SPI 63: Monetizing a Hobby Blog and the “Magic” of Membership Sites

#820 As you're giving out your knowledge online, does the presentation around it reflect the value you're offering? This is important because the "gift wrapping" around your content can help you level up fast. On YouTube, for instance, we often hear that the title and thumbnail are vital for your success. It's so important that I even hired a thumbnail guy, Jonathan Sippel, for Deep Pocket Monster! Another example is the jingle I use on my new Shorts channel. If you've listened to last week's episode, you know I'm already seeing massive numbers and earning thousands of dollars after only doing short-form content for a little over a month. These are the same type of videos I see plenty of other creators doing. The difference? My focus on presentation helps me stand out from the crowd. Listen in because you can apply this strategy of going the extra mile on packaging to anything! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session820.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

13 Sep 202415min

#819 We talk a lot about resisting distractions, and for good reason. Training your focus is vital in entrepreneurship! That said, I know a lot of us have or want kids. Well, one of the best traits to develop as a parent is being interruptible for your family. This is coming straight from Jon Acuff, author of How Teens Win. I sat down with Jon for a fantastic in-person chat all about understanding our kids and helping them unlock their passion and potential. With teenagers at home, I know how important this topic is parent entrepreneurs! So, how do you communicate with young people and allow space for them to open up about their struggles? When you have more than one child, how do you get quality one-on-one time with each? Also, what are the tricks that make navigating around technology easier as a parent? Listen in to find out! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session819.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

11 Sep 202431min

#818 I did it this time. I finally cracked the code on Shorts and boiled my approach down to a simple formula. A month after starting from scratch, I'm only putting in fifteen minutes of work per day and getting millions of views! With a fresh understanding of what viewers want, my results are huge! In fact, I already have over 100K subscribers and am eligible for monetization on YouTube. You know I love Pokémon, so I started a new channel in the niche for this experiment at Short Pocket Monster. With no promotion, I published videos daily and let the algorithm do its magic. So why am I seeing such massive numbers this time? It turns out, the key is creating bingeable content. Listen in on today's episode to hear exactly what I'm doing and how you can replicate my success! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session818.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

6 Sep 202420min

#817 The easier you make it for readers to unsubscribe, the more effective your emails will be! Because this is counterintuitive, many of us land in people's spam folders without knowing it. But here's the good news—a joint announcement from Google and Yahoo has shed light on the best practices that get our emails in front of more people. Join me and my expert guest, MV Braverman of Inbox Welcome, to learn more! So, what are the recent changes you need to know about? How do you set up your emails to avoid getting blacklisted? What are the tools that help you understand why you're not getting the results you want? MV does an incredible job of breaking down the technical aspects that play a huge role behind the scenes. We talk about authenticating your emails, using Google's Postmaster Tools, avoiding block lists, and setting up new domain names. Listen in! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session817.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

4 Sep 202440min

#816 There are billionaires who are unhappy and die with regret. There are also people who waste their time and never take advantage of the opportunities in front of them. So, what does it mean to live a full life? Today, I want to share something I've never talked about before. This is something that really brought home the importance of finding meaning and focusing on the things that matter. It also brought me to tears because it was a message from a dying friend. At 41, with an 11-year-old daughter and a son heading into high school, it's unbelievable how fast time has gone by. If you feel the same way, join me for this chat to hear how I'm making the most of the moments I have with a renewed focus on nutrition, sleep, and longevity! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session816.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

30 Aug 202415min

#815 This may shock you, but our most popular episode isn't one of my interviews with famous guests like Tim Ferris or Gary Vanerchuck. It's actually session 122 with Shane and Jocelyn Sams, two teachers turned millionaire entrepreneurs! In today's episode, I'm excited to have Shane back on the show to learn about the next step in this incredible journey. He shares a peek at his first book, Earn More, Live More, and delivers an absolute masterclass in storytelling for business. We discuss the ups and downs of the writing process and the mindset tricks that finally unlocked Shane's inspiration. We also dive into an effective story framework you can leverage again and again to grow and engage your audience. Shane and I also get into rebranding to enter the next chapter of your life and why everyone should have a podcast even if no one listens. Enjoy! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session815.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

28 Aug 202445min

#814 Are you doing brave work and does it make you proud of yourself? Were you to start over, would you do things the same way now? If you're anything like me, asking these questions can lead to some uncomfortable realizations. That said, the answers you come to can propel you into the next chapter of your life! Today's episode might be the push you need to start doing something that lights you up. Joining me for this roundtable chat are author Todd Henry, Jason Feifer of Entrepreneur magazine, and SPI CEO Matt Gartland. My guests and I discuss everything from leveraging short-lived social platforms for audience growth to building up your bravery in business. We touch on rebranding a podcast and how our show might change, book publishing, evergreen content, and understanding the value you bring to your audience. Enjoy! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session814.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

23 Aug 202452min

#813 You don't have to be an expert to start helping others. In fact, being just one step in front of your target audience is often enough to build a successful business. The key, however, is niching down enough to take advantage of your unique combination of skills! My guest, Kourt from The Station Bakery, is a perfect example of someone carving out her space online. She helps her audience of home bakers discover great new recipes while also building income streams around their passion. I always say the riches are in the niches, so listen in on my chat with Kourt to learn more! In this episode, we discuss starting a brand from scratch, staying on top of niche trends, making money from Instagram and YouTube, the golden rule of building an audience, and why going offline can grow your online business. Enjoy! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session813.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

21 Aug 202437min