I am spending the weekend with a well-known internet TV authority.
We have talked shop on all things marketing, tech, blogging and pretty much anything to do with running an online business.
My friend knows plenty of folks in the streaming video industry, from traditional TV and movie influencers to the less traditional Netflix crowd.
He has an interest in helping clients establish travel themed channels.
One common trend he sees as of late is watching throngs of kids aged 21 to 25 desperately pitching Netflix and other outlets for either landing their own travel show to establishing their own travel channel. These guys and gals share how they want to travel the world for free, being put up on the dime of hotels and travel agencies, and they will share their story with the rest of the world.
I appreciate these green kid’s dreams but in essence, all are pipe dreams. Ridiculous fantasies of new entrepreneurs with their heads in the clouds.
Why?
These newbies have no followings. They bring nothing to the table.
The 1 Tip To Go From Pipe Dream To Profitable
My internet TV guru buddy suggests to these new bloggers that before pitching Netflix on their idea, build up a 50,000 fan following. Bring something to the table. Develop a skill then get really well known for the skill. Because at that point both your skill and your community can and will catch the eyes of major media publications, allowing the buzz around your brand to grow.
I have slowly been allowing a buzz to create around this blog post:
27 Of My Most Netflix Worthy Colorful Travel Experiences
I would like to pitch Neflix on the idea to create a series around my wild, wacky, funny and sometimes near fatal travel experiences. The story can sell itself because these are 1 of a kind experiences but I also bring these elements to the table:
- 9 years of writing experience
- appearing as a world renowned digital nomad authority on Virgin, Forbes, Entrepreneur and Fox News
- 51,000 Twitter followers
- a branded blog with a loyal, highly engaged community which has netted me nearly 7,000 comments
I bring a bunch to the table. Naturally, I am more likely than someone who brings nothing to the table to land a Netflix show or start a travel channel.
This works the same way in the profit-building department. If you want to go from a pipe dream of traveling the world through your blog if you have yet to buy a domain and hosting or if you have not spent a cent on your blog yet want to make millions of dollars the biggest reality check awaits you: to get money through your blog you NEED TO give persistently and consistently for months and years.
If you want to make money through your blog you will need to bring something to the table, to impress potential clients, customers and readers by:
- learning skills, working on your skills through persistent practice and impressing readers with your skills
- solve 1 problem for your ideal reader through your blog posts, videos and podcasts
- build your friend network through blog commenting
- build your reader base and email list through guest posting
I went through the Pipe Dream phase too. Thank the gods I eventually realized that to earn profits I needed to give of my time, talents and energy to create and connect effectively over years.
I needed to bring something to the table to drive traffic and profits to my blog.
Irony Alert
To earn blogging profits you want to focus on giving, not getting.
Watch this video of me in NYC:
Your Turn
What do you bring to the blogging table?
Are you maybe in the pipe dream phase? How are you working to improve your writing or networking skills? How can you go from pipe dreams to blogging profits?