1 Massive Thing The Top 1% Creators Have (And You Don't).

Fact:

Most creators can’t monetise.

The sad truth?

85% of you will quit because of it.

10% will keep trying, but never break past $5K/month…

5% will make it. And make it BIG.

By the end of this letter, you’ll know exactly how to avoid falling into the 85% group.

…And if you take what I say seriously – perhaps you’ll join the 5% who make it BIG.

But first, I’m gonna level with you:

It took me 8 months to monetise myself.

And let me tell you this…

It’s HARD.

In fact, it’s by far the toughest business I’ve EVER monetised.

Why?

Because you’re competing with literally thousands of other creators in the same small echo chamber.

It’s an absolute car crash.

A mess.

But what if you could find a way to cut through the noise, and position yourself in such a way that you appear like the ONLY person who can solve your audience’s problems?

To have people practically BEGGING you to work with them?

Would that information be useful to you?

If it would, then keep reading.

Because I’m going to share with you exactly how you can do just this.

But here’s a quick word of warning:

Creator Anxiety

“Timing the market is a fool’s game, whereas time in the market is a natural advantage.” – Nick Murray

I’m about to let you in on a little secret…

Why most people fail in the creator economy…

3 words:

Lack of patience.

Probably not what you wanted to hear, right?

Let me explain:

Most creators come into the market and are instantly bombarded with the following promises:

“How to scale to 10K/month in 30 days!”

“I just hit my first $30K month!”

“Here’s how you can hit $10K/month in just 60 days!”

Everyone appears to be winning right?

The truth?

They’re not.

And guess what?

You fall for it.

Why?

Because they make it sound so easy. And humans being the naturally lazy animals we are, LOVE the idea of easy money.

This makes us incredibly impatient.

And this impatience DESTROYS you.

The WORST part?

It builds up significant stress.

Something I call ‘Creator Anxiety’.

You feel like you’re behind.

You feel like you’re failing.

You feel like you’ll never get there.

Am I wrong?

All because you lack patience.

Heck… I was there myself.

This is what my lack of patience got me:

Frustration. I felt like everyone else was hitting massive months, while I struggled to get my first client.

Anxiety. Comparing myself to others made me feel like I was falling behind, that I might miss the boat before the market became saturated.

Feelings of Inadequacy. Persisting without seeing the results I wanted knocked my confidence big time. I felt like the only one who couldn’t make it work.

Self-doubt. My inability to monetise made me feel like I might be barking up the wrong tree. That I’m not good enough to succeed in this space. Perhaps I don’t have what it takes?

Loss of hope. I couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. I had no idea when I would monetise and start hitting the bigger months the gurus promised. Not being able to see how it ended for me made me feel like quitting.

Shame. I’d put my whole life into this, but I was struggling to see results. I felt ashamed for letting people down by not making it work by now. I felt selfish for going after my dreams (and failing).

Where is this lack of patience coming from?

A few areas, but this is where it came from for me.

1. Lack of self-awareness

You think your content is better than it is, which frustrates you when you compare yourself with other’s success. The reality is their content is probably just better than yours.

2. Lack of realistic expectations

You think you’re going to hit $10K months in a heartbeat, without being ROCK SOLID at a skill, knowing how to sell and without help.

3. Lack of credibility

You don’t have any results to support your claims, so no one believes you. You’re not affiliated or associated with any big players in the space, so you’re invisible. A nobody.

All this together leads to a lethal concoction of misery and disappointment.

Let’s say for a moment you’re doing everything right…

You’re sending DMs daily.

You’re tracking your leads in a CRM.

You’re building your knowledge on your topic every day.

Yet you’re getting nowhere.

Sat at home, head in hands saying in a sad voice “why does no one want my service? I can really help people, so why is nobody buying it?”

The answer?

No on believes you. Your claims sound cookie-cutter, and illegitimate. And to make things worse, you’re giving off a “desperate” vibe.

Even when my engagement was at its highest, I still was anxious to please and get clients. So I REPELLED buyers more than I attracted them.

So if you’re not getting results right now, this could be your problem:

You lack the patience to allow time to make it work.

You lack the self-awareness to realise you need to improve.

You lack the realistic expectations that success doesn’t happen overnight.

You lack the credibility and evidence to support your claims (and your network sucks)

In other words:

You lack status and influence.

So you can’t monetise.

You can pump out all the content you like, boost your engagement and spend hours slaving on social media…

But if no one wants your offer (if you even have one)… you’re toast!

I was here myself…

I was spending all my time trying to get more followers and write content.

But I was making NO money.

Instead of focussing on likes, views and engagement…

I’d encourage you to focus on something else entirely.

Something that changed EVERYTHING for me.

“Respect My Authorit-ay!”

What if you could fix this little problem of monetisation?

Here’s the good news:

You can.

But it requires a mindset shift that can help you start making money (almost) instantly.

Let me ask you a question:

Which creators make the most money?

Your Dan Koes, Andrew Tates and Dakota Robertsons.

Why?

Answer:

They have undeniable authority.

And why do they have authority?

What GETS you authority?

That’s right.

Results.

At the core of why you respect them and want their offers is because they simply have PROOF OF RESULTS.

These results lead to massive authority.

Proof = results.

Results = authority.

And authority is a buying trigger.

Why?

Marketing genius Jeff Walker explains “If we view someone as an authority figure we are automatically more influenced by that person than by others.”

You see?

It’s about influence.

If you become influential in someone’s mind, you can influence them to buy your shit.

Make sense?

Here’s an example:

Would you honestly give 2 f*cks about Dan Koe’s ideas if he wasn’t making $4M a year from courses?

No. Of course you wouldn’t.

He showed you what was possible if you followed his methods.

You remember his ideas about writing, courses etc… but the anchor to these “solutions” he presents is the fact he makes MILLIONS from them.

That’s why you follow his methods.

Why are results so important?

Put simply, our brains are lazy.

This is what happens when you hear how Dan Koe made $4M last year:

“Wow! $4M?! I want that! How did he do that? Oh, selling courses? Growing on social media? Damn. I guess I need to do that too! How did he grow on social media and build courses? Ah here, he told us… Writing? How easy! But wait… HOW do I write how he writes so I can get the same results? Oh, here… he has a course on how he did it. I guess I’ll buy that! $4M/year here I come!”

Tell me that isn’t how you ended up in this mess?

It’s how I got here.

Realise this:

At the core of every course, programme or community you join… we’re all looking for the same thing:

A result.

Results are what sells.

Since I hit $14.8K/month, I’ve noticed how people in my life are starting to pop up.

Basically asking how I did it.

I tell them.

It’s no secret. I’m here to help after all.

And the amount of inbound leads I’ve had is crazy.

All because I let the world know the RESULTS I’m getting.

Of course, these results need to be REAL.

Don’t lie. You’ll get found out FAST.

If you want to sell like a friken’ madman, build authority by getting results.

It doesn’t stop here though.

Here’s the giga-chad version of this whole results thing….

Results for yourself are good.

Results for others are 10x more powerful.

Another reason Dan Koe sells to you with ease is because he has an army of people who’ve applied his methods and made it work.

Not to mention success stories like Dakota Robertson, Kieran Drew, Jack Moses and Justin Scott – all creators he’s mentored.

So Dan’s able to jack his prices up to silly levels, and there’s no price resistance.

Why?

Because his prospects are 11/10 confident they’ll get a result.

You see…

It’s all good and well ME getting a result. People will go for it.

But…

If I flex how Connor closes $3000 deals with less than 1500 followers here:

…You can now see that my methods work for ANYONE, not just me.

Now you’re REALLY convinced.

You’re probably thinking in your mind “if it worked for him, why couldn't it work for me too?”

Am I wrong?

THIS is why I’m able to charge $6000-$9000 a client.

I have results for myself.

I have results for others.

And I’m also pretty good at brainwashing.

I have authority.

Bottom line:

Focus on getting results for yourself AND others, so you can get prospects queuing up to work with you, sending you inbound DMs like this:

Results are the ultimate marketing tool, and help you build a “moat” around you where you become undeniable.

Results make you an authority. A person of influence.

Getting results means you can charge more, have clients come to you and build a reputation made of solid GOLD.

Which means that you’ll make a boat load more cash, and monetisation will soon become a function of who you are, not what do to.

Authority Shortcuts: Elevate Your Status & Make People Want To Pay You

Now you realise that results are crucial because it leads to authority.

But what if you don’t have a wall of testimonials, $10K/month stripe screenshots and client success stories?

Well the good news is I have a bunch of other sneaky little tricks I use to build authority.

Without them, I wouldn’t be able to charge the silly prices I do and maintain a constant and steady lead flow.

Don’t worry. I’m going to share MOST 😉 of them with you, right now.

The best part?

This works even with a small audience.

Here are 8 tried and true methods you can use to start building massive authority TODAY:

1. Longform Posts

Nothing screams authority like someone who can dive deep on a topic.

It proves you know your stuff.

Demonstrating this knowledge publicly builds trust.

If you want to build authority on the platform:

• Write 1-3 threads weekly and send daily or weekly emails

• Dive deep on one idea/topic

• Solve a pain point or help people reach a desired outcome

Long-form positions you as an expert that’s “ahead” – which means they’ll want to learn from you.

And if people want to learn from you, they’ll want to BUY from you.

PLUS, they say that every hour someone consumes your content, that’s $1000 they’re willing to spend with you.

Which means the more time people spend reading and/or consuming your content – the more they’re willing to spend with you.

Remind me again why you’re not exploiting long form?

Use this information to your benefit.

2. Credibility

If you’re pitching your offer but no one wants it, you might be missing a crucial part of the puzzle…

No one believes you.

You can fix this by increasing your credibility.

Without credibility, you’ll continue getting crummy results.

How do we do this?

By transferring credibility from others who have it.

• Get endorsements or testimonials from top authorities in your space

• Get followed by bigger accounts to prove you’re someone worth following

• Put symbols & logos on your landing page your target audience already knows and respects

If something is endorsed by a person or group who you respect…

Lights, flash, bells ring — your brain spits out instant credibility.

And if it’s something you want (and can afford) you’ll start digging for your Visa card.

Think about which person, persons and organisations in your industry have a reputation that has sufficient respect.

Get them to endorse your product or service and capitalise on the credibility transfer of credibility this will create.

3. Embody The Promise

As a personal brand people are buying YOU.

When you see Dan Koe’s success it’s your ego, not your craving for digital courses and fancy terms that motivates you to start writing online.

Whatever positive future your audience wants, you must embody every day.

• Post pictures of your lifestyle

• Share your wins & milestones

• Clearly demonstrate your expertise in your content

It sounds lame, but your audience wants to be like you. They look up to you.

You must be a clear beacon of hope for their actualised self.

Realise that you’re leading by example so you can enjoy the benefits of leadership.

Leaders get leads. Leaders get laid. Leaders get PAID.

4. Social Proof

Great. So your methods work for you.

Do they work for anyone else? Do they work for your followers? Do they work for your clients?

Assume that your audience are sceptical. IF they believe you got results for yourself, there’s still another hurdle to get over.

They may see you as some kind of superhuman or special case.

“It couldn’t possibly work for me too, could it? I’m just ME.”

You need to break this limiting belief.

And we do this with social proof.

• Post client wins and success stories on your timeline

• Sprinkle testimonials into your emails and use liberally in your sales pages

• Get people to write a social media post about you

When you demonstrate that your methods get results for people JUST LIKE THEM, they will start to believe you can help them too.

We’re not just embodying the promise ourselves now, we’re embodying the promise in other people’s success too.

This is far more powerful, and it may be enough to push people over the edge to work with you.

5. Public Speaking

WHO do people buy from?

WHO do YOU buy from?

Answer?

Authority figures.

As we know authority is a MASSIVE buying trigger.

We’ve explored a few ways to build authority, but this is a method FAR too many people leave out.

Speaking in public.

Nothing builds authority like public speaking.

• Host Twitter Spaces and Live Streams

• Make Videos talking about your chosen subject

• Get yourself on podcasts, or start your own

When you speak in public, at least for a moment, you are considered a minor celebrity who people want to meet.

Which means you’ll frame yourself as someone they:

1. Aspire to be like (explained in point 3 above)

2. Know, like and trust

If people want to be like you, know you, like you and trust you – do you think they’ll be open to hearing your offer?

You bet they will.

Make life easy for yourself.

Include public speaking into your marketing strategy to build REAL authority so you can build more influence and sell more stuff.

6. The Means-End Chain

Realise this:

Your product or service is a means to an end.

Forget what people get today… what will your thing get them tomorrow?

Using something legendary advertiser, Drew Eric Whitman, calls ‘The Means-End Chain’.

And it’s dead simple to grasp.

With The Means-End chain, you simply shift the consumer’s focus to your product’s ULTIMATE value or benefit.

You may have heard copywriters talk about this as showcasing the benefit of the benefit or the “hidden benefit”.

What’s the bottom line benefit of working with you?

The secondary benefit. AKA: what it GETS them.

Does buying your course on systematising a construction business mean your customer can spend more time playing golf?

Does buying your flowers on Valentine’s Day mean the customer is more likely to get lucky tonight?

Does buying your brand of makeup mean that your customer’s crushs’ head will spin off his shoulders when they walk past?

This is what people REALLY want and need from your product.

• Realise that people don’t want the plane ticket, they want the holiday

• Take your service/product and ask “what’s the benefit of this?”; write the answer down then repeat the process 3-4 times till you get to the core benefit

• Represent this positive end result in your content and copy NON STOP

Showing the benefit of the benefit gets people to imagine the positive future of using your thing.

Which means that they’ll want it more, increasing the desire for it.

So you can (and here’s The Means-End Chain for this point) make more sales.

7. Build A Community (The Bandwagon Effect)

Give people something to jump on.

Humans are wired for community.

The need for us to belong is innate.

If you’ve ever been in the crypto space you understand the phenomenon of “aping in”.

Yes. There’s a strong element of FOMO involved where people don’t want to miss out on making a buck.

BUT… more importantly than that?

They can jump into these communities and feel a sense of belonging.

The need for group membership is a strong psychological drive, and in its pursuit, most consumers will forgo the need for an active in-depth analysis of what you’re selling.

It’s a form of social proof, but you’re also creating a group they either aspire to be apart of or that aligns with their values.

The following ways are some shortcuts to creating a bandwagon effect.

• Host Twitter spaces and places for similar people to come and connect

• Create exclusive membership communities that people want to get into

• Align your brand around a strong and clear set of values that resonate with the target audience you’re trying to attract

In the online space, many people feel alone.

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs pyramid, the need to belong is third ONLY to our physiological needs:

Food, clothing and shelter.

Our safety needs:

Security, stability and freedom from fear.

Once these first 2 needs have been satisfied, belonging or love, which is usually found within families, friendships membership & associations and within our community becomes a TOP priority.

Which means that you can appeal to this part of the human psyche.

So you can reduce price resistance, avoid in-depth analysis of your product and create long-term customers and buyers.

8. Violate Industry Norms

“You can’t do that!”

It’s time to piss some people off.

If you want to stand out, move faster than the competition and raise your status in the market:

Ignore every industry norm.

• Make a list of every industry norm (EVERY one): use ChatGPT for extra assistance when brainstorming

• Make a list of all the authorities and establishment figures who dictate “the rules of the road”

• Lock yourself in a room and see how you can violate every one of them

What do all the rules, norms and establishment figures have in common?

Find the common thread and fly in the face of it.

Run ads to your profile.

Up your post frequency.

Start promoting your offer on the timeline (who cares?)

Charge people to hop on a sales call with you.

Stop sucking up to big accounts and start calling them out.

These are just some examples, but you get my point.

Just remember:

EVERYTHING you can’t do because your business is different CAN be done by “doing” business differently.

Which means you can elevate your perceived status by being a rockstar who does what they want.

Polarise your audience and create die-hard followers who love your boldness. Because die-hard fans BUY.

If I could summarise this letter, it would be this:

The key to monetisation is authority.

And authority comes primarily from getting cold hard results.

But if your results are limited right now:

It also comes from a willingness to be bold, strengthening your network, building a die-hard community and making your audience consume more of your content.

If you’re struggling to monetise right now, remember:

Time is your ally.

You’re not going to make $10K overnight.

Time in the market > timing the market.

Be patient.

Set realistic expectations.

Constantly improve your content.

Ignore practically everyone.

Focus on results (and use them in your marketing).

And you can’t fail.

Have a great week.

PS. Are you ready to go full-time as a content creator without spending years in the trenches trying to “figure it out” on your own?

In Digital Odyssey I’ll show you exactly how monetised my personal brand and scaled to 5-figures/month, so you can make money from anywhere in the world in 2024…

• Without pushy sales tactics

• Without spending your life on social media

• Without any of the guesswork that’s costing you $thousands of potential revenue

Interested?

Join the waitlist here: https://digitalodyssey.carrd.co/

=========================================================

PPS. The perfect companion to this newsletter is my YouTube video from last week.

It’s not too long, but in it I show you how to brainwash anyone in 8 simple steps.

You can watch that here: