiliate Program & Sell Online - ClickBank or CJ - Your Performance Marketing Partner or similar sites.

    I don't think you need to spend large sums of money to make it big as an internet marketer. Pretty much all the information you would possibly need is available right here for free.

    Good luck starting up again.
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by YasirYar View Post

      You should tell us exactly what knowledge you have at this point, so that we can help you better.

      Do you have any blogs or anything? If not, you could always start a blog or a website and try marketing a relevant product as an affiliate, through Digital Products Retailer: Affiliate Program & Sell Online - ClickBank or CJ - Your Performance Marketing Partner or similar sites.

      I don't think you need to spend large sums of money to make it big as an internet marketer. Pretty much all the information you would possibly need is available right here for free.

      Good luck starting up again.
      Hello Yasir! Thank you for your input! That brought me to a complete stop. What am I good at? I studied Psychology in college because that was really what I was interested in, but there was no real career in the field where I was at, unless I went ahead and completed a PhD, and so I worked in various companies and in various capacities, that if I introspected right now, I'd say I can do a lot of things fairly well, or even good but I can't really say I could be considered an expert at anything.

      But thank you for reminding me that. I know I can be good at what I put my focus on, so I will make an assessment of what I have now and see where I'd like to focus energy on.

      Thanks again!
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  • Profile picture of the author vivi62
    hi jss1008
    I was told a long time ago the perfect way to make money is either concentrate on list creation,product creation or Traffic creation if you master either of these you will be rich forever.
    Regards
    vivi62
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by vivi62 View Post

      hi jss1008
      I was told a long time ago the perfect way to make money is either concentrate on list creation,product creation or Traffic creation if you master either of these you will be rich forever.
      Regards
      vivi62
      Hello vivi62! Thanks! Yes, I've heard these, too. It's the IM mantra that that's as popular to IM'ers as the rosary is to Catholics, but what I am at a loss about is how to start mastering these skills...
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      • Profile picture of the author slw081066
        Originally Posted by jss1008 View Post

        Hello vivi62! Thanks! Yes, I've heard these, too. It's the IM mantra that that's as popular to IM'ers as the rosary is to Catholics, but what I am at a loss about is how to start mastering these skills...
        You master the skills by doing.
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        • Profile picture of the author jss1008
          Originally Posted by slw081066 View Post

          You master the skills by doing.
          Hello slw! Yes, we do. Thing is, people like me need guidance on how to do what to do. :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
    Originally Posted by jss1008 View Post

    Hello,

    I'm not particularly new, and I have tried learning IM by buying WSO's and have not gone anywhere with it.

    This is really what I want to do but I have been "running around in circles" that I can't figure out what to do.

    I want to start fresh and think of myself as having heard of IM for the first time right now.

    Where do you think is the best place to start?

    As I haven't done a good job at doing this on my own, is there some sort of a study group or workshop that doesn't cost an arm and a leg to join?

    Thanks for your help guys!
    It would help us more if you shared what exactly you've been doing. This way we can point out your weaknesses as well as the things you've been doing well.

    RoD
    Signature
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    - Jim Rohn
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by Rod Cortez View Post

      It would help us more if you shared what exactly you've been doing. This way we can point out your weaknesses as well as the things you've been doing well.

      RoD
      Hello Rod Cortez! Thanks for your response. That's exactly what my problem is. The only thing I've done so far is accumulate information. As much as I'm embarassed about admitting it, it's exactly where I'm at, and I don't know how and where to proceed.
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  • Profile picture of the author rooze
    You can't really start over from day one since you can't really undo experience gained, and why would you want to?

    So start out by understanding what you have learned so far.
    1 - Hopefully you know by now that you won't find success inside of a WSO.
    2 - You now know that if you throw a vague thread out on the WF you're going to get a lot of vague responses, like this one.
    3 - You're leaning towards some form of collective/collaborative effort. Why not pitch us what you have to offer and see if there's a mentor/partner opportunity?
    4 - ?
    5 - ?
    6 - ?

    Give people a chance of helping you by being more specific in your requests for help.
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by rooze View Post

      You can't really start over from day one since you can't really undo experience gained, and why would you want to?

      So start out by understanding what you have learned so far.
      1 - Hopefully you know by now that you won't find success inside of a WSO.
      2 - You now know that if you throw a vague thread out on the WF you're going to get a lot of vague responses, like this one.
      3 - You're leaning towards some form of collective/collaborative effort. Why not pitch us what you have to offer and see if there's a mentor/partner opportunity?
      4 - ?
      5 - ?
      6 - ?

      Give people a chance of helping you by being more specific in your requests for help.
      Hello Rooze! Thanks for the input. The reason I want to start fresh is that I feel like I've short-circuited myself somehow and somewhere by doing what I did, and I must admit that my post, being a spur of the moment, is frankly vague, which again, shows where I'm actually at.
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      • Profile picture of the author weighttrainer
        I found most WSO's were a waste of time when I started.

        Wordpress Goldmine by Mark Thompson's very good for newbies
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        • Profile picture of the author jss1008
          Originally Posted by weighttrainer View Post

          I found most WSO's were a waste of time when I started.

          Wordpress Goldmine by Mark Thompson's very good for newbies
          Hello weighttrainer! Thank you for the insight! Isn't a blanket statement about WSO's being a waste of time in general a little bit extreme, though? There are those who vouch, even swear on how certain WSO's did wonders for their bottom lines.

          My main argument about WSO's is that more often than not, creators say that their WSO's are fool-proof, newbie-proof, that there is no need to purchase OTO's or upsells to reap the benefit/s of their system/s, only to find out that the WSO's are step 1 of their system, and for the system to truly work the wonders they claim to do in their pitch, a user generally has to do the upsells or take part in a more expensive offer...

          Just saying...
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  • Profile picture of the author wangxiangpk
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      [DELETED]
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      • Profile picture of the author rooze
        ^^
        Please don't quote spam comments, they will remain within your quote once the original has been deleted
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        • Profile picture of the author jss1008
          Originally Posted by rooze View Post

          ^^
          Please don't quote spam comments, they will remain within your quote once the original has been deleted
          Sorry about that, rooze! It was just that I was doing some studying and I thought there was a response to my thread, and I went here immediately to see what's up, only to find the post.

          I'm do not intend to be rude to anyone but you know... I think there are threads for ads like those in here, somewhere...

          Sorry again, and thanks for letting me know that irrelevant posts will be deleted anyways
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  • Profile picture of the author jss1008
    This is intended for retsced; I am unable to send PM's yet, but thanks for your PM! Followed the link you provided and seen the initial video.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lee Murray
    Howdy!

    Yep, everyone who said to focus on just one thing is spot on with their advice.

    Lee McIntyre calls it "going deep into your niche," as opposed to going wide across multiple niches. And my advice is to take THAT advice literally and choose just ONE niche to work for an entire year!

    Hell, pick just ONE product to promote for an entire year.

    The niche you select will depend largely upon your business model. If you're a list builder, for example, you should stay within the IM space as you'll have the most JV opportunities.

    If you're wanting to blog your way to the top, and make a full-time income that way, then there are lots of paths that you can take, but I'd personally recommend picking a health-related topic that really gets people's attention, i.e. gout, tinnitus, hair loss, or something else that folks are desperate to receive a solution for.

    In any event, pick one niche, one product, and one business model. Focus on it and work at it every day. Don't alter your approach. Find the WSO(s) that make(s) the most sense to you and give it the old college try with everything you've got.

    The most important thing is choosing just one niche and going deep. Focus, study, and become an expert in your niche. Anyone who tells you to "dabble" in multiple niches is steering you in the wrong direction. This is 4 years of IM experience talking.
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    • Profile picture of the author Nightengale
      IM CAN be very confusing and overwhelming. Believe me, I know! Been there, done that.

      Clarity is a HUGE part of IM success. I hope this post brings some clarity. It's so simple when you know it -- and darn difficult when you don't! I owe my mentors a world of thanks for bringing this clarity.

      IM is actually pretty simple: you can sell only one of two things:

      1. Products
      2. Services

      That's it!

      And selling products or services online happens in the same basic way for everyone, no matter what they're selling:

      Traffic > Opt-in page > Autoresponder series (or e-zine) > Sales page

      That's it! It's just that simple. (We IMers tend to overcomplicate things.)

      But no matter what your niche is, or whether you're selling a product or a service, do you know what your business model is?

      A business model is the framework or skeleton of your business. Essentially there are three types of online business models:

      1. Membership-based model

      A membership-based business model allows you to build a community of people (your members) who are as passionate about your subject as you are. Your membership fees can be monthly or annual, but either way, you're building recurring, passive income.

      There are a lot of resources and information out there to help you build a membership-based business if you're interested in doing this.

      2. Product-based model

      Selling products allows you to maximize your time and effort by selling items over and over again. This can be hard goods or it can be information products. Information marketing is it's own business model under the product-based model. Information marketing allows you to take your brain to the bank by creating a product ONCE based on what you know and selling it over and over again.

      Affiliate marketing falls under both models. You can choose to market either products or services as an affiliate.

      3. Service-based model

      Selling services can be great for 1) generating quick cash (as in the case of article writing or video producing) and 2) establishing your expertise and getting testimonials.

      However, in the long run, your goal should be to offer services at a PREMIUM. The biggest advantage of IM is LEVERAGE. You're able to leverage your time, money and expertise exponentially online. We all have just 24 hours each day. Time to get ruthless about what you expect for those hours you spend in IM each day. Expect more of yourself and more from your business friends, clients, partners, etc.

      What results are you getting for those hours you spend online each day? Ultimately, your services should be at the bottom of your funnel and cost the most since they involve your time and personal attention. (We all have a limited amount of time each day.)

      The fun (and confusion) comes in with all of the endless mix-and-match possibilities of the above models. If you're just starting or still struggling to make money, keep it simple:

      Pick just ONE!

      1. Pick ONE niche. (Something you're interested in and know something about.)

      2. Pick ONE target market for your product or service. (Who will buy what you're offering? The more specific you are, the more you narrow it down, the more successful you'll be.)

      3. Pick ONE business model.

      Now that you're clear about what business you're in, FOCUS! (And stop buying any info not related to your niche and target market, period!)

      F -- Follow
      O -- One
      C -- Course
      U -- Until
      S -- Successful

      And remember: build a list, Build a List, BUILD A LIST!

      In IM, it's easy to put the cart before the horse. Take a deep breath, step back and consider what type of business you're REALLY want. Don't worry about getting traffic or buying that expensive traffic product until you know 1) what your business model is, 2) what niche you're in and 3) WHO your target market is!

      Successful business people will tell you that MARKETING is more than half the effort that's needed for success anyway. So pick a niche, target market and business model. Then spend most of your time and effort marketing it.

      If you DON'T have a solid plan or system, THAT'S when it's hard. A good system will shave YEARS (and save you big $$$) off of your learning curve

      That's why I recommend investing in at least one good, comprehensive IM course (or mentor who will give you such a system) instead of jumping from one $37 e-book to the next. A lot of people here complain about not being able to make any money. But neither are they willing to invest in their business. (Buying a random bunch of $37 e-books doesn't count.)

      The best thing I ever did was invest in a comprehensive IM course aimed at REAL business owners, not just other IM wannabes. Yes it was $1500. (It's no longer available.) But it was truly some of the best A-Z IM info I ever bought. Everything else I've learned (from the $37 e-books) since has simply been plugged into this system.

      Get a solid plan or system and then work the plan!

      Hope this helps!

      Michelle
      Signature
      "You can't market here. This is a marketing discussion forum!"
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      • Profile picture of the author jss1008
        Originally Posted by Nightengale View Post

        IM CAN be very confusing and overwhelming. Believe me, I know! Been there, done that.

        Clarity is a HUGE part of IM success. I hope this post brings some clarity. It's so simple when you know it -- and darn difficult when you don't! I owe my mentors a world of thanks for bringing this clarity.

        IM is actually pretty simple: you can sell only one of two things:

        1. Products
        2. Services

        That's it!

        And selling products or services online happens in the same basic way for everyone, no matter what they're selling:

        Traffic > Opt-in page > Autoresponder series (or e-zine) > Sales page

        That's it! It's just that simple. (We IMers tend to overcomplicate things.)

        But no matter what your niche is, or whether you're selling a product or a service, do you know what your business model is?

        A business model is the framework or skeleton of your business. Essentially there are three types of online business models:

        1. Membership-based model

        A membership-based business model allows you to build a community of people (your members) who are as passionate about your subject as you are. Your membership fees can be monthly or annual, but either way, you're building recurring, passive income.

        There are a lot of resources and information out there to help you build a membership-based business if you're interested in doing this.

        2. Product-based model

        Selling products allows you to maximize your time and effort by selling items over and over again. This can be hard goods or it can be information products. Information marketing is it's own business model under the product-based model. Information marketing allows you to take your brain to the bank by creating a product ONCE based on what you know and selling it over and over again.

        Affiliate marketing falls under both models. You can choose to market either products or services as an affiliate.

        3. Service-based model

        Selling services can be great for 1) generating quick cash (as in the case of article writing or video producing) and 2) establishing your expertise and getting testimonials.

        However, in the long run, your goal should be to offer services at a PREMIUM. The biggest advantage of IM is LEVERAGE. You're able to leverage your time, money and expertise exponentially online. We all have just 24 hours each day. Time to get ruthless about what you expect for those hours you spend in IM each day. Expect more of yourself and more from your business friends, clients, partners, etc.

        What results are you getting for those hours you spend online each day? Ultimately, your services should be at the bottom of your funnel and cost the most since they involve your time and personal attention. (We all have a limited amount of time each day.)

        The fun (and confusion) comes in with all of the endless mix-and-match possibilities of the above models. If you're just starting or still struggling to make money, keep it simple:

        Pick just ONE!

        1. Pick ONE niche. (Something you're interested in and know something about.)

        2. Pick ONE target market for your product or service. (Who will buy what you're offering? The more specific you are, the more you narrow it down, the more successful you'll be.)

        3. Pick ONE business model.

        Now that you're clear about what business you're in, FOCUS! (And stop buying any info not related to your niche and target market, period!)

        F -- Follow
        O -- One
        C -- Course
        U -- Until
        S -- Successful

        And remember: build a list, Build a List, BUILD A LIST!

        In IM, it's easy to put the cart before the horse. Take a deep breath, step back and consider what type of business you're REALLY want. Don't worry about getting traffic or buying that expensive traffic product until you know 1) what your business model is, 2) what niche you're in and 3) WHO your target market is!

        Successful business people will tell you that MARKETING is more than half the effort that's needed for success anyway. So pick a niche, target market and business model. Then spend most of your time and effort marketing it.

        If you DON'T have a solid plan or system, THAT'S when it's hard. A good system will shave YEARS (and save you big $$$) off of your learning curve

        That's why I recommend investing in at least one good, comprehensive IM course (or mentor who will give you such a system) instead of jumping from one $37 e-book to the next. A lot of people here complain about not being able to make any money. But neither are they willing to invest in their business. (Buying a random bunch of $37 e-books doesn't count.)

        The best thing I ever did was invest in a comprehensive IM course aimed at REAL business owners, not just other IM wannabes. Yes it was $1500. (It's no longer available.) But it was truly some of the best A-Z IM info I ever bought. Everything else I've learned (from the $37 e-books) since has simply been plugged into this system.

        Get a solid plan or system and then work the plan!

        Hope this helps!

        Michelle
        Wow, Michelle! Thanks! I actually copied and pasted your reply in Word! For a reply to a random question, this really is solid advise. I actually have a WSO in mind that wasn't worth anything to me that I feel I've been reimbursed for with just reading your comment.

        Thanks again, and I will post this on my fridge to serve as a "map marker."

        Edit: I also have an emailed copy which I saved,
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by Lee Murray View Post

      Howdy!

      Yep, everyone who said to focus on just one thing is spot on with their advice.

      Lee McIntyre calls it "going deep into your niche," as opposed to going wide across multiple niches. And my advice is to take THAT advice literally and choose just ONE niche to work for an entire year!

      Hell, pick just ONE product to promote for an entire year.

      The niche you select will depend largely upon your business model. If you're a list builder, for example, you should stay within the IM space as you'll have the most JV opportunities.

      If you're wanting to blog your way to the top, and make a full-time income that way, then there are lots of paths that you can take, but I'd personally recommend picking a health-related topic that really gets people's attention, i.e. gout, tinnitus, hair loss, or something else that folks are desperate to receive a solution for.

      In any event, pick one niche, one product, and one business model. Focus on it and work at it every day. Don't alter your approach. Find the WSO(s) that make(s) the most sense to you and give it the old college try with everything you've got.

      The most important thing is choosing just one niche and going deep. Focus, study, and become an expert in your niche. Anyone who tells you to "dabble" in multiple niches is steering you in the wrong direction. This is 4 years of IM experience talking.
      Hi Lee! Thanks for your input! What can I say, except it makes so much sense! I think the problem I have now is that I get keeping emails/offers from the list I am in with, and I end up being impressed with the sales letters I read for the WSO's.

      Don't take me wrong, but it may be the sense of desperation I'm experiencing here, and it's becoming an addiction, I'm afraid to admit. It's just that "success" is so seductive.

      I'm actually looking at what I have now, listing them in order to see which I am liking the most, and will go that direction.

      In the meantime, I am thinking of unsubscribing from most, if not all of the lists I am in, to really have focus...

      Will this be the right thing to do though?
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      • Profile picture of the author Lee Murray
        Originally Posted by jss1008 View Post

        Hi Lee! Thanks for your input! What can I say, except it makes so much sense! I think the problem I have now is that I get keeping emails/offers from the list I am in with, and I end up being impressed with the sales letters I read for the WSO's.

        Don't take me wrong, but it may be the sense of desperation I'm experiencing here, and it's becoming an addiction, I'm afraid to admit. It's just that "success" is so seductive.

        I'm actually looking at what I have now, listing them in order to see which I am liking the most, and will go that direction.

        In the meantime, I am thinking of unsubscribing from most, if not all of the lists I am in, to really have focus...

        Will this be the right thing to do though?
        Perfectly understood about other people's sales pages being seductive.

        As for whether you should unsubscribe or not depends on a few things. If you're growing an email list, for example, you may want to stay on their lists so that you can JV with them down the line.

        I have a separate gmail account that I actually use to sign up for as many other marketers' lists as possible. I then contact many of them for JV partnerships (after I've been on their lists for a while, that is).

        Additionally, if you intend to be a product creator, you may want to examine both their emails and offer pages. If their stuff is "seductive" to you, then you can damn well bet that others are being seduced, too!

        Why not model YOUR emails and YOUR offer pages after these other marketers? In other words, identify what it is about their communications that make you want to take action and implement these elements in YOUR communications with YOUR customers!

        Don't think of these other marketers as your "gurus" or whatever, but rather as your peers and (if you plan to play in the IM niche) potential JV partners... it just makes good sense.

        Finally, if you've not already been exposed to this particular analogy, consider the California Gold Rush of the mid 1800's. While there were some folks making a killing by digging up gold "in them there hills," the really big bucks were made by the vendors who sold the picks and shovels!

        At some point you've GOT to stop BUYING the tools and start SELLING the tools. Right?
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        • Profile picture of the author jss1008
          Originally Posted by Lee Murray View Post

          Perfectly understood about other people's sales pages being seductive.

          As for whether you should unsubscribe or not depends on a few things. If you're growing an email list, for example, you may want to stay on their lists so that you can JV with them down the line.

          I have a separate gmail account that I actually use to sign up for as many other marketers' lists as possible. I then contact many of them for JV partnerships (after I've been on their lists for a while, that is).

          Additionally, if you intend to be a product creator, you may want to examine both their emails and offer pages. If their stuff is "seductive" to you, then you can damn well bet that others are being seduced, too!

          Why not model YOUR emails and YOUR offer pages after these other marketers? In other words, identify what it is about their communications that make you want to take action and implement these elements in YOUR communications with YOUR customers!

          Don't think of these other marketers as your "gurus" or whatever, but rather as your peers and (if you plan to play in the IM niche) potential JV partners... it just makes good sense.

          Finally, if you've not already been exposed to this particular analogy, consider the California Gold Rush of the mid 1800's. While there were some folks making a killing by digging up gold "in them there hills," the really big bucks were made by the vendors who sold the picks and shovels!

          At some point you've GOT to stop BUYING the tools and start SELLING the tools. Right?
          Hello Lee! I can only say Amen to that
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        • Profile picture of the author celente
          Originally Posted by Lee Murray View Post

          Perfectly understood about other people's sales pages being seductive.

          As for whether you should unsubscribe or not depends on a few things. If you're growing an email list, for example, you may want to stay on their lists so that you can JV with them down the line.

          I have a separate gmail account that I actually use to sign up for as many other marketers' lists as possible. I then contact many of them for JV partnerships (after I've been on their lists for a while, that is).

          Additionally, if you intend to be a product creator, you may want to examine both their emails and offer pages. If their stuff is "seductive" to you, then you can damn well bet that others are being seduced, too!

          Why not model YOUR emails and YOUR offer pages after these other marketers? In other words, identify what it is about their communications that make you want to take action and implement these elements in YOUR communications with YOUR customers!

          Don't think of these other marketers as your "gurus" or whatever, but rather as your peers and (if you plan to play in the IM niche) potential JV partners... it just makes good sense.

          Finally, if you've not already been exposed to this particular analogy, consider the California Gold Rush of the mid 1800's. While there were some folks making a killing by digging up gold "in them there hills," the really big bucks were made by the vendors who sold the picks and shovels!

          At some point you've GOT to stop BUYING the tools and start SELLING the tools. Right?
          Alexa is right, at some point you have to realise it is not what others are telling you, it is that you are not doing things right.

          I have always made money online easily two ways.....

          1) Hanging around and meeting up with people that make more money than me each day.

          2) reverse engineering the sites that are killing it online


          I was in your position once, and these two things seemed to get me out of the rut, if you know what I mean.

          I now make a living on clickbank, and living the ultimate lifestyle.

          I think it was John Reese (famous internet marketer) who once said this. "To be successful just keep doing the things that are working and less of what is not working".... that is true, but I can understand it is frustrating to find something that is working. That is why I said I hang around others and see what is working for them, and then try to incorporate that into my business. That has not only help me survive online, but thrive.

          Hope this helps.
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          • Profile picture of the author jss1008
            Originally Posted by celente View Post

            Alexa is right, at some point you have to realise it is not what others are telling you, it is that you are not doing things right.

            I have always made money online easily two ways.....

            1) Hanging around and meeting up with people that make more money than me each day.

            2) reverse engineering the sites that are killing it online


            I was in your position once, and these two things seemed to get me out of the rut, if you know what I mean.

            I now make a living on clickbank, and living the ultimate lifestyle.

            I think it was John Reese (famous internet marketer) who once said this. "To be successful just keep doing the things that are working and less of what is not working".... that is true, but I can understand it is frustrating to find something that is working. That is why I said I hang around others and see what is working for them, and then try to incorporate that into my business. That has not only help me survive online, but thrive.

            Hope this helps.
            Hello Celente! Thank you for your post. Of course it helps! I think actually starting a thread here and asking people is a step in the right direction, virtually "hanging around people who have made more money online than me," yes? :-)

            Reverse engineering "killing it" sites sounds too foreign to me at the moment. This is what I want to accomplish someday.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mantasmo
    Why are you even on any lists? Why did you buy all those WSOs? Were you looking for something specific or just a magical way to make money?

    Look, it's simple. This is business. You need to work hard day in and day out. You have to be able to take hits and keep moving forward. Every single day. No WSOs, no lists/emails, no reading forums and blogs all day long. Those things don't count as work (except for those who actually sell products on forums, through email, etc).

    Want to run a marathon? You've got to train hard. Want to run a successful business (online or offline)? You've got to work hard. There is no other way.

    Stop blaming others, stop making excuses, stop dreaming about easy money and beautiful places/easy life. Stop trying to "learn" a little bit of everything. Get to work.
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by bnetwork View Post

      Why are you even on any lists? Why did you buy all those WSOs? Were you looking for something specific or just a magical way to make money?

      Look, it's simple. This is business. You need to work hard day in and day out. You have to be able to take hits and keep moving forward. Every single day. No WSOs, no lists/emails, no reading forums and blogs all day long. Those things don't count as work (except for those who actually sell products on forums, through email, etc).

      Want to run a marathon? You've got to train hard. Want to run a successful business (online or offline)? You've got to work hard. There is no other way.

      Stop blaming others, stop making excuses, stop dreaming about easy money and beautiful places/easy life. Stop trying to "learn" a little bit of everything. Get to work.
      Hello bnetwork! Thanks so much for the reply. I am not blaming anyone else but me. In my search to learn the business, I was getting sidetracked, not other people's fault, completely mine.
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      • Profile picture of the author Mantasmo
        Originally Posted by jss1008 View Post

        Hello bnetwork! Thanks so much for the reply. I am not blaming anyone else but me. In my search to learn the business, I was getting sidetracked, not other people's fault, completely mine.
        Don't let things sidetrack you so easily. You're better than that.

        Define a clear goal - anything you want to do (in this case some sort of online business) - and go after it with laser focus. Don't let anything stop you until you get there. You'll learn heaps and that experience is going to help you tremendously in the future - reading forums and WSOs won't do this. The more mistakes you make and keep going forward, the easier it gets. Trust me.

        Good luck!
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        • Profile picture of the author jss1008
          Originally Posted by bnetwork View Post

          Don't let things sidetrack you so easily. You're better than that.

          Define a clear goal - anything you want to do (in this case some sort of online business) - and go after it with laser focus. Don't let anything stop you until you get there. You'll learn heaps and that experience is going to help you tremendously in the future - reading forums and WSOs won't do this. The more mistakes you make and keep going forward, the easier it gets. Trust me.

          Good luck!
          Hello bnetwork! Thanks for the encouragement!
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  • Profile picture of the author tunity
    The solution is....Stop consuming....start producing....

    I got my feet wet first by creating a 5 page report that solves a problem and gave it out for free.

    The more i create...the better i got at producing....

    Spare 2 hours of your time, write a 5 page article that solve a problem......convert it to PDF...and give it out for free...


    Trust me, when you do, you'll have a sense of accomplishment and you'll discover that its not so difficult to create then....
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by tunity View Post

      The solution is....Stop consuming....start producing....

      I got my feet wet first by creating a 5 page report that solves a problem and gave it out for free.

      The more i create...the better i got at producing....

      Spare 2 hours of your time, write a 5 page article that solve a problem......convert it to PDF...and give it out for free...

      Trust me, when you do, you'll have a sense of accomplishment and you'll discover that its not so difficult to create then....
      Hello tunity! Thanks for your response. I should do as you say, for sure.
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    • Profile picture of the author Nightengale
      Originally Posted by tunity View Post

      The solution is....Stop consuming....start producing....

      I got my feet wet first by creating a 5 page report that solves a problem and gave it out for free.

      The more i create...the better i got at producing....

      Spare 2 hours of your time, write a 5 page article that solve a problem......convert it to PDF...and give it out for free...


      Trust me, when you do, you'll have a sense of accomplishment and you'll discover that its not so difficult to create then....
      This is the kind of well-meaning advice that's worthless unless you've already chosen a business model, niche and target market. (No insult intended.)

      Same goes for blogging. Blogging is NOT a business model! Yes, you CAN set up a blog, fill it with content and then either plaster it with AdSense ads or put affiliate or CPA offers in there.

      I know people have made money as affiliates. Personally, that's not my style. CPA offers are even worse because they can be pulled at any time and you have no control over anything.

      There are much more solid, quicker ways to make money online. You want to build a long-term asset and build equity with your business. So set your goal to create your own product or service.

      But you CAN get a fast start by choosing affiliate products or services similar to what you intend to offer and testing it to see if there's a market. You'll get up and running much faster than if you wait to create your own product. BUT, don't make offering affiliate products your end goal. Your end goal should be to offer your own products/services as quickly as possible. After that, you can offer affiliate products/services just as the icing on the cake of your own products and services.

      Blogging is a good way to get traffic, attract interested people to you and promote yourself and your products/services. It is NOT a business model! I'm always surprised at how many people decide to "blog for money." No wonder they don't make any money!

      Same thing goes for WSO's. People say "stop buying WSOs and work with what you've already bought." Trouble is, WSOs tend to focus on one particular tactic or strategy. They DO NOT give you a business model, niche or target market. Unless you already have these in place, WSOs are grossly incomplete. Hence, the high failure rate when buyers try to apply them. Unfortunately, people buy WSO after WSO hoping for a complete blueprint. By their nature, they're NOT complete blueprints.

      Again, pick a business model, a niche and a target market. THEN decide which WSOs apply to your choices. Maybe none of them will. Then decide your next step: market affiliate products or services or create your own.

      Then, market, market, market!

      Hope that helps!

      Michelle
      Signature
      "You can't market here. This is a marketing discussion forum!"
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      • Profile picture of the author jss1008
        Originally Posted by Nightengale View Post

        This is the kind of well-meaning advice that's worthless unless you've already chosen a business model, niche and target market. (No insult intended.)

        Same goes for blogging. Blogging is NOT a business model! Yes, you CAN set up a blog, fill it with content and then either plaster it with AdSense ads or put affiliate or CPA offers in there.

        I know people have made money as affiliates. Personally, that's not my style. CPA offers are even worse because they can be pulled at any time and you have no control over anything.

        There are much more solid, quicker ways to make money online. You want to build a long-term asset and build equity with your business. So set your goal to create your own product or service.

        But you CAN get a fast start by choosing affiliate products or services similar to what you intend to offer and testing it to see if there's a market. You'll get up and running much faster than if you wait to create your own product. BUT, don't make offering affiliate products your end goal. Your end goal should be to offer your own products/services as quickly as possible. After that, you can offer affiliate products/services just as the icing on the cake of your own products and services.

        Blogging is a good way to get traffic, attract interested people to you and promote yourself and your products/services. It is NOT a business model! I'm always surprised at how many people decide to "blog for money." No wonder they don't make any money!

        Same thing goes for WSO's. People say "stop buying WSOs and work with what you've already bought." Trouble is, WSOs tend to focus on one particular tactic or strategy. They DO NOT give you a business model, niche or target market. Unless you already have these in place, WSOs are grossly incomplete. Hence, the high failure rate when buyers try to apply them. Unfortunately, people buy WSO after WSO hoping for a complete blueprint. By their nature, they're NOT complete blueprints.

        Again, pick a business model, a niche and a target market. THEN decide which WSOs apply to your choices. Maybe none of them will. Then decide your next step: market affiliate products or services or create your own.

        Then, market, market, market!

        Hope that helps!

        Michelle
        Hello Michelle! Yes, I agree... people's comments here have been from good intentions so everyone deserves a sincere "thank you."

        And I really can't say much more about what you said except you're correct.

        I am unsure as to whether you have seen my response to Mike's post earlier, but I am leaning towards affiliate marketing in the meantime, as creating my own product as this point is not only NIL but outrageously pretentious! LOL
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  • Profile picture of the author veheme
    I think the best first lesson is to understand how internet marketing goes. Understand the many ways of doing internet marketing and simply learn theory first before any technique or WSO.
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by MrJayJay View Post

      I think the best first lesson is to understand how internet marketing goes. Understand the many ways of doing internet marketing and simply learn theory first before any technique or WSO.
      Hello MrJayJay! Thank you for your response. Yes, this is correct.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rick Britton
    been at the desperation stage about 6 months ago, it was horrible. I now have some light at the end of the tunnel...

    just hope it is not an express train come towards me
    Signature

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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by Rick Britton View Post

      been at the desperation stage about 6 months ago, it was horrible. I now have some light at the end of the tunnel...

      just hope it is not an express train come towards me
      Hello Rick! I definitely hear ya!
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  • Profile picture of the author LetsGoViral
    Do you have any particular skills? What education do you hold?

    What has worked for you in the past when it comes to making money online?
    Signature
    Time of thinking is over.
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    • Profile picture of the author Lee Murray
      Originally Posted by LetsGoViral View Post

      Do you have any particular skills? What education do you hold?

      What has worked for you in the past when it comes to making money online?
      Yes, I would be interested in hearing the answers to these questions, as well.
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by LetsGoViral View Post

      Do you have any particular skills? What education do you hold?

      What has worked for you in the past when it comes to making money online?
      Hi LetsGoViral! I can't PM you the Answers as I have yet to earn the required number of posts, LOL, but as mentioned above, I actually have a degree in Psychology, although I worked for various orgs and in various capacities that I really don't know what I am an expert of. I believe I am good at tasks that I am given, whatever they may be...

      I have never made any money online yet, it's the thing :-)
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      • Profile picture of the author JaynKeth
        Originally Posted by jss1008 View Post

        Hi LetsGoViral! I can't PM you the Answers as I have yet to earn the required number of posts, LOL, but as mentioned above, I actually have a degree in Psychology, although I worked for various orgs and in various capacities that I really don't know what I am an expert of. I believe I am good at tasks that I am given, whatever they may be...

        I have never made any money online yet, it's the thing :-)
        Hey.. i asked the same questions when i first started... I have not make any money yet. Then I asked myself back, why are you not making money. Then I looked into what I have done, and the answer was "I had not sell anything yet!" I did a lot in the beginning, learning to setup a site, learning on email marketing, learning to do SEO, learning to do this and that... and I have nont out anything into real action. How I am going to make sales! I decided to FOCUS on one area that I like and work on it, and yes.. i clinched a sale.

        So, you should also look back and see whats your problem and fix our problem.
        Signature
        Stay consistent and FOCUS!
        This is the best system to succeed in internet marketing.
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      • Profile picture of the author mysterrio
        One thing I would suggest is that you find some high search/ low comp. keywords for something. Once you do this, find a product to sell or create one and build a website around this topic.

        Keep in mind you can use long tail keywords like: "make up tips for brown eyes" or "makeup tips for brown eyes" and get some good search results. You can make a small fortune oiff of these smaller markets if you do it right.

        The key however is to focus. Take one idea at a time and move forward. I hope that helps you.
        Signature

        The Gurus Have Lied To You: Learn Internet Marketing For FREE. Don't Spend Another Penny Before You Read My FREE REPORT. Go here: http://internetmarketingdude.xyz

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  • Profile picture of the author Brendan Carl
    Start an authority blog on a topic that you love, but make sure that there are buyers. Then, create one or two articles per day. Make 3/4 of these be pure informational articles (it would be good to base each of these off one or two long tail keywords, with a low keyword density, to get some search engine traffic). Make the other 1/4 be product reviews of amazon products (with affiliate links).

    Profit.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike Hill
    You need to focus and put together a plan. Focus on what it is you want to achieve but it must also be within what you believe you can achieve.

    Make sense?

    Start with a short term goal... Then figure out what it is you want to concentrate on. Is it affiliate marketing? Is is Adsense? Is it article syndication? Is it creating your own information products? Is it selling physical products through Amazon?

    Once you figure out what it is you want to be doing then all you have to do is decide how you are going to get there.

    Then, you need to stick with your plan and make it work. Trouble is so many people leap from one thing to another on a weekly basis because they see something else that interests them that might be easier than what they are currently doing so they continually stop and start many different things.
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by Mike Hill View Post

      You need to focus and put together a plan. Focus on what it is you want to achieve but it must also be within what you believe you can achieve.

      Make sense?

      Start with a short term goal... Then figure out what it is you want to concentrate on. Is it affiliate marketing? Is is Adsense? Is it article syndication? Is it creating your own information products? Is it selling physical products through Amazon?

      Once you figure out what it is you want to be doing then all you have to do is decide how you are going to get there.

      Then, you need to stick with your plan and make it work. Trouble is so many people leap from one thing to another on a weekly basis because they see something else that interests them that might be easier than what they are currently doing so they continually stop and start many different things.
      Hello Mike! Thanks for the comment. Sure does make sense! I have always wanted to start with Affiliate Marketing as that is the route that sounds most sensible...
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      • Profile picture of the author Mike Hill
        Originally Posted by jss1008 View Post

        Hello Mike! Thanks for the comment. Sure does make sense! I have always wanted to start with Affiliate Marketing as that is the route that sounds most sensible...
        Okay, no problem... that's one of the easiest ways to get started while developing your marketing skills.

        Now, first realize it isn't easy. A lot of people go for an entire year without making a sale, but the people who stick it out and finally make their first sale and excited beyond belief and that does something to them. They are then able to make sales more consistently.

        The reason for that is they had no confidence in what they were doing. That's why it took them so long to make a sale.

        You need to have the mental toughness to just go for it, realize you will make mistakes but the difference in those mistakes is learning something from it.

        So many people fret over the small details and never put forth massive action. You need to take massive action.

        If affiliate marketing is what you want to do great! Affiliate marketing is all about conversion. Get your promotion in front of enough people and you will make sales. Test and track everything you do because that will tell you what's working for you and what's a waste of time.

        If I were just starting out in affiliate marketing here's what I would do:

        1) Pick a hot niche I know something about.

        2) Find the markets biggest problems and questions about those problems.

        3) Create several Special Reports addressing those problems and giving them away at free ebook sites.

        4) Create videos to answer questions about those problems.

        5) Divert all the traffic to my squeeze page and build a list.

        6) Create complimentary products to enhance the products I am selling. If it's software create "how to" videos to demonstrate the product and offer that as a special bonus if people buy through your link.

        7) Look for traffic getting opportunities.
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        • Profile picture of the author jss1008
          Originally Posted by Mike Hill View Post

          Okay, no problem... that's one of the easiest ways to get started while developing your marketing skills.

          Now, first realize it isn't easy. A lot of people go for an entire year without making a sale, but the people who stick it out and finally make their first sale and excited beyond belief and that does something to them. They are then able to make sales more consistently.

          The reason for that is they had no confidence in what they were doing. That's why it took them so long to make a sale.

          You need to have the mental toughness to just go for it, realize you will make mistakes but the difference in those mistakes is learning something from it.

          So many people fret over the small details and never put forth massive action. You need to take massive action.

          If affiliate marketing is what you want to do great! Affiliate marketing is all about conversion. Get your promotion in front of enough people and you will make sales. Test and track everything you do because that will tell you what's working for you and what's a waste of time.

          If I were just starting out in affiliate marketing here's what I would do:

          1) Pick a hot niche I know something about.

          2) Find the markets biggest problems and questions about those problems.

          3) Create several Special Reports addressing those problems and giving them away at free ebook sites.

          4) Create videos to answer questions about those problems.

          5) Divert all the traffic to my squeeze page and build a list.

          6) Create complimentary products to enhance the products I am selling. If it's software create "how to" videos to demonstrate the product and offer that as a special bonus if people buy through your link.

          7) Look for traffic getting opportunities.
          Hello Mike! Now this is another cut-and-paste reply to keep a hard copy of, thanks! I almost want to ask for your email address so I can ask how these 7 steps are actually done, :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author cjw7865
    Hiya jss1008. Im here only to thank you for this thread as alot of the answers cover my lack of making money online. Thanks to all the people here trying to give jss1008 a path to follow as it has opened my eyes to where I can adjust not only my tactics, but my mentality as well. So good luck to all us newbies and once again... thank you all for your great advice.
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by cjw7865 View Post

      Hiya jss1008. Im here only to thank you for this thread as alot of the answers cover my lack of making money online. Thanks to all the people here trying to give jss1008 a path to follow as it has opened my eyes to where I can adjust not only my tactics, but my mentality as well. So good luck to all us newbies and once again... thank you all for your great advice.
      Hello cjw7865! Errr, thanks! I'm glad my desperation has had a helpful effect :p
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  • Profile picture of the author DubDubDubDot
    Originally Posted by jss1008 View Post

    Where do you think is the best place to start?
    What skills do you have? What are you bringing to the table?
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by DubDubDubDot View Post

      What skills do you have? What are you bringing to the table?
      Hello DubDubDubDot! Someone has asked me this a while back; I'm not sure what skills you are looking for in particular, but have been employed too long as to be task-oriented. I can do whatever anyone tells me to do, and do it well.

      I've been also called out to let go of the employee mentality, to be successful in IM; sadly it is exactly here where I need to start as I have not known or have been trained to do otherwise :-(.

      If you can tell me what skill sets you are specifically looking for, then I should be able to bring that to the table and possibly more.
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      • Profile picture of the author DubDubDubDot
        Originally Posted by jss1008 View Post

        If you can tell me what skill sets you are specifically looking for, then I should be able to bring that to the table and possibly more.
        I didn't mean it to sound like I'm hiring..... just asking what it is you can do since that plays a big role in working online.

        If you want this to be a true career, understand that the landscape is constantly changing and you need the skills to be able to adapt to this constant change or you'll end up writing "make money online!" .pdf pamphlets like 90% of this forum has been reduced to doing.

        At minimum, work on the following:

        Editorial writing
        Copy writing
        HTML and CSS
        Graphic design
        Advertising concepts

        This stuff constantly comes into play. And no, WordPress + template isn't a full substitute for knowing web design yourself. Even if you are going to use WP and free or paid templates, you've still got to understand the code to modify them to fit your project. Otherwise you are making your project fit the template and that isn't good. You'll end up thinking "Gee, I'd really like to put ____ over there on the side, but the template isn't designed for that."

        I'd recommend buying real books on these topics. Physical or digital form (I personally prefer physical books). Stick with stuff from the major publishing houses. Beware of buying .pdf material like "How to write explosive sales copy that makes your bank account burst!" That stuff is pure trash and written by idiots. Go on Amazon and buy a real book written by a real professional with a real education with real proven experience working at Coca-Cola, Sony, Honda or wherever.
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        • Profile picture of the author jss1008
          Originally Posted by DubDubDubDot View Post

          I didn't mean it to sound like I'm hiring..... just asking what it is you can do since that plays a big role in working online.

          If you want this to be a true career, understand that the landscape is constantly changing and you need the skills to be able to adapt to this constant change or you'll end up writing "make money online!" .pdf pamphlets like 90% of this forum has been reduced to doing.

          At minimum, work on the following:

          Editorial writing
          Copy writing
          HTML and CSS
          Graphic design
          Advertising concepts

          This stuff constantly comes into play. And no, WordPress + template isn't a full substitute for knowing web design yourself. Even if you are going to use WP and free or paid templates, you've still got to understand the code to modify them to fit your project. Otherwise you are making your project fit the template and that isn't good. You'll end up thinking "Gee, I'd really like to put ____ over there on the side, but the template isn't designed for that."

          I'd recommend buying real books on these topics. Physical or digital form (I personally prefer physical books). Stick with stuff from the major publishing houses. Beware of buying .pdf material like "How to write explosive sales copy that makes your bank account burst!" That stuff is pure trash and written by idiots. Go on Amazon and buy a real book written by a real professional with a real education with real proven experience working at Coca-Cola, Sony, Honda or wherever.
          Hello DubDubDubDot! Thanks for your response. I didn't take it to mean that you were hiring; I just wanted to find out what skills in particular you are looking for; besides, I am wanting to learn this skill precisely because I want to get out of being an employee.

          Your recommendations are sound and sensible and I appreciate it. Thank you so much again.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rick Britton
    just had a massive revelation this weekend

    massive action under way

    creating the funnel, the traffic and the products... and starting to get a list

    almost everything in place to go for the model given above
    Signature

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  • Profile picture of the author KenAnderson
    Congratulations!!

    This is supposed to be hard. Making money online is not easy and if anyone tells you it is they will eventually lie aboput something else! That is what makes it an incredible opportunity.

    Stop what you are doing. Don't purchase another program until you go through Russell Brunson's 30 day training program called DotComSecretsX. If you cannot generate clicks, get opt-in's and start making sales by completing that program in its entirety, you never will.

    I just finished it. It is the best online internet training I have ever experienced.

    You will be successful if you do not quit.
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by KenAnderson View Post

      Congratulations!!

      This is supposed to be hard. Making money online is not easy and if anyone tells you it is they will eventually lie aboput something else! That is what makes it an incredible opportunity.

      Stop what you are doing. Don't purchase another program until you go through Russell Brunson's 30 day training program called DotComSecretsX. If you cannot generate clicks, get opt-in's and start making sales by completing that program in its entirety, you never will.

      I just finished it. It is the best online internet training I have ever experienced.

      You will be successful if you do not quit.
      Hello Ken! Thanks for the info. I don't mind it being difficult. I just want to know what to do and how to do it, and people here have been generous with their suggestions :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author boxoun
    Interested in psychology but hard to get a good job from it? Others probably feel the same way. Start a psychology career guide. Discuss available opportunities. Interview doctors. Share your personal story. Curate news. Talk about all the possible jobs a psych major can expect to land. Monetize with ads.

    Great way to get going while you learn how to get visitors.

    Seems like you are confused because you keep learning and not doing when in fact doing is the only way to actuall learn.

    Good luck
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by boxoun View Post

      Interested in psychology but hard to get a good job from it? Others probably feel the same way. Start a psychology career guide. Discuss available opportunities. Interview doctors. Share your personal story. Curate news. Talk about all the possible jobs a psych major can expect to land. Monetize with ads.

      Great way to get going while you learn how to get visitors.

      Seems like you are confused because you keep learning and not doing when in fact doing is the only way to actuall learn.

      Good luck
      Hello boxoun! Noted and I must admit guilt to your observation. Thank you.
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  • Profile picture of the author lossman29
    START HUSTLING...That's all that's left to be said.
    Signature

    "There is light at the end of the tunnel. Have some faith and work hard. ALWAYS."

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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by lossage View Post

      START HUSTLING...That's all that's left to be said.
      Hello lossage! I believe you are correct. Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author debratorveny
    You have to think first of your forte, I agree that you have to focus on the things which you are good at, everything would just be a temptation, so start focusing on the things which you think you would excel.
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  • Profile picture of the author Paperchasing
    Originally Posted by jss1008 View Post

    I'm not particularly new, and I have tried learning IM by buying WSO's and have not gone anywhere with it.

    Okay, so we know you bought some WSOs. And what did you do with them? Did you do anything? How long did you do it? You haven't given us enough information to make a meaningful suggestion (although, as usual, some people have gone out of their way to try anyway).

    It looks like your plan was just to read, read, read until you understood everything, and then start working. Essentially, you're afraid of failure. Here's the thing: everybody fails. Failure is the surest way to success, as you have documented proof of things that don't work.

    It is completely unreasonable to expect to master internet marketing without any practical experience. For some reason, though, people love to read ideas and then never put them into practice. It's not as though this works for anything else, so why? If you learned math by just reading the books and never working on problems, how good at math do you think you would become? How effective would you imagine you could become at playing the violin by just memorizing note positions on the fretboard and never playing?

    This is where you appear to be now. You have purchased a ton of textbooks, but you're too afraid to do anything. As mentioned above, you should be asking yourself what you are good at, and what you have interest in. You should look at the WSOs and information you've purchased and consider why you chose them. You should choose something and start actually putting it to work. Of course you "haven't gotten anywhere," much in the same way a person who sits in a car and never starts it will never reach her destination. It doesn't matter how well the car handles or how fast it will go if it's sitting idly in your garage. Nobody ever got better at doing something by not doing it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      I just got suckered into WSO hoarding.
      It's a common illness around here.

      It's easy to have info overload - but easy to get over it. Some great info and advice in this thread - and some not so great but meant to be helpful.

      Pick one thing (affiliate marketing is fine) - follow one of the lists of steps given...and understand that each step requires using google searches and forum searches to LEARN to do that step. Master that step and move to the next one. Put on blinders and ignore new shiny objects until you get real traction in the method you have chosen.

      You don't need to know it all - you only need to learn what to do NEXT and how to get it done.

      kay
      Signature
      Saving one dog will not change the world - but the world changes forever for that one dog
      ***
      One secret to happiness is to let every situation be
      what it is instead of what you think it should be.
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      • Profile picture of the author jss1008
        Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

        It's a common illness around here.

        It's easy to have info overload - but easy to get over it. Some great info and advice in this thread - and some not so great but meant to be helpful.

        Pick one thing (affiliate marketing is fine) - follow one of the lists of steps given...and understand that each step requires using google searches and forum searches to LEARN to do that step. Master that step and move to the next one. Put on blinders and ignore new shiny objects until you get real traction in the method you have chosen.

        You don't need to know it all - you only need to learn what to do NEXT and how to get it done.

        kay
        Hello Kay King! Thank you so much for the input; it is very encouraging. Calling it an illness is as accurate as hording is an illness.
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by Paperchasing View Post

      Okay, so we know you bought some WSOs. And what did you do with them? Did you do anything? How long did you do it? You haven't given us enough information to make a meaningful suggestion (although, as usual, some people have gone out of their way to try anyway).

      It looks like your plan was just to read, read, read until you understood everything, and then start working. Essentially, you're afraid of failure. Here's the thing: everybody fails. Failure is the surest way to success, as you have documented proof of things that don't work.

      It is completely unreasonable to expect to master internet marketing without any practical experience. For some reason, though, people love to read ideas and then never put them into practice. It's not as though this works for anything else, so why? If you learned math by just reading the books and never working on problems, how good at math do you think you would become? How effective would you imagine you could become at playing the violin by just memorizing note positions on the fretboard and never playing?

      This is where you appear to be now. You have purchased a ton of textbooks, but you're too afraid to do anything. As mentioned above, you should be asking yourself what you are good at, and what you have interest in. You should look at the WSOs and information you've purchased and consider why you chose them. You should choose something and start actually putting it to work. Of course you "haven't gotten anywhere," much in the same way a person who sits in a car and never starts it will never reach her destination. It doesn't matter how well the car handles or how fast it will go if it's sitting idly in your garage. Nobody ever got better at doing something by not doing it.
      Hello Paperchasing! Thanks for your response. Admittedly, you are correct in your observations, and I should do some implementing... err a lot, to get to the destination I like to reach.
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  • Profile picture of the author Nixgan
    For workshops, I recommend this guy called Jaz Lai. He is real good in traffic marketing.

    In fact let me share a few things I learned from him!
    1. Video marketing: Create your own video and post it on youtube, on your squeeze page and blogs to increase curiosity and value. After all youtube is the world's second largest search engine!

    2. Article marketing: Making articles that backlink to your squeeze page. Check and see how many articles the pro in your niche is writing, and surpass them ! I am not talking about an article or two, but somewhere around hundreds to thousands !
    Post it to ezine articles.
    If you want people to write the articles for you, get to freelancer.com.

    3.Solo Ads/Adswaps : Purchase links and traffic gets you results fast! Or you can try adswaping, something like trading lists between one another. Be wary though, adswaping is risky business, there are a lot of scammers out there and frankly I have been scammed too. But if it works, your sales and list will skyrocket !

    There are more, but these is really the more effective ways for great results.
    Wish I helped you, and good luck to you in internet marketing!
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by Nixgan View Post

      For workshops, I recommend this guy called Jaz Lai. He is real good in traffic marketing.

      In fact let me share a few things I learned from him!
      1. Video marketing: Create your own video and post it on youtube, on your squeeze page and blogs to increase curiosity and value. After all youtube is the world's second largest search engine!

      2. Article marketing: Making articles that backlink to your squeeze page. Check and see how many articles the pro in your niche is writing, and surpass them ! I am not talking about an article or two, but somewhere around hundreds to thousands !
      Post it to ezine articles.
      If you want people to write the articles for you, get to freelancer.com.

      3.Solo Ads/Adswaps : Purchase links and traffic gets you results fast! Or you can try adswaping, something like trading lists between one another. Be wary though, adswaping is risky business, there are a lot of scammers out there and frankly I have been scammed too. But if it works, your sales and list will skyrocket !

      There are more, but these is really the more effective ways for great results.
      Wish I helped you, and good luck to you in internet marketing!
      Hello Nixgan! Thanks for your input! I'm basically starting from scratch right now after receiving valuable suggestions from fellow warriors and I think I'm starting to calm down and actually get work done! :-)
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      • Profile picture of the author Rick Britton
        Originally Posted by jss1008 View Post

        Hello Nixgan! Thanks for your input! I'm basically starting from scratch right now after receiving valuable suggestions from fellow warriors and I think I'm starting to calm down and actually get work done! :-)
        great news! getting stuff done is awesome! that's what I've been doing for a week - made more progress than in 3 months just by getting stuck in...

        and it has made me realise how much more I can do

        good luck and stay in touch
        Signature

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        • Profile picture of the author jss1008
          Originally Posted by Rick Britton View Post

          great news! getting stuff done is awesome! that's what I've been doing for a week - made more progress than in 3 months just by getting stuck in...

          and it has made me realise how much more I can do

          good luck and stay in touch
          Hello Rick Britton! Thanks for the post, it is very encouraging. I am really very glad I did a desperate call in here. I know all posts are made with very good intentions, but having the employee mindset, it took this thread to literally act like a memo to wake me up!

          I'm currently moving slow, but like the snowball effect, and like tasks you get assigned in an office setting, I expect to get the hang of it and make incremental and then exponential progress in time. :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author al graham
    Hi
    I would be wary of keeping buying WSO's and listening to their sales spiele!
    A lot are based on the old style sales pitch, been around for a century, promising the earth and that you will be rich...blah, blah, blah. Seriously, this forum is full of them. Take them for what they are and remember 2 things.... First, set yourself a target/timeframe and focus on one WSO that you have purchased. See it through to the end and you might be surprised. Second, close your ears to all of the over inflated ego massaging hacks out there and focus on your own game. You will only learn by doing and making big mistakes is all part of it i am afraid! Just remember when you started to learn to walk... it wa hard, you had a load of bumps and bruises, but you got there ... as you will with IM, keep chipping away! It is a slow process.
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by al graham View Post

      Hi
      I would be wary of keeping buying WSO's and listening to their sales spiele!
      A lot are based on the old style sales pitch, been around for a century, promising the earth and that you will be rich...blah, blah, blah. Seriously, this forum is full of them. Take them for what they are and remember 2 things.... First, set yourself a target/timeframe and focus on one WSO that you have purchased. See it through to the end and you might be surprised. Second, close your ears to all of the over inflated ego massaging hacks out there and focus on your own game. You will only learn by doing and making big mistakes is all part of it i am afraid! Just remember when you started to learn to walk... it wa hard, you had a load of bumps and bruises, but you got there ... as you will with IM, keep chipping away! It is a slow process.
      Hello al graham! Thank you for your message. The suggestions I got here from other warriors are all nuggets of wisdom that I shall keep to heart.

      I understand that learning important skills that give us valuable outcomes are slow processes. Look at what I had to go through to finish college, right? :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Patrick Batty
    Hey JSS
    Just a couple quick pieces of advice.
    1) figure out what avenue of IM you want to go down.. ie: adsense, email marketing, offline, product creation, WSOs
    2) look for 1 SINGLE plan / methodology for that avenue.. if possible invest in training in that.
    3) start on that
    4) avoid distraction.. get off of a bunch of lists but stay on a few TRUSTED ones
    5) Stay the course... don't buy new WSOs every few days

    Good luck to you.. we've all been through this to one degree or another.

    It takes some work, but it's not brain surgery.. mainly it's about knowledge, followed by focus, then action on the required tasks.

    There's my .02.

    Good luck.
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by Patrick Batty View Post

      Hey JSS
      Just a couple quick pieces of advice.
      1) figure out what avenue of IM you want to go down.. ie: adsense, email marketing, offline, product creation, WSOs
      2) look for 1 SINGLE plan / methodology for that avenue.. if possible invest in training in that.
      3) start on that
      4) avoid distraction.. get off of a bunch of lists but stay on a few TRUSTED ones
      5) Stay the course... don't buy new WSOs every few days

      Good luck to you.. we've all been through this to one degree or another.

      It takes some work, but it's not brain surgery.. mainly it's about knowledge, followed by focus, then action on the required tasks.

      There's my .02.

      Good luck.
      Hey Patrick! Thanks for your post. Your .02 is actually worth more! I am actually on Nos. 1,2 and three right now, thanks to the wonderful warriors in this forum :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Richard Mortimer
    OK, its good you want to start afresh. Then, Ross gave you good advice, you need to focus. Here are the steps to follow:

    1. Take responsibility. Don't blame all and sundry for your failure. Those WSOs you bought are probably all good (and they are not wasted as you can use them in future). The HUGE benefit of taking responsibility and not blaming anyone else is YOU remain in control.

    2. Take action. Choose a blueprint you know works (I can recommend some to you). The simpler the better. Perhaps the easiest are i- monetized blogs or ii- list building. There are pros and cons of each business model. But, choose one and focus.

    3. Build a web-site. You can find tutorials on YouTube to do this. (Depends on your business model - squeeze page or blog).

    4. Build traffic to your web-site. Choose one or two that you do regularly (preferably every day). You can also do lots of 'one-time' traffic gen. such as using select Fiverr gigs. But, don't spray it out with no rhyme or reason. Plan your strategy.

    5. Build relationships with your visitors and subscribers. The more you do this, the more successful you will be. People buy from people. Become the expert in your niche. Ask them about their problems, hurdles and challenges and give them the answers. Do this by...

    6. Build your own products. Answer your visitors questions in product form. The easiest products to make are audios (you can use free software like Audacity). Audios are a higher perceived value than PDFs, and PDFs take an age to write. (Although I notice that WSOs often seem to be PDFs)!

    Then, as you grow:
    7. Learn how to write sales copy. Or, even better, learn how to make sales videos.

    8. Learn how to outsource the mundane tasks in your business.

    Thanks,

    Richard
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    • Profile picture of the author jss1008
      Originally Posted by RevRPM View Post

      OK, its good you want to start afresh. Then, Ross gave you good advice, you need to focus. Here are the steps to follow:

      1. Take responsibility. Don't blame all and sundry for your failure. Those WSOs you bought are probably all good (and they are not wasted as you can use them in future). The HUGE benefit of taking responsibility and not blaming anyone else is YOU remain in control.

      2. Take action. Choose a blueprint you know works (I can recommend some to you). The simpler the better. Perhaps the easiest are i- monetized blogs or ii- list building. There are pros and cons of each business model. But, choose one and focus.

      3. Build a web-site. You can find tutorials on YouTube to do this. (Depends on your business model - squeeze page or blog).

      4. Build traffic to your web-site. Choose one or two that you do regularly (preferably every day). You can also do lots of 'one-time' traffic gen. such as using select Fiverr gigs. But, don't spray it out with no rhyme or reason. Plan your strategy.

      5. Build relationships with your visitors and subscribers. The more you do this, the more successful you will be. People buy from people. Become the expert in your niche. Ask them about their problems, hurdles and challenges and give them the answers. Do this by...

      6. Build your own products. Answer your visitors questions in product form. The easiest products to make are audios (you can use free software like Audacity). Audios are a higher perceived value than PDFs, and PDFs take an age to write. (Although I notice that WSOs often seem to be PDFs)!

      Then, as you grow:
      7. Learn how to write sales copy. Or, even better, learn how to make sales videos.

      8. Learn how to outsource the mundane tasks in your business.

      Thanks,

      Richard
      Hello Richard! Thank you very much for your post. It is very much appreciated. Not that I am justifying myself but, I have read and re-read my original post and I don't see anything where I put the blame on anyone else or anything. I knew and still know that I only have myself to blame, not being able to focus and choose what I wanted to focus on and take action on it.

      I very much wanted to learn but in doing so, was distracted by the volume of valuable information out there. I don't blame the WSO's or their creators, as all the WSO's I've bought were reviewed by the most active of warriors.

      I dare not put the blame on those information and resources identified in the WSO's as clearly, they made people money.

      I am clear about the source of my failure as being that I was consuming those WSO's but not acting on what the WSO's have suggested, but kept running around in circles like a little boy lost in the woods; I get that.

      I also get that most of the WSO's I bought (except for maybe one or two) have enormous value, which is why I said I am going (I am doing precisely that right now) through them and decide which one I want to incorporate and act upon in regard to the business model I particularly want to start with. Being that I don't have much to offer (yet), I believe I have expressed that Affilliate Marketing will be my starting point.

      At any rate, your suggestions about what I need to DO are very much appreciated and are to be kept by me to serve as guides.

      I just feel that I needed to give an explanation to my first statements as there were more than just a couple who thought that I am looking for someone or something to blame other than myself, my behavior and my pattern of thinking... I blame no one, as they were successful in me having to buy their products.

      If nothing else, I would of course want to emulate what they do! LOL.

      Thanks again, Richard.

      Best,
      John
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      • Profile picture of the author Richard Mortimer
        Originally Posted by jss1008 View Post

        I very much wanted to learn but in doing so, was distracted by the volume of valuable information out there. I don't blame the WSO's or their creators, as all the WSO's I've bought were reviewed by the most active of warriors.

        I dare not put the blame on those information and resources identified in the WSO's as clearly, they made people money.

        I am clear about the source of my failure as being that I was consuming those WSO's but not acting on what the WSO's have suggested, but kept running around in circles like a little boy lost in the woods; I get that.

        I also get that most of the WSO's I bought (except for maybe one or two) have enormous value, which is why I said I am going (I am doing precisely that right now) through them and decide which one I want to incorporate and act upon in regard to the business model I particularly want to start with. Being that I don't have much to offer (yet), I believe I have expressed that Affilliate Marketing will be my starting point.
        Very good John,

        If you want, I can help you choose a blueprint that works.
        Just let me know: your niche, what you already have (such as xxx subscribers / blog)
        and what you income target is (I mean realistic - for example, for many people, $100 a
        day is the make or break point).

        Thanks,

        Richard

        PS: If you focus and persist, you will be successful! Certainly your attitude seems spot-on!
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  • Profile picture of the author bizadpros
    There are a lot of great people out there reaching out to help. Some of the ideas, strategies and techniques are just about enough for a new WSO!

    Recognizing an issue and reaching out for help is the first step you can take in your future success in IM.

    Here is a quote that I use when working and coaching my team:

    "One's best success comes after his greatest disappointments."

    A lot of warriors stated quite well - to Focus on one niche or idea and work hard at that.

    I agree with others that state to stop spending money on pipe dreams, but realistic ways to have success and some WINS under your belt.

    All internet marketers at some time have struggled, but a lot have found their way also.

    And, the best way to get that wonderful first WIN, is to start in your own backyard, looking at local businesses that have a need for what you are actually offering.
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  • Profile picture of the author WebPen
    Focusing is tough- and like Kay King said, you really have to get out of the "tell me what to do" mindset.

    It's the easiest mindset to be in, but also the WORST if you're trying to make a business.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rick Britton
    Start with the end in mind so try to see where you want to end up before you start

    Build a mind map of everything that your business will contain and then start building all the elements

    Here is a good example of a business mind map

    http://vistaspeedsecrets.co.uk/image...-Blueprint.jpg
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  • Profile picture of the author Andrew Mak
    all the SEO pdf/video are talking about the same thing, but they have make the story very long to make it worth the money.

    instead of asking other what is correct, you should ask yourself, because you know the answer.

    1. should i make a website with auto posted content (duplicate content), or spend money to write unique and helpful content? which one google will love more?

    2. which backlink module do you need?
    - tons of direct profile backlink pointing to your site
    - high PR site's backlink
    - high PR site's backlink, and each backlink back by tons of high PR backlinks
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  • Profile picture of the author iobeek
    Originally Posted by jss1008 View Post

    Hello,

    I'm not particularly new, and I have tried learning IM by buying WSO's and have not gone anywhere with it.

    This is really what I want to do but I have been "running around in circles" that I can't figure out what to do.

    I want to start fresh and think of myself as having heard of IM for the first time right now.

    Where do you think is the best place to start?

    As I haven't done a good job at doing this on my own, is there some sort of a study group or workshop that doesn't cost an arm and a leg to join?

    Thanks for your help guys!
    Why not start simple. Build a simple, no images website with content answering questions. Static html. Write some 20 articles in the next few days and then 1 article every two or three days. Install webmaster tools(sitemap) and analytics from google and just stick with it for a year. Do nothing more.
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    Are you ready for some usability scrutiny? Click Here

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  • Profile picture of the author tylerfred
    I would definitely have to say.. GET A MENTOR! seriously... if you are following a good mentor that actually cares about his/her students, and if you implement their strategies.. you will go far, trust me. I am experiencing this right now!
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  • Profile picture of the author IMHunter
    Stop buying any more WSO's and stuff. Pick one method and keep doing it. Give your 100% to it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris-
    Here's advice you won't find very often . . .

    Lear EFT (download the free guide from emofree.com)

    and FIRST clear out all your negative feelings and emotions connected with ANYTHING related to IM, money, business, success, hard work, learning, etc etc.

    only after you feel 100% positive about all of it, then take some ACTION, and when any negatives pop up (which they probably will), clear the negatives with EFT before continuing.

    Other advice. Choose the easiest methods in IM, such as AdSense, to start with, or go even easier than that. Within 30 minutes of reading this, you could have some Squidoo lenses up (just pick any topic you know a lot about, and start writing), MAKING MONEY. Admittedly it won't be much, but it will be something, and that's a big difference to nothing! Then learn to improve your results by better tags, backlinking, comments on other lenses. Then take the next small step to either a more flexible free blog system (such as Blogger or WordPress.com) or a bigger step to owning your own site (with WordPress), using content and AdSense. Then learn more about keyword research, and more backlinking strategies. Simple steps, one at a time.

    Also, you'll already have goals in terms of results, but that's a BAD idea for actually getting anything DONE. Here's why . . . when you are knew at a subject, you don't yet KNOW what results you will get from taking actions. So setting results goals is setting yourself up to fail. Instead, look at your results goals, and from your current understanding, set ACTION goals (ie. something you already know how to DO) for the short-term (a day to a week). You can commit to an action goal, and know you can do it, which you can't with a results goal (until you are very experienced in an area). Setting action goals allows you to fully commit, and as soon as you do that, you will get valuable coincidences, and also you will keep succeeding! Success breeds success (because how you feel about yourself determines what you recieve in life).

    The other big thing you've got to understand when starting IM, is that many of the methods sold do NOT actually work. Once you see that, you can learn a bit from each one anyway, but you won't get the dissapointments of following the course to the letter and making zero, which is a common experience to most beginners!

    Pick a very common strategy, that you can read LOTS of people here saying that they are making MONEY at (not income claims nor testimonials, which are often entirely fake) but real people saying things in situations where they are not making money from them

    Two of the most common systems, which both can make profits (if done right) are AdSense and Amazon. Amazon's great but needs a bit more skill and understanding to get it right, so for newbies, I suggest learning AdSense first.

    Hope that helps


    Chris
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  • Profile picture of the author Blade Runner 77
    I'm starting to crack it, after a long time trying. Here's my strongly felt thoughts on your question;

    (1) Don't quit your day job.
    Its paying the bills, keeping you stimulated, meeting people and know it or not, you're learning a lot and getting a lot of intangibles you need from your daily job. Change jobs if its an abusive situation, ie low pay, irrational abusive bosses, hours are too long, too physically demanding, grinds down your self esteem, your co-workers mock you for trying to get ahead.
    (2) Decide on a field that might be 'up your alley'.
    EG Don't write ebooks, articles or blogs if you hate writing. If you're already on facebook, thats a good avenue to try out. If you're a naturall seller, go with that, if not, choose something else. Play to your strengths first, build up your softer areas later.
    If you have a hobby interest, ie something you would do if you get paid for it or not, then consider using this as a foot in the door or a way to crack the ice, even if you know ahead of the time the financial rewards might be modest. Better to taste success with $1, than taste failure over $10. You can up scale one dollar of success in another field after your confidence, knowledge and skill has grown.
    (3) Find a guru you trust in that field.
    Ask around, do research, buy one of their cheaper products and try it out in order to see if you trust them, get good info, get good help and advice when needed. Move on until you find a trustworthy teacher in your field of interest.
    (3) Find a way for that guru to become your mentor.
    Either they sell a course that offers more close contact and advice, or have a blog, or some other vehicle that allows you to get constant corrections on what you're doing. Remember what it was like to teach a friend how to drive a car? They get scared and want to quit, as teacher you know those moments and how to get them past them, So will your mentor, thats why you have them, They are worth more than they get paid.
    (4) Go deep when it works.
    Follow the mentors recipe until you can replace your wages and can then quit working for someone else.
    (5) Change fields if you're more ambitious, or go deeper or slightly wider if you like the field your working in.
    (6) Take time off to enjoy it.
    A hazard of being one's own boss is not taking proper time off, even if it doesn't feel like work. Your body still needs a different activity, make sure you get time off, it should be 1 week in 4, go to the beach, ie far away from your regular environment.
    (7) Live the life of your dreams
    (8) Pay it forward.
    Send me $1, with as many zeros as you can afford, lol, I enjoy doing this
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  • Profile picture of the author Des Lau
    ^exactly. I keep saying it over, but I believe if you want true success, you have to make it a business. Long term planning goes a long way
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  • Profile picture of the author ivanadee
    If you want to make your first money, just try fiverr or warrior for hire
    If you want a long term profit then just building a website or squeeze page to start building list
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  • Profile picture of the author ryangoodhead
    If you are looking for a really good affiliate marketing course with step by step video tuition, backed up by live webinars and a 24/7 community help then click my name and read my report as i really think it may be of interest to you.

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    • Profile picture of the author cjreynolds
      Hi, John!

      From reading your posts, it seems to me that a large part of your problem is confidence - I keep hearing you speak about certain techniques, etc. as if they were rocket science and you were Fred Flintstone. It's as if you can't possibly be smart enough to do HTML, etc. I think you greatly underestimate your abilities.

      As for a niche, didn't you say you had some schooling in Psychology? There's lots of "desperation" niches there, you're probably knowledgeable in at least some (anxiety/anxiety attacks, depression, dealing with loss/death).

      Go with what you know! Good Luck!
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      I just added this sig so I can refer to it in my posts...

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