Some people are “into Golf.” Others are “into computers.” Everyone’s into something, right? It’s hard to find a person who doesn’t have an above average interest with a particular subject, hobby or pastime. Some call this a “passion.” Passion may be too strong a word for others, though. Especially today. That’s because the average person has so many demands upon their time, day-in and day-out, they don’t usually set aside time to pursue the things they’d really like to be pursuing.
If you ask the average person what their passion is, they’ll probably just stare at you with a dumbfounded look upon their face for a moment or two. Ask them what their interests are or what type of things they’re “into,” though, and you’ll start getting some feedback.
Why am I bringing this up? Because the Internet may be the easiest place there is to actually make money pursuing something you enjoy or love being involved with. In other words, you can make money by doing something you’re “into!” For some, it’s a concept they’ve abandoned long ago.
Finding the bridge between what you’re currently doing and what you’d like to be doing may not be as hard as you think. Whatever your interests are, the easiest way to start online and create your first website is by creating a blog. The movie “Julie and Julia” is a true story about a young woman who began writing a blog about Julia Child’s infamous cookbook. She set out to make every recipe in the book within a year. She used a blog to record her journey and was catapulted to fame as a result. The movie that followed was based on her story.
She became famous as made and recorded the results of every one of Julia Child’s recipes in 365-days.
Julie’s secret was in pursuing a topic that she loved at night, while toiling away at her other job by day. There is no reason you can’t do the same, is there?
Whatever your interests, a blog can be created to –
- Attract other people across the world with the same interests.
- Sell products or services based upon those interests.
- Draw enough traffic to the site and sell advertising space to advertisers.
You can set up the Blog yourself or have partners join you.
I took the Blogging concept a step further by creating what I call – “Online Magazines.” With multiple writers contributing articles, it’s very easy for me to maintain. One of my favorite creations is – www.TheBoxingMagazine.com. This site is actually a WordPress Blogging script with a nice, updated design.
Designs or templates can be purchased very inexpensively. Just look up “WordPress Templates” on Google or Yahoo and you’ll find all sorts of interesting designs. Some free, some not.
The important thing about pursuing a topic or area you’re “really into” is the fact that you’ll be updating your site, writing articles, marketing the site – after-hours. That means, instead of watching TV until you fall asleep, your site will take the place of your television time.
Getting traffic to come to your site won’t be nearly as difficult if you pick a topic you thoroughly enjoy and have been into for most of your adult life. That’s because you’ll already be familiar with the groups and social sites where other like-minded people congregate. In my case, I was already visiting boxing discussion forums and had made many friends in that niche over the years. Once my site was complete, I announced it at the boards I frequented. I also began spending time at Yahoo Answers (do a search on Yahoo Answers if you’re not familiar with the service).
Yahoo Answers is comprised of groups of people who ask and answer questions on every topic under the sun. In my case, I went to the sports section… then, to the boxing sub-category. I put the link to my site under each of my postings and just like that – even more traffic. People asked questions about the sport of boxing and different fighters from the past and I gave my own answers.
Now, here’s the big difference between doing something you love and doing something – just for the money, or because you “have to.” Had I been doing everything I mentioned above – working with a topic I wasn’t really into, I wouldn’t have been able to put half the energy into the site that I did. Do you see how that works?
That’s the problem I see with people in MLM. They don’t love their products. They love the potential the compensation plan has. In the end, that’s not enough for most people. Why, after spending all day long at a day-job you despise, would you want to invest the rest of your free time doing something your heart isn’t really into? The desire to make money just isn’t enough.
When you’re into something, that’s where you’ll really shine.
Let’s face it, everyone wants to make money. The Internet is filled with Get-Rich-Quick gimmicks that are here one moment and gone the next. That’s because marketing professionals figured out long ago that “fast money” appeals to the masses. And like a pyramid, most of the people are sweating on the bottom to make the few at the top – rich.
If you’re really serious about making money online, starting out part-time, you need to be involved with a topic you really enjoy talking about and being involved with. If not, you’ll burn out “chasing a buck” with all these ridiculous programs out there.
This also works if you bring a friend or two on-board.
A few friends approached me last spring with an idea they had. One has a cooking spot on Channel-7 everyday at noon. The other has been an editor and magazine writer for years. They wanted to create a different kind of cooking site. We brainstormed together. I’m the Internet Marketing Consultant, so my job was to make the project “flesh itself out” online and create a marketing plan. The result was www.mycookingmagazine.com.
I used the same methods I teach to others.
Within 2 months I became involved in 3 online magazines (blog sites).
When you’re enthusiastic about a subject or project, it shines through everything you do. There’s a sense of excitement that will otherwise be absent. That’s what you need! Imagine turning a hobby into a business? Can you picture what it would be like to watch your site grow and develop from one month to the next? Before I did this full-time, I’d be thinking during the day about my business and what I would do when I got home that night.
I remember my first sales and how exciting that was. I remember watching as 20 page views in 30 days grew to 10,000 page views. The “You’ve Received Money” messages started coming in from PayPal. It felt great to be selling my own products and services instead of someone else’s.
Finally, I had learned so much; other people started paying me to help them, too. And that’s what I’ve been doing ever since – consulting for others and creating my own products and services.
Has it been easy? Not at all! But most of it was my own fault. I had learn everything myself. Those of us who were the original online marketers and business owners from the mid-90’s didn’t have any “how-to” books to read back then. The courses had yet to be written. Most of the courses available today aren’t worth the megabytes they’re written on. That’s because many unscrupulous marketers take advantage of people’s desperation to make money during tough economic times.
In my own situation, I made everything too complicated. Instead of following a simple plan and staying with it, I unwittingly took the complex route. Instead of focusing on a few sites that made dollars, I created a whole bunch of sites that made dimes.
It took a little while to figure out what I was doing wrong, but it finally clicked. I’m just like you. Stubborn.
Everyone has their own unique path and focus. And as maddening as it can be finding it, that’s the beauty of it, too. No one can tell you what’s right for you – because you have a setting deep down on the inside that tells you whether you’re on the right road or not. Some people are heading in the general direction but they need to refine things a bit.
If you point your car towards Florida and go, you’ll get there (all things being equal). But without the specifics, who knows exactly where you’ll end up? Maybe the east coast, maybe the west?
Hey, please understand, you may be perfectly happy where you are, doing what you’re doing. If you are, that’s great. If not, why not take a step of faith in a direction you’re better suited for? At worst, nothing changes. At best… anything is possible.
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