It has been a while since my last blog post. I have just been swamped with work. I am working through e-mails of people asking for help with their blogs or with their mailing list squeeze pages, while at the same time, I’m trying to get all of my videos recorded for The WordPress Classroom. It has been quite overwhelming. At the same time I am trying to continue to generate traffic to my blog and to my squeeze page by commenting on other blogs, taking part in forums, having conversations on Twitter, organizing e-mails to my list etc. etc. I’m not complaining though! I am, however, giving you an excuse to why I may not have returned your or e-mail or why I haven’t been to your blog to comment yet. I promise I will get to them all. It just takes me time to get to it all. I need to squeeze some personal time in somewhere.
Anyway, enough ranting and giving excuses. I want to tell you how to make money. So many people seem to way over complicate the whole process. I don’t quite understand. The more I study it and the more I work towards building my income, the concept just seems easier and easier to me. Once I finally grasped the real trick to the whole damn thing, I just kinda smacked my head and said “Aha!, it’s so simple!”
I’ve had a couple of people come to me and say that they would never make any money on the internet because they don’t have a product. They aren’t creative enough to make one or they don’t know how to do anything, so what could they sell? But that’s the problem! You don’t need to have your own product! Who said anything about creating a product? It’s not necessary in the beginning! It’s really not!
Here’s the trick… Build a damn list! Build your mailing list by offering something for free. It doesn’t even have to be something that you created. It can be a product that you purchased that gave you resell rights or you can offer ?a contest for people to join your list and give something away. My recommendation though, is to create a short ebook, maybe 10 or 12 pages, about who you are, why you are doing what you are doing, and what you have learned. The book is free! People will sign up for it.
Now send some e-mails out that are nice and conversational. Get people to like you and get them to want to hear what you have to say. Don’t start promoting anything right away. Just send out friendly tips or things that you’ve learned in your journey so far. After you’ve got them hooked, you can start sprinkling in affiliate links. Start recommending products that you have used or that you think will create great value to your readers. Boom! You are making money. If your list likes and trusts you, you will start making money when you promote things that you honestly think will give them value! That’s the big damn secret! Build a list, get them to trust you, promote products that add value…
After that whole cycle has created some income for you, guess what… You now have an idea for a product to create! Create an ebook or a video tutorial about how you built your mailing list and how you made money with your mailing list… Give some of the secret away for free to build your list even more and then upsell them for the rest. Then, once again, you’ve got another product idea… You now know how to make money creating and selling your own products. The cycle continues.
Internet marketing is really that simple. (Ok. I oversimplified a little but that’s the whole darn concept!) No. Internet marketing is not fast. It does take time. But I do believe it can be really easy!
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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30 Responses to this article
Matt,
Interesting concept. I understand as they say the money is in the list….
The issue is gettung people to sign up to you newletter in the first place.
You have given me a few ideas in this post & I will look to implement them sooner than later.
Thanks agin for your wise advise.
To your Success,
Rob
.-= Rob Willis?s last blog ..My Son?s School Project =-.
Hey Matt,
Yeah it is very simple and also very easy to complicate. I have some ideas, but am still relying on affiliates and other peoples products. At the moment I am just happy to generate traffic to my blog!
To your success Matt!
Cheers Mel
.-= Melanie Steeden?s last blog ..Youtube?A Terrifying Experience! =-.
Hey Matt,
I like the simplicity of your post, and true the focus has to on the list building, but provided you are giving VALUE to your list, then there is no reason why you can’t make any money online.
As we know, for every subscriber on your list, they are worth $1, so why wouldn’t you wnat to build a list?
Having your own product does help, but then a simple 10-20 page FREE report can get everything kicked off for you to start building that list.
Cool stuff Matt, be in touch real soon!
Take care
Sean
Hey Matt,
Sorry – I’m one of those on your backlog for assistance.
But you can delete me from that list, as I’ve discovered how to do it. If I’d have realised how simple it was to change my heading, I wouldn’t have bothered you – but thanks for your offer of help anyway.
If you get anyone else that want’s their header changed, send them to me and I’ll take some of your workload off your shoulders.
Speak soon,
Andrew.
.-= Andrew Vaughan?s last blog ..Build an Email List ? My First You Tube Video =-.
Hi Matt
I agree that everything is simple as long as it is broken down into its component parts.
My method is to note down all MUST DO tasks with an asterix and put them into my Gantt chart, especially in order to stick to what Alex is saying – its the TAKING ACTION thing that is the hard bit though!
Anyway take care
Pete
.-= Peter Davies?s last blog ..Maria Andros ? Video Marketing Tutorial =-.
Hey Mattie how are you mate??
Great tip my man as you know I wrote a blog post about what I want to create as a product well I am writing a short report about my story man,because thats what people want me to write.
speak soon my friend
great blog post
marcus
Hey Matt,
You make a great point with not beating your list up with offers. Although we all want to make money in this business, we should be focused on helping people too. The old saying “You’ll get what you want, once you’ve helped enough other people get what they want”.
Continue to love the blog, signed up on your list.
Leslie
.-= LeslieZ?s last blog ..Video Training? Are You Watching? =-.
Hi Matt –
I’ve read many times in the last year to build a list and I always thought “I’ll do it later, once I know what I’m doing”. What was I thinking? I have a ton of free websites and pages all over on different affiliate programs, but never took the time to set up a blog and start building my own list, let alone my own real site. At least I’m working on it now!
Thanks for the great post!
Hey Matt
I have been following you on the forum and you even helped me out with the video camera e-mail. I have been using the information from your Word Press Classroom to help me set up my blog Which I just finished over the weekend.(FINALLY) Still learning about widgits and rest to expand my blog and make it a place where people Want to come to and check out. With that said I really like the layout of you subheader of your blog. Would you mind if I took a page out of your book with the journal goal section and put something like that in my blog. Not a copy just a knockoff Just wanted to ask
Glenn
.-= Glenn?s last blog ..Maybe I bit off more than I can chew??? =-.
Hi Matt–
I love this blog! You provide so much valuable information.
Thank you for being so willing to help us. (Yes, I’m one of the people hanging on your coattails waiting for help from you through an email I sent you).
I guess that’s what happens when you get followers, and I will be following you from now on.
Thanks for the great videos! I got the free ones, and as soon as I can, I’ll get the rest. I usually can’t do this tech stuff even from a video, but yours are very good.
All the best to you.
RAZ
Hey Matt,
Great post my friend.
I totally agree with you and know we discussed this briefly today.
This is the thing, leaving something like list building until “later” is a BIG mistake, as you say, you can still sell other peoples products before you get your own product. Many TOP internet marketers make over 50% of their revenue from affiliate sales!
Its the same concept as dont get it right, get it going, when it comes to products, its the same with your marketing, networking, promotion and list building. It is never to early to get going and not having your own product should never hold you back.
I completely agree with all the comments in this post buddy.
It also gives you an angle, “How I made $xxx without even having my own product” or “How I made enough money to outsource the creation of my first product, by selling other peoples stuff” etc is a great title for an ebook. Once you get going, you end up with alot more avenues opening up for further products.
Good stuff, speak soon!
Matthew,
My first visit to your blog is amazing. So much on offer, and so much value. You are already “there” man!
I will definitely come back here. Hang in there.
Matt
People too often underestimate the importance of building a relationship with their list and dive too quickly in and bombard them with affiliate offers and endless products then get annoyed and discouraged when the take up is practically zero.
I totally agree that you need to build trust and a relationship before you start to market as people will then understand that you aren’t peddling everything under the Sun but genuinely useful products.
The benefit is that with this course (MWA 2.0) we have a good supply of contacts for quality free content to provide to our growing lists.
Cheers
Tom
.-= Tom Harvey?s last blog ..Failing To Plan Is Planning To Fail =-.
Hey Matt,
Thanks for keeping the making money online process simple.
Really, its taken me a lot of time to realize the money’s in the list but that’s because its the way it works offline too.
Yep, we all get jammed up with work… Once I heard Loral Langemeier (the millionaire maker) say that the secret to her success was to commit herself to more than she thought she could do and then figure out how to make it happen.
You’re on the right track. Keep up all you do, as quite
obviously there is a good size community hanging on every bit of help you can muster.
Cheers,
Rob
.-= Rob Canyon?s last blog ..My Blog Copywriting Course is Finally Here? See The YouTube Videos. =-.
Hey Matt,
When you put the process like that, it just looks so simple…
I think it is very easy to over complicate things in your own head, when sometimes you just need to stand back and look at the facts!
Great post
Talk soon,
Paul
.-= Paul Wilson?s last blog ..Module 4 ? Social Media Money ? Blog Traffic and my Plans this Week! =-.
First Thing First! That’s all about making money online. There is no short cut. Nowadays even though we are in a world of high tech we still need to be people who people can trust. High tech…high touch/
.-= Syed Akram?s last blog ..Is Syed Akram a scammer, or someone I can trust? =-.
Matt-
Hey there my SoCal neighbor! The blog is looking great, and your posts read like little information packed mini-ebooks they are so good!
I totally agree with your point. It’s easy to get into a mindset of putting EVERYTHING off because every single element is not done and in place, and that is just wrong thinking. Moving forward…even failing forward…is totally the Alex Jeffrey’s way!
Keep up the great progress and work! Way to go!
Hey Matt,
Build a list? Nah… that will never work!
Well, that’s how I used to think up until a month ago until the realisation that this is the ONLY way to go to build a sustainable, long term business smashed me between the eyes like a 10lb sledgehammer!
It’s crazy that I overlooked the most simple method to create what could become a multi-million dollar business for so long and I really wish I had done it sooner.
A great quote I got from Rich Schefren’s coaching sums up the right mindset to succeed in internet marketing beautifully:
“The key for thinking like a true scientist is the acceptance that any real life situation, no matter how complex it initially looks, is actually, once understood, embarrassingly simple.”
Embarrassing indeed.
David
.-= David Walker?s last blog ..10 Steps to Creating an Authority Blog =-.
Hey Matt,
Thanks for letting the cat out of the bag!! It all does come-down to the list doesn’t it. Without it, it would be a real struggle to create any sort of long-term success online.
Have a great day!
Lee
.-= Lee?s last blog ..Internet Marketing = Busy Day!! =-.
Hey Matt,
You hit that on the head buddy! There’s nothing tricky about IM at all, just like Alex Jeffreys says.
It’s funny that it seems like some rocket science stuff from someone on the outside because many people don’t understand the concept of making a great deal of money on the internet.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve explained how to make money online using the method you’ve described and it takes people a while to understand, but when they do, they’re always like WOW!!
It’s all in that list, and you’re rockin’ and rollin’ so far, dude!
Keep it up… you’re my hero!! =P
.-= Joe Fier?s last blog ..Been on Vacation, But Ready To Hit It Hard =-.
Just wanted to say what a great Blog this is.
Thanks for all the great information.
Very neat,clean and crisp Blog
Steve Reh
.-= stev reh?s last blog ..My Newsletter Is Up =-.
Hi
Just visited your blog and the information contained in it is incredible. Maade me realise that there are a few things I should have been doing and haven’t. So will get on them today. They are going on my To Do list (my days plan!)
Thanks for the blogging videos – they have answered a number of my questions and it was so simple when you know how. Will be visiting regularly from now on. Thanks
Barbara
.-= Barbara Harvey?s last blog ..Free Report on Article Writing =-.
Hey Matt,
great job, you are really rolling along.
I like your videos, reassuring style.
I have to get going with videos myself,
that’s the piece i’m missing right now.
talk soon.
to your success,
Rich Cardarelli
.-= Rich Cardarelli?s last blog ..How to Build a Relationship =-.
Hi again Matthew,
My second visit to your blog – and I must admit that your progress sets a real example for me. The simplicity of it all, while at the same time the challenge of moving out of my comfort zone makes IM a nice business to get into.
Once again – keep up your momentum, I can see you are going places!
.-= Heine?s last blog ..The coaching is unfolding =-.
Hiya matt just letting you know I am going from strength to strength with the wordclass classroom I have even wrote a post on it.
just signed up for pay.com and now hope someone clicks on my wordpress banner.
don’t have anything to offer as yet , i will have to get out there and give something away for free.
just want to say thanks again mick.
Hi Matt
I love your blog its full of helpful information. Not covered list building yet, but your listbuiding tips has given me an introduction of what to expect. Thanks for your post
Avis
.-= Avis Williams (Dean Holland Student)?s last blog ..Inspiring Entrepreneurs ? That Have Inspire Me And Others =-.
Hi Matthew,
Thanks for the great post. Lots of ideas and I WILL be implementing some of them in my business.
By the way, I like your crib. That was hilarious. Keep up the great content, I really appreciate it.
Thanks again,
Ed
.-= Edward Rubi?s last blog ..Have an Attitude of Gratitude to Succeed =-.
Hey Matt, now I understand why you have not gotten back to me about my blog question. Thanks as well for the good ideas here. I think the best thing I am getting from Alex’s class is what to do with a list. I have a small list, but it’s really stale, I have not contacted anyone for a long time because I didn’t know what to do. It may be too late for this list, but I know what to do with the next one.
Gene
.-= Gene?s last blog ..Take a Time Out =-.
Matt,
I really like the way you have simplified things in this post. I think once you are on a roll it just gets better and better. I’m still working on building that list — that is the key, as you said! -Norene
.-= Norene?s last blog ..Over-Delivering ? The Key to Success =-.
Hey Matt
Slow down Man…you sound as if you’re going at it great guns..lol
Yeah! I completely agree with you…once you realise that you need a list then you take actionable steps to get one..and you keep trying and repeating the process.
Even the Guru’s still keep trying because you win some and lose some.
The trick is to work SMARTER then you can play HARDER.