A lot of things have become much easier to do yourself these days. Need to replace the toilet in your bathroom and don’t really want to pay a licensed plumber to do it? It doesn’t take much for you to Google up several useful tutorials that can walk you through the process. Want to figure out how to apply certain effects and alterations in PhotoShop? Hop over to YouTube and you’ll find some terrific video guides that can guide you through every step of the way too.
From changing tires to changing diapers, you don’t need to have that awkward conversation with your more knowledgeable friend. You don’t need to be ashamed or embarrassed by your lack of knowledge, because you can look up all of this information in the privacy of your own home or even on your smartphone or tablet. It’s so convenient. With so many of these scenarios, you don’t really need to think for yourself. Just follow the instructions exactly as you see them and you should get the end result you desire.
One Step at a Time
And it is perhaps because of this omni-prevalence of step-by-step tutorials and guides that some people have come to assume that they can follow some sort of magic formula and strike it rich on the Internet too. They want to make money online and they want to enjoy the dot com lifestyle. And who can blame them? It truly is desirable.
While there are certainly some great books on the subject that can provide some much needed insight and advice, there is no such thing as the magic bullet of online profitability. You can’t follow and mirror an exact business model and expect to start raking in tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars overnight. It doesn’t work that way, just as it doesn’t work that way with brick-and-mortar businesses.
If you were to try and replicate a Starbucks or McDonald’s on your own, there’s a much better chance that you’d end up buried in mountains of debt than you are to become an international phenemenon beloved by so many coffee and burger enthusiasts from around the globe. It doesn’t work that way. Online is no different, except the barriers to entry are so much lower than anyone can do it.
Anyone Can Do It
True, anyone can do it. The thing is that not everyone actually does do it.
The fact is that there is no singular model for success. Some bloggers do very well for themselves with longer form content published on a less frequent basis, while others do very well with shorter, more frequent posts. Some focus their efforts with videos on YouTube, whereas others make all their money on the back end with an email newsletter. Some build their wealth through brand ambassadorships and sponsored content, whereas others reap huge benefits through affiliate marketing.
Under each and every one of those different scenarios, you’ll also find a multitude of different tips, tactics and strategies that all have a legitimate shot at earning you some serious dough online.
It is much easier to be told what to do. It is much easier when you are provided with a strict set of guidelines that you are meant to follow without deviation and without question. It’s much easier to a simple cog in the machine, working on the assembly line by repeating exactly the same task over and over again. But following these strict instructions is not the way of the dot com lifestyle and it’s not the way you are going to achieve those Internet riches you desire so much.
I Did It My Way
What you’ll come to learn is that a flexible framework specific to the individual is far more effective. Take in the advice and insights of those who came before you. Look into the systems promoted by John Chow, the blogging tips of Zac Johnson, the business savvy of Darren Rowse, and the shrewd strategy of Jeremy Schoemaker. Learn from their experience and their recommendations, but adapt them to your own specific situation and circumstances.
The Internet changes quickly. And you need to be able to change with it. Someone can tell you how to make your first dollar or even your first few hundred dollars online, but no one can confidently provide step-by-step instructions for earning your first million. That’s on you and you alone.