Steve Pavlina: Six Figure Blogging Video

[Zukin]

Steve Pavlina explains the advantages of simple text in blogs (not to be confused with the old Mac app SimpleText!)


YouTube - Steve Pavlina Six Figure Blogging

[Adrienne]

Thanks for posting the link!
Very cool
Adrienne

[Brutha]

Is that a Toastmaster speech?

[seeker5]

Doesn't look like a Toastmaster speech (too long and too many people in the audience for a regular club meeting. For a contest, there wouldn't be any visuals used). Looks like a seminar he gave. Very neat video.

[Erin Pavlina]

That was a 90 minute speech (if I remember correctly) that Steve gave in the Palm Springs area for the National Speakers Association to help them learn all about blogging.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

That was a 90 minute speech (if I remember correctly) that Steve gave in the Palm Springs area for the National Speakers Association to help them learn all about blogging.

Cool! I'd love to see more youtube videos of Steve speaking in this type of setting. Was the video placed on youtube with Steve's approval?

That leads me to wonder, would placing youtube video of Steve giving these type of seminars/speech hamper his ability to give profesional speeches?

[Savage]

This was a 5-minute clip created by the videographer and posted with permission. It was in Palm Springs on Sep 9th, delivered to the Greater Los Angeles National Speakers Association. There were about 100 people in the audience, mostly professional speakers and trainers. My presentation was 90 minutes and was about how to earn six figures a year from blogging, specifically tailored to professional speakers.

This particular presentation was very well-received, and I received lots of positive feedback on it afterwards. Many people seemed shocked to learn that blogging for a living is even possible, but they were very enthralled by the business model (no products, no travel, global audience, etc), which easily circumvents many problems they have to deal with regularly.

I don't do these types of presentations often. My preference is to talk about personal development, not blogging.

I have a DVD of the entire presentation, but I haven't decided what I want to do with it yet. Teaching people about blogging really isn't a priority for me -- blogging is my medium, not my message.

[Ilya]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

I have a DVD of the entire presentation, but I haven't decided what I want to do with it yet. Teaching people about blogging really isn't a priority for me -- blogging is my medium, not my message.

So, why don't you do what you always do and put some great content online for free? There are 5 great reasons to do that.

1. The content is already there. Hiding it would be a waste of recording media and the effort that went into production.
2. You won't have to market it, withing minutes from posting we will see Blogging secrets of Steve Pavlina on the front page of Digg. I'm ready to bet on it.
3. You will be freed from the burden of giving this presentation ever again
4. Lots of people will find a lot of value in this video. You are one of the most successful bloggers in the world, after all.
5. You can support the noble crusade of a certain copyblogger, who claims that "Teaching Sells" and frees one from the tyranny of Google

I'm not trying to be pushy or anything, Steve, but I'd love to see the whole video one day. And not just because of the topic.
This small 5-minute clip has given a whole new dimension to your image. It is the same as hearing your voice in a podcast for the first time. In video, the text, the style, the voice and the non-verbal message come together. From now on I will be able to hallucinate you speaking the contents of each of your posts from stage.

The whole video would make my hallucinations much more accurate

Oh well, if blogging is not a good topic, why don't you record some speech on PD. It would also be great.

P.S.
Isn't it ironic that you speak both about how video is much more expressive and also less suited for internet in this very clip? Smells of IM and self-fulfilling prophecies to me.

[DrMartinRussell]

Hi Steve,

It's interesting to me how you monetize this site. It seems like you are not just blogging however. You are also building this forum and the associated community, and I would assume that this would be a big source of your revenue. Your model is actually blog+forum isn't it?

Cool info on written v audio v video. The video revolution is still not yet come to pass and those of us who are "backwards" enough to use words may well be happily Luddite.

Happy to vote for seeing more snippets of this.

[Ilya]

Originally Posted by DrMartinRussell

It's interesting to me how you monetize this site. It seems like you are not just blogging however. You are also building this forum and the associated community, and I would assume that this would be a big source of your revenue. Your model is actually blog+forum isn't it?

It seems to me that you are confusing traffic building with monetization. Traffic building brings more people to the site and monetization puts more money into Steve's pockets.
Forum is free, so it is not a monetization method, but a great traffic attractor, I suppose.
As for monetization, Steve was always very open about it. It is Adsense plus advertising\affiliate deals with providers of PD products. Like photoreading or Paraliminal Discount deal the banner for which I'm seeing at the top left-hand corner of the page.

[Savage]

Overall these forums don't have a major impact on traffic or income compared to the blog, but they are at least profitable, and they seem to do better each month as the archives continue to grow.

Last month the forum Adsense ads earned $711. This month they should pass $850.

I could probably double or triple the forum Adsense income by inserting more ads, but I don't want to do that. I see this as more of a community service than an income source, and I want to keep the usability very high, so people can easily get the advice they need.

[Max Power]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Overall these forums don't have a major impact on traffic or income compared to the blog, but they are at least profitable, and they seem to do better each month as the archives continue to grow.

Last month the forum Adsense ads earned $711. This month they should pass $850.

I could probably double or triple the forum Adsense income by inserting more ads, but I don't want to do that. I see this as more of a community service than an income source, and I want to keep the usability very high, so people can easily get the advice they need.

So you make $100,000 a year from blogging and make about $12,000 per year from the forum. So you make $88,000 per year from your blog.

You've said you don't and won't have to prove to anyone how much money you make online and then now have a video claiming $100,000 (six figure a year from blogging) so you claim privacy and then claim a dollar figure on you revenue generation.

I consider that you've stumbled upon an active readership/audience and of course wish to milk it, which understandably is acceptable, but I dislike your unappreciation for your captive audience via this forum.

Gee Steve why don't you milk us some more and place 10X the ads on this forum to increase your revenue.

You my friend are slowly becoming everything that people look away from to find answers............the same lazy guruship.

I don't intentionally wish to criticise you, but unless one is new to PD your road is tried, tired and unconvincing, but of course if your revenue is solid and on the up , then who cares right??

Max

[theknightwhosaysni-NI]

Originally Posted by Max Power

So you make $100,000 a year from blogging and make about $12,000 per year from the forum. So you make $88,000 per year from your blog.

You've said you don't and won't have to prove to anyone how much money you make online and then now have a video claiming $100,000 (six figure a year from blogging) so you claim privacy and then claim a dollar figure on you revenue generation.

I consider that you've stumbled upon an active readership/audience and of course wish to milk it, which understandably is acceptable, but I dislike your unappreciation for your captive audience via this forum.

Gee Steve why don't you milk us some more and place 10X the ads on this forum to increase your revenue.

You my friend are slowly becoming everything that people look away from to find answers............the same lazy guruship.

I don't intentionally wish to criticise you, but unless one is new to PD your road is tried, tired and unconvincing, but of course if your revenue is solid and on the up , then who cares right??

Max

Are you saying YOU feel bad about the way Steve manages his forums?
I think you dislike gurus in general, and as you consider Steve a guru, you find things you don't like in what he does.
To me you don't really seem to want to look away from this place or his blog.

[ArthurHung]

This video was great - I would like to see much more of Steve's videos. He's teaching people how to achieve passive income, which I think is congruent with his purpose; it would be a fulfilling career for many and is already Steve's strongest outlet (so it isn't too much effort to teach). But since he disagreed that it has to do with personal development - What do you guys think is Steve's market?

-Simply "people motivated to grow?"
-Ages 18-35? (I'm sure he has audience younger and older than that, but I'm talking his target market)
-those who are consciously incompetent at certain areas (waking up, being passionate, finding a fulfilling career etc)

I'm not sure. What would you define as Steve's target market? I always thought it was an aggregated market (universal) but I'm curious what people think if they had to segment it.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by Max Power

You've said you don't and won't have to prove to anyone how much money you make online and then now have a video claiming $100,000 (six figure a year from blogging) so you claim privacy and then claim a dollar figure on you revenue generation.

Six figures means $100K-999K. It's really no secret how much I earn from blogging -- there are many articles mentioning it, both on this site and others. It's more than $100K per year... $100K per quarter would be more accurate. I'm not sure where you get the privacy concerns.

As far as proving to people how much I earn from blogging, what kind of proof do people need? If people don't believe me and think I'm just pretending to earn a living from blogging while secretly working at Blockbuster Video as a retail clerk to pay my bills, well... who cares? If people don't think I'm trustworthy, they're free to keep their distance.

The NSA presentation in the video was something I did for free. The NSA is a non-profit organization, and I wanted to educate them about some of the possibilities of integrating blogging into their business model.

You my friend are slowly becoming everything that people look away from to find answers............the same lazy guruship.

Why the trolling? Do you want me to come down to Blockbuster Video where you work and... ?

Were you just trying to be facetious? I don't get it.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Max Power

I consider that you've stumbled upon an active readership/audience and of course wish to milk it, which understandably is acceptable, but I dislike your unappreciation for your captive audience via this forum.

Gee Steve why don't you milk us some more and place 10X the ads on this forum to increase your revenue.

You my friend are slowly becoming everything that people look away from to find answers............the same lazy guruship.

Max, you wrote in this other thread Why you built the Internet "You built the web to know yourself better without the fundamental load of physical reality.".

In everything you write, you say you create the world. So if this holds true - you created Steve, and thus he is a reflection of you. What you don't like about him...are in truth, what you truly don't like about yourself. Deep-inside you see yourself as being guru-like. This would hold true whether or not you believe in IM.

You have issues with money, which is why you're so jealous of how much Steve is making. You probably despise the fact that you are lazy because you're simply posting on here instead of creating your own blog that you could monetize - which is why you accuse Steve of being a "lazy-guru".

Furthermore, you question his "privacy", but in truth, Steve has been much more forthcoming about his background, how much he makes, then you ever have. Thus your issue about Steve's privacy, is perhaps an issue you have with your own privacy?

So, all of those things you complained about Steve reveal how you truly feel about yourself. I may be wrong, but that's how I read your post.

[JohnR]

Max,

So what's the problem with Steve mentioning or alluding to the income he makes from this? We all make income from something. Steve happens to make it doing something he is passionate about. That's a good thing; certainly nothing that should be hidden or unspoken. It's not like he flogs the old "I'll show you how to make a fortune showing other people how to make a fortune" line.

As for the suggestion that Steve's offerings are tired and unconvincing, what would be convincing and original to you?

Life boils down to some very simple truths that we have tried to understand and disseminate for centuries. Each of us sees these same truths in a different way. Steve's version will be original for some and too basic for others. Go for what works for you and leave the rest behind, but there's no need to fire shots at someone on your way out.

As David Caradine said, "Everything Furthers."

John
Paintings of British Columbia

[Revanto]

So far I've only made $20 from Adsense in the last 8 months. Then again my website isn't drawing people in. I spend too much time creating small products to sell (even though they take me ages to make) and don't set much time to maintaining my website. Adsense doesn't ineterest me as much as it used to even though I have the ads on my site.

I wouldn't mind seeing an article from Steve about how to create a niche website that really draws people in but A) there are sites that already cover that subject and B) Steve wants to focus on PD stuff (Although, achieving financial success/freedom can also be seen as a personal development thing).

Revanto

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by Revanto

I spend too much time creating small products to sell (even though they take me ages to make)

Revanto

Revanto,

I used to have an artisan business that I marketed totally on the web. I had to leave the business due to physical issues. The point I want to make is that with targeted marketing you don't need a lot of traffic to make a living selling hand made products, if the product price is high enough. When I closed shop my prices were between $250 and $500 USD per sale. Gross profit was almost 100%, and I sold everything I could produce without trouble.

I don't know what product you make, but there might be ways to improve things without gaining tons of traffic. I still have the site up but I have given up the domain name and do not operate the business anymore. Here is the link: Rocheleau Briar Pipes . If you explore the links on the left side of the page it will take you to the products (Pipemaking).

If I can be of any help at all, just PM me or Email from the site. I'd be glad to help if I can.

John
Paintings of British Columbia

[DrMartinRussell]

Ilya, thanks for pointing out where I wasn't being clear.

I didn't mean direct monetization ie ads on the forum.

Sorry if it came across as criticism. It is meant as a complement on Steve's skills, and trying to get an accurate model of how it all works.

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Overall these forums don't have a major impact on traffic or income compared to the blog, but they are at least profitable, and they seem to do better each month as the archives continue to grow.

Steve, not a major impact on traffic? That really surprises me.

I would have thought there is immense value in a forum - the combination of repeat visitors, Alexa rankings increases, automatic/natural link generation, SEO keywords, etc, let alone brand name and position in the market (Hard to for competitors to set up an forum in a short space of time.)

Sure they might be hard to dissect out from amongst all the rest of the stats, but do you have a way of measuring forum v blog on factors that aren't Adwords clicks.

[Bruce Achterberg]

Originally Posted by DrMartinRussell

Steve, not a major impact on traffic? That really surprises me.

I would have thought there is immense value in a forum - the combination of repeat visitors, Alexa rankings increases, automatic/natural link generation, SEO keywords, etc, let alone brand name and position in the market (Hard to for competitors to set up an forum in a short space of time.)

Sure they might be hard to dissect out from amongst all the rest of the stats, but do you have a way of measuring forum v blog on factors that aren't Adwords clicks.

__________________________________________________

When playing with big numbers, “major” is a relative term
__________________________________________________

I think Steve means "not a major impact relative to the crazy amount of traffic I already get on the blog". I'm sure a site with a smaller audience would notice a difference, but a forum might not be as good on a website with fewer visitors.

But it depends on many factors (ie. your type of audience, what your website is about and how much it motivates people to contribute, etc).

__________________________________________________

Experimenting with forums and blog comments
__________________________________________________

Personally, I'd be curious to see whether (A) a forum can do well on a site with a smaller audience and gradually build up to success the Pavlina forum enjoys, and (B) whether you could make good use of both blog comments AND a forum on a blog.

I prefer blog comments myself, since they seem a lot more targeted then forum posts made in response to articles featured on Steve’s blog.

The general theme I see is that, in terms of replying to articles, users who post blog comments contribute more specific, useful info, where as forum members tend to argue points and go on random, yet interesting tangents.

I'm not saying one is better then the other, but I personally take a lot more away from the comments on Steve's blog then a lot of the forum posts I read. It’s also much easier to add/find blog comments as opposed to finding a thread that is tied to a blog article but not actually hyperlinked.

__________________________________________________

Forums favour discussion, not contribution
__________________________________________________

But then I think forums are more about community interaction and discussion, and I see that now. I used to think forums were an awesome vehicle for contribution, but after seeing the development of this forum, I’d say you're better off having either blog comments or a Wiki for contribution purposes. Unfortunately keeping both separate (ie. contribution-type comments in the blog comments and discussion-type posts in the forums) would be near impossible to enforce.

I think a good solution would be to have a forum for discussion of blog articles with a direct link to the thread for each article, along with a link to a Wiki page for the specific article.

__________________________________________________

The elusive usefulness of blog comments
__________________________________________________

But hmmm, I still think there’s a certain elegance to blog comments that you can’t replicate with another system.

A Wiki is too formal for people to simply share their own experiences and perspectives, and a forum creates a large (but necessary) barrier to entry in requiring a sign up (not everyone knows how to/wants to sign up to a forum; blog comments greatly simplify signups). Both systems are also notoriously difficult to search (I’m a master-ninja searcher, so take my word on that ...suffice to say too much information becomes very difficult to filter through when you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for but still want to find it).

Is there some sort of super system that blends all of the good elements of blog comments, a Wiki, and a forum together that I’m unaware of?

[ticktockclok]

I think you should use your ninja-search skills on the Wordpress Plugin Database.

[Keith]

My first thought (echoed by a few of the comments): that suit is not very flattering. Judging by your face and hands you're in good shape, but that suit swamps you and makes you look like a monotone blob. Superficial, I know, but I found it distracting.

P.S. Why not post an audio/video interview and a text transcript? Best of both worlds...

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by Keith

My first thought (echoed by a few of the comments): that suit is not very flattering. Judging by your face and hands you're in good shape, but that suit swamps you and makes you look like a monotone blob. Superficial, I know, but I found it distracting.

It seems others have more courage than I in mentioning these things. I wanted to say something but didn't, so I'll say it now in the spirit of giving (it's Christmas).

Steve: I want to help -- not to hurt -- so please take this as the helpful critique it is meant to be.

I totally agree with Keith. The first impression is visual and you know what they say about first impressions. From that first visual you looked uncomfortable. To use one your words Steve, your appearance was incongruent with your message. Your message was smart, organized and successful. Your appearance on the other hand, gave the impression that you felt somewhat out of place and uncomfortable in your role. Because of that, your message was not cohesive.

I'm a big believer in the philosophy that a business should ensure that everything they do, and everything that represents them, should speak the same message in the same language. That way, every action the business takes is laser-targeted.

Steve, if you are going to do seminars and speeches, you would benefit from a tailor made dark suit that enhances the appearance of physical and mental fitness and energy. Consider that your appearance on stage is an advertisement. In visual advertising you create an image that not only represents the brand, but calls attention to the brand. When the talk is going to become a video that promotes you, your appearance should conform to the rules of image advertising.

So maybe that means hitting the image a little harder than you would for a personal function. A dark, well-fitted suit with a burnt red tie might work. My preference though might be a dark suit and slacks with a sweater or some-such pullover top. The sweater could be in color contrast to the suit suggesting an intelligent, cutting-edge but relaxed demeanor.

I hope you don't mind the critique Steve. I offer it from my heart.

Cheers,
John
Landscape Paintings of British Columbia - John Rocheleau

[DrMartinRussell]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Steve, if you are going to do seminars and speeches, you would benefit from a tailor made dark suit that enhances the appearance of physical and mental fitness and energy. Consider that your appearance on stage is an advertisement. In visual advertising you create an image that not only represents the brand, but calls attention to the brand. When the talk is going to become a video that promotes you, your appearance should conform to the rules of image advertising.

I've been told I need a picture of my blog of me with a white coat and a stethoscope, even though it's years since I wore that medical stuff. At least on my blog I can split test the answer.

My preference is, if in doubt, I'll let the world work out how to handle me until I prove a better version. Like a stone in a stream, the water will find a way to do it's thing around me.

I think Steve in a suit would look like he was trying to be one of them, when his message was, you can be like me instead.

[John M]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

I don't do these types of presentations often. My preference is to talk about personal development, not blogging.

I have a DVD of the entire presentation, but I haven't decided what I want to do with it yet. Teaching people about blogging really isn't a priority for me -- blogging is my medium, not my message.

Actually, IMHO, the medium is a inspirational message!

Steve, you stand as an example of somebody who has followed thier passion, and been successful with it. Your blog stands as an example of how successful a meduim can be without mainstream support ... I mean you're not exactly Matt Foley or Stuart Smalley.

I hope you post the entire speech someday.

Regards,
John

[Susie]

Thanks for posting the link.

I think seeing this video made Steve more likeable for me because he seemed more human!

And on the superficial topic of clothing-- check out dressing for your coloring (also known as your 'season'.) Someone with Steve's fair skin and hair coloring should be wearing more medium-depth coloring and stay away from black.