Which of these statements is true?
1. The best way to make money online post Panda is to focus on one thing, build an authority site, brand yourself and build a ‘business’; or
2. Have a few sites, spread yourself around and earn money from different ventures so that if one goes bust you still have the others to rely on for income.
Lately most internet marketers are pushing for the first. Build an authority site only – yeah I’ve even pushed that myself in this post – but I have to admit I haven’t practiced what I’ve preached.
Oh I believed what I was told and I did try and focus on just one thing for a while. But I got bored pretty quick. So I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s all just bogus.
Most online entrepreneurs (me included) are ‘scanners’. We don’t WANT to focus on just one site for weeks at a time and build up its authority and brand it.
This picture is sure to alienate half my audience but whatever I like it .. purrr.
Man, that sounds like too much work, and hey True Blood is on so I might just take a break while I watch Eric .. oh Eric ..
Um, where was I?
Oh yeah. Doing more than one thing online. Can you still make money doing a bunch of different things?
A big fat YES.
And I don’t think I’m alone as who hasn’t been tempted to check out the WSO’s for the next ‘cool’ thing to do.
We don’t want to build big fat authority businesses we just want to make some fucking money. Yes I said THAT. I’m feeling naughty right now.
There is a million different ways to make money online – from investing in the stock market (<< I had to get that link in there – keywords baby) to being a freelance writer, to building affiliate sites, to taking a pic of your cat chewing a sign with a web address on it for a fiverr gig.
There are so many different ways that you can create cash it’s not funny (unless you are not making ANY money then it’s really NOT funny).
So when I’m told to just pick one thing are build that and brand yourself it makes me go crazy. I don’t want to do just one thing. Maybe I have ADD?
Nah.
Mmm. Maybe.
But right now I’m going to tell you the REAL secret to getting wads of cash to fly through your computer screen and that is that you can’t listen to anyone else, copy anyone else, or follow what anyone else is doing (unless you think it’s your thing too). (I know that seems like stupid advice since I’m actually advising you not to take anyone’s advice). Um did that make sense?
You need to follow your heart, be brave and just be DIFFERENT.
But Tracey, I hear you say, I don’t know what I want to do, so why don’t you just tell me what the fuck I need to do (OMG I’ve just cursed twice in this post – that must mean I’m really passionate about what I’m saying right now).
I just did.
DO WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU LIKE DOING ONLINE – But do it your OWN way. Put your own spin on it. That means doing things different than 99% of the other sheep out there.
It takes guts to go against the crowd but if you do you’ll get noticed and people flock to different. I know it’s a risk to try new things, but whatever it is about internet marketing that you like (for me it’s the writing, making pretty pictures and trying new things). I’m always trying new things.
Right now I’m writing books for Kindle but next week I could be doing something completely different again. And probably will be. No need to slow down on this highway baby.
I just don’t want to build an authority site. So suck it – I don’t care what everyone is telling me I need to do. I’m quite happy just doing my own thing. It makes me happy and I make money doing it.
Follow your passion, write down that idea that you can’t get out of your head, try something you’ve never done before. Go a little crazy.
Tracey, Tracey, Tracey.
I don’t know, all this swearing, very naughty. It is good advice to try to be different, anything that makes you a pioneer is going to be worth pursuing.
But most people simply never give things a go, which is the real shame.
Right, back to my authority site
Dave Dave Dave .. each to their own *wink*
I am also an Eric fan lol! Though I did peel my eyes away from the pic for a few minutes to actually read your post, and yes I see exactly where you’re coming from. I have tried and tried, and tried again, to force myself to stick to one thing but I just can’t. I am sure I don’t give all my projects the time they deserve, but then again if I stuck to just one I probably wouldn’t either because of boredom like you say! But doing what’s right as an individual is what it comes down to, I think. I am slowly giving up trying to do things to keep up with everyone else or be like them. It’s a slow process but I think it helps ease the pressure.
I couldn’t resist adding a pic of Eric – I mean come on!
t
Trying new things is the only way to find your next big success. Too many people are followers, and they show up too late for the party.
I like the looks of your Kindle book. Nice cover. Between that and your professional looking author’s page, you stand out from the junk.
Thanks Russell, nice of you to say so. I agree that you constantly should be trying new things. You never know what you might find
t
Well, we know which camp I fall in these days. Still, you are right. You can make money juggling things. But the question is, how long will it last before you have to juggle more things.
Entertaining read, Tracey…in spite of the near naked dude in your post.
Lol yes I was wondering if you would say something about it. I agree that both ways can make money and sometimes I wish I was more focused and professional like you are – but I’m actually pretty comfortable doing a few different things. It doesn’t feel like juggling to me because I’m enjoying exploring different avenues so much – I find it fun and get excited when something new I try works. In fact I would say that I make MORE money this way because it suits my style << and there's the key difference to someone who is chasing 'the next big thing'. I do what I enjoy doing and I'm not doing it to try and keep one step ahead of G. It's all about the fun factor.
Besides, who says I'm not branding myself by writing these entertaining posts no matter what my genre – Just the facts Jack. *wink*
Right on Tracey (or is that write on…?)
Yeah, most of the people who are really making money online or off are NOT following the herd. But…
I still do a lot of what Griz taught me a few years ago. It still works very well. Most people don’t do it because its too much hard work. Like building 50 self hosted websites just to rank one. Then doing it again for another niche… and another…
But I don’t see myself as part of any herd. The herd didn’t do what Griz taught. They talked about it, argued about it, commented in a hundred blogs about it, but very few actually did any of it!
I reckon the trick is not just listening, but doing. The doers are the winners. The herd are not doers. They talk the talk but don’t walk the… you know.
And now I’m publishing on Kindle too. Its very satisfying!
Is this a new herd? Don’t think so, cause most won’t do the work to get books published either. Only some will, so that’s not exactly a herd. More a small gang.
But its ideas that get put about that others take up and put into practice that’s what makes this crazy inter-go-round so fascinating, at least to the few of us that have even a clue what its about. Ideas spawn ideas that go in a million different directions and its what makes us grow.
I think I probably have some kind of short attention span too, cause I can’t stick to one thing for long without wanting to try something different. It makes for an interesting life.
Thanks Terry,
I can’t see most people putting the effort into writing an original book when the alternative (make quick sites, throw up some adsense, move on) is so tempting. Griz’s methods still work (obviously that’s how we all got started – and I thank him for that – if he ever decides to come out of hibernation that his).
But sometimes you gotta be yourself and do want you want to do.
I like the idea of being in a gang though. So yo, we start talkin like this and stuff, bro.
t out.
BTW, I didn’t mean Griz’s adsense model that everyone followed. I didn’t do what he said.
I did what he did.
That was to build useful niche sites with lots of self hosted satellite sites to provide the links, then use linking services to boost the satellites. That was the real deal long term project that has given me a pretty stable full time income online. It survived all the G algo changes and Panda proof too.
Griz isn’t coming out of hibernation anytime soon to pick up where he left off. He’ll still pop up here and there, but his tutoring the herd days are over. Shame, but we’re still here!
Thanks for you know what Tracey, much appreciated. Amazon sure takes its time updating covers and product descriptions though. My fault for being so hasty I guess.
Hi Tracy
I notice from a few of your posts that you are doing some monetization with Adsense. Can you give a rough idea of your monthly revenue on Adsense? I manage about $150 per month but can’t seem to break through to a decent monthly income!!
John
I’m not really doing Adsense so much anymore. While I used to make a few hundred per month, since the G updates my Adsense income dropped dramatically to around $150 pm also. I don’t mind too much – it wasn’t my main income method anyway so not something I want to continue pursuing. Too much work for too little benefit
Who’s Eric? I didn’t see anything.
A lot of this has to do with your personality type – I tend to stick to something and get better the longer I do. When I’m done, it needs to be something I’m actually proud of, or I don’t do it…but I tried the bouncy approach. A website here and there, half-assing all the way – didn’t do me any good (not that you were inferring half-assing it).
…but that’s my tendency. If I try to juggle too many things, I don’t do any of them very well. So in other words, the sooner I can outsource, the better off I’ll be.
But I totally agree that it’s got to be *you* and your decision. I think pigeon-holing into someone’s ebook or someone’s personality does more harm than good.
Anyway, back to my authority book…er…site.
Oh, since we’re talking monthly AdSense – $16.85, but that was from ONE of my ‘accounts.’
Lemme check the other…$1.07. Yep. Better stick with what Griz was saying.
LOL James! How is your book going by the way? Tracey