The Lowdown on Affiliate Marketing
Gary Vaynerchuk: Get In THE HUSTLE Mindset And Start Making Money NOW
Free Apps To Make Your Business Flow
Why You Need To Know Yourself To Get Ahead www. makemoneyonline magazine.com
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JOIN THE SUCCESS TEAM NOW! How Ordinary People Are Reaching Financial Success By Using A 90% Done For You Marketing System To Start A Highly Profitable Online Business With Little To No Experience Business Advising Leadership Team
CONTENTS 7
GARY VAYNERCHUK: GET IN THE HUSTLE MINDSET AND START MAKING MONEY NOW
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WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW YOURSELF TO GET AHEAD
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KEEPING IT TOGETHER: WORKING FROM HOME WITH KIDS
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FREE APPS TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS FLOW
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THE LOWDOWN ON AFFILIATE MARKETING
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MELANIE O’BRIEN: THE RISE OF THE SOULPRENEUR
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28 THE SECRET TO SUCCESS BOWEN: 33 JILLIAN AFFILIATE MARKETING
TURNING YOUR PASSION INTO COMMISSION
SUCCESSFUL 36 TOPMOST BLOGGERS
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C O N TRIB U T OR S
MELANIE O’BRIEN
JILLIAN BOWEN
I’m Mel O’Brien, a colourful soul with a soft spot for pink and a passion for life’s little pleasures! Fun, in all of its forms, is the core desired feeling I’m after in most of my experiences and this has definitely meant that life for me has never been boring!
Jillian Bowen has over 15 years of experience developing and implementing content, social media and digital strategies for campaigns that have received numerous international awards including the 2018 Communicator Awards Gold Award for Excellence: Podcasts – Business and the 2014 Mumbrella Content Marketing Strategy of the Year Award.
I’m driven by a deep desire to create a legacy that will enable my daughter to live a life of freedom. Freedom to explore the world and flow with her heart, free to express her creativity and passion. As a professional with over 20 years in the corporate world of Advertising Sales, Brand Development and Marketing Strategy, I have the expertise to guide businesses with their marketing, gain customers and increase profits. melanieobrien.me
She is a Canva Certified Creative (an invitation only ambassador program), launched the Digital Decluttered blog at the beginning of 2018 and has grown an engaged social media following of over 200,000 and recently launched a podcast, The Content Fix. jillianbowen.com @digitaldecluttered
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
K E L LY M . D E D M A N
Welcome to our first issue of Make Money Online magazine! Think of us as your support network to help make your online business flow and thrive. With so much information available to us these days, it feels like we can download pretty much anything we want, in just seconds; there are literally hundreds of ways to work smarter and make money. Entrepreneur and 5x NYT best selling author, Gary Vaynerchuk shares his insights into the online buying and selling game, turning passions into profits. Get in the hustle mindset with Gary and start making money now, on page 8. Melanie O’Brien has over 20 years in the corporate world of advertising sales, brand development and marketing strategies. She has the expertise to guide businesses with their marketing, gain customers and increase profits. Turn to page 24 to read her story.
We sit down with Digital Decluttered blog founder, Jillian Bowen, about affiliate marketing and how to turn your passion into commission on page 33. There is plenty more valuable information to soak up in this issue, such as: Why you need to know yourself to get ahead Keeping it together: working from home with kids Free apps to make your business flow The lowdown on affiliate marketing So, sit down, make a cuppa and enjoy reading our magazine. We hope we can help take your business to the next level. Thanks for being a part of our first issue!
Kelly
GET IN THE HUSTLE MINDSET A N D S TA R T M A K I N G M O N E Y N O W
G A R Y
VAY N E R C H U K www. makemoneyonline magazine.com
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e should all know by now that real success isn’t easy. Today, we’re so ingrained to expect instant gratification and our problems being solved with minimal effort. This is one of the shortcomings of the internet today. With a multitude of information at our fingertips, the world has become smaller and so much more accessible. It feels as though everything in life can be downloaded in seconds, however, patience is real and so is hard work.
“We live in a 24-7 world where you can make money in your underwear. Think about it: there are hundreds of ways to work smart and make money,” he says.
Gary Vaynerchuk is an investor, serial entrepreneur, 5x NYT best selling author, and CEO. A money guy who full-heartedly believes that anyone can make money in this online world, Gary talks about the ease of the online buying and selling game and turning passions into profits.
We’ve compiled 5 of Gary’s approved mindsets that will help you make money online today.
“WE LIVE IN A 24-7 WORLD WHERE YOU CAN MAKE MONEY IN YOUR UNDERWEAR. THINK ABOUT IT: THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF WAYS TO WORK SMART AND MAKE MONEY.”
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And, he’s not wrong; the internet is growing by the second, and with that growth comes a new way to make money. Gary explains that the only thing separating those who make money from those who don’t, is work: “Most people won’t take action and do the necessary work.”
CARE Let’s face it, we’re obsessed with ourselves. People care too much about themselves—the way they look, their interests, opinions and how others will perceive them. We take extreme amounts of time and effort improving ourselves, our bodies and our minds. Imagine what would happen if we put that much care and attention into something we could monetize. If you cared about your audience, your hustle, as much as you care about yourself, think of the things you could create and accomplish! What do you do when you have free time? What do you do when you aren’t working or sleeping? Do you watch TV? What type of TV—cooking, sports, animals? Do you paint, exercise? Gary urges us
to ask ourselves these questions, because these are things we care about and are passionate about; you had a choice to do anything in the world, and you chose to do this thing. He uses the example of going to the movies every night or every week and explains that a way to monetize this hobby is by starting a movie review site. The tools are there, but people don’t want to work. Find what you care about, and care about it deeply. And while you’re caring, think of possible ways you can make money from it.
DON’T LISTEN TO YOUR ELDERS We’re taught to listen to our elders, because they are older and wiser. They’ve lived longer and lived through events we haven’t. However, in 2019, we have more money making opportunities than our parents and grandparents, and almost everyone in the developed world has access to a smart phone and the internet. This access gives us instant entry to entrepreneurship. Our parents, grandparents, teachers and bosses may be successful, but you can be more successful. These older generations never imagined that having the means to make money from the palm of their hands by way of tiny computer. Think of how much time you spend on
your phone, or on social media and imagine how much money you could make if you spent some of that time reserving free items from Gumtree and reselling it on Facebook marketplace—one of Gary’s favourite ways to make money. So, don’t always follow the advice our your elders. Think outside of the box and in a way that capitalises on your skill sand resources, and see what happens.
EDUCATION IS GREAT BUT HUSTLE MAKES MONEY Speaking of our elders, previous generations have been drumming into our heads that education is of utmost importance. While there is a debate surrounding whether or not college educations are worth the money or not, there is something to be said for being educated. When you have some sort of education, you familiarize yourself with information. You learn certain skills and learn from the mistakes of those before us. But having an education isn’t everything, and it won’t necessarily ensure you make money. Millennials, for example, were essentially forced into getting college degrees. It was explained as the only way to get a good job and provide for their families. But now the majority are in
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student loan debt, struggling to get jobs paying a living wage. The bachelor’s degree has become the new high school diploma. It doesn’t mean a whole lot anymore. However, hustle is what will propel you forward. You could have 10 degrees and still not be successful. Because success isn’t defined by the paper diplomas you have hanging on the wall. It’s defined by the work you put in. If you don’t have drive, ambition, grit, and patience, you won’t be successful, according to Gary. Put in the work, and you’ll see results.
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE? Wanting to make money is great; it’s what a lot of us would like to do. However, before you can start successfully making money in traditional channels or online, it’s important to figure out why you want to make money in the first place. Do you want to take your family on exotic vacations every year? Do you want to retire at 45? Do you want to be your own boss? Work from home? Cure the sick? Visualize the kind of life you want to live and work toward that goal. If you don’t have a goal, an endgame, or a focus, your attempts to succeed will most likely fail.
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YOUR ADVERSITY IS A GIFT Gary is all about optimism. It’s easy to compare yourself to those who seem to have it easy; they’ve been dealt a better hand and didn’t have to work as hard. The thing is, if you are someone living with adversity, it may just be your biggest gift and strength. In a talk given to kids at the Precious Dreams Foundation, Gary explained to children in transition that while others are looking down on them, expecting them to not succeed, they need to stay in their own heads and remain focused. He described their adversity as their biggest gift, which causes us to live without a chip on our shoulder, without growing soft, and without feeling entitled. Those playing with a crappy hand can make it to the top with the right attitude. If you’re someone who feels like they’ve drawn the short stick, remember that you already know what it’s like to be on your own side—maybe the only one on your side. You’re familiar with rejection, disbelief, and working hard on your own. Stay focused, stay optimistic, and work hard no matter what. You’ll be surprised what you can achieve.
WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW YOURSELF TO GET AHEAD
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hen you plan to start an online business or go down some other kind of entrepreneurial path, it’s important to educate yourself and listen to experts and mentors who can help you launch your venture effectively. Yet, it’s also vital, as you go down the path of trying to make your soul purpose a reality, to listen to yourself. Lots of people will be around to tell you what you should do, why you could fail, and why you need to do things another way. However, they’re not you, and only you know and choose your own story as an entrepreneur.
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To get to the point where you have a healthy business, you must know your goals and why you want to achieve those things, and then listen to your intuition as you work to get results. The world is full of people who let others talk them out of taking a risk, following their passions, and testing out a great business idea. You don’t want to be one of those people. Know where you’re going and what’s important to you as a person though, and it will be easier to block the naysayers and trust yourself. Staying strong will help you to avoid being drowned out by so-called experts who are really only trying to sell you something, too. It’s obviously wise to listen to the opinions of those who have proper experience in your field and in business in general, but don’t let people sway your resolve when you feel you know what is best for you and your venture. There is no one way to run a business, build wealth, get out of debt or achieve financial freedom. Plus, everyone has different things they’re trying to achieve, anyhow. To get ahead in your chosen field, here are some things you can do to stay true to yourself:
SET AND SOLIDIFY GOALS As mentioned above, get clear about your own personal goals. Not the goals of your family, friends,
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coworkers or someone you read about in a magazine; just your own. Write these goals down and put them somewhere in your home or office, where you will be reminded of them regularly. When you’re tempted to veer off track, these words will remind you to “just do you”.
MINIMISE RISKS It’s easy to be swayed by others when they remind us of doom and gloom business statistics and how much safer it may be to stay put in a job we’ve been doing for a while. People – who are often just being protective – are quick to remind us that we haven’t run a business before, don’t have particular skills, or will making changes with no guarantee of payoff. The thing is, though, while this may all be true, you have to ask yourself what kind of risk comes with not pursuing your passions. Do you really want to get to the end of your life and not have tried to make your dreams come true? In addition, the reality is that you can actually take a variety of steps to minimise risks. For example, take courses, start your business off small and build it slowly over time, keep working part-time while you build a venture, and generally do your due diligence and planning so you’re less likely to face unexpected problems.
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LISTEN WITH CARE When you do decide to get advice from other people, do so with care. Listen to those who really know what they’re talking about and have lived and worked it, not just those who read one negative article online and feel they’re suitably qualified to advise. Then, even when interacting with true experts, remember that they’re just offering their opinions. You can listen to and follow those things which strike a chord with you, and leave the rest. There is certainly no rule that says you have to do everything they recommend. If something doesn’t sit right with you and you feel your intuition is trying to get your attention, listen to that. These days, where people share their opinions constantly - not just in person but also online on forums, social media sites and blogs, it takes strength and courage to zone out the noise and focus in on what you believe in. However, if you keep checking in with yourself, you’re sure to find the path to financial freedom and general happiness a smoother one.
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KEEPING IT TOGETHER: WORKING FROM HOME WITH KIDS By Editor In Chief Kelly M. Dedman
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orking from home whilst raising your family might sound like a dream for many of us with young children. However, juggling meeting deadlines, loading the washing machine and increasing the family income whilst still being with the kids is not as easy as it sounds. There are many attractive advantages to working from home with kids, but it does require a huge level of selfdiscipline.
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As a mother of three (my daughters are now 15, 13 and 11), I have worked from home as a freelance writer for almost 14 years and have pretty much done it all. I have answered emails whilst breastfeeding, conducted interviews whilst unstacking the dishwasher, and used way too many devices to entertain my girls whilst trying to make a deadline.
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THERE ARE MANY ATTR AC T I VE ADVANTAG ES TO WO RK I NG FRO M HO ME WITH K I DS , BUT I T DO ES R EQUIRE A HUG E LEVEL O F SELF- DI S C I PLI NE.
Tip # 2
Like any normal office job, I have my good days and my bad days, days where I am super-productive and days when I fail to get anything done. Working from home is different to working in an office environment and has its own unique set of challenges, but when done effectively, it can be the greatest gift. Being able to continue your career or pursue further education whilst simultaneously spending time with your children, outweighs the difficulties.
COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR FAMILY AND SET BOUNDARIES
Just because you are working from home does not mean that you are an octopus. Clearly communicate with your family members what tasks you need to accomplish, how long these will take and when you will be available for other duties. Explain that you are all team players and that everyone has a part to play in making this arrangement work. Tip # 3
From professional to professional, mother to mother, here are my top tips on how to successfully juggle the crazy combination of work and motherhood.
BECOME A MORNING PERSON
Tip # 1
BE REALISTIC
Don’t plan on doing everything and don’t think that you can do everything yourself. Just like if you were going into an office to work, working from home requires a support system and help from your partner. You are not Wonder Woman!
Even now that my kids are older, I still find the hour and half before they wake my most productive working period in the day. The house is quiet, there are no interruptions and I can get the equivalent of three hours of productivity done in half the time. Getting up early pays huge dividends. Tip # 4
AVOID DISTRACTIONS
It becomes very easy to get waylaid by distractions from everything from
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washing or dishes to social media. Try to structure your day to incorporate time for these “distractions” so that they don’t eat into your productivity. Tip # 5
BE FLEXIBLE AND EMBRACE A “SHIFT WORK” MENTALITY As all parents know, having children brings with it unpredictability. You never know when they might throw a tantrum, come down with a cold or just stubbornly refuse to follow the rules. Unfortunately, that is just a part of working from home with kids, so don’t fight it, just embrace it. Adopting a flexible approach to your work life will help you deal with the anxiety that comes with curveballs. Be prepared to do “shift work” and get up early, work late or on the weekend in order to get the job done. Tip # 6
OFFER INCENTIVES
It might sound slightly ridiculous, but incentives work. Set goals for your children to keep them occupied and if they achieve those goals then reward them with anything from an outing to the park, ice cream at the beach or a special movie night. Tip # 7
KNOW WHEN TO PUNCH OUT FOR THE DAY
Some days, things just don’t go to plan and you have to know when it’s time to abort the mission. Tomorrow is a new day. 16
Tip # 8
PLAN AHEAD
One of the keys to successfully working from home with kids, is organisation. You need to plan, not just your day, but their day too. There needs to be a form of structure, scheduled activities and designated break times for both the kids and the grown ups. Being organised and pre planning will not only help your productivity, but it will also save your sanity. Tip # 9
DON’T WASTE YOUR OWN TIME
One of the worst things that work at home mums can do is to underestimate the value of their own time. Whether you are working, studying or playing with your children, your time is precious and valuable; don’t waste it. Tip # 10
ACCEPT HELP WHEN IT IS OFFERED
If someone offers you help, do not feel guilty about accepting it. It takes a community to raise children, especially whilst working, so embrace help when it is offered. Tip # 11
MAKE LISTS AND PRIORITISE
There is a lot to be said for writing lists and prioritising. Putting pen to paper and organising your thoughts is a highly productive way of scheduling in what needs to be done. Keeping it all in your head can be very overwhelming.
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Tip # 12
GET DRESSED EVERY DAY
Whether you plan to leave the house or not, put on a pair of pants or a skirt or whatever you would wear when you are seen in public. Getting out of your PJ’s or track pants offers a shift in your mindset and general attitude. Just because you are working from home is no excuse to be a sloth. Tip # 13
DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
Working from home with kids, especially small kids, means that sometimes you are just going to have to take a deep breath and relinquish control of some things. The world will not collapse if you opt for take-away
instead of a home cooked meal and you might just need to reassure yourself that the washing will still be there tomorrow. Tip # 14
REMEMBER THE BIGGER PICTURE
Don’t be under any illusion that working from home with children is easy. There will be days when you feel like giving up on the whole idea, but hang in there and remember the bigger picture. Working from home whilst raising your family offers you the flexibility that an office job does not; this includes spending precious time with your children. On those days when it all seems too hard, think of the big picture and keep on going!
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FREE APPS TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS FLOW
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unning a business can be tiring, chaotic and stressful. Sometimes, it feels like you have mountains to do and not enough time in the day to complete it all. However, there are always shortcuts to save you time and money, so you can really streamline your business and get it flowing. Check out these websites for tools, tips or links to apps which will make your life more organised and stress-free.
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INC
inc.com
INC is a great website for anyone who is building a small business and needs to find specific tools to help them grow. INC is jampacked full of all the latest business news, advice and information across all sectors. With an endless supply of inspiration and reading at INC.com, you will find it difficult to stop scrolling...
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2. Answer the Public answerthepublic.com
Answer the Public is a valuable business tool to use for finding keywords and highly searched words, which is perfect if you are creating a website or an article. This tool can cut back hours of time spent thinking of keywords as it produces hundreds in seconds.
Canva
canva.com
Canva is a graphic-design tool website. It uses a drag-and-drop format to build professional websites and provides access to over a thousand photographs, graphics, and fonts. Canva is perfect for any business owner who is looking for a professional, easy to use and free editing tool.
4. The Simple Dollar thesimpledollar.com
The Simple Dollar helps small business owners find specific tools that will help them run their business. They also help business owners find apps for time-saving, tracking, customer support and accounting, which cuts down all that time weeding through apps and tools that aren’t going to work for you and your business.
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5. The Manifest themanifest.com
The Manifest helps small business owners find the right apps to keep them focused, stay organised and stay productive. They specialise in finding mindful apps and websites for stressed out, disorganised business owners.
6. Hootsuite
hootsuite.com
Whether you’re a social media pro or newbie, this app is an essential tool to keep in your marketing toolbox—it’s an automated, hands-off way of organising and posting your social media content, so you can literally generate leads in your sleep.
7. LastPass Password Manager lastpass.com As a small business owner, it’s likely that you will need to keep track of—and keep private—loads of passwords for all the apps and logins you use. LastPass stores all of those easily-forgettable, occasionally vulnerable passwords in one secure vault for every user.
Choosing specific apps and tools can sometimes be tricky, and it does mean trial and error. However, if it saves time, money, stress and it works for you, the perfect tool or app can leverage any small business.
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THE LOWDOWN ON AFFILIATE MARKETING
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f you’re looking into ways to make money online, you’ve no doubt heard the term “affiliate marketing”. This strategy provides an excellent way for stay-at-home mums, solopreneurs, and others to earn extra cash each month. However, for those not experienced in running a business online, it can be a bit daunting trying to work out what the term means and how you can use affiliate links to improve your financial situation. To get you started, here are the basics.
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WHAT IS AFFILIATE MARKETING? Affiliate marketing, also known as performance-based marketing, is a particular type of marketing arrangement. With this tactic, you can earn a commission by promoting other people or organisation’s products or services to your own readers or customers. Producers offer promoters a financial incentive for this referral since the strategy helps potential customers find out about and pay attention to wares. Affiliate marketing revolves around a revenue-sharing concept, in that the promoters earn money once the producers earn revenue from a sale.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
If you decide to become an affiliate, you might choose a single item to promote, if it’s a best-selling one, or link to a variety of goods and services. (Most people advertise numerous things.) The idea, though, is to choose wares you know your audience will want to hear about and be interested in spending money on.
The process of affiliate marketing works by referrers finding, of their own accord, a product or service they like, or being approached by the producer to become an affiliate. Promoters mention a product or service on a website or blog and link to the relevant page where consumers can go to learn more and then place an order.
As an affiliate, you’ll be told up front how much money you will earn for each click and sale. Usually, the commission is calculated on a percentage basis, based on a certain amount of the profit the seller receives. If, after some time, you’ve been bringing a company decent sales, it’s worth asking if you can receive an exclusive, higher commission rate, or a special discount to offer to your readers to help increase clicks.
When someone clicks on the affiliate link and makes a purchase of the offering (either straight away or within around 30-days, typically), the promoter earns a commission. This occurs after the merchant confirms the sale is legitimate, too.
Most affiliate marketing operates through an affiliate network service. An affiliate network is a third- party entity designed to connect producers and promoters. This business handles the administration and payment side of the transactions.
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your customer demographics and figures, and the total number of unique visits your site or blog receives each period.
The third party is the one to track transactions and attribute the correct affiliate (promoter) to the sale. The affiliate network creates the online system that does this work, and they also act as an impartial third party if any disputes arise between the seller and the advertiser.
WHY WE LIKE IT:
On some occasions, companies will set up their own network systems themselves, and get promoters to work with them directly. This is usually only done by very large businesses, though, with the resources to develop and run the systems effectively. Tech-wise, the affiliate network or seller creates a unique pixel widget (which contains tracking code) for each affiliate that joins. The pixel is what notifies the affiliate network or seller that an affiliate link led to a sale. The link that takes readers to a seller’s website is also essential. This link allows for the correct sales to be accredited to the right affiliate. Links can be inserted using text or creative graphics that the seller or affiliate network designs. Promoters receive clear, step-by-step instructions on how to set up affiliate marketing correctly on their blog or website, too. To register as an affiliate, you will need to provide the affiliate network or the seller with a few pieces of information. Submit your social security number, the address of your blog or website, a description of your digital property,
Affiliate marketing is a tactic used by many people when they decide to start earning money online, as it’s a practical place to start. There are two major benefits of getting involved in this marketing avenue. For starters, as an affiliate, you don’t have to have a product to sell to generate income. Instead, you find people or organisations with wares to sell and link to them. Helpfully, you don’t have to pay for expensive stock or provide services yourself. Plus, if you join an affiliate network, you’ll notice that there’s a whole list of brands taking part you can potentially link to. You therefore don’t have to contact each business separately or do a stack of your own independent research to find promotable options. The other big plus is that affiliate marketing enables you to make money while you sleep. Of course, you need to build up a decent audience, so that people actually click on the links from your website or blog, but once you get to this point, the marketing strategy offers a simple way to earn some passive income.
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THE RISE OF THE
SOULPRENEUR MELANIE O’BRIEN
S
oulpreneur is a relatively new buzzword in the corporate world. So, what is a Soulpreneur? In a nutshell, it’s all about creating a business life that feels good on the inside, not one that just looks good on the outside.
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Meet Melanie O’Brien, a woman with over 20 plus years experience in business and marketing, who has not only embraced and adopted the Soulpreneur approach but has been a champion pioneer in spreading her model around the world.
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“BEING A SOULPRENEUR MEANS THAT YOU ARE OPEN TO THE MAGIC THAT EXISTS IN THE WORLD. ”
Let’s see what Melanie has to say about what it means to be a Soulpreneur!
HOW DID YOU COME TO BECOME A SOULPRENEUR AND WHAT MAKES IT SUCH A GREAT CHOICE FOR YOU? In 2014 I discovered Belinda Davidson and her school of the Modern Mystic. I enrolled in her Chakra Meditation program which supported me through the unfolding of events through a marriage separation and redundancy and supported me on this new life path The path of the Soulpreneur. I only came across the actual term ‘Soulpreneur’ when I was swirling around in the ‘spiritual soup’ - allowing myself (and my heart) time to heal and to stop and smell the roses so to speak. It was a reprogramming of sorts that allowed me to drop all of the heavy responsibility I had carried trying to make other people happy
and over the next four years I really invested my time and energy into my relationship with my daughter, courses, workshops, friendships and working situations that allowed me to experience my main core desired feelings. I came across Yvette Luciano’s ‘Soulpreneurs’ Program and joined her online program. It provided me with a roadmap for my soul to figure out my soul purpose and turn that into a passion business. I have now re-established a committed loving and connected relationship with my husband, my daughter has both of her parents together and happy and I have established a brand and a business that is the perfect mix of marketing and magic and helps other people on their own soul purpose journey. I created BigOMoments as a means of connecting and inspiring people on their path towards joy, success, connection, timing and clarity. I am a soulful marketing coach and
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guide and I have created an online marketing coaching program called Light it Up - Designed to help passion businesses Shine With Soul and Illuminate Their Brand with Soulful Marketing.
HOW CAN BE BEING A SOULPRENEUR ENHANCE YOUR LIFE AND YOUR BUSINESS? Being a Soulpreneur means that you are open to the magic that exists in the world. It’s backed up by the principals of the law of attraction... the magnetic power of the universe that draws similar energies together. Soulpreneurs believe that they can light up the world with what they have to offer. They might not have all of the tools in place to manifest the dream into reality yet, but they possess a deep desire in their core and they recognise a need to look within and commit to their own self-development as human beings. I believe making a commitment to your own soul, to nurture and support yourself towards your dreams, is the key to enhancing everyone’s life and business, whether you recognize and refer to yourself as a Soulpreneur or not.
WHAT CAN SOMEONE DO TO BECOME A SOULPRENEUR? There are two components to the word Soul - Preneur. The first is in the exploration of the connection to the soul. This could be through an 26
interest in Meditation, Yoga, Oracle cards, Fortune Tellers, Astrologers, Reiki healers or even a love of cooking and a sense that this is what you are put on the earth to do. The feeling of being so in tune with what your heart wants, you can’t imagine doing anything else! And then we have Preneur - obviously this is a play on the Entrepreneur vibe. But whilst the traditional meaning of the word entrepreneur, “a person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit,” the Soulpreneur creates a business, based on a passion and is filled with ideas and dreams that are linked to the heart and soul. The challenge is to then take this personal passion and balance it out with the financial realities of running a business and selling your passion for a profit.
YOU MAKE BEING A SOULPRENEUR SOUND SO APPEALING – IF YOU NEEDED TO ADD A REALITY CHECK FOR POTENTIAL SOULPRENEURS WHAT WOULD IT BE? When you follow the path of the soul, you follow the “feel good”. This can lead you to a whole new world of magic and bliss but it can also lead you away from some of the realities of life, the things that don’t feel as good, but are necessary for your security and wellbeing, that you would have been aware of if you kept your feet firmly planted
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on the ground during this period of transformation and creativity. Big hearts have a real problem asking financial reward for their work. My word of warning is this. Do not start a dream business if you don’t have a cent to your name. Do not quit your day job to focus all of your efforts into manifesting the dream profitable business unless you have the funds to support yourself and a marketing budget. You can create the dream on the side and get the business and marketing plan in place. Save up the funds to promote your business because if you can’t advertise and promote yourself you will not make any money and that’s a cold hard fact. Don’t put pressure on yourself trying to learn everything for free online when you have support coaches and programs in place. Invest in a coach or a program who has been where you are now. My 8 week online marketing coaching program has been created for start ups or businesses who want clear guidance from an industry expert who shows you step by step how to set up all aspects of your brand, website, email marketing, advertising and social media in order to be found by the people who are looking for your product or service where they are looking. Avoid costly mistakes and get clarity for your success. This will literally save you years of floundering around on your own. www.melanieobrien.me www. makemoneyonline magazine.com
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THE SECRET TO SUCCESS By Editor In Chief Kelly M Deadman
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veryone can dream, but making those dreams a reality takes a lot of determination and plain grit. In our fast paced, instant pleasuredriven society, it is too easy to pull the pin when things get too hard. It’s convenient to pass on an opportunity for a promotion because it means more travel or to let a colleague run a campaign because it involves longer hours but this is exactly what you should NOT be doing. All of these excuses are essentially roadblocks that we are putting in place to prevent success. True success is derived from how you act when you are faced with struggles, challenges and obstacles along the way. Working hard, putting in the time, energy and patience and never giving up is what really determines how successful you will be in the long run.
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There is also often complacency about being successful and people fall into the trap of just working to survive without ever actually getting anywhere. It’s far better to work smarter and harder for a shorter period of time than it is to get stuck in a work a rut year after year. Understanding the commitment that it takes to be successful means being dedicated to doing the following 10 things each and every day to reach your goals. HAVE A DREAM OR A GOAL AND COMMIT TO IT The first piece of advice that any successful person would give you is to set yourself a goal and commit to it. Think hard about where you want to go in life, what you want your future to look like and what you want
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to achieve. Then write down, read it again and commit to it. Don’t be afraid to dream big! CALL TO ACTION Have you ever heard the saying by John C. Maxwell, “dreams don’t work unless you do”? No truer words have been said because dreams without work are simply fantasies. The most vital component to converting a dream to reality is a plan. Planning is the crucial ingredient in making dreams come to fruition. Careful thought needs to be given to how you are going to achieve this dream and smaller attainable goals need to be implemented along the way to help you get there. CREATE SUCCESSFUL HABITS Establishing sound habits from the get go is essential for long-term success. Much of how you do things and how you operate is simply habitual, so it is vital that you establish which habits are positive and which ones are detrimental to your success. Get rid of any bad habits and replace them with affirmative ones. The key element is to create daily habits that will draw you closer to achieving your goal. Continue your new positive habits until they simply become second nature. BE ACCOUNTABLE TO SOMEONE No matter how disciplined you are, being held accountable to someone makes you more driven and determined and simply makes you do a better job. Being accountable also allows 30
an impartial observer to critique your performance allowing you to gain valuable insight into how you can grow and develop. DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL Being afraid to fail will stop you from trying new things, learning from your mistakes and growing. Whilst trying to achieve any goal it is important to remember that things will not always go smoothly and that you will face bumps along the way but what is key to your success is how you respond to these challenges. Keep in mind that your failures are there to teach you lessons and remember that it is irrelevant how many times you fail what is really important is how many times you pick yourself up and keep going. FOCUS ON SMALL VICTORIES Depending on the size of your goal it can be very helpful and inspiring to acknowledge and celebrate small victories along the way. Focusing on small achievements allows you to draw closer to your eventual goal and gives you self-confidence and empowerment to continue down the path. USE VISUALISATIONS TECHNIQUES High achievers will testify to the importance of visualisation as a key to success. Knowing how to look into the future and imagine yourself and your future success is a highly motivating tool that promotes advancement. Being able to visualise challenges and obstacles along the way also allows
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you to prepare yourself for potential roadblocks and gives you the tools to overcome them.
quick fix or easy option. Real longterm success in any area of life requires perseverance, dedication, commitment and simply hard work. So roll up your sleeves and commit to your dream.
DEVELOP AN INSATIABLE HUNGER If you look at all the highly successful people in the world you will see that they all have one thing in common – an insatiable hunger to achieve their dream. Successful people are unrelenting in the pursuit of their goal. They keep their eye on the prize and will do what it takes to get there. What sets them apart from the crowd is their ability to tackle adversity and their ability to get back on track when they are thrown a curveball. Successful people believe in themselves are driven towards achievement. Find the spark that inspires you and imagine what your life would like when you have achieved your goals and keep that commitment and spirit alive. WORK HARD
DON’T GIVE UP Being successful requires commitment and dedication so if you want to achieve your dream then you simply can’t give up. Great things don’t come easily and people are not simply “born lucky”. People create their future and make choices that fundamentally determine how successful they are going to be so adopt a “never give up” attitude and it will take you a long way! Being successful is not for the faint hearted and there is no easy way to get there. Don’t ever underestimate how truly committed you need to be in order to achieve success, but if you follow these tips and put the hard yards in now and you will reap the rewards in the future.
There is no substitute for old fashioned hard work. Put the effort in and you will eventually see results. Too many people want to take the shortcut, the
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“YOU GET OUT OF IT WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.”
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AFFILIATE MARKETING TURNING YOUR PASSION INTO COMMISSION WITH JILLIAN BOWEN
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nline business has incredible rewards – freedom, flexibility, the opportunity to pursue your passion – but you also need to earn a living. No matter the business you are in, whether you blog in your spare time or your online business feeds the family, generating an income is a necessary part of the deal. Within your own business framework, you push to understand your audience, solve their pain points and build relationships. You work hard to nurture clients and encourage them down the sales funnel to finally sign a contract, and that becomes your sole focus. However for some, there is a way to scoop a little extra cream off the top
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“IT ABSOLUTELY CAN BE LUCRATIVE. BUT IT’S LIKE ANY BUSINESS VENTURE. IN MOST CASES YOU GET OUT OF IT WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.”
of the digital explosion in between – commission from affiliate marketing. “In plain English, affiliate marketing is being paid a commission when someone you refer to a product or service makes a purchase. Companies offering affiliate commissions help you create a unique link so that purchase can be credited to you. The amount of money you make varies enormously,” explains expert digital marketer Jillian Bowen. Jillian runs her own online business, Digital Decluttered, where she uses her 15 years’ experience in marketing and communications to teach other entrepreneurs the tricks of the trade. “Over the years, I have worked for multi-nationals both in-house and as a consultant, I was asked to present at over 20 conferences and seminars on
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my strategies. I became really inspired by the idea of empowering others with this knowledge, particularly taking big business strategies and making them accessible to solopreneurs and small business,” Jillian said. Affiliate marketing has grown exponentially in recent years as an integral part of business advertising strategy. It has been estimated that 16 percent of all online orders have been generated through affiliate marketing and a massive 81 percent of brands utilise affiliate marketing to advertise their goods and services. Amazon, for example, has been very successful at offering affiliate commissions. It seems every second blogger is recommending some product or another through Amazon, and every time one of their readers makes a purchase, the blogger gets a
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little kickback in return. This can be anywhere from 10 percent for big ticket items, to just one percent for smaller sales. Other programs offer as much as 50 percent commission on products such as online courses or other high-performing digital products.
audiences. Facebook and Google ad campaigns are increasingly used.
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Always disclose your status as an affiliate prominently and ensure you are following relevant legislation.
So, why wouldn’t you jump on the wagon too? While there are certainly some impressive success stories, making money online through affiliate programs takes a detailed strategy, flexibility - and patience. “It absolutely can be lucrative. But it’s like any business venture - in most cases you get out of it what you put into it,” said Jillian. To get you started, Jillian has shared her top five tips to affiliate marketing success:
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Promote products/services you use personally and believe in, so you are promoting them with authenticity. Pairing them with an in-house ‘bonus’ can be an effective way to show your recommendation is genuine, and at the same time increase the chance of achieving a sale (Jillian has a list of content upgrade ideas on her blog that could be also be utilised for adding bonuses to affiliate purchases).
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Affiliate networks like shareasale.com are great places to find opportunities when you are starting out.
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Keep a ‘swipe file’ of other people’s affiliate marketing promotions including website articles, social media posts and newsletter campaigns. These are great to help you map out your own ideas (not to literally swipe their content). Her last piece of advice is to approach affiliate marketing as a long-term strategy, not a way to earn a quick dollar. Make sure you have other monetisation strategies in place and keep working hard on your core business. Done well, affiliate marketing can offer a welcome addition to your business’ income stream. For more tips from Jillian on monetising your online business through affiliate marketing, visit her blog
You get back what you put in. The most successful affiliate marketers develop detailed strategies with content, social media and newsletter promotion to their
To hear more from Jillian visit: www.digitaldecluttered.com
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SUCCESSFUL BLOGGERS YOU NEED TO FOLLOW
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eing a successful blogger comes with hard work and dedication. If you are not already following these bloggers, it’s time to check out their stories. They are leading the pack with their business advice which will inspire, motivate and support you along your journey toward a successful business.
YARO STARAK yaro.blog Yaro Starak runs a successful blog called Entrepreneurs Journey. He has designed his blog to help other leading entrepreneurs to succeed with their online businesses. Yaro Starak is very down to earth as he always is updating his clients, and always interacting online and on camera. He always shares his amazing tips with his followers about getting yourself out there and known.
DARREN ROWSE problogger.com Darren Rowse is the founder of his popular blogging site, Pro Blogger. Where he helps and teaches his clients how to blog like professionals. He not only shares his tips but also is providing a helping hand by sharing his course on growing a better blog in 31 days. Darren Rowse is all about professional content, his blog is clean and easy to use for his clients.
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NEIL PATEL neilpatel.com/blog Neil Patel is all about online marketing and growing audiences. He specialises in helping his following grow their business and become known in the community. His blog is always providing his followers with advice, tips and knowledge on how to market their businesses and brand properly.
ABBY LAWSON justagirlandherblog.com Abby and her partner run Just A Girl And Her Blog. She uses her prosperous platform to help educate and entertain her followers about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. She is constantly active on her blog and is always connected with her followers. Her blog isn’t just a regular lifestyle blog, but it is a community of people aiming to live a better life.
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TREVOR AND JENNIFER DEBTH showmetheyummy.com/about-us Trevor and Jennifer Debth own the amazing blog, Show Me The Yummy. Where they share healthy recipes for everyone all over the world. They help their audience find healthier solutions and provide not only recipes but also workouts. Trevor and Jennifer have taken over the world of video marketing as they upload workout videos on Facebook that are taking the game by storm.
STEVE AND JENNIFER CHOU mywifequitherjob.com Steve and Jennifer both run a remarkably successful blog called My Wife Quit Her Job. Where they educate their readers about making money through eCommerce. They have both grown their amazing business to become known worldwide. By helping their following boost their sale rates and become more successful Steve and Jennifer have both been able to quit their jobs and enjoy living a life with their children.
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