The Real Story Behind Making Money Online With Affiliate Marketing
Somewhere, clever marketers, strategists and designers are assessing marketplace demand, looking at offerings, and creating a range of products for other people to sell.
They specifically put together packages of material – landing pages, videos, banners, images, graphics – intended for promotion and sharing among a community that has no connection, no network and no bond except the product itself.
That is affiliate marketing. A stand-alone multi-billion dollar industry covering every product category imaginable, and providing opportunity for those who have no talent or inclination for upfront creativity or complex investment.
The affiliate marketing opportunity is an open door to online business for the range of entrepreneurs who have yet to define their own unique product, but are prepared to deliver their singular perspective to others.
While starting an online business is an extraordinary opportunity for you to establish a foundation for your own professional satisfaction, financial security, and lifestyle freedom, to get started you have to select an online platform that fits your interests, skills and budget.
Affiliate marketing provides a low cost and diverse entry to online platforms, with an opportunity for a robust revenue stream if you can promote and market to an identified target market.
If you think you would like to promote other people’s products, in the context of an endorsement or recommendation, your online business can be affiliate marketing.
But do you have the tools to creatively promote products you had no role in creating?
If your online platform of choice is affiliate marketing, you need to be prepared for the opportunity and challenges.
In this article, I explain the real story behind becoming an affiliate marketer to make money online.
Affiliate Marketing is For Promoters
Affiliate marketing is the practice of promoting and selling other company’s products in exchange for a percentage of the sale or a commission.
With the number of businesses running affiliate programs increasing every year, the range of products on offer has made affiliate marketing a multi-billion dollar industry.
An affiliate can promote almost any product, using any legitimate method that will drive clicks to their affiliate link, and begin to earn income without worrying about the actual product creation or manufacturing.
For an aspiring entrepreneur trying to learn business models, being an affiliate provides a worthy training ground in marketing techniques and practices…
…and an uphill struggle to separate a product that possibly hundreds or thousands of others are promoting at the same time.
To be successful, the affiliate marketer must establish a strategy that works for any type of product, and repeatedly apply it across different online platforms to achieve results.
The Trick is Your Attention
From travel to gaming, romance to survivalist tools, technology to hobbies and beyond, affiliate marketing products cut across every industry and category. When you become an affiliate, you can almost certainly find products that match your interests and experience.
Affiliate marketing includes signing up to promote a product you already use, linking to a range of products available in stores, and becoming a member of a dedicated affiliate marketing site which partners with thousands of other companies specifically to create opportunities for affiliates.
It is the latter which will be the emphasis of this article, as signing up for an affiliate program is the deliberate form of getting started.
Who Should Start Affiliate Marketing?
If you want to start an online business, but have no idea how to set-up and market a product, affiliate marketing is your direct path in…
If you:
- Enjoy researching products
- Are prepared to promote
- Have or will create a platform for promoting
- Have or will cultivate a consumer community
…you should consider becoming an affiliate marketer.
You can select the products you want to promote, and the platform from which you will be promoting, and then let the funds come to you.
How to Start Affiliate Marketing
The affiliate marketing platforms are sites – including Awin, Clickbank and Flexoffers – that list thousands of affiliate products available for third parties to promote.
On the site, you sign-up for a free account, browse the offerings, get your affiliate links, and begin marketing on your preferred platforms.
When a consumer uses your link to purchase the product, you collect your percentage or commission. The affiliate sites usually have statistics on sales and commissions to let you know which products are the most likely to be selling well.
Some products stay at the top of the list for years, and are marketed by thousands of affiliates. But once you know how you want to proceed, you can put the product in front of your own community.
You must follow the product rules before you start promoting. Some companies do not want direct ads on Facebook or other social media platforms. To avoid being associated with spam, the Amazon Affiliate program does not want direct links from emails to their products. Some companies require that affiliates receive permission to promote, others leave the offers open.
All of these issues must be taken into consideration before you begin placing the product in front of new potential customers.
Where to Market Affiliate Products
Once you understand the rules for marketing a particular product, then the challenge in affiliate marketing is to decide how and where you will market the products. Your strategy may determine your success, and your ability to turn your affiliate marketing into a business.
Affiliates have created a multitude of approaches for marketing, among the most popular are landing pages, product specific content, product tie-ins, and paid ads. And you distribute one or more of these options via social media, email or even in-person.
Landing Pages
A landing page is a stand-alone webpage. On the page, you can create any content you like – videos, text, images – about the product. You give potential customers the page link, which in turn has your affiliate link to the product.
To create the landing page, you can use a service like Click Funnels or Leadpages – both have a free 14 day trial before switching to paid.
The key to a successful landing page is to make the page copy compelling, and targeted to the audience you are trying to reach. You can either write the copy yourself, or outsource it to a freelancer who can create the wording for you.
You drive people to your landing page to create the pre-sell or pre-suasion that prompts them to click on your affiliate link, and purchase directly from the product site.
Product Specific Content
To help your customers decide on the value of a product, you can create informational content – blogs, podcasts, videos – that provide background information, further research, details or data about the product that is not readily available elsewhere.
If you make the content legitimate and not strictly commercial, you are providing future customers with value prior to making the sale.
Creating this content may cost you time and money. You can invest in equipment, record, edit and distribute, and promote the content directly to prompt customers to go indirectly to the product.
But additional content is an excellent differentiator in situations where thousands of affiliates are promoting the same product. If you target the content to niche customer groups, you can also find customers who may be ignored by the other marketers.
Product Tie-Ins
If you have your own products – books, courses, physical products – that can be appropriately connected to an affiliate product, you can promote the affiliate product with your product.
For example, if you offer a book for free in a sales funnel that leads to affiliate product offers on the thank you page. The affiliate products should fit with the story in the book, and the connection can be explained on the landing page.
Look at your own products and determine if any would work well with the affiliate offers that you see listed on the affiliate site.
You can then create a sales funnel or landing page for your product, with the affiliate links on a second page or on the confirmation or thank you page.
The idea is to put the affiliate product in front of your customers as an option, an extension of your main offer. You do not want the affiliate product to overwhelm your main offer, or be in conflict, so select your affiliate product with care, and present it as a natural additional offer.
Paid Ads
If you have money to spend, you can create ad copy and drive customers directly to the product landing page by buying paid ads. Some platforms, and companies, have strict rules about how ads are to run and identified to viewers. Everyone is trying to avoid appearing like a scam. But assuming you follow the rules, ads are a direct and effective marketing tool.
The key to paid ads is to keep your ad costs below your commission payouts. And you can do this through excellent ad copy.
You can learn to write ad copy yourself, or pay a freelancer to do it for you. Developing the skillset yourself gives you more flexibility. You can adapt and change ad campaigns as the market requires without having to be constantly paying a freelancer to do it for you.
To run paid ads, select your preferred ad platform – Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter – set up your account, set a budget amount, create your copy, post your ads, and frequently monitor the results.
Many entrepreneurs set up paid ads and let them run without checking for effectiveness. This approach will certainly cost you more than you need to spend. Stay on top of your ads, and protect your investment by making sure your ad strategy is delivering for you.
If the ads are not working, stop running them, and either tweak the ad copy or try another strategy.
Making Money with Affiliate Marketing
Since the only way to make money as an affiliate is to have customers buy the product through your link, you have to make sure you are promoting your link in places where your customers are located online, and that you give them a compelling reason to click and learn more about the product.
The product companies will tell you about the successful conversion rates and high commission values, but it’s up to you to try and duplicate the results for yourself.
Affiliate marketing can be a promising and lucrative business, if you find the right approach for the people you are trying to reach, and consistently present them with a message they cannot resist.
What Makes Affiliate Marketing Successful
Once you have found your community of buyers, you can continue to promote appropriate products to them again and again.
In a consumer society, people always find a reason to buy – to improve their health, wealth or happiness – in a complex world.
Your ability to be successful doing affiliate marketing depends on identifying the desires of your customer base, and delivering solutions to them that they will want to purchase.
The more you can convince people of the value of the products you’re promoting, the better your chance to become a successful affiliate marketer, and make other people’s products, your business.
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The Real Story Behind Making Money Online With YouTube Videos
by Case Lane
You know once seen…a dramatic image cannot be unseen.
We do not say this about information we hear, or notes we write down. But what we see stays with us as an impression we cannot shake.
When you are trying to decide which online platform you want to use to build your online business, if you want to choose videos, you can start a YouTube channel with information, guides or even commentary that attracts an audience.
Being a YouTuber, for lack of a better term, is actually one online business that literally requires no investment. But it also requires the highest level of courage. You have to be comfortable on camera, or artistic or creative enough to create images that do not require you to be on camera.
And you have to be consistent and popular enough to attract the minimum audience that allows you to earn from advertising on YouTube. That may be a challenge, but if you make it work, you can also attract sponsorships, build a community, and become a web search recognizable influencer for your subject area.
While starting an online business is an extraordinary opportunity for you to establish a foundation for your own professional satisfaction, financial security, and lifestyle freedom, to get started you have to select an online platform that fits your interests, skills and budget.
Videoing is a powerful communication medium that only requires a minimum audience to begin earning advertising revenue.
But are you camera ready?
Does the YouTube platform have all the elements you want and need for an online business venture?
If your online platform of choice is to be creating videos, you need to be aware of the joys and limitations of the effort.
In this article, I explain the real story behind starting a YouTube channel to make money.
YouTube is For Creative Imagers
YouTube is a video hosting platform that as a division of Google is also a search engine the second largest in the world, delivering answers to questions asked every second by searchers. While there are other video platforms, and it is possible to build a following on another one, YouTube remains the dominate force for all viewers.
YouTube is the search engine results come to life in picture. You will find content that ranges from short How-Tos, to multi-hour courses, trailers to movies, questions to indepth interviews, book quotes to novel readings, reviews, music, podcasts, speeches, news reports, documentaries, commentaries, comedy routines – from every era of video recording to the present day – from every corner of the globe and outerspace.
Five hundred hours of video uploaded…every minute!
One billion hours viewed…each day!
And what may look like insurmountable odds for getting noticed for the average new YouTuber is actually the opportunity to create a business based on your video recording capabilities.
With tens of millions of viewers scrolling the site every second, looking for new and original content, the videos that will be the next to go viral, are the ones that attract enough attention to convince someone to share.
And the shared videos can skyrocket a YouTuber to success overnight.
Creativity is the Answer
Music videos are the most watched videos on YouTube. The genre defined by the rise of MTV (the Music Television cable network) now has a dominant home on the platform. And it was music videos that transformed from bands standing on stage to opera-worthy movie productions that made the MTV generation take notice.
Luckily, you do not have to compete with music videos.
Because the next level of dominance belongs to How-Tos where viewers will take any step-by-step explanation that they can follow and copy.
And commentaries and reviews, where honest words, clever presentations and solid content pre-dominate.
But to operate in this space, and be recognized, the videos that attract the attention are the most creative. While the content is important, the design of YouTube videos – drawings, special effects, spectacular settings, bright lights, awkward angles, intriguing props – all make for videos that can catch…and hold the attention of viewers.
The creator who can take an instructional or motivational video, or a spoken-word piece or lecture, and turn it into art…will stand out and move forward on YouTube.
Who Should Start a YouTube channel?
Whether you want to unleash your image creativity or simply speak directly to the camera, you will have to find content topics that your potential viewers are seeking.
If you:
- Like to be on camera
- Have enough creative ideas to be behind the camera
- Are prepared to promote
You could consider starting a YouTube channel. And you control the amount of work you do by deciding how elaborate or plain-spoken you would like to make your videos.
How to Start a YouTube Channel
Of all the online platforms, YouTube is actually the only one that really requires no investment. Assuming you have a digital device with a camera, microphone and access to the Internet, you can make videos and post them to the platform.
But on YouTube, you are literally competing with all the media companies, global advertisers, and world-class performers who also use the platform for their promotions. While this may be true with other platforms, the issue with YouTube is that it’s so easy for your potential audience to become distracted by another video.
YouTube constantly feeds viewers suggestions of other videos that they may be interested in seeing, and unless you have a significant library of content, the recommended videos will not be yours.
The challenge with YouTube is getting your potential audience to notice you, and to do that, you need the next level of creativity.
Using YouTube
Technically, uploading videos to YouTube is straight-forward. Once you have recorded, and possibly edited your video file, you can upload. But truly understanding the functions and capabilities of the platform can take you to a new ‘school,’ where you can spend time learning how YouTube really works.
As a beginner, take the time to go through YouTube’s own training videos to learn the basic functions, language and best practices. As you become more comfortable with the platform, you may find there are features you would like to incorporate to extend the impact of your videos, and drive viewers on to your content.
Start with Content
Whether you are explaining How-To, or commenting on the state of the world, your YouTube video must be able to hold the attention of the viewer.
Before you start recording, think through your presentation. If you’re creative and adept with video tools, you might be able visualize a spectacular layout. If you’re thinking only of the words you will use, focus on how you will present them.
You on Camera
If you plan to be in front of the camera, as most YouTubers are, you will have to consider how you want to look.
This is where video can cost you money. You can invest in an external camera, ring lights, stands, green screen (for virtual backgrounds), and stand-alone microphone. Even your clothes, hair and makeup, and room props can be stylized for your intended on-screen presence.
While many rage about the need for authenticity in marketing and online business, it’s hard to imagine that many of the videos you see are spontaneous creations by singular individuals. The polished smiles, cute poses, hand gestures, and clean backgrounds all speak to a level of intention in creating the ‘right’ atmosphere for their presentation.
As you decide what works best for you, consider your audience, who are you trying to reach and why a particular approach might appeal to them.
Props for Your Vision
To separate your videos and establish your creative presence, you are going to want to make an investment in time, money or both.
And your YouTube channel can cost you even more money.
You can differentiate your videos by adding virtual effects like dynamic headlines, or real props that allow you to stand out. Some of these editing options are included with video software, some can be bought separately.
Recording and Editing
Creating your video can be as simple or as complicated as your budget will allow. While high quality, professional videos are great, they are not always what works best on YouTube.
If you are doing an explanation video on your desktop, a screen recording using Screenflow (for Mac) or Camtasia (for PC) would be sufficient for viewers who are looking for information.
But if you want to make an impactful message video about major issues, you will want to separate your work from all those who are doing similar activities. You can record your own live video, or use apps that have pre-cleared live video scenes that you can incorporate with your own words and graphics.
And once you have recorded your video, you can spend time editing to include music, layered images, additional videos or other features that create a polished product.
You can do all this work yourself, or outsource editing, if you have the budget for those costs. Either way, when your video is ready, you can upload directly to YouTube and be live.
Making Money with YouTube
YouTube is the only major platform that enforces minimum interest numbers before allowing you to profit from your content. As of this writing, you need 1,000 subscribers to your channel, and 4,000 hours of viewing to monetize your video channel with advertising.
But prior to reaching those numbers you can still make money if you are able to obtain sponsorships or promote your own products.
Sponsorships
Being a YouTuber is one time when using other people’s products can be particularly lucrative. If you are creating videos that use specific products to tell the story, you may be able to have the products’ companies sponsor your videos.
You will have to show you have an audience, and deliver a sense of the value the sponsor could derive from the video. Sometimes advertisers will only be interested in sending you more free product to promote, but others may be inclined to pay you a fee if you have a niche audience they want to target.
For sponsorships, it does not hurt to ask for the opportunity, and see how the potential sponsor responds.
Product Promotion
You can also be your own sponsor.
If your videos tie in with your own products – books, courses, physical products – you can either incorporate them directly into your videos, or simply place links in your video description.
Promoting your own product can enhance your video’s message, if you are aligned with the message of your video.
Of course, blatant direct promotion with no value will not win you any viewers. But information tailored to help your audience can be seen as integral and effective in reaching out.
Advertising
If you continue to grow your channel organically using messaging that supports your audience’s interests, you will eventually hit the numbers necessary to profit from advertising on YouTube.
At that point, YouTube’s own programs will step in to direct ads to you based on your video content. As your channel grows, with viewers and likes, your advertising revenue can grow also.
Although you can indicate certain preferences for ad placement on you YouTube videos, in general Since YouTube controls the ads, and there is no option to do your own advertising with affiliates like you could with a blog or podcast. But as mentioned previously, you can incorporate any type of advertising directly into your videos, and make them part of the creative process.
What Makes YouTubing Successful
The numbers really are spectacular. If you can drive viewers to your videos, and your videos are shared, you have an opportunity to make more money.
YouTube is part of the search engine, writing your video title and description to include keywords and search terms can help drive discovery. Many people go directly to YouTube when searching for specific information. They want to consume a video rather than read a post with the same details. If you plan to be YouTubing, you should keep that in mind.
Successful YouTube channels have consistent valuable content, usually a lot of it. Once viewers find a look and style that’s appealing, they want to return for more. If you enjoy making your videos and can continue to deliver new and different subjects, your audience will continue to grow.
The real story behind YouTubing to make money online is that while you can start for nothing, you have to differentiate your videos with creativity that you post, share and cultivate for an audience that will keep coming back for more.
YouTube is a huge platform and a key element in search, if you can align your own creativity and ability to attract viewers, you will benefit from the opportunity to turn your YouTubing into an online business.
For Case Lane’s YouTube channel, click here:
How You Really Make Money Online with Podcasting
by Case Lane
This post is part of the Real Stories Behind Making Money Online Series.
Information is valid as of February 26, 2022
The oral tradition has sustained humanity for millennia. Without the spoken word, and the passing of information through speech, our progress would have been severely slowed.
So when the podcasting format appeared, with its ease of use and access, no human should have been surprised when everyone decided to start a podcast.
But in fact, although podcasting looks like the ready domain of every talker across all subjects and ideas, today there are over 3 million podcasts, a fraction of which have at least ten episodes, and another fraction of which are considered consistently active.
As the least crowded of the major online platforms, podcasting is an extraordinary opportunity for anyone with a message. But creating a podcast does require production equipment, some technical skill, and quiet time to get your show recorded.
And of course, there is the talking part…
Podcasting is for those who can carry on a conversation, teach, entertain, or facilitate discussion for an audience they cannot see. It is not for those who are turned off by the sound of their own voice, afraid to play with digital files, and have no interest in promotion.
With podcasting, the opportunity to create and join the podcaster community remains a reality for those who want to try it. As each new show emerges, a successful gem brightens, and the excitement over podcasting begins again.
And it’s important to understand how you can monetize your podcast, and use the audio program to your advantage.
Podcasting as Your Online Business
While starting an online business is an extraordinary opportunity for you to establish a foundation for your own professional satisfaction, financial security, and lifestyle freedom, to get started you have to select an online platform that fits your interests, skills and budget.
Podcasting allows you to have open discussions about any subject in the world, share the conversations you want, grow an audience that enjoys listening to valuable information, and earn income through sponsorships, advertising and memberships.
But does the platform have all the elements you want and need for an online business venture?
If your online platform of choice is to start a podcast, you need to be aware of the joys and limitations of the effort.
In this article, I explain the real story behind starting a podcast to make money online.
Podcasting is for Talkers
A podcast is a streaming audio program, usually recorded, sometimes live, that can be supported by advertising, sponsors or listeners.
The term podcast comes from merging the idea of an iPod, a portable audio player, with broadcasting to, in the beginning, play radio programs. The pod part remains a mystery for those who may not know the word iPod was made up by a copywriter.
Although many have tried to develop an acronym for it…the word is just iPod. A word now forever tied to the podcast communication medium. While most iPods remain buried in the back of consumers closets, the podcast holds firm as the legacy creation from the device’s existence.
Today, podcast content has gone far beyond existing radio programs. The range of programming you can listen to includes commentaries, historical narratives, interviews, true crime, sports analysts, fictional dramas and much more.
If you want to start a podcast to make money online, you have to consider the subject you will be delivering to your listening audience. Is there an angle or viewpoint missing from the current offering of podcasts (there always is), and how can you deliver for that audience?
Podcasting is for talkers, and podcasts are for listeners. The content you need to create to make podcasting pay must align with that basic fact. You have to create audio programming that people want to hear.
Become a Podcast Host
When you create a podcast, you are the host. Whether you plan to speak solo on a subject for a half-hour, interview an interesting speaker, or direct a debate between two guests, you are in charge of the show.
When you are thinking about creating your podcast, consider who you want to be, and how you want to run the show.
Podcast Format
Podcasts are found through podcast directories, and all list various categories of related content. But all of the categories are subject…not format, specific.
You are going to want to select a format for your show.
Decide on the type of show you want to host. Some shows sound like parties, others are serious. Some have a lot of adult language, some play music, some are always live…you can do any type of performance to attract your audience.
You can even mix your formats, maybe have a commentary episode , then an interview, then a teaching episode, then back to a commentary.
Podcasting has no rules. You decide on the format, length, content, tone, and pace of your show.
The only basic concept is that the audio must be clear. You are asking listeners to give up their time to hear your show. Poor audio quality creates an unsatisfactory user experience, which typically does not lead to repeat customers.
If there is a question between experimental content and audio quality, choose audio quality all the time.
Should You Start a Podcast?
Once you consider the format that might work for you, you will have to decide if podcasting is going to be your online business.
You can go all in with a podcast..if you:
- Like to talk
- Have a good subject area or topic, or a flair for audio creativity
- Are not afraid to promote your program
- Have the ability to edit and produce digital audio, or pay someone to do the work for you
- Are prepared to be consistently and reliably posting shows
How to Start a Podcast
The technical aspects of starting a podcast creates trepidation for potential podcasters.
The basic approach is:
- Name your show
- Record an audio program, edit as necessary
- Create a show graphic for the cover art
- Upload to a podcast hosting service
The process can be 100% free, which is one reason there are so many podcasts that only post an episode or two. Assuming you have a digital device like a smartphone, and access to the Internet. You can record your audio, download your file, and host your podcast on a free service.
But if you definitely want to build a business out of your podcast, in most cases there will be upfront expenses for a quality external microphone and a dedicated podcast hosting service. If you decide to have a website for your show, your costs increase.
The investment in an external microphone is typically worth the cost. As stated earlier, audio quality is the hallmark of good podcasting, and having a dedicated microphone gives your show a professional characterization that you will want to continue.
No Frills Podcasting
The no-frills, all free road to podcasting would work like this:
- Record your show on your smartphone or laptop using the built-in microphone
- Edit your show using free software like Audacity, or don’t edit at all
- Create a show graphic using a free tool like Canva
- Create an account on a free hosting service like Anchor, and upload your files
In no time, you will be live and broadcasting to the world. As you grow your audience, you can add the other features that would transform your podcast into a business.
Podcast Hosting
A podcast hosting service stores your recorded file and creates an RSS feed that can be distributed widely to ensure you reach your targeted audience.
Today, podcast hosting providers offer free and paid services.
Free Podcast Hosting
Increased competition has opened up opportunities for podcasters as more free services are offered by hosting providers who cover programming needs. In fact, some of the free services are beginning to offer more features than the paid ones!
But typically, there will be a catch – usually related to using the service’s branding and advertising – which constrain your money making options and intentions.
Paid Podcast Hosting
Paid hosting will include features like reporting where you can track your audience growth, and tools for social media or your own website.
Costs typically depend on factors like podcast length. For example, Buzzsprout’s rates are free for up to two hours a month, paid rate starts at $12 a month for up to three hours.
If you plan to do a daily half-hour podcast, you should look for the most affordable rate.
Recording and Distributing Your Podcast
Recording
Once you know where you will be hosting your content, you can create it. Podcast content is created everywhere – from car commutes to Hollywood studios. But if you’re just starting out, your preference is likely to be a quiet corner of your home where no external noises will be picked up by the microphone.
But even intended silence is not assured, as dogs bark, kids laugh, and the delivery trucks drop packages at your door.
You will have to find the best time to record, maybe after trying several times, before you know what will work best for you.
Ad-libbing versus Reading
Some podcasters swear by the natural, free-flowing conversational style that ad-libbing brings to a recorded show. They keep just a few points in mind, and then say what they want to say off the top of their heads.
Others find ad-libbing too unstructured and risky. They prefer to remember everything they want to say by writing it down first, and reading from a prepared document.
If you are doing a commentary show, you may want to have notes to help you remember your best points, and ad-lib only at naturally sounding spots in your dialogue.
For interviews, you have almost the same split between those who read from prepared questions, and those who allow the conversation to flow. Since either option can make for great audio, you just have to decide how comfortable you are with the outcome.
Editing
Uhhh….Ummm…click…long pause…doorbell…Ahhh…long pause…’oh, can you take that out?…’
Editing the podcast can turn a 30 minute project into three hours, it smothers the joy of the production, and can be one of the reasons many podcasters drop off the platform after only a few episodes.
Some podcasters recommend leaving in all the ‘natural’ sounds, but have you ever heard a successful podcast that is not also a clear and smooth broadcast? If your guest takes long pauses that split the flow of the show, that’s where you start editing. If the sounds are just natural conversational speak, you can leave it in.
Either way, even if you are not personally editing the core show content, you may need to add an intro or outro to your show, or if you want to get paid…advertising, which still takes time and requires some production.
Editing can be outsourced, but you must carefully select your editor and provide clear instructions. You will still need to listen to the show to make sure it sounds the way you intended.
If the first editor you select does not work out, keep trying until you find a good one.
If you have no funds to hire an editor, you will have to do the work yourself using free software like Audacity. The app has a lot of features, but you only to need to learn the basics that will help you create a good show. So go ahead and set aside the extra time to get the editing work done.
But remember, editing is not the fun part of podcasting. Be aware that this may the beginning and end of your efforts if you are not realistic about the time and effort it takes to produce a good-sounding show.
Adding Music and Effects
Music is a wonderful addition to a podcast show, especially a consistent intro that becomes your theme. On the Ready Entrepreneur podcast, you can hear the ‘news room’ sound that signals the show is information and discussion oriented.
To add music to your show, you can search for websites that offer free, cleared music.
Clearances
If you plan to use copyrighted music, and make money off your podcast, you must obtain a clearance from the copyright owner. Unilaterally, using someone else’s content to make money is not legal, and not cool.
Send an email to the copyright owner explaining who you are, why you want to use the music, and how you plan to use the music. You might be surprised by the response. Many copyright owners are happy to share their creation, especially since podcasts are offered for free, and an up and coming podcaster who intends a limited use of the product, is not typically a threat to their ownership.
Video Podcasts
YouTube has become one of the top platforms for ‘listening’ to podcasts. And many podcasters make a video version of their show.
If you are doing interviews, and use Zoom or another video communication platform to record, you automatically have another asset when you create the podcast. You can edit the video and put it on your YouTube channel.
Creating a video podcast enhances your web presence, provides more search engine results, gives you an opening to another audience, and provides your guests with another asset to share with their audience.
The video podcast is extra work, but it is also a great option for extending your podcast brand.
Transcripts
Re-purposing podcast material is one of the reasons the medium is a great asset for podcasters. If you write out your show, you have automatically created the transcript that you can also post when you upload the episode and make it available to listeners.
In general, best practice is to include a transcript of your show for the hearing-impaired. While there is limited enforcement of this practice, if you have the material, you should post it. If you wrote out your show but ad-libbed, you can put a disclaimer at the top of the transcript that says it may not be an exact word-for-work transcription of the show.
The transcript can also be used to create subtitles if you decide to post a video version.
When you are first getting started with your show, focus on delivering great content. But as you are comfortable with production…and certain you will continue, look at the other services offered by your hosting provider and consider adding features to your show.
Admin and Legal Stuff
DISCLAIMER: This section is provided for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. For all legal issues related to your podcast, you should seek the advice of a legal professional.
When you create a podcast, accessibility is not the only administrative issue that you may encounter.
If you are doing guest interviews, many guests will assume it is audio only. But if you plan to post the video, make sure you advise your guests, that show will include a video version – and get a signed clearance.
Your podcast episodes are assets and you want to be able to use them across platforms as you see fit. While there has yet to be a major case of someone suing over a podcast interview, it’s better to get clearance ahead of time that the guest knows you own the show, and may use the audio, video and guest likeness (photos) for distribution and promotion.
You can obtain this clearance before the interview by including it as a statement on your guest interview form that the potential guest has to check before submitting their request.
You should also be careful about using copyrighted images, quotes, graphics, videos or other content. You want your podcast to stand-alone as your own material, so make sure all the content you include is owned by you, or has an open creative-use license.
Podcast Directories
Once you have completed recording and editing your show, you will post it to your hosting provider.
Most hosts will automatically distribute your show to a number, but not all, of the podcast directories. The podcast directories are the lists of all the podcasts available to listen to on a specific platform.
While the biggest names like Apple, Amazon and Spotify are exactly where you want to be, you will also want to make sure your podcast is listed on every available source.
Being in every directory increases your search presence, and enhances your ability to be found by random listeners. When you search for your podcast online, you want to ‘own’ the first page of search results.
Check your host provider’s list of automatic feeds against the list of all possible directories to confirm that your podcast can be found ‘wherever you listen to podcasts.’
Promoting Your Show
While you can be discovered through a listener directory search, the only successful way to promote your show is word of mouth.
No podcast directory is perfect in its search and information capabilities. And no service is offered that breaks down all the podcast information to help you find the exact type of show you are looking for.
So if you have a podcast, you have to promote, promote and promote again.
The podcast launch is typically the first move new podcasters make to get their show in front of people. You promote directly to your list, friends, organizations, and anywhere you have an audience to let them know that your show is available.
But after the launch, you have to keep growth going by spreading the word through social media, your work or business, speaking, and guest podcasting.
For every episode, create show posts that highlight the content and can be promoted across social media platforms. If you have guests, distribute the posts to them and encourage them to promote on their own social feeds.
If you are speaking about a particular product or person on your show, give them a shoutout on social media also, by tagging, and letting them know they were featured.
And keep talking about your podcast. Mention your show wherever you have a chance. Re-use the content, across platforms, and re-use the promotion materials to re-feature a good or popular episode once or twice a year.
How Podcasts Make Money
The more you can promote your show, get the word out, drive listeners to you, and raise your ranking and popularity, the more opportunities you will have to make money.
There are multiple ways to make money with a podcast, but the four most direct are to promote your own or affiliate products, get paid advertising, get a sponsor or sell a membership to exclusive content.
Promote Products
Your podcast is your platform, and you can choose to promote your own or affiliate products as part of your show.
When deciding to promote, find products that align with the content of your show and integrate them into the discussion or commentary that you are already doing. The transition can be smooth, as you state that you have an affiliate link in the description of the show, or you can do a hard break, and ‘insert’ your own type of advertising.
If you are promoting your own products, especially books and courses, you should be able to clearly connect your content to the content of your podcast (unless they are completely different topics). This actually enhances your authority, and gives your audience more insight into the value you deliver.
You can create your own ads, add music and effects and make it sound like a professional advertisement. But be careful about being too ‘salesy’ or promoting products out of context. You want to provide valuable information to your audience, this includes information about products or services they can use.
But you do not want your show to be just an advertising vehicle, so choose wisely.
State the links in your ad or comment, and put them in the episode description. If your listener is interested they may just click and buy the product.
Paid Advertising
You can also have third party advertisers place ads in your show. For the most part, you have to have minimum audience numbers to attract national brands. But if you are talking about a specific subject, which may be interesting to specialized or local businesses, you can solicit advertising directly from them.
Advertisers are looking to target unique and niche audiences. If you demonstrate how you can deliver ‘ears’ you may be able to attract advertising even if you have a small podcast.
Start by reaching out directly to advertisers you think may be interested. Tell them about your show theme, topic, audience size and frequency. Remember once you commit to delivering a show for an advertiser, you have to deliver the show. So make sure you are comfortable with podcasting as your platform before actively reaching out for ads.
When you have paid ads, you are typically paid upfront, you don’t have to wait for someone to click on the ad. This helps give you some stability and support for your podcast.
Sponsorships
You appeal to sponsors the same way you would reach out to paid advertisers, by telling them how aligning with you would be good for business.
A sponsorship can be for an entire episode, or for the show. Sponsors can request that you read promotional material, or refer to the sponsor in comments, or for a portion of the show.
If you have a video podcasts, sponsors can ask for their product to be displayed behind or beside you, or even on you, if it’s a clothing.
If you have a specialized topic, you may be able to obtain a sponsor to cover your editing, transcribing, hosting and other costs. The only way to find out is to ask.
Memberships
You can also ask your audience.
In recent years, more podcasters are reaching out to their audience to sponsor and financially support the show through paid memberships. The podcasters offer exclusive members only content in exchange for a fixed or open fee.
As a podcaster this will mean providing additional content like the video, snippets, learning guides, exclusive outtakes from interviews, or other material that extends the podcast brand, while building a home for the audience community.
While there can be a lot of extra work in establishing a membership site, it can also be an outstanding opportunity to grow your entire business.
Your podcast community can also become the community that buys your books, courses, products, and services. You can start with membership in a podcast and turn it into membership in your world. And the more you grow your listeners, the more opportunities you have to make money online with a podcast.
What Makes Podcasts Successful?
While the most successful podcasts begin with great content, there are plenty of shows that are able to deliver that initial element. What separates them from the shows that have millions of listeners? A few key factors…
Consistency
When listeners see a show has hundreds, now thousands of episodes, they are more willing to make an investment in the podcaster, because the podcaster has made an investment in them. Consistently posting a show, and building day-to-day or week-to-week gives the listener a sense of security…and FOMO…
If a listener sees the show constantly putting up new episodes, they begin to wonder what they are missing and are more inclined to check and click on the latest information they want.
Specificity
Listeners are searching for people who are speaking about the subjects they care about, and being relevant and interesting in the process. If you can find a topic with a core audience that is currently under-served but available, you will have your successful podcast.
Uniqueness
With three million podcasts, there should be three million unique voices, but far too often podcasters try to copy the work of those that they hear.
The most successful podcasters create a unique voice, one people identify with that person. From the types of questions that are asked, to the shock-value of their commentary, to the revelation style of their facts…these types of speakers have transformed audio programming, and taken the audience along with them.
As you set out to be a podcaster, think about your unique voice, your singular message and your particular style. Be an emergent leader in the space, and promote to those who have been waiting to hear from you.
Podcasting is an extraordinary opportunity for you if you have a message that you want to deliver. There is a spot waiting for you, and you can use podcasting to make money online.
On the Ready Entrepreneur Podcast, I offer information and advice on getting started with an online business, and interviews with outstanding entrepreneurs about their journey, find the show wherever you listen to podcasts:
You can also hear Case Lane interviews on dozens of awesome shows focused on:
Entrepreneurship: https://www.readyentrepreneur.com/podcast-guest-appearances/
Guest Podcasting: https://www.readyentrepreneur.com/podcast-guest-appearances-speaking-about-guest-podcasting/
Awesome Product Offers
If you want to start guest podcasting to promote your product or business, click here to get an extraordinary offer on my Expert’s Guide to Finding Podcasts for An Interview:
If you would like to get the Podcast Directory List of where to post your podcast, click here: https://podcastgueststar.com/podcast-directories-list/
DISCLOSURE: links to Buzzsprout are affiliate links that earn for eligible purchases at no additional cost to you.
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How You Really Make Money Online with Blogging
by Case Lane
This post is part of the Real Stories Behind Making Money Online Series
In the beginning, it was the Internet curious’s first introduction to creating online – starting a blog. Today, it remains the most dominate creative platform – more than 600 million blogs – more than ten times the number of YouTube channels and podcast shows combined.
That fact should make one point obvious…blogs are, arguably, the easiest online platform for launching your online business.
But how many of those 600 million blogs are making money for the blogger?
Blogs operate in a crowded marketplace where you have to be prepared to promote and market your message. So if you’re shy about telling people about your thoughts or creativity, blogging may not be for you.
Blogging as Your Online Business
While starting an online business is an extraordinary opportunity for you to establish a foundation for your own professional satisfaction, financial security, and lifestyle freedom, to get started you have to select an online platform that fits your interests, skills and budget.
Blogging remains an incredible force for delivering a message, creating a community, and earning advertising revenue. But does the platform have all the elements you want and need for an online business venture?
If your online platform of choice is to create a blog, you need to be aware of the joys and limitations of the effort.
In this article, I explain the real story behind blogging to make money online.
Blogging is for Writers
Blogs are websites, almost always supported by advertising, that writers fill with content aimed at their target audience.
At its core, blogging is the written word. For creators, blogging means consistently writing articles online around a specific theme or subject. The word blog comes from ‘web log…weblog’ a phrase used to describe the act of journaling or recording (logging) information online.
To create a blog to start an online business, you must create written content…or have it created for you.
Blogging is for writers, and blogs are for readers. People who want to get their information in written words.
Types of Blogs for Making Money Online
With 600 million options, breaking blogs down into specific categories may be an overreach, but in general there are three popular types of blogs – information, commentary and product-specific.
Information Blogs
The most popular blogs offer information, such as How-Tos and guides. They provide step-by-step processes, and insight into products, services and issues. For many readers, these types of blogs are consistently delivering information they want to learn more about or research.
A blogger who provides information is creating a go-to platform for a topic or idea. Once enough interested readers learn about the blog’s existence, it can jump to the top of search rankings for the topic, and become a popular site.
If you are planning to create an information blog, the key is to be a great resource. You do the research your readers want to avoid, and you put the information together in easily digestible articles.
In this case, you do not have to be a great writer. You just have to make sure you are delivering information that a particular audience is seeking.
Because you already know the information readers are searching for, these types of blogs are the fastest and easiest blogs to create. Spend time researching the topic, then re-organize, re-write, and aggregate the data you find into new articles that address the topic for your target audience.
This approach also allows you to outsource the work. If writing is not your strength, or you have no time to do the research, you can use a freelancer site like Fiverr to find someone who can put together the information based on your ideas.
For example, you may find a subject where most of the existing blogs are aimed at college students, and you decide to do one aimed at the parents of college students. It can be similar information, but re-written for the parents consumption, and interests.
Also, if you can write well (or outsource) in a language other than English, there is extraordinary opportunity available to write about popular blog subjects in other global languages.
As the Internet continues to grow and spread around the world, you may find your ability to deliver information in a language used where online usage is on the rise, provides you with an opening where other bloggers cannot compete.
Commentary Blogs
Another successful blog theme is commentary – the original web log. Some famous bloggers are known only for their comments and observations about society and the world. These blogs can have millions of readers who enjoy the writer’s viewpoint, and learn from their perspective.
If you are writing a commentary blog, then you do have to be a good writer because the blog is directly from you, and your ideas have to resonate with the reader. These types of blog literally hang on the word of the blogger. If the writing is bad, the blog is a non-starter.
That said, the definition of ‘bad’ is relevant to the audience you are targeting. If you want to write a slang-filled, emoji-driven commentary blog aimed at high school students, then you may have a niche. But you still have to make the content valuable to that audience. It has to be ‘good’ to them.
Commentary blogs are the most difficult to launch because everyone has an opinion these days. But if you have a way of looking at the world that is unique, and underserved, you may be able to take a commentary blog to an audience that wants to learn more from you.
Product-Specific Blogs
Another type of blog is a mini-website aimed specifically at marketing a product by providing content-rich articles related to the product’s purpose.
The site will have ten to fifteen articles all leading to the same conclusion – the reader should get the product.
These blogs are advertising and affiliate marketing vehicles designed as information blogs, but the content is legitimate (assuming you are not a scammer).
This is a blog where the idea is to deliver information, but it’s not general information, it’s tailored to the product and all issues related to the product.
For example, if you are marketing a new vacuum cleaner, you could have articles about the perils of dust, carpet maintenance, keeping your family healthy, the exercise benefits of doing household chores, and so on.
These types of blogs are one-and-done. You write the core articles, set-up the webpages, and drive traffic to the site.
Once again, you do not need to be a creative writer, you are aggregating topic-specific information for an audience that is looking for the insight. Your articles must be valuable and useful to them, especially if it is new or misunderstood information.
This is also an opportunity to outsource the writing, but you have to be creative about the topics related to the product. You are looking for products that cross over a variety of different issues, and give you sufficient content to create a legitimate site.
Who Should Start a Blog?
Regardless of your type of blog, you want the content to stay consistent and reliable. So the hard truth about blogging is that you have to keep posting relevant content. You have to find enough content to maintain interest for a growing audience. That is a challenge that many aspiring entrepreneurs do not conquer.
If you:
- Like to write
- Come up with good ideas
- Are not afraid to promote your own writing to strangers
- Have a good subject area or topic
- Have money each month to spend on maintaining your website until you can grow your advertising revenue
- Are prepared to be consistently and reliably posting to your website
…then you are likely ready to move forward with starting a blog.
But blogging can be tedious, especially if you are lukewarm about your subject, and since it’s the most crowded online platform, you have to be creative to stand-out and be counted.
How to Start a Blog
As mentioned earlier, blogs are the easiest online business to start, but one that requires maintenance and has up-front costs to do it right.
The basic approach is:
- Get a domain name
- Set-up a webpage
- Start writing and posting content
Domain Name
Free Domain name
If you decide to use free website hosting, you will also likely receive a free ‘hosting’ domain, which typically includes the name of the website provider in your domain name.
This is a domain name you do not own, and one that may be long and cumbersome to use when speaking or posting about your new blog.
But for some, a free domain may be a necessary option for getting started without any upfront costs, but if you have a few dollars ready, and you are serious about your blog, you should start with a custom domain name.
Custom Domain name
The domain name is the name of your website. For many bloggers, it can be their ownname.com, for others it’s the subject they are discussing. You just have to decide.
Domains can cost as little as $3 a month to start. You can buy the domain from a stand-alone site, or purchase it when you set-up your webpage on a hosting site.
Carefully check the renewal terms for your domain name. Sometimes you can get the domain for a low introductory price, but it renews at ten times that rate, a year later.
Although a great domain name is valuable, like all actions in starting an online business, it is better to move forward than to worry about picking the perfect domain.
If you’re not sure, go with your own name or a made-up-name and move on. You have no online business until your site is live, so getting launched should be your focus.
Website
Free or Paid
Before you create your website, you must decide if you want to use free or paid blog hosting services.
Your blog is hosted on a website, which is hosted on a server managed by a website hosting provider.
‘Free’ means you sign-up and begin writing and posting content without paying any upfront fees. The ‘catch’ with free is there may be limitations on whether or not you can advertise on the platform. Since you are starting the blog to make money, this would be a limitation, but not an obstruction to making money.
But, If you are not sure if blogging is right for you, start with free services, and switch to paid when you are certain you want to move forward with the platform.
If you know you want to be a blogger and start with paid hosting, you have more flexibility to do what you want with the blog.
Your Own Website
Once you select your paid provider, they typically provide basic services aimed at getting you set-up. There are many blogging apps, but the most popular is WordPress, and you can quickly set-up a basic WordPress site through your provider.
Since WordPress provides flexible functionality for a website, for example, you can host an eCommerce store with your blogs, some bloggers find WordPress too complex for their plans, and are comfortable with a ‘blogging’ only app.
If you think you might want to do more with your blog – for example on my website for Ready Entrepreneur, along with the blog, I have my podcast embedded, links to online courses, and a store – and I am able to use plugins to extend the capabilities of the site from inserting landing pages from another app under the same domain, to capturing contact information.
As always, if you are unsure, start with the most basic option and be prepared to build from there.
Third Party Website
Blogging platforms, like Medium.com are websites where bloggers can establish their reputation and build an audience. These sites allow anyone to open an account and posts blogs, for free. Although these sites lead to a variety of subjects, they also attract a variety of readers who want to discover new voices, and learn more.
If you want to access the reader audience on these platforms, you can repurpose the blogs you create on your website. This allows you to gain both the traffic on the platform that is casually browsing, and the followers on your site who could one day become your dream customers.
Writing, Posting and Distributing Your Content
Once you have set-up your domain and webpage or site account, it’s time to write and post content.
Refer back to the Types of Blogs section to pick the direction you want to take your content.
If you are looking for topic ideas, listen to your friends, colleagues and neighbors, check social media, Google trends, and news headlines, and remember how you became interested in the subject in the first place. You probably have stories, ideas and anecdotes from your own experiences that could make the content for a blog.
Take a look at the work other bloggers are doing. Do not copy. Instead use other content as inspiration, and as a springboard for developing your own ideas.
You can post blogs on your own schedule as little or as often as you wish. But the more consistently you post, the more reliable you will appear to your readers. If readers enjoy one article, and they see another one the following week, and the week after, they are more likely to remember you, and maybe even recommend your work to others.
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process, both technical and creative, that you use to help search engines find your blog. When you distribute your blog online, you should always make sure that you are search optimized, to drive organic traffic doing searches.
You will find many SEO apps and plugins online, and implementing SEO practices is not difficult. But being noticed is a challenge, you will have to do your own work to ensure people click on your blog.
Do Your Own Promotion
While search engines can organically find your blog, you will have to do your own distribution and promotion to drive traffic to your site.
Social Media
You can use social media to drive traffic to your blog by posting about the topic you wrote about and including the direct link to your blog in your posts. Add images or videos to attract attention, and ignite curiosity about your content.
For bloggers, all of the big social media sites are helpful, except Instagram, which does not have links in regular content. So if your content is visual, and insta-perfect, this limitation will be a concern, but you have the work-around of using the other platforms.
If your social media followers are mostly friends and family, include a Call-to-Action for them to share the post with their networks.
Track Your Traffic
If you have your own website, you can set-up analytics to track your visitors and the pages they frequent. This data will help you understand your most popular content, and perhaps give you additional content ideas, or more promotions you can do for specific content.
Track consistently to look for trends and opportunities to grow your blog’s popularity. For example, if you notice more traffic is coming from mobile, you can do a more mobile-friendly layout for those users.
How Blogs Make Money Online
The final part of your blog set-up is monetization…making money from the blog.
For the most part, your revenue opportunity comes from placing advertising on your blog pages. You can have Google ads automatically on your pages, affiliate ads that you place yourself, or links to your own digital or physical products that you sell in your own store or on a third party platform.
Essentially, having a blog works like a broadcast television network that creates lots of content, and drives ‘eyeballs’ to the shows that advertisers are paying to be featured on.
Your opportunity in earning for your blog comes from driving as much traffic as possible to your site, and having a percentage of that traffic click on the ads, and in the case of affiliates, making a purchase.
Google Ad Sense
The fastest way to begin making money with a blog is to set up a free account with Google Ad Sense, and let the search engine automatically post ads on your blog pages. Google’s advertising program pays you for clicks through to the sponsored ad pages.
You can control where the ads are placed, and to which pages, and you can ban content you don’t want associated with your work.
Google is set to match your blog content to related ads, but if subject matter is beyond the translation of Google’s A.I., you might find the ads do not match at all.
Once you set-up with Ad Sense, continuing monitoring the placement of ads to make sure they are where you expect to see them.
Affiliate Ads
Affiliate advertising is when you align with a third party to promote their product or service, and earn a flat rate or percentage for purchases made by other people through your links.
With many affiliate programs, you can sign-up for free on sites like Swagbucks, and place their advertising images with your affiliate link directly on your page. As more people sign-up, you earn a ‘bounty’ for bringing in new affiliates.
If you join the Amazon Affiliates program, you can also earn a ‘bounty’ for sign-ups to continuity programs like Amazon Prime.
Or you can promote products, including almost everything on Amazon.com, and earn whenever someone purchases a product through your link. As mentioned in the content section, you can even have an entire blog that is linked to affiliate products.
Because there are affiliate programs for almost every product you can think of, you should be able to find products that align with your blog content.
To keep your blog orderly, you want to have ads that support your product, and do not make your site look just like an advertising vehicle for sponsored products, or worse, a scam.
Links to Your Own Products
If you sell your own physical or digital products, you can use a blog to drive people to your products.
Write blogs that align with your product, then promote your product links directly in the blog or in the sidebars of your website.
This is often done with reviews (which you do not write for your own product, but you can post what others write), the review is linked back to the product.
But the real success in using this process is to write the definitive article about the value of your product, and then drive people through the links to your purchase pages.
Extension Products
Advertising is the direct way that blogs make money, but if you have a successful blog you can repurpose it to make money on other online platforms like podcasts and YouTube.
If your blogging positions you as an authority on a subject, you can also create courses, sell coaching, write books, or do speeches or other activities that are related to your blogging content, but are not directly revenue created from the blog.
All of these opportunities come with time, once you make your blog successful.
But when you are starting out, and you have no traffic to your blog, you will have no money from your blog, that’s the reality.
That’s why you must think carefully about how much you are willing to spend up-front, and how much time you will place in promoting your blog.
If your SEO is working, or your topic is unique and sought after, it’s possible for organic traffic to discover your blog, click on your ads, and you make money. But in general, if you are too shy promote your own work, you will not have a chance to earn from your blog.
What Makes Blogs Successful
A successful blog has great content. But that’s only the beginning.
The most popular blogs are delivering a form of comfort to readers. Whether it’s in the form of information or provocative statements or how-tos, a reader is satisfied after reading a great blog. And they’ll keep coming back for more if they feel the content is consistent and always appealing.
To get your blog into a success position, which means it starts paying you, build on the positive comments and reviews you receive.
Try to discover what appealed most to those readers, and why. You don’t have to start trying to tailor every blog to a raving fan, but it helps if you have an understanding as to why a specific blog post resonated with people.
From the beginning, blogging has been about the writing. While many blogs contain great visuals or videos, it’s the writing that brings people back time and again. If you want your blog to stand out and be noticed, that’s where to start.
But all the other activities must be completed also to make your blog a professional and reliable site for return readers. And you must promote the blog to as many people as possible to get the traffic on your site that will make your business profitable.
Choose blogging as your online business platform if you’ve come this far and believe you have the ingredients to make it work. But, ignore blogging if you plan to only do a superficial job of writing and promoting your site.
The real story behind starting a blog to make money is to make an effort marketing and promoting your blog to drive traffic to your site. Because without the upfront effort in creating your own publicity, you are unlikely to make any money. But with it, you give yourself a chance to stand-out among the 600 million and take your place in the online entrepreneur community.
Check out Case Lane’s blogs:
For aspiring entrepreneurs: https://www.readyentrepreneur.com/blog-posts/
For guest podcasting: https://podcastgueststar.com/
For fast, healthy eating: https://food.readyentrepreneur.com/blog/
For travel: https://travel.readyentrepreneur.com/
For Case Lane books: https://caselane.com/blog/
DISCLOSURE: links to Amazon.com, Bluehost and Case Lane’s books on Amazon.com are affiliate links that earn for eligible purchases at no additional cost to you.
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Your Only Hope…is You
In a world where many believe money is the answer to all your problems, you may soon find out that really…you are the answer.
If you are a thinker who considers opportunity to grow and evolve as a challenge, then you have the chance to transform your life and lives of those around you.
Without people like you, we would not know how to move forward. But you have to learn to believe in yourself and what you can do.
Below is the Your Only Hope YouTube video and the video transcript
Video Transcript
Is this your only hope? If you only had more of these everything would be great…
You could pay all your bills, the mortgage, credit cards…
Set up the kids college funds…
Know that retirement will be relaxed and easy…
If you only had more of these…
When did it all get so difficult, so hard…
Why didn’t anyone tell you…teach you how to be wealthy and successful…
You know some people are just born with money, some people have great teachers and get great information, some people are lucky, some people have wonderful parents, and some people…
Earn it.
Oh yeah…there’s that too…
The fact that you can actually just earn these by delivering some kind of value to others that they will exchange for these.
But what value?
You’ve probably already thought about it. You’ve probably said…
I can do this better? Or
I wish this was better? Or
I’d like to do this? Or
I’d like to have something that does that?
You might have already recognized the gap that exists between the products and services that are available, and the wants and needs that people have.
And if you have seen that gap AND you’ve thought about how you could fill it. You’re probably an aspiring entrepreneur.
And if you’re an aspiring entrepreneur…it’s probably time to remove the ‘aspiring’ from your lexicon…
Because if you are the type of person who recognizes gaps, and sees problems AND you have solutions, you have ideas, you actually think about making a difference…
Then you need to act on what you see.
Entrepreneurship is for those who want to contribute, to do more with life than just complain…
And if that’s you, it’s time to start moving forward.
It’s starts with an idea…and it has to continue with action…then you can be that person who sees the other side.
Your only hope is not just more of these.
Your only hope is yourself…
You…how you think and what you do.
No one is going to rescue you…
No one is going to make it easy…
No one else will pay the bills…
No one else will give the people you love the best life possible…
No one else will give you the life you have always dreamed of.
Only you.
You have to put your trust in you and your ability, and make your move.
I’m Case Lane, the author of Recast, a book about the first ten actions to take when getting started with an online business.
You recast to play a new role in your own life…this time as an online entrepreneur.
You take practical action to overcome your own doubts and distractions, and do what you have been thinking about doing, which is to start your own business.
Becoming an entrepreneur and starting your own business is about giving yourself a chance to live the life you have always wanted to live…
Do work that creates value and gives you meaning and purpose in your life…not anger and complaint.
Make yourself busy, involved and committed to doing something…anything…that’s about moving forward not backward…
Set yourself up for a future you want to live in…not one that will be handed to you
Entrepreneurship is about being free…
It’s not just about this…although you can do a lot with this…
You can do what you want…
For those you most want to do it for.
If you are an aspiring entrepreneur, it’s time to take away the aspiring…
Take a look at the description for this video to get access to resources you can use right now to get your online business started.
Video Description
Recast Inspiration to Start Your Own Business. This video is called Your Only Hope…is You.
FREE // Learn the first 5 Actions to take when getting started with an online business. It’s not what you may be thinking think…but it may be the answer to getting past your procrastination and distractions. Download here: https://www.caselane.net/recast-actions
Maybe like you, I did all the ‘right’ things to end up in all the ‘right’ places only to discover that what I really wanted to do was contribute and add value on my terms. I started out in the online business game chasing all the shiny apples, only to discover that none of them laid out a clear plan for actually getting started with an online business, and working through the details to launch a business.
So I’ve learned the lessons, and now I pass them on to you…
Recast is the path you need to follow FIRST before you take any more confusing steps towards becoming an online entrepreneur.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you have business ideas in your head, but you’re still thinking maybe entrepreneurship is not for you, you must FIND THE CONFIDENCE TO START YOUR BUSINESS, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xstvw…
GET THE RECAST BOOK
Recast is my Practical Guide to Getting Started with Your Online Business. You will learn the foundational actions to take to set yourself up for success, followed by the creative actions that take you towards launching your online business. These are the practical actions no one talks about, but everyone should do BEFORE you start chasing a specific online business ‘magic’ plan. Click here for the book: https://caselane.com/books/recast/
TAKE THE DOMINATE ONLINE BUSINESS COURSE
Already set to get your online business started? Get all the training and information you need to launch your business in the Dominate the Year Start Your Online Business course. This comprehensive program is like no other – it’s total and complete details for you to understand the online business landscape, pick your idea, pick your platform, create your content, find your niche market, launch with confidence…and much, much more. Learn more about the course here: https://www.caselane.net/dominate-course
Get more information…much more about how to move from ‘aspiring’ entrepreneur to online entrepreneur at the Ready Entrepreneur website https://www.readyentrepreneur.com/
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WHO IS CASE LANE?
Hello, I’m Case Lane. I’m a global entrepreneur, writer, traveler and observer to the future.
But to start out, I followed all the traditional paths and ended up as a lawyer, economist, corporate executive, management consultant and diplomat.
Along the way I lived, worked and studied in ten different countries, learned to speak three languages, and became focused on economic development through business enterprise.
In my travels and living in different countries, I observed how entrepreneurs in all economic circumstances take the resources at hand, and build not only thriving businesses, but rising wealth. In the humblest rural small towns, or in the midst of a chaotic unregulated urban centers, action-takers who want to start a business implement their ideas, change their lives, and the community around them.
I decided to bring those similar tactics to a broader audience by creating Ready Entrepreneur as a comprehensive guide for taking your business from IDEA to OPEN.
And I wrote Recast, specifically to help you get started, when you have no idea how to begin your entrepreneurial journey.
I want to make sure you have practical, doable action you can take right now, to get past the obstacles that have been holding you back from pursuing your dreams.
If you think this sounds right to you, subscribe to my channel, and make sure you get your free copy of the Recast First 5 Actions so that you don’t miss more great information that you can use to get started as an online entrepreneur.
#caselane #readyentrepreneur #recastbook #recastmovement #aspiringentrepreneur #onlinebusiness #startanonlinebusiness #onlinebusinesstips #entrepreneurinspiration #inspirationtostartabusiness #onlineentrepreneur
Wantrepreneurs Top 5 Excuses and How to Defeat Them
Wantrepreneurs are always wanting because by definition, they are thinking and dreaming about becoming an entrepreneur, but not taking the necessary actions to move forward.
That’s where the ‘want’ comes from, and where it stays.
The challenge for an aspiring entrepreneur is to recognize this conflict, and defeat it!
The Excuses
The top 5 excuses Wantrepreneurs make for not starting an online business are a mixture of internal and external environmental conflicts.
1. Time
Wantrepreneurs say: I don’t have enough time to work on my business…
Lack of time is one of the top excuses wantrepreneurs make for not getting started. But in a world where everyone has access to multiple time saving devices, the excuse falls flat. There are many ways to gain more time in today’s world. From learning how to use schedulers, to outsourcing simple tasks, productive people have expanded the amount of time they use, not shortened it.
This excuse only needs 15 minutes a day to conquer. You can get up earlier, go to bed later, turn off streaming videos, put away the games, and start working on your business. You will quickly find that the more time you put in to work, the more time you will be motivated to find.
2. Money
Wantrepreneurs say: I don’t have enough money to start a business…
When a wantrepreneur says they have never started a business because of a lack of money, my first question is…how much money do you need?
No one is able to answer this question.
Not having enough money to get started is a myth, built over years by people who do not know the stories of entrepreneurs, and just assume…after they see them with money that they must have had money to start. But that’s rarely true.
Entrepreneurs are resourceful. If they don’t have money, they identify where they money will come from, or create the circumstances that generate money. For example, instead of assuming they are building a grand enterprise from day one, they start small and deliver a product that does not cost a lot to start. And then they build their enterprise later.
Decide on how much money you want, then you will find what you need to get started.
3. Connections
Wantrepreneurs say: I don’t have the connections all those other people must have…
Just like with the issue of money, wantrepreneurs see a successful entrepreneur with an impressive network and assume it always had to be that way.
But in fact, many entrepreneurs are isolated and alone. Their quest to start a business shuts them off from their network, because typically friends and family are content to go along with the status quo, and do not understand the entrepreneurial process. Many think it’s too risky, and not worth the stress and responsibility
If you don’t think you have the ‘right’ network, you’re going to have to create it. Find out who might be an entrepreneur you can connect with, and ask them for a sit-down. Prepare your questions, think of genuine questions you want answered about the entrepreneurial journey.
If you don’t know anyone, read books about entrepreneurs and how they got started, watch videos, listen to their podcast interviews, and see what they say on social media. You can spend all your time with the network of your choice by choosing to be with them, and not with those who are not the pursuing the future you want to have.
4. Business Idea
Wantrepreneurs say: I’m not sure about my idea, everyone with laugh at me…
Everyone laughed at pretty much every world changing entrepreneur you can think of. It has been the challenge for entrepreneurs to stay committed to their plans in the face of a backlash. And usually that commitment comes from knowing that they’re right.
An entrepreneur sees an opportunity in the global marketplace…that’s the beginning. But unlike most people who may talk about an idea, the entrepreneur actually allocates their own resources – time and money – to trying to make the idea work.
People may laugh but they do not see what you see. So the best way to conquer this excuse is to actually bring your idea forward into the light, and let the opportunity speak for itself
5. Getting Started
Wantrepreneurs say: I don’t know how to get started…
The best way to get started is just to start. Yes, that might sound trite, but it’s true. Take 15 minutes today and research your business idea. Look up: How to start a [add your business here] online business, and take notes on the information you find.
Congratulations! You have started your business. If you keep spending time every day, 10 to 15 minutes, you will soon find that the momentum of having that daily routine makes you want to spend more time. As you learn more about how you could implement your business idea, you will become more confident.
If you want an action-by-action guide to getting started, check out my book Recast: The Aspiring Entrepreneur’s Practical Guide to Getting Started With An Online Business. You can learn exactly how to set the foundation for moving forward. The information may surprise you.
Understand Your Fear
For the most, your wantrepreneur excuses for not getting started with your online business are just saying you fear the unknown, and lack the confidence to try something new. Perhaps you don’t know how to be successful, because you don’t know what to do.
But the fact is, if you want any chance at all of having your business, you must do something. you know the outcome of doing nothing…is nothing, so by doing something you at least give yourself a 50/50 chance to have everything you want.
But if you don’t get started, you will never know if you could get there.
Learn How to Move Forward
If your online business idea has a strong why – you are more likely to remain committed and interested in making sure it’s a successful enterprise. Decide which factors are driving your interest in your business, and focus on those ideas whenever you think about moving on.
Getting your online business idea to work is a long game. You need persistence and the willingness to absorb the unsuccessful starts as learning experiences so that you can build on them and keep going.
Remember you are creating your business to deliver value, to fill a gap you see, or to make sure people have what they need. Set a plan and execute on the plan.…that’s how anything gets done.
Give yourself a chance
Summary
The Top 5 Excuses Wantrepreneurs Make to Stay Forever Wanting to Become entrepreneurs are:
- I don’t have enough time to work on my business…
- I don’t have enough money to start a business…
- I don’t have the connections all those other people must have…
- I’m not sure about my idea, everyone with laugh at me…
- I don’t know how to get started…
And How to Defeat Them
- Read Recast for the first ten actions to take, and personal development books for your mindset
- Focus on your Why…what is driving you to create a business
- Consider the value you will be delivering
- Set a plan for your life…execute on the plan…that’s how anything gets done
- Give yourself a chance
DISCLOSURE: Links to ebooks and physical products are Amazon affiliate links that earn for eligible purchases at no additional cost to you.
What is Guest Podcasting?
by Case Lane
In a Mexican telenovela, aka a television soap opera, you can occasionally see that when a major movie star or esteemed talent or famous personality decides to make a guest appearance, the credits will say something like…
…we welcome to television, the great…- name of person-…
Or if it’s a former star who has not done TV for awhile…then the credits will acknowledge…
…we welcome back to television – name of person – …
The guest star is elevated to a kind of reverential position – a proud, open armed moment of mutual accomplishment and acclaim.
And the terms ‘Guest Star’ or ‘Guest Starring’ or even better ‘Special Guest Star’ or ‘Special Guest Appearance by’ are all used regularly, especially by Hollywood productions, to signal to viewers that someone has joined the cast temporarily to bring new interest and life to the show.
The guest star is a welcome visitor in a mutually beneficial position for the host and guest.
If you guest podcast, that is the role you will play.
The Guest Star Role
Guest podcasting is appearing on a podcast for an interview or conversations, or sometimes to teach, entertain or provide commentary or analysis. The guest’s role is to add value to the show by providing new insights outside of the normal routine and intentions.
Anyone with valuable communication to share should consider guest podcasting. There are now nearly two million podcasts, many with conversations covering almost every topic imaginable.
While established public speakers or subject matter experts may be the first to think of the podcast stage as an opportunity to spread their message, aspiring entrepreneurs should not overlook the possibility of building an audience and testing ideas in a public space.
The Opportunity for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
As an aspiring entrepreneur, if you have a business idea, then you likely recognized a problem that needs to be solved, and you have a solution. Since you are planning on building a business, you are going to need to inform your potential customers of your proposed solution.
Guest podcasting is one of the best ways to raise your visibility. From the podcast stage, you can grow your audience, expand your authority and influence, promote your product or service, enhance your brand or marketing…or any of several other benefits.
You may not immediately know what your impact will be, but if your audience begins to grow after you start guest podcasting, you will receive feedback that determines how influential you have been.
Collaborate With the Podcast Host
Guest podcasting is a two-way street…always. You provide value to the audience, and some of them may follow up with you, or look for your products. Therefore when requesting an interview, potential guests should focus on the content and value they offer.
In a 15, 30 or 60 minute segment, your product or service is secondary to delivering on the outcomes the audience is seeking. You have to know what the audience is expecting to hear, and why they are listening to that specific podcast.
When you set out to guest podcast, do your homework. Research the podcast you are pitching for an interview, and make sure you know the kinds of topics that are covered by the host. You do not want to repeat a topic that was already covered on the show. You want to demonstrate why your work is different.
Guest podcasting means finding those differentiators so that you can engage in a more fulfilling conversation with your host. And your appearance may extend beyond the interview, by leading to other opportunities, collaborations, or projects with your new growing network of podcast friends.
The D-I-Y Process for Finding Podcasts That Fit Your Subject
You can decide how to use guest podcasting as part of your business strategy, by looking for podcasts that are a relevant fit for your topic, confirming that you might be a good guest, and reaching out to the podcaster to request an interview.
You can also become a successful podcast guest without hiring an agency, connecting with influencers, or networking, by following this Do-It-Yourself process that uses the podcast directories to find relevant shows.
Select Keywords
After deciding on the topics you want to cover on the show, select keywords that reflect your subject area, and related topics.
For example, if you’re an expert on tulips – select keywords like flowers, gardening, fragrance, outdoor activity, and so on. Be as broad as possible because different podcasts will use different words to talk about similar subjects.
Search for Podcast Names
To find potential shows, search for podcast names in the podcast directories. The directories are online databases where podcasts are listed. Directories include the podcast apps like Apple or Spotify, as well as websites that provide podcast information.
The best directories for search are those that return sufficient information on initial search – that is after entering a keyword in the search bar – that allow you to make a decision about whether to continue researching the show.
Looking at hundreds of podcasts in directories can be time consuming. But if you do the work yourself, or outsource the work to someone who reports to you, you give yourself an opportunity to find more shows than an agency typically delivers.
You also connect directly to the podcaster, increasing your chances for follow-up or additional collaboration. Podcasters often report receiving pitches that do not fit their show, if you do the work yourself, you improve your chance of making a good impression based on the research you have conducted.
Read Relevant Details
When searching in the directories, check the last episode upload date. Many shows are no longer active, and as an interviewee, you only want to spend time researching active shows that are conducting interviews.
If the show is active, read the description. Show descriptions vary from a few lines to multiple paragraphs. But if the information looks promising, check the show page for more details.
On the show page, read episode descriptions to verify that the show has interview episodes. Also check the episode duration.
When researching the show details, take some time to listen to a few episodes to learn how information is presented, and how the host likes to manage the show.
Find Contact Information
Once you have covered all the research points, if you are still interested, begin searching for contact information for the host or show. Some show pages provide links to the website or an email.
Check the Show or Host Website
Always look at the show or host website to see if there is a podcast guest interview submission process that you should follow.
If there is a specific process, this indicates the show is open to interviews. If there is no form to complete, you can still look for an email address or contact page on the website.
Many shows, especially the most popular, have no contact information. You can try to reach out on social media, or through their other previous guests.
But remember there are thousands of shows to consider, so if contact information remains elusive, move on to the next show.
Send Your Pitch
Once all the above points have led you to a relevant podcast, send your pitch and wait to hear. Many podcasters receive hundreds of pitches, and will not respond to every email. But if you think a show is absolutely perfect, you can probably follow up after around 3 to 6 months.
Seize the Opportunity Now
Guest podcasting is one of the most important activities you can do to get your work in front of new audiences. And you can find podcasts on your own, by reaching out to podcasters to create your own network of podcasting opportunities.
Summary
- Guest podcasting is appearing on a podcast show – to add value to that show’s audience.
- A guest podcast appearance is typically for an interview, but you can also have a conversation, teach, entertain or give analysis on your subject.
- Prepare your message. You must have something to say, and be willing to work with the podcast host to make a great show.
- Utilize the asset. You can promote your appearance to your audience as an example of your expertise, and to those who are interested in your work, as an example of what you do
- Find relevant shows for guest podcasting by doing your own search
- Create a list of keywords that match your subject
- Use the podcast directories to look for shows that match your keywords
- Check the last episode upload date – to make sure you only research active shows
- Go to the show page and check the episode descriptions and duration
- Look for links to the website or email to find the host or show contact information.
- Research the show by looking at the show or host website, listening to at least one or two episodes, and confirming that your topic would be valuable to the audience
- Send your pitch and get ready to enjoy the benefits of guest podcasting
For more information: Listen to the Podcast Discovery series of the Ready Entrepreneur podcast, episodes 92 to 97 that was posted in late September through October 2020.
Click the show graphic to go to Episode 92 for the Podcast Discovery Series Introduction on Apple Podcasts
- If you want to get started with guest podcasting, go to podcastgueststar.com/blueprint, to get your copy of my comprehensive guide to finding, researching and contacting podcasts for an interview.
On a recent Russell Brunson webinar, I started reading the chat. I would not normally do this, but Russell, the Co-Founder of ClickFunnels, was telling a story I had already heard, and the chat was going ballistic about it.
Essentially, many of those who chose to chat were complaining (or spamming) instead of listening. In a world where they are attending webinars, apparently because they are desperate to learn how to generate leads, they were complaining about the teaching approach from a man generating a $100 million dollars a year and counting…up!
This was teaching being offered for free to help aspiring entrepreneurs get where they want to go.
The Zoom call was left open after the presentation and I was able to read the entire chat feed. I had never seen this type of negative commentary on a webinar before, and I was stunned.
What’s happening to everyone?
Is Entrepreneurship Exclusive…?
Entrepreneurship is the critical engine needed for our progress and prosperity. Entrepreneurs are people who solve problems and deliver solutions.
But for the first time, I noticed that a segment of those who are interested enough in starting a business to sign up for a webinar on how to generate leads, appear to be no longer patient enough to grasp the information they need to be successful.
Yet they fail to recognize the irony.
They are the ones who are broke, hate their jobs, and stuck in a pattern of life they cannot stand. They are the ones who want out.
Yet they also apparently want the path to be cleared for them, decorated as they see fit, and playing their music.
Our society is in for a world of hurt if the people who want to be entrepreneurs no longer have the drive, perseverance, courage, and commitment necessary to make business work in the 21st century.
If they too are looking for a shortcut.
I would hate to think we are stuck with the companies, organizations and ideas, we have now because the likes of future Russell Brunsons no longer know how to listen.
In fact, if that’s what’s happening…that attention spans have really dropped to zero…then we are doomed.
…Or is Being an Entrepreneur Critical?
While many people may be angry about 2020 and the disruption to their plans, others assessed the situation and thrived. And many of those people who were able to make the most of a pandemic year are online entrepreneurs.
The pandemic actually allowed the already growing force of technology and access to the global market to become ‘normal,’ and solidified a future economy based on Internet practices.
Whether that terrifies or excites people is not the point, it has happened, and it’s here to stay.
For anyone…literally anyone…who has ever thought about getting a business started, you are living in the best time in history to jump right in.
The Internet is young enough that it can still be molded and shaped by individual actions; but it’s old enough to have an endless stack of free resources that allow you to learn anything you need to know about how to get started.
When I first started in the game just four years ago, I had no idea how to move forward.
Now an aspiring entrepreneur has no excuse.
Fear, Excuse or Something Else?
Except for the ones so often used…to avoid actually doing the work.
That excuse is typically coated in sympathy expected language like: ‘I don’t have enough time,’ or ‘I don’t have enough money’ or ‘I don’t understand technology’ or ‘I don’t want to be a sleazy salesman’ or ‘There’s too much competition,’ or ‘Everything’s already been done.’
To be fair, one of the challenges for aspiring entrepreneurs is that too many people, including the famous gurus, often claim the path is ‘easy’ especially if you buy their course and do exactly what they do.
The problem is no one can do exactly what they did. The technical or foundational work may be the same, but there is always something else – especially when it comes to the actual business idea.
An aspiring entrepreneur needs to adapt their idea to the current environment. And when the adaptation does not work, they have to try again some other way, and again, and again, and again, and again…and that takes work. That’s the part so many people miss, and few ever talk about.
With millions posting images every day of an Instagram lifestyle of luxury and comfort generated by online riches, many aspiring entrepreneurs want to jump straight in to that scene, and fail to acknowledge the part about actually creating a business.
Even if the business is taking beautiful pictures of yourself and consistently posting them on Instagram…that’s still more work than the typical person who is trying to decide what to watch next on Netflix.
But if you are looking at that lifestyle, and you have business ideas in your head, or you have always wanted to be an entrepreneur, you have to make a move forward.
Just coveting the lifestyle without actually doing the work will not help you achieve success.
Decide to Be Successful
I can already guess that the process Russell teaches in his webinar challenge will work. I create and buy from sales funnels all the time.
But if you don’t know anything about the process, and you sign up for the webinar, you should listen and learn.
If you are an aspiring entrepreneur because you want the professional satisfaction, financial security and lifestyle freedom that comes with being you own boss then, guess what…the only way you are going to be successful is to do the work.
Doing the work is the only common denominator among the world’s successful entrepreneurs.
Nothing else matters. Not background, circumstances, gender, ethnicity, location, education, experience…nothing. All they have in common is that they did the work.
They learned what needed to be done…often from those who have done it before, and applied those learnings to their own ideas and situation. That’s the path. It has not changed.
Aspiring entrepreneurs who do not want to listen, and do not want to do the work will not be successful. The word ‘aspiring’ will never fall off their bio page. And their lot in life will not change.
The only way to reverse this inevitability is to actually pay attention, model and refine what works, adapt your idea to your audience and situation, and get the job done.
If you are ready to move forward, join our Dominate 2021 Mastermind group for FREE and get your online business started in 90 days! Starts January 16, 2021, register here: http://dominatetheyear.com/
If you are trying to get organized to become an online entrepreneur, read Recast: The Aspiring Entrepreneur’s Practical Guide to Getting Started With An Online Business. Click here to download at Amazon.com.
Links to the 5 Day Lead Challenge, ClickFunnels and Amazon.com are affiliate links. I earn for eligible purchases at no additional cost to you.
Defining the World’s Most Entrepreneurial Countries
by Case Lane
In the summer of 2020, global travel is largely off limits for most people, but there are other ways to travel around the world.
The global pandemic situation has prompted many people to begin considering the need to create an additional stream of income through an online business. But how many people live in a country that fully supports their intentions.
Researchers use different measures to determine an answer to this question. Studies ask: who is entrepreneurial or who isn’t…and what about whole countries?
Can the entrepreneurial receipt-ability of entire people be determined? And if yes, what would be the factors? Why would some people be considered more entrepreneurial than others?
And if you are or are not in one of these countries, what does it say about your chances for starting a business?
If you’ve read my book Life Dream, you know I’ve observed entrepreneurial behavior all over the world that supports my belief that the entrepreneurial strain runs through our human DNA. So when smart people come up with their fancy lists defining who is and is not entrepreneurial, I wonder where are the world’s most entrepreneurial countries and why were they selected for the title?
Defining World’s Most Entrepreneurial
When you look at a shanty town or slum, an informal residential area of poor people who are living perhaps in wood or mud huts or cardboard boxes, you might think…these are poor people and there’s not much going on…
…But when you look closely, you might see an incredible depth of activity that can only be described as entrepreneurial.
So what really are the world’s most entrepreneurial countries?
A quick check online reveals there are many lists ranking the world’s most entrepreneurial countries along defined terms. In this article, I’m going to review two that stood out because they reach two different conclusions. Their conflicting results speak volumes about who are the entrepreneurs in the world.
One list comes from the Global Entrepreneurship Index from the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute (GEDI) in Washington, DC.
The index uses 14 pillars to rank entrepreneurship, based on concepts like attitude, ability, transportation infrastructure, broadband and similar factors.
At a glance, the list appears…unimaginative. The emphasis, and credit, for entrepreneurship appears to be awarded to the dollar value created by companies in advanced economies, not the more global entrepreneurship definition of delivering value to solve a problem.
The other list comes from Latona’s analysis of the report from Global Entrepreneur Monitor (GEM). And not only did they create a different list of top countries, but also the factors used to determine entrepreneurial tendencies might not even be considered relevant by typical entrepreneurs.
The Entrepreneurial Factors
The GEM list has six fascinating questions. Consider how an aspiring entrepreneur in your culture might respond to these prompts.
GEM asked 18 – 64 year olds whether ‘fear of failure’ would prevent them from starting a business. The assumption, I assume, is that a population that answers ‘yes,’ they are too afraid of failure to start a business, would have a hard time encouraging aspiring entrepreneurs.
But would not a true aspiring entrepreneur, by definition, answer ‘no’ to that question because the true entrepreneur overcomes fears and starts a business with confidence. In other words, the question might be ‘yes’ for the typical population, but ‘no’ for anyone who would ever consider becoming an entrepreneur.
The next question was about entrepreneurial intentions – who was planning to start a business within 3 years.
One result which stood out was Switzerland. The wealthy country ranked #2 on the GEDI list of world’s most entrepreneurial. But in the GEM survey just 7% of Swiss answered ‘yes’ to entrepreneurial intentions questions. The country scored .87 (less than 1 point) out of 10 on this question.
This result reflects the concern raised at the beginning of this article. A wealthy industrial country may not be entrepreneurial on measures that count for the future, like the ability to nurture sustained entrepreneurship.
As always with numbers, be wary of statistics, surveys and lists.
Weighing Innovation
The GEM list also weighted the questions, further indicating the factors they considered important to an entrepreneurial culture.
One question alone, on innovation, represented 40% of the country’s entrepreneurial value, the heaviest weight awarded in the overall score.
But the wording of the question uniquely defined innovation as the percentage of those involved in total early-stage entrepreneurial activity (TEA) who indicate that their product or service is new to at least some customers AND that few/no businesses offer the same product.
That is an extraordinary measure to quantify. How many people can really answer ‘yes’ to that question? If an entrepreneur introduces a product or service adaptation with features that do not exist elsewhere, and puts their own unique perspective, and singular approach into the creation of the product or service, does it count as new or old?
Where is ‘same’ product defined? At the macro level, almost everything can fit somewhere. If you start creating t-shirts with cool sayings on them, the product is a t-shirt which is not new, but your cool sayings are your differentiator. And it is that difference that makes for your success as an entrepreneur.
However, it appears that the weight of the ‘yes’ answer to that question helped define the overall list. The three countries with the highest percentage of ‘yes’ where Chile, India and Luxembourg – who ranked 1, 2 and 5 on the overall list.
If innovation, being first and new, is considered the hallmark of entrepreneurship, then those who demonstrate that intention come out ahead.
The Important but Unavailable Factors
Another question was around the availability of financing, and the last one was on the inclusion of entrepreneurship in basic school education. Those are two factors that the most famous entrepreneurs’ stories do not really cultivate. Most countries do not include entrepreneurship in their basic education, and many successful entrepreneurs boot-strapped their way to initial success.
The rating for those two questions were not yes-no but an index number.
The ‘What Will People Say Question’
Another index question, which was left out of the final score was: The extent to which social and cultural norms encourage or allow actions leading to new business methods or activities that can potentially increase personal wealth and income.
Amazingly that loaded question could in fact be the basis for the entire answer on any country’s score. The question should carry weight in many cultures.
Many successful entrepreneurs talk about how they were discouraged from pursuing their business ideas, and made to feel that they were doing something wrong. But their perseverance, and desire, to step away from the status quo, and pursue their own vision, ultimately led them to defy their culture and take the next step.
Since the story of getting past the backlash is one of the most common entrepreneurial stories, one that transcends cultures and locations, it could be argued that experience is the only qualifier for entrepreneurship, anywhere in the world.
The World’s Most Entrepreneurial Countries?
Given the factors used to create the GEM list and GEDI list, only three countries appeared on both: Canada, Ireland and the United States. If you live in one of those three countries, you might be feeling a little more relaxed about your entrepreneurial chances across a variety of measures.
In fact, Ireland ranks in the same place, at #8 on both lists!
The rest of the GEDI list is all economically advanced countries, and the rest of the GEM list is 5 out of 7 developing countries.
So what does it all mean?
Entrepreneurs exist everywhere in the world. And the factors that make an entrepreneur vary across every possible variable. Except the one common reality…
…If you have business ideas in your head, and you are ready and willing to do the work to create a product or service that delivers value. Then you’re an entrepreneur.
The GEDI list is:
1. United States
2. Switzerland
3. Canada
4. United Kingdom
5. Australia
6. Denmark
7. Iceland
8. Ireland
9. Sweden
10. France
The GEM list
1. Chile
2. India
3. Guatemala
4. Canada
5. Luxembourg
6. Angola
7. United States
8. Ireland
9. Turkey
10. Austria
Summary
Reviewing just two of the many lists that attempt to define entrepreneurial tendencies in national populations, you would have to concede – it depends on who you ask and how you ask…
- You can count the availability of roads and high-speed internet or
- You can count the variety of new ideas or public school courses
- But in total what counts is the ability to create new businesses and add value to the economy
- Countries that do that are the true entrepreneurial champions.
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