What I say I make is irrelevant. Nobody can prove I do or don’t make $23 a month or $5K a month. With the exception of the imperial federal government of the United Socialist States.
If someone performs keyword research, posts content to websites based on those keywords, find places to backlink to those websites, monetize it with affiliate programs or CPC programs they will make between $0-$15K +/month. Folks can make money, or not. They can do the exact same thing as their favorite guru and he might say he makes $500/day and they might only make $2/day.
Nothing I say I do is anything different than any other niche slinger. What I do is time tested and proven. I’ve said a thousands times: keyword research, content creation and distribution and backlinks is my game. I make some money doing it. How much people make or don’t make is not up to what I personally make. Folks are using the same techniques and making $15K a month apparently. I am not. Others aren’t making shit and wondering why they aren’t getting a slice of the pie. Perhaps niche slinging is not for them. Perhaps they don’t work hard. Perhaps their luck sucks. Perhaps their niches are crap. I dunno.
If I tell folks I make $2K a month what does that mean? That if they don’t make $2K that they are a failure? That if they make $4K that I am? Neither is the correct answer. Some of the top niche slingers make 5 figures monthly apparently. They work their asses off. I do not. Goals are different for different people. I don’t feel slighted one bit if all 8 readers of this blog make five figures and I don’t. I know why I don’t. If you aren’t and want to, do you know why?
I’ve never cared how much people make. It’s impressive that some people make 5 figures a month but it’s never meant a thing to me. I understand the curiosity factor. You read some asshat’s blog and wonder if they are making money like if they weren’t then everything they had written is them talking out the side of their neck. I get it. But it’s not about them. It’s about you. This is the wrong asshat blog to read if you need guidance and validation that what I am doing is the right thing (or wrong thing, for that matter) for you to be doing. I doubt anyone thinks that, but there it is. This is just a journal of my journey. I make some money. My bank account is private.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I have a MMO blog and I have never told how much I make. No ones business but mine. Anyway, as you sort of said, it seems you can only get in trouble by telling people. You can make enemies that way.
Splork: I cannot agree with you more here. From time to time someone on my blog will write me with “earnings” questions. I politely tell them that it’s not their business.
I teach what I do, how to do it and share insights and tools to help you do it.
But I certainly don’t make outrageous claims that I make 20 billion dollars a day, when in reality I make .80c a day.
Folks reading IM blogs need to realize that we are on the “journey” just like they are. I love how you worded that… Since my very own blog is called “The Niche Store Journey”.
Great minds think alike
Fantastic post!
Seth – definitely
Tyler – thanks for reading.
I’m not out to piss anyone off. I just think talking about how much money one makes either pisses some people off or disappoints others. It’s…irrelevant.
Well, everyone is a little curious. It depends, I personally do not mind as I never get to meet these people anyway.
As long as my urls are secret to me its no worry..let them know!…lol
Dennis
Nice one…wondered where this one came from so I perused the comments for the past few days. I guess “baby G” had it coming!
Why people are so interested in how much money other people make and can’t concentrate on how much they can/want to/are willing to make is beyond me and my five figures a month.
Yes, I got that it was your business.
And I always found that interesting. How private people are about what they make (usually its for a J.O.B).
It would have been interesting to know. Nothing more, nothing less.
And absolutely solid point that what you make based upon what you do is going to be different to what someone else would make if they did exactly what you did.
Was not at all the reason why I asked though. Some readers of your blog (and we all know its a LOT more than 8, but amusing to read nevertheless), would make that connection. Oooh, Splork makes 4k a month (which probably isn’t that far from the truth) I can do it too!
Likely they probably CAN’T.
Most people online would make less than Splork does, “gurus” excluded.
Perhaps reason enough not to state your income (the envy factor)
Oh and certainly there would be no proof, but you seem like a straight shooter, rather than a liar.
I’m not slagging you Gary. We’re cool. I was going to respond to your comment and decided it made for a “once and for all” kind of post. Some things are best left for privacy and not because I want to brag I make fat stacks or am ashamed that I don’t make as much as I think other people think I should.
“baby G” is back:) I actually liked the nickname. I’m assuming Arron is meaning me. Perhaps not his intended reaction from me. But I can take a joke.
Splork, I didn’t feel you was slagging me. And yes we are cool.
To Jimmy. You ever notice how many reality shows are on? Most people are just naturally curious.
Another reason why its interesting to know is to see where you are in relation to other regular people. Say you talk to 20 people like yourself, who are doing the IM game, who all tell you they are making between 2-4k a month. If you’re only making 1,200, you know you should be doing better.
People need to ignore the “guburu numbers”. They aren’t typical. But someone who is shooting for an full time internet income has really no idea what numbers most others are doing.
Its useful for those starting out to realize its not as easy as it appears to be from what is said by those who have made it.
The sad reality is the majority actually make peanuts. And very few percentage wise crack the 10k a month.
That’s NOT what I thought when I entered this game.
You know, I wasn’t actually expecting an exact figure when I asked . Like $3,056.67 per month. Just really a ballpark. I’ll take a ballpark and guess 3-5k. (Yep, I like guessing stuff too:) )
baby G
For those pitching a business idea, “how much do you make?” is a legitimate question. If I was going to buy a McDonald’s franchise, I’d certainly like to get real data on what to expect to make in return for the work and franchise fee.
You are mostly off the hook in that you aren’t pitching your business. Indeed, you indicate that it sucks. And, of course, you aren’t selling anything.
Nonetheless the question is somewhat apropos because you take on various gurus and their methods. If your methods make less money/effort than the gurus’ recommendations, then your criticism are unwarranted. If you are making more/effort, then you have a point. But given the dispiriting nature of wallowing in the web sewers, this one wonders if alternatives might be better even if they don’t produce as much dough/effort.
It’s tough to make the decision without data, and your earnings figures would be relevant. But since you are not selling anything, you are completely in your rights not to reveal such — but that doesn’t stop your ignoble readers from being curious.
Hey Zaphod. Point taken.
Response below to no one in particular. Just putting this nonsense away.
The web sewer is an unforgiving place to do business. In the last couple of years I have made as little as $300/month and as much as $3K/month. That said, based on what I do, are you limited to $3K? Fuck no. Can I make more than $3K? Fuck yes. I simply choose not to do the work. If I do not do any work on my sites then my income can, and has been, halved or worse. I have way more things I prefer to do than this business. But when I do the work I make money. Simple as that. Again I do not need a dime of what I make. I am neither surprised when cash rolls in, or disappointed. I have no expectations. I have no doubt that I could make 7K next month if I came home from work and put in an extra 5-6 hours and doubled that each day on the weekend. Sorry for the vulgarity, but fuck that. I have about 20 things I’d rather do than any one activity that is required for servicing the web sewers.
I guess if you want extra money that is easy I can tell you sewer work is not the place to be. If you (in general) feel that $3K is chump change and you feel are wasting your time because you can’t make more than that because some dipshit says he makes that then you are a moron.
The way I look at it is that if you can make $1 then you can make $2. A long time ago I was thrilled I made $1 for the week. Then I was happy to make $1/day. I knew then it was possible to make $2. If you can make $500 then you can make $1K.
If people’s curiosity is fed knowing I make money then, I make money. Nothing I do is more than keyword research, article writing/post creation and promotion and backlinks. I assure you whether I make between $300 or $3K, you can most assuredly make between $0-$15K+ next month doing the exact same crap.
Hey Splork.
I appreciate your candid answer. I also think that any people who are new to all this will get benefit from it.
And I agree with you, if people put in the effort, they could make 10k plus per month (eventually).
However there are many roadblocks preventing people from achieving that level.
Tech requirements. Doing what you do there is a certain level of tech expertise required. Many people struggle with that aspect.
The JOB of course.
Family distractions.
Self motivation problems.
Other “life” issues which intrude.
Also, some people will have a natural liking towards it than others. What you do, you don’t really like doing. Whereas some people will love it.
One positive about this game is there are so many ways to make a buck. But there is a learning curve, and almost no one who started today even doing it 15 hrs a day would make 10k at the end of the month. It still takes getting some experience first.
If you break it down on an hourly basis if you did say 100 hours for the month. And made 3k. That’s 30 bucks an hour. If you did 50 hours, that’s 60. Considering the minimum wage is less than 10, that’s not so bad….
Thank you Splork. That was very useful information. I don’t think I’ll be quitting my day job for the web sewers. I think I’ll swing for the bleachers and go for a quality authority site or two. If it makes doodly, I’ll still have some creative satisfaction, at least.
I must confess that I do like those blogs with monthly earnings, especially if they show them starting off earning very little and tracking it along to more substantial money. And when I say earning very little — I’m thinking $20 or less a month — and more substantial money — hundreds a month.
That being said, that is not why I come to read Lost Ball in High Weeds. I do like stopping by from time to time and seeing what you are up to and what your thoughts are Your posts are entertaining and generally along the lines of “Here is what I am doing” and only occasionally has that prompted me to try something similar.
This is the blog that I first read about Squidoo lenses on and that is actually an area, that despite the harsher TOS and other issues — I’ve actually made a decent profit from, mostly from related affiliate sales. So I have to thank you for the pointer.
I guess my point is, while I enjoy reading income results that are believable. The lack of it does not in any way detract from this blog.
Keep up the good work and interesting posts!
Thanks for reading Scam Hunter. You are exactly who I’m writing for I guess. This blog is definitely a journal. I don’t care if people do what I do. But I’ll share what I’m doing nonetheless for whatever it’s worth.
Squidoo is not a bad way to make money. I do fine with them when I overcome my laziness and build lenses.