Making money while you sleep sounds dreamy, right? You imagine relaxing on a beach, with your sales are chugging away in the background, magically generating income while you sip on a piña colada. But here’s the reality check: that dream doesn’t come without hard work. If you want to create sales funnels that run on autopilot, you better be ready to hustle like never before when you’re awake.
Let’s talk about sales funnels. I’ve been building them for almost 30 years (though we didn’t call them funnels 30 years ago), and in that time, I’ve seen my fair share of successes and flops.
The funnels that truly work share fundamental elements:
- They’re like salesmanship in print.
- They pull you in with a snappy headline.
- They tell a compelling story.
- They present an offer that’s hard to refuse.
- They wrap it all up with solid testimonials and overcoming objections like a pro.
A killer funnel sells without you even being there.
But here’s the kicker…
The dirty little secret they don’t tell you at the “How to Get Rich Online” academy…
Without a reliable, predictable flow of traffic, you’re setting yourself up for a disappointing experience.
Consistent traffic is the lifeblood of any successful sales funnel. Sure, there’s the organic route – creating great content, building your email list, or getting your network involved – but if you want a funnel that runs while you sleep, paid ads are a necessity. They give you that scalable, predictable traffic. It’s like having a machine that works – all you have to do is throw in the fuel, which in this case, is money for ads.
Let’s dive into a funnel that did just that for one of my books, “Copywriting Secrets.”
We marketed it for free – just cover the shipping and handling. We also had an audiobook upgrade that grabbed about 30% of buyers. The real money-makers? A one-time offer for a $97 course on storytelling and a final high-ticket one-time offer of $800 for software. We were primarily running ads on Facebook, but dabbled in Google too.
The ads promised solutions to a common pain point: how to write better sales copy.
One thing I learned early on is that you can run a thousand different ads, but you’ll be changing and tweaking them constantly.
There’s no “set it and forget it” when it comes to ads.
The ads must promise to solve a problem or fulfill a desire. They need to stick out and grab attention.
Now, here’s what blew my mind: our traffic spend was into the millions, with conversion rates fluctuating from 10% to 40% on the front end. The subsequent offers had decent conversion rates too, but it was the traffic potential that stood out. This funnel didn’t just make money; it scaled up fast, hitting millions in total revenue. Imagine achieving that level of scaling – not just drawing in some extra cash, but transforming your business into an income powerhouse.
But don’t let those numbers fool you into thinking it’s all sunshine and rainbows.
Even though those purchases were rolling in while I caught some Z’s, we were wide awake behind the scenes, tirelessly working on the next set of ads and new creative content. This brings me to a really important reality: the secret of making money while you sleep is tied to the labor you put in while you’re awake.
Chat with anyone who’s successfully using online advertising, and they’ll tell you the same story. The notion that you can kick back while your sales funnel cranks out profits is enticing, sure, but it masks the reality. Most people dream about living that laptop lifestyle – letting one automated system do all the work for them for years.
But here’s the truth…
After you get that system up and running, you transition from being a funnel creator to a traffic driving machine.
If you don’t want to shoulder that responsibility yourself, you might be tempted to outsource, which WILL eat up a HUGE chunk of your profits if you’re not careful.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. 😊
You just need to approach the whole thing with a healthy dose of reality, with your eyes wide open. There is not a thing in the world I would have rather done over the last thirty years than everything I’ve done with the good, the bad, and the ugly, and everything in between.
Realistically, the phrase “make money while you sleep” means you’ve set up a system that can generate income independently from your direct interaction to make the sale.
It doesn’t mean you can hang up your hat and never lift a finger again. You still must drive traffic, foster relationships with customers, and maintain contact after they’ve clicked that purchase button.
The bottom line is this: automation of a funnel is easier than ever, but it requires ongoing effort, creativity, and hustle to promote it. So, for all you out there dreaming of passive income while you sleep, know this – it’s still a grind. You can certainly automate your sales processes, but that doesn’t equate to sitting on the sidelines each day.
Your journey will demand you work your butt off while you’re awake, ensuring your funnel gets plenty of customer eyeballs on it and runs smoothly while you rest.
My advice: build that system to operate while you snooze, but don’t forget that your biggest asset is your ongoing creative effort. If you stay focused and agile, not only will you earn money while you sleep, but you can also build a business that thrives even when you’re not around. That’s the real dream, and it’s worth every ounce of hard work you put into it.
If you’re serious about making money while you sleep, start by working smart – inside CopyandContent.AI.
- Make Money While You Sleep… But Work Your Butt Off While You’re Awake
- Jim Edwards Has an Ahaa Moment with Simplifying Funnel Marketing [Podcast 277]
- How To Use Order Bumps And One-Time Offers Without Looking Desperate
- Never Quit Mindset with Entrepreneur and Business Coach Jim Edwards [Podcast 276]
- The Front End and Back End (and in between) of Funnel Marketing with Jim Edwards [Podcast 275]
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