Today, I will endeavor to explain something that I hope truly, truly, truly helps you. Something that will likely provide some clarity and much needed truth about the sometimes confusing blogging and online marketing world.
It’s all about how not to get sucked in by this six-figure blogger “trend” going around.
And yes, I’m gonna lose some friends (correction: “friends”), upset some people, and remove the chance to ever collaborate with certain people after this . . . but zero flips are given about that because I’m not here for them, I’m here for you and this post may help someone, hopefully, avoid a business-draining, fund-draining, attitude-deflating decision in the future.
To be clear before we begin, not all bloggers who make 6-figures fit the things I’m about to say. Some of us have brands, and friends, and audiences, and content that are really important to us and the income was a natural progression of that plus a lot of hard work.
The “6-figure suck-in” really refers to the super annoying trend to publish income reports that are misleading, to title your courses and resources in a way that implies an unrealistic promise, and the wave of people caught feeling like they NEED to make 6-figures or NEED to reach a certain income amount in a certain time or else they’re failures.
I’ll illustrate.
Here are 7 characteristics of brand owners to keep in mind as you make purchasing decisions and as you process how you’re feeling about your own business.
Again, not all 6- or 7- or 8-figure bloggers are bad and out to get you, but the bloggers who want to suck you in share a few things in common . . .
1. They put VERY misleading numbers + words in the titles of their courses, workshops, and other resources.
How to Go from Zero to $10K in 30 Days
Create 6-Figure Webinars
How to Build Your 6-Figure Coaching Business
It’s all a sneaky/chill form of an implied promise. It is my #1 pet peeve and I get so many emails from others who hate it too.
Can the average motivated person really go from $0 to $10K in the 30 days they take your course? How many people have created 6-figure webinars after implementing the tips in your class? Are people truly going to learn all they need to in your “6-figure” coaching business webinar that lasts 45 minutes and is just a sales attempt for your $2,200 offering?
Like. Really. I’m truly asking you this question dear brand owner.
How about telling us how YOU created $100K in income from a webinar after 10 years in business and 55 other webinars? That’s a course I might take.
Or how about “How 5 Years and a $20K Investment Helped Me Make 6-Figures” . . .? That sounds more believable.
When you read these titles and tweets, try not to get sucked in or feel a certain way about your business. Honestly, there are so many other factors that play into people’s success than the facts and figures they fit onto their sales pages and opt-in advertisements.
Were you urgently searching for a resource on creating 6-figure webinars before you found that one guy’s course? If not, keep moving . . . don’t make a purchasing decision in that moment. Sign up for some of his free stuff . . . stuff where he doesn’t try to sell you a $1,000 offering.
2. They seemingly ignore the fact that they do not blog about anything close to what you do . . . all while making implied promises about your results.
And now, let’s talk about how even if they titled their course “How I Made 7-Figures from a Blog” . . . they blog about marketing through webinars, not the power of a whole food lifestyle, or parenting twins, or getting in shape, or whatever it is you care about and blog about.
I have had three blogs in my time on the Internet that I’ve monetized successfully . . . a writing blog, a design blog, and this creative business and infopreneurship blog. I do believe that I can help people with other interests than these, but I’m not going to title my course $0 to $100K Blogging.
Check out the outline and modules of the courses you are considering . . . are they unintentionally teaching things that only make sense for their industry and not yours? Try to judge their ability to truly help you before being caught up in the magic of the statistics they publish.
3. They don’t accurately represent how much work is required.
Just to make sure I’m not crazy, I’ve had a secret project going on. I’ve been establishing another, separate, secret blog based on all the principles I learned after building hundreds of sites for customers, running 10+ blogs of my own, and monetizing 3 of my blogs.
It’s STILLLLLLLL hard work. It is STILL hard to write the number of posts I wanted to before launching. It’s still a lot of work to create custom images for every resource. It still takes energy to write good stuff. And you know what? It’s still fun.
I don’t want to trade in the hard work for some super magical unreal formula for success. Hahahahahaha. The concept of a formula for success is ridiculous. Maybe math works the same way every time, maybe a science experiment always has the same results, but a life, content that comes from your heart, the Internet, they don’t play out the same way for everyone. They just don’t.
4. They don’t accurately report their income.
Y’all. It’s most likely because they really don’t know any better, so I don’t say this to be rude, but . . .
Some people are literally using made up accounting methods in their income reports. There are two generally accepted accounting methods: cash-based accounting and accrual-based accounting (a.k.a. the cash method and the accrual method). I’ll explain them briefly.
Cash-based accounting is where you record expenses and income when money “changes hands.” If you buy a printer, the day the money actually comes out of your account is the day you record that expense. If a customer signs up for a $3000 project, the month you receive the deposit of $1500, you made $1500. If the customer pays the balance the next month, that’s when you make and record the other $1500.
In cash accounting, if that customer only pays their first invoice, then you never make and record a full $3000. You simply don’t have it.
Accrual-based accounting is where you record income and expenses when they are actually accrued or earned.
Here’s what I mean: If you contract with a customer on January 28th for a $3000 website, and they pay their full invoice that same day, but you don’t deliver the final site until March 2nd . . . guess when you record the $3000 in income . . . it’s recorded in March when you actually earned it.
Accrual accounting basically says that the money is not real until you’ve delivered the product. It also says that the money is real even if you’ve delivered the product but haven’t gotten paid. So if you finish the $3000 website in January, and the customer doesn’t pay until May (or doesn’t pay at all), you’ve recorded $3000 in income in January because that’s when you did the work that “earned” it.
Now. Here’s where the fictional accounting comes in.
1. In a single reporting period (let’s say a month—like many people’s income reports are), you can’t report both cash-basis money and accrual-basis money to arrive at an income amount. You can report one or the other, or, if you want to, you can create two separate reports.
2. If you haven’t delivered a course/service yet and you have people on payment plans (let’s say 5 payments of $200) and they just made their first payment, then you have either made $200 from their first payment (in the cash method) or $0 since you haven’t delivered the course yet (in the accrual method). So, to say you made $1000 that month from that customer is not real accounting. It’s misleading. That person may never make another payment by the way.
And trust me, I only say all these things because I had to sit through and test out of 4 (yes FOUR) mandatory accounting classes in college and one in high school. I hated them until I loved them.
I do not at all blame people for not using real accounting methods in this moment, I simply share this to help you read these income reports more clearly. The person who just reported $250K in income that month, might have received $30K in cash. The person who published a $10K course launch, may only have $500 in their bank account. We simply can’t judge our own success based on other people’s REAL accounting, let alone FAKE accounting.
At some point, certain income reports become about belonging to a special Internet club . . . the club of super ballers. They no longer have useful tips, they no longer present anything new, they just provide the person reporting their numbers with an opportunity to sound and look and feel good. And you can always tell the difference between amazing people (like my friend Erika Madden) trying to help people and other brand owners who shall remain nameless.
I feel it’s important to note: I’m not saying this as a bitter outsider. I’m saying this as someone (if i can be honest) who has made 6-figures from a single course, who used to publish income reports, who pays out 6-figures worth of salaries in a year, and who decided to stop publishing reports when I started making more than $40k per month (the last one on my site was for $16K). I may do them again when I have some truly new and epic things to say that I think the average ninja reading my blog can benefit from and implement. But for now, I have no income reports to share.
I don’t put my numbers in the titles of my posts right now because I actually want to spend my time helping people reach their goals. And most people, most people I have EVER met in my life that care about owning their own business are like I was, they just want to make a decent living doing something they love. They don’t need to make $83K next month.
Don’t get me wrong, I have tips for days once someone is ready to hop from one level to the next, but I don’t have any false promises or advice for people who want to jump from zero to $100K per month in a year.
Is it possible? Certainly. Do I want teach people who hold that as their primary goal above helping people and/or creating something that matters? Certainly NOT.
I “market to” the people I want to work with—hence my posts and courses all being titled something actionable, something possible, and something achievable to the average motivated person who takes action on the lessons.
6-Figure Suck-in Bloggers (which, one last time, is not all bloggers who make 6-figures) market to the people they want to work with. People who will read a title like How to Make $10K in One Month // 6-Figure Webinars // etc. and buy in because they want extremely un-average and sometimes unreasonable results very quickly.
5. They use pressure tactics and empty phrases and you will sometimes feel less in control than you like.
“Sign up now to reserve one of the limited spots to my webinar” [which is by the way free and the creator typically has no actual way to, or intention of, limiting the registrations on] . . .”
“This price will only be good for 30 minutes.” But like, why? Why would you only give a grown adult with responsibilities 2 seconds to make a $500 decision. Get a life.
6. They don’t spend enough time/content preparing you for what’s coming.
I was in a Muay Thai class the other day. It was my first time in life. My trainer didn’t throw me in with the other students to feel silly. He made me kick styrofoam for an hour and practice my form. He did my hand wraps for me and explained what he was doing.
Some online courses are the equivalent of my trainer putting me in a sparring match on my first day. It’s not logical and most people would get kicked repeatedly and super discouraged.
But the 6-figure suck-in brands seem to feel that how you interact with the content and the results you experience are not actually as important as how many people sign up.
I love when I see entrepreneurs (like Caitlin Bacher) publish reports and talk about what people in her courses accomplish as super important, not just how much money she makes.
7. They use outlandish language (and sometimes charge insane prices).
I mean, if their course is called How to Make 6-Figures from One Book (instead of “how I made 6-figures from one book, one time, after 7 years of trying”) then they’re going to have to use some pretty strong language to sell it. You’re starting with a faulty premise . . . that the majority of the people will accomplish what you did. You gotta follow that with powerful language, a sales-y tone, and super pressure to “make the best decision for your future” in order to suck in people.
If you want people to make a fair decision and real progress, you could name that same class Self-Publishing Demystified and include some language in the headline that lets us know you make 6-figures from one book.
Have you seen some of this stuff around the Internet? How does it make you feel? Do you think I’m way off base to call this out? Please feel free to share with me how you feel in the comments of this post. To be honest, I was afraid of publishing this because it might be too strong for some people, but at the end of the day, I NEED to know that I’ve done what I think is best for the people I care about and work with. However, feel free to give me your real feelings on this!
Let’s wrap up with a few quick points for anyone who wants to establish a meaningful business:
- Buy from people who make you feel good and who focus on action not hype, flash, or self-glorification.
- Consume people’s free content first. Lots of it. All of it if you like it. That way if they come with a limited-time offer, you can confidently take advantage of it because you have a history with them.
- Write a list of your next 3 most important business goals. If a book, course, workshop, etc. comes up that sounds amazing but is not on your list of what you need to do, pass on it. Spend your limited time on what you logically know needs to get done.
Psst. Please let me hear from you in the comments. Also, please consider clicking the image below to share this post with your friends if you related to it. Thank you!
Photo: © BONNINSTUDIO
Graphics and content: Regina Anaejionu
Girl, yes. THANK YOU.
I’ve sat through some of these webinars on list building and course building and WEBINARS ON WEBINARS and watched the glowing, worshipful comments scroll by thinking, “Really? Am I the only one who thinks this is bullshit? Am I the only one who thinks this is magical math?”
And then I’ve Googled some of these names (probably some of the same names you are graciously not mentioning) thinking, “How is it possible that no one is calling this out?”
It’s really f’ing hard when you’re trying to build a blog and break THREE figures, let alone six, and not get sucked into it when it seems like everyone else on the internet thinks it’s the golden chalice. I’ve questioned whether I just had my bullshit meter cranked up too high. Thank you for verifying that I don’t.
Here’s to doing the work and keeping it honest.
I too have Google these gurus claiming millions per year and being apart of a mysterious elite billion dollar club; just complete nonsense. I can’t believe they haven’t been called out as well.
Regina. THANK YOU.
Thank you for writing something I have been thinking for the past year.
I found myself falling into the trap of accumulating traffics, subscribers and dollars as fast as I could and then berating myself for not having the progress like some other entrepreneur preaching their effortless $100k launch they just pulled in while sipping champagne on a yacht in St. Tropez. Pfft!
Trying to do that took the heart out of what I wanted to do in the first place. Help entrepreneurs build profitable heartfelt businesses. What I was doing (chasing numbers) made it feel more hollow. Thank god I got myself out of it, and surprisingly my business is fun again and growing steadily without me forcing it.
So yes, THANK YOU.
Mad respect.
Elise xo
Best way to make a living doing this: Build a tribe. I have people sending me possible opportunities that landed in their inbox that they either do not want, do not have time for, or is not a good fit for them. However, it is great for you. The key is to return the favor and often.
This:
“It’s really f’ing hard when you’re trying to build a blog and break THREE figures, let alone six…”
I’ve hated this. Every time I watch a webinar, every time I hear the same thing over and over, and I’ve thought it was just me as well, but thank God, I’ve started to realize people are onto this.
To keeping it real!!! 🙂
The scrolling comments get me every time too. But I think it’s a lot of magical thinking for so many people and there are enough of them to keep the hype going.
I posted an image on IG recently that said “DO THE MATH” for this very reason. I am tired of things not adding up.
I examined the website code of some “scrolling comments” that was giving the illusion that these were other website viewers and could see the website was displaying static files.
Wow Tom, I never before considered that that was possible. Verrry interesting twist.
I knew it!! Thank you Tom! Great to know! ??
Long live the bull shit meter!!!
I know exactly how you feel Erin. and some of these “names” keep bombarding me with emails to buy this, buy this buy this 100 and 10 times after. I love regina’s realness.
Thank you Regina and to all who have replied to this honest post. I have a good idea but I have been hesitant to make my dream happen via the internet. I don’t want my new brand to be tarnished by the scumminess that seems so pervasive. I want to be able to confidently tell family, friends, clients all about my business without them thinking that I’m “one of those…”
Reading these like-minded comments was exactly what I needed to feel understood and validated. I’m not the only one who sees this BS! I appreciate the honesty.
BTW, with hard work and dedication can a person actually make a living coaching and blogging? 🙂
I’ve been blogging for a few months, and will be super excited when I can break the ONE figure mark. Hahahaha (but true) I too have looked at a lot of these pitches and “resources” and felt they were nothing but smoke and mirrors, trying to (high pressure) funnel readers towards a sale.
And I agree with the article…none of the income reports seem to have anything new or relevant to offer. The main thing they seem to do is encourage readers to sign up for a blog through BlueHost (which on it’s own wouldn’t be bad…but unrealistic expectations are often used to lead readers there).
I am so glad you wrote this article. I’m going to share it in some of the beginner blogger groups I’m in.
🙂
I’m so grateful for all the honest posts here. I feel I have a call in life to help the women I serve to get unstuck from their limiting beliefs caused by past traumas. Yet it seems I spend more time learning how to do systems to find these women, and listening to webinar after webinar and buying what I don’t need.
I find that the best way to build a heart-centered business is with networking with the intent to build relationships. I want to keep sight of my purpose to help women make shifts internally so they can achieve their goals and feel good about themselves.
It takes time to create solid relationships that are authentic. It takes time to create workshops and Retreats that can bring about lasting change. “Overnight” monetary success is rare and doesn’t always last.
Everyone needs a sufficient income and I think it’s fabulous to have enough to share and be involved in humanitarian efforts.
The bottom line for me is to stay focused on using what I know to help women make positive changes in their life. The systems are there for us to use with integrity.
I have been investigating the blogging business concept, not to make millions, but to help others get through some of the traumatic situations I have survived. That said, I do need to make a living. I am interested in seeing your work, and perhaps corresponding with you. Not sure if this message will make it to you or not, but hopefully…
THANK YOU for this post. There’s so much of this “free” webinar nonsense going on in the self-publishing community that my head’s spinning. The prices are ridiculous–$500, $600, and the topper was the email-list-building course I looked into lately that cost $2,400.
What worries me is that such courses are often promoted by well-respected bloggers or podcasters. In some ways I don’t blame them–this is easy money for them, since they get affiliate income from co-hosting a webinar. And they’re ethical enough to have tried out the courses themselves, and have had good results, because they already have the platform and systems in place to make the method in question work. When they’re co-selling the product to other writers who have spent a few years working on their platform and will thus get good results, I have no problem. Trouble is, so many people who buy into the courses don’t have the basics in place, but that point is never mentioned in the free webinar.
It’s taken me quite a bit of thinking to come to the realization that I have to do the basics FIRST, because yes, the idea of making money NOW is seductive. Your last piece of advice–writing out those 3 short-term goals and passing on anything that doesn’t fit into them–is spot on. Mine are to get 3 more titles onto the market (even if only in ebook form) this year, put the systems in place to make fans of my writing aware of my newsletter, and learn how to create better visuals. The first two I can do on my own, but for the third I did buy a reasonably priced course from someone I trust–YOU, because you demonstrably have the knowledge and I’ve sampled your free stuff enough to know that your content is actual content and not just a come-on.
As Erin said, here’s to doing the work. I’m definitely in the category of those who just want to make a modest income doing what I love doing and what I’m good at, which is writing fiction. I got sucked into watching a lot of free webinars over the last year, but I’ve started to ignore them.
Jane I feel you! And this post came at the perfect time. When I think about my writing career I just want to write. I don’t need to be famous (I don’t even want to) but I do want to be able to go to a cafe and write and research and publish my work. I like the idea of a community who reads it and enjoys it. I hope my travel memoirs inspire others to do the same (because I find it is the same thing in the travel blogger world, pretending everything is better than it is. The reality is that adventures are awesome but also painful and stinky and sometimes you cry. But it is worth it despite that. And if it is not then it is also Ok never to go on one.)
But lately, I also feel the pressure from the internet, I have taken some good courses and some really not so good courses. And the not so good ones have been messing with my head. And I did not even fully realize it. The pressure to sell and to publish at all costs and in the end, it does not even resonate with who I am. And in the end, I am living the life I wanted. I get to write books at home or in a cafe. Why am I letting the crazy pushers into my life and into my head. I thought I left that when I decided to go freelance and then full-time author.
As said, there are some good ones, and they have kept me from going completely off the deep end. Although I was gazing out to those tumultuous waters.
Again thank you so much, Regina, for this post. It has helped me turn back to the shore! (Sorry, we’re getting ready to move onto our boat within the next year. Sailing is on my mind). I need to get back to creating products that I am proud of for a price that does not make me blush for trying to scam someone. I want as many people as possible to be able to access my work, and fair does not mean exploitative.
And thank you, Jane, for writing first what I was thinking as I wrote this, and reminding me I am not alone!
Hey Sherrie, glad to meet you! I checked out your blog–what an interesting life you’re leading. You are NOT alone! There are a lot of us out there just trying to make an honest buck out of doing what we love. And we’re drawn to those people who offer a solution to the money-making part of the equation, but in the end we come back to listen to the real people. I love this new phase Regina’s in because I also question everything and try to keep myself on the path I know is the right one for me. Good luck with your move to a boat!
Thank you Jean! I also just found you on Twitter. Hope that is not too stalky! But loved your bio and could not stop from following! 🙂
One of the things that brought me to your blog was your realness, so I totally appreciate this! I think one of the hardest things is most new bloggers don’t have a lot of crazy money to lay out for training and education. And like you said, blogging is a lot of hard work. It’s generally not something that is going to go from 0 to 100k very fast. And that’s okay.
Love your blog as always- and I’m definitely sticking around especially because of this post 🙂 Have a great day!
Damn I love your honesty!
Sometimes those things get me thinking that I’m not doing enough if I’m not getting paid that much.
Regina, you’re an absolutely gem! I needed this realness in my life today. There is so much noise (and unfortunately, lack of integrity) in the online entrepreneurial world today that it’s plain ridiculous. I really appreciate your candor, honesty, and sharing of amazing, explicit insight.
Thank you for addressing this, Regina. This particular set of sales tactics is so seductive and destructive to newbies in the online entrepreneurial space. The risk in the non-traditional education that has sprung up to accompany online entrepreneurship is that it is almost exclusively built around one key strategy: “How to get more, faster.” Which tends to not allow for the slow, organic growth so many of us need.
I especially want to echo #2. My first business is in highly niche online retail (alternative, ethically made lingerie), and I have been told by one too many folks that their strategies would work exactly the same for me as it does for their infopreneur-esque blog. Umm, no. I’ve found a troublingly pervasive lack of sensitivity to the different needs of different industries.
Anywho. Thanks again for taking the time to write this, Regina. A much needed blast of fresh air.
Was so interested in your comment. I too sell actual physical goods – not coaching or services. Have you found any courses that have trul helped you?
The course I signed up for (my money was later refunded because I asked to many questions and so was given the boot), basically said “you can’t make money selling stuff, so here’s how to design a course in something you aren’t even expert at!”
I began to feel that I was being taught how to pickpocket by a very cute and engaging female Fagin. I have yet to come across a course that would help sell physical objects.
Hey Jeanna!
This is random, but I made a New Years resolution to only buy ethically made and sustainable clothing for the year. I would love to know more about your lingerie line! Can you email me at amanda@thecolorcodedlife.com?
Thanks!
“Slow organic growth” – I love that phrase, it’s perfectly stated for what I’m going through and embracing right now!
THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!
I have personally been a victim to the predatory sales tactics some of these 6-figure bloggers.
I hate constantly feeling like I’m being sold something. Thank you so much for being so about this. It’s far over do!
Out of curiosity, did you ever ask for a refund?
Maryam,
I didn’t ask for a refund. By the time I realized the course wasn’t what I really needed (about a month) the time for a refund had long passed.
I would try anyway. I had that happen to me, and I simply asked pointed questions in a public forum, and she unilaterally refunded my money just to make me go away.
I didn’t say anything disparaging, I just said “these things no longer work, when are you going to fix it.”
Gurrrrrlll! This is everything that I needed and so much more. Thank you Regina for always keeping it 100%. I wish more people on the net would be more transparent.
This is the new trend after the clickbait headline trend of the last few years espoused by buzzfeed, up worthy and the lot! Online entrepreneurs and creatives really need to see that sensationalist headlines just won’t cut it anymore as people wizen up, thanks to posts like these 🙂
Thank you, Regina, for using your voice for good on this one.
Thank you SO much for posting this. The comparison trap is all too real when reading “income reports” and other similar types of posts. Your realness and honesty is so refreshing. I especially love your point about taking advice from outside of your industry at face value – that’s so important and something that is often overlooked.
Regina, you are amazing! Everything you’ve said here is spot on. I truly appreciate you for always keeping it real and providing immense value to your audience. It’s exactly why you continue to be one of my favorites!
xx
Thank you for such an honest article. I have recently started a blog that I am truly passionate about and enjoy working on. I am learning just how time consuming it can be and the hard work I need to put into it. I have seen these articles and it can be really overwhelming to find what is legit. Your post here has been very helpful.
No you are right on the money. Last week I published a similar article about what to do before you buy into a course or a coach . I am tired of people being taken advantage of by numbers or like you said having unrealistic expectations . Your business can’t make if you are just worried about sales! Thanks Regina!
I often end up ignoring those sorts of posts and webinar things because, like you said, the blogging topics may not always match up. I’m a book blogger and so the way I would monetize my blog would be completely different than someone who blogs about blogging advice.
These sorts of things prey on people that are looking for a quick fix, but the truth is there isn’t one. People making 6-figures didn’t do it overnight, they’ve been at it for years. So it’s disingenuous to advertise otherwise. But you have to think that that’s how they’re making their money. These are the buzz word titles that get people buying. No one wants to pay $500 for a course titled “How if you work hard for 5+ years you can maybe make 6-figures” so I understand why people do it. Does it make it right? Not really. But I know why it happens.
Thank you for this. It can be all to easy to get so wrapped up in the hype. This right here is one of the many reasons why you are my all time favorite teacher and person.
I’ve taken some of these free programs that promise spectacular results, of course only you then have to purchase something to get ALL the info you need. I never actually expected to take the info given over that hour long presentation and actually be able to do what the title says, but I did hope I’d be able to walk away with a few new ideas, a few news things I could do over the next week or two that would help with my goals. It’s almost always something I’ve already heard. Quite often I don’t even get through half of whatever they are saying before logging off.
I completely get the idea of having to spend money to make money (my life has revolved around self-employment). But I believe there is still a balance to it. I don’t have thousands of dollars that I can invest into my business at the moment, kids like to eat sometimes. I take a quarter of my monthly profits to put back into the business, as a new investment or savings toward something. At the same time it’s so easy to get caught up in the hype, I’m actually glad sometimes that I don’t physically have that money available.
Unfortunately, this all causes me to lose a bit of faith in these brands. It’s gotten to the point, that I only have a very few select brands (really the people behind it), that I feel I can trust what they say to me. I know when I have been able to grow my business a little more, truly ready for the next steps, and have been able to put that money away, I know who will my first stop based on that step or goal I’m working toward.
I’m so glad I stopped by and saw this today. It has me thinking about a lot right now. I’m an author, my website is essentially a platform for that (soon to be moved to its own website), and my business is in the process of becoming a publishing company. Over the next year and a half, there are going to be multiple morphs everything goes through. There are things neither my business or I am ready to have happen yet. I guess I’m saying things have to happen in a particular order. There is nothing wrong with my process and progress, it’s just different from someone else’s.
You’re exactly right, Jennifer. I am not an official blogger, though I have been thinking about starting one for some time. The main reason was, of course, to profit, as I had learned the “magical world of product selling” from a couple six-figure bloggers. Seriously.
I actually read an article where a woman claimed that she made $250K in exactly five days from Google Hangouts. Um, what??? I saw the headline and I instantly didn’t want to believe her, but curiosity got the better of me. As I read through the article, I then realized that there was zero information as to how she actually made this money. Like, was it through product sales, affiliate income, what? And if so, how would that actually work?
Why would you publish an article without giving real information. Helpful information? I honestly have grown so tired of hearing people selling me on how to make money blogging. Why can’t it just be a helpful article? What about an eBook? Why do these courses have to cost upwards of $500? I’m self-employed and I literally have *no* money whatsoever to invest in anything, especially if these bloggers can’t even be truthful about how much you can earn in a certain amount of time. Making $3K per month after blogging for a year? That’s realistic. Making 5K – 10K after a webinar in one month? Not so much.
As Regina said, not every monetizing technique works for every niche, so I think it’s pretty deceitful on the part of these sellers to make the claim that you can increase your income to an unrealistic amount. Worst of all, it makes those who are having difficulty finding income even more stressed.
It got to the point where I was seeing so many different people saying the same things over and over, that I stopped doing what I really wanted to do, to do what it seemed I should be doing, because these experts were telling me, this is how to do it. My website doesn’t even reflect my real purpose or goal, but once I read this article, I grabbed my notebook and started making my plans to bring it back to my purpose.
I had stalled before because I was trying to create things I’m not ready for, or don’t really apply to my true niche and audience. I’ve been busting my behind to get back to where I started, now I’m rebranding my site.
What actually bothered more than the high prices for courses that don’t actually teach much or promise the sun and moon, was the constant message that we need to essentially charge more than we think our own products are worth in order to show that it’s worth purchasing. Or that so only serious people buy in, and so on. I’m an author starting a publishing company for new authors and previous self publishers, most of my target audience for my blog doesn’t have excess funds to spend. Part of what I wanted to share on my blog was honest and helpful information for those authors who still want to self publish (and not to mention my business is still a few years out from actually publishing anyone else’s work), and just to help in general.
I’m so glad Regina got real with us, again when she did. The ideas are finally flowing again now that I’m keeping what really important in mind.
My sentiments exactly! I’m just starting out and felt my self getting off track. I felt like I should be doing what everyone else is doing. I’m confident after reading your post to stay on track with what I KNOW to be true to me
So much, yes! I completely agree that those kind of promises and claims can have a negative effect on self esteem. Thanks for posting!
Regina, Regina, Regina.
JUST when I think I can’t love you more than I do, you go and hit me with this blog post that had me clapping as I read it. It irks my entire spirit to read/see social media posts where individuals are promising results that you know aren’t real. Everyone can’t see through the smoke and this blog post blew the lid off of the BSS.
Thank you for being transparent.
Thank you for looking out for fellow creatives.
Thank you for being awesome.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! It is so refreshing to see someone have the guts to be honest. Sadly, every one of your points is all too familiar. That said, in my opinion, the ‘audience’ is at least partly to blame for where we are today.
People are looking for those quick fixes and that’s why they are attracted to the hype and false promises. I work in personal growth, and I came across a comment from a reader the other day that says it all, “I don’t want to have to write anything down, or figure out why I do the things I do, I just want you to tell me how to fix my life.” That was a real comment and I copied it, mostly to remind myself that this guy is definitely not a member of my target audience, but also that the harsh reality is there are probably many more people out there who feel that way than those who are prepared to do the work to help themselves.
First of all: thank you for the realness, Regina. This post is basically a much more diplomatic version of my exact feelings. 🙂
Second of all: can I be a li’l cynical for a sec? Sometimes I wonder if half of those people are lying through their teeth, or at least being more than a little deceptive. It ties into the fake accounting you mentioned. Sometimes I wonder if these people are even half as successful as they want us to believe. Kind of a “fake it til you make it” type thing, but shitty and dishonest.
Which brings me to part 2 of bein’ a li’l cynical: I feel like these 95% of these people aren’t actually experts. I get tired of reading all these pushy email blasts from people whose business model is basically blog about how to blog, or run a business telling people how to run a business. It reminds me of those “the secret to getting rich quick is selling the secret for $500”. It’s literally the exact same thing online these days, except wrapped in clickbait headlines, sensationalized promises, and trendy, faux-empowering language like “girlboss” and “rock your biz” and “badass guide to ____”.
And sorry buuuuut I don’t believe you’re an e-course expert because you launched one successful e-course one time 3 months ago and so now you’re *totally equipped* to sell a multi-thousand dollar e-course on e-courses. Whaaaa?? (Not you, Regina, obv.)
Basically I’m down to following like 3 people, hah.
Lane! I love that:
“I get tired of reading all these pushy email blasts from people whose business model is basically blog about how to blog, or run a business telling people how to run a business.”
You’re totally right. We all need to be more real.
omg.. THIS. If I hear.. “girlboss” or “badass” ONE MORE TIME….
I stumbled on this because I Googled something about being fed up with the whole “6 figure” trend. The Girlboss trend is also a peeve of mine.
I suspect that of most those “girls” are not badass by a long shot. Nor does there seem to be much depth or life experience. Just a lot of fast-talking giggly podcasts about stuff I already know. Maybe because I’m not 28 anymore.
There are a few gems, but you have to look for them, it seems.
I”m slowly building a digital marketing website business for several niches that I know well… because I have direct experience in them. (acupuncture, functional medicine, online coaching, spas. and the tourism industry)
I do of this as a “digital nomad” in SE Europe, moving every 90 days, learning a language, working my ass off, taking risks, and having some really great and also pretty crappy days. Everything I’m able to do now, the skills and life experience I had, took years to build.
I don’t think about proving myself or consciously sit down and think “Gee, I’m so much better than everyone else” That would be depressing, actually. But when I see some of the BS online lately.. I have to remind myself that I’ve come a long way and that I need to tune out most of the noise.
I can’t listen to “badass chicks” anymore. Just.. can’t. I”m tired of the pink websites that all look the same. I’m also tired of the “dudebro marketers” whose branding all looks pretty much the same. I’m tired of the predatory mindset in general.
My finely-tuned bullshit detector is no longer necessary.. the smell is now so bad in the online space that I’m hoping that it doesn’t adversely affect the kinds of entrepreneurs I’m seeing in these comments…thank you!
I’m glad that there are still some in the online space that I still admire and respect, and I hope that this is a good sign for all of us.
I think that there still may be some newness under the sun.. I hope!
Yes, Regina!! Thank you!! I’ve been following and learning things from a few bloggers. Signing up for newsletters and getting freebies to try and figure out what I’m doing and a few tactics to use. As I’ve honed in on my niche, which everyone advises to do (and is good advice) I realize that all of these “Grow your subscriptions/newsletter/following/etc etc” and “Make 1K in blah blah time” are too general for me to use. They don’t really inform you how to implement these tactics if you do anything other than graphic/digital design work. As a fashion designer/style blogger, I want to monetize my blog, but I have to put in the work and figure out how it works for my site.
YAAAASS!!! In most of the income reports I’ve seen, they usually do graphic/digital design. That doesn’t help a fashion/lifestyle blogger at ALL. I really wish someone would be open about monetization for those type of blogs. Actual tactics, not just “be true to yourself” “know your voice/worth” and “pitch your ideas to brands”. I know that. I need help with knowing when I should ask for payment over products, what to cover when I do pitch, etc. I’ve been blogging 5+ years and no one seems to want to talk about that, which is very strange to me.
5+ years a long time!! Have you been able to monetize at all? I’ve been off and on for about two years, but this is the first time I actually know what my audience is. My thing is, with style blogs, there’s mainly a focus on affiliate links, which is good and all, but the results can vary significantly per blog, and then there’s sponsored posts. Like you, I don’t know how to approach a brand to start a partnership. I want to do e-products with passive income because that’s where the bucks are but haven’t figured out how to do it and make it fashion related.
Yes, I have! I’ve made a little money with affiliate linking, but sponsored posts + event hosting/live covering have brought in more income. I talked with a few people to be able to set up basic rates for those services so when the opps come around here (Memphis’ fashion community is small but growing) I’m one of a handful of bloggers that brands reach out to; I’ve worked with Macy’s, Marmi Shoes, Shea Moisture, Lyst, Simon Mall, and a few others, and all of those brands actually offered a fee or asked me what my rate was for xyz when they first contacted me (so most brands do have a budget for it, even though some pretend not to) . I also do lifestyle photography, so I’ve gained clients because of the blog. I want to do more, though, so that’s something I’ve been working on the last few months.
Can I just say? I love you.
And it’s about darn time someone said all of this. Rock it, sister.
Thank you for writing this! These bloggers have created some outrageously unrealistic expectations for the rest of us and I believe that in most of the cases, you can find the info they sell online for free. I’m a little embarrassed to say that I once bought a $900 online course. It was very slick, but I already knew much of the info and the rest was easily found in books or online. I paid almost a thousand dollars for slick presentation of some basic skills. And the fan-girl lemmings drove me crazy!!! Lesson learned.
Similar experience here too. Most of the information could’ve been researched online.
The rest wasn’t the equivalent of the price. So happy we found @ByRegina!
Great article Regina. Here’s the other thing that irks me as well. Although I appreciate the information I learn from some of these six-figure bloggers you alluded to…what I feel tends to get lost with some of them is the sincerity and personable part of them that we can relate to as “regular”people.
Yes, I’m sure there are some great actionable steps I can learn from most of these ladies but if they come across as unlikable or unapproachable why would I want to invest my money in their business? That’s my beef with them.
I do however appreciate the sincerity and authenticity of women I’ve come across like you, Erika Madden and Melyssa Griffen – just to name a few.
Yup!! Preach it Regick!!
This is quite perfect!
I know when I started my blog, I would read the “Monthly Income Reports” on blogs and dream of the day that I would just get an extra hundred bucks. Now I’m realising that blogging is less of a “Get Rich Quick” scheme and more of a loved hobby and an outlet for creativity, and I am actually enjoying way more now than before.
This is a must-read for anyone thinking about starting a blog/website.
I’m so happy you wrote about this. I see it so much that it’s sickening. There was one blogger that I use to follow bc I loved what she was doing with her business + how she’d share bits of it on her blog from time to time. Then something happened and now she doesn’t even really blog anymore; she only hosts/sells webinars+ courses about growing your IG following. And I get it, we all want to make enough money to be able to work for ourselves-I host blogging workshops on occasion and offer solo blogging consults-but dang, so many stop blogging about the things that made you love them in the first place and just focus on selling! Re: the income reports-if you really pay attn to them, most of the money they make isn’t actually made from the blog….which defeats the purpose!
I believe in investing in courses when you feel that you’ve hit a plateau and you need help with growth. But if you don’t already know to create content for a targeted demographic, to have great visuals and to be consistent, then taking these courses will be a waste of money.
This is something I’ve been discussing with fellow creative entrepreneurs online for a while. Some months ago, I went over my Twitter feed and unfollowed everyone who posted hypey content like that. It was quite a lot of junk to sort through. Now my feed is insanely quiet compared to what it looked like before.
I’ve run into a few posts that talked critically about this subject, and I gladly share them every time (including this one). This creative online business sphere has become toxic (or has it always been like that?) and we need different role models who will speak up about real business practices. And really, many of the hypey people (like a certain blue-haired webinar expert) had no prior actual business experience before they started teaching marketing. It’s shady as hell.
I think the creative online business has always had a level of toxicity because so many people know the “creative” part but not the “online business” and when you add what appears to be mad money into the mix, it’s misinformation central. I can think of many examples in the handmade space as well as the blogging space where the people who appeared to be early adopters (but had no business expertise & were hanging on by a thread) had people taking their word as gospel and tried to build similar spaces – all on faulty foundation.
This post is everything, Regina!! It’s the main reason I started teaching about online courses. I was so sick of seeing the headlines and people were coming to me saying “I took this five figure course but I still don’t know how to make my course.” So sad how much we focus on money when what people really want is to build their thing and change lives.
Thank you!!
Great post! Some tactics I have seen are akin to predatory lending! We can all learn from people who have experienced what we are going through in order to avoid some mistakes they made and paying for that experience is worth it. However, the get rich quick schemes are so unrealistic and often the hard work and years and years of trying different methods and techniques are not the focus of these thousand dollar courses. Kudos to you for pointing this out and educating your audience!
Hellllll yes. I’ve been this close to unfollow all the bloggers who promise you’ll be making lots of money in no time IF you buy their $600 course. They don’t seem to understand (or they don’t want to) that there are tons of different factors that define whether your blog will make money or not. And lately I’ve been finding myself frustrated because of this kind of comparison, and I have to be reminded that every blog is unique, and I’m doing the best I can with what I have. I think this was the final push for the unfollow spree 🙂
Thank you. Thank you very much.
YES. Just so much yes.
You know, when I first thought of my tagline – Reach And Make Millions – I thought about how empowering it feels to my client to get their first few clients, be able to quit their job, and spend more time with their kids or traveling or whatever they want to do. One client told me “I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot and now I’m a millionaire” when they got their website up and got their first sale lol there’s so many opportunities now to create whatever you want with the tools and technology available to us.
I thought of my brand as “What does Reach And Make Millions mean to you?” – because it could be more than just the actually reaching 1,000,000 people and making $1,000,000 (in total? in a year? in a lifetime?). It could mean freedom, joy, peace, abundance, creativity, in many different ways.
But that’s not what people focus on 🙁 And I get comments and things like “oh yeah, I want to be a millionaire!” and “have you made a million dollars?”
Usually it’s from people JUST meeting me and my brand, so I ignore it. But it bothers me. I’m wondering if it’s because we’re so used to this 6-figure trend?
When people get to know me and my brand better, they start to realize what I mean when I say “Reach And Make Millions”
But before that, when someone first finds my stuff, is my tagline falling into that 6-figure suck? :/
I am so happy that you’ve published this; I have something similar sitting in my drafts.
I think these “6-figure entrepreneur” courses magically popping up all over the web are predatory. Often times, when you Google these people, there’s no paper trail, no funnel, no content, nothing.
I greatly appreciate this post. It needed to be said.
Hallelujah! At last some good honest writing about making money by blogging. Thank you ?
Regina!!!! I love your truth dropping skillz.
Truth is, there are a lot of coaches out there that I trust and respect. They are charging $150 for 6 weeks of one on one time. Obviously, they are simply covering expenses but $2k for one course that I find for free on Pinterest is absurd.
I am of the particular bunch that is looking to serve my audience, work from home, and make enough to cover my life expenses, take care of my child, at home, cover debts, & save.
Definitely not near needing $84,000 a month (though holy batman!)…but even 1/16th of that would be amazing in my life.
Whenever I feel discouraged, Ive started reminding myself that it means I have to make sure Im hitting my goals or if my goals arent making me happy, change them. So I am DEFINITELY in agreement with this post. It’s hard enough learning to be excellent.
This is exactly what I needed to read exactly when I needed to read it. Thanks for sharing what you’ve learned with those of us who are trying to learn it too.
Hi Regina!
I was reading this freaking out because after feeling like a complete failure the other day, I bought Melyssa Griffins Pinfinite Growth. I know having a decent amount of readers doesn’t happen overnight but when you know the two clicks on your blog that day were both from your mother, you’re feelin’ pretty low.
You mention Caitlin in your post so that made me feel a little better since Caitlin was part of the free webinar I watched. I just thought if I could implement Melyssa’s strategies I could get a bit of attention. I have a hard time believing I could ever make a dime because I have a gardening blog. I can’t sell webinars and courses. I think mainly bloggers who write about blogging make a living. Thanks for the input!
It might not make as much sense to create webinars and e-courses around gardening, but there are still plenty of ways to monetize a gardening blog. You could create e-books, which you could sell directly through your website, or self-publish through Kindle / CreateSpace. There’s also plenty of products on Amazon that you could create content around and promote with Amazon Associates. (Think “My Must-Have Tools for Container Gardening” or something.)
There’s so much noise and it’s easy to feel like the people talking about how to make money blogging are the only ones making money blogging (sometimes I feel like that too) but with a lot of work it is possible to make money with more traditional blog topics. Most months I make just a few hundred bucks with Amazon Associates, but last December I made over $6,000 and most of it was from one product-focused blog post. Pinterest is a huge part of what drives traffic to that and my other profitable blog posts, so Melyssa’s course should help you! I’ve got more details here: http://www.missmalaprop.com/content-upcycle-method/
Don’t get discouraged. Blogging, SEO and Pinterest all take time to build up – I’ve been blogging since 2006 and it’s taken a long time for me to test out what works for me and figure things out, but it is possible.
This is such wonderful insight especially the time frame in which you’ve been online and working at it. Just as Regina calls out – so many people don’t include ALL of the facts that contributed to their current success and it’s so misleading. It truly is a slow and steady wins the race situation but that’s hard to see because of the great copywriting.
It really is about having a plan, being consistent (longer than you might expect) and tweaking when necessary.
With Amazon Associates, did you have enough traffic that you could make their sales requirement within the timeframe they required before using that platform?
Re: Amazon Associates – I’ve been using the program so long (since either 2006 or 2007) that I don’t think they even had the minimum sales requirement when I started. There have been other affiliate programs that I’ve been removed from because I couldn’t meet the minimum requirement – I think I got dropped from Commission Junction at one point because of that.
The thing about Amazon is there are SO MANY products there and they’re such a household name that it’s easier to convert people into buyers if you can just get them to Amazon’s site. Most months I make a few hundred dollars via Amazon but I don’t have extremely high traffic – lately my site averages 15,000-18,000 pageviews per month. You don’t have to have hundreds of thousands of visitors a month to make money, you just have to be smart about converting the visitors you do have into shoppers.
I love everything Mallory said here and couldn’t agree more. And that Upcycle post of hers is gold.
P.S. The people that I’ve seen review Melyssa’s course loved it. I hope you love it too!
Thanks Regick!
Hi Hilary, I’ve heard lots of good things about Melyssa’s course so I think you’ll be happy you committed to that course. Just a thought, but maybe don’t give up completely on the live video option for gardening. It’s not a niche I’ve explored (so you may know better) but reading your comment, I just thought it might be interesting to test out something like a Periscope mini series showing people how to do various gardening tasks – like taking cuttings, planting up a Spring hanging basket, caring for cacti, or repotting an indoor orchid (people love them and you can buy them for £5 in supermarkets, but people don’t always know how to look after them) or other regular seasonal tasks that new home owners/gardeners might find daunting. If it resonates, some tasks might lend themselves to the longer webinar/or recorded video format. Yes, people could watch Gardener’s World (here in the UK), but maybe your target audience isn’t drawn to that traditional format and you could be just what they need when they search Pinterest for the answer to their gardening queries! 🙂
Hi Hilary! Why can’t you sell a gardening course or ebook?
My mom would snatch that up in a hot second. People spend a ton of money on gardening books.
I do not have a green thumb, but if you ever sold an ebook about gardening projects for kids or gardening in small spaces, I would totally buy it!
Hey Hilary, I actually think that gardening is an area where you could make courses work. I never learned how to garden and the information I come across online is just too conflicting or broad. I want to know how to keep things alive, what types or plants to choose, what worKS indoors vs outdoors, how to prune and what to expect.. anyway, just wanted to let you know that the market is out there! I would happily buy a video series abut how to grow a beautiful garden as a beginner. Hope this helps or encourages you in some way.
Hilary, I recently took the Pinfinte Growth course and while I absolutely loved it, it was a lot of work to implement before I started to see a little increase on Pinterest (and I’m still going through and tweaking things). My only advice is to not give up! Just keep being consistent and persistent. It may take some time before you start seeing some traffic, but I 100% believe that the people who don’t give up or work on their blog sporadically, will be the ones who succeed!
Hey Hilary!
Aww, don’t get discouraged! I’ve not taken Melyssa’s course, but I do know someone (we interviewed her on our podcast!) who used Pinterest to grow her gardening blog traffic and she does make a living from her blog. I think most of her income is through her e-book sales and advertising. Her name is Melissa from EmpressofDirt.net
Anyways, you might check her out and connect with her and be encouraged – you can make an income in a niche outside of business.
Love this post and Regina keeping it real!
Thank you for shouting this. More folks need to hear it. I get why those coaches and marketers are wording their offers that way, and it appeals to a certain demo. It rubs me the wrong way tho like the health/fitness folks (cuz that’s my industry) who claim you’ll lose 500lbs in a week. It’s like… how sway? Come on. Be real and the good good will come your way, in quality clients vs disillusioned folks who will be upset when ur snake oil doesn’t work.
Oh Regina. I landed on your blog a little over a month ago and have been devouring your content like crazy. This article is EXACTLY what I love about your style – honest + no sugar coating. There’s no denying that blogging as a business is hard work and anyone telling me otherwise is not to be trusted. Thank you thank you thank you for keeping it 100% real! !
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, Robin. I really appreciate it.
And yes, this work is hard and real, but so worth it.
I love you. I’ve been constantly seeing this nonsense and it was killing me. one course i was considering because it seemed systematic but the reviews seemed so fake. after doing some digging i ended up finding out one of the reviewers was someone on other “coaches” sites. i’m sorry but how can 3 different coaches each helped you get clear on your brand,create your signature course, and find your 1st high paying client? I call BS .
Yes! THANK YOU! I am a new blogger and was incredibly overwhelmed with all the things I was signing up for. After a few, I realized (a) I can figure this shit out on my own for free (blood, sweat and tears make it all worth it sometimes) and (b) – this has nothing to do with MY niche. I LOVE both Caitlin and Erika – both super inspirational and super real!
Lauren, yesssssss. The fact that “blood, sweat, and tears make it all worth it” is so true. Also, I love that we agree about Erika and Caitlin. They’re really amazing brand owners.
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!
Hi Lauren! Thanks for your kind words. I think it’s normal to sign up for everything in the beginning. Eventually you will find a few people that will be your “go-to’s” for business advice. Good luck!
Regina, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this. As a newbie blogger, I felt unqualified to say that the emperor has no clothes. You completely validated my thoughts!
My 2 biggest beefs with the 6-Figure Suck Ins are:
1. Intentionally not mentioning their previous work which led to their current success. Ie. The 5 grueling years with 7 increasingly successful courses they ran before “hitting it big”.
2. Ignoring the differences between niches. I’m primarily a faith blogger for other Catholic moms. If I implemented the super sales-y, pushy, de rigueur business tactics to try to sell a $500 course, I’d be shooting myself in the foot. I’d do less damage to my brand by becoming a satanist! One method cannot fit all niches.
Thanks for always being unafraid to keep it real, and lay down the hard truths!
Am I the only person who hates income reports?!
I feel like they put too much meaning on money and make you depressed cos you’re like ‘i’m never gonna make this much’ or you beat yourself up when your results are nowhere near. Can we vote on dropping them altogether?!
Ahem. Otherwise, Regina, you nailed it. Thanks. 🙂
You are not the only one who hates them. Even when I see an income report from a blogger I love, it makes me cringe. And not because I’m afraid to discuss money, but because they never seem to share anything new, important, or helpful.
My vote is to get em outta here!
Great post, Regina!
Regina! I fricken love you for this. You have hit so many points dead on, and I applaud you for it!
Misleading headlines and titles are the worst part of getting into our industry. As you said, it gives so many people false hope and unrealistic expectations.
I would love to make even $20k a month, but do I need to? No! $5000/month is fine, thank you very much.
I especially love that you touched on accrual accounting. I think, and hope, it will be a big wake up call for a lot of bloggers who write income reports. Until money lands into my bank account (which, because of the Internet, takes 2-5 days per transaction), I can’t actually say it’s mine until I can physically do something with it.
Anyway, love you for this. You rock, and you continue to impress me!
I find blogs which are solely dedicated to making money from naive bloggers quite nasty. They seem to be all over Pinterest at the moment, and are incredibly expensive for what they are.
Steph – http://www.nourishmeblog.co.uk
Good stuff! I’m new in this blogging world, and I was trying to follow and get all these tips from top bloggers but I was getting overwhelmed and feeling like I must be doing it wrong, not doing enough because I’m not even growing my list by 20 in a month yet I feel like I’m doing the best I can. It’s like I must be missing something. But then I just had to realize I needed to stop following so many people and receiving all their emails and just take a step at a time. Thanks for sharing and shedding some light!
Oh yes Marsha. I spend 3 months creating and following the laid out steps after probably 30 webinars, workbooks guides etc.. and NOTHINGGGGGG Worked up to the point like I was freaking failing and overwhelmed to the point that was angry. (I even overreacted to my nephew accidentally breaking a table & sent him & my niece home crying). After that I had to understand why, which made me feel worse of course and I took a break from all of it to really evaluate the my why am I doing this in order to get back on track. I am always one to keep it real in ALLL my blog posts, and that incident led me to writing and getting published on huff post shortly after. Now if something isn’t working or giving me any form of value I don’t go remotely close to it. I implement what works for me, I unsubscribed to a lot of the top bloggers I was following and now it feels less like a task. Every new subscriber notification email i receive I smile, and if they stay after I send my love note email twice a week it makes me feel good because I am carrying out my initial purpose.
Love this! Thanks for the comments.
Hey Marsha, with you on the overwhelm thing! I actually have started a course by a reputable online marketer which is more than I can afford but thought it would be worth it. And its not that it isn’t, but I have realised its aimed at companies with a whole staff – “write 100 articles and submit them to authority sites” – that alone will take me a year, and its just one point in one week of things to do LOL. So, I’m taking it all on board, I AM learning a lot….and they have been super nice to me re payment, as I explained how slow I am going, how expensive it is in my local currency, and I have done the last three months without being charged as I am still doing month 1 work. So, no blame attached to them at all, but on your own its a really big task – doable, but definitely slower than is often suggested.
I’ve always joked about making a post like this, but yours was way more professional than mine would of been. haha
But, YESSS! Preach, so much preach. I wish people didn’t fall for this as often as they do. As soon as I read this after a friend shared this on facebook, I scrolled down and long and behold, there was a “take this e-course to get 250,000 blog views in 30 days..” I had to giggle to myself.
Such a great post!!!! I seriously needed to read this today, from a buying stand point… and creating standpoint.
I 100% agree with you and love that you took the time to write this when most wouldn’t. ?
-Linds
Lot801marketing.com
Oh man, you are so right. I don’t think you were too strong at all. I’ve seen similar posts before, but they were often just rants with nothing useful to say. This was a real truth bomb, and I love that.
I’m not going to lie — in the past I considered using a few of these tactics just so I could increase my income, but it felt so sleazy no matter how I tried to rationalize it. I wanted to follow my heart and stay true to myself, and most of all just be real. And now I’m so glad I never went down that road.
I’ve also been very careful about who and what I pay money for. I’m glad I was so weary because it saved me a lot of money and wasted time.
Thanks so much for posting this!
Thanks for writing this article 🙂 As a newbie entrepreneur I love your blog!
Girrrrrrllll I have been wanting to write this post for MONTHS but I’m SO glad that you did and that you included so many enlightening points (I particularly liked the accounting points!)
My biggest gripe of the entire “6-figure launch” culture that’s being created is that it plants the subconscious expectation/desire that we should all aspire to make six figures a MONTH (a month?!) with our businesses. And when that seed of expectation is planted, it creates disappointment, self-doubt and, even worse, SHAME if we don’t attain that.
The truth is, there are an infinite number of ways to define success (impact, balance, free time, flexibility, travel, good vibes, hours spent creating) and it’s all highly personal according to what we value as individuals. But, even as someone who works on a daily basis to stay mindful of these values, when you see the 6-figure blog posts floating around, it’s hard to ignore.
Thanks again for drawing your line in the sand on this — I’m so with you!
Yes yes yes yes yes to all of this!!! Ahhh! I love how you listed out the other representations of success. It’s SO true!
Yes! So much goodness in this post! The thing that really kills me is that most of these people aren’t even experts! They just got lucky with a viral post and grew from there. Now they have a lot of followers so they think that makes them an expert.
And I love your points about the accounting piece of it. So true!
Thanks for being real! I really appreciate your honesty. The first free webinar I attended was like that and I almost got sucked in. Thankfully, I didn’t, mostly because of the extreme pressure I felt to buy quickly.
The next free webinar I attended was one of yours and I noticed a significant difference in the amount and quality of free content you gave away. As a result, you gained me as a loyal follower and I now know what to look for in the future when buying courses.
I am just starting out on this journey of entrepreneurship and I know that I will not make 6 figures over night and it is nice to have someone successful helping others with realistic expectations.
Every single thing you said is right on the mark!
1. I hate when marketers make it seem like you are guaranteed to get ridiculously amazing results. If there is one guarantee in business, it is that nothing is guaranteed. I automatically distrust anyone who gives an exact number for how much people can earn (especially during a specific time frame).
2. I was talking about this with a friend. A lot of the people who offer these big-ticket prices blog about blogging/marketing. There isn’t anything wrong with that, but it’s not my niche, so my audience is not the same as theirs. Which means that the things that work for them and their audience may not be as effective for me and mine.
3. All of these people selling lifestyles where they appear to constantly be on vacation, have unlimited time to do whatever they want, and only work a few hours a week turn me off. That is not an accurate representation of what building a successful business looks like. Yes, once your business is very steady and profitable, your lifestyle might have a great degree of freedom. However, the people looking into these classes are not anywhere near there, so selling them on a lifestyle that they won’t be able to live for YEARS doesn’t seem right. It just sets them to feel like a failure if they have been working their business for a year and haven’t yet bought a mansion in Dubai.
4. I love reading GOOD income reports. Ones that are very detailed and really tell you what worked, what didn’t work, how much they spent, and how much they earned in profit. But many income reports just come off as braggy and incomplete. Seeing that there are different ways of accounting your income shows me that I am right to be wary. Thank you for educating those of us who are not accounting-savvy know.
5. You hit on one of my pet peeves! I hate when I see people say that they only have space for X amount of people when I know good and well that that is probably not true. I also don’t like when they try to force you into making a huge decision in a small amount of time. We are taught to exude a sense of urgency, but as someone who has had to make purchasing decisions when money was tight, I would like to give my audience a chance to make sure that this is the right decision for them. I don’t want to be the cause of financial regret. And I think that is what happens often when you make a decision under pressure.
6. I have taken some courses where I felt overwhelmed by the content and assignments. It just seemed like too much to handle in such a short period of time. If you are going to have heavy duty assignments, I definitely prefer having lifetime access so I can work at a manageable pace.
7. I can think of examples of people who, instead of telling you how THEY achieved success, have titles that lead you to believe that they are going to teach you how to have that success. And they charge out the wazoo for it. Listen, you can’t create a course about “How to Make $20,000 a month” and then charge $10,000 for the course. That’s not how this works. Or, at least, it shouldn’t be.
Generally, people need to be more transparent and less misleading; more helpful and less salesy.
I can see how this topic might ruffle some people’s feathers, but I appreciate your frank discussion of this. Most people who are looking into these courses don’t have boatloads of cash to throw away, so it’s good to have someone looking out for us. Thank you, as usual, Regina for being so awesome. You and your work are appreciated.
This was so helpful! Thanks for being so real. I am new to blogging, I only launched my blog last month, and this is really eye opening. I was looking to take a few courses or webinars, so now I will keep these tips in mind when choosing one.
Thanks so much!
I really hope ( and know) this post will go viral Reg because I’m so damn sick of the whole misleading copywriting crap that is used practically everywhere, esp the 6 figures overnight type of feel many internet marketers used. If only they were honest and like you say specify how long it took them til they got that actual 6 figure webinar ( and how much failure they went through to get there). I’ve been suckered into doing so many courses or training that had mislead me, especially when I was just starting out years ago. That’s why I value your offerings and posts so much: you are honest and devoted to helping customers/readers achieve realistic results. You also have not only the experience ( the failures and successes) but an actual MBA. We are all so grateful for your honesty and all the work you put into your content and brand!
This post was so I’m point. I get sick and tired of “Coaches” creating misleading content in their blogs and even Periscope, talking down to people they think isn’t on their “level” I hate the feeling of not being apart of the “Cool kids club” because I don’t “Boss Up” the way they think I should. I have learned to work hard and be content with who I am and what I have. What God has for me, is for me. I don’t have to jump on someone’s bandwagon to be relevant. I walk to the beat of my own drum. I will be successful over time because I work for It. I don’t mind my business growing at a steady space.
Amen.
“I don’t have to jump on someone’s bandwagon to be relevant.” I love this!
You make valid points, and we all know this is a thing and get annoyed by it. But this blog post is not nearly the quality of all your others. It wasn’t proofread, the writing was poor, and you reiterated/repeated two of your points. And I’m really happy you’re making 40k a month, but this is your first blog post in two months…and it’s just a rant. Who are you? What is really going on?
Regina, ignore this hater, who clearly isn’t subscribed to your epic email list. Bye Felicia!
Agreed! I never comment on blog posts but I actually came here today just to make sure that the love far outweighed the hate — because this post is TRUTH.
I’m in the process of figuring out all of this online marketing stuff myself. There is SO MUCH to wade through. Found myself getting sucked in like so many other newbies. Wasted too much money already. And now slowly, tentatively, carefully trying to figure out who I can actually trust.
Putting on my x-ray glasses from now on! Looking through the glossy, salesy language (that 9 out of 10 online biz people use), and seeing what’s really there at the core.
On POINT. Girl. These “entrepreneurs” had me feeling some type of way about my own accomplishments, and I’m an award-winning entrepreneur! I worked so hard to get where I am, and I still have so much more to accomplish. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed, do thanks for boldly uncovering the Bullshit.
Thank you.
(Standing round of applause).
This is so correct.
This post is great and brings me back to a core belief of yours: Stay scrappy
While I do think e-courses are incredibly beneficial, a person should only buy them once they have their basic systems in place and have hit a wall in terms of going about figuring out how to grow something/do more.
A dangerous thing happening in the creative entrepreneur online world is people following these webinar/course strategies EXACTLY. This is why you see so many $500-1000 courses coming out. People see another blogger selling for that price and think they need to as well (without understanding their own audience and price structure).
Thank you for always keeping it real. Your website is one of my favorites.
Oh, do I love you more every time I read a post like this. I market my services by hanging out in blogger Facebook groups. So many new bloggers are expecting unrealistic numbers within their first few months of blogging.
Thank you for truth and transparency. Preach on, sister!
High-Five Regina!! This is dead on! I love your real-ness and non-icky business practices. There is a reason I go to you when I need to learn something new or acquire a new skill! I can trust your skills/products, I know you are being honest in your advertising, and there is always so much value-added with your products and services! 🙂
Just another reason to add to the million reasons I already love you!! So, if you purchase someone’s ‘6 figure blah blah’ course, implement what they have said and do exactly as they have done, and don’t make 6 figures does that make the purchaser of the course the failure or the person who created the course?
It’s ridiculous. Not EVERY course is going to earn 6 figures no matter what you do!!
I listened to one of these ‘live’ webinars the other day (which was clearly pre-recorded which made me lose so much respect for this person, let alone a ton of trust lost too) which was all about how to make a ton of money from webinars. And you know what MAJOR topic was missed in the entire webinar? That your content has to have incredible value!!
There was no focus on your content – and only on your marketing (including spending hundreds of dollars on Facebook advertising).
The basics were missed – it doesn’t matter what you do – if your content is crap then you’re not going to sell anything.
Thank you so much for a wonderfully real post. xo
Right on, Krystal!
I agree 100%.
I won’t name names but I’ve gotten to a point where Regina and 2 others are the only people I remain an email subscriber to.
It’s ridiculous, greedy, and painful to see these “6 figure bloggers” b*tch pitch their insane “passive success”.
Whether or not it’s all genuine, it’s about the process.
And that seems to be skipped often.
Regina is very methodical and process-focused. And that, plus here inability (seemingly) to be fake and profit-focused over people, is why I, too, love her so much!
Of course, in a totally professionally platonic way. *Winks*
I have gotten sucked into these titles and end up feeling lousy. Thanks for such a straight forward post.
Regina, this for me is so timely.
I’m currently planning out my blog so I can start a freelance career, and so I keep seeing all these amazing promises about making money fast that honestly just stun me. I mean, I just want $1000! I live in Kenya, so 1k is honestly all I need, not 100k (at least not yet 😉 )
Thanks so much for teaching me how to pick out the legit bloggers, and your 3 tips at the end are just it!
Love it! There have been so many courses and emails about webinars lately that it’s starting to drive me crazy! Some of the prices are just redicous… And every single webinar is going to sound good if you listen to what they’re saying! You have to stay grounded in reality and think is this actually going to work for me where I’m at today? Otherwise you’ll go crazy! Great post Regina
Word, Regina!
I will share and share and share this post till the end of eternity! And THIS is one of the biggest reasons why I trust YOU over any other blogger (I consider an) influencer.
You’re a true leader and teacher and I’m so glad you’ve “kept it real” all these years.
Thanks, Regina.
I appreciate you and your work to no end.
XO,
Sara
Yes! All of this! As a blogger who’s a full time student, mommy and creator for another brand, sitting in the type of webinars you mentioned can be discouraging, unrealistic and sometimes a waste of time because they mislead you into thinking you’re gonna get the info you really need just to tell you, “Just for sitting through this two hour webinar about nothing, you can get a discount into my class if you buy now!” Wth?? Naw bruh.
Amen! My biggest problem with the “6-figure coaching” world is that they assume everyone’s ultimate goal is to earn six figures and stop working one-on-one with clients. And I’m over here like, “Umm, I like my clients! I WANT to keep working with them, and I want them to be able to afford me!” That doesn’t mean I can’t still create a high-value e-book, but I don’t want to get sucked into thinking that I need to create a course with a $10k launch to be successful.
Once again, you are the voice of reason in a blogging world that’s getting very, very noisy.
Amen to that Ashley!
Oh to not feel alone in the world. I’m 1000% about being able to prove your course / program / anything works before you start making claims about it (is it wrong to hyperbolize that kind of statement??)
Also – loved the point about “make 6 figures while blogging.” See it all the time where people expect that the exact stuff that worked for them (in their context) can simply be replicated in a different context. Now show me someone who abstracts those concepts up to a universal level and I’ll happily hand over my money (assuming it’s a topic I need teaching in, of course).
I’ll also add one more bothersome point — when everything is procedural. Ok yea there are some skills that don’t require much but if you only ever teach someone the steps to follow without teaching them the principles that dictate the steps, they will never be able to make their own decisions. And that just sucks.
I couldn’t agree more . I got a ” My program is $2k and blah blah and I’ll send you referrals ” so pretty much give her $2k and kiss her ass and if I’m lucky she will send me her clients who need web design . I told her I would think about it she said she would check in . I ran for the hills and never heard from her . Why can’t people be like ” look I messed up a few times and that’s fine I don’t have all my ducks in a row and sometimes the funky looking duck on the other side of the lake flips me off , and that’s fine” Be honest when you are trying to sell something like this !! Thanks for this post !!
I’m at the “read everything free” stage of my blog with an idea that definitely doesn’t fit the 6 figure webinar category. My blog will be about landscape design, permaculture, slow food and the environment and I can hopefully help my audience leave a smaller carbon footprint.
This doesn’t mean I don’t want to make money, I just want to give value when I do it. I’ve been trying to sift through the choices and I’m really happy that I had already found you and the other women you’ve mentioned here.
Thank you for being so honest. It’s kind of scary making the choice to put yourself out there for anyone to see and I appreciate the encouragement.
You took the post out of my mouth, Regina. I was just getting ready to blow the whistle after reading someone’s income post (that’s the new trend now), stating that they made 6 figures in their first year of business (it was really over a period of 3 years total) but then they never listed the expenses.
Look, it does not matter how much money you MAKE. It only matters how much you KEEP after all your expenses – training, partnerships, buying people’s email lists, etc. I have yet to see a report on true net income. But people are so gullible…anytime they see $$, their hands start itching and they hit the Buy button.
YES! This post is a gem, but the real scam is not cash vs. accrual (#4). It’s gross vs net income, which is what Rach is pointing out. Those bloggers & e-course providers who are claiming 6-figure income (maybe true, maybe not) are skipping what it cost to get them there–expenses AND time. Tell me what you’re taking home AFTER expenses on a $ per hour basis & maybe I’ll start believing you.
“It’s not how much you make – it’s how much you keep” – the new watch phrase.
I had to come back and read this again because the first time I read it, I was cheering so loudly in my head that I thought I may have missed some things. The second reading was just as powerful as the first because you get it. You get us.
I’ve been challenged in trying to grow my business, a lot of it is fear and a lot more is just not knowing which way to go in order to grow. It is so disheartening to see so many people selling the dream but not the solution. I wonder if perhaps I’m the one missing the necessary understanding. You reminded me that perhaps it isn’t my imagination after all. It is a terrible feeling to come away from an “encounter” with a so-called 6-figure expert and having just as little clarity as before. Thanks for being so honest and transparent.
IKR and I just spend 1hr plus reading through ALL the comments. Just to see the reaction. I LOVE IT!!
This is awesome information, especially for people wanting to follow their passion… So many people assume that owning a business/making money at home/blogging will get them rich overnight. We live in a fast food/instant gratification type society so that mindset doesn’t help. So thank you for shedding the light on this topic. I hope you didn’t lose too many “friends”.
Thank you for writing this, and confirming the little voice in my head saying that I thought a lot of these webinars and blogs were starting to push their luck a bit. I’ve sat in on a couple of webinars recently, and one of them was with some I respect and have been following a long time, the other was one I heard of randomly the night before and thought I’d listen along to… oh my goodness did I feel PRESSURED. I’m not too impulsive but I have a character that allows me to be swayed and convinced by people. The sales-ey language from this webinar was INSANE and I found myself really, genuinely considering whether i needed to spent £200 on this course. I shut it down and walked away, because I just don’t have that kind of money to throw around!
Reading this, I definitely did the right thing, and it’s going to allow me to think about things with a much more focused mind. I hate being tricked into stuff, and sometimes, that’s what it feels like!
Regina,
First off, this is why I LOVE you. Real. 100%.
I have been reading and following you for some time, and I love that you take the time to teach, read and implement-yourself first and then the rest of us. For that, I give you mad props and respect.
All of us are different, our blogs are different, and how we process is different. And we need to take that into account. I have taken your courses, free and paid, and have learned so much. I would take all of your courses if I could, they are worth every dime and every second that it takes to complete.
The thing that you take into account, which many others don’t, is that we all process differently. Your lessons and information are taught in such a way that we can use it in any niche that we are working in. It takes time, and we need to figure out how to make the information work for us. In most classes there are specific steps to take to get you to a million dollars in profit, but realistically how can you make the steps work for any niche and all those who follow you.
That to me is Priceless. It took time though, I had to figure out how to take your methods, still working on that, apply it to my blog, my niche, and then figure out what would work for me. We are all different, our blogs are different, but you give us the information to build the blueprint for success. It’s not instantaneous, we still need to do the work to figure things out. Courses that offer success in a certain time period, or by following an exact step by step process, make me leery. There’s not a cookie cutter way to build a thriving site, there are too many factors. And then throw in the idea that our followings are different too, they want different things, and we are the only one’s who can figure that out.
Sorry if this is a disjointed comment, there are so many things popping into my head from this article! I also have mad love for Erika Madden and Caitlyn, thanks for sharing their sites through your post. And thank you for always being you and being authentic!
This is what I’ve been screaming internally for a while now, Regina. I think people feel a lot of pressure to bring home big profits – but those aren’t always 6 figure profits. Considering the Infusionsoft, Buffer, Mailchimp Automation, Calendly, Virtual Assistant and who knows what else these six figure club bears have to pay for to have a shred of sanity left, six figure gross gets eaten up fairly fast and becomes a tiny net. That supposedly “low overhead” of running a business or blog from home doesn’t pan out if you don’t already have a platform or following of loyal advocates. If you have to generate reach, it is entirely possible to spend 40k in startup costs (yep, all those coffees at Starbucks while you were watching webinars and reading your new copy of Luck Bitch are also startup costs) and $40k in ongoing expenses, landing you with the same net paycheck as your child’s third grade math teacher – but you can still advertise yourself as a six-figure blogger or coach, because after all you DID grow $120k, even if you won’t be upgrading from your 1999 Volvo any time soon.
At the end of the day, we want swollen savings accounts and paid bills. No one ever tells us those two goals have ZIP to do with how much we make and EVERYTHING to do with how we manage what we make. I lived the lifestyle the six figure bloggers are implying with their course titles – I could spend thousands in a day and not make a dent in my household budget. I have never made more than $60k a year in my life. I built my wealth starting when I made $30k a year, gross. It’s not about six figure blogs, it’s about six figure mind sets that let you KEEP and ACCUMULATE six figures, versus the seduction of MAKING six figures in a year. You can make an awful lot of money in a year and still not be able to move out of your single wide. (My father grossed outrageous sums in his business, best believe we were still eating ramen). It’s all in how you work your money, not how much you claim to make.
Great article, Regina!
First offf… sips the last drop of wine form my glass.. Second I LOVEEEEEE YOU for this post. I am sick of these titled posts.. I roll my eyes almost everytime I see a n “ad’ about go from zero to dot dot dot.. it super annoying. At one point I even googled “do bloggers lie about their income reports?”. For realllssss.. because I swear that’s all some of these talk about. And when I take their webinars, about building an email list or growing my business or booking more clients..some of them I feel like I wasted 1 hour of my life because there is nothing new that I have learnt plus they try to sell me a 2500 program about email marketing..like seriously wtfrick….
Thank you for writing this post.. I enjoyed reading it for SUREEE
This was so spot on. I’ve been sucked in so many times it’s not even funny. I now tell myself that (at this point) I have everything I need to be successful and another $2000 course is not going to do much more for me. If anything, spending one on one time with people who have done what I’m trying to do is the real shortcut. Thank you for keeping it real! 🙂
Excellent article Regina … Right Words Right Order! I really appreciate how you’ve vocalised this area of concern.
On the one hand, as someone who is restricted in accessing other forms of education, online self-education via eBooks and courses has been incredibly valuable for me. I have felt enabled and my ability and confidence has been hugely boosted by the courses I chose to invest my time and money in. I have attended a number of webinars and free workshops which have been very beneficial in showing me the road ahead and the initial baby steps to take towards my goals. I feel like there are a core group of bloggers who are really genuine and offer a quality learning experience (yourself included) and I’m super grateful for all that I’ve learned.
The flip side, is of course those copycat ‘experts’ who watch from the sidelines and want to make a quick buck offering a product of limited actual value at an inflated price. My pet peeves are the false scarcity selling tactics, the fast action bonuses that attempt to make me to buy without time to think, the high pressure emotive persuasion techniques that try to convince me that I’m ready now (actually no, I’m not, and I think I’m better placed than you to know that that!) and a pitch that equates success only with buying into their vision right now … otherwise I’m holding back, procrastinating and scared of doing the work. That’s quite a corner I’m being pushed into there!
In my own case, I’ve been protected from over-committing myself as much by my limited budget and energy, as by my family ethic which taught me to be wary of being rushed into handing over my cash! But watching various webinars, often along with the same group of people who are buying course after course, I have felt concern as to how anyone could truly benefit by spreading their time and budget so thinly. Even when a product is good value, it still requires the time investment to truly get the most out of it. I don’t really care for the big course bundles either, which are promoted as ‘great value’ but who really has the time to take them all properly?
I like what you said about following people for a while, getting value out of their free content and buying their products when you are truly ready to do the work involved. Speaking of which, several of your eBooks are on my list and I will be back when I’m ready to implement your suggestions! I love when people like yourself give me the space to decide when I’m ready, or others who will often list reasons that might make their product ‘not a good fit’ for certain people. What you’ve articulated here is really just plain old common sense, but I think wading through the online avalanche of high pressure sales tactics makes us forgetful and need a gentle reminder. Thank you, Regina! 🙂
Yes! Though my own reality check came through experience. I did social media for a six-figure guru and was dumped for someone who could buy likes.
That’s freaking amazing. Not in the good way.
Wow. I’m so sorry that happened. Thank you for sharing that with us though. It’s good to shed some light on this crap.
Thanks so much for this. Sometimes as a newbie I feel so overwhelmed by all the hype out there it’s crazy. And some of the course fees are just insane. Thank you too for your incredible free content (which has inspired me to get going with my own in earnest) and also recognizing Erika Madden for the classy inspiration she is. And yeah, there shall be NO mixing of cash basis and accrual accounting – nope – none – zilch. Gotta choose how you report the green, gotta be straight up with it and gotta keep it real!
Thank you so very much for your kindness, Brooke. That means a lot to me. (More than you may realize.)
AMAZING post, Regina! It’s really easy to feel overwhelmed with all those posts you see out there about “How I made… in one month”. It’s best to just focus about your own path and do the best you can!
I so completely agree with you, Maru. As usual. I enjoy what you stand for and how I see you work in your business. You’ve been working so hard for a long time now. It’s very inspirational. I always see you changing and improving everything. It’s something I definitely learn from.
P.S. I live in Quintana Roo now. I know that’s not exactly near you, but at least it’s the same country now. I plan to come visit that way soon.
Thank you so much, Regina. Reading this from someone I admire so much, means a lot! And of course we need to meet soon, how exciting that you are living in Quintana Roo. If you get a chance, I would love to hear all about it 🙂
I KNOW you’re going to generate some buzz on this topic. I’ve been onto this only since last January. I generally consider myself a confident and poised business woman but these titles and expectations make me feel VERY unaccomplished! When that’s not true! I support my family, I have a home and time to pick up my kids from school – basically my goals!!
I’ve been talking about this with my email list too – enough!! We’re smart. We’re online. We’ve been around this block before. But damn if they aren’t good at copywriting!!
I’ve always had so much respect for you Regina, and this post is just one more example of the impressive integrity and ethics you’ve demonstrated since Day 1 with this brand. Thank you for speaking out, my friend.
I’ve come to feel a severe discomfort with the messages of many of the “online entrepreneurs” out there, and it makes me both sad and angry. At the risk of sounding harsh, it seems to me that more and more people are swindling the average blogger and struggling small biz owner as a business model! It’s crazy. And wrong.
It’s caused me to do a lot of serious thinking about how I want to do business in this space. I’m not sure I have the answers yet.
Dude, I don’t have the answers yet either. But, I so love having you as an example. It’s been amazing existing in this space with you for a couple of years.
I vote for those of us who are aware all continuing to try to present the real at all times, and to make our content and concern for others so large that it drowns out the scams.
This was a great read – thank you for your honesty! *eyes my pinterest feed with suspicion*
LOL
Such a great read and yes honesty is key and yes people should purchse products & services that our step by step and will bring tangible results.
Also, we must all understand results will vary depending on so many other factors from a course this is why I love coaching because its allot more customized.
Even if its digital product with coaching.
But some courses are so step-by-step to the end goal and simple coaching is not needed.
Also, we must understand theres no magical wand that magically zaps anyone to 6-figures it takes hard work and persistance.
Lasly, I agree with someone elses comment, that the best thing to do is build an 100% honest business, be real and set your business focus on really helping others.
OMG Regina thank you! I am always talking about this on my podcast. It makes me sick and it seems to be an epidemic.
I appreciate your transparency, honesty and content. You are A#1 in my book…a class act!
The income report part was what I loved the most for this post! There are a few bloggers I could name specifically who I know are misleading people because of this. They say they made 6 or 7-figures on a course launch, when in reality they made a portion of that and the rest will come in via monthly payments. I’ve talked to my husband about it so many times. Why would people feel the need to make it seem like they made so much more? I’d be perfectly impressed with someone who made 5-10k off of a course launch. You don’t need to exaggerate your figures.
I’m glad that more people are making a stand on this. I hope that the message of this post spreads to everyone online because I truly believe everyone, including those who mislead their communities, need to read it.
Totally agree.
You are one of the most honest bloggers over here, Kory. I loved your personal email /blogpost (don’t remember if it was one of another) about your first course launch going to crickets. That WAS very encouraging.
Diana, that means the world to me! I know my community gets more out of me being real rather than trying to hide behind a wall, so it truly makes my day to know that that email and blog post was helpful 🙂
Hi Regina,
It is refreshing to encounter a little honesty in the Internet.
I always viewed 6-figure income claims with great scepticism, mainly, I suppose, because my blog earns next to nothing.
Thank you for saying this! I’ve been blogging for several years and have worked hard to get to the point where I’m building pageviews and earning several hundred a month. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Then, along come some new bloggers and say they go from 0 to 160,000 pageviews in one year? Okay, but I checked on similarweb and you’re getting the same pageviews I am. Twisting numbers, I think? And just because you published one short book on Amazon, does that really give you the right to claim you’re a best selling Amazon author? It frustrates me and I’m SO glad to hear I’m not alone in this. I’m just becoming more and more skeptical. Because so many people are claiming to be “experts” now and selling their courses, we have to have our eyes wide open. Thanks again for this post!
It is worrying that you say you can’t BLAME bloggers for not getting their accounting right. If they are making ANY money from blogging then they should be doing correct tax returns and be registered so we can blame them. I use the cash accounting method for simplicity as it’s rare I need to do otherwise. There’s even a shorter tax form I can use with it as a small business owner.
Haha, Cath. That’s not how I meant that. I mean, I can’t blame people for not knowing all the accounting things when they first get started. I’m sure the first time they do their taxes, they get it all sorted out.
I do take issue with people who purposely misrepresent their facts and figures. Once you know the right way to do something, if you continue to do it the fake way to appear a certain way, that hurts the business community and the people following you.
Thank you for sharing your opinion!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have become so incredibly frustrated by the industry that bloggers teaching about blogging have created. It feels cannibalistic at best! As you say, there are some valuable courses out there that are worth taking but they tend to be the ones that focus on teaching you how to work hard and be your best self.
It is absolutely wonderful to have somebody come out and call all the crazy stuff that has been going on.
Terrific post! I started researching how to monetize my blog about 6 weeks ago, and keep coming upon courses and headlines like you mentioned. Even though I’m not an impulsive person, I almost went for a couple of them. Glad I took the time to really think about it before getting sucked in.
The other thing I’ve noticed is many of them are just ‘variations on a theme’ – they are pretty much all regurgitating the same stuff, most of which can be found online for free. And mostly for the same ‘niche’ – bloggers trying to help other bloggers make money/find nirvana!
I completely agree with this! I’m a fashion blogger, and I have learned over time how to monetize, however, 99.99% of these webinars just aren’t applicable to my niche and how I promote products. It’s more worth my while to host an event in town rather than build an email list like some of these programs promote (obviously, having a solid email list is always great, but that’s not the best way for me to monetize!)
I hope this trend of gimmicky webinars ends soon. Thank you for this post!
Your the bomb Regina, lol. As a business graduate school graduate, lol, I always read between all the lines with everything and I am super hyper aware of marketing “Lingo.” I love this article because it can reach a public that is not always as aware as they should be. I think anyone who participates in online earning or online community needs to learn red flag lingo. All your points are relevant to things that really occur in the blog world. The headlines always state “How I made (blah blah blah) in the month of (blah blah)” but never say how but just show an income report, which by the way can be completely made up, giant red flag. I am not saying all are false I am saying the real ones will have more to it than that. You go girl *^_^*
I have worked in marketing communications professionally for my entire career, and for the past 4 years have had a health & fitness blog on the side. A HUGE thing I have noticed in the blogging world as of late, is that the ones who claim to be making big bucks at blogging are the ones primarily selling things TO OTHER BLOGGERS. Yep, everyone is blogging about how to make money at blogging! If this isn’t a house of cards, I don’t know what is.
I’m not counting on blogging in and of itself to get me anywhere near six figures. Frankly, that ship has sailed for those of us who started blogging late in the game. Those who got into it on the ground floor 7-10 years ago have been the real winners here. I’m not saying blogging is dead — far from it. But we need to be realistic about expectations. The market is now a) over-saturated; and b) things are changing, and not in your favor. A big example of detrimental change is the major social media channels hiding posts & charging for your content to be seen — a nail in the coffin for an awful lot of bloggers who rely on that traffic. Facebook was the first to do this and others are following suit. An example of over-saturation is the zillions of bloggers now competing on, say, Instagram for viewers’ and brands’ attention. Just how many cliched, over-filtered shots looking down at one’s #Nike #shoes while holding a #Starbucks does the public care to see? #Groan.
Perfect, Regina!! I have been around long enough now that I can admire a beautiful piece of copy writing without getting sucked in…but, as you said, when you are new you don’t know what you don’t know!
Really LOVED point 3…know your focus and if it isn’t addressing that (at the level you are at) then let it pass on by…even if it is only available for a minute and a half at 90% off the ridiculous price, not to mention the cabillion dollars worth of bonuses!! If you can’t use it RIGHT now you don’t need it right now.
I got very close to the inner workings of a couple of coaches using launches as their main business model. In addition to the faulty accounting you pointed out there is never anything said about the expenses…there are those who actually LOSE money on a ‘million’ dollar launch hoping the huge affiliate fees and awards will bring in more ‘big’ players for the next launch.
It’s an insane way to run a business, IMHO, and I opted out of that game FAST! Recovering my sense of balance as I realized I will put more money into my pocket with WAY less stress by charging a fair price and offering true value to clients instead of inflating the price to pay affiliates and the infrastructure for a ‘big’ launch.
XOXO
BOOM!
Hey, First time commenter, long time reader lol and fellow Texas resident. I love this. I see this all the time and it’s like, wait this seems too good to be true..because it is! Yes if you work really hard and find your focus and demographic I believe you can make a profitable online business or blog but you probably won’t do it using these over promising one size fits all courses. All you do is waste money and time AND lower your self esteem in the process. I am in the process of developing my first course and I want it to be affordable. It might be dumb to some but I’d rather help 10 people are $10 0bucks than 1 for a $1000 (that way if you have to give a refund you aren’t 100% down lol but just a thought)
YASSSS! This is such a great post and I love how real you are… I have taken a handful of free webinars, even paid for one, and after I paid for the one, I realized… half of this I can FIND ON THE INTERNET FOR FREE.
Honestly, there is no secret sauce. Do you want to know what the secret is? Hard work. Commitment. Enjoyment. Work hard, stay committed to your blog and enjoy what you do. I may not have thousands of pageviews a month yet, but I’m happy to have a tribe of readers that keep coming back.
Thanks for sharing!
PREACH! I’m a new blogger and if I see one more income report with disgustingly high numbers I’m going to throat punch someone. Go brag somewhere else. When you’re struggling and trying to celebrate every single subscriber or guest post, it’s a total downer.
Am I hoping to make anything that can pass for a decent income through blogging? Yes, one day years from now. But nothing you’re selling me is getting me there any quicker. Seems like at least once a week I sit through a free webinar that teaches you exactly nothing, but what course you need to buy that’s going to launch you into the blogosphere. They’re robbing many hardworking people of their joy.
If I believed this was anything other than a calling, I would have quit a long damn time ago. I’ve got no time for blogs that don’t actually care about their audiences. If you see dollar signs instead of people, it’s time to get out.
If you make six figures, kuddos to you but keep it under your hat. You aren’t the norm. You aren’t what most people can expect and if that’s the dream you’re selling, that’s false advertising.
I want the course that says, “Generate A Part-Time Income From Home In Three Years Through Blogging.”
It seems there are a lot of people selling how to get rich blogging courses. While some sites are definitely worthwhile and a lot of information is given on how to increase readership, write better social media etc, there are way to many that just sell courses and tell you how rich they are. The reason they make so much money is selling courses not by blogging. As the old saying goes, “those that can, do; those that can’t, tech”. I think there are a lot that can’t so they just sell courses.
This saying is offensive to every public school teacher in the world. I wish it would stop being used. Please also remember that Regina is a teacher, too. She does sell courses. She’s a good teacher. And she “can,” and “does.”
I am leveraging my 24 years of teaching experience to create online courses so that I can retire after 25 years. It’s not about “just selling courses.” It’s about being available to my family while I still have my health.
Gaaahhhh THANK YOU. This is so important – and that is actually a huge understatement. I think what I see the most with this (as a high-level VA) is people thinking that they can not only achieve these types of results in completely unrealistic time frames, but also having NO CONCEPT of what it is to invest in a business. As in, not only are the things these people are promising possible, but all you need is an old laptop and an internet connection to make it happen. In reality having an online, info-based business requires very minimal start-up compared to retail and/or brick-and-mortar, but that doesn’t mean you can get those results with zero.
I really love Melyssa Griffin though she has recently been publishing her huge income reports – it’s awesome she’s doing so well but I’ve worried what effect they’re going to have on her readers. However, she did something a few weeks ago which was FINALLY talk about CONVERSION RATES. And instead of just talking dollars and cents, laid out that converting 2% of your email list is a reasonable goal for most people, depending on the product/price/etc. I’ve been trying to explain that to my clients for months, that having a great product at $300 will likely not earn more than $1500 (if that) if your list is only at 200 people.
Yes!!!
I recently bought a $200 course from a blogger whose free content was extremely helpful to me as I’m trying to get out of debt. The course had one of those over-promising titles… Let’s say it was “Get $9,999 For Your Student Loans in 12 months” and enrollment would only be open for 7-days. However, because I tried and trusted the blogger’s free content, I went ahead and invested in the course, especially because it promised to help me make a specific amount of money per month (even in the first month) and save a specific amount per month to “put toward student loans” and there were a lot of awesome bonuses to go along with it. I figured I would make the money back that month and then some, as promised… It was too good to be true of course! Unfortunately after I had bought the course I realized that the blogger just packaged some a lot of the free content I had already taken in and resold it. They didn’t have anything new in the course to make it worthwhile. Because I had already put the aspects of their course into practice when it was free, there was nothing I could do to make or save extra money using their methods, and no way I would make my $9,999. That was upsetting! Thankfully they had a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee or your money back. That was my first time asking for a refund of that magnitude and I’m so glad I did – I had bills to pay!!
I learned my lesson.
I don’t knock that person for trying, I think their course would really benefit people, but they definitely went about it the wrong way and if I didn’t already know that they were okay, I would have definitely lumped them with some of the shady bloggers out there. Hopefully they do better in the future.
But I was just talking to my hubby about this topic and telling him how you (Regina) are one of the few people in this niche who I 120% trust because I can tell who legitimately wants to help people and who just wants to make money. (AND I am realizing there are people who care, but are learning from the shady ones! That’s why I recommend you to literally EVERYONE I know who wants to do online business/blogging.) Thank you for consistently giving epic actionable content and for TRULY caring about people.
And as I’m building my own brand, I recall an exercise that you suggested in one of your amazing FREE workshops… You had us think about our favorite brands and WHY they are our favorite. I answered that question and also added every detail I could think of that would make me want to stick with a blogger or brand long-term. You also had us think about things we dislike and a lot of what I dislike are things you wrote in this post! I put all of this. in a document that I often look back to while I’m working on my brand so that I never forget how my favorite brands made me feel empowered and made things accessible, actionable, and easy for me to understand. I also add to it every so often. Thank you for giving me a simple tool to never forget “where I came from” as a consumer starting my own business from scratch.
You’re seriously the BEST!
Thank you for this. I signed up for a course in December. I was easy prey. We were almost out of money and they were implying that everyone they helped made 3000 by 3 months. Looking back I admit it wasn’t a guarantee but I took it as gospel. I spent most of the business money I had left plus a major portion of our grocery money that month because they acted like it was urgent and they might not have the class again any time soon. Not only has my my income NOT increased but I religiously followed their advice and took on more expenses for things I “needed” to be successful. My expenses are now 600 a month with income coming in as less. My two. Logs are now at risk and probably only have another month to make it. The thing is that the bloggers are reputable but now I am stepping back and realizing that I was foolish. If they were making 6 figures then why would they have to prey on people who aren’t even breaking even yet? If they are so down to earth as they project then why do they need more and more income. When is it enough? I pray IF I ever do well that I am not so greedy. I pray that I never seek to make money from fellow bloggers rather than just be helpful. Apparently when the 6 figures start coming in you forget what it was to be struggling just to pay your hosting fees.I will never be taken in again. One of the first signs to me of a person whose sole purpose is to make money at the expense of others is that they use Convert kit. It is not the only sign but it is a major one.
Sorry I was on my phone and it changes the words sometimes. That should say my two blogs.
This post is everything I’ve been needing to hear! I’m always hunting for the latest blog tips and tricks, and I always see bloggers (who blog about blogging, which is not the same as blogging about fashion and lifestyle, like I do) promoting their “How to Make 6 Figures Blogging” courses. And of course, like you said, these courses cost insane amounts of money. It’s so refreshing to see you pull back the curtain and be real about this trend in the blogging world right now! I’ve had many of these thoughts your wrote about before too, and it’s nice to see such a successful blogger recognize and be transparent about this!
http://theblondechiffon.com
Thank you so much! This post has been everything I’ve needed to hear. I’m currently trying to leave my job and pursue an online business full time, and having been in the consultant hustle for years without coming anywhere near 6 figures, I was starting to feel like I was just doing it wrong. Hearing that yes, it’s HARD and no, it’s not possible to just launch a 6 figure course without launching several flops first is really reassuring.
Reality check appreciated!
WHEN. I. TELL. YOU. THIS. IS. EVERYTHING!!!! It’s EVERYTHING!!!
About 6-7 years ago, I went to a workshop on “affiliate marketing” by this internet “guru”. He and his wife took a liking to me and asked me to come work for them. I thought, “Sure! Get paid and also learn to do what they are doing, AWESOME!” I would travel with them across the country seeing them do workshop after workshop. I physically saw theM swipe $90,000 + in a single weekend, week after week. I have even swiped thousands of dollars for them. I got to see it all, because I tracked daily sales. (actual cash received and upcoming payments for payment plans)
I remember thinking that he, “the speaker guru”, was always speeding through his content. He had tons of screen shots about his earnings. When I asked them if they could slow down because people always complained that they moved to fast, he and his wife told me that their speed was intentional. That if people wanted the info, they would have to sign up for the $2997 or $5997 package or event their $20,000 personal “done for you” package. And so people did.
Some of these people it was their last. Some were clearing out savings accounts, or retirement accounts with the hope to make more money. People were maxing out credit cars and even taking out loans.
Then one day, I realized, that this husband and wife team made most of their money from “teaching” than actually doing the stuff they were teaching. It made me sick. They were having multiple “6 figure months” and they KNEW they weren’t giving value during these workshops. 75% of these 3 day workshops (that were $47 dollars) was emotional motivation and “soft selling”, 5-10% was story telling and ad-libs and the rest was actual actionable content.
I eventually quit to do my own thing and after a year of traveling with them and them teaching me “everything they knew”, I still could not duplicate, let alone come close to their “results”.
Unfortunately, they are now divorced. The sued each other like crazy for all of the different bank accounts. Several of their previous students sued them and the husband disappeared off of the scene for years.
The wife still travels the world teaching “Internet Marketing”, but just not in the US.
I will never forget the faces of the people who were so full of hope and risking everything for a chance at a new way of life, only to no avail.
So thank you for this post. And ever since my time with that couple I have always been a “hard sell”.
You, Regick, have been the first person, that I have purchased from since my time with them. I have opted into many lists, watched countless webinars, downloaded hundreds of ebooks, but you homegirl, are the only one who has gotten actual coins out of my pockets. LOL And I have NEVER had buyer’s remorse with anything I have received from you, free or paid.
Thanks for keeping it Real!
Chef Evelyn
OBSESSED with this. I recently blogged about why, as a publicist, I don’t pitch bloggers. Not every person with a blog is an influencer who deserves payment. Some, yes. Most, no. Well, many did not like it. One person even asked me to take it down. Puh-lease! GREAT BLOG and so true!
Woah. That is some dose of real. After months of frustration following these six figure miracle makers ( thats what I call them) I started unfollowing the email lists.
Though on the part of sharing income reports, I feel Pat Flynn is doing a phenomenal job on his website smartpassiveincome.com . I love how he breaks down everything and that too comparatively.
Pat Flynn is one of my all-time favorites. I also love that the majority of his money is not from a course that teaches other people how to make money right now, Ankit.
I agree with you 100%. He’s truly helpful and concerned with others.
Regina, thank you so much for having integrity!
This, this is why we love you so much. And this is why, when my blog is FINALLY making enough money for me to invest dollars in, I will come to you.
Thank you for acknowledging that there are different kinds of investment, including time, and never once making me feel guilty for not “investing” in my blog because a $1,000 course isn’t in my budget.
When it is, I won’t forgot who got me there with incredible free advice.
Thank you, thank you, thank you,
It is so misleading to market your “projected” sales as actual. I always thought that was shady. Like dude, you do have 500k in your PayPal account. Those sales have not actualized. Be upfront: I am projecting…..
Side bar: I flatlined at “This price will only be good for 30 minutes.” But like, why? Why would you only give a grown adult with responsibilities 2 seconds to make a $500 decision. Get a life.” TOO FUNNY Regick ??
This post was gold. I cannot deal with all of these get rich quick courses. It’s all too much for me and makes me a little more choosy with who’s courses I am willing to shell out my money for.
xoxo, Jenny
This is exactly what I needed to read today. I’ve been inundated with these posts/titles lately, and, while I’d love to make money from my blog, many of the things they suggest are not realistic for me. I work full-time outside of the home and spending $1000 on a bullshit webinar is not beneficial to me and my life.
I was seriously venting about this just the other day. I was on a webinar that ticked ALL these boxes. I definitely learned some stuff, but the pressure tactics were off the chart – and really icked me out. I lost so much respect for the lady.
What’s more, she opened with the promise of this really cool sounding cheat sheet that you ‘had to stay to the end of the webinar’ to get a hold of. Ok, I stayed and it sounded like a valuable freebie… until at the end you find out it’s only available if you sign up to her $1000+ course in the next 15 minutes. It was definitely positioned as a freebie for attending the webinar… it just felt so shady and like a big disappointment. So totally NOT things I want associated with my brand!
Thanks for this really timely post, Regina. As someone about to do her first Webinar in a couple of weeks, this was a wonderful reminder to treat my peeps as respected humans who will buy from me when they respect and know me, and when what I’m doing has real worth to them – not because I slime them into it. <3
Loved this post! About time someone ACTUALLY wrote about it – and am I not glad that you DID :). I see ads such as what you have mentioned pop up on my Facebook timeline every now and then and I have often wondered if it was really, really possible! In fact, I recently saw a post about a webinar (something like how I went from living in an RV to earning X dollars) in Instagram. I mean, I work really hard to write up a meaningful blog post which can be of help to a small business owner looking for info on online marketing and then I see an ad trying to teach the same person the same thing along with a false promise of making a 6 or a 7 figure income in like 30 days or so. It is very disappointing! And then it also makes you question your values (and maybe even your content). Thanks for sharing your insights!
Love, love, love this post! I’ve been discussing this very topic with one of my mastermind buddies as I am sooo over it.
One of the biggest income streams for some of these 6 figure guru’s is affiliate marketing. Have you noticed how they mention their buddies or dear friends? And funny enough, the dear friend just so happens to be selling some product which you must buy through an affiliate link?
Or have you noticed how many of them had ties or worked in the online or marketing industry before branching out on their own? Meaning that they had a foot in the door and had existing connections so they were already ten steps ahead of you when they started out. I mean we all know how powerful it is to get a shout out from a “famous blogger”.
And many of these guru’s left successful 6 figure jobs or businesses before venturing out on their own, so most likely had some savings to fall back on and to spend on the business.
So thank you for writing about something I’ve been contemplating for a while now!
Girl. YES.
Everyone else has already made my comments, so I’ll just leave it at that.
YES. And THANK YOU.
I appreciate your unapologetic honesty, Regina. It really is easy to get sucked in, to let (often inaccurate) statistics make you feel inadequate. It’s good to hear someone with plenty of experience talking such excellent good sense. Go you!
Thank you! It’s been driving me crazy lately.
I actually used to like some of these bloggers, but then success started going to their head. They started talking about their “haters” (really?) in their posts. They don’t have specific information, and they demand that you charge at least $100 for every ebook you sell. A couple have courses claiming to get you $1000, which they’re now selling for over $200. The reasoning being that after $1000 it will be so much easier to make more.
There are a couple that I still trust, and have earmarked their big ticket courses for when I’m ready (I’m not, and they make it clear that it might not be the right thing for you right now). But every day lately I’ve been rolling my eyes with every email I get from the others.
Also, one in particular loves to talk about how they did everything themself, learned it all on their own. But right before they exploded on the scene they were a featured testimonial for someone else. So one of them is being dishonest.
Thank you for this!! I LOVE the honesty and I’m so glad people are talking about this now.
Hey Regina,
What a great post and it was straight to the point. I fell for this trend quite a few times leaving me in frustration and confused. But I widened up by focusing on the right things and the right people. I’m not making the money I want but at least I have a better outlook of making money online and associating with great people.
Thanks for sharing! Have a good one!
Thank you for saying this! I’ve purchased two courses in my month and a half of blogging, one of which was Melyssa’s Pinfinte Growth, but only after I devoured much of the free content from both and used some of their advice and was seeing positive results. But the “how I made six figures in my first six months of blogging” always bug me. Of course I would LOVE to make that much, but know that it’s going to take a lot of work and time to even have the chance to get there.
PS. It was your blog and Melyssa’s that finally gave me enough confidence to start my blog!
I would say that by the response this post has received you chose a very good topic to discuss… Regina you seem to have your finger on the pulse of what we want to hear so if you have something you want to talk to us about NEVER hesitate… We love you girl!
Thank you SO much! This article popped up at just the right time for me. I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by all of the Facebook hyped up ads. Your refreshing perspective is SO appreciated. I look forward to catching up on your other content 🙂
Regina…THANK YOU! As a brand new blogger it is great to read that there are still fellow entrepreneurs looking out for one another. I can’t thank you enough for sharing an honest and unbiased opinion on this topic. Many of us can be blinded by these “great” promises made by people that didn’t achieve their success overnight, yet claim they can help you do so.
Although I definitely want my blog (barely launched this month!) to supplement my income and become my full time gig, I am fully aware that this will take hard work and dedication…and even then there’s a risk of failure, but if you never try, you’ll never know.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am getting sick to death of the bogus ads filling my FB feed promising me millions of bucks if I just sign up to their webinar. Tired of the pearls and gowns at the cafe in Paris. I mean seriously!? Who the hell wears pearls and long ball gown to have tea at Cafe? Or I saw one feed bragging about what kind of car she just custom ordered and wouldn’t you want to do that too? You get the picture.
It’s nice to read that I’m not the only one who finds these ads disingenuous, misleading and completely false.
Thank you for this! I’m a newbie blogger who started at the beginning of the year and although I love the income reports because I am amazed by them, they are also super intimidating! I actually started my own traffic/income from a newbie blogger to bring it down a couple (more like thousands!) of notches. I love this post!
Thank you SO much for this article and keeping it real!
I feel more and more bloggers are lately following the webinar-bandwagon which is absolutely legit but a few months ago I attend one which as free and seriously I’m very amused how you can stretch 45 min for something which I could explain in one sentence. Have to admit that this webinar was a bit disappointing in terms of informations. Of course I didn’t expect too much but in general it was too much of promoting of a webinar where people have to pay. After this I’m having trust issues with certain type of bloggers and their webinars.
I’m glad someone is finally speaking out what (some) people are thinking!
Regina! Rock on. I have no idea how I found you but I’m so glad I did. I’ve been irritated with these things since they were first a thing – back in 2003/4! OY. In that time I’ve fallen for it and then been even more ticked off for doing so.
Frankly, I’d “sit” right next to you in the “How I made a decent living after 7 years of trying to be everything to everyone and follow BS guru rules!”
Keep up the great work, you’re delightful!
Oh man! This is where it’s at Regick! I’ve been an off and on blogger for several years and things like this always made me feel like I was the one person who didn’t have it together. Now that I’m seriously committing to getting my blog/writing off the ground, this post was a fresh breeze. I needed to read it. Thanks for your honesty and your boldness.
THANK – YOU!!! Well, said!! The newest trend is so disheartening …this whole “watch my webinar of me sharing this amazing secret stuff {that you could google and find within 5 seconds}, so that at the end of the hour long session of BS, I can con you out of thousands of dollars on my newest course that will make YOU the next millionaire in 6 weeks!!!” NO Thanks!!!
Stick with Regina and she will give you much more valuable information than you could ever hope to learn.. 🙂
Toodles, Candace
Pixel26.com
I actually dropped a lot of blogs because I was so tired of this kind of language and attitude. I even dropped out of a blog group on Facebook for entrepreneurs. I just began to feel as though money and building email lists was becoming more important than actually helping people, even if and when the members would say, “Well, it’s about helping people,” and all that jazz.
I’m also autistic, so the stuff that is common sense for allistic people is learned for me. That passive-aggressive language on sales pages about the appropriate types of communication (e.g. eye contact, no stuttering, verbalization) is limiting and ridiculous and insulting, and it’s obvious they’re not marketing to me or people like me, but a limited amount of people who fit their checklist of what is and isn’t acceptable, and it’s demeaning. It’s not as bad as, say, when I’m reading a sales page and considering buying something, but then see a list of reasons the product might not be for me: You don’t care about making your clients feel loved, you don’t want to make more money, you avoid video at all cost…
It’s just very limiting and not at all inclusive. I’m already annoyed at the 500 words on sales pages related to emotion; I want the facts, because those are what I use to make a decision. There’s actually a thread regarding selling to autistics on various autistic-based communities—it’s not just me.
There are a few who aren’t limiting, though. The people with the transcripts for audio stuff are awesome, and those willing to provide their services via email are amazeballs. Is it harder for them? I imagine so. But it’s a learning experience on their end, too, in that they may learn how to be more inclusive in/with their future services.
I like reading income reports, but I really only read POY’s, because it’s most helpful to me. Other reports feel really fake and superficial, and I just can’t stand them.
When/If I ever become comforting with sharing mine, well…it will be a mix of various income reports I’ve seen—format, information, listing, etc.—because I sometimes feel like bloggers deliberately make it difficult to understand their income reports, so they can highlight the bigger numbers.
I’m sorry to hear you feel excluded like that! My own-name website will be about inclusion of everyone (I’m an intersectional feminist who believes ableist and mentalist language should die a quick death yesterday) when I’m ready to offer my services. I have roots in acience and medicine, am passionate about preventive and integrative medicine as well as simplifying life in general, all of which I hope will shine through everything that I do. We aren’t all bad out there 🙂 All the best and good luck with growing your business!
I totally know what you mean about some Facebook groups/entrepreneurs seemingly placing more value on making money than on providing actual value for clients. It’s sad and obviously shows their motivation is more profit-oriented than results-based.
And what you said regarding benefits vs features when you make a purchasing decision is spot on, I’m the same! I want to know both what I’m getting and how it will benefit me before I buy something.
Thank you for this post, I’m new to blogging and its taken me a long time to figure out exactly what your post covers.
I do believe in some investing for learning and there are some genuine awesome people out there that do help others through their courses. But it’s exactly as you say – they’re not the ones that get you in on hype and pressure and they offer a lot of free content and help, giving you time to get to “know” & trust them.
As silly as it may seem, it’s taken ages to figure out the differences between the genuine & those who use pushy, pressured selling to buy within a short time frame or sign up to an email list that continually sells sells sells or go to a webinar that sells something for an hour. The latter are not interested in helping you, they’re in it for themselves.
The genuine want to help & they offer more.
If someone else new to blogging reads your post first it’ll save them a lot of time and disillusionment.
Regina, you are such a game changer. I really believe you have shifted the tone and emphasis for online business. I love the way you encourage us to create a business we love that is truly centered on service and loving our customers.
Yeah, we often hear from entrepreneurs who claim they’re running a heart-driven” business, but the tone of their emails and blog posts lean more toward the 6-figure mantra and out-and-out manipulation.
Thanks for helping us to recalibrate and get back to what really matters in our businesses! xoxoxo
Man, this is so timely Regina! It so difficult to navigate the blogging world and the many sales pitches. I have struggled because, and its so easy to think you are failing. I appreciate this post.
You are preaching to the choir! Thank you for being so candid. I’ve sat through a few webinars only to be led to a pitch for a $2,000 coaching package. It’s obvious these coaches or bloggers don’t make an attempt to be authentic.
I’m a psychology instructor and I know the game of getting people to act out of desperation offering “limited time only” packages.
You are dead on in regards to not buying products or services you don’t need. It takes a long time to earn a lot of money and those who have quicker returns are working extremely hard.
I’m getting annoyed by the overwhelming number of blogs about how to make money blogging or listing work from home gigs. Some bloggers start out writing about finance, parenting, or health and eventually they start sounding like everyone else.
I signed up for my first paid blogging class last week. (I’ve been blogging since Jan. 2015.) I had many of the same thoughts that you have listed before, but this class is something that I think can really help me. The blogger is in travel and fashion, which is my niche except I try to make both topics as sustainable as possible. She was also not shy about saying how many years it has taken her to get to her position. I am not afraid of hard work, so here’s hoping for the best.
Lol, well, bookkeeping certainly is creative when there is no mentioning of taxes to pay for services or goods sold. And chances are many of these entrepreneurs don’t even sell legally to EU customers anymore, since as per 1.1.2015 both EU- and non-EU citizens need to do the whole VAT MOSS thing. I have yet to see a single blogger of this crowd talk about that nuisance. Thank you for an eloquent post, Regina! It is much appreciated.
You’re seriously inspiring, and perhaps the most real person on the interwebs. I’m disgusted by those who share my title, or what I feel my “business” is in terms of self-help, entrepreneurial wizardry, etc. But, they’ve also taught me what I DON’T want to be like. You help me understand what I DO want to be like. 🙂 Kudos, gurlfren.
Great Great Insight Regina and love your candor…
I will say, I have to stand in and address that I lead with the 6 Figure Entrepreneur Mindset, because I speak to an audience of people who want to create successful 6 Figure Careers in the Online Marketing Industry, who were near that in their Offline careers as I was as a Real Estate Agent.
However, I speak Truth.. I speak what most people never will and I share insight on what it really takes to win. So although there are those that use catchy copy to sell wooden nickels, there are those of us who use Catchy Copy to really show what we’re about when it comes to our teachings!
I get it… there are tons of people speaking illusions in their messages, but I must stand up for those of us who do use copy to attract OUR TRIBE while providing them with powerful and profitable insight on the backend! And OUR TRIBE happens to be those that want to WIN BIG in their businesses beyond treating it like a hobby!
Thanks for standing up for your truth!
Love this insight…
Signed…
Someone that truly believes in Building 6 Figure Businesses Online!
I must say however, I know what you mean when you feel like a failure when you don’t hit certain numbers. I’m shifting industries, so I’m going from a high 5 figure month earnings to starting from scratch, and when you set ambitious goals “starting out” to even hit 5 Figures… to your peers, it can sound like poverty…
LOL.. I totally get what you’re saying!
lesteYES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just had this conversation with my husband last night, that making $8,000 one month doesn’t make you a 6 figure earner, talk to me when you have made that for 10 years in a row not missing a month! Fools! Then the cheap psychology tricks they use on people make me literally SICK as a Psychology Major… and really, you know not every person is uneducated enough to fall for this “6 figure” crap (although sadly many are). I picked all this apart and was brand spanking new to this genre of employment… It broke my heart to see “leaders” behaving like this. I will personally put my money where the value is, where hard working fair people are, like you Regina. Thank you.
Well dang, girl!!! You dun dropped the mic!!!!
Thanks so much for calling out this B.S. selling technique taking over the internets.
There is one, in particular, who is reeling many desperate people in with this tactic. I very much appreciate you taking the time to actually give us tips on the type of questions we should be asking ourselves (and the sellers of these webinars/course) before we spend our money.
I can’t tell you how many times I have gone through a free webinar or read a blog post and wondered how many of the students that have bought these courses are actually making these 6 figure incomes (or even 5 figures). Dozens (maybe hundreds) of people spend on these courses but I have always noticed that the 6-figure income gurus aren’t telling us about the many 6-figure success stories that should be produced from people buying these expensive courses.
Regina, please continue to be a champion for us. I’m in the process of pruning my email of webinar and blogging experts (I just have too many clogging up my email inbox). You definitely are the one that I will continue to subscribe to and support.
Oh, I hope we get to see your new blog soon, sounds like another gem in the making.
thank, Regina!
I needed to read a real post like this.
I read the email and the blog post and full.
And trust me, it helps!
Keep on the good work!
I did not trust reports with no screenshots.
(I did not know, but…) I joined the internet cult! I am leaving now… On my ways to make some changes on my website… Being real and proud of my content when they help!
Dear Regina, It’s not very often that I make comments to posts because I’ve yet to find other people who have a similar business philosophy as my own, but I must say that I’m so pleased that you have taken this step in shedding light on what I also believe discourages so many new entrepreneurs in the beginning phase. To be made to think that by making anything less than 6-figures somehow equates “failure” is deplorable, to say the least. I’ve been an entrepreneur for five years now (www.liyahamorepublishing.com), and the most I’ve made in a year was at the lower, 5-figure range. And while that figure was half of what I made when I worked a traditional job, that smaller figure (and its accompanied entrepreneurial freedom) allowed me to be a stay at home mother and to create a lasting legacy for me and my daughter. I can’t put a price tag on that. And while I look forward to the day when I generate more money, that desire will never take away from my passion for building this legacy for my daughter. So, thank you, again!
Loved this post, Regina. I recently launched my blog and continue to explore monetization strategies. You’ve provided some great “buyer beware” guidance. Thank you for always keeping it real!
Loved this post!
Well done and very strong 😉
I am SOOOO glad someone has finally said it! Finally got real about the enticing greed that circles this industry. I think that the most important thing about starting an online business is that you have something that NEEDS to be shared – not that you have something that needs to make money!
Beware of the vultures!
Thanks for keeping it 1000 Regina! It does take a lot of hardwork, I have a full-time demanding corporate job, it will not be easy to go from 0 to 100K in a year when I have to work 14 hour days. I totally understand that, so I don’t allow the sales tactics to deter me, I am on my own journey.
: insert Barack Obama’s drop mic moment here::
This was a necessary and encouraging post Regina. Thank you for being the best in the business with ethics and class. We love you!
Thank you! I am exhausted from it. I quit free webinars a month or two ago and only lead from the heart now. Sure, I need advisement here and there but I found people like you, Regina, who offer solid information on what I need to learn. Let’s keep talking about this! You’re wonderful.
I am also done with free webinars. I feel ya.
Wow. Insanely genuine post. Thank you for the honesty. I’m very interested to see the new project you’re working on!
I needed this. I thought I was just being cynical about a course I decided to purchase from a “6 figure blogger.” It is helpful, but overpriced for sure. I learned that said blogger actually had 5+ years blogging, but the current blog was about a year old. It was very misleading, and even though the course has been informative.. I won’t be purchasing anything from that blog again. Another blogger that I truly adore worked with the “6 figure blogger” so I was a little too trusting. Lesson learned.
Finally someone who had the brass balls in her panties to say what I think soooooooooooooooooooo many of us webpreneurs and webpreneur wannabes have all been thinking. Thank you Regina for telling it like it is and putting out this word of caution. Far too many people are know are spending a crap ton of money on false promises and then crying that they aren’t millionaires yet. Well, maybe it’s because they didn’t do the work and simply expected a dream life. Ugh!
I’m officially following this blog for like EVER now and even though I’ve been a blogger since 2009 I just signed up for your free blogging course because you clearly have some insight I want to be schooled in. Can’t wait to read more of what you have to say!
I think I’m a bit late to the post but this sentence is so spot on! > “most people I have EVER met in my life that care about owning their own business are like I was, they just want to make a decent living doing something they love. They don’t need to make $83K next month.” I mean the whole post is great and the way you word your thoughts is so good. I just thought tha part spoke to me, because I don’t have a business yet, but I want to and what I’m looking for in terms of income is to make enough for me to live my life without having to worry about money.
Another thing to mention: I was reading the comments section, and a particular comment about a gardening blog had so much positive response and advice, and I was like “Yeah, this is what the blogging community is about! “. Thank you for sharing!
The truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth! Thank you for this raw, real and authentic post. I have never been jazzed by many of the income reports…I want to be wowed and inspired by the realness of building am impactful AND profitable business. I truly believe that when the focus is on the impact…and with guidance and support from awesome people like you Regina, the profits will flow.
Muchas gracias again. Keep coming with the realness!
“But like, why? Why would you only give a grown adult with responsibilities 2 seconds to make a $500 decision. Get a life.”
LOL! You are too funny. Pressure sales are the worst!
I remember reading a post from Sabrina at JustOneWayTicket.com a long time ago. She said something like, “Does anyone see the irony in a blogger selling a e-book titled “How I make money as a Blogger”? Of course these people are making a ton of money… They charge a ton of money on their course on how to make a ton of money.
Thank you for your post!
Regina, I LOVED this post and you are SO BRAVE to write it! (seriously!) A lot of us think about this stuff and are frustrated by it, but are also a bit nervous to speak up!
And, shame on me, the numbers thing sucks me in sometimes! It’s tempting to write a headline that gets attention, but Ima go with my heart more often on this one.
I’ve been debating including income reports on my site, but I really am torn. As you said, here’s the thing: I’m now making a nice income from my online business, but what people don’t see are the two years I spent making ZERO – nothing, nada, zilch… working so hard, just helping how I could and building a community, and finally… things started to take off and now it feels like the sky’s the limit.
But those two years of nothingness…. I do think some version of that is the truth in each of our stories. Courses can be great and helpful, but no course can do the work for you, and no course can perfectly shortcut all the hard-earned business wisdom you get just from doing. And waking up, and doing some more.
And yeah… can we just agree that most courses over $1K are just simply not worth it. They just are not. I just cannot justify that. (And I’ve taken one for $2K and thought, yep… not worth it, but the bonus live event will be fun!)
I’m so tired of hearing that you should price your stuff as “high as the market will bear” That’s called being a crappy jerk. I think you should price your products fairly and not expect people to pay 5x as much just because they will.
I love this post. I only started blogging back in Feb and I felt like everywhere I looked there were all these get rich quick schemes. I’m a natural cynic, but even so they were annoying me.
So refreshing to read your take on the whole thing Regina. One thing that has really amazed me is how many people are making a living out of teaching other people to make a living out of blogging. I can definitely see the irony in that one.
Onwards and upwards!! Now about my ‘Make £100,000,000 in just five easy steps’ Seminar Series….. Only kidding 🙂
Hey I’m new to blogging too, and just so I don’t waste my time can anyone name (and shame ?) these dodgy operators so I know to avoid them?? (Regina I respect that you don’t want to but maybe someone else in this thread?)
Regina, I really like your style. Sometimes I really feel all those bloggers out there being extremely hypocrite and misleading. They all started with nothing and know how hard is to emerge on the blogging surface.
I personally would never go for those scamming blog courses, but really appreciate your honesty here.
Take care! x
Veronika
hi Regina,
thank you so much for writing about this.
I’ve been into internet marketing since january of 2012 and in those 4 years i’ve learned so much.
especially how it’s not been done. Back then, i’ve found some internet marketing course that was some sort of pyramid/mlm scam. Although the topics that were in it were ok. Those promisses are always too good to be true.
So after 3 months i quit with that course, but never stopped looking into internet marketing. But back then it wasn’t all about blogging. It was like:
1.. Create a product
2. Create a salespage
3. Start selling
But who in the world would want to buy my product if they didn’t even know me, right?
since september of 2014 i got hooked to the principles of blogging. How to put yourself out there and be there for people who need your knowledge.
So i’m loving what you’re doing here
I think it’s also a problem of the market, question and demand. we’re used to working fulltime at a dayjob and pay the bills. And if we’re lucky, we get to save up some money for vacation or for the children to go to school.
So those fake 6 figure promisses only work, because we’re sensitive to them.
It’s the same with the movie The social network.
Becasue we see some kid create facebook and becomes a millionaire, we want the same thing.
I don’t believe in becoming a millionaire, i believe in building an online business that based on the things you love. You don’t 6 figures to become happy.
When you’re having your business that makes money to pay your bills and you get to take more then enough money home, that’s all it matters, right?
For example, i live in the netherlands right now and my wife lives in thailand.
So to be able to move there permanent, i’m building an online business that makes us enough money to live of. And we can go on holiday to the netherlands when we want. That’s a far more realistic goal to achieve. I don’t need a $100k a year for that
I think, when building a business you should focus more on the things that actually makes you happy. And that’s not the money, but the things you would like to achieve with it.
I’m following you here. so keep up the great work.
xoxo chris
This is some of the realist stuff I’ve read in a long time…I am so close to unfollowing these webinar entrepreneurs because they always seem to be in launch mode…some content fluff followed by their next 6 figure or even 7 figure course…I’m not knocking their hustle. I just can’t be caught in it…I am especially glad that I’ve started getting some clarity on what it is I want to do with my blog which is let it be the free content for the internet world and start a coaching business helping young women get out of debt…which means I need to focus and I think I will be unsubscribing from those 7 figure peeps…asap…
These comments are amazing! This shows that emphasis on making a six-figure-hype was on a lot of persons minds.
I also want to jump in and thank you for this post. I’m new to the blogging world (have a blog as part of my coaching business) and so turned off of all of these online entrepreneurs aggressively pushing their false promises. I’ve researched a bunch of them and they appear to have no expertise other than their own claims to making a fortune and endorsements by their friends (who are also pushing false promises). I was taken in by a few courses but now regret paying the money for those as I feel most of them are just stuff I could have gotten off of the Internet. Oh well, live and learn…..I’ve pretty much gone back to my original plan of just writing posts to inform and help people in need, and organically developing relationships and partnerships. It’s old school but it’s ethical and it works…
YES YES YES! Thank you. I’ve been reading a LOT of blogs lately because I want to start taking my blog seriously again. And this seems to be a serious theme among many of them. I keep hurting myself rolling my eyes so much!
You have so many good thoughts & points in this article! The truth is that not EVERY blogging topic is a 6 figure idea not matter how hard you are willing to work & nothing will teach you enough to make it one. So no one can promise that & if they do they full of shit.
Goals – reachable & realistic FTW!
You hit the nail on the, most are not actually making money from blogging but from pyramid type hustles and pressure selling useless or readily available information. It’s so shady and taking advantage of often vulnerable people.
I love your honesty!
I recently finished a course that the creators were charging $99 for. I thought it was a fair price given there were actually two complete courses on information that I was wanting to learn about from two bloggers who were members of a group I’m involved in. The courses were step-by-step, this is how and why I do it this way. It also contained lessons on how to do things that I hadn’t been able to find anywhere else. I felt they have provided real value.
However, the course(s) must have been really popular or perhaps they were just testing the waters with their first offer, because they have just offered it again but now are charging $249 for the very same information. Would I buy again at this higher price… no way! But let’s say I was making the decision all over again and did buy the course for the $249. I would be asking for my money back!
I think they are good people, but they’ve bought into this idea that you can make 1000s of dollars if you hype yourself enough and charge outrageous prices. I understand the concept of charge what the market will bare, but I also believe in… charge what is fair.
Thank you for this!! #2 is my biggest pet peeve. It seems like every blog post I read about how to make really big money blogging is done by a blogger who has made all of their money… well, by selling resources on how to make money blogging. It’s such a weird thing and totally not relevant to me at all.
Spot on!!!
I am so tired of the bombardment of emails offering the “quick six figures” – UGH! You hit the nail on the proverbial scam marketer’s head!
I have worked on my writing business for years and while the money is not always there, I can sleep at night knowing I have held my business practices to my own moral and ethical standards.
I participated in a webinar last year featuring an author who had made a lot of money selling Kindles. The webinar was great – lots of good questions and a positive energy was motivating. Then. It. Happened. The unexpected yet ever so in-your-face SALES PITCH. It went on and on. It was for his course on how to duplicate what he had done. It was amazing the people who just signed up on the spot!
Tempted? Yes, I was…to a point. He had raised issues in the publishing process I was intimately familiar with as a published author. I got it. I did. I just could not swallow the cost.
My husband (who was listening by default – he was in the same room) said while the webinar was informational, I had enough of my own experience writing and publishing to just self-publish on my own. Since I’ve been working with clients for their marketing/website content/social media, he said save the money and use it toward getting more of my own books published. He was right.
While I am still working on several books to publish, I know in the end I did the right thing (for myself, my family, my business, and my conscience) by not giving in to peer pressure and a carrot dangling money in front of me.
Thank you for your bluntness. It is certainly needed on this topic.
~Adrienne
Your honesty is beyond appreciated. I’m just starting to get my blog growing and it’s quite hard not to fall in the traps promising to increase your readers and make tons of money. I just want to help people through my writing and solve any issues they may be having in multiple areas of life. I want to be successful and profitable but not if I have to trick people in the process.
Thank you so much for the honesty!! As a new blogger these claims seemed so unrealistic it’s refreshing to read your post. I’m now a loyal follower??
This is easily my favorite post ever on the internet. Girl… preach! I get so annoyed by the bloggers out there who make so many promises that they obviously cannot deliver on.
I took a course several months back – a blogging acquaintance was running it and only charging $15. I like her blog and I like her as a general person, so I checked it out.
The entire course basically told me I was doing all sorts of things wrong and that no one cares about my content. Well, my audience says otherwise. Ha! It was contradictory. She would tell us we shouldn’t do one thing and ultimately show that that’s exactly what she was doing on her own blog… or that some other famous blogger was doing it. Complete waste of $15… and thankfully only $15.
This article really helped me after having read thousands of posts, articles, and income reports in order to research the process of starting a blog and how to do it successfully. After a while you don’t really believe the numbers that are posted per say, but you start forming averages in your mind and lose track of what is realistic because you are seeing and hearing the same or similar things over and over again. After a while, it starts to become the norm until an article like this one brings you back to earth and helps you adjust your perspective to reality. It helped me identify more realistic expectations./ Thank you
I don’t usually comment on any blog but yours is an exception.
It happened to me recently that I really want to enroll in these “30 days” 0 to 100K course 😀
LOL. Thank you for posting this article.
Ugh, Regina. You’re the best. Yours was one of the first how-to-blog blogs that I found and has always been the one that conveyed the most (and most personable) voice and I never feel like I have to have my guard up when I’m reading your material. You’re also one of only two creatives that have been able to sell me anything (I subscribed to your blog-in-print).
Love this post. I came across maybe the same $2k+ blog program a few days ago and did a little googling before finding someone else who was just as well-regarded and whose audiobook I was able to download for like $5 instead. Great advice you gave about poring over all the free stuff first 🙂
I’m about a month away from my blog launch. Couldn’t be more excited!
Thank you Regina for clearing that up for me.
Unfortunately, I was one of the many believers and thought that those kinds of posts were another reason why I needed to stop dragging my feet on creating my own blog. ?
I feel a little stupid for falling for it, but I’m not discouraged. ? I’ve been wanting to create my own blog for the longest and just didn’t know how to go about it. Reading those types of posts inspired me to work harder but, I wasn’t sure where to start.
Since I’ve found your blog recently, I’ve seen that you inform and teach your audience. So far, I have a lot of homework from you but I feel more informed and we’ll equipped to set up my own blogging business. ?
Anyway, thanks again! I appreciate your honesty and all the help you’ve provided me so far. ?
Thank you so much for your honesty. So refreshing! I’ve always wondered about these “6 figure” bloggers and while it’s great they are making that kind of income, I really didn’t think some of their claims were realistic for everyone.
I know I may be late but I absolutely loved reading this article. This is the realest piece of information out her for bloggers just starting out or needing some tips on how to get more success. I just started to relaunch my diy blog RevampMaven and for months I have been researching like crazy person trying to find tips on what I need to do to gain readers, followers, and the right way to monetize my blog. I can’t tell you how many traps are out here with someone ridiculously over promising success with no content or proof of following to back it up.
I will be launching my blog 9/19/16 and the progress I have made by doing common sense strategies or staying consistent has shown me that I didn’t need to spend $1000 to learn how to launch.
Anyways thanks again for keeping it real and sharing this straight forward content.
Preach, Regina! 😄 Any time I see a workshop, ebook, etc. promising to teach me to earn 10k in one month, I automatically keep scrolling because I know there’s going to be little to no value included.
A salesy approach is one of my biggest pet peeves (so is the phrase, “pet peeves,” but whatevs). It’s an instant way to lose my trust. I much prefer to follow advice from genuine people who care about the value they provide their readers. I’ve found that if a blogger’s only goal is to make as much money as possible, their content suffers. They just don’t care if their $500 course provides $500 worth of information as long as they make the sale. Why would I want to learn from them???
Thank you so much for saying this. I’m starting a little old part-time blog to document my art-learning process, and I’ve wasted the past month getting sucked in by all this professional blogger junk. I haven’t fallen for any of the get rich quick stuff, but I have really internalized all the advice about the “right way” to start a blog.
I realized a couple days ago that I was miserable. I’ve been spending all my time worrying about optimizing my SEO and building up my mailing list with lead magnets and creating 12 different graphics for every post to be just right for each social media channel, and I haven’t been making any art, having any fun, or sleeping.
So now I’m just going to make art and write posts about it, and long-tailed keywords be damned. Funny that I found this article of yours just now. But maybe I wouldn’t have been ready to appreciate it before.
Anyway, thank you!
Totally. I call it the pyramid scheme of the gold rush entrepreneur! I know of at least one such blogger who intentionally blew up her monthly income numbers to suck people in. And that’s how she then made her 6-figures for real, by selling her 6-figure methods 🙂 The best class I ever attended is called Inside Story and it’s by a blogger who shares everything she knows that got her to a 6-figure income over the course of a few years. Very authentic and real. This is a great post, so glad you decided to publish it.
I’m so happy I found you! I have had my website almost a week and am overwhelmed by all of the stuff out there. I really want to find my niche to actually have something to offer someone not just sell a product. I like the idea of making money who doesn’t so I can stay at home with my kids and have the flexibility plus I’m over the corporate world and want to do my own thing. I’m looking to make enough to contribute to my families well being not get rich in a month though. Id like it to be something I enjoy and could help people learn to do as well. Something that will last until my graduate high school! I think the key is to rely on your commen sense…if it sounds too good to be true probably is!
THANK YOU REGINA! I’ve also been tempted to get sucked into these make money quick schemes but mama thankfully always taught me “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!” Maybe these people are making an enormous amount of money selling webinars, etc. BUT it doesn’t come without being deceiving to their readers! 😡
Thanks for your honesty. There is about a bazillion different webinars about blogging out there, but I finally just had to stop following too many people, and stay with the ones that had some true content. (Yours being one of them I continue to follow 🙂 ) Your reflection on the reality of making money while blogging, and being honest about it, is why I continue to keep coming back to your site.
Oh you are a breath of fresh air! I think I found you via a Buzzfeed article, but I’d much rather read your site than their rubbish. You are definitely bookmarked and I can’t wait to take a proper look around your site. I’m not new to blogging, having acquired my first site in 2011, but I certainly don’t have the 7 figure income I’d like. LOL. I will probably look at Income Reports very differently now.
And I meant to mention that it’s wonderful to find a website where the editor/author speaks in their “real voice” – I’m so thrilled to read your authenticity! Thankyou.
girl, well said. these ridiculous online courses are getting cray.
Okay, can I say “thank you” and ” finally”!!!! Over the last 10 years I have made attempts at blogging by being sucked in to such posts you mentioned as well as posts with titles like “why you need to start a mom blog” and the like. It wasn’t until last march when I discovered my REAL blogging voice as a maker. I had thrown up a post for a free crochet pattern I had made and organically the post resinated with people and I began watching my little blog start to gain attention. I can tell you as a “newbie” blogger it is SO discouraging to read those income report posts and by the end you feel like you’ve just sat through the worst sales pitch of your life. They have wasted your precious time not doing what they promised in the title of the post and instead are trying to bully you into getting their course that’s $500 or purchase the course from another who they’re gonna make a commission from. It’s AGGRIVATING!!! Oh ya I’m gonna drop $500 right now when I’m a sahm living as a one income family! Ugh!
I appreciate what you said and I 100% agree with you! Shedding light on this situation has been needed for a long time and I’m glad you’ve finally said something!
These people are in the business of “selling illusions”.
Thanks for sharing.
I am so happy I found this article. As a new blogger, I’ve been searching for ways to get traffic and eventually capitalize once I have enough content. However, I have come across so many people doing exactly what you wrote in your post. It’s really disheartening and I know they’re just trying to make a buck, but it really needs to stop. I especially hate that if I found some of their content interesting and sign up for updates, they start hounding me to sign up for their course. The course is either on sale, or ending soon so I better sign up now and spend $500 or I’ll miss out on the best. thing. ever. You did a great job breaking all this down and I found a lot of it to be soothing. There’s so many new blogger traps out there and this made me happy that at least some people are trying to help!
All right now! Right on!
OMG this is amazing. Ive been thinking this. I enjoy your honest advice.
Im a newbie and I thought , cannot be possible to achieve in a month for me
Thanks
Just got a “relatable” email talking about smaller sales funneling/launches, but the course was $997!
I couldn’t believe it!
This post was such a breath of fresh air. I get excited every time I see your work.
This post is great! Thank you so much. It really covers a lot of what I have felt as I read about other people’s “success” and how they push their products. Everyone needs to read this post!
Hey Regina, I flippin’ love this post… finally somebody who tells it like it is. Thanks girl! I wanted to earn those 6 figures some day and signed up to the “sign up in 2 minutes or the chance is gone forever” webinars, only to listen to some cock and bull story about making millions while sat on the toilet… hmph!
Never again, I want to focus on my own journey and finding my own ways to serve others authentically.
Thank you! The avalanche of Blogging and Facebook Ad creation “for millions” is truly disturbing. I’ve sat through a few of these 30 minute zero content, full hype torture sessions and marveled the ability of some of these self proclaimed gurus to gulp their own self aggrandizing cool aid. I’ve built a 7 figure business. Twice. And it’s still FREAKING hard to do it again. No Free Lunch friends. Entrepreneurship is messy, unpredictable and hugely challenging; and most of us love it! So we do our homework, seek referrals, testimonials and (if I may say so) an awesome business mentor coach to guide you. And follow Regina!
Wow, pretty cool I absolutely love your boldness. You probably just saved me a ton of money, because I was fixing to take one of those classes. I truly am going to follow you because I felt a connection. Like you actually care about, well lol the little people. I have just started blogging and it is hard, but I love it. Any help u could give me, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks girly.. Misty😁
Great post, Regina! I found this article because I googled the name of the course I was going to buy and the word “review”, and your article came up. It’s much appreciated.
Yes!! I’m tired of being targeted with these ridiculous promises! I’m very new to blogging and my goodness I feel like the big kids on the playground are trying to take advantage of me. I wish there was some way I could know for sure that I was getting quality!
This is awesome! As I set up my Pinterest queue on Tailwind for the week I always get discouraged because I see all these people “making 10,000 in there first month blogging and here is how” and I wonder what I am doing wrong not to be there. This was very enlightening! Thank you so much for sharing. I will definitely being sharing this with my followers 🙂
Great post! So few people tell it how it really is, so I appreciate the reality check. Every time I start to get frustrated that my blog isn’t growing like some people say theirs did, I have to remind myself that you can make a headline say anything…whether it’s true or not. I also like your advice about consuming all the free content you can before jumping at a “limited time offer”. That’s a really smart way to do it. Great work and thanks for the post!
You have stated everything I feel about outrageous claims made on webinars and Facebook ads. Thank you!
OMG Thank you so much for writing this! I have a half-written blog post on this topic that I’ve been wanting to finish and I just accidentally stumbled upon this. We need more of this honest talk int eh online business world. I’ve had it with the 6- and 7-figure launches! These numbers mean nothing and achieve only that we feel miserable if we don’t fall into that bracket yet.
And as soon as I admit it annoys me, there will be a dozen money mindset coaches knocking on my door telling me it’s only because I have a bad money mindset and blocks that I can get rid of if I buy their $5k manifesting course. Yuk! I am so over it!
I’ll make my first 6-figures when my business and I are good and ready and when I’m in a position to offer something that helps people and is worth them spending the money. Not because some money coach challenged me to make 10k in 5 days….
Sorry, rant over! 🙂
Thanks Regina for the great post. It’s true. Some blogger out there blog about other things but end up selling other things.
They blog about food or health but hard selling on web hosting. Not related at all. They charge ridiculous webinar for the content you might get free online.
Really good you bring up this issue. Let’s everybody realize how easy they manipulate a person to make money.
It’s funny because about a year ago I did call out one of these money-obsessed freelance writing gurus at the top of Google who will remain unnamed. I told them they’re either lying or holding these outlier cases up as the norm for earning potential. That the earnings they reported were not the reality for most of us and if I charged such rates in my sphere, I’d be laughed out of business. They responded by flaming me, and shortly after shut down the comments section on all their blog posts. It’s true: the emperor really doesn’t like being told he has no clothes on. Thanks for writing this with such heart and a dose of reality.
Actually, I bought one of Melyssa’s courses and i regretted it. I lost all of my pinterest engagers. I didnt have that much to begin with. Just 400. After i implemented her program, only 3 engagers.
So i started from scratch and started a new business. Since i had no success with Melyssa’s program, i decided to search YouTube. Ive been looking at Carolin Soldo videos. First week of starting my business and of reviewing the video from Carolin, i got my 1st client with my new business…and i hadn’t even used social media or Pinterest. Looking forward to the future!!
WOW! Yes!!!! The amount of times I am click-baited only to read the same information about how to “make 6 figures from your blog” is irritating!! I feel like Pinterest is flooded with that lately instead of real bloggers trying to share their real passion. It’s like a bunch of robots only publishing things to make money. Wheres the passion and fun in that?! Thank you for this post, I needed it today!
Watched Caitlin Bacher – love her money back guarantee. I read your comment regarding her as being positive?
Such a great post! Every time I read one of those Ads on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or where ever I can’t help but think: “Yeah, and the reason you’re making six figures a month is because you”re selling courses for 2.000$ to some poor unsuspecting soul that’s trying to make an honest living” The worst and saddest marketing line I keep reading is the “I’m going to help you to get out of your financial pickle with this super cheap course for just 500$ on special offer” Hello? I don’t have 500$ lying around on a good month, so targeting a family trying to get out of debt is in my honest opinion really despicable. And let’s be real here, they’re never going to tell you every little bit of crucial information in their courses, because, what’s keeping you from coming back for another one, then?
I mean… YES! I can’t say much more than people have already said, but this was needed and you rock for posting it. It’s reminiscent of those schemes that used to come through the mail telling you how to make all this money by sending out letters to tell others how to make all this money by sending out letters to tell others… UGH.
You’re my new favorite blogger.
Yes it is impossible to grow from 0 to 10K in 30 days
Even a very well and famous blogger who managed to make 100K in 30 days, he admitted later in his newsletter that this comes from 2 years hard work and preparations
Preparation means providing a nice material giving it for free PLUS building a mailing list, have your product going viral through affiliate program
then when it comes the time where you have a finished product with good sales page
This is the time when you send to all your partners (to send to their email lists) and you send also to your list who really listen to you
This is how it works
Haha. One such claims $2.5million in one week and othe claims lime $250k from first launch. I replied to one of his email sequences with, “liar, liar, pants on fire” and he still had the gall to ask me what I mean! I feel really sorry for the innocent, gullible souls out there.
AHhhh! Thank you for this article. I am just starting out my blog and I’ve been feeling like buying one of these ridiculous classes is the only way to get up and running.
Thank you for calling the BS – I will certainly figure out another way 🙂
I have fallen into this shining big money course where you can achieve with their hard sell unethical tactics but to find out that it only just hinders my growth.
Regina, I really love your writing style because it truly brings out your personality and it attracts the audience that resonates with you! Someone like me! 🤓 Anyway, yes – I hear you and I agree! I’ve always wondered what’s behind the scenes and it still baffles me why they do this. I wish you create more posts for us and I hope to someday be in one of your other classes aside from the ones I already have (and love and enjoy!).