So, I’ve been promising that I’d release a free report this week, and I actually got it done. There’s even an audio version, should you be so inclined.
Anyway, I’ll let the download page give you the details, but if you’ve ever wondered what NASA, Russian cosmonauts, the film industry in the 1940s, Marshall McLuhan and the Sex Pistols have to do with online business….
Well, you’re going to want to read this.
Reader Comments (94)
Thanks Brian,
I will definitely listen to your report.
Keep up with the good work.
Brian,
I’ve already downloaded the text version and just got through listening to the audio version.
I’m looking forward to your next round of articles and audiocasts and definitely can’t wait for the launch of your course.
Keep my in mind when you decide to contact some of your “students” for other ventures or partnerships.
I just read the report. I then emailed Brian Clark my bank account number and told him, “Charge me what you want, but I want in.”
It’s a great report. To the point, extremely well-written (and illustrated), and easy to read. You can’t walk away from that without at least one or two “hhhmmms” going through your mind.
Nice job guys.
lol… I’m with ya Ben. I’m basically sitting here wondering when Brian’s going to launch this course.
Me too! I’m in. I just read the report and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time (as I finish writing my article for a print publication).
Good communications skills-check. Know how to use the web-check. Marketing-check. Teacher-check. Tired of selling one off articles-check. Where do I sign up?
Brian,
This is a wonderful report that you’ve released.
Thanks and all the best!
~Anuj
I see a lot of sites linking to the report using a referral id.
How does one get that?
What are the benefits of using a referral id for TeachingSells?
Brian, I just finished devouring your latest report. It was in a word: prophetic.
Your report also tempted me to break my self-imposed respite from the internet (my wife needed some pictures emailed and Darren’s announcement cried out to be read!)
I’m glad I downloaded it today. I am now far more inspired to catch up on my writing projects!
Excellent report Brian. I think it reflects the way many bloggers make their living, and demystifies the “make money with adsense” notion.
Reading the comments here made me give in and divulge my top secret email, I’m sure its going to be worth it 😉
Thanks Brian,
This was something I needed to read. This report offers a lot of insights that were “just beneath the surface” but also great pieces of insight and thorough thinking. It gave me a lot to think about and I’ll be following you guys closely to learn more.
Is this going to be a small group that you want to start with, or do you want to make it available to the ‘masses’ instantly?
Many thanks Brian. This is a very timely resource to share with my business partners to describe where I’d like to take our company – where we help companies to integrate exceptional sound and music to improve communication. I recently completed an Advanced Internet Mentor program with the Internet Marketing Centre, and many of the extremely valuable lessons I learned there, you begin to share here. Happy to hook up on potential JV.
That is an awesome report. I am one of those ‘non-normals’ (readers) and often get hampered in my teaching when I realise that almost nobody I come across gets the same kick out of written material that I do. Looking forward to further info. Rock on!
Thank you for all your hard work and dedication. You have taught me that what you say, the content you provide, is the most valuable.
You’ve taught me to forget about looking good, or having a fancy logo or a cute tag line. It’s all about the content- and the content has to connect.
Always helps to find new ways to make money online, but it really comes down to what your numbers are, meaning how many RSS subscribers you have and what your traffic count is.
i’ve been to tony’s about a year ago, and i’ve been a fan of copyblogger since i first googled you. THis really looks great, All the best Man! You might not believe it, but I think I’m as excited as you guys! (k well maybe almost! all the best, good luck, and God Bless)!
Very inspiring report and very welcome news for me since I am launching a mentoring style membership site. I did the same check list that Sandra, above, did.
Count me in!
Alex
Impressive !!!
Once in a blue moon I have the opportunity to read something that seems like the author was inside my head, listening to my thoughts, then structuring them and offering solutions. This booklet is one of those rare gems.
I manage a little website with around 300-500 pageviews per day, and tried monetizing it though AdSense, but the money so far has been chimp change as you so accurately point out. I’ve made every mistake in your book, including believing that everyone behaves as I do ;). As of lately I was pondering if it would be a good idea to write an ebook and to charge for it instead of publishing article after article, which is very fulfilling but doesn’t pay the bills
So, rounding up, this booklet has clarified a lot of ideas that were revolving on a fuzzy turmoil on my mind. I can only wonder what else will this new project of yours offer?
One question for you people: what do you think about P2P copyright infringement? In some countries like mine (Spain) is rampant, and many people just grab the paid materials from their favorite tool without further thought. I’ve thought that maybe it would be a good idea to sell printed books (say, through lulu.com) to avoid being pirated from here to oblivion. What do you guys think?
I knew I wasn’t normal- stack of books on my nightstand, ebooks on the computer, Borders every week, i just knew I was weird 🙂
I want to learn more from you Brian- so keep it coming!
You are a rock-star writer, Brian. Your leadership and logic is inspiring. Well done. Thanks for this. I’m with you.
I haven’t had a chance to actually read the report yet, but I’m definitely looking forward to it. Thanks, Brian!
This is probably the FIRST free report that I have ever read that actually contained an original thought which was thoroughly explained. Great job Brian!
I downloaded with some skepticism. Ho hum, another ebook about making money from ebooks. Wrong! New perspectives, wake-up calls, kick in the pants. Thanks.
Well I’m interested in quality content, teaching that reflects different learning styles, building a community, creating something of lasting value and discovering ways of using technology to do just that.
So I’m interested.
You didn’t even need to lead on the money – but I know you love those attention grabbing headlines 🙂
Joanna
Brian…just listened to the audio version. Well done! One of the better audio downloads I’ve listened to.
Joe
Thanks a lot for this excellent report! Just as Wulfen said in his comment, I felt as if you were in my head!
The only bad thing is, something this great (your course) will probably cost me a lot of money that I don’t really have!
I visit your blog daily and love your writing style! Keep up the great work!
Dear Brian –
This is an official application to work for you!
Take a look at some of my posts as a reference and my “About Me” page.
I am ready.
Warmly and with appreciation for your generous download!
Corinne Edwards
Amazing job with this, Brian. My curiosity (and everyone else’s) is absolutely aroused, and I’m dying to find out the next step.
And, of course, we’re all putting our bright shining faces forward to be considered for apprenticeships! (I’m right there in that queue, just in case you were curious . . . )
I’ll have to study this further–I rarely see a piece of persuasive writing that works this well. Of course, you’ve prepared the ground with copyblogger, providing smart and useful advice week after week.
Brian,
I read your ebook and have a few thoughts. I have been doing what you are saying and have had moderate success. I don’t think people should get too over-excited about this as it is like anything else. It takes HARD work and a HUNGRY market.
I have built large lists, done JV partnerships, have hundreds of affiliates, sell and promote ebooks, dvds and products. I have made a living as this is what I do, but it is VERY HARD and can be very frustrating a large part of the time.
People need to go into this with open eyes and realistic expectations so they don’t get let down or lose motivation to continue.
Just wanted to get that out there.
Mike, it’s all hard work, and I took care never to take the position that anything was easy (except for some of the new content-production tools).
The problem is, making money from blogging and free content is hard work too, and the odds are longer.
I’ve checked out your site, and it looks great. The only difference you might see with the Teaching Sells approach is a move away from products and upselling, and more towards recurring subscription arrangements. The better you teach, the higher the retention rate, the more money you make.
Brian,
Been there and done that too! I had the first membership site in my niche on the web, and for a short time it did well. As the market got copycatters and more competitive profits went way down.
Again, any kind of recurring subscriptions depends totally on the market. “Info junkies” are perfect for this model, but many, many “normal” people would not like to have to login to a website to get information on an ongoing basis. I found this out with my VERY low renewal rate even with some very good incentives to renew.
Another thing you’ll notice is that most membership wesbites suck. Not saying yours did, just saying. 🙂
Anyway, you’ll find out more soon. Some of these concepts are tried and true online marketing, and other stuff has been borrowed from the corporate world and academia.
My membership had it all. Online videos 7 years ago, plus a ton of new contact added weekly. The most important thing is a HUNGRY MARKET or you’ve got nothing.
The best product in the world means nothing if nobody is interested or feels like the NEED it.
Yep Mike, that’s pretty much marketing 101, and the first step in developing any web property. 🙂
And that’s the first step in the Teaching Sells training, after which we take it a step beyond by developing a unique position that stands out even in competitive markets.
Have a nice evening.
You too!
Lesson 1: Don’t introduce yourself to a new crowd with a rain dance, Mike.
Cheers.
Say what?
hi brian,
how does one get an affiliate code? what’s the affiliate program all about?
Brian, thank you for this report. I agree with you.
If you have a high quality content which is presented in outstanding way and is easy and fast to use… you have a bestseller (with some good marketing, of course) 🙂
Brian – Sounds like you are doing something right if half the audience thinks your amplifying their ideas, and the other half wants to work with you! There are some interesting potential analogies with the work of Ken Robinson, speaking soon in London http://www.londonbusinessforum.com/details?event=95
I am not going to write here how intersting these 24 pages are. How perfect timing for me it is to read it today. How I admire authors’ skills and ideas. I am also not going to say how many times I said to myself “I agree”, “That’s me”, “Yes, sure, of course” while reading it.
And finally, I won’t write that Teaching Sells stands out from everthing similar I have ever read so far.
I will just say – give me your PayPal account name and check me in!
How can I be an affiliate who distributes your report?
Brian,
Great report and although it didn’t cover many new things for me it portrayed them in a different light. As for the audio version that was really good as it’s easy to listen anytime.
Once again thanks, and I look forward to future reports.
very inspiring- the subscription model is a nice though too. The other way seems WAY too hard.
I’ve tried to monetize my blog on graphic design and have since switched to being a freelance copywriter.
Creating irresistable content is hard- but I think i’m learning to give people what they really want
Hopefully 🙂
I know the more knowledge I have, the more I teach humbly, I can certainly make a good living at it.
And help others too 🙂
what equipment did you use to record your auidio, if you don’t mine me asking?
Very nice, Brian (& Tony) — it’s right on target with my own personal evolution as well, so I’m more than excited to see what’s coming next.
Thanks for such a great job with the pdf; it’s so not hypey, and so easy to read. Much appreciated.
Brian you are intelligent and a class act. I am so excited and looking forward to learning more. Actually, I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas morning!
Thanks, Brian. You are right on target without a doubt. I’m 4wks into Yaro’s Blog Mastermind course. All the fuss about SEO and tags and so on seems illogical to me, just feeding the Google machine and clogging the content-producing side of my brain. Google Ads range from wacky to downright embarrassing and don’t seem to me lucrative enough to understand why I might want them on my page. You have resurrected my enthusiasm and faith in blogging as a means of delivering quality , whether free or not. I hope to hear much more about how to create the win-win situations, how to maximize the internet’s interactivity and teaching potential. Very exciting to see where this could go. The reading stats were disturbing and shocking.
Brian AND Tony,
Great work, as expected. Glad to know there’s a way to make money and not be normal at the same time (I read several books at a time, driving my wife crazy). Looking forward to hearing more.
How many of us are haunting Copyblogger waiting for our next fix?
Brian,
Thank you for your knowledge and insight. Truly a dose of reality mixed with vision and hope. Look forward to hearing more of the same.
I have always felt I was trying to play “catch-up” but now I hope I can forge ahead.
Loved your analogy about The Sex Pistols as well.
Regards,
Mark
Brian you smacked it out of the ball park with this report man.
I really appreciate your positive outlook on the business we’re in – as well you realizing that you don’t need to use scarcity to sell something like this.
It’s refreshing both in terms of it’s analysis and in terms of the marketing strategies you’ve used to promote it.
A+++
It seems to me like part of what you are recommending in this report is to take some of what would have become your blog’s core content and sell it to your blog’s subscribers. Would you say that’s accurate?
Brian,
You are a phenomenal writer, and your report has really opened my mind to some harsh facts and new possibilities. I’ve been kicking around the idea of starting a blog recently, but I’ve feared what you have confirmed in this report: it would be a lot of hard work with no pay-off probably for years.
I’ll be reading avidly as Teaching Sells develops and looking for a way to be involved however I can.
Thank You,
Mike Tekula
I just read the text version of the report. Thanks! The irony for me is that I thought people are now used to getting so many things for free on the internet that they no longer want to pay for content. Since people can download music, movies, software, naughty pics, etc. all for free, I would think as time goes on people would be more hesitant to pay for anything.
So, ironically, that’s why I started a blog a few months ago – I figured people don’t want to pay for stuff, so I would start a blog and make money from advertising. But I’m in the exact boat you’ve described – working hard, giving away content for free, and not seeing much in return. Guess I will re-think things once again.
Brian,
This report is the most insightful thing I’ve read in ages. I started studying marketing only to promote my mortgage business. My marketing has gradually become teaching, and it turns out that teaching is more interesting to me than actually originating mortgages. This report really hit a nerve at the right time and has my mind directed toward a much more rewarding business model. Can’t wait to hear more.
Brian,
How does this idea compare to what websites like WikiHow or Expert Village are doing?
How does the idea compare to the lengthy e-book offering scheisters?
Curious. I’ve subscribed to your feed, looks great.
Here’s a fascinating video that supports your arguments more eloquently than (my) words could: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o
This ebook brought me a great deal of clarity. I have felt like I’ve been spinning my wheels, and i want to stop being a hampster!
I’m hoping to take your course – and I *never* take courses like this. Of course, it all boils down to the $$. But I’m going to do my best to make it happen.
Brian,
I’m dying to enroll in your training program. You’ve really opened a few avenues with your book. Looking forward to the launch.
I did worry about the price… Hopefully it’s not like thousands of dollars 🙂
I’m sure it’s gonna be worth every penny though!
I could hardly get to sleep last night after reading about Teaching Sells about 2 AM! I did download the report and I too am very interested in “what comes next”. As you say, the possibilities are endless. I just hope it is something I can afford… 🙂
This is great stuff Brian, and I am really looking forward to learning more.
I do find it kind of funny though that so many people are saying things like “it’s like your inside my head”. Isn’t that the sign of a good copywriter? Everyone that reads this blog should know that you are an excellent copywriter, so why would it surprise anyone that it seems like you are reading their mind?
Finding a hungry market is always the first step, and you have obviously found one here.
I signed up for this some time ago, finally got around to reading the report, like what I read but now can’t get on the site . When I try to sign in it says I am already registered, but when I try to get my password, says my email address does not exist. Help!
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