In today's issue, I'm showing you how to make a dollar.

And I hope you aren't groaning at the sound of that sentence. "What's $1 gonna do? You can hardly get a stick of gum for that these days!" I get it, hear me out.

The first dollar isn't just the first dollar.

It's a catalyst.

Trust me, when you feel that dopamine dump from earning on the internet—using nothing but your brain—you're hooked.

At least, that's how it happened with me...

🚧 Initial Obstacle

Social media created a toxic culture surrounding the topic of making money online. I know you've seen the gimmicks, giveaways, and gurus. It's a little much.

But if we manage to cut through the noise, there's actually a light at the end of the tunnel. And it's bright enough to illuminate your inner genius, I promise.

Over and over, I find myself repeating this phrase:

Thought monetization starts with the realization that they're worth something.

It's true.

It's also the first obstacle you'll have to overcome if you wanna boost your bank account with that brain of yours.

If you can't accept that what you think is valuable, you'll never see a cent.

So, get a load of this.

The ideas and experiences you've had are unique and specific to you. And since everyone has pretty much said everything there is to be said, you can leverage your unique life experience to tell stories and resonate with the audience.

That's why it's valuable.

Because when someone relates to you specifically, they naturally idolize that source (you).

Pretty cool, right?

🗣 "So, what are my options?"

Good question, I'm glad you asked.

There are plenty of ways to make a dollar with digital writing. The beautiful thing about it is we can use digital leverage to scale the revenue once we know it's viable.

Here's a tease for what's to come:

• Write articles as a freelancer
• Build an audience on social media
• Produce digital and printable products
• Teach someone two steps behind on a call

You wanna know why these are the best ways to monetize your thoughts?

Because they can be used for any niche, any topic, in any market.

We'll start with my favorite.

Freelancing

There are over 600 million blogs on the internet today (2022).

And that's out of 1.9 billion websites! I won't do the math, but blog owners typically post hundreds of articles, so that's a lot of opportunity.

For me, I started with a freelancing platform called Fiverr.

I've written 100+ posts for cold hard cash! Perfect for the beginner, and even the advanced! I know of sellers that make 6-figures on those types of platforms.

And not only that, but you can also find your own clients.

Build an audience

This might just be the most powerful asset of the 21st century.

Building an audience takes time, patience, and perseverance, but boy is it worth it! There are endless ways to monetize an audience, just like the strategies you're currently learning.

You can start a paid community, funnel readers to a newsletter (like I do), sell courses, eBooks, and much more.

As you drop your thoughts on the timeline each and every day, you start to become a familiar face. That creates trust and when people enjoy consuming your content, they're far more likely to open their wallets.

If you can get past the initial stages of growth, you're well on your way to becoming an internet superstar.

Info products

I'd say this is the most common avenue for writers.

Information products can be anything from an eBook to an email course. Essentially, you distill a portion of your knowledge and package it for convenience.

A great strategy is to give away 95% of everything you know for free.

"But how the heck am I gonna make any money if I'm giving it away!"

I got you, don't worry.

The other 5% will teach your audience how to implement the knowledge and strategies you talk about. Here's a quick example:

Let's say you're a dog lover (because who isn't).

You train dogs in your free time, and you start to write about it online. As you share the commands and behaviors of a well-trained dog, you build trust.

Then, after you've given away almost everything you know for free (95%), you package the last 5% in an information product.

Thanks to the faith you've fostered through writing, people will purchase your niche knowledge!

Consulting

Lemme set the scene for you.

Think back to when you were learning something and had a tough time getting the hang of it.

You were most likely frustrated.

But what if you could've had someone (that knew what they were doing) help you out along the way?

Well, that's the essence of consulting calls. You find someone two (or more) steps behind you in the process, and you teach them on a call.

Rates are crazy high for this type of service, so it's a great way to monetize!

🎁 In Summary

If you're a clever creator, you might've noticed that I presented these options in a particular order.

If you trickle down the list, teaching everything you know, you my friend, have a raging business opportunity on your hands.

Even if you just choose one! You'll still have a hustle that widens your wallet.

Here they are again:

• Write articles as a freelancer
• Build an audience on social media
• Produce digital and printable products
• Teach someone two steps behind on a call

If you happen to give them a shot and find some success, come back and tell me!

And remember...

Thought monetization starts with the realization that they're worth something.

Your brain is a wealth of knowledge and creativity that can be leveraged using the technology we've got at our fingertips.

Good luck, see you next week, and happy holidays!

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