5 Steps to Building Your Information Marketing Empire
I count myself lucky.
During my 30-year career in direct-response marketing and publishing, I’ve been fortunate enough to work alongside some extremely talented “A-list” copywriters, including Mike Palmer, Jedd Canty, Parris Lampropoulos, Clayton Makepeace, Bill Bonner … and the list goes on.
One in particular stands out for his business savvy: Bob Bly, who McGraw-Hill rightly dubbed “America’s Top Copywriter.” You probably know his name as a regular contributor to AWAI programs and speaker at our annual Bootcamp.
Of course, the staff here at AWAI recognized his brilliance early on, which is why in 2006, he was awarded the coveted title of Copywriter of the Year.
Today, I’m passing my good fortune on to you. You see, I’m giving you a sneak peek into a special series of behind-the-scenes recorded conversations I had with Bob on just how easy it is to start your own information marketing business. (You can find out more here.)
Now, I should point out that the program Bob put together is designed specifically for freelance writers like you. And you might wonder, why writers?
Well, since you already know how to write sales material and most likely content as well, then you have a distinct advantage over people who don’t like to write. That’s because for you, the writing comes easy.
But for non-writers, well, they usually struggle with that part of the business. Or they have to pay someone else to do the writing, which cuts down on how much money they earn.
And since you already have a “built-in advantage,” your chances of success are much greater. In fact, you’ll find having your own information marketing business is the perfect way to generate a SECOND six-figure income in your spare time.
No one knows this better than Bob because it’s exactly what he does. When he is not spending time writing sales copy for clients, he uses his free time to “tinker” with his online information marketing business.
I say tinker because Bob has perfected his information marketing business to the point that he spends only one or two hours on it a week.
Bob is a staunch believer that all freelance copywriters should have multiple streams of income. If suddenly your freelance copywriting gigs stop coming in or you need to take some time off, and you have a side business that generates a good amount of money, then you don’t have to worry so much about filling in those gaps of income that are bound to occur.
Getting your information business started takes time, but once it’s running, it’s something you can do on the side … the same way Bob does it. Over time, you’ll start to see how your income gradually grows while the amount of time you spend on your business decreases.
In our behind-the-scenes conversations, I wanted to know more about how the income flows. So I asked Bob to walk us through what he calls the “hierarchy for success.” What you are about to read is a small portion of our conversation. We talked for over 90 minutes. And Bob filled every one of those minutes up with one moneymaking nugget after another.
Q: Bob, I’m hoping you can provide some kind of way to measure your success on this journey of creating an information marketing business?
A: When you start and build your own internet information marketing empire, you will find there is a hierarchy for success as you climb the ladder to better and better results.
Specifically, there are five stages most of us will go through.
Q: I love that idea of hierarchy because it provides a benchmark or guide so we know if we are doing things right or maybe have gone off the path a little. So, can you walk us through those five stages, please?
A: I sure can. In Stage I: You begin. You are building what you need: products, bonus reports, a list, landing pages, a main website, email marketing campaigns.
At Stage I, you can start making a little money — nothing significant but enough to take your family on a short vacation or to Ruth Chris (Steakhouse).
You are not getting rich, but you’ll be walking around with a lot more cash in your wallet, which gives you, as a consumer, a feeling of power and pleasure.
>> Stage II: You are gaining momentum and making $1,000 a month. You can get from Stage I to Stage II in a few months.
A grand a month doesn’t make you Ryan Deiss, but it is nothing to sneeze about. Who couldn’t use an extra thousand dollars a month to pay bills?
In some states, if you live in an average home, your Stage II income can totally cover your annual property tax and then some. You could also buy a second car with the cash.
Q: Well, if you do the math, $1,000 a month is $12,000 a year. As you said, who would turn down that amount of money? It’s still enough to help pay bills and cover other expenses like out-of-pocket healthcare costs. What does the next level look like?
A: At Stage III: You move up to a thousand dollars in online income a week, which comes to $50,000 a year.
For most of us, another 50 grand a year can help us live more comfortably and reduce money worries. You can probably get here within 6 to 12 months of when you start. It’s a very nice supplement to your six-figure income as a copywriter.
>> Stage IV: Now we jump from a thousand a week to a thousand a day, which is $365,000 a year and serious money. At this level, some copywriters abandon freelancing for clients and become full-time info marketers.
>> Stage V: The top internet info marketers gross a million dollars a year or more, but they have staff and work like the devil. To me, that’s like having a job, and you’d have little or no time to freelance for clients if you wished to do so.
Q: What’s particularly appealing about this money is it’s all being made in someone’s free time. This means the Return on Investment is considerable. Put in a little time but get a huge payout. But is it realistic to think freelance writers can make this kind of money?
A: Yes. But you have to follow the steps outlined in my internet information marketing program, which shows how to realistically earn a spare-time six-figure income within 12 to 18 or 24 months. I already have a list of prospective customers, so I did it in 6 months.
Yet, even for those who don’t have a list and are just getting started, earning a six-figure income within 12 to 24 months is amazing. And it’s all side money too.
Thanks for sharing this information with us, Bob.
Now, as I mentioned earlier, this is just a sneak peek of the 90-minute conversation I had with Bob on starting an information marketing business. We talked about everything from how to build a list, what kind of products to sell, the best kind of landing page copy to write, what kind of subjects to write about … on and on.
If you want to generate a second six-figure income using the exact same steps and method Bob does, you can check out more about his program here.
Do you have any questions about the five stages to the hierarchy for success? Please comment below.
Bob Bly’s Information Marketing for Freelance Copywriters
Bob Bly says, “Online information publishing should be every freelance copywriter’s second business.” With this information publishing course, you can generate income Fast using your “95% Advantage.” Learn More »
Please explain internet marketing for me.
Thank you
Guest (Ann) –