Ok, Frances actually makes getting traffic sound crazy simple!
And when she says what she did it genuinely does make blogging sound like a very simple game. In fact, I don't even think she realises how much of a writing machine she has become.
But here's the truth... if you had to... if you're life depended on it... could you write 20 blog posts every month?
Here are some of the best tips and tools mentioned in the podcast:
Writing more content means you have more chance of something working
Aim for B+/B- work "done is better than perfect" (you can always improve it later)
Experiment when you are starting, but focus on what works
Find real "pain points" in your niche i.e. ask people in Facebook groups, do you have your own pains?
Use your own system and stick to it- Frances wrote 20 blogs a month and created 100 pins
Become a user of Pinterest before you are a creator- create at least 10 boards and fill them with 200+ great pins from other people (learn more about this in the Ultimate Pinterest Traffic guide for bloggers)
Tailwind for Pinterest
Keysearch- keyword research tool for about $10 a month
There's honestly far too many great little tips to put them all here. you'll find the best ones in the podcast itself and pick up so many useful tips for motivation and how to actually make money blogging!
You probably know that if you can create the best blog headlines you can get more traffic to your website.
But most bloggers struggle to create a great headline that relates to their article.
Don't fret though amigo... Because headlines have been studied in great detail and there are some clear winning tactics that can help. In fact, once you start using the "perfect headline formula" it becomes as easy to write great headlines as saying 1-2-3!
This post will show you the findings of the best headline research ever done and how you can use this to create the best blog headlines.
Subscribe & Download
Never miss out on a new episode! Subscribe using your favorite app for listening to podcasts.
The rule of thumb is to spend the same amount of time on piecing your headline together as you spend writing your blog post. Are you beginning to see why the best bloggers spend so much time on their headlines?
Is There a Science to Writing Headlines?
It's more of an art combined with some science! But since there's no way to guarantee what people will click on, this post will focus on the science side as much as possible. There are studies that have produced some incredible stats about what people tend to click on more often.
The more you read this article the more you will begin to understand how you can use these studies to your advantage!
So what are some of these results from these headline studies?
1. Use a Number at the Start
A number in the title resonates the most with readers by far! So try to use a number in your headline in at least 50% of your blog posts.
Conductor did a study and produced the following table...
2. Odd Numbers Get 20% More Clicks Than Even Numbers
Not only do we now know that we should use a number, but it's been proven that odd numbers get more clicks! Content Marketing Institute discovered this when they analysed 150,000 of the most successful headlines. Do not ask me why... it's weird!!
If your title gets cut off in Google then it may not have the same impact. Google cuts off headlines that are wider than 600 px wide on desktop.
Moz studied over 28,000 headlines on Google's first page.
They found that the headlines get cut off between 42-68 characters long. The average was 57.7 characters. It's important to note that some letters take up more space than others i.e. "w" takes up 4 times as much space as "i".
If you're like me you are gonna want to test that...
www
iiiiiiiiiiii
(Seems about right to me!)
If you want to air on the side of caution then use 45 characters max. But remember you can often use more emotional or powerful words the longer the title is, so it needs to be long enough to do two things:
The Webmaster tweeted me back on the above link. Moz found it actually increased to 70 characters in 2016 and 78 on mobile...
Moral of the story, longer headlines can be found so don't scrimp! Make sure your message comes across in your headline and it makes sense.
#5 Stack Your Targeted Keyword at the Start
Verbilo did a report on how to use CoScheduler to write great headlines. They found that readers tend to skim headlines and so really only take in the first and last 3 words.
If you want your readers to know what you are writing about then try to use your keyword at the start of the title.
#6 6 Words is Optimum
Since readers skim headlines, you can help them to read it all by trying to use 6 words. Remember, they tend to read the first and last 3 words of a headline
#7 Use a Strong Adjective (Superlative) at the Beginning of the Title- But Don't Overuse Them!
Remember the one job of your title is to get readers to click on the link. This means they want to know what it's about! If you just write a load of descriptive words the message gets lost... so don't overdo it!
However, a great superlative adds more emotion and can make people want to click. That's probably why 1 superlative did the best in the Conductor study!
Negative superlatives performed 30% better than positive ones!
Blinking human nature eh?! Why does this not surprise you?
Have you noticed that the news always seems to be depressing? This probably explains why they choose these types of headlines more often!
@CoSchedule found that negative supurlatives do 30% better than poitive ones! May explain why the news is always doom and gloom! pic.twitter.com/kAlA4kDWzK
Make it about the reader. How are you going to help them?
Putting "you" in the title makes the reader believe you are talking to them! Buffer analysed the most highly shared titles and found that posts most shared were list posts and then "you/ your" posts (that's why using a number was tip #1!)
You probably already know that emotional blog titles are shared much more. CoSchedule proved posts that were shared over 1,000 times had a much higher emotional marketing value (EMV)
Here is an infographic with CoSchedule's "power words"! Use these to create emotion...
As you continue to read this page you will discover 2 amazing headline tools that can help to see the EMV score for your headline!
#13 Use a [Bracketed] Word!
People pick up on the bracketed word(s) because it is promising a certain type of content. For example:
Infographics
Interviews
Templates
Vb3 found that people tended to click on a bracketed headline 38% more often.
The Perfect Headline Formula- Top Secret Blueprint
Now I can almost hear your mind thinking... "I don't know where to start!!"
So let me put all of this information into the perfect headline formula. This formula can be used to churn out the best blog headlines as easily as burgers in McDonald's.
Of course, you've heard that you should spend just as long on your headline as you do writing your posts. You probably know that you should write 25 titles to create the best blog headlines. But this formula can help you come up with emotional, precise headlines that people will want to click!
The first thing to do is decide what your blog topic is going to be about. If you're anything like me then you probably want to get a constant stream of free traffic to your website. Of course, you know that you will need to improve your SEO and rank on the first page of Google to be able to do this!
Therefore, the most important thing is obviously your keyword.
Unless you'd like an epic 5,000-word article, this is not the time to get into finding great keywords that people search for every month but don't have too many competing websites for it.
Top tip: There are some great AI writing tools that exist now that can really help with creating your headlines.
Steps to find the best headline
Now, you have your keyword we fill in the other blanks from the formula. This is how you can find out what number you should use, what superlative would work and what the additional wants should be...
Type in your keyword into Google
Make your number odd and higher than the highest number on page one of Google
Note if there is a common superlative
Take note of what the additional parts of the headings are
And do you begin to notice how you are creating a title that already ranks on page 1 on Google? But it doesn't finish there!! You are going to make your title stand out and better than everyone else...
Aminstitute- More accurate at giving an emotional score
CoSchedule is a great tool to get an idea quickly about whether your headline would work to drive traffic and shares. It's monkey simple to use and gives some great tips to improve the score.
Once you think you've settled on your headline head over to Aminstitute. This is where you can find out your headlines EMV (Emotional Marketing Value). This score is without a doubt the one you need to focus on the most as if you can get a good EMV (above 50% is pretty good!)
As you can see below, the average EMV score is almost 40 of posts that get shares of over 1,000. So if you can get the score above 50%, have an odd number in there with a great keyword you'll definitely be doing something right!
— Social Media London (@SocialMediaLond) July 29, 2014
Going back to the example above it shows why these are the top 3 rankings on Google!
20 Effective Tips to Lose Belly Fat (Backed by Science) - CoScheduler 64 Aminstitute 40%
How to Lose Weight Fast: 3 Simple Steps, Based on Science - CoScheduler 67 Aminstitute 27.27%
26 Weight Loss Tips That Are Actually Evidence-Based - CoScheduler 65 Aminstitute 50%
85 Effective Fat Loss Tips That Are Actually Evidence-Based - CoScheduler 65 Aminstitute 55.56%
All of this can be a lot to take in at one sitting. So get your free headline templates and a different example of the perfect blog formula sent to your inbox here...
Use The Perfect Headline Cheatsheet To Make Click Worthy Titles
Get your FREE headline formula cheatsheet to make writing amazing headlines simple.
It includes:
The perfect headline formula
100+ scientifically proven power words to hook your readers
A hypnotic cheatsheet to add add words to keep your readers attention
We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time
Create the Best Blog Headlines Summary
So writing a headline is part art part science.
However, are you beginning to notice you can use these studies to your advantage when creating your headlines?
There's no easy way to create the best blog headlines and it will require some time and work. But if you can use the perfect headline formula you will be on your way to making your headlines stand out like an honest man in the White House.
Keep changing for the better,
Mike
P.S. Check out this video explaining exactly how I created a passive income online within a year.
You probably know it would be pretty cool to make $500 a month from a website you own. But have you ever thought what it would be like to make $500 a month from multiple websites?
Most people think that making any money from a website can take a lot of time and effort.
But what if there was a way to make $500+ a month from a website quickly by following a process?
Making $500/ Month From Different Websites Quickly
BRIAN JOHNSON
From Crazy Dad Speaks
Make Time Online Podcast on iTunes - Live life on your own terms
Brian Johnson from Crazy Dad Speaks has found a way to do exactly this. We chat about:
How Brian uses brand ambassadorships to create multiple streams of income
The power of using Facebook ads, Google ads and Pinterest ads
How anyone can start learning how to use Facebook ads today
Why Brian and his family only had 18 months to figure this all out
Listen to the full Brian Johnson podcast episode
Subscribe & Download
Never miss out on a new episode! Subscribe using your favorite app for listening to podcasts.
Here are some of the best tips and tools mentioned by Brian in our chat:
Connect with brands/ companies that you would like to promote - see if you can work a "brand ambassadorship" with them
Brand ambassadorships- you can get a monthly income for promoting their products AND affiliate commission for sales you make
Track the traffic you send to a website using a UTM code as this can show proof of how much traffic you sent to your partners. Hub Spot explains how to set this up
Never cloak/ change your Amazon affiliate links- Genius Link explains why
Run ads to your new websites to get targeted traffic quickly- Brian mainly uses Facebook ads, Google ads and Pinterest ads
Your first FB ads campaign should be low cost i.e. $1 a day for 5 days. Don't expect to make money but aim for engagement (not click throughs). Be willing to learn!
Provide value on social media groups for free- good things start to happen
He just provided so much value and so many actionable tips. It's worth listening to the full chat to get more detail and specifics about all of that
Facebook Ads Campaign Example
Brian was kind enough to share one of his previous super successful Facebook Ad campaigns for 6 figure site, Happy Mothering.
[Notice how the ads follow Facebook's ad guidelines, which can all be learnt in the Facebook Blueprint free course]...
You can find the article that this linked to here, which helped "American Girl" get over 3,500 entries to their competition.
Don't you think every business would be delighted to be sent thousands of targeted leads every month?
So you can see why companies are willing to offer Brian a "brand ambassadorship" deal and pay him a fee every month... plus commission!
There are so many takeaways from this chat with Brian.
The main one for me was that I don't need to be afraid about spending money on Facebook ads. You can find out so much information about them for free and it's possible to get started with a tiny amount.
Like everything else this is a skill that will need time and practice to get good at it. And there's no better time than to start today!
Ready to make passive income online?
I've created a growingpassive income online with no previous marketing skills or online experience...
I've made a special video for you to explain exactly how I did this.
You've probably seen an ad or received an email about Ecom Cash Code. Now you're wondering, is Ecom Cash Code a scam?
How do I know?
I was thinking exactly the same thing so I thought I'd research what all the fuss is about.
Most people still have absolutely no idea where to start with a legit online business. Ecom Cash Code promises to be the solution to starting a profitable online business.
This Ecom Cash Code review will show you the truth about the program and whether it is for you or not.
Ecom Cash Code Review
The overview and rankings
Name:Ecom Cash Code
Founder: Teo Vee (1 out of 100)
Type: eCommerce "plug and play" system
Price: $47 (not $597 or $97) + Funnel for My Ecom Club ($1,997+)
There really isn't much you will learn from it at all.
The whole point of it is to try to get people to pay a little bit of money (i.e. the $47) to get them hooked into wanting the system.
They use all kinds of black hat sales tactics to get you to purchase the course.
Once you are inside all you will find is a constant bombardment of trying to get you to upgrade to My Ecom Club.
You can click the link above to check out the program. Even though My Ecom Club will give you some basic training on dropshipping, the more I have reviewed it the more it seems like it is a total scam.
There are so many complaints on BBB and just recently the website is being investigated by the Better Business Bureau.
It would also be nice to note that there are hundreds of other MLMs that are offering similar products and earning process as ecom Cash Code. Some of the most notable ones are:
There are two main ways an online course can be a scam:
Take your money and run off into the sunset, never to be heard from again
Provide some information but it doesn't live up to their promises
It won't disappear but it certainly will not live up the promises of huge money for doing almost nothing that the sales video suggests.
Just to be fully transparent with you, I have not purchased Ecom Cash Code myself and I do not endorse it in any way.
I have researched the website, testimonials and information on the Internet to get to the bottom of what this program genuinely does. This is because I have been burnt from programs just like this in the past and I want to prevent others from making the same mistakes. If you’d like to learn more “Ways to Spot an Online Marketing Scam” then click the highlighted text.
Here are some of the hidden truths that everyone should know about Ecom Cash Code...
Key Terms:
Black Hat Methods - Using lies and unethical methods to make someone buy something
White Hat Methods - Being honest and genuine to help people make informed decisions about purchases
Affiliate Marketing- Connecting a customer to a product they are looking for and receiving a commission for doing so
Red Flag - A warning sign
#1 Fake Testimonials
This is such a common red flag for big fat scams.
Review on Ecom Cash Code Sales VideoSame Lady on Fiverr.com
If the program really did what it said it would be very easy to find legit success stories on the internet.
Legit online courses have so many people that do well from them and are more than happy to share their experience that anyone paying for actors is a huge warning sign that something is up.
#2 It Doesn't Even Make Sense
There are just so many people telling you how much money they make from Ecom Cash Code that it's almost like they forget something...
At no point do they actually explain what you are expected to do from the program. They just say things like "if you're fed up of working the 9-5 grind, then this is for you".
If you're like me, all you want to know is what you are actually about to pay for!
#3 It's Just a Sales Funnel to My Ecom Club
This is when the penny clicked for me when I did the research.
The whole point of Ecom Cash Club is to try and entice you into the upsell and purchase My Ecom Club.
This includes a $1997 payment to get 2 ready-made Ecom stores set up for you.
It's again another marketing tactic of trying to get the victim to put their hand in their pocket first with a smaller signup fee so that they feel more committed to the next upsell.
The most legit course offer something for free to try it or a money-back guarantee.
#4 Black Hat Sales Techniques
This is a HUGE red flag!
When a sales page is focussed on showing you the amazing life you could have rather than educating you on what you need to do, something is wrong.
#5 Different Website URLs
This is a clear sign that someone has been complaining or trying to remove the website.
secretecomcode.comcashcodesecret.com
You can find the same sales page at different URL's.
You can grow it with part-time hours at times when it suits you.
Traffic is brought to you for free (just think about how you found this review... there was no money or time spent from me promoting this!)
You get me as a personal coach to help you on your journey & access to 400,000 online marketers
It took me a while to see any results (money) from the training.
But I went from a full time PE teacher to making a passive income online within one year...
If you want to discover how I did it then check out this special video I created which explains exactly how. You can also get your free 7-day bootcamp to get started.
Someone has probably introduced AdvoCare to you as a great way to stay in shape and make money from home.
However, you're probably wondering... can you really make money with AdvoCare? Or is it just a scam?
This honest up to date AdvoCare review in 2020, with videos, will reveal the true pros and cons of the company. You can then make an informed decision if it is right for you or not.
AdvoCare Review
The overview and rankings
Name:AdvoCare
Founder: Charles E. Ragus in 1993
Type: Health and Wellness MLM Direct Sales Company (since 2019)
Products (Including Pricing): 30 out of 100
Success Stories: 1 out of 100
Price To Join MLM: $59 +$50 per year (99 out of 100)
Summary: AdvoCare was determined as a pyramid scheme by the FTC in July 2019. Since then, the company has been forced into making changes including only paying members for selling products rather than getting bonuses for items sold by their "downline".
Hence, it no longer operates like an MLM business but a direct sales company. The issue is, there really is no training on how to use internet marketing to help sell the overpriced AdvoCare products.
It's still, therefore, very hard for people to make any money from AdvoCare without additional training or skills.
AdvoCare used to be a health and wellness Multi-Level-Marketing company that sells a range of performance and weight management supplements.
It was founded in 1993 in Texas and became a multimillion dollar company in the 2000's.
However, AdvoCare was forced to redesign the company structure to a single-level direct sales model in 2019 when the Federal Trade Commission determined AdvoCare of operating like a pyramid scheme.
It still sells the same health and wellness products despite this change in structure.
You can learn more about the company and how it offers everyday people the chance to make money from home in the 2 minutes sales video below...
It's still possible for everyday people to earn money as an AdvoCare distributor.
But you're probably still wondering...
Is AdvoCare a pyramid scheme?
AdvoCare is no longer a pyramid scheme in any way.
The only way distributors can earn money is by getting commissions from selling AdvoCare's products.
It is impossible to get paid in any way from recruiting people into their "downline", unlike how the company used to operate.
What is a pyramid scheme?
A company that promises payment to members for recruiting more people into the company instead of selling any products or services.
These are illegal in most countries as it is impossible for every member to earn money.
Just see the Wikipedia diagram below to understand why...
Most MLMs do provide legit services or products. This includes AdvoCare before 2019.
However, it is often very hard for members to earn good money or even cover their own expenses unless they recruit people into their "downline". This makes many MLMs similar to a "pyramid scheme in disguise" and this is exactly why the FTC forced AdvoCare to change.
You can learn more about this in the 5 minute video below...
This case with the FTC and AdvoCare does suggest that EVERY MLM should be very concerned as there really was no difference to what AdvoCare did and many other MLMs still do...
Success is rare with AdvoCare
In fact, success is rare inside any MLM company.
Did you know that between 73% and 99% of all MLM representatives lose money?
To earn "bonuses" from a downline AdvoCare distributors used to have to sell $500+ of products every month to "remain active".
If they couldn't sell this amount they would have to purchase products themselves, meaning that distributors would often spend thousands of dollars every year.
This is a huge reason for the change in their company structure.
Since the change there haven't been any income disclosures, but the only way to make money is by receiving a 20-40% commission for selling AdvoCare's products.
How does AdvoCare Work?
AdvoCare produces a range of performance supplements and weight loss shakes.
However, they save a lot of money on advertising and marketing each month. They do this because they get everyday people to help sell these products for them.
In return, everyday people get the opportunity to make money from home.
In theory, it's a win-win!
AdvoCare products
Before you consider joining AdvoCare as a distributor you need to understand their products as this is what you will need to sell to make money.
AdvoCare has a range of products within the following categories:
Weight management: meal replacement shakes, appetite control, supplements for energy + metabolism
Energy: spark + meal bars
Wellness: Vitamins, fish oil, herbal cleanse, fiber drink, probiotics, etc
Sports Performance: Muscle building + recovery
There are too many products to go into detail about all of them in this AdvoCare review, but you can find all of AdvoCare's products here.
But it is important to be aware that there are hundreds of other MLM companies that offer a very similar selection of products such as:
AdvoCare's main "flagship" product is their "Spark", vitamin and amino acid supplement...
It's similar to energy drinks that helps to boost energy and mental focus, without any added sugar.
It's always a good idea to see what real people think about these types of products...
As you can see, the majority of people rate Spark quite highly.
AdvoCare knows how to market it well too. They even have some elite athletes recommending Spark as you can see in the 17 second video below...
Can you make money with AdvoCare?
In the past it has been very hard to make any money from AdvoCare.
Only 1 out of 665 members made over $50,000 in 2017and these were typically very good sales managers that recruited a big downline of sales people.
Without being able to earn bonuses from the sales your "downline" make, these people will not be able to earn money like they used to in AdvoCare.
And just think about this... how many shakes could you sell in person to your friends and family each month?
1? 10? 100?
Even if you could sell 100 products worth $50 every month you will only earn up to 40% commission which would be around $2,000 a month.
The only people that can make any decent money from AdvoCare from now on will be those who use online marketing to help sell the products for them 24/7.
How to make money with AdvoCare
There is now only 1 way you can earn money with AdvoCare:
Sell AdvoCare products
You can no longer make money from recruiting a team and earning bonuses from the sales they make.
How much does it cost to join AdvoCare?
The price to join has changed as well. It now costs $59 plus tax and $50 a year to remain active.
It used to cost $79 to join and you would have to hit a sales quota each month to stay active.
AdvoCare monthly cost
There are not any sales quotas to hit to earn bonuses anymore. The only requirement to earn compensation is to provide your social security number...
However, if you are genuinely trying to sell these products it would be wise that you actually use them yourself so you can speak from person experience.
Therefore, you should probably allow at least $50 a month for products.
And if you are serious about making money from AdvoCare you will likely need to learn more about how to market products online and host your own website. It's wise to allow around $100 a month for training and the tools you need to do this.
AdvoCare compensation plan
Most MLM companies like to make their compensation plan harder to understand than solving a Rubik's cube blindfolded.
AdvoCare is now very different as it is a single-level direct sales company.
There are only 2 ways you can earn money:
Retail profits
Wholesale commissions
Retail profits
The simplest way to earn money is buying AdvoCare products at your wholesale price (between 20-40% off, see table above) and sell them on at retail price.
You make the difference in price!
Simple, right?
Wholesale commissions
If you have "preferred clients" then you can sell AdvoCare products on at wholesale value.
Let's say your client gets 20% discount.
If you get a 30% discount (by selling between $1k-$2k in a month) then you would make 10% commission from anything you sell to these "preferred clients".
They provide legit products and distributors can only get paid for selling the products and earning a commission.
It works very similar to affiliate marketing and people get rewarded for how much they sell.
Even though AdvoCare used to work like a pyramid scheme it now is completely legit. But does it mean it's the best way for you to work from home?
Just to be fully transparent with you, I am not a distributor myself and I do not endorse AdvoCare in any way.
I have researched the website, testimonials and information on the Internet to get to the bottom of what this program genuinely does. This is because I have been burnt from programs just like this in the past and I want to prevent others from making the same mistakes. If you’d like to learn how to “Spot an Online Marketing Scam” then click the highlighted text.
There are some things that I really like about AdvoCare compared to many other MLMs out there.
Key Terms:
Pyramid Scheme – recruits members via a promise for payment from referring others to the service rather than providing a product
Affiliate Marketing- Connecting a customer to a product they are looking for and receiving a commission for doing so
Red Flag - A warning sign
#1 Change in policies
Since the change in policies in July 2019, AdvoCare has become a completely legit way for people to earn money.
The FTC has got rid of any pyramid scheme and MLM structure and paid back over $150 million to consumers.
#2 It's now a legit business model- since July 2019
Direct sales works very similarly to affiliate marketing in the sense that you get paid a commission for any sales you make.
There is no recruiting people into a company in order to get paid. You simply sell a product or service and make a commission...
However, the best way to make these sales is by using online marketing because the internet can sell for you 24 hours of the day and all over the world.
This is why affiliate marketing can be far more lucrative than direct sales and the people that do well from direct sales are typically the ones that know how to use online marketing.
#3 Positive product reviews
There are tons of good reviews about the AdvoCare products online.
Just look on Amazon and you can see hundreds of positive reviews about the AdvoCare products. When real people like and use the products this is a great sign if you want to sell them!
What I don't like about AdvoCare
There are still some hidden truths about AdvoCare that are important to be aware of before diving in.
#1 Expensive products
AdvoCare's products are still very expensive compared to very similar items...
AdvoCare = $1.31 per serving
Amazon = $0.65 per serving
It costs 100% more to buy a vitamin and amino acids supplement from AdvoCare as it does from a very highly rated product from Amazon.
And these are not the only products that are expensive...
AdvoCare = $3.21 per serving
IdealShake = $1.66 per serving
You can see that their shakes are 100% more expensive than other meal replacement shakes.
This can make it hard to sell especially if people can find a very similar product for half the price by clicking a button on the computer.
98.29% of distributors earnt less than $2,000 before expenses in 2017....
You could even be in the top 1% of distributors, which takes an average of 7.9 years work, and still only receive $17,826 a year!
This was the income potential before the change in policies and structure.
And there are no bonuses for sales in your downline any more. So the income potential is only going to be worse today.
#3 AdvoCare was a pyramid scheme according to the FTC?
It's important to be aware of this even if you're considering joining today.
100,000 distributors were affected by the change in policy and the whole companies reputation has taken a huge hit.
The changes are explained pretty well from this former distributor in the 9 minute video...
The changes do make the company stronger moving forwards, but it's important to be aware of these changes and that the company is completely different since 2019.
#4 No appropriate online marketing training
The biggest issue about trying to make money from AdvoCare is that the company does not provide training on how to use online marketing to help you sell the products.
So are you still expected to host "home parties" and knock on peoples doors to sell them in the 2020's?
This couple even explains how they were prevented from using online marketing to sell AdvoCare products. Advocare didn't allow them to keep their websites that they had built!
Just watch about 2 minutes of this video, it's in the right place...
You are also completely restricted to selling AdvoCare's products if you join as a distributor. This is not the case if you started affiliate marketing where you can promote anything you like.
#5 Downward trend
The final nail in the coffin for AdvoCare can be found on Google Trends...
It's much harder to sell something that people are not searching for and you can see that fewer people are searching for AdvoCare each month since 2015.
When you compare this to other direct sales companies like Farmasi you can see the trend is going the wrong way.
Ready to make passive income online?
I've created a growingpassive income online with no previous marketing skills or online experience...
I've made a special video for you to explain exactly how I did this.
Direct sales is very similar to affiliate marketing, which is a completely legit way for people to earn money.
However, without using the internet to help you sell, AdvoCare is like trying to catch a fish with your bare hands. Plus, you're restricted to what products you can actually promote and they are twice as expensive as other comparables.
How I make passive income online
MLMs are not all scams or illegal. However, I'm not a fan of them because of the restrictions to the expensive products you have to promote.
Once I learnt about affiliate marketing, I realised it's a far superior business model because:
You can promote anything you want and truly own the business
You never need to sell to friends and family
It's completely free to start
In 2018 I had no idea what affiliate marketing was.
But I went from a full time PE teacher to making a passive income online within one year...
If you want to discover how I did it then check out this special video I created which explains exactly how.
Ready to make passive income online?
In 2018 I had no idea how to make money online. I was a full time PE teacher with no marketing skills or online experience.
I fell for scams along the way but I've managed to create a growingpassive income online.
And I've made a special video for you to explain exactly how I did this.
It's possible for anyone to start a YouTube channel.
People often put it off because they feel like they don't have the right equipment or tools, but as Chris makes it clear, you don't need anything special to start!
If you have a phone, you can get great content out there easily!
P.S. Check out Chris's free hour webinar, where he explains the exact steps to start a YouTube channel for success.
Ready to make passive income online?
In 2018 I had no idea how to make money online. I was a full time PE teacher with no marketing skills or online experience.
I fell for scams along the way but I've managed to create a growingpassive income online.
And I've made a special video for you to explain exactly how I did this.
But there is a very real side to online business that almost every successful story has to it...
Mindset battles!
Everyone that I have spoken to that has created an online business has admitted that they have had their struggles or even thought about quitting and going back to a normal 9 to 5.
People like Ben and Jeff who now have a multi-million dollar a year website actually did have to go back to work just 7 months after quitting because they weren't making any money (that was only in 2016!)
In this quick podcast that I ended up recording in the car (after trying two times) I chat about:
The struggle being real
Why the past week has been super hard for me
3 things I have done to help get my mojo back
Listen to the full podcast episode
Subscribe & Download
Never miss out on a new episode! Subscribe using your favorite app for listening to podcasts.
Summary: WorldVentures is a travel MLM company that offers people the chance to go on more vacations each year by paying a membership to earn points towards their trips.
It is very hard to earn money from the MLM program and only people that recruit heavily are able to earn any significant money. It's even been banned from certain countries due to being determined as a pyramid scheme.
The trips get some good reviews from previous customers but you are restricted to where the trips take place and what activities you can do.
WorldVentures is a travel Multi-Level-Marketing company that offers a membership to gather points which can go towards their packaged trips.
It was founded in 2005 in Texas and has expanded into 34 markets with over half a million members worldwide.
They also offer an opportunity for everyday people to share this company and earn money by doing so. Check out the 2 minute video to see more about this...
Is it starting to sound like a pretty great opportunity?
Well, you're smart enough to know this is just a sales video. So you're probably still wondering...
Is WorldVentures a pyramid scheme?
This one is a real grey area.
Members can get paid for recruiting people to join WorldVentures as a customer. And technically WorldVentures offers a service of providing packaged trips and vacations.
However, when you read that sentence above again it does make you question it... and WorldVentures has been determined to be a pyramid scheme and shut down in certain countries, such as Norway.
What is a pyramid scheme?
A company that promises payment to their members for recruiting people into the company rather than offering a product or service.
These are illegal in most countries because it is impossible for everyone to make money inside a pyramid scheme.
The only way you can make money is by getting people to join the membership at WorldVentures. And going by the definition of the pyramid scheme, you have to admit that it sounds very much like one.
The members that make the most money inside the company also recruit people to join the MLM "business opportunity".
But as you can see from the diagram above, it is impossible for everyone to make money inside a system like this because you would eventually run out of people that can be recruited.
You can learn more about how to spot these "pyramid schemes in disguise" in the 5 minute video below...
Success is rare with WorldVentures
The truth is that it's hard to find success inside any MLM company.
Did you know that between 73% and 99.9% of all MLM representatives lose money?
For a start, you can see that 85.4% of representatives did not earn ANY commission or bonuses. And 93% of those that did earn commissions made less than $3,000 for the year, which would be less than their expenses.
Simply put... success is VERY rare at WorldVentures.
How does WorldVentures Work?
WorldVentures offer a couple of "memberships" that people can join.
This helps people to accumulate points inside WorldVentures which can be put towards paying for custom trips designed by WorldVentures (yes, you read that right, it won't even cover the cost of the trip... oh, and you need to sort out your flights yourself!!)
They save on advertising and marketing costs too because they get everyday people to help promote the company to other people.
In return, these "representatives" can earn commissions and bonuses for recruiting people either as customers or "business representatives"...
Hmm... just writing that makes it sound even more like a pyramid scheme!
WorldVentures DreamTrips & services
Well, if you are interested in joining any MLM you must understand more about the products or services as this is what you will be selling.
WorldVentures provides a huge range of "DreamTrips" such as the ones below...
You may notice that the flights are not included in any of these trips. And the accommodation is also not always included!
It's also worth noting that there are other travel MLM companies that also exist and are very similar, like iBuumerang. Plus, there are many other MLMs that exist such as:
WorldVentures DreamTrips Gold and Platinum - flagship service
There are 2 "memberships" that you can join with WorldVentures:
DreamTrips Gold ($200 one time + $50 a month)
DreamTrips Silver ($300 one time + $100 a month)
Some of the benefits of joining these memberships are:
Access to DreamTrips and VolunTours
DreamTrips extras, such as airport transfers, hosts,excursions and activities (where available)
Access to discounts on airfare (not included in trip price)
DreamTrips Rewards program
RateShrinker
Exclusive travel deals year-round
Flight accident insurance
DreamTrips Exclusive Deals
Dining and entertainment discounts
DreamTrips Mall
DreamTrips concierge
I don't mean to be funny here...
But what the frick?!
This is just garbage isn't it? It's all fluff and stuff that is not needed.
I mean my wife and I have travelled a lot and all we need to spend money on is:
Travel insurance once a year
Accomodation
Flights
Food
Fun things to do (we often decide this when we are there!)
WorldVentures pays for absolutely NONE of this, but just gives discounts for SOME of them!
Anyway you can see another clever 2 minute sales video below...
Can you make money with WorldVentures?
It's very hard to make any money from WorldAdventures.
The few people that do make more than minimum wage are people that are typically very good at sales and treat it like a full time business, not just a part time job.
Their income reports prove that hardly anyone even makes any commissions from WorldVentures.
How to make money with WorldVentures
There are 2 main ways that people can make money from WorldVentures:
Recruit people to join WV as a customer
Recruit people into the MLM business model at WV and earn bonuses from anyone they recruit
Simply put, you will need to recruit people into WorldVentures to make money.
How much does it cost to join WorldVentures?
It costs $100 one time payment to become a distributor at WorldVentures.
But if you are serious about joining WorldVentures then you will likely need to pay for the Gold or Platinum membership ($200-$300) so that you can experience the benefits for yourself.
The costs do not stop there either...
WorldVentures monthly cost
The Representative Business System (RBS) also has a monthly cost as do the memberships...
It costs $20 a month to remain active as a representative.
This is on top of whatever membership you choose ($50 or $100 a month).
When you include your first month memberships if you were to join the Platinum membership and become a distributor it would cost $520 one time fee.
So your total expenses for your first year would be:
$520
$120 x 12
Total cost for 1 year = $1,960
This is clearly less than starting a bricks and mortar business like a restaurant. But are you actually starting a "business" at all with WorldVentures?
WorldVentures support
There is some support in place for you if you decide to be a representative:
Guidance from sponsor- offering personal support (standard in any MLM and very dependent on who you join with)
WorldVentures Advantage- audio and video training for recruiting (see video below)
QuickCoach- helps to coach your downline (see video below)
Live Events- $30-$300+ per ticket for a live event training (these can actually be quite motivating)
DreamTrips App- access training tools and your "business" from your phone to become a "mobile-preneur"
Personal Replica Website- your own website that you can send people to if they want to join WorldVentures
Watch the 3 minute video below to see more about the "Advantage program"...
And check out the 2 minute video to understand more about what the "QuickCoach" program offers...
This is all great, but you're probably getting itchy to understand how you can make money from WorldVentures...
For some reason most MLMs like to make their compensation plan harder to understand than solving a Rubik's cube blindfolded.
WV is no different.
So I will do my best to make this as simple as possible to understand. There are 9 ways you can earn money or points from WorldVentures...
Direct commission (the percent depends on your "rank")
Sponsor 3 customers (sales bonus for sponsoring 3 new customers in a month)
Lifestyle bonus ($200-$1,000 bonus if you sponsor 4-6+ active customers and sell $1,600-$4,000 a month)
Weekly bonuses (need 4 customer sponsors + 3 sales credits on your right and left leg = $100 bonus)
Monthly residual commissions (same as above but extra $10-$15 "residual monthly income")
DreamCar bonus ($1,000-$1,500 when you reach a certain "rank"- you need 3,000+ active customers to get there making at least $31,500 in sales EVERY month)
DreamHome bonus (same requirements as the car with an extra $3,000 a month bonus)
If you just read all of that and then looked at those diagrams, you're probably still super confused. It's actually what many MLMs do to make it seem like you can get paid in more ways than you actually can.
All you need to understand is what you need to do to make money:
Recruit people into the WV membership
Recruit people into the WV MLM "business"
If you really want to get your head around it then you can check out the 12 minute video below...
Some countries have outright banned WorldVentures and called it a scam.
However, it's been around for a while and technically offers a service in helping people plan a holiday. They also will pay representatives (most of the time) like they claim they will.
But is this really a company you want to be joining or getting into business with?
Just to be fully transparent with you, I am not a distributor myself and I do not endorse WorldVentures in any way.
I have researched the website, testimonials and information on the Internet to get to the bottom of what this program genuinely does. This is because I have been burnt from programs just like this in the past and I want to prevent others from making the same mistakes. If you’d like to learn how to “Spot an Online Marketing Scam” then click the highlighted text.
There are a few things that I genuinely like about WorldVentures compared to other MLMs...
Key Terms:
Pyramid Scheme – recruits members via a promise for payment from referring others to the service rather than providing a product
Affiliate Marketing- Connecting a customer to a product they are looking for and receiving a commission for doing so
Red Flag - A warning sign
#1 Proven company
It was in the top 700 companies according to Inc in 2016...
It has a proven track record being in business for over 15 years and it's still going.
This is a good sign that WorldVentures is not an outright scam and people seem to be getting value from it...
#2 Positive travel reviews
There are many places you can find out what customers or employees think about a company. Trust Pilot is one of those places...
Typically Trust Pilot is for employees of the company. But I did find a few reviews like the one above, which shows there are real people that genuinely like the service that WorldVentures provides.
I personally hate booking things to do on trips, but luckily for me my wife loves it. I do see the value in having something planned out for you, but not everyone does!
#3 Giving to charity
Some MLMs just donate to charity to plaster it all over their sales materials.
WorldVentures is not one of those companies as I had trouble finding out more about this...
At the end of the day, giving back to any kind of charity is always a good thing and WV contributes to children's education, welfare and health in deprived areas.
That's a big tick in my book.
What I don't like about WorldVenture
There are some important hidden truths that most people don't learn until they are already down the rabbit hole with WV.
Here are some of the things I found from digging...
#1 Can you make money with WorldVenture?... Not Really
The average commission and bonus was $354.31 for the 57,854 WorldVentures reps.
When you take into account that it will cost at least $1,960 for the first year (before travel expenses and marketing materials) you can see that the "average" rep lost $1,605.69 in 2019.
This type of travel MLM is getting saturated too as you can see by:
The table above makes it look like it's not that bad. But when you read the small print you realise that table only includes 14.6% of the reps that actually made ANY commissions...
This actually means that less than 1 in 1,000 reps earns over $35,000 each year BEFORE expenses.
Could you and your family even live off this each year?
#2 Monthly expenses
One of the big selling points is that you get your "membership" for free if you recruit 4 people as customers into WV. Well, this complaint on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) shows how sneaky and misleading that is...
You are guaranteed to have to pay $199.98 even if you do recruit 4 people straight away as you need to wait for them to pay their monthly fee!
Plus you will ALWAYS need to pay $20 a month for your "back office" as a rep.
And if you don't ever recruit these 4 people you will continue paying your $50 or $100 a month membership fees.
#3 Is WorldVenture a pyramid scheme in disguise?
It's been banned in some countries for being an outright pyramid scheme...
I mean, you can see why when the only way you get paid is to recruit people into the WV membership or MLM business.
If that's not enough then take into account that:
You need to recruit 4 people to get yours for free (that is the definition of a pyramid scheme and impossible for everyone to do that!)
8 out of 9 ways to get paid requires you to recruit people into the MLM business
All the training material and "support" seems to be focused on getting you to recruit people
Remember, it is not possible for everyone to make money inside a pyramid scheme even if you do. So you will need to recruit people knowing they cannot all make money.
This time it's complaints about the expensive costs of the trips.
So you're already paying monthly fees to be part of this program (which I'm still not sure what it actually provides that's of any use), but then the trips are more expensive than booking the same thing yourself!!
This is madness!
Also, when my wife and I travel we like to get off the beaten track and find our own things to do. Booking trips like this will be super hard to find anything like that to do.
#5 Negative WorldVentures reviews online
There are way too many to put them all here, but here's another complaint...
I've dropped tons of links to places that you can find reviews about the company in this WorldVentures review already. Just click on any of them and see for yourself what real people are saying about it!
#6 Downward trend
The straw that broke the camel's back is found on Google Trends...
It becomes an uphill battle to sell something that people are not searching for any more. And WorldVentures has been on the decline since 2015.
When you compare it to other MLMs like Farmasi you can see that it is going the wrong way!
Ready to make passive income online?
In 2018 I had no idea how to make money online. I was a full time PE teacher with no marketing skills or online experience.
I fell for scams along the way but I've managed to create a growingpassive income online.
And I've made a special video for you to explain exactly how I did this.
So many people would love to be able to make money online so that they could work anywhere in the world.
Nathaniell is another example of someone who had no idea how to do this but figured it out. He was living in China and realised that if he could make USD he could live like a king!
So he took it upon himself to figure exactly how to do this. He has created numerous affiliate niche websites and still works on several websites today including One More Cup of Coffee.
But he has location independence and can choose how he spends his days.
Affiliate Marketing Secrets: The Power of Just Starting
Nathaniell Brene
From One More Cup of Coffee
Make Time Online Podcast on iTunes - Live life on your own terms
We chat about:
Are micro niche websites still profitable in the 2020's?
What Nathaniell outsources and how he finds writers
How to monetise content that starts ranking
The benefits of just starting & finding new opportunities
Listen to the full Nathaniell podcast episode
Subscribe & Download
Never miss out on a new episode! Subscribe using your favorite app for listening to podcasts.
Will we need to change our whole Pinterest marketing strategy?
Is there any point in trying to use Pinterest any more?
If you're like me then these are probably some of the questions you've been asking yourself recently.
So I figured it would be wise to get a perspective from someone who's whole business is based on Pinterest marketing. Ideally, someone that regularly speaks with Tailwind leaders and the people that actually make the Pinterest updates in 2020.
Of course, Kate Ahl from Simple Pin Media seemed like the obvious person!
Pinterest Update 2020- Inside Knowledge From...
Kate Ahl
Simple Pin Media
Make Time Online Podcast on iTunes - Live life on your own terms
We chat about:
Why Kate was commenting on Harry Potter memes and how this really helped her (it's not what you think!)
Why and how you should learn more about who actually uses Pinterest in your niche
How many times you should be pinning per day in 2020
What the Pinterest updates are in 2020 and how that will affect you
Listen to the full Kate Ahl podcast episode here
Subscribe & Download
Never miss out on a new episode! Subscribe using your favorite app for listening to podcasts.
You probably know that there are some niches that are just more popular than others on Pinterest.
The main big niches in 2020 are still:
Home decor
Recipes
Women's fashion
DIY crafts
Health and fitness
Weddings
Personal finance
But Kate suggests that smaller sub pockets within these niches tend to do better for bloggers looking to drive traffic from Pinterest.
After all, Pinterest users typically are searching for something specific when they type something into the search bar on Pinterest. For example, she explains how one of Simple Pin Media's clients has a "custom dog crates" website that does very well.
If you can make your pins with specific keywords that people are looking for then you can "rank" on Pinterest's search feed.
This is how you can get consistent traffic from Pinterest. You can find out more about how to use Pinterest SEO here.
What does Pinterest want in 2020?
As of February 2020, Pinterest is asking for:
"Relevant, recent and inspiring" content.
Pinterest does not want you to re-pin the same thing over and over again!
To be honest Pinterest hasn't really changed what they want since April 2018. They have been asking for "fresh content" since then and that is still the case today.
But many bloggers still get confused what actually counts as "fresh content".
Pinterest now says that fresh content needs to be a "new image".
Fresh content used to be just changing the title or descriptions. But in 2020, Pinterest also wants new "Pinterest images".
So if you're using a template with the same picture in the background and text overlay in the same format and position, this may not always be counted as "fresh content".
It doesn't have to be a new blog post to be counted as fresh content, but Pinterest does recognise new images.
How many times should you pin per day in 2020?
As always this really does depend on how much content your website has.
But Kate does provide a pretty good rule of thumb:
Pin between 5-30 pins a day.
If you have an established food website with a load of pins and different articles then you may be able to pin between 15-25 times a day and still "space out your content".
However, if you have a new account with only a few articles and pins then only pin up to 10 times a day... and even limit it to 5 times a day. You can pin good quality content from other websites in your niche too.
The key here is to focus on pinning as much "fresh content" as possible.
So you shouldn't be pinning the same pin to the same board more than once every 6-12 months. And if you are pinning an image to multiple boards (still only pin to relevant boards) then space this out by at least a week, but probably more moving forwards!
Pinterest is starting to notice how much your account is "engaged with". So if people re-pin every pin or comment and interact with it, it shows Pinterest that your account is worth sharing!
How does Pinterest work in 2020?
Pinterest wants to show people really good content that they know people will engage with. This typically is content that is already proven on Pinterest (aka old content or from trusted accounts).
However, there are 2 ways that people can find content on Pinterest in 2020:
Home feed (also known as the smart feed)
Search feed
Content is distributed to these places in a slightly different way.
The home feed typically shows users content that is new. So your "fresh pins" will typically show up in peoples home feed when they open Pinterest.
The search feed will be very similar to Google. You get old pins mixed with newer pins. Pinterest will try to show people the BEST answer to their search and this is where your SEO will pay off if you can provide good content here.
But if you ever want your pins to show up consistently in the search feed you will need people to engage with your "fresh content".
But as you can see, Pinterest is certainly moving towards trying to help more video and promoted pins get more attention in the future.
For now, fresh content and new images are more than adequate to get some serious traffic. But Pinterest is continually trying to improve their platform to help their users.
Full Kate Ahl Podcast Transcript
Pinterest update in 2020 Summary
So there are so many value bombs dropped by Kate in this podcast.
Yes, you can see that Pinterest has changed and will continue to adapt over the coming years. But that is the same for any online marketing or social media platform!
The thing that stood out for me was that when I asked Kate...
"Is Simple Pin Media doing anything different?"
Kate's answer was...
"No!"
The real change was made early in 2018 when Pinterest announced they really wanted "fresh content". Everything else that has come to light recently in 2020 is just more of the same!
If you want to get traffic to your website from Pinterest then you have to...
Create relevant, recent and inspiring content on Pinterest in 2020
Click to Tweet
In simple terms that means create great content and design new awesome pins regularly. In reality, that's always been the case to get traffic from Pinterest!
Master Pinterest to get Free Blog Traffic
Get access to this exclusive 7 day Pinterest course to make the most of this FREE traffic source.
It includes:
5 graphic design hacks (from a professional graphic designer)
Pinterest SEO tips (from someone that gets over 500,000 monthly pageviews from Pinterest)
