I’ve been reading some blogs lately and I’m wondering why I still have them on my RSS reader. Seriously. It’s not because of what they’re saying - it’s more like, what they’re not saying. There have been rumblings across the ‘Net that I’m not the only one who’s been feeling this way, and I’ve been feeling this way for a while now.
In some ways I feel that this site has lost it’s bearings as well. In the beginning it was a journey about my personal adventure on making money online. It’s been 2 years and I’m not making a ton of cash - I’m making more than I was before, but you’d think by seeing some of these Affiliate Marketers, Make Money Online types that in all honesty I’ve failed. I’m not making $20,000 a month with my blog. Honestly, even when they show what they’re doing - I’m still perplexed. How did they get the hype going on their sites. Seriously. Some of them aren’t all that good. But they’re making claims left right and center that they’re rollin’ in the dough.
A lot of the Marketers out there who run in the make money online niche don’t offer much in the way of advice - or I tried this and it didn’t work, might try this instead - you know, they’re not really in it to help - they’re in it for your clicks, your subscriptions, your interest in a product or two because they get a nice kickback. Hey, if it makes them money. We’re all in it to make money - I just wish that they’d give a little more in what they do rather than gloss over the basics.
I suppose though, that no one would ever give away all their secrets. Maybe the secret is that there isn’t one. It’s just a lot of hard work - and finding a system that works for you. You know the basics of creating a site and adding affiliate products on it. You know you need keywords, you need content, you need to promote the site. There are very basic steps that ANYONE could take - but for the majority of us (personal opinion here) that we fall short on some of those steps. Either there isn’t enough time, enthusiasm or we just plain don’t like doing it. Since this isn’t a “job” that we’re required to do - why bother doing it - move on, try something else - it’s the Internet. We want it easy.
I don’t think there’s any part of it that is “easy” when we start out. It’s a matter of busting our butts working on things - and realizing when to let things go when they’re not working too. That beautiful double-edged sword… it’s a bastard.
Anyway, I am going to start focusing on what I’m doing - what I use, what I plan on trying and write about it here. I’ve been spending too much time reading other blogs and feeling bad for myself. It shouldn’t be that way. I can only be as successful as I want to be. I’ve got my goals for January. The month is almost over - will I reach them??
So you see, you can almost drive yourself crazy with the self-doubt, the lack of real information, trying and trying and feeling like your just going over the same things on different websites. It’s time to get off the Crazy Train and start working towards my own goals. That’s where I’m going to base my success.
Similar Posts:
- Welcome to the Whinge
- Wishing to be more than the sum of my parts
- Making a bit of a detour
- Days when you think no one believes in you
- Sometimes it’s about what keeps you passionate
January 22nd, 2008 at 9:24 am
I love that you point out all the people who are making tons of money and trying to sell you books on how. Which of course is their only source of income, at least as far as I can tell. I love their proof - pictures of checks you could print at home and screen shots of how much they made on adsense (or at least a screen that looks like it).
Good luck sticking to plan.
Andras
January 22nd, 2008 at 9:29 am
I know no one ever says this for some reason, but I’m not convinced EVERYONE who claims to be making big money really is doing so.
I get frustrated too, and that’s why I mainly read other small bloggers like you, because I figure someone struggling like me is more likely to be generous when/if they do figure something out.
I thought I had something at the end of last year - a tedious but nearly-guaranteed way to make tons of money - and Google went and destroyed it with the paid link thing. I think if someone like TLA with that huge marketplace would just freakin’ set up a no-follow ads deal, people would buy and my idea would still work. But now I’m trying something else, which is basically just blogging prolifically on several sites to see what that does to traffic.
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:28 am
I agree with you 110%. Most if not all the products out these days are just crap.
I’m sick and tired of all the hype and no results. In saying that I know that it’s not all the products fault either. It takes time and money to make money online. If you don’t have money, then you need more time and vice versa. It’s never an overnight success. Most people just bounce from one ebook to another and never really implementing anything.
That’s why for 2008 I’ve changed my process. I’ve decided to follow the teachings of the thirty day challenge and look forward to joining the Immediate Edge later this year.
For more information on The Immediate Edge:
http://www.s-cole.com/recommends/immediate-edge.php
(yes it’s my affiliate link, just drop me an email if you want the direct link (or Google it, lol))
One thing that I learned about the Immediate Edge that really makes me want to join is the fact that they have live projects! They actually take you through the entire project in real time and show you the “secrets” to their success.
I hear a lot of good things about the Immediate Edge and from what I’ve heard by their members it’s highly recommended. I did hear a few complaints however, but mostly these seem to be from someone hoping to sign up for a month to just get the secrets. The Immediate Edge is more of an ongoing process. You’re basically paying to look over the shoulder of Ed Dale and Dan Raine to see what their doing and how they adapt to Google slaps, etc. It’s like having the power of “their lab” (as they call it) without the expense.
For me this is perfect.. I need to have a place that I trust the teachers and not just hype and I believe this is what the Immediate Edge is all about.
Have a great day,
~Shannon
p.s. I’m a huge Immediate Edge fan as
January 22nd, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Oh man, do I agree…I just unsubscribed myself to a bunch of marketing newsletters this week because most of them are crap…I only trust a handfull of people in marketing and those are the newsletters I kept. And yeah, I’ve been blogging since 2004…or maybe 2003…I don’t quite remember, and I’ve yet to be making more than 1000$ a month online consistently. But when I do…oh it will be known!
January 22nd, 2008 at 11:00 pm
You have captured in this post my exact feelings about the make money online niche, you look at these successful blogs and think what am I doing wrong? I’ve tried so many things lately to attract visitors and nothing seems to work.
Cheers
Martin
January 24th, 2008 at 8:39 am
I’ve a money making blog that’s been going for over a year and I am making money - but not a huge amount from the money making blog!
I think the truth is that you need other blogs, besides a money making one, to make money. I make most of my income from the world of celebrities - lots of interest in this sort of thing.
Look at any of the big money names and they are running other blogs - this is from where the income arrives.
Only two things really matter with blogging:
(1) You need lots of traffic (it’s a numbers game) and
(2) You need good content.
Everything else is just hype and cosmetics.
Good luck,
Mike.
January 24th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Thanks everyone for your feedback, it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one who’s finding this too. I’m hoping we all start kickin’ butt online and make more money than we are now.
Sometimes it would be nice to follow along with someone where it doesn’t cost money to do it… or maybe that’s just the “cheap” in me. I don’t know. I’ve not been very good at following that either. Mostly because I think people would find it rather boring. But maybe not…
I mean, we all have to start somewhere - there might be things a long the way that I’ve not thought about and other people can share their experiences too.
I’m just rambling… but seriously - where is that sort of information. Once in a while a gleam of it - but overall, most of those biggie sites are just not what I would expect in terms of “learning” anything.
January 25th, 2008 at 4:20 am
[...] This complaint about Shoemaker being a hypocrite is interesting regardless of your take on it, but this particular quote I vound via Stu really grabbed me: “Let me define the “Make Money Online†niche for you. It’s largely a bunch of guys talking about how wealthy they are, leading inexperienced newbies on, pretending like someday they’ll reveal their “big money†secrets, and you’ll be wealthy too. In reality, they just use their blogs as newbie traffic channelers, selling it off to the highest bidder. The newbies take forever to realize that they ARE the “big money†secret the author has.” Really speaks to what Empress was saying the other day about how (most of) the big guys never really say anything of substance. [...]