How I Make Money Online (using one ninja resource)
A lot of people ask me how I manage to make money with this website, and that's a legit question because it isn't obvious. But you can really make money online if you put in the work.
In this guide, I want to explain to you how I make a full-time income online, and I'll share the ninja resource that has really helped me propel my business, so you can do it too and start living your sailing dream - because that's what this website is all about.
By the way, the above image depicts exaggerated results, and we've used a digitally-enhanced model for your convenience.
This will be a somewhat different article since it isn't about sailing, BUT: if you're interested in having more freedom, and sailing the world while making money online, this article is for you. If you're simply curious, that's alright too.
I don't do backlinking or social media promotion. I'm a writer: I simply write articles people want to read.
I always thought that making money online requires you to be cunning or unethical. That isn't the case. I'm very lucky to have found some likeminded people who were willing to show me another way of doing business.
On this page:
How I Make Money Online
So, how do I make money online? I write articles answering questions people ask Google. If the article is good, Google sends me traffic. Those people read my articles and see the display ads I have put on the website. Those ads make me money.
With each article, I try to make it the most helpful resource on the internet. If you write articles with the end user in mind, people will like reading them, which is a good sign to Google. I don't do backlinking or social media promotion. I'm a writer: I simply write articles people want to read.
Sounds simple, right? Well, because it is. Of course, there are some skills involved, but I have been amazed by the results of people who follow this approach across the board. Not everyone will immediately succeed. But there are things you can do to greatly increase your chance of succeeding, and the most important one is a priceless course by two people I've really come to appreciate.
When I first started out, I didn't know a whole lot about blogging and writing for the internet (or sailing, to be honest). That all changed when I found an amazing course called Project 24. In my opinion, it's the ultimate online marketing course out there. I can really say that this course has changed my life. I'll discuss it more in-depth later on.
But first, I want to quickly go over the four most common misconceptions people have when they think about running an online business.
4 Misconception About Making Money Online
A lot of people I talk to would like to have more freedom, travel the world, and create their own business. But almost all of them think they can't do it because of four common misconceptions:
- You have to be an amazing writer in order to succeed
- You have to do all kinds of tricks to in order to rank on Google
- You can't succeed if you're not an expert
- I'm late to the game
I have to admit, I had the same misconceptions. Actually, my perception of blogging was so negative I never tried started another website, even after creating my first 'online business' at sixteen years old, making my first $30 from selling survival gear (I know - what a win!). The thought really never entered my mind in the thirteen years after my initial online 'success', until about two years ago.
About two years ago I started getting interested again in making money online as a writer. At that point, I had been a freelance writer and translator for some years, which I enjoyed, but I wanted to gain more freedom and reach more people by writing my own stuff. I researched whether I could make money building my own website. Turns out you can, and it's brilliant.
Being a beginner is actually an advantage
I was an absolute beginner. I had a little sailing experience, but not much, and I found that this was my greatest advantage. Sailing can be pretty overwhelming for beginners, like most industries, because of the jargon and the expert mentality of writers and teachers. Thinking like a beginner and writing on the questions I had myself along the way slowly made me more knowledgeable, and I understood what beginners got hung up on - because I was one of them.
Remember: it's almost always a complete beginner who opens up Google and types in: '... how to perform a tack?'
The internet still has to largely be written
If you think you're late to the game, you're wrong. Blogging is still a very lucrative business model - if you know how to do it properly. It might seem that the entire internet is already written - with every search query (keyword) you get millions of results. But you know what? Most of those results are garbage and are only there because Google doesn't have anything better to show. A lot of articles are outdated and from back in the day when people used to pull all kinds of tricks on Google, so they aren't actually helpful to the reader. Also, more and more people are getting on the internet, so more and more questions are asked there.
I thought the internet had been finished, so to speak. But when you start looking for the holes, the internet becomes more and more like a net: holes, hold together by some links.
This is even more the case for YouTube, which is another great opportunity, and has even more holes.
You don't have to be a great writer
The most common response I get when I tell people all this, is: "I'm not a good writer". Well, you don't have to be - that's a misconception. I have seen dozens of people that weren't great writers when they first started out, but are really successful today.
To get good, all you really need is the right training and tools. You can easily become a decent enough writer. Let me repeat: you don't have to be a proficient writer at all to succeed. In all honesty, English is not even my first language. What you do need, are the right tools & training to succeed.
Here's what I found I needed to succeed online:
- You need to learn how to find good article topics
- You need to be able to analyze the competition
- You need a structured way to help build up your articles
- You need to be able to write fast and effective
- You need to know how to set-up a basic Wordpress site
I agree it's a lot. It will take you years and years to figure all of this out on your own. It's enough to make anybody think twice of starting their own blog.
Luckily, there's a resource out there that helps you with all of that and lots more. It's so good I like to call it the 'Ninja Resource', because it has helped me build this legitimate business in less than two years.
The Ninja Resource That Has Helped Me Make It Happen
During my initial research, I stumbled upon two guys on YouTube who already did this quite successfully, called Jim & Ricky. They are the real deal. They have build up dozens of blogs to hundreds of thousands of page views per month and earn a good living that way.
They talked about how they earned a living for their families by simply writing really helpful articles. They did no backlinking, SEO tricks, all that stuff I didn't like. They are simply really helpful to people and enjoy writing on topics they love.
Their YouTube channel is Income School and I really encourage you to check it out. They have hundreds of free high-quality videos with golden nuggets and ninja tips for beginning bloggers & vloggers.
You can probably come a long way starting your website using just the free tips on their YouTube channel. However, they also have a course, and that course is one of the best things that ever happened to me. It's the secret Ninja Resource I talked about earlier.
Project 24 is the Best Business Investment I Have Ever Made
I followed their YouTube channel for a while and after a couple of months decided I wanted to try their course. It's called Project 24, because the goal is to replace your fulltime income with your website in 24 months.
The main course consists of 60 concrete action steps that will walk you through the entire process of building a successful online blog:
- from setting up your website
- to researching article ideas
- to learning how to write
- to slapping on ads
Literally EVERYTHING is in there, from niche selection to monetization.
Besides the 60 steps, you get access to 18 different in-depth courses on things like Google Snippet Optimization, Pinterest and How to Hire and Train Writers, to name a few.
They also have a large and very helpful community of likeminded people that support each other in a polite and constructive way. It's a big help and I've learned a lot there as well.
I have never made a better business investment in my life
I have gone to college, racked up student debt, and got no job (which is partly why I was freelancing - that and I like to sleep in!). With this course - which is really affordable by the way - I have literally turned my life around. I remember it made me feel that I was finally in control. It was exciting.
There's so much expert information in there, you can literally bootstrap your first successful business in half a year without any prior knowledge. After getting the course, I've got my Pizzaday (first $5 earned) within two months, and my first real paycheck of over $500 within half a year. Of course, that's anecdotal and it doesn't mean you will be as successful or get as lucky as I did, but to me it does seem like Jim & Ricky really figured out how to take luck out of the equation, and instead rely on a system that reliably creates results.
Learn more: Check out the Project 24 website.
Is Project 24 For You?
If you know you want to start your own business but have felt insecure about your skills or ability to pull it off, I really really really recommend you check out their work. It is absolutely tailored to maximizing your chance of success.
If you follow their steps, put in the work, and keep at it, I'm positive you have a very big chance of succeeding.
I repeat: if you are thinking of what it would be like to write about your hobby or interest and make some money on the side, or even replace your current fulltime income, I highly recommend enrolling in their online course.
Get started: You can find the Project 24 course here.
Jim & Ricky are not gurus
At first, Jim & Ricky seemed like decent enough guys, who cared about the quality of their course and the results of people that are in it are getting. It was a breath of fresh air in the super competitive and greedy 'make money online' space, where all kinds of gurus are fighting over your attention by flashing their wealth - which they probably created off the course and not the online business they claim to run. YOU are the product, the course is the product, and their case studies are typically small and outdated.
Jim & Ricky are not gurus. They are really good people that want to help you provide for your family.
I know this because I have observed their actions for the past 1.5 years, and everything they do seems to be in support of their mission to help you succeed. I have actually met Jim and talked for half an hour on blogging, boating (he had a boat site once), and family. He really is that driven to help others become successful.
Get started: You can find the Project 24 course here.
They also developed an outstanding Wordpress theme (Acabado - stupid fast), to fix speed issues of other Wordpress themes. Acabado is free of charge for all Project 24 members. They just gave it to us, even when it must have set them back at least $10,000.
Another reason I'm certain of their good intentions is the crazy amount of work they put into Project 24. They update it constantly - even though they wouldn't really have to, since it's so good already. And they do this at no extra charge to me.
Project 24 is getting improved and updated constantly
I've been a member now for 1.5 years and since I first started, they have updated and added SO MUCH to the course.
The main course has been updated multiple times, for example after they hired 20 writers for a year and build some massive websites that were all completely outsourced. This provided a lot of data for them to analyze, which led to new insights, and new updates accordingly. They do these kinds of tests constantly and use the data to update the course so that we have the best information possible at all times.
Besides improving the main content, they have added a 60 steps for YouTube, which is a HUGE opportunity right now, and is also really comprehensive and of outstanding quality. Again, all at no extra cost to me.
Besides the two 60 steps courses, you'll find a range of good introductory courses on:
- how to create your own info products
- video editing
- email marketing
And it seems like they have no intentions of slowing down production and updates any time soon.
They make it fun
After all that, the most important thing I have to say about Jim & Ricky's Project 24, is that they make it fun to start your own business.
- They make it fun by giving you the confidence you are able to do it, by providing you with outstanding information, based on facts and stats, instead of speculation.
- They make it fun by having your back during rough times, through the community and their member podcast.
- They make it fun by showing it can be done, by sharing their insight and results with you.
- They make it fun by helping you out in any way they can, as a good friend would do.
Starting your own business and gaining your freedom is exciting, nerve-racking, and exhilarating. It should be. It is for people who are adventurous, who like to take control, and who want to build something of their own. I was one of those people. You can be too.
Take a chance. Bet on yourself. Have a blast.
I highly recommend Project 24: check out their website here.
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