Two Big Lessons I Learned From Lynn Terry
Giving Props
I wanted to pay tribute to somebody who has been instrumental in shaping my internet business. I’ve followed a small group of internet marketers. Some of them I’ve lost interest in as they seemed to have lost their way. Such is also the case with Lynn Terry. She was the first person who provided me help with my internet marketing business when I was both penniless and clueless. Now, I believe both of us have come full circle in our businesses serving the people that helped make us successful.
Namely, you. Those who want to learn the tips and inside scoop on what works and what doesn’t without being buried in a sea of offers and spam.
A Bumpy Ride
I can’t remember exactly but I think it was 2008 or 2009 when Lynn, a then admitted hater of high-dollar affiliate programs, started actively promoting one of those programs which will remain nameless. I’m thinking it was at least two grand and I was confused. I understand that it was probably a great program and that she certainly paid money for it and didn’t get review access to it. My question at that time was is she trying to move out of the struggling internet marketer niche or has she just lost her way? All I knew was that price tag seemed completely incongruous with the Lynn Terry I had ‘grown up’ with since 2007. With the daily barrage of email and work coming my way, it only took a blink to put somebody off the most watched list and onto the someday list.
Still, I never deleted her from my daily feed.
Coming Back Around
As the years went by, I kept an eye on her blog and I started having steady success using her ideas and Ed Dale’s Challenge system. Things continued to grow and I realized I had them both to thank for that.
Two Biggest Lessons That Lynn Taught Me
I was writng a post on another blog of mine the other day and I thought ” it’s a great post that stands on its own”. I laughed when I realized I used to think that in 2007 when I started. And I remember how mistaken I was. No blog post stands on its own. There’s always a way to make it better.
How to make it better? Give the reader a known and trusted resource they can use to get the same results. In case you’re wondering, they call these O-F-F-E-R-S!
That’s right. Shameful as it may seem to some(haha), there’s always a way to help your readers while you get paid for your efforts. Let me give the two lessons here for your consideration.
- Never write a blog post just to make money
- Never pass up an opportunity to make money off a blog post
Do these seem like they can’t exist in the same space? They shouldn’t and let me explain why.
Humble Beginnings
I started this blog in 2007 and started writing posts about anything and everything I thought might interest readers. Maybe some banners. Heck, I still rank on the first page of Google for “Dan Fogelberg Death” for heaven’s sake! (You can bet that’s paying all kinds of money-LOL!) I learned a lot about writing but didn’t have much success for obvious reasons. I was just starting to follow Lynn.
Then I started following other(non-Lynn Terry)affiliate gurus who were telling you to do everything including stealing elements (graphics,copy,borderline illegal stuff) from other sites to make money. This was a time of great confusion for me because this flew in the face of what I knew to be right. Yet, these were the ones that were making all the money. What was wrong with me? My blogging was a mixture of poorly written affiliate program reviews and way too much crap. That’s right, crap. Yes, I still managed to provide quality content in between the offers but the crap to content ratio was way too high for my liking.
Came To My Senses
Then, I started publishing content that I thought would benefit my readers and only reviewed products I had first hand knowledge of. Some marketers still think that’s under-achieving but I don’t care. I know I can write an article that helps somebody and makes some money without selling my soul. I believe that!
This is when I got back to following Lynn again. I realized that she’s also rededicated herself to helping people trying to make their first dollar while still appealing to those that are making a good living online. That’s a fine line and a tough balance and she pulls it off with consummate ease.
So, I’m back Lynn. I feel good that I’ve come a long way but I still have a way to go. Thank you for all the lessons I’ve learned and have yet to learn from you. I continue to wish you the best in everything.
Jeff
BTW, Lynn is currently running a “Growing Your List Challenge” on her blog that’s for anybody thinking about a list or having problems growing one.
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Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the props! It’s been great getting to know you over the years.
I’m curious if you remember which high dollar program I recommended a few years ago?? I’ve been thinking about it for a bit now and can’t put my finger on which one you’re referring to…
One of Frank Kern’s? Or one he was associated with? You even stated that type of thing wasn’t something you were fond of. I’m thinking it was something like $1997.00, maybe. Does that help?
Hmm. It doesn’t ring a bell. I’ll have to dig around and see if I can figure out what caused you to think I “lost my way” lol
Don’t wrack your brains too much about it. It wasn’t like I thought you made a deal with the devil or sold your soul to the dark side-LOL! I just became concerned that I was no longer going to be a part of your target market and at that time I REALLY needed help. I can go back but if multiple hour long Frank Kern videos doesn’t ring a bell than…wait a minute….prelude to Stompernet or that itself.
I do remember the StomperNet launch, but it wasn’t for their membership or any high priced products. It was for the Net Effect magazine, which I *loved* and was reading myself. Very reasonable price. That launch went south as many will remember, and I went out of my way to assist in the recovery. That was a disaster lol…
All that aside, I suppose you have to take the good with the bad. Or the relevant with the irrelevant, for you personally, from any one person you are learning from. Not everything is going to be a good fit for everyone – that’s for sure.
I get such a wide variety of questions, from current search engine algorithms… to best ways to find an online job. There are a lot of great options for making money online, but you just have to focus on what’s relevant to you specifically.
Thanks for the great food for thought here! Appreciate your thoughts!
I think the main point I was trying to make was that I was questioning your focus. Not that I was convinced you had sold out. I know you’ve not changed your mission since you’ve been online. I was reacting to a perceived change of focus and nothing more. I’ve never bought anybody’s goods hook, line and sinker without first checking how it sits with me personally. It was also my perception that you started distancing yourself even more from big money programs as a result of the Stompernet association. That might be where the “rededicated” impression came from.
Bottom line, you’re somebody I think anybody in or interested in getting into online business should be following and paying attention to. You work very hard to stay current and relevant to changing trends and technologies.
I may have just been more impressionable at that time-LOL!