Making money online can be as simple or as hard as you want it to be. It all depends on what method/business model you get into.
I've tried many different business models and methods and I decided to share 5 different methods/business models that are newbie-friendly as well as profitable.
Here are 5 simple ways to make $100 a day: Click Here
Thursday, December 29, 2016
How I Made $101,249/yr Working Less Than 3 Hours A Day." Step-by-Step Blueprint
It has been over 10 years since I quit my job and started working full time online.
It has been a wild roller coaster ride but now it has gotten me to a point where I make more than I've ever dreamed of, working less than 3 hours a day.
In fact, scratch that. I DON'T even have to work 3 hours if I didn't want to. I can work 3 hours a WEEK and I'll bet you if I check my bank account at the end of the month, the earnings will still be the same or HIGHER.
No, this is not a "hype" - in fact, probably like you, I hate hype and fluff. Because when I look back, it's because of all the fluff and BAD information that got me spinning wheels for years and years!
But when I finally "got it" - I tell you my friend, money floodgates literally "ERUPTED"!
And it just blew my mind why there was such a stark difference between "what people say to do to make money" vs. "what REALLY makes money".
I don't come to this forum that often but today while I was browsing for fun I saw a lot of really BAD information that seemed to make people confused and overwhelmed.
Kind of how it was making me when I was first starting out. So even though I was planning to go to the beach (I live close to the beach here in Los Angeles) - I think I'll share some "secrets" that you might not hear about here in the forum before I head out.
Considering the fact that here is where I got my feet wet, and since then I've coached literally HUNDREDS of students all around the world make a full-time income online and quit their jobs, I think I'm now at a good place to give back.
And now that Thanksgiving's around the corner, I feel like it's a good time to share some good ole' value with you guys.
This will be a newbie friendly post and if you heed this advice, I'm sure you will save yourself a lot of frustrations and heartaches no matter where you are at.
And if you're more advanced, you will nod your head in silent agreement because it's the same strategy both me and my millionaire friends employ daily.
If you're ready, let's begin...
1. Killing the "Superman Syndrome"
It's interesting because NOBODY talks about this.
1 of the 3 FASTEST way to make any change is to change your mindset.
You can change the course of your entire life by changing just this one simple thing.
So I'll be sharing a few KEY mindset shifts that got me skyrocketing from a four-figure marketer to a six figure marketer.
Here's the first one:
A lot of people seem to have the "Superman Syndrome".
They try to be good at EVERYTHING. They think they're Superman.
But in reality, you should have 1 or 2 things your PHENOMENAL at, and suck at the rest.
In order for you to succeed with internet marketing, you need to be good at a WIDE RANGE of things. (you need to know copywriting, have technical skills, be good at tracking and optimizing, etc.)
Not only that, you need "soft skills" like focus, discipline, taking action, managing time, etc etc.
If you lack in any one of the (let's say 10 skills needed to be successful) - that will ALWAYS be your tripping point. You will ALWAYS run into that wall. Over and over... until you tire out.
When I realized this and finally ACCEPTED that maybe I can't be really good at everything, I began to delegate...
And it ironically REVOLUTIONIZED my entire business!
They say smartest people are the laziest. I think it's partially true but in a different way:
I think deep inside smart people know that we don't want to spend our precious time on this low-value activity. Why do this when I can do something that is MUCH more impactful and enjoyable with the same amount of time? And this leads to so-called "procrastination".
Now I can just do what I'm GREAT at (which is coaching and delivering BIG results and breakthroughs faster than ANYONE) and delegate EVERYTHING ELSE I am not good at or hate (like technical things) - and then, almost immediately you score these incredible benefits:
Benefit #1. You can make FAST progress and not get stuck (because nothing trips you up anymore)
Benefit #2. Your bottom line SKYROCKETS (as a natural result of #1)
Benefit #3. You have MUCH more free time (because everyone's doing YOUR work while you're doing something fun)
Benefit #4. You can SCALE much easier (meaning more profits into your bank account)
Benefit #5. You spread the wealth instead of hogging it yourself (and you can get it delegated for pennies on the dollars overseas)
There's a LOT more benefits but you get the idea.
One of the best places I find workers is either freelancer.com or upwork.com.
Tip: Try to find workers who have at least a hundred hours logged for the skill you're looking for as well as 4.5 star reviews and up and you won't go wrong. Don't be afraid of hiring workers from overseas because surprisingly a lot speak excellent English and their work ethic is superb.
If you're thinking,
"But Stevie! That's going to cost me a lot of money!",
think again.
Keep this as your mantra and you will never go hungry again:
MAKE MORE THAN YOU SPEND
If I asked you if you want to trade $1 for $8, would you take it?
In a millisecond right?
Same thing here. Yes you are paying these workers but you will make MULTIFOLDS that amount from your sales.
which brings me to my next point...
2. "There's No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
EVERYTHING'S an investment.
If you "get this" tip, your life will change forever. Guaranteed.
You might think it's free if you're doing all the work yourself. Not true.
Our time in a day is limited.
Our time in a week is limited.
Our time here on earth is limited.
If you are spending hours and hours in a day trying to figure out how to set up your Wordpress site even if you hate it or doing data entry (which I can get it done at $3/hr), You are missing out on the most important resource of all - TIME.
You are missing out on other things you can do such as spending time with friends or family, your hobbies & passions, or traveling.
So unlike before when I was trying to be a "Cheap Superman" - I do the opposite now - I spend spend spend! Like a BOSS..
I see EVERYTHING as an investment and try to simply make more than I spend.
That's why I have NO PROBLEM spending thousands of dollars on services and coaching programs because it makes "more money than I spend". Sometimes up to 500X times! (where can you get THAT kind of investment?)
Because you see, contrary to what you believe, "free" is not good. And here's why:
3. STANDING ON SHOULDERS OF GIANTS
One of the BIGGEST mistakes I made when I was first starting out which got me spending wheels for years and years was spending too much time on forums.
I was consuming information after information and taking notes. It was mental masturbation.
It was fun learning and I thought I was going somewhere but it did just the opposite.
I became overwhelmed, confused, and stuck.
I didn't have a solid direction or focus. I was getting distracted everywhere by the next "shiny object".
And one day, it got VERY bad. I got so frustrated and sick and tired of being stuck.
I became DESPERATE.
So I decided to do something that TOTALLY went against my norm.
I decided to look for a "coach" (or what you call a mentor)
And my life IMMEDIATELY changed for the better. And it has never been the same since.
Because check this out.
Anybody with a computer hooked up to the internet can type and give advice. Even a monkey with half a brain.
And lots of guys seem to soak it up not verifying where it came from or if it's even true.
Robert Kiyosaki, the financial guru, says "what's worse than no advice is BAD advice.
When it comes to business, you should be VERY careful who you are listening to.
Your key job will be to figure out who's the 5% to listen to and ignore the 95%.
But if you FIND the 5%, who have walked the walked and been in the trenches and not just spitting theories, listen to EVERYTHING he/she says.
Because EVERYTHING he will be saying will be something that is derived from experience - the TRUTH. (hint: when you listen to truths, it should have a 'heavy' feeling in your gut)
And applying just a handful of these "truths" that is distilled from hundreds of trials and errors, your income will take off like a damn ROCKET.
It doesn't matter if you haven't made a penny online. It doesn't matter if you've failed 10 years. It doesn't matter if you think it's hopeless.
If he's a legitimate coach/mentor - he will get you cold, hard, RESULTS. Period.
I did this for years for my students. And trust me, they were in BAD shape. It's things like these negative limiting beliefs and lack of accurate information and guidance that keeps people stuck.
Don't worry - You are NOT broken. If you just tweak a few things here and there and apply the correct strategies in the right order, you WILL break through. Period. End of story. Often LIFE-CHANGING results in just 30 days. You won't know what hit you!
But unfortunately, you won't find many coaches who are successful hanging out here in this forum.
I'm not saying they're not here, but like me, most moved on. To a bigger game.
So even though it will be rare to find a legitimate coach/mentor, if you do have one, do yourself a favor and work with him - no matter how much he charges! It will be worth it.
But choose CAREFULLY. Do your due diligence. There's a lot of "wolves in sheep skin".
And here's the questions I ask when picking out my coaches: (yes even the most successful marketers get coached even though they're making millions a year - it's a continual learning process)
1. Can he show a verifiable income proof? Screenshot of some sort?
2. Do you feel it in your gut that he knows what's he's talking about?
3. Does he care about you and not in it just for the money?
4. Does he have testimonials of various kind from his past students?
Ask sharp and smart questions. And trust your gut. It has more nerve endings than your brain. Don't be lazy about it.
Meeting a legitimate coach may be a bit tricky, but once you find one, your income and life are almost GUARANTEED to change. Period.
4. Freedom vs. Another Job?
If you want to be free and not have just another job, you need to be in an industry with a PASSIVE INCOME model. Not earned income model.
I see a lot of guys who quit their jobs and start doing something like graphic designing, web designing, and programming.
While it's okay to get you started, I don't recommend staying here for too long. Because you simply don't want to trade time for dollars anymore.
The beauty of internet marketing and probably one of the reasons why you started in the first place is the fact that you can make money while you sleep, right?
That's why you gotta pick business models that spit out passive income, not earned income. I see too many people get stuck in the wrong industry and can't get out because they're making some money.
They end up working needlessly, way too long. But it doesn't have to be this way.
One of the business models I have my business in is Amazon Kindle publishing.
I love this business model because all the books that you publish become a "mini-asset". It spits out passive income every single month into my bank account like clockwork!
It's a "set-it-and-forget-it" kind of thing.
In fact, I have books that I've published 5 years ago that's STILL making me money today! (and I haven't touched it for years)
Imagine what will happen if you have HUNDREDS of these books?
Yes, your "internet marketing dream" is indeed possible if you play it right...
Since it's PASSIVE INCOME, it will make money with or without you. In fact, you won't be able to stop it if you blocked it with TWO HANDS!
And here's the step-by-step process I used to build up my six-figure Kindle business that I've been secretly teaching my private coaching students.
5. Pick a BIG niche that sells well.
Here's another KEY mantra to remember:
"Sell What Sells".
A lot of writers come into this industry writing books they know a lot about or they like. Big mistake.
Sure, you might have a passion for candlemaking or Labrador dog traiing, but how many people in the world shares the same passion as you?
Thing about Kindle is you need to sell in VOLUME.
If you're selling nonfiction, you'll make about $2 - $4 per book.
That means, if you want to earn SUSTAINABLE income, meaning $3,000, $5,000, $10,000+ /month,
You need to sell these many:
$3,000 / $2 = 1500 books per month / 30 days = 50 books a day
$5,000 / $2 = 2500 books per month / 30 days = 83 books a day
$10,000 / $2 = 5000 books per month / 30 days = 166 books a day
That means, you need to be in a BIG niche. Small niches won't have the traffic to yield this kind of sales.
What are the BIG niches?
I'm glad you asked.
Anything that is related to:
-mass media
-diet/weight loss
-fitness
-self-development
-cooking
-dating
-gaming
-make money
...will be a good start. You won't go wrong with these.
6. Create An Irresistable "BAIT"
You don't have to reinvent the wheel.
In fact, this is one of the BIGGEST reasons I see guys failing.
They try to be creative.
I know we're all entrepeneurial and enjoy creating new things, but when starting out, this is DEADLY.
I tell my students until I'm blue in the face (in a loving way of course
"Don't reinvent the wheel... just make it CHROME!"
What does that mean?
You see what's selling in the marketplace.
Look at books that are selling under Kindle Bestseller Rank of 20,000.
That means, they're selling around 10-15 books a day.
Which means potentially,
15 books a day x $4 earning per sale = $60 a day
That means,
$60 a day x 30 days = it's making $1,800 from ONE (1) book!
Can you see how this can get profitable very quickly?
Now, you will want to MODEL this book.
Meaning, you LEARN from this book. What works and what doesn't.
Don't let your ego kick in. It'll trip you up.
You need to be humble and in the mindset of LEARNING.
Take a look at their reviews. Especially 5 star and 1 star reviews.
What you will be doing is TAKE what people are raving about, and IMPROVE what people are complaing about.
So let's take an example. I think it'll make you understand a bit more clearly.
Let's say you are looking into the COOKBOOK niche.
You find a cookbook that is under 20,000 Bestseller Rank. Let's say it's called "Easy and Delicious Paleo Diet Recipes"
You check their 5 star reviews and it says these things:
-Loved the pictures!
-Really like the clear instructions
-Found the grocery shopping list incredibly useful!
And you see these 1 star complaints:
- Formatting was horrible
- Grammar and typos were everywhere
- Couldn't careless for stories - just give me the recipes already!
So, jot that down on a piece of paper. All of it.
What you'll be doing next is totally NINJA.
You will now KEEP what your customer says they like and IMPROVE what they don't like for your own books!
So it'll go something like this:
- Formatting was horrible >> Have proper formatting for YOUR book
- Grammar and typos were everywhere >> Have correct grammar and spelling for YOUR book
- Couldn't careless for stories - just give me the recipes already! >> Just give them the recipes and not stories.
And once you publish your book strengthened on your competitor's weakness, you will have 0 reasons why people will give you a negative review for.
Remember, on Amazon review is KING.
People who are in rush only buys 1) looking at title 2) Cover and 3) reviews.
So if you have all these 4,5 star reviews and very few 1 star reviews, you will be GOLDEN.
Your book will eventually get more and more sales than "Easy and Delicious Paleo Diet Recipes" and eventually TAKE OVER its spot.
Meaning, the sales that he gets $1,800 in monthly passive income will now be YOURS!
BOOOM!!!
THAT's the power of being in the right, BIG niche and having a KICKASS book that strengthens other book's weakness.!
But I can hear you saying,
"But Stevie! what if I don't know ANYTHING about that niche? Even though it's profitable, I won't be able to do anything about it!"
WHOA! Slow down young grasshopper!
I'll tell you all about it in the next step...
(btw, are you liking this so far? Just curious...)
7. Have an expert to create the perfect bait FOR YOU.
Here's where it gets fun.
Now you know what to sell.
Now you know what to do to out-compete your competition.
Now you know how you will guarantee your earnings.
But the challenge is, you don't know anything about PALEO, dating, or meditation right?
What in the world should you do?
Do you think you can figure it out?
(hint: check step #1)
-
-
If you said "outsource",
BINGO!
You hit the nail on the head!!
What's so amazing about outsourcing is, you can get just about any writers who specialize in all kinds of different topics!
Here's what to do in 5 simple steps that will work over and over like clockwork:
7.1 Just go to either freelancer.com or upwork.com
7.2 Post a compelling ad looking for writers in your topic. (make sure you have it in your title)
7.3 Invite some candidates to get the momentum going (look for guys with hundreds of hours logged and over 4 star reviews)
7.4 Give a simple test to writers to prove they're good
7.5 Hire and give them clear, specific instructions about your book!
That's it!
They will get to work right away!
Remember, you know you're going to be making $1,800 /month for this book so you can spend anything under this and you'll come out ahead! (For nonfiction books, I usually get it for $50-$100 for 35-50 pages)
Keep it simple.
Just make more than you spend.
That's it.
So while you're at the beach enjoying a fresh margarita, your writers will be hard at work creating your "perfect bait" for you.
Speaking of beaches... I think I'm late for MY beach! LOL! But oh well...
If you guys are getting value from this post, I'm happy and will be a time well spent.
8. Get a MAGNETIC Cover That Is Impossible To Ignore
This is one of the 3 MOST important pieces to your marketing.
You MUST MUST MUST have a magnetic cover.
Why?
Because we are all busy these days.
You will have 0.7 seconds to capture their attention while they're scrolling.
If you can't make them STOP on their tracks, battle is lost even before you started.
All your time and money spent creating your book will be wasted.
Your book will never see light of the day!
Don't let this happen to you.
Create a MAGNETIC cover. One that is IMPOSSIBLE to ignore.
Then how can you create a magnetic cover?
Glad you asked. You will absolutely LOVE this
Here are the steps:
8.1 Look for a great cover designer specializing in KINDLE cover designs. (it's different from physical book design) - hint: you can get one at Fiverr.com for $5 and it will outperform a $500 design from a US based cover designer if you tell them these instructions.
8.2 Ask them to make the titles BIG and BOLD.
Thing about Kindle is most people are looking through the titles on their phones.
If the titles are small, it won't be read.
8.3 Ask them to use High Resolution graphics
People associate higher resolution = higher quality.
So if your book uses HD graphics as the background, they will IMMEDIATELY think your book is high quality and they will pay more for your book even though the content is the same.
9. Load it up with at least 8 reviews
Okay. Now you have your book and your cover. You are good to publish.
After you do so, you will want to load it up with reviews. Why?
Because it's scary to buy books that has 0 reviews. You need to take a risk and nobody, including you and me, likes to take risks. And that in turn becomes an OBSTALCE for your sale.
But by getting reviews in there, you are REMOVING the risk (obstacle) which leads to an effortless sale.
Some "gurus" will tell you to get reviews from Fiverr or Facebook review exchange groups. Don't listen to them.
It may have worked 5 years ago but recently Amazon has been cracking down on these like crazy.
It makes sense. Amazon is BUILT on reviews and they don't want to be known for fake reviews. They want to keep their business.
So the best way to get it is 2 ways:
9.1. ask your friends, family, acquaintences for a genuine, legitimate review after you send them your book (most will do it happily)
9.2. create a review group by adding an email "opt-in" page at the beginning of your book. These will capture interested browsers and you can later ask them to review the book in exchange for a free copy.
These are 100% whitehat and legal by Amazon which means, the strategy is EVERGREEN and you can use it over and over without fail without worry about your account getting banned!
10. Do a KILLER Promotion
Here comes the fun part.
Now that you have a HOT bait, magnetic covers, genuine reviews you are 98% AHEAD of all the books out there.
Now you just have to do a KILLER promotion.
And here's what to do shoot your book rankings higher than the freakin' Empire State Building. It will BLOW. YOUR. MIND. (please keep this a secret between us)
Here's what to do:
10.1 Right after your publish your book, your book will be ranking high for a keyword for a brief period of time. You will want to get downloads in SPIKES because that's what Amazon likes.
So in order to get these spikes, enroll in KDP Select.
10.2 Promote your book to as many promotion sites as you can. There's tons of Facebook groups. Just search "Kindle Promotion" or "Kindle Free"
Another good resource is this: Free Amazon Kindle Book Submission Tool | Author Marketing Club
10.3 Set your book on a "Free Promotion" in KDP Select.
That's it! Amazon doesn't give you contact information o fyour customers but your opt-in page will capture a LOT of interested buyers!
10.4 If you have your book in a series (recommended), link all of your books together and as soon as the promotion is over, set the 2nd book on the promotion. This will cross-promote your books and your sales will have a COMPOUND EFFECT.
10.5. Continue to do this and you'll have generated TONS of sales and amassed a HUGE mailing list that you can sell over and over to!
NOTE: Keep on doing steps 1-10 as many times as you can. The more you do it, more CASH you'll make.
11. BONUS: Automate Everything
And I mean EVERYTHING.
Get a Project Manager that replaces you.
Now all you're doing is doing market research and telling project manager what books to publish.
And your ENTIRE book pumping FACTORY will be rolling non-stop with or without you!
12. BONUS: SCALE It To 6-7 Figures
If you have a project manager working for you, sky becomes the limit how many books you publish.
After the project manager starts managing about 5 books a week (or 20 books a month) he'll start running out of capacity. That's when you hire another one
Final Step: Sit back, relax, and watch the MAGIC all happen.
By the way, you could've stopped at Step 10 and still created a 6 Figure business....
But if you want more... and you want it done FASTER... then follow all steps to a T.
Well, it took a LOT longer than I thought! Haha
Guess I'll be hitting the beach tomorrow!
But I hope it was useful for some of you guys.
Try it out, and let me know your results!
*p.s. there's no opt-in or anything for this post but if you found it useful, can you do me a favor and rate this thread by clicking on the top right (screenshot: http://prntscr.com/ddcmhp) so it can help more people? Thanks a bunch!
It has been a wild roller coaster ride but now it has gotten me to a point where I make more than I've ever dreamed of, working less than 3 hours a day.
In fact, scratch that. I DON'T even have to work 3 hours if I didn't want to. I can work 3 hours a WEEK and I'll bet you if I check my bank account at the end of the month, the earnings will still be the same or HIGHER.
No, this is not a "hype" - in fact, probably like you, I hate hype and fluff. Because when I look back, it's because of all the fluff and BAD information that got me spinning wheels for years and years!
But when I finally "got it" - I tell you my friend, money floodgates literally "ERUPTED"!
And it just blew my mind why there was such a stark difference between "what people say to do to make money" vs. "what REALLY makes money".
I don't come to this forum that often but today while I was browsing for fun I saw a lot of really BAD information that seemed to make people confused and overwhelmed.
Kind of how it was making me when I was first starting out. So even though I was planning to go to the beach (I live close to the beach here in Los Angeles) - I think I'll share some "secrets" that you might not hear about here in the forum before I head out.
Considering the fact that here is where I got my feet wet, and since then I've coached literally HUNDREDS of students all around the world make a full-time income online and quit their jobs, I think I'm now at a good place to give back.
And now that Thanksgiving's around the corner, I feel like it's a good time to share some good ole' value with you guys.
This will be a newbie friendly post and if you heed this advice, I'm sure you will save yourself a lot of frustrations and heartaches no matter where you are at.
And if you're more advanced, you will nod your head in silent agreement because it's the same strategy both me and my millionaire friends employ daily.
If you're ready, let's begin...
1. Killing the "Superman Syndrome"
It's interesting because NOBODY talks about this.
1 of the 3 FASTEST way to make any change is to change your mindset.
You can change the course of your entire life by changing just this one simple thing.
So I'll be sharing a few KEY mindset shifts that got me skyrocketing from a four-figure marketer to a six figure marketer.
Here's the first one:
A lot of people seem to have the "Superman Syndrome".
They try to be good at EVERYTHING. They think they're Superman.
But in reality, you should have 1 or 2 things your PHENOMENAL at, and suck at the rest.
In order for you to succeed with internet marketing, you need to be good at a WIDE RANGE of things. (you need to know copywriting, have technical skills, be good at tracking and optimizing, etc.)
Not only that, you need "soft skills" like focus, discipline, taking action, managing time, etc etc.
If you lack in any one of the (let's say 10 skills needed to be successful) - that will ALWAYS be your tripping point. You will ALWAYS run into that wall. Over and over... until you tire out.
When I realized this and finally ACCEPTED that maybe I can't be really good at everything, I began to delegate...
And it ironically REVOLUTIONIZED my entire business!
They say smartest people are the laziest. I think it's partially true but in a different way:
I think deep inside smart people know that we don't want to spend our precious time on this low-value activity. Why do this when I can do something that is MUCH more impactful and enjoyable with the same amount of time? And this leads to so-called "procrastination".
Now I can just do what I'm GREAT at (which is coaching and delivering BIG results and breakthroughs faster than ANYONE) and delegate EVERYTHING ELSE I am not good at or hate (like technical things) - and then, almost immediately you score these incredible benefits:
Benefit #1. You can make FAST progress and not get stuck (because nothing trips you up anymore)
Benefit #2. Your bottom line SKYROCKETS (as a natural result of #1)
Benefit #3. You have MUCH more free time (because everyone's doing YOUR work while you're doing something fun)
Benefit #4. You can SCALE much easier (meaning more profits into your bank account)
Benefit #5. You spread the wealth instead of hogging it yourself (and you can get it delegated for pennies on the dollars overseas)
There's a LOT more benefits but you get the idea.
One of the best places I find workers is either freelancer.com or upwork.com.
Tip: Try to find workers who have at least a hundred hours logged for the skill you're looking for as well as 4.5 star reviews and up and you won't go wrong. Don't be afraid of hiring workers from overseas because surprisingly a lot speak excellent English and their work ethic is superb.
If you're thinking,
"But Stevie! That's going to cost me a lot of money!",
think again.
Keep this as your mantra and you will never go hungry again:
MAKE MORE THAN YOU SPEND
If I asked you if you want to trade $1 for $8, would you take it?
In a millisecond right?
Same thing here. Yes you are paying these workers but you will make MULTIFOLDS that amount from your sales.
which brings me to my next point...
2. "There's No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
EVERYTHING'S an investment.
If you "get this" tip, your life will change forever. Guaranteed.
You might think it's free if you're doing all the work yourself. Not true.
Our time in a day is limited.
Our time in a week is limited.
Our time here on earth is limited.
If you are spending hours and hours in a day trying to figure out how to set up your Wordpress site even if you hate it or doing data entry (which I can get it done at $3/hr), You are missing out on the most important resource of all - TIME.
You are missing out on other things you can do such as spending time with friends or family, your hobbies & passions, or traveling.
So unlike before when I was trying to be a "Cheap Superman" - I do the opposite now - I spend spend spend! Like a BOSS..
I see EVERYTHING as an investment and try to simply make more than I spend.
That's why I have NO PROBLEM spending thousands of dollars on services and coaching programs because it makes "more money than I spend". Sometimes up to 500X times! (where can you get THAT kind of investment?)
Because you see, contrary to what you believe, "free" is not good. And here's why:
3. STANDING ON SHOULDERS OF GIANTS
One of the BIGGEST mistakes I made when I was first starting out which got me spending wheels for years and years was spending too much time on forums.
I was consuming information after information and taking notes. It was mental masturbation.
It was fun learning and I thought I was going somewhere but it did just the opposite.
I became overwhelmed, confused, and stuck.
I didn't have a solid direction or focus. I was getting distracted everywhere by the next "shiny object".
And one day, it got VERY bad. I got so frustrated and sick and tired of being stuck.
I became DESPERATE.
So I decided to do something that TOTALLY went against my norm.
I decided to look for a "coach" (or what you call a mentor)
And my life IMMEDIATELY changed for the better. And it has never been the same since.
Because check this out.
Anybody with a computer hooked up to the internet can type and give advice. Even a monkey with half a brain.
And lots of guys seem to soak it up not verifying where it came from or if it's even true.
Robert Kiyosaki, the financial guru, says "what's worse than no advice is BAD advice.
When it comes to business, you should be VERY careful who you are listening to.
Your key job will be to figure out who's the 5% to listen to and ignore the 95%.
But if you FIND the 5%, who have walked the walked and been in the trenches and not just spitting theories, listen to EVERYTHING he/she says.
Because EVERYTHING he will be saying will be something that is derived from experience - the TRUTH. (hint: when you listen to truths, it should have a 'heavy' feeling in your gut)
And applying just a handful of these "truths" that is distilled from hundreds of trials and errors, your income will take off like a damn ROCKET.
It doesn't matter if you haven't made a penny online. It doesn't matter if you've failed 10 years. It doesn't matter if you think it's hopeless.
If he's a legitimate coach/mentor - he will get you cold, hard, RESULTS. Period.
I did this for years for my students. And trust me, they were in BAD shape. It's things like these negative limiting beliefs and lack of accurate information and guidance that keeps people stuck.
Don't worry - You are NOT broken. If you just tweak a few things here and there and apply the correct strategies in the right order, you WILL break through. Period. End of story. Often LIFE-CHANGING results in just 30 days. You won't know what hit you!
But unfortunately, you won't find many coaches who are successful hanging out here in this forum.
I'm not saying they're not here, but like me, most moved on. To a bigger game.
So even though it will be rare to find a legitimate coach/mentor, if you do have one, do yourself a favor and work with him - no matter how much he charges! It will be worth it.
But choose CAREFULLY. Do your due diligence. There's a lot of "wolves in sheep skin".
And here's the questions I ask when picking out my coaches: (yes even the most successful marketers get coached even though they're making millions a year - it's a continual learning process)
1. Can he show a verifiable income proof? Screenshot of some sort?
2. Do you feel it in your gut that he knows what's he's talking about?
3. Does he care about you and not in it just for the money?
4. Does he have testimonials of various kind from his past students?
Ask sharp and smart questions. And trust your gut. It has more nerve endings than your brain. Don't be lazy about it.
Meeting a legitimate coach may be a bit tricky, but once you find one, your income and life are almost GUARANTEED to change. Period.
4. Freedom vs. Another Job?
If you want to be free and not have just another job, you need to be in an industry with a PASSIVE INCOME model. Not earned income model.
I see a lot of guys who quit their jobs and start doing something like graphic designing, web designing, and programming.
While it's okay to get you started, I don't recommend staying here for too long. Because you simply don't want to trade time for dollars anymore.
The beauty of internet marketing and probably one of the reasons why you started in the first place is the fact that you can make money while you sleep, right?
That's why you gotta pick business models that spit out passive income, not earned income. I see too many people get stuck in the wrong industry and can't get out because they're making some money.
They end up working needlessly, way too long. But it doesn't have to be this way.
One of the business models I have my business in is Amazon Kindle publishing.
I love this business model because all the books that you publish become a "mini-asset". It spits out passive income every single month into my bank account like clockwork!
It's a "set-it-and-forget-it" kind of thing.
In fact, I have books that I've published 5 years ago that's STILL making me money today! (and I haven't touched it for years)
Imagine what will happen if you have HUNDREDS of these books?
- It won't be long until you take that dream vacation of yours without worrying about work and money!
- That dream car you see your neighbor driving? You're driving it!
- Want to spend more time with your family and friends? Why not?!
- Worried about how you will survive retirement? Not anymore!
- You can even say "shove it" to your boss and traffic once and for all!
Yes, your "internet marketing dream" is indeed possible if you play it right...
Since it's PASSIVE INCOME, it will make money with or without you. In fact, you won't be able to stop it if you blocked it with TWO HANDS!
And here's the step-by-step process I used to build up my six-figure Kindle business that I've been secretly teaching my private coaching students.
5. Pick a BIG niche that sells well.
Here's another KEY mantra to remember:
"Sell What Sells".
A lot of writers come into this industry writing books they know a lot about or they like. Big mistake.
Sure, you might have a passion for candlemaking or Labrador dog traiing, but how many people in the world shares the same passion as you?
Thing about Kindle is you need to sell in VOLUME.
If you're selling nonfiction, you'll make about $2 - $4 per book.
That means, if you want to earn SUSTAINABLE income, meaning $3,000, $5,000, $10,000+ /month,
You need to sell these many:
$3,000 / $2 = 1500 books per month / 30 days = 50 books a day
$5,000 / $2 = 2500 books per month / 30 days = 83 books a day
$10,000 / $2 = 5000 books per month / 30 days = 166 books a day
That means, you need to be in a BIG niche. Small niches won't have the traffic to yield this kind of sales.
What are the BIG niches?
I'm glad you asked.
Anything that is related to:
-mass media
-diet/weight loss
-fitness
-self-development
-cooking
-dating
-gaming
-make money
...will be a good start. You won't go wrong with these.
6. Create An Irresistable "BAIT"
You don't have to reinvent the wheel.
In fact, this is one of the BIGGEST reasons I see guys failing.
They try to be creative.
I know we're all entrepeneurial and enjoy creating new things, but when starting out, this is DEADLY.
I tell my students until I'm blue in the face (in a loving way of course
"Don't reinvent the wheel... just make it CHROME!"
What does that mean?
You see what's selling in the marketplace.
Look at books that are selling under Kindle Bestseller Rank of 20,000.
That means, they're selling around 10-15 books a day.
Which means potentially,
15 books a day x $4 earning per sale = $60 a day
That means,
$60 a day x 30 days = it's making $1,800 from ONE (1) book!
Can you see how this can get profitable very quickly?
Now, you will want to MODEL this book.
Meaning, you LEARN from this book. What works and what doesn't.
Don't let your ego kick in. It'll trip you up.
You need to be humble and in the mindset of LEARNING.
Take a look at their reviews. Especially 5 star and 1 star reviews.
What you will be doing is TAKE what people are raving about, and IMPROVE what people are complaing about.
So let's take an example. I think it'll make you understand a bit more clearly.
Let's say you are looking into the COOKBOOK niche.
You find a cookbook that is under 20,000 Bestseller Rank. Let's say it's called "Easy and Delicious Paleo Diet Recipes"
You check their 5 star reviews and it says these things:
-Loved the pictures!
-Really like the clear instructions
-Found the grocery shopping list incredibly useful!
And you see these 1 star complaints:
- Formatting was horrible
- Grammar and typos were everywhere
- Couldn't careless for stories - just give me the recipes already!
So, jot that down on a piece of paper. All of it.
What you'll be doing next is totally NINJA.
You will now KEEP what your customer says they like and IMPROVE what they don't like for your own books!
So it'll go something like this:
- Formatting was horrible >> Have proper formatting for YOUR book
- Grammar and typos were everywhere >> Have correct grammar and spelling for YOUR book
- Couldn't careless for stories - just give me the recipes already! >> Just give them the recipes and not stories.
And once you publish your book strengthened on your competitor's weakness, you will have 0 reasons why people will give you a negative review for.
Remember, on Amazon review is KING.
People who are in rush only buys 1) looking at title 2) Cover and 3) reviews.
So if you have all these 4,5 star reviews and very few 1 star reviews, you will be GOLDEN.
Your book will eventually get more and more sales than "Easy and Delicious Paleo Diet Recipes" and eventually TAKE OVER its spot.
Meaning, the sales that he gets $1,800 in monthly passive income will now be YOURS!
BOOOM!!!
THAT's the power of being in the right, BIG niche and having a KICKASS book that strengthens other book's weakness.!
But I can hear you saying,
"But Stevie! what if I don't know ANYTHING about that niche? Even though it's profitable, I won't be able to do anything about it!"
WHOA! Slow down young grasshopper!
I'll tell you all about it in the next step...
(btw, are you liking this so far? Just curious...)
7. Have an expert to create the perfect bait FOR YOU.
Here's where it gets fun.
Now you know what to sell.
Now you know what to do to out-compete your competition.
Now you know how you will guarantee your earnings.
But the challenge is, you don't know anything about PALEO, dating, or meditation right?
What in the world should you do?
Do you think you can figure it out?
(hint: check step #1)
-
-
If you said "outsource",
BINGO!
You hit the nail on the head!!
What's so amazing about outsourcing is, you can get just about any writers who specialize in all kinds of different topics!
Here's what to do in 5 simple steps that will work over and over like clockwork:
7.1 Just go to either freelancer.com or upwork.com
7.2 Post a compelling ad looking for writers in your topic. (make sure you have it in your title)
7.3 Invite some candidates to get the momentum going (look for guys with hundreds of hours logged and over 4 star reviews)
7.4 Give a simple test to writers to prove they're good
7.5 Hire and give them clear, specific instructions about your book!
That's it!
They will get to work right away!
Remember, you know you're going to be making $1,800 /month for this book so you can spend anything under this and you'll come out ahead! (For nonfiction books, I usually get it for $50-$100 for 35-50 pages)
Keep it simple.
Just make more than you spend.
That's it.
So while you're at the beach enjoying a fresh margarita, your writers will be hard at work creating your "perfect bait" for you.
Speaking of beaches... I think I'm late for MY beach! LOL! But oh well...
If you guys are getting value from this post, I'm happy and will be a time well spent.
8. Get a MAGNETIC Cover That Is Impossible To Ignore
This is one of the 3 MOST important pieces to your marketing.
You MUST MUST MUST have a magnetic cover.
Why?
Because we are all busy these days.
You will have 0.7 seconds to capture their attention while they're scrolling.
If you can't make them STOP on their tracks, battle is lost even before you started.
All your time and money spent creating your book will be wasted.
Your book will never see light of the day!
Don't let this happen to you.
Create a MAGNETIC cover. One that is IMPOSSIBLE to ignore.
Then how can you create a magnetic cover?
Glad you asked. You will absolutely LOVE this
Here are the steps:
8.1 Look for a great cover designer specializing in KINDLE cover designs. (it's different from physical book design) - hint: you can get one at Fiverr.com for $5 and it will outperform a $500 design from a US based cover designer if you tell them these instructions.
8.2 Ask them to make the titles BIG and BOLD.
Thing about Kindle is most people are looking through the titles on their phones.
If the titles are small, it won't be read.
8.3 Ask them to use High Resolution graphics
People associate higher resolution = higher quality.
So if your book uses HD graphics as the background, they will IMMEDIATELY think your book is high quality and they will pay more for your book even though the content is the same.
9. Load it up with at least 8 reviews
Okay. Now you have your book and your cover. You are good to publish.
After you do so, you will want to load it up with reviews. Why?
Because it's scary to buy books that has 0 reviews. You need to take a risk and nobody, including you and me, likes to take risks. And that in turn becomes an OBSTALCE for your sale.
But by getting reviews in there, you are REMOVING the risk (obstacle) which leads to an effortless sale.
Some "gurus" will tell you to get reviews from Fiverr or Facebook review exchange groups. Don't listen to them.
It may have worked 5 years ago but recently Amazon has been cracking down on these like crazy.
It makes sense. Amazon is BUILT on reviews and they don't want to be known for fake reviews. They want to keep their business.
So the best way to get it is 2 ways:
9.1. ask your friends, family, acquaintences for a genuine, legitimate review after you send them your book (most will do it happily)
9.2. create a review group by adding an email "opt-in" page at the beginning of your book. These will capture interested browsers and you can later ask them to review the book in exchange for a free copy.
These are 100% whitehat and legal by Amazon which means, the strategy is EVERGREEN and you can use it over and over without fail without worry about your account getting banned!
10. Do a KILLER Promotion
Here comes the fun part.
Now that you have a HOT bait, magnetic covers, genuine reviews you are 98% AHEAD of all the books out there.
Now you just have to do a KILLER promotion.
And here's what to do shoot your book rankings higher than the freakin' Empire State Building. It will BLOW. YOUR. MIND. (please keep this a secret between us)
Here's what to do:
10.1 Right after your publish your book, your book will be ranking high for a keyword for a brief period of time. You will want to get downloads in SPIKES because that's what Amazon likes.
So in order to get these spikes, enroll in KDP Select.
10.2 Promote your book to as many promotion sites as you can. There's tons of Facebook groups. Just search "Kindle Promotion" or "Kindle Free"
Another good resource is this: Free Amazon Kindle Book Submission Tool | Author Marketing Club
10.3 Set your book on a "Free Promotion" in KDP Select.
That's it! Amazon doesn't give you contact information o fyour customers but your opt-in page will capture a LOT of interested buyers!
10.4 If you have your book in a series (recommended), link all of your books together and as soon as the promotion is over, set the 2nd book on the promotion. This will cross-promote your books and your sales will have a COMPOUND EFFECT.
10.5. Continue to do this and you'll have generated TONS of sales and amassed a HUGE mailing list that you can sell over and over to!
NOTE: Keep on doing steps 1-10 as many times as you can. The more you do it, more CASH you'll make.
11. BONUS: Automate Everything
And I mean EVERYTHING.
Get a Project Manager that replaces you.
Now all you're doing is doing market research and telling project manager what books to publish.
And your ENTIRE book pumping FACTORY will be rolling non-stop with or without you!
12. BONUS: SCALE It To 6-7 Figures
If you have a project manager working for you, sky becomes the limit how many books you publish.
After the project manager starts managing about 5 books a week (or 20 books a month) he'll start running out of capacity. That's when you hire another one
Final Step: Sit back, relax, and watch the MAGIC all happen.
By the way, you could've stopped at Step 10 and still created a 6 Figure business....
But if you want more... and you want it done FASTER... then follow all steps to a T.
Well, it took a LOT longer than I thought! Haha
Guess I'll be hitting the beach tomorrow!
But I hope it was useful for some of you guys.
Try it out, and let me know your results!
*p.s. there's no opt-in or anything for this post but if you found it useful, can you do me a favor and rate this thread by clicking on the top right (screenshot: http://prntscr.com/ddcmhp) so it can help more people? Thanks a bunch!
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