The Secret To Online Success

It's been right in front of you the entire time ...  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Hey there. Tim here. Shout out to the 552 subscribers that joined the newsletter last week, thank you for being here. Also, I can't wait for the Ted Lasso finale. --------------------------------------------------------------- Sponsored This week's issue is [brought to you by Lili](=). The best online bank for freelancers and creators. --------------------------------------------------------------- 1. The (Not So Secret) Secret To Online Success Here's the problem. You have an idea for a business, so you bust your butt to build a website, to create content, and try to make a name for yourself. Finally, the big day arrives. This is the day you will announce your new product or announce your new service. You post on social media, you send an email, you publish your announcement and ... crickets. No one buys. Worse, hardly anyone even notices. What went wrong? The Answer Is Always The Same For obvious reasons, people ask me a lot of questions about online business. Every Friday, when I send my newsletter, I'll get dozens of replies and countless DMs on Twitter / LinkedIn from people seeking advice. The questions vary. People want to know about sales, or about audience building, or about product creation, or selling services. Every situation is different, and I am by no means giving a "one sized fits all" answer to your nuanced questions. But at the same time, the solution to any problem is almost always the same. The secret to online success has been right in front of you the entire time. One word ... ITERATE. What Does It Mean to Iterate? I don't know the dictionary definition, but to me, iterating means performing many repetitions of the same task with small changes for every repetition. Most people think they will get it right on the first try ... news flash, you won't. You must continue to promote your product, experiment with different ways to grow your brand and continue putting yourself out there. You need to do this over and over again, with slight variations, over the course of months and years. And here's the scary part. In order to constantly iterate your material, that means you have to publish content that will flop, or you might have to try ideas that will fail. By definition, iteration means that more of your experiments will fail than will succeed. But every once in a while, you will have a success. However small that success may be, it's a data point to help you do a little bit better next time. s/o [Jack Butcher](​ Yes, This Counts For Me As Well I've never gotten it right on the first try. For Stodzy, it took us 4 years to get to the point where we knew we could clear payroll each week. For Sober Nation, it took 7. The business model for Sober Nation changed so many times it would make your head spin. Guess what? The same is true for Copyblogger. I even [wrote an entire blog post about all the mistakes I've made when growing Copyblogger](=), but as of this moment, Copyblogger is doing better than it ever has since my involvement. It's taken me some time to learn how to manage such a giant content business and to present my material in a way that is most helpful to you. This was a painful process and there were many nights when I felt like I was failing or like I was in over my head. But I kept hitting publish and I kept iterating on my product. Over the course of the last two years, I found myself at a point where I could confidently say to myself "hey, I think I am starting to get the hang of this." The problem is that after a few failures, you will look at your work and say "this isn't working." But that isn't an invitation to quit. Rather, it's an invitation to keep going and to continue iterating your method. Accept it and embrace the process of iteration. This is the secret to success. Now you know. It's the only way anything ever gets done. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Zuckerberg VS Elon: Leaked Documents Give a First Look at Instagram’s New “Twitter Look Alike App.” ​ Surprise, surprise! Zuckerberg is stealing another tech companies idea and implementing it into the Meta ecosystem. In this week's episode, Ethan and I talk about the leaked news that (sort of) confirms Meta is creating a Twitter clone. This comes in the wake of Elon Musk buying Twitter, the blue check mark fiasco, and the clear problems that are going on behind the scenes at Twitter. Do you think Meta will take Twitter's business? I do. ​[Click here to check out the full episode](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. The Best Online Bank For Freelancers and Creators [Lili](=)​ Are you tired of dealing with traditional banks that don't understand the unique needs of freelancers and creators? Look no further than Lili - the online bank designed specifically for people like you. With Lili, you'll have access to a range of features tailored to your needs as a creator, including: - No account fees or minimum balance requirements - Tools for managing your finances and tracking expenses - Tax savings tools and advice from financial experts - Instant payment notifications so you always know when you get paid - Mobile check deposit so you can deposit your checks without leaving your desk Plus, with Lili's advanced security features and intuitive mobile app, you can rest easy knowing that your money is safe and secure. Don't settle for a bank that doesn't understand your unique business. Sign up for Lili today and start banking on your terms! ​[Learn more](=)​ --------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Why You SHOULD NOT Start A Newsletter (Do This Instead) = Newsletters are great businesses, but you probably shouldn't start one. In fact, I would argue that for the majority of you, a newsletter would be counter productive to achieving your goals. Most likely, your goal is to get clients and to get contracts signed. If that's the case, a newsletter is a huge waste of time. There is another, much more effective way to grow your business and earn top dollar. ​[Click here to watch the video](=). --------------------------------------------------------------- 5. SEO Basics - Everything You Need To Know (Academy Members Only) ​ In this section, we will learn the basics of SEO, why it's important, and how it can have a huge impact on your business. We will cover ... - Understanding SEO Basics - Importance of Keywords in SEO - On-Page Optimization Fundamentals - Off-Page Optimization Overview ​[Click here to watch the masterclass](=). This is part 1 in a 5 part serious where I teach you how to use SEO as a tool to increase sales. P.S. - [If you're not a member, you can sign up here](=). --------------------------------------------------------------- Final Thought I'm trying something new to increase my productivity. For most of my life, I have woken up early in the morning and journaled. As part of my morning journal session, I always end with my "power list." My power list is a list of the 5 tasks I MUST accomplish that day. It's been effective, but recently I have been noticing flaws in the process. Most notably, it creates a lot of turmoil and anxiety. When every morning presents a new mountain to climb, it can feel like I'm always starting over. So I decided to try something new. I wrote a list of 9 tasks that I must accomplish every day. The tasks are ... - Drink a jug of water (about 3/4 a gallon) - Read at least 30 minutes - Write a blog post - Clear out my CRM - Take a cold plunge (yes I'm on of those weirdos) - Assign my team their daily tasks on ToDoist - Take a walk in the grass next to the lake - Breathe work (I do Wim Hoff method) - Work on my personal brand (TimStodz.com) The result? I'm way less anxious, way less stressed and in a way, more productive. These daily habits force me to put my health first, to delegate, and to spend the majority of my time and focus working on what matters most. For me, what matters most is always writing and selling. I've built my entire empire through writing and selling. So why would I focus on anything else? My challenge to you is to think about the areas that move the needle the most for you. Can you delegate the rest? Give it a shot. Love you guys. Talk to you next week. Tim ​ ​ ​ Give us 30 Minutes, And We'll Transform How You Sell Online. [Click here]( for a free conversion audit. Also, if you have any questions, feel free to hit reply and shoot me a message. I respond to ever every email. :) This email is sent from Copyblogger Media LLC, 6029 Old Court Rd , Boca Raton, Florida 33432 If you would like to stop receiving emails from me you can [Unsubscribe](