I was having a discussion with somebody the other day. This person wanted to make money online. It didn’t really matter how, they just wanted money.
The plan (as they put it) was to find one of the most successful people online… and simply copy them. And, the understanding of the “how” was to start a blog and promote stuff.
In all fairness, this person was definitely not the naturally entrepreneurial type. They have a high paying job and do fine for themselves, but they obviously don’t understand how business works. The flexibility of making money online is intriguing, but they’re in for a crude reality once they actually try to do it.
As we talked, and I listened, it became apparent what the missing part of the equation was. Well, in all honesty, there were several mindset issues to be dealt with, but one in particular got triggered in my mind with the whole “blog alot and promote things” approach.
Where’s the value? How are you putting VALUE into the equation?
See, this person was concentrating on the mechanics of the business. They thought if you just repeat the same mechanics as somebody else, you’d get the same result. At no point did they consider the REASON for it, and what VALUE was being added to the equation?
How are you actually helping people and making their lives better?
The secret to making lots of money is:
- Attract attention.
- Help people.
- Rinse, repeat.
All the strategies and tactics under the sun can be placed beneath that universal truth, as far as I’m concerned.
Not only that, trying to apply those strategies and tactics, without being GUIDED by that universal truth, is the path to nowhere. You can’t just repeat the same mechanics as somebody else and get the same result.
The way to GET value out of this world is to GIVE more than you take. I really don’t think there is much exception to that. If you’re an employee, you have to be making that company more money than they pay you otherwise you’re laid off. If you’re an entrepreneur, you need to be generating more value in the world by helping others than what you earn personally.
For example, as a person who helps bloggers create real businesses, I make a fairly good living. That said, in order for me to do that, I have to help thousands of people across the world – whether they pay me or not. Via this blog, I create stuff to help others and it is consumed by a LOT of people. Some of them turn around and buy further help from me and that’s what pays my bills. But, the idea is that I create a lot of value and I help people.
In other words, be a medium which means better things for the people around you. Be a beacon for happiness, in whatever form that takes in your niche. Help lots of people. Thereby attract positive attention.
Cast a wide net, expand your circles of people, then be a source of help for them.
Money will come at you faster than you can spend it.
Unless you’re married and have kids. 
David has been blogging for 15 years, and generating a six-figure income at it for the last 12. He is the founder of Blog Marketing Academy. 
David Risley has been building and operating authority blogs for 15 years, and operating a six-figure business doing it for a decade.
Yeah this hits hard. I see far too many people getting caught up in making the outcome their soul focus (money) when really it’s just a byproduct of providing true value. (Of course the means of doing that is through good marketing)
Jonathan Mead shared something the other day that I thought was bad ass and right in alignment with your post. I make it a point to look at it everyday so that I can better serve people and right before I create a piece of content. Somewhere in the recesses of your audiences mind they are saying this to themselves:
“Bring me ideas…
Help me rendezvous with other like-minded people…
Help me be aware of my power…
Guide me to thoughts that are in harmony with my core desires…
Bring me evidence of how this works in fun, comfortable, humorous, and delicious ways…”
-Abraham Hicks
As I see it, you do all of this David and many of the people I know are successful online and off apply these same principles.
Let’s keep it real.
Right on.
David, good post, great point. Got to have the value otherwise people will just go else where.
They could copy someone successful and might get some visibility in social media and search engines and drum up some traffic.
But no one or very few will be buying what they are selling and the average time per visit will be about 10 seconds then people will bounce.
Yeah, it always seems to work out that way in the long run unless you’re really adding value.
Would hurt to have a little passion about the subject so you can then know something of value to take them….
Yeah, it is almost cliche these days to say “you gotta have passion”, but its true. Because its the only way you’ll stick through all the growing process and not give up.
Providing legitimate value takes knowledge, skill and hard work. That’s not easy. I think a lot of people assume that B.S. can be successful because it seems to be everywhere. Sales copy often tends to reinforce that. “Anybody can do it FAST!!!!” B.S. is cyclical I guess. People have always fallen for that stuff because they can not let go of the hope that the end goal is achievable. Otherwise the “eat all you want and still look great!” diets would not be so common. Reality bites.
Yeah, marketing seems to go that direction, that’s for sure. But, you know, I don’t necessarily look at that as a horrible thing. Its just reality. The art of marketing is to convince people in a way they will understand. And, if people are out there looking for quick fixes, THAT’S what they’ll understand. So, you communicate it that way. Its alright as long as you don’t lie, and as long as, once you’e actually in teaching-mode, you are actually showing them what works and not leading down a rabbit hole.
David I totally agree! When we are trying to actually help other people then we will be able to find success. It is like Karol talks about with the Win, Win, Win situations. When we create those we are going to probably end up just fine!
True.
You can’t say this enough…I learned initially, as a recruiter, from a mentor who was tactically brilliant, but also without a soul. He would build his business and sell it in 2 years and do it over and over because he would leave people just drained from the manipulation. This approach can be successful, but it takes a special kind of evil and fortunately I never crossed over into his world.
Tactics are necessary, service is the key
Thanks David
Mark
Sounds similar to the product launch mentality. A lot of people in IM have been realizing that moving from one launch to the next isn’t really building a business. Its like crack… you need your next hit otherwise things start to suck.
For sure you can’t outgive the universe….and for sure it always comes back! Needed this piece today David in making the Traffic School decision….Thanks
Right on.
I’m in the midst of a whole site redesign and one of the things I’ve done is refocus my mindset on truly helping people at a certain knowledge level. With that in mind, my site will soon be more oriented towards that group of people – 101 level category at the very front/top, that sort of thing.
It is about helping. If I can’t have that mindset, it’s not worth doing.
If that person wants to “make money” then they need to buy an existing web business or pay someone to do what they want. Sad, really.
Great post! I love that a lot of people out there DON’T provide value… that way it’s easier for us to stand out by providing value
Your blog is a perfect example of casting a wide net and helping those people. I just recently downloaded your 6 figure blogger blueprint and it gave me tons of value! Thanks again for this post!
Glad you liked the Blueprint.
Great article David.
Many times I’ve seen people wondering why they are failing if they’ve followed all the steps in the blogging/affiliate marketing course.
Next time I see it I will link to this post.
Cristina
Ha ha – loved the last line – too freaking true!
Thank you for the post and the comments. I am an edupreneur and it has been a slow process serving educators over the Internet with my content. I have blogged for a year now, providing teachers with a framework to restructure curriculum around the new standards that have been adopted by over 40 states. My colleagues and I have writeen an e-book explaining the process. But here is the problem: In general, teachers do not like to change how they teach. In general, teachers, feel that they do not need to learn anything new. In general, teachers truly do not have a clue about today’s college/career readiness. We are 11+ years into the 21st century, still working in a 20th century model of education. It is amazing to me how many teachers still do not use the Internet to their fullest potential with students. How can we expect our students to be 21st century learners when our teachers do not want to be 21st century teachers?
I hear ya. Seems to me that one is a pretty crappy teacher if they’re not willing to also be TAUGHT.
Trust me, though, I could go on all day about my views on the American school system.
These are the posts I most appreciate about your Blog business, an honesty and gentle smacks of reality. These are the things that hold me back, figuring out what I have thats marketable.
Thanks.
Although, not sure I want to be known as the guy who smacks his readers around. 
I have added this post to my favorites. Create value, share it, and eventually a part of that value you have created and shared, will come back to you in little green pieces of paper, so that you can make a living. This is something you must keep in mind, not only for writing posts, but for EVERYTHING you do in life.
Thanks a lot for this David.
Greetings from Mexico.
I agree..making money online can be achieve by knowing the secret to making money fast
Nice keyword stuffing.
I agree..making money online can be achieve by knowing the secret to making money fast.
“The way to GET value out of this world is to GIVE more than you take.”
Okay I love this but… is it really giving if you are giving more than you take because… you have read in a blog like this one that “it’s the only way to make money online?”
Is this really giving? Or is it dressing up a “naked body of greed” in a nuns habit and calling it charity?
Okay I am playing devils advocate but, I say give because because you love, not because of an online strategy.
You may give your whole life and never get back, you maybe a pauper or a street bum, but your soul will live in the land of kings.
Just sayin’ … what does everyone else think… or do you just want to make money online?
Geoff Talbot
Blogging and commenting in Seven Sentences
Why is it that you cannot help people (give) while also earning money in the process? Seems to me that is the absolute best way to do things, and I see nothing shady or greedy about it. At all.
The most giving people in the world still need to make ends meet for themselves. In my view, if one is so busy giving that they fail to make things work for themselves, that’s, well, a bit stupid.
IMO, to give and give without taking something causes an imbalance and will lead to something bad, for one or both sides.
@Geoff Talbot — When I began blogging in 2004, I gave and gave, because I felt it was the right thing to do. I helped many others to start blogging and learning many things about online success. I still give a lot today because I know it is the right thing to do, and because I want to help others. From the outset I learned you can’t outgive when helping others, because of the gratitude of the community. Sometimes you’ll be recompensed in the form of help from them, sometimes in the form of money, and sometimes in other ways. So what really happened as I began blogging and teaching others was as I gave it came back to me a hundredfold. Is this ”dressing up a ‘naked body of greed’ in a ‘nuns habit’ and caling it charity, you ask? The answer is an unequivocal NO. Because one is giving even more than one is taking. Secondly, what is wrong with participating in making money, capitalism, and entrepreneurship in our country today? They seem to be such dirty words and concepts to many. If and online entrepreneur is providing much help, services, products, information, etc, that improves the average person’s life in many ways, why would it be wrong to help his fellow online entrepreneurs, whether it brought him success or not? It sounds like a win-win for everyone to me! Remember, making money is NOT evil! You asked, “do you just want to make money online?” The answer to that is NO. However, making money and helping others is something I absolutely DO want to do!
krissy know
Very true. I like how its compared to having a day job in w/c you really have to make the company money so you can get 1/4 of it. I both have an offline job and do online business and while I completely understand the concept of giving more than what you take it, sometimes it just completely stresses me off.
But Im guessing thats maybe due to me being young w/c means there’s a plenty of room to grow. lols.
Nice article…good foundation. Keep up the great work… David Ruch
I like to think I provide value every time I post something, whether it be a blog post, article, product, or comment on someone else’s site. Whether others think so, too, is an important question that can be difficult for me to gauge. I’m paying someone to fix things I know are broken on my sites. Once technical issues are out of the way, I should be able to assess more accurately how successful I am at providing value. The desire, at least, is strong and genuine. Coming to marketing after a long academic career is a tough learning curve. I appreciate your blog for the way it helps keep me grounded and focused on foundational principles–and especially your comment to the effect that passion keeps new marketers going through the rough patches.
Very cool you’re making the transition. I’m here if you need any help.
Hi David,
Nice read. I agree that too many people underestimate how hard it is to make money online. Like anything in life, it takes hard work to be successful. Creating value for your customers/readers is vital. Without doing that, then why would anyone pay you?
I have tried to make some dollars from my blog by placing ads, but I haven’t got anything yet. It seems making money online required a kind of creative and diligent type.
@Your How To — Yes, placing ads is often not the best way to making money online. And yes, a blogger, or anyone working online, must be creative and diligent! Apply some of your creativity and soon you also will come up with a way(s) to make money online. David says to “attract people” and to “help them.” Another way of saying to help people is to “help them solve a problem(s).” You can do this in many ways both online and offline. Just don’t forget what David says — “In other words, be a medium which means better things for the people around you. Be a beacon for happiness, in whatever form that takes in your niche. Help lots of people. Thereby attract positive attention. Cast a wide net, expand your circles of people, then be a source of help for them…” This will inevidably build a customer base. take care, krissy knox
A lot of my favourite blogs discuss making money online. I’ve been plotting how I can get in on the action – but I recently had a revelation. While reading about the many different strategies, I’d lost sight of what’s most likely to make me decent money online: leveraging my existing skill set.
I do not yet have a blog. I am researching my niche. I have several good Ideas but lack the research skills to determine which to start with. I know that your approach is sound and want to lead with helping women. I will continue reading your articles..
Suzie