8 Years in IM - Made *Maybe* $2000 - Doing It Wrong - How Can I Fix It?

68 replies
Hi Warriors,

First of all, I just want to say this isn't a "poor me" thread. I would really like to get to the bottom of why I can't seem to do anything right with IM.

I started out on Digital Point back in 2006. That's where my education began. I've been bangin' around webmaster forums ever since. I've had at least one active website since then as well. My first website was this horror I created on a 1 and 1 hosting account in HTML. You can still see remnants on the Wayback Machine. It was called...wait for it...weblogblender.com. It was supposed to be a blogging resource site, and I guess it sort of was in its limited ways.

I made my first money online in 2006 as well. I wrote articles. Between 2007 and 2009, I had one failed blog after another. I was kind of daft at picking out domain names. My first blog was waxingpoetic75.com which was the handle I used for a lot of things online. I had yet to understand keywords and domains. The second one was kerbloggle.com. Still, lame domain. I eventually merged this with the first one and ended up selling the whole thing which had about 160 articles on it for $60. It was online at least through 2012.

I had a couple of other sites with equally lame domains. I initially found IM in 2006 because I was unemployed and living in Vegas. Soon thereafter, I found a job, but still dabbled in my spare time. So it went until December 2008 when I was laid off from my job. At that point, I one brief stint as a webmaster...then I moved back home to North Carolina in the Spring of 2009. I went 18 months with no job. I lived with my parents and made a little money here and there freelancing and writing for Demand Studios.

I did have a part-time job for a couple days a week. Then I finally found a full-time job. All the while, I worked and worked trying to find a way to make more money online. I tried arbitrage. I tried systems. I built sites. I tried affiliate programs. I read ShoeMoney. I read John Chow. I read Problogger. In fact, there's probably not much you could tell me that I don't know when it comes to Internet Marketing.

In 2010, I built one of my current sites...the one in my signature. I haven't worked on it regularly in quite a while. The problem with that site is when I started it, it was all over the place. I had "experts" review it and tell me that I needed to "choose a niche". This is one of the most difficult things for me because I have such a wide array of interests. ProWebWriter was bringing in about $100 per year in Adsense revenue. Woohoo! I let it ride for a couple years. I thought, "I'm going to do it different. Maybe it will work."

As my whims changed, I eventually decided to split the site and move some of the subjects to new domains. I had about 3 main subjects that I liked to write about: writing, android apps, and A.D.D. So, I bought 2 more domains a year or so ago and moved everything to their respective new homes. ProWebWriter dropped from about 4000 traffic a month to gosh, I don't even know. I haven't checked in so long. It's down to about 10 a day. I'm sure I made some major mistakes with the move like not doing 301 redirects, etc. I honestly don't care anymore. I keep the site because the domain has some age on it...like 12 or 13 years.

I did a foray into PLR and had a PLR site for a while. Because I had maintained a full-time job, my work on my sites was steady, but often out of focus and fragmented. I bought books on making money and SEO. I tried doing an Amazon affiliate store in a tight local niche. I made a make money online blog because I LOVE writing about Internet Marketing. I'm published on Kindle. I have ebooks for sale here and there. I tried, and tried and tried and tried and tried. Then I tried some more. One thing I am not is a quitter.

More recently, I've created a new marketing company where a partner and myself offer a variety of services just to help small, local businesses get online. As an added service, I've also created an area directory site. I've put in a ton of time writing, building, and working. I work on it everyday. So far, we've probably put about 60 bucks in the whole shebang. It's pretty new as well...but it's not doing jack.

No one has signed up for our list. We've had one taker on a free listing in our directory. Perhaps this is where I am falling short on everything. Perhaps I don't have the ability to target or drive traffic effectively or at any real duration. Perhaps I'm simply doing it all wrong. When you can't even give away things, how in the hell are you supposed to sell anyone anything?

What do you think, Warriors? I don't lack ambition or action...I have even thrown out a little cash here and there. I'm simply tired of failing. If you read all this and have something constructive to add, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Here's hoping your words will help not only me, but maybe another Warrior on the forums.
#fix #made #wrong #years
  • Profile picture of the author John Taylor
    You may not want to hear this...

    You seem to have "tried" lots of things but not allowed any
    one thing to stick.

    The people who seem to be most successful choose one
    market and they concentrate solely on that one market.

    It may be difficult for you to choose one thing. But, I suspect
    if you had chosen one niche in 2006 and stuck with it.. you'd
    be doing pretty well by now.

    The good news is... it's not to late.

    John
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    • Profile picture of the author ZephyrIon
      Originally Posted by John Taylor View Post

      You may not want to hear this...

      You seem to have "tried" lots of things but not allowed any
      one thing to stick.

      The people who seem to be most successful choose one
      market and they concentrate solely on that one market.

      It may be difficult for you to choose one thing. But, I suspect
      if you had chosen one niche in 2006 and stuck with it.. you'd
      be doing pretty well by now.

      The good news is... it's not to late.

      John
      This guy made a solid point, you've tried a lot of things, as soon as the money comes in you scale up on whatever it is and whatever your working on needs to be able to grow to enterprise size even if you never plan to grow that big.
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    • Profile picture of the author Bronwyn and Keith
      Hi John

      This is exactly the response we would have given.

      But with one addition.

      Once you get that "one thing" right add another pillar to your MMO arsenal.

      But whatever you do, do not stop checking to ensure that the first process is working to it's optimum level.


      Regards

      Bronwyn and Keith
      Originally Posted by John Taylor View Post

      You may not want to hear this...

      You seem to have "tried" lots of things but not allowed any
      one thing to stick.

      The people who seem to be most successful choose one
      market and they concentrate solely on that one market.

      It may be difficult for you to choose one thing. But, I suspect
      if you had chosen one niche in 2006 and stuck with it.. you'd
      be doing pretty well by now.

      The good news is... it's not to late.

      John
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    • Profile picture of the author hometutor
      Originally Posted by John Taylor View Post

      You may not want to hear this...

      You seem to have "tried" lots of things but not allowed any
      one thing to stick.

      The people who seem to be most successful choose one
      market and they concentrate solely on that one market.

      It may be difficult for you to choose one thing. But, I suspect
      if you had chosen one niche in 2006 and stuck with it.. you'd
      be doing pretty well by now.

      The good news is... it's not to late.

      John
      I agree with this. I too threw stuff at the wall for a long time to see if anything would stick. I now, and I thank my Lord for this, found a calling I believe in which combines may of my interests. I am now focusing on that.

      I don't know how much this is helping, but when I did begin to focus I saw results.

      Try this,

      Think about what you love
      What gets you up in the morning
      What one thing would you love to do and make money doing it.

      THAT! Is YOUR calling!
      THAT! Is something you can do all day because you love it!
      The fact that you make money doing it as well is just icing on the cake.

      I have to stop editing our pastor's videos. I'm starting to sound like one

      Rick
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      • Profile picture of the author Social Media Ava
        Someone requested an update. My apologies for being absent this extended period. I wish I could say I'd become suddenly successful while I was gone, but that's not the case.

        Even so, I am very blessed. I make my living online now, but not through IM directly. I am the Social Media Manager for an established SEO company, soon to be the Google Plus Local Manager. I work from home which has cleared up my life, time, and mental state to places I thought were not possible.

        I originally posted this thread hoping someone would say the one thing that would click it all together in my brain, and I would magically walk a path to Internet riches...or something like that. I got a TON of good advice from many of you and I am thankful to those who contributed. My sincerest desire for this thread is that it might help other Warriors who might stumble by in frustration.

        I did not expect to receive several PM's as a result of this thread. Some of them were genuinely helpful...or were people in a similar situation hoping that two minds together might do what two separate could not. I consider this a logical endeavor. Unfortunately, between work and the new business venture I mentioned in the OP, I don't have the time to commit to such an undertaking.

        The other thing I didn't expect was to be propositioned by Multi-Level Marketers to jump on their down line. The main one I got was this deal where if I invested $600, I was guaranteed to make $1000 within a month, and if I didn't, the dude would pay me $500.

        I spent probably 2 hours speaking with this individual via Facebook Messenger. It took him that long to get around to telling me that his method would cost me 600 clams. My response was, "Wait, you seriously just wasted the last 2 hours trying to get $600 out of me? Is this what all the so-called gurus are selling? MLM?" He simply said, "Yes."

        8 years worth of struggle to find "the secret", and I could have been selling Tupperware or Amway this whole time. Here I was with a unique set of skills, and I couldn't make $1 honestly, but this dude is totally living the life. I don't want it that bad. I'm not in it for the marble counter tops. I'm in it for the personal satisfaction and to be able to help others. I thought the idea was a little more unique than that. I thought it was real.

        This dude sells coaching and crap like you see all the time on WF. I've had people actually tell me that I needed to hire a coach. Bump that. For what? To teach me MLM? I don't want to know MLM. I want to know INTERNET MARKETING. I want to market my own products or the products of others that I can actually get behind. Not some secondhand coaching that involves you adding me to your Facebook "Mastermind" group and building me a crappy-looking blog just like the one you built 800 other people for more than I pay for rent.

        You know?

        Do you offer more? Let the WF know there's more to it than the canned crap this guy was trying to peddle. Maybe it's not. Maybe that's all IM is...canned crap and the guys at the top make money while the guys at the bottom jump in line to be next while they sign up all their friends. I like my friends better than that.

        Yeah, let the WF know that Internet Marketing isn't just digital platform for MLM.

        In other news, I am seriously pursuing the ebook market and have just recently published my debut novel and already begun my next one. These fiction works are new for me. I previously had 4 non-fiction works already in the marketplace, so onward and upward, Warriors. Keep in touch!
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        • Profile picture of the author DubDubDubDot
          Originally Posted by Social Media Ava View Post

          I am the Social Media Manager for an established SEO company, soon to be the Google Plus Local Manager.
          Good to hear that it turned out for you. The advice given throughout this thread is mostly the same hot garbage that wrecked you in the first place. Hooking up with an established operation was probably the best thing you could have done right now.
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  • Profile picture of the author Raelyn Tan
    Jack of all trades, master of none. Stick to this marketing company you're doing now and don't stop until you master it. You seem to love writing, so perhaps you can look into growing your blog that you have there. Either way just decide on ONE.

    All the best, just.....

    FOCUS

    FOCUS

    FOCUS

    This is how you fix it. Now it's up to you to decide if you want to All the best!
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    • Profile picture of the author joshril
      Originally Posted by Raelyn Tan View Post

      Jack of all trades, master of none. Stick to this marketing company you're doing now and don't stop until you master it. You seem to love writing, so perhaps you can look into growing your blog that you have there. Either way just decide on ONE.

      All the best, just.....

      FOCUS

      FOCUS

      FOCUS

      This is how you fix it. Now it's up to you to decide if you want to All the best!
      I agree with this post...

      So many people don't make the "internet riches" they were told they could make fast enough and get discouraged and hop to the next big thing.

      There's a lot of noise out there... products being released on the daily...

      The key to success is to:

      1. Find a problem or need
      2. Create a solution or find a solution
      3. Put the solution in front of those that need it

      Everything else is just tactical...

      Focus on the above and then plug in the tactics as you need them... traffic, web design, copy, etc.

      Thanks,


      Josh
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  • Profile picture of the author ZephyrIon
    Also, would you buy what your selling if you didn't know what it was. Is the utility worth my money?
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  • What you may find easier is learning a skill and then selling it as a service.

    If you are good at writing, try selling your services.

    Most important thing is to do what you enjoy, or have a passion in. It will shine through in your content.
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  • Profile picture of the author Pitchfork Marketing
    Banned
    Are you planning? or just jumping into things because it sounds good/fun/lucrative/etc at the moment??

    You might do yourself some good by sitting down, and defining an audience with a need, how you can serve them, your income goals, and so on.

    then totally commit to making it all come true.

    As mentioned above, stick to one thing. Do not jump around even though the urge to do so will be quite tempting.

    Its all psychological

    losers follow herds, winners do the opposite.

    In the stock market the losers are normally those who get scared and make bad decisions based on the consensus of everyone else. so they sell, when a company does bad.

    On the other hand, the winners do not follow the herd, and they capitalize off of those stupid followers by buying up all the (now discounted) stocks that they are selling).

    As an internet marketer - most people jump from strategy to strategy looking for the next opportunity.

    But how can anything ever gain traction and take off by working like that.

    Heck you cant start building a house today, then start another project tomorrow and still expect the house to get built...It will only be built if you commit to working on it until its complete.

    Define your goals - and commit!!
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    • Profile picture of the author kindsvater
      In fact, there's probably not much you could tell me that I don't know when it comes to Internet Marketing.
      I disagree. Otherwise you wouldn't be posting.

      IMHO one of the biggest problems for Internet marketers is that they lack the knowledge and skills to create a sustainable and profitable business in the physical world, but somehow expect to be able to be successful online simply because barriers to entry seem to be lower or free.

      As far as action and trying - action does not equal results. Results are what matters regardless of whether a lot of action was needed.

      You keep dabbling here, dabbling there, moving to this and that.

      You haven't listed any assets or anything you have real knowledge about, except proclaiming to know all about IM.

      No strategic planning is mentioned. Example, spending time creating an area directory site. Did you do advance research to see if those things are successful and make money? Not from what I have seen. Then again, you've only put $60 into it. Which gets back to my original point of not understanding what is needed to create a successful business. Too many want to succeed for free, where $60 is a big risk and no one will buy a WSO costing more than few bucks.

      Maybe you just focus on your job and enjoy all the extra time you have that is now being spent on IM.

      .
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      • Profile picture of the author Social Media Ava
        I have saved your response to respond to all by itself because it stung the most...well, really the others didn't sting at all, but the tone of your response was noted.

        Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

        I disagree. Otherwise you wouldn't be posting.
        This is true. Bad wording on my part. I am certainly not the end all be all of IM knowledge...not in the least. In fact, in the process of this thread, I have already learned that I have NO idea how to drive traffic other than organic search...and we all know that takes quite a bit of time and work.

        Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

        IMHO one of the biggest problems for Internet marketers is that they lack the knowledge and skills to create a sustainable and profitable business in the physical world, but somehow expect to be able to be successful online simply because barriers to entry seem to be lower or free.
        Perhaps this is true. I'll be honest and say it is much easier for me to create a business online. I can start right now. It doesn't cost my life's saving...in fact, I can build a WordPress site for the domain investment alone because I already have both Shared and Reseller hosting. Do I have all the knowledge to create a sustainable business in the physical world? I don't know. I've never had the funds to try.

        After taking so many small risks here and there. Why would I take a larger risk with a bigger investment just to fail some more? No thanks. I don't think there's anything wrong with starting out small or starting right where you are with what you have right now.

        Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

        As far as action and trying - action does not equal results. Results are what matters regardless of whether a lot of action was needed.

        You keep dabbling here, dabbling there, moving to this and that.

        You haven't listed any assets or anything you have real knowledge about, except proclaiming to know all about IM.
        You don't get results without action. Which came first? The action or the results? The egg! :-P

        Who has time for my list of assets? I have multiple websites. I have built them ALL myself including graphics and themes. They're nothing special. What is this "real knowledge" that you speak of? If I have this real knowledge, will I get results?

        Again, bad wordage on my part. I don't know everything about anything. I created this thread to LEARN.


        Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

        No strategic planning is mentioned. Example, spending time creating an area directory site. Did you do advance research to see if those things are successful and make money? Not from what I have seen. Then again, you've only put $60 into it. Which gets back to my original point of not understanding what is needed to create a successful business. Too many want to succeed for free, where $60 is a big risk and no one will buy a WSO costing more than few bucks.

        Maybe you just focus on your job and enjoy all the extra time you have that is now being spent on IM.

        .
        You've got me there. My strategic planning consisted of reading a thread on Warrior Forum where a fellow had moderate success by creating a directory site to add value to his existing services and build a list. It sounded good. I gave it a try. Since there is not a directory in my target area, I figured local businesses would jump at the chance to have some free exposure. The listings are pretty kick-ass. 300 words of unique SEO copy for FREE all about their business. Sounded great to me. The $60 went for 2 domains, a premium plugin I needed, blah blah blah. 60 bucks is a big risk for me...especially right now.

        I don't buy WSO's. Period. I bought one. That was enough for me. Too many people lining their pockets selling one WSO after another of old tired methods. That's my humble opinion.

        It was your last statement that burned me most. You don't know me like that.

        That being said, thanks for your time and response. Anything that makes me stop and think is appreciated. Best regards from yet another Padawan.
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        • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
          Originally Posted by Social Media Ava View Post

          I'll be honest and say it is much easier for me to create a business online. I can start right now. It doesn't cost my life's saving...in fact, I can build a WordPress site for the domain investment alone because I already have both Shared and Reseller hosting.
          Ava, this suggests to me that perhaps you didn't quite get the point Brian (kindsvater) was trying to make. Building a WordPress site is not a business. Nor, even, is investing in a domain and hosting.

          The activities you mention in your OP are not, in themselves, businesses either. One or two of them could have been developed into businesses, but they don't seem to have got much past the "hobby" stage.

          If you were considering starting a business in the offline world, because of the likely investment required, you'd have to develop a solid plan. You'd have to thoroughly research your potential market to find out whether your idea was likely to turn a profit. You'd have to understand how you'd reach your customers cost-effectively, and make sure your business wasn't one that was unduly vulnerable to competition. You'd also have to be fairly certain that you had the skillset (or the means to hire the skills) that would be necessary to grow and sustain your business.

          Brian's point was that as the internet has lowered the barrier to entry - allowing almost anyone to play in its sandpit - such rigorous checks are often overlooked or thought unnecesssary. But success in business, outside of pocket-money earnings, relies on the same principles regardless of the platform used.

          You may not have the same degree of risk with an online business, but to succeed you'll need the same - perhaps even more - commitment that you'd bring to any offline venture in which you'd invested heavily.


          Frank
          Signature


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  • Profile picture of the author imogenhobbs
    Hmm... think of it this way...

    An online business = A sport.

    You've been trying to play basketball, tennis, hockey, baseball, soccer, football and all the various kinds of "sports" and what's happened is that you know how to play them, but you're not any good at any of them. You're not a quitter as you say, but your mindset is not quite right.

    You need to adopt a growth-oriented mindset.

    Not everybody throws in a basketball into the hoop at their first try. Not even on their 2nd, 3rd or even 15th try. But what changes?

    The subtle movements of the hand... The place where the player stands... The techniques... It's still throwing a ball, but the throwing technique is slowly getting refined. You KNOW you are improving. You are consciously adding more tweaks to your throwing... You're tilting the ball, you're aiming for the hoop, you're swinging the ball at different strengths...

    The real mindset here is not just focus. You need to look deeper within yourself. It's not focus. As you said, you are not a quitter.

    It's acquiring a detail-oriented, testing-and-tweaking growth mindset. A mindset that strives you to scrutinize on details and for you to keep wanting to improve. I've had many failures myself, but I only considered them failures because of oversights. And what happened was that I always took these lessons with me for my next few attempts.

    I never threw any of these lessons into the bin. I always asked myself, "What can I learn from this? How can I use it in future? How can I make this better? What worked and what can I replicate? What didn't work and what can I eliminate?"

    Most importantly, I really don't know if you have the right processes. Maybe you really don't belong in the "make money online" niche (which is a self-feeding niche in my opinion).

    What are you truly passionate about? No, not internet marketing.

    Me, I'm passionate about yoga, about women relationships, about productivity, and many other things in life. It took me a while to really find them, but really... open your options and see what you love to do.

    On top of that, get a firm grasp of how internet marketing really functions (Take a look at the link in my signature if you want to see how I always approach ventures...). One big thing that changed the way I looked at marketing was copywriting. Take a look at the Copywriting forum and read their resources (I started out on my own and I didn't have any great resource like this!!!).

    Lastly, it's never about what you want to sell... It's everything to do with what people want to buy. There's a huge difference, and knowing this difference can make or break your ventures.

    Imogen
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    PM me if you're a self-improv/women dating ghostwriter.

    Lost your way again? 5 basic steps to never "fail"again (WF post)
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  • Profile picture of the author Entrecon
    Lay out a plan and then execute the plan.

    I can't tell from your post for sure, but it really sounds like you are just throwing stuff against the wall to see if it sticks or not. You need to be 100% committed to something and then do it. When you split your attention between multiple projects none of them get the attention they need. You say you have put $60 into the directory listing, but what did that $60 go for? If you want people to join your directory you have to convince them that there is a benefit there. They have to know that you are advertising and marketing it and actually driving traffic to it.

    I agree with the comments above. Pick something. Know what it is and how it benefits the potential customer. Then, FOCUS on who the buyers are and FOCUS on getting them to your site and FOCUS on closing the sales.
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  • Profile picture of the author AmericanMuscleTA
    I agree with the others... quit jumping around all over the place!

    Find the one thing you're good at and stick with it.

    Go out and manual do the labor! Find clients who want to be on the free directory. Don't wait for them to come to you.
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  • Profile picture of the author Joseph Villanueva
    I think you got the point already from everyone that mastering one skill and sticking to it until it succeeds really is the secret to success.

    There will be no secret recipe, system, coaches, or biz opps but the secret is YOU!

    It seems to me that you are vey good at blogging and articles so keep that up. Learn some SEO and use services like linkemperor to help it rank on google without getting slapped.

    Next, provide value to your traffic so they can become leads and followers.

    It has to be a value that is worth so much that they are willing to give you their email and perhaps build a relationship with you.

    It doesnt stop there, it takes about 6 or more points of contact until they join your business or product.

    You can also use facebook paid ads and solos to scale and reinvest when you have funds.

    About 70-80% back to feed your business.

    Using youtube videos and forum marketing is another free ways to generate free targeted traffic.

    They all come from everywhere but you need to focus on one niche and run with it for a while.

    Joe
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    • Profile picture of the author jumanorbert
      If I were you I'd stick to what I'm really passionate about. This will help you remain focused even when things get tough.
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    • Profile picture of the author Social Media Ava
      I really appreciate everyone who has taken time to respond. I'd like to respond...to your responses. I may not respond to each one, but I have read and taken to heart your input. Thank you!

      Originally Posted by John Taylor View Post

      You may not want to hear this...
      John, I definitely wanted to hear what Warriors had to say. I have much to learn, and I'm somewhat alone in the process. Sometimes all it takes is a different perspective to find that one piece of the puzzle. Thanks for your time.

      Originally Posted by Raelyn Tan View Post

      All the best, just.....

      FOCUS

      FOCUS

      FOCUS
      Thanks, Raelyn. I think I want a FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS t-shirt. Yeah, I need one.

      Originally Posted by ZephyrIon View Post

      Also, would you buy what your selling if you didn't know what it was. Is the utility worth my money?
      This. I added this to my note file on questions to ask myself as I develop my business...right under "Why us?" and "Move all the best offers to the Home page". Thank you.

      Originally Posted by Pitchfork Marketing View Post

      Are you planning? or just jumping into things because it sounds good/fun/lucrative/etc at the moment??
      I suppose I do sound a bit jumpy. This was a span of 8 years. I really didn't jump that fast from thing to thing to thing. 4 years ago, I put together what I considered my "flagship" site. I just don't update it anymore because no one reads it. That was kind of the point of it. Now when I go back and read it myself, it sounds kinda dumb. haha It's all a work in progress...perhaps it should be a progression of work.

      Originally Posted by imogenhobbs View Post

      Hmm... think of it this way...

      An online business = A sport.

      You've been trying to play basketball, tennis, hockey, baseball, soccer, football and all the various kinds of "sports" and what's happened is that you know how to play them, but you're not any good at any of them. You're not a quitter as you say, but your mindset is not quite right.

      You need to adopt a growth-oriented mindset...

      What are you truly passionate about? No, not internet marketing.

      Lastly, it's never about what you want to sell... It's everything to do with what people want to buy. There's a huge difference, and knowing this difference can make or break your ventures.

      Imogen
      Thanks Imogen. You had so many interesting things to say that made me think. I loved your sports analogy.

      Originally Posted by Entrecon View Post

      Lay out a plan and then execute the plan.

      I can't tell from your post for sure, but it really sounds like you are just throwing stuff against the wall to see if it sticks or not. You need to be 100% committed to something and then do it.
      It's not that I'm not committed. I have seen many things through. I have trouble believing that anything will really work because, with the exception of writing, not one single thing has worked for me.

      Yes, I'm good at writing, but I don't enjoy writing about boring topics. I don't want to write some guru's ebook on how to be more guru-ish. Know what I mean? I do have 2 mildly successful books on Kindle that aren't about Internet Marketing. Scaling that is always an option. I do enjoy writing for Kindle...however, it hasn't been very lucrative for me. I'm not a fiction writer. I'm a non-fiction girl, and if you don't have the "next best thing" or you're not the master of something...you can't live off what you make. There's more to it than that too, but in the name of brevity...

      Thanks again, all.
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  • Profile picture of the author marax
    I think it's great that you are trying out a number of stuff.
    Not many people will know exactly what to focus on from the get go.
    But you must be able to identify which ones gain the most traction.
    Then focus your attention on that.
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  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    The bugging question to all those who suggest that he stops jumping around
    is: When do you know that the "one thing" you're sticking with failed?

    Most new marketers try different things because they might think that the
    first thing failed when it's just the usual launching stage fuel burning process.

    So how do I know when to give up a project? That is the question.

    -Ray Edwards
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  • Profile picture of the author bobtracz
    OK... would you hire yourself to build a business for you online?

    Stick with what you have.
    Check out who your competitors are.
    Research what they are doing to be successful.
    Become their subscriber/customer.
    Copy them.

    cheers
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    • Profile picture of the author jempub
      You definitely have the "stick to it" attitude which is
      a great start.

      It seems as though you need to FOCUS on doing only
      ONE THING and doing it well.

      Set up your squeeze page, responder, etc...

      Then simply concentrate on one task.

      That task should be building a list. 85% of your time spent
      working on your business should be spent building your list.

      The other 15% can be for product creation, affiliate marketing,
      content creation, etc...

      It's important to rid yourself of "option anxiety" and get laser
      focused on building your online business.

      Chat soon,
      Gary
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      • Profile picture of the author faithkonfyans17
        it's simple, find something that works for you and stick to it. if it makes you $1 you can figure out a way to turn that into $1,000 and scale it all the way up. Focus on 1 thing.
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    • Profile picture of the author kindsvater
      Who has time for my list of assets?
      If you don't then we don't and no one will ever be able to help you.

      Assets are more than websites. Lists. Contacts. Specific knowledge. What jobs have you held.

      You wanted help. Probably more than put up a YouTube video or generic glop from others in your position.

      You will find I have responded to a number of others who have made posts similar to yours. Purposefully, my posts are supposed to sting. You are looking for direction and answers.

      Check out this thread:

      http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...es-please.html and my post.

      Why don't you work backwards.

      Take a goal. Even a concept. Then brainstorm ideas, evaluate what is needed, and work backwards to see what is needed to profit from the idea.

      Example:

      I want to make money by promoting local businesses.

      Make a list of how you can do this:

      - Advertising / AdSense on a site about local biz.

      - Listings fees from a directory.

      - Are there complementary businesses that can cross-promote each other and you earn a profit as a middleman setting up the promotion?

      - Offering website services to a business.

      - Offer SEO services to a business

      (Tip: instead of putting up a directory and then trying to get payments, which you are finding out is really hard, promote the business for free on the site. Work on getting a search ranking and tracking clicks from the link you provide to the business owners website - assuming they have one. Now you are in a position to approach the business and say a search for ____ comes up #5 in Google where your business is listed. In the last 30 days I have sent ____ customers to you. We did this promotion for free to prove the value of our services. If you would like us to keep sending you customers, instead of now promoting a competitor on the page, our monthly fee is _____.

      You can rework this and take it from there.)


      Once you identify a target market you need to evaluate how you are going to get in front of the right eyeballs.

      - Writing specific information of interest to he market and doing SEO to get it noticed.

      - Direct mail

      - Participating in forums (example, set up a Google alert so you know whenever your topic mentioned so you can immediately jump into a conversation and get notices.)

      - Advertising on targeted sites



      Once you have you idea, identified your market, evaluated how to get in front of eyeballs, it is time to re-evaluate product ideas and monetization. Are you creating products / services? Promoting as an affiliate? Both?


      This is just one way to strategize, something I think is based on what you have mentioned you are doing.

      It is hardly the only way to analyze things or make a living online. Maybe it is identifying a niche and creating YouTube videos with AdSense monetization. Or maybe selling your service on the Warrior Forum (you're overpriced). Or something else.

      But chasing all these different things you have done is not a strategy. Personally, I see ideas all the time. Or someone posts something and I think, that is a great idea. Why don't I do it? Then you need to stop yourself and say no, that is a distraction, I need to focus on my game plan.


      I don't buy WSO's. Period. I bought one. That was enough for me. Too many people lining their pockets selling one WSO after another of old tired methods. That's my humble opinion.
      Sort of like saying I don't eat fast food. Had a bad taco once and that was enough for me. Too many restaurants just trying to make money with tired methods of offering hamburgers and tacos.

      Soo, basically you do just want the new shiny object? You haven't bought enough WSOs to evaluate the market. You're purely speculating, and perhaps justifying why you are not spending precious money on a marketing product. But I'll agree with this: too many here, people like you, are selling junk who have no business selling anything. They are not teaching. They are rehashing to make a buck. The sites you previously mentioned, Shoemoney etc., have a lot of great information for free.

      Why don't you do this. Get off the forum and visit the library. It's free. You may be shocked at the incredible ideas in marketing books you may find. Yes, probably old tired methods, but who cares - if they make you money. I literally have 12 feet of marketing books on my bookshelf. This is professional grade, expert material from people you can trust. Not someone with an anonymous forum name who lives in a hut who is talking out of their butt.



      .
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      • Profile picture of the author Social Media Ava
        Originally Posted by bobtracz View Post

        OK... would you hire yourself to build a business for you online?

        cheers
        Excellent question to ponder. I'm not very good at thinking like the customer. I think my partner might be though based on some questions she's already asked after reading this thread. Thanks for making me think, Bob.

        Originally Posted by natas105 View Post

        Start focussing on what you do know and work your way up. There are plenty of businesses that need your skill set. You need to track down your audience and provide them the solution to their hair pulling problem.
        Good luck!
        Thank you. I really liked what you had to add to the discussion.

        Originally Posted by Frank Donovan View Post

        Brian's point was that as the internet has lowered the barrier to entry - allowing almost anyone to play in its sandpit - such rigorous checks are often overlooked or thought unnecesssary. But success in business, outside of pocket-money earnings, relies on the same principles regardless of the platform used.

        You may not have the same degree of risk with an online business, but to succeed you'll need the same - perhaps even more - commitment that you'd bring to any offline venture in which you'd invested heavily.

        Frank
        Thank you, Frank. I appreciate your clarification. I think Brian's input will probably be the most helpful on this thread.
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        • Profile picture of the author Social Media Ava
          Again, I have to respond to you all on your own, Brian. :-)

          Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

          If you don't then we don't and no one will ever be able to help you.
          Understood.

          Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

          Assets are more than websites. Lists. Contacts. Specific knowledge. What jobs have you held.
          The jobs I've held were necessities to live and get by. I've wanted my own business since I was 15. I've held ONE job that really made me feel alive. My entire department was laid off after I'd been there 2.5 years in 2008. At that job I worked as a technical writer for a large equipment rental company based in Las Vegas. Other jobs:

          - Commercial and Residential Alarm monitoring
          - Store clerk
          - Image editor at a little dot com
          - Dispatch for Coach USA
          - Radiology Assistant
          - Cashier

          Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

          You wanted help. Probably more than put up a YouTube video or generic glop from others in your position.
          Yes! No generic glop, please! You wouldn't believe the PMs this thread generated. I am shocked and appalled at the number of pyramid schemes there are running rampant on these forums. I had no idea. The Warrior Forum has always been a little like community college to me. You know, you go there, you don't really know anyone. You attend classes. Then you go home, and you still don't know anyone.

          So, I haven't talked to a lot of people. Then I jump in a conversation with a guy, and it takes him an hour and a half to tell me that I need to pay him $600 to make $1000 in the next 30 days or he will pay me $500.

          Dude, what!?!

          I asked him, "Is this want all the gurus are touting?" He said, "Yes."

          Tell me that's not true.

          Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

          Purposefully, my posts are supposed to sting. You are looking for direction and answers.
          I can be slow on the uptake, but once I finished your first post, I recognized this, even though it stung. I knew I should pay attention to what you had to say.


          Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

          Check out this thread:

          http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...es-please.html and my post.
          Thanks for that. It was very helpful! I read the whole thing.

          Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

          Why don't you work backwards.

          Take a goal. Even a concept. Then brainstorm ideas, evaluate what is needed, and work backwards to see what is needed to profit from the idea.
          Wow. Someone near and dear to me said this same thing to me...more than a year ago. This. This. This.

          Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

          Example:

          I want to make money by promoting local businesses.

          - Listings fees from a directory.
          I wanted to clarify...the directory I created is a tool. I am not charging for listings. They are completely FREE. The directory has 3 purposes:

          - To help small, local businesses in my area
          - To build a list
          - To offer additional value to the website and social media marketing packages available on another site...which is the owner/maintainer of the directory.

          Even if someone doesn't purchase ANY package or service, they can be listed in the directory completely free.

          Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

          But chasing all these different things you have done is not a strategy. Personally, I see ideas all the time. Or someone posts something and I think, that is a great idea. Why don't I do it? Then you need to stop yourself and say no, that is a distraction, I need to focus on my game plan.
          I will be repeating this to myself from now on. Stick to the game plan!


          Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

          Sort of like saying I don't eat fast food. Had a bad taco once and that was enough for me. Too many restaurants just trying to make money with tired methods of offering hamburgers and tacos.

          Soo, basically you do just want the new shiny object? You haven't bought enough WSOs to evaluate the market. You're purely speculating, and perhaps justifying why you are not spending precious money on a marketing product. But I'll agree with this: too many here, people like you, are selling junk who have no business selling anything. They are not teaching. They are rehashing to make a buck. The sites you previously mentioned, Shoemoney etc., have a lot of great information for free.
          Yes, I might have bought 2 WSO's...I really wasn't counting, but I'm not the one WSO after another person. I do have a War Room membership where WSO's go when they die, so I have seen a few others. It wasn't all garbage...so unfair of me to generalize. I learned something from them, but the biggest take-away lesson was that their SEO methods, WordPress themes, and plugins did nothing for me. Is that their fault? No. I'm sure it was a failure on my part with something I didn't follow through with. It was easier to trash WSO's than to admit that.

          The point that I really wanted to make was I'm NOT a shiny object person. Yes, I have jumped around a bit, but most of the jumping was from site to site rather than method to method. It's no better, but some of it was due to financial difficulty and having to let a site go here and there. ALL of the sites I've built have been for the same purpose...to offer services. The only real service that I consider myself pro level at though, is writing.

          From this thread and the one you shared, I've learned that I should probably aim for Kindle. I already have 4-5 books on there. I know how to do it. I enjoy it. I'm going to look into a couple courses I've seen mentioned and maybe conjure up a few bucks to join the private forum here at WF in the future. After all this, I'm certain Kindle where I should be.

          Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

          Why don't you do this. Get off the forum and visit the library. It's free. You may be shocked at the incredible ideas in marketing books you may find. Yes, probably old tired methods, but who cares - if they make you money. I literally have 12 feet of marketing books on my bookshelf. This is professional grade, expert material from people you can trust. Not someone with an anonymous forum name who lives in a hut who is talking out of their butt.
          LOVE the library idea. There's also a discount book store in my area I will visit too.

          Brian, thanks so much for the time you've spent here helping me. I really appreciate your words and that you weren't just here to blow smoke up my assets...you were here to help and invested time in doing that.
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      • Profile picture of the author greenowl123
        Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post


        Why don't you do this. Get off the forum and visit the library. It's free. You may be shocked at the incredible ideas in marketing books you may find. Yes, probably old tired methods, but who cares - if they make you money. I literally have 12 feet of marketing books on my bookshelf. This is professional grade, expert material from people you can trust. Not someone with an anonymous forum name who lives in a hut who is talking out of their butt.



        .
        This is very good advice. Take it.

        Visit your library and find books written by these experts :

        Dan Kennedy

        John Caples

        Gary Halbert

        Leo Bogart

        David Ogilvy

        Claude Hopkins (look for his classic book "Scientific Advertising")

        You can hear it as audio on YouTube :

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZURkIB2KZg

        There are many others, but you can`t go wrong by starting with these.
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  • Profile picture of the author natas105
    After all the stick with what you know, be more focussed and quit jumping around, I'm not going to say the same thing to you again. Although I agree with what most warrior before me said to you, I would like to challenge you. I think you will like it, since you're obviously open minded and definitely are not a quitter. (kuddos for taking action btw)
    Instead, I want you to think about this:

    If you are good at writing and building why aren't you focussing on selling products and/or services about.....writing and building? I suggest you start focussing on what you are good at and experienced in. You can't offer services to others and make a promise you can't keep. You said it yourself: You're not sure how to drive enough targeted traffic to your blogs . You don't know what to do to convert your visitors into buyers.....yet.

    Start focussing on what you do know and work your way up. There are plenty of businesses that need your skill set. You need to track down your audience and provide them the solution to their hair pulling problem. If you are able to put the finger on their issues, hard selling isn't even nesessary. Think about this for a minute, make a decision and start taking consistent action.
    Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author Hammad I
    I am no expert, nor a millionaire so don't take my advice seriously.

    It seems that you have a hard time accepting external opinion. You want to do what YOU think is right.... which isn't always right. Pick up some advice and stick to that long enough to see it being realized.

    Apart from that, Rome wasn't built in a day.. or 8 years. Keep at it and I am sure you will be posting a success story real soon.
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    Hello Everyone!
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  • Profile picture of the author kencalhn
    taking time to become a genuine expert in your niche, and working to develop a strong community of people you've earned the trust of, is what works for me, this last 15 years online fulltime

    -k
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  • Profile picture of the author oWEN tEBB
    Focus and master one method. Once you fully understand it and deliver consistent results then and only then should you look to expand your skill base. Whatever has happened in the past has happen, you need to focused and be concerned on the future. Learn from any mistakes and stay positive.

    It kind of happened to me but I quickly learned and I now making money on a consistent basis. You can do it just need to believe, learn and take action.

    Im here if you need further assistance or greater detailed
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Out of all the startups did you ever once prove there was a steady source of buyer traffic?

    Find a proven traffic source, then build the business. You don't have to have a business/product to test traffic sources.

    IMO your doing things backwards (build it & they will come...).
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    • Profile picture of the author nik0
      Banned
      Ok same main points:

      - You seem to like to write but the technical side of SEO seems to be lacking, you merged miultiple sites together, probably while the old one was still indexed which might've led to penalties. You moved complete sites without doing redirects etc. like you admitted yourself already.

      So next time stick to one domain and before you buy the domain make sure it has no nasty history, eg no drops or nameserver changes and all that, just a brand new one. You can check these type of things at whois.domaintools.com

      Then again, you seem to like to write but you haven't described any ways of how you promoted that site. You can write for ages and with no promotion, eg link acquisition no one is going to find you. Now don't start with those lame bookmark sites and article directories, they won't get you anywhere as you also need to promote those to get exposure.

      Instead you should contact sites in your niche, make them aware of your content, build connections with those people and aim to get links from them.

      Your SEO efforts should be about 10% time spend on writing content and 90% on finding ways to promote it. That's all what counts these days. Sure content is important but it's only the foundation, you can't build a house with just a foundation.
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  • Profile picture of the author NobleSavage
    It's time to go pro. You need to tell other people how to make a killing and charge for it.

    Start off with a new nic and create an aura of success. Drop little secrets here and there, but be vague.
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  • Profile picture of the author FIVE STAR
    Take a gamble on yourself this go round. You at this point have a portfolio or a personal site, yes? If not, create one.. In this site, strictly focus on services you CAN provide to people.

    Next step is to go talk to people in Winston-Salem (Business Owners)... Don't push your way in the door and demand that they go for your services. Drop in and introduce yourself and let folks know about your services. Make sure you can get them away from the chaos or you're pushing hot air that will go in one ear and out the other. The point here is to make connections in your community. Join a league or social function.. Business owners often do this to generate leads for their business. So, why not do the same?

    I've been creating websites, providing SEO services, and local marketing for small business full and part time for the last 11-years.

    Once you get your feet wet with the first few customers, they will refer you if they're pleased with your work. Also... I can't tell you how many times I've met new contacts / clients at those social functions I mentioned earlier. I'm also a hobby photographer that gets paid from time to time to do shoots of cars/trucks/bikes.. One of my biggest customers I currently have just happened to be a person I gave a "FREE PHOTO SHOOT" to.. You never know, but when you're out in the public eye, you tend to get noticed. That is, if you're putting in the effort and are passionate about what you do.

    You'll make more in your first year doing this than you've made in the last 9-years online.

    You can make websites... check
    You can register a domain name... check
    You can offer some SEO skills....? Working local is a bit easier than global.
    You MUST be able to deal with people face-to-face though... (This is for some people and not for others)

    I'm available to help share some knowledge to help get you going if this is a path you'd like to choose.... Us "rednecks" have to stick together.
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    • Profile picture of the author Enfusia
      IMHO.

      Find ONE thing that you really love. It could be IM, girls, cameras whatever. Make sure you love it because you're going to be doing it for decades.

      Find the problems everyone has in your niche. IM - same problems as you. Girls - for most guys = can't get any. Camera's - There's always something better.
      You get the point.

      Set up a squeeze page with a shiny, shiny that solves ONE of their problems (not all of them or you got nothin left to sell).

      Drive quality traffic.

      Build a super great relationship with your list.

      Offer them only products you know work. Don't hop on the "I gotta pound my list every day with the newest BS" bandwagon. Make sure it's a quality product.

      Continue building the relationship with them (that part never stops).

      Drive more traffic to your squeeze page.

      That's a simple recipe, but it works.

      Thank you, Patrick
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  • Profile picture of the author MarketingBees
    Not to sound arrogant (nor to repeat what others are saying) but before even opening the thread I knew it was going to come down to one thing: FOCUS!

    You've darted from this to that constantly and that is the issue. Nothing else.

    Far too many people think that IM is a case of sitting down for an hour or so, putting a few things together, hitting go and then sitting back.

    If you don't see money from this within a month or so. It's failed. Move on. Start with something else.

    NO NO NO.

    IM is bloody hard work. There's some who (claim to) work 4hr weeks and all of that, and yes, it's possible when you have your business in full flow and can begin to outsource that work. But that's WAY WAY off (even if a guru tells you it's possible to make "$1,433,233 in the next 36 days").

    You need to spend months and months building up a reputation in a niche, building a brand, getting your name out there, then building up the traffic which you then turn into a list/following, who you then marketing to (either your own products or affiliate products).

    I've got a particular brand I've been working on for nearly a year - Income from it so far $20-$25 maybe... But I know in a few months it will be earning a recurring income that I can rely upon.

    So pick something, focus on it, and work bloody hard on it until it works. Don't give up.

    And good luck!!
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  • Profile picture of the author Gh0zt
    Hi

    Well.. clearly you are doing something wrong. 8 years and only $2k in profits is pathetic, the 8 years part is shocking in itself.

    Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is how Einstein defined insanity.

    $2000 profit should take 8 days, not 8 years.

    The warriors who have posted before me have given you some excellent advice already. If you want to start making good money online, sustainable income, and you really can't get to grips with what you've tried already then aim at going for a skill and then selling that skill.

    A web/graphic designer can make a fortune depending on how you sell your services and how skilled you are - the same applies to sales copy writers - the same applies to penetration testers.

    Learning a skill is THE way to go for a stable, solid income - online and offline. If you look at the contruction trades for example - here in the UK they are all well paid, electriction, plumber, plasterer, scaffolder - a lot of them are bringing in £100 a day and you can learn these skills in college for a few years each...

    ...the exact same applies to online. Savvy web designers can make a fortune at the moment working for professional companies and earning extra bits on the side.

    Remember that to make money you need to SELL something. Whether it is a product or a service, tuition or entertainment, look arround you, everything was sold, everything has a price, remember that.

    But ultimately you need to decide where you want to go and make it happen. If you are looking for a solid, stable income for years to come then: becoming a valuable "skilled" person and learning yourself a trade is one of the best and most secure ways of doing this - especially if you are willing to learn 2 trades.

    That might not be your cup of tea - and that's fine if that is the case. Many a millionairre made their money by setting up businesses and outsourcing all of the work - they were good at getting people to do what they wanted and they good at seeing the bigger picture - so ultimately they used their management knowledge and deligation skills to make themselves rich.

    But one advice I will give you - and you may not like it, but you need to abosrb what I'm saying anyway - you need to have patience. This might not be nice to hear since you're 8 years in, but you can't learn a skill overnight and setting up a business takes more than 10 minutes, you catch my drift. But the reward of all the hard work is there and it's directly proportunate to how much effort you in.

    Just my 2 cents, spend 'em wisely
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  • Profile picture of the author roshan03
    You reflect my story. Many people here have suggested to "focus"; well i focused on SEO and tried to rank my sites, only to realize later after spending $1000s that my whole effort to earn money was depended on the mercy of 3rd parties, were they dictate the terms. After the google updates and loosing my ranking i realized that i am "focusing" on the "wrong thing" (For myself).

    So when you choose on "What to focus On", Think wisely.....
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    • Profile picture of the author greenowl123
      Originally Posted by roshan03 View Post

      You reflect my story. Many people here have suggested to "focus"; well i focused on SEO and tried to rank my sites, only to realize later after spending $1000s that my whole effort to earn money was depended on the mercy of 3rd parties, were they dictate the terms. After the google updates and loosing my ranking i realized that i am "focusing" on the "wrong thing" (For myself).

      So when you choose on "What to focus On", Think wisely.....
      Don`t feel too bad, I focused too much on SEO too. I was getting really skilled at it, and getting good results from my efforts. Then the Penguin update came along and all my blogs (a couple of dozen at the time) lost their positions in the SERPs.

      I learned a hard lesson. It is very important to focus on the right things. And one of the best (perhaps THE best) things to focus on is growing your list of subscribers and having them trust you and eager to open your messages.
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    • Profile picture of the author hyzhenry
      Originally Posted by roshan03 View Post

      You reflect my story. Many people here have suggested to "focus"; well i focused on SEO and tried to rank my sites, only to realize later after spending $1000s that my whole effort to earn money was depended on the mercy of 3rd parties, were they dictate the terms. After the google updates and loosing my ranking i realized that i am "focusing" on the "wrong thing" (For myself).

      So when you choose on "What to focus On", Think wisely.....
      Best thing to focus on is a list.
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  • Profile picture of the author Antonio De Santis
    Google is like a game, it will change forever: I couldn't try to build websites. There are more reliable ways to make money: if you like writing, you can try Kindle books.
    Amazon make autopromotion for your books with automatic newsletter and laser target announces. You can promote your site or your mailing list inside your books by links.
    I suggest you to build a mailing list because this is the fastest way to make money.
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  • Profile picture of the author talfighel
    If this is not working for you, here's something that will.

    This is what many very successful marketers do. Remember, they do it and you did not. You just did things that really don't work.

    1. They found products that can earn them residual income and an income from other people's efforts.
    2. These same products also earn them more money from upsells that can range from $100 and all the way up to $5,000.
    3. They don't use FREE marketing at all. They know that they want to get as many people join as fast as possible. So with cash on hand, they are willing to spend $10,000-$30,000+ on ads to get the program earning them around $2,000-$5,000 per month for doing the work ONCE.
    4. If the product has upsells, from the $10,000-$30,000+ they spent, they can bank more them $100,000 in gross income.

    And you don't even see them on any forum. They just do the above and live a good life.
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    • Profile picture of the author kindsvater
      Originally Posted by talfighel View Post

      They don't use FREE marketing at all. They know that they want to get as many people join as fast as possible. So with cash on hand, they are willing to spend $10,000-$30,000+ on ads to get the program earning them around $2,000-$5,000 per month for doing the work ONCE.
      Great, except she already said $60 is a bit of a challenge right now.

      You'd also better be darned sure about what you are doing, and be prepared to lose that money, before plunking down $30k on ads. I remember when I knew the recession had hit - $30,000 down the advertising hole two months in a row with barely a buyer in sight.

      Unless you've done it yourself, and you refer to "they" - whoever that is - it is definitely not as simple as spending a boatload of money once and then living the high life forever. That's some dangerous kool-aid.

      .
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      • Profile picture of the author kindsvater
        - Commercial and Residential Alarm monitoring
        - Store clerk
        - Image editor at a little dot com
        - Dispatch for Coach USA
        - Radiology Assistant
        - Cashier
        Here's a couple ideas that immediately come to mind:

        - Commercial and Residential Alarm Monitoring Expert / Insider spills the beans / discloses / evaluates/ reviews the best alarm systems and what you can do to really protect your assets.

        You then sign up for products and services as an affiliate, and/or use AdSense ads for monetization, and have instant credibility beyond almost all other affiliates.


        - Tour Bus Expert / Insider .... same thing, but targeting every city and every tourist destination where tour buses run, there are coupon books being sold (like CityPass), etc.

        Just one quick funny story or "war story" can go a long way in creating a reason why someone should check out your website in depth and pay attention to what you are doing.


        - Radiology. Nothing immediately came to mind, so I typed the word at Amazon and 19,000+ results came back. The first being learning radiology.

        How difficult would it be to write about your experience and knowledge and sell it as a Kindle report: Insider Secrets to Succeeding as Radiology Assistant - what the doctors and schools don't want you to know!

        I don't know if it would be a big seller. Probably not. But you write it, putting it up on Kindle is free, so any sales are found money.


        - Image editor. How difficult is it to write a ton of little reports / web pages about how to do this and that? Works well for ehow. Or doing videos and putting them up on YouTube and monetizing with AdSense?

        For local businesses have you offered your services as an image editor? Taking the photo of the business is the easy part. Editing it so it is professional and looks great of the web, on various sized devices from iphones to 26" monitors is more difficult. Get up to 3 images professionally edited with your listing on our directory ....


        To be sure, everything I have mentioned is "product" oriented, and except for Amazon there is still the issue of getting traffic. But it does help if you have "expert" status, which is easy to claim.


        When you can't even give away things, how in the hell are you supposed to sell anyone anything?
        That means the giveaway is not enticing enough and you have not establish credibility.

        Start by going overboard with credibility and building trust.

        If you are having trouble getting someone to sign up for a list to get the freebie, try this:

        You need multiple products. One can be a giveaway to introduce yourself and establish credibility when offering the second product. You have an offer for the 2nd product at the end of the 1st product.

        Or, split out a teaser for your product. Example, if you have a report: 10 Ways to Be Safer in Your Home you offer the first 3 methods for free with a way to order to full report of all 10 methods.

        and you need to combine this with getting over the hump of selling the freebie:

        Offer the freebie for free. No strings attached. Instead of having a separate pdf someone needs to fork over their email address to get, lay it all out on your website. They get it for free. Then evaluate how successful that is in getting someone to take action.

        One step you can do on your site is ask someone to 'click a button' to read the free report on the next page. It's an action step, even if not giving you an email address.

        Ask for comments and feedback.

        Once you have the a system in place where you are getting results, because you have trust, there is feedback you are using as testimonials, and everything has been offered for free, then maybe you test requiring an email address to get the information.

        The point being: if you can't sell the freebie re-evaluate the process. Why not? Big issues are credibility / trust and what the freebie is.

        Example: I don't know how many times I have seen some IMer with a squeeze page promising all sorts of riches and glory from their free report. All I have to do is provide my email address. Usually, that results in a quick click of the back button. Why? Absolutely no credibility. As far as I am concerned, why should I give anyone an email address they can spam when I don't believe they can deliver? Even if free? It's not free. It's called wasting my time.

        To come full circle then in my comments, about niches, strategies, and difficulties in getting people to take you up on free offers, a lot comes down to credibility. You've got it, but I'm not sure you're using it or realizing what you have in assets and how to use them to develop more.

        You can even truthfully say this about yourself:

        8 Year IM Veteran and Entrepreneur.




        .
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        • Profile picture of the author Social Media Ava
          Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

          Here's a couple ideas that immediately come to mind:

          - Commercial and Residential Alarm Monitoring Expert / Insider spills the beans / discloses / evaluates/ reviews the best alarm systems and what you can do to really protect your assets.

          You then sign up for products and services as an affiliate, and/or use AdSense ads for monetization, and have instant credibility beyond almost all other affiliates.
          *slaps self* I've been sitting on this niche for a while. The reason I haven't done a whole lot with it is because I don't really want to build a site around it. However, a Kindle book is highly possible, and most likely forth-coming. People who have alarm systems are clueless about the protocol and usually about how the alarm itself works. There's not a lot out there about that part, but Q&A sites like Quora and Yahoo Answers are rampant with questions. I could definitely offer insight as an insider here. I've thought about it numerous times, but didn't really have the time. Now I do. Great suggestion...you have no idea how great.

          Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

          - Tour Bus Expert / Insider .... same thing, but targeting every city and every tourist destination where tour buses run, there are coupon books being sold (like CityPass), etc.

          - Radiology. Nothing immediately came to mind, so I typed the word at Amazon and 19,000+ results came back. The first being learning radiology.

          How difficult would it be to write about your experience and knowledge and sell it as a Kindle report: Insider Secrets to Succeeding as Radiology Assistant - what the doctors and schools don't want you to know!
          Not difficult for me at all. I can turn out a 20-page report with supporting images in about 6 hours. Writing is so easy for me. However, these two are so far in the past...I'd hardly be considered an expert at this point. BUT, new things have taken their place...so the idea is hugely viable!

          Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

          - Image editor. How difficult is it to write a ton of little reports / web pages about how to do this and that? Works well for ehow. Or doing videos and putting them up on YouTube and monetizing with AdSense?

          For local businesses have you offered your services as an image editor?
          No, no I have not...until now!!!

          Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

          To be sure, everything I have mentioned is "product" oriented, and except for Amazon there is still the issue of getting traffic. But it does help if you have "expert" status, which is easy to claim.
          It's right up my alley! I'm not into MLM or backing just any old thing because it will make me money. I need to be able to stand behind my products. That's part of the reason I was miserable in the security niche...I thought alarms were stupid.

          Originally Posted by kindsvater View Post

          That means the giveaway is not enticing enough and you have not establish credibility.

          Start by going overboard with credibility and building trust.

          If you are having trouble getting someone to sign up for a list to get the freebie, try this:

          You need multiple products. One can be a giveaway to introduce yourself and establish credibility when offering the second product. You have an offer for the 2nd product at the end of the 1st product.

          Or, split out a teaser for your product. Example, if you have a report: 10 Ways to Be Safer in Your Home you offer the first 3 methods for free with a way to order to full report of all 10 methods.

          and you need to combine this with getting over the hump of selling the freebie:

          Offer the freebie for free. No strings attached. Instead of having a separate pdf someone needs to fork over their email address to get, lay it all out on your website. They get it for free. Then evaluate how successful that is in getting someone to take action.

          One step you can do on your site is ask someone to 'click a button' to read the free report on the next page. It's an action step, even if not giving you an email address.

          Ask for comments and feedback.

          Once you have the a system in place where you are getting results, because you have trust, there is feedback you are using as testimonials, and everything has been offered for free, then maybe you test requiring an email address to get the information.

          The point being: if you can't sell the freebie re-evaluate the process. Why not? Big issues are credibility / trust and what the freebie is.

          To come full circle then in my comments, about niches, strategies, and difficulties in getting people to take you up on free offers, a lot comes down to credibility. You've got it, but I'm not sure you're using it or realizing what you have in assets and how to use them to develop more.

          You can even truthfully say this about yourself:

          8 Year IM Veteran and Entrepreneur.
          Wow, wow and wow. You have given me gold, Brian. I think since I don't really have any friends in IM, I tend to think about things the same way all the time. A different viewpoint changes the entire scene. I've definitely decided that Kindle's where it's at for me right now. I'm also going to narrow down my Internet real estate. I'm going to stick to the things I am at or near expert level and run with them. Instead of adding assets at a whim...I'll consider how I can build on what I already have. Thanks again so much for your input on this thread! I'm sure I'm not the only one your words will help.
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  • Profile picture of the author AidenTingley
    I would agree with everyone else my friend, get stuck in with one topic and master it!
    As soon as your making money with it, scale scale scale, learn learn learn, then when you have mastered it, move to another topic and do the same.
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  • Profile picture of the author internetmarketer1
    Yup, I have noticed that you have gone from one thing to another. Like what everybody else has said, stick to one thing and stick to it as much as you can. I feel like you never stuck with something long enough to build it into something big.
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    • Profile picture of the author hyzhenry
      I think you've got a lots of advices now. I would say what worked for me, making money on the first month on my affiliate marketing journey was entering a market that I felt I could sell something. An affiliate product or my own product that would actually serve people. And believe in it. Believe that it could sell, then it will sell. Stick to it until you have significant success first before moving on.
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  • Profile picture of the author muscientist
    Hello everybody. I'm a new member of the warrior forum. This is the first time I post something. First of all, I'm enjoying this thread and I'm learning a lot.

    I'm not an expert but I just wanted to ask you if you would consider having a mentor. I think it really helps to maintain focus and speed up the process. There are a lot of people that have faced the same problems all new Internet Marketers have faced. They can help you avoid those problems and you'll rich your goals much faster.

    Here is a quote from The Richest Man in Babylon:

    "… seek advice from those who were competent through their
    own experiences to give it …"

    As you have already mentioned, there are a lot people trying to teach how to make money on line that don't actually do it. I have also bought really bad products. You just need to find the right mentor or program.

    Thanks to all for your wonderful ideas, and thanks Ava for starting this thread.
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  • Profile picture of the author cyberzolo
    You need to focus one ONE thing. You hoped around way too much before anything sticked.
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  • Profile picture of the author Stuart Stirling
    I can feel your frustation! some times things don't turn out the
    way you hope, even though you think you're giving it all you've got.

    8 years? Looks like we've been going at it the same amount of time.

    A lot of good points of advice brought up here. I think you can
    take a LOT from these responses.. but if I can add my 2 cents...

    A coach will do miraculous things for you. It's the worst when
    trying to work on your business all by your lonesome!

    The next best thing would be to join a mastermind. The reason
    is that you want to be surrounded by others with huge motivation
    and focus so you can get the same. You are your own worst
    enemy.

    The voices in your head can lead you astray... procrastination,
    laziness, low self-worth etc.. It happens to me and when it does
    I know it's just my negative voice that I'm listening to. In those times
    I jump on skype and chat with my peers, coach, partners etc.
    I got a coach right at the start, because I wanted to follow a proven
    path with my business. That path was list building! lol surprise surprise!
    I too have dabbled to try other things but 90% of my income
    has come from 1 niche and 1 source - my list.

    Hope that helps! You probably have a wealth of knowledge and
    experience.. now it's time to channel all that and focus and selling
    like a madman!

    Stuart
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    • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
      Late to the thread. How about an update OP (Social Media Ave)... personally, I think you've been given some great advice. And you seem to have found the ONE thing to focus on, the Alarm report and all. So, how is it going?

      IF, for some reason, you are not staying on track, then please, while at your library read this (or have them get it for you from Interloan)..

      ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life: Judith...ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life: Judith...
      I suspect your problem is not going to be helped by pablam advice, like FOCUS on one thing. Maybe you can't? I know I can't. I'm the posterboy for A.D.D. but within the Chaos of my life, I have managed to build little gardens, so I can enjoy a variety of fruits and veggies, but not grow just Carrots.

      If I had to grow one thing, I'd be a starving farmer, cause I would keep digging up the seeds to see if they were growing.

      Hope you have found your thing and are focused on it, but, if you get off track a little, you may find the book I linked to to be helpful.

      gjabiz
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  • Please dont take this the wrong way, but... if you've been continuously trying a specific venture (whatever it might be) for 8 years without success, chances are that such very venture is just not your thing, and that perhaps your skill set lies somewhere else.

    I know this is not what you want to hear, but a man's gotta know when it's time to pack up, close the shop, and look for new horizons. There's nothing wrong in reassessing and relocating your efforts somewhere else.
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  • Profile picture of the author kjeter15
    I sent you a message. I hope it helps
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  • Profile picture of the author Dean Henry
    I can relate with this. I was bouncing around the IM sphere for too long until my mentor hit me with this truth.... If you are not making money, it means you are not selling!

    You are not selling your product, you are not selling your service, you are not selling other people stuff,... Simply...you are not selling. Therefore,.... We don't make money!!,

    It's good to know and master some skill, be knowledgable about certain areas,... But ultimately, it's the SELLING activity that will put money in our pocket.

    There are many methods to make money online, simply stick to one,.... And sell the day lights out of it. When you do make some sales, then terms like 'Scaling up' will become relevant to you.

    After 8 years plus, I believe you already have some idea, all that is left for you to do is Pick One method, ,take action,... And just sell.
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    FREE Traffic?! No way...but maybe Yes way? Stop being curious and find out Here!

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  • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
    I haven't read the replies here, so I apologize if this has already been said but...

    Avoid anyone that says ...

    1. Don't give up
    2. Take action
    3. Work hard

    That's all meaningless bullshit.

    Get a mentor and start working with purpose.
    Signature

    BS free SEO services, training and advice - SEO Point

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  • Profile picture of the author jsniemeyer
    As Stuart Stirling said "a coach will do miraculous things for you."

    I agree with that wholeheartedly.

    I don't want to tell you to scrap your current business plan, but I would advice you to get a good mentor and follow his or her advice explicitly.... It does seem that focus could be your issue. By follow a mentor's plan (and not jumping ship to the next "big thing") it will kind of force you to focus and see a single business plan through to the end.

    This is exactly what I did when I felt a bit stuck with my business.
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  • I'll give some feedback and i have made thousands of affiliate and other sales online but I'm not the smartest I ate poison thinking it's good for me got sick and had to take years to recover shows you i'm dumb (no formal degree) but i can sell online. Here's the eye opener for me and 99% hate it when I say this I have done it before that is why i know but I think it's true till other prove it's not. Why do the real good smart freedom loving greats hate majority rule? Because majority is 99% of the time wrong (I have yet to find a case where this is not true). So if 99% say zag you ZIG! I know 99% hate this advice but I'm yet to find it wrong!

    Next focus on 1 thing at a time I see some warriors figured this out, ti's TRUE!

    Also THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FEE. Try to look at the truth no matter how ugly it is, so you can clearly improve your situation.

    Get good at one thing! You need to be an expert at something! Get going and get good at it.

    There is more, but this is my 10 years and I know it's true regardless what others say. Good luck.
    Signature

    Join Next Live Mastermind Zoominar 100% Real World Secrets to Get Up And Running. Are you Stuck? Don’t miss it www.MonthlyMastermind.org
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  • Profile picture of the author collison
    You have developed marketable skills in the past 8 years. But the problem is you do not know what they are, and how they add value to a business. You should write down all your core skills.

    Secondly I would learn about business and adding value. The fastest way to do this is to read all Richard Koch's, books especially the 80/20 principle. And Perry Marshall's 80/20 sales and marketing, it's only 7 bucks shipped. Sign on to Perry Marshall mailing list and you will learn more from his emails than a ton of books.

    I failed at this until I learnt business, but I have succeded by reading and learning from good people.
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  • Profile picture of the author Z1
    You have really got some great advice from the community on your post.

    If I may I would like to bring up a few things that may or may not apply to you.

    I too dreamed of owning and running a business from an early age. And I did and have done that.
    What I learned and am still learning is it's a never ending journey. You must continually study and learn about business and successful people. To me, business is a game or a sport, if you like games or sports try thinking about business this way it may help. Here is a few thoughts I hope they help.

    1. Business is first about serving others, profit comes from doing that well consistently, over time, again and again (think batting average). Focus on taking care of who ever it is you choose to serve and do it better than anyone else.

    2. Sales is about trust and likeability. You earn people's trust by showing your willingness to serve them, to educate them, to listen to them, and to guide them to product's and services that will be a great value to them by solving a problem, want or need. If you do not have an interest in serving others you will struggle with sales. Real sales is not about manipulation or trying to screw someone over (as many times we are told by society and the media) it is about solving problems and educating the customer on the best choices or ways to do that. You become likable by being a trustworthy source for help, service and information. You become even more likeable when you do it in a pleasing and friendly way and offer service, advice, kindness, respect, listening above the expectations of the person you are dealing with.

    3. Choose your market and location carefully if you want to earn money and profits. The bigger the market the more potential to develop a customer base and earn money. Of course the more competition you will have it larger market's. There is a reason why big cities have lot's of businesses, that is where the money is. If you want to increase you likelihood of success go the where the customers are and serve them better than the competition. Look for the busy cities and the heavily traveled street's. This applies to both brick and mortar and IM.

    4. Small markets are fine too. Walmart started in small towns and grew from there. You can find small areas that have very specific needs and make money by serving a smaller base of customer's.

    5. Learn to control your emotions and learn to stay positive. Life can and will bring you down if you let it. But if your mission in life is to own and run a successful business your going to have to learn to have and maintain a positive outlook, daily intense focus on growing, building and sustaining your business, while ignoring and effectively dealing with all the obstacles life throws your way.

    6. Just do it! You don't seem to have a problem with trying new things or jumping right in based on what I can tell, that is awesome. But this is probably the number one road block for most people ,they never start. They never think they are ready. They don't believe in themselves. They doubt themselves out of the game before they even get in. It's sad. I too use to look at others who were doing it, starting and running their own business and think "how do they do it." or "they must really know what they're doing." or :that's got to be tough to learn or do." What a bunch of crap. The big difference was they did it and I did not. So for anyone reading this right now doubting yourself, STOP IT and just do it!

    7. This last point goes hand in hand with the last one. On another level so many of us just don't think we deserve success. We think that success or wealth, or bettering ourselves by trying new things is not something we deserve or think will ever happen. And nothing is further from the truth. You and everyone reading this deserves success and wealth(it comes in may forms) in their lives.

    We only have one life to live with time running out on us daily. Why should we allow ourselves to be condemned to a life of lack and poverty? The answer is we should not. We deserve to make the best life we can for ourselves while we are here. We all deserve to be successful, happy, fulfilled, and wealthy but that cannot happen until you allow yourself to have it. If you do not give yourself permission to grow, to try, to evolve, to become successful , to become wealthy you won't. So give yourself permission, just do it and go after it.

    With that said, friend, you deserve it. Now go and make it happen, time is running out.

    Good luck to you!
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  • Profile picture of the author GainMoreLikes
    Banned
    I think you're making improvement already. See, this domain name ProWebWriter.com makes sense. It could sell for a fortune later.

    Never give up or feel discouraged. Focus on one thin at a time.. when you've mastered it, you can then expand by going to or exploring the next shiny object
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  • Profile picture of the author Gman9
    I think your problem is that you have never stepped outside of the IM/Warriorforum mind set.

    Browsing forums looking for answers instead of reading books about people who have actually made it in life will keep you in that mindset.

    Have a look at successful websites, look at every niche not just IM as that will keep you in fail mode.

    What are you interested in?

    If you have been at this 8+ years then you will know the internet has changed alot over time and continues to change all the time. Bubbles some and burst online all the time sometimes its simply about timing and luck.

    I do think that you need to open your mind slightly and look past IM and selling services as a business as it seems like its not something you are suited to.
    Signature
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  • Profile picture of the author ivanadee
    As my fellow warriors said, just keep focusing to one thing that you're best at and start becoming a master of it
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    • Profile picture of the author ElGuapo
      OP:

      I suffered a similar problem for a while. It took some serious self-assessment to figure out why that was. And to be frank, I was setting myself challenges that I wasn't cut out for.

      For example: I was never comfortable pitching products I knew nothing about, or appearing on video, or doing social marketing. But I recently teamed up with a friend to create a membership site, and he is a natural extrovert who does all that with aplomb. He also creates all the original content, while I take on a role I'm more comfortable with (design, marketing strategy, copywriting, split-testing, PPC, etc.) I also love writing Kindle books - a decent passive income, and something that comes easily to me.

      So just figure out what you're good at and what you are comfortable with doing. If you can team up with others, do so. There is always an option out there. Just be ruthless with your self-assessment - the majority of 'marketers' aren't suited for the majority of their activities.
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      • Hi Social Media Ava,

        I read your follow up.

        I am happy you are working but you do not seem too happy overall.

        Sorry an encounter with MLM kind of left you with a sour taste. I also prefer everything to be a little more direct and upfront.

        I am happy to hear about your fiction books venture good luck with that.

        Really the best advice I could give you is to seek out the very best in what ever path you choose. Try to connect with them, become an affiliate, attend their live event, emulate them in your marketing.

        "Like shooting for the moon even if you do not make it you will still be among the stars".
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