If you’re looking for some more training in building a blog after our 31 Day challenge I’ve got a special offer for you in this post.
Since finishing 31DBBB yesterday I’ve had a number of participants in the project email me to ask what other training that they can do to keep improving their blogs.
The realization that it seems many have had is that when you invest time and energy into your blog it does improve – our 31 day project has led many people to really step up their blogs and continue to see them improve.
As a result of these reader questions I’ve approached Yaro Starak and Gideon Shalwick from the popular Become a Blogger course to see if they’d be willing to open up their course again to 31DBBB participants (and all ProBlogger readers). I chose Become a Blogger because I think it’s at a level that many 31DBBB participants will find useful.
Get Become a Blogger for $1 for 2 Weeks – Yaro and Gideon didn’t hesitate to agree and then blew me away by offering ProBlogger readers access to their course for just $1 so that people could sample what they offer and see if it’s something that they want to continue with.
The deal is simple – Become a Blogger is normally $77 a month (it goes for 6 months) but if you sign up as a ProBlogger reader you get a trial period of two weeks for $1. If you don’t want to continue just email Yaro and Gideon and canceling your membership.
What is Become a Blogger?
This is a course for those just starting out with blogging or who have started but are struggling to set it up a level. Here are the 8 modules covered in the video training:
- Get Your Blog Up And Running Fast And FREE
- How To Optimize Your Blog For Maximum Search Engine Performance
- How To Create Powerful Content For Your Blog, Consistently and Without Fail
- How To Use Images On Your Blog To Make You Stand Out From The Crowd
- How To Create A Different Dimension To Your Blog By Adding Audio
- How To Breathe Life Into Your Blog Using Online Video
- How To Create Multiple Streams of High Quality Traffic To Your Blog
- How To Make Money From Your Blog
There are a variety of good bonuses also on the sales page including a forum are and teleconferences to help you step it up.
You can read full details of what is included in the modules and bonuses on the sales page of Become a Blogger. They also have some free videos on that page to give you a feel for what the course is like.
PS – Don’t have a Blog?: if you don’t yet have a blog then this course is relevant for you as it does have a module on setting up blogs from scratch. Others who already have blogs will find modules 2-7 well worth their time.
Yaro, Darren, CMG—anyone…
Yaro provides a service that. when followed, can be successful for people. Darren does the same here, but in a slightly different way. I am an instructor and I teach some of the same stuff as other instructors- but in a different way. I dont know why people are so upset. If they don’t like your style they don’t have to slam you for it- they simply go somewhere else. I personally have taken the same training from two different people and got totally different results.
Anyhow- I like Yaro and I like Darren because they are different and I can glean different bits of information from each. Both provide great information and as such, should get paid for their work. How they get paid versus how others get paid is nobody elses concern. It’s not illegal. Maybe there is some envy there when people see the numbers. Why do people care so much?
Anyhow, I’m half way through the 31DBBB and finished with the 1st module of Membership Site Mastermind. Thanks Guys! Keep up the good work.
Brandon
Anyhow,
Ok CMP – what do you like about me?
Answer that first and then I won’t have to repeat myself when I offer replies to change your field of perception.
Hi
I recently found Yaro’s site and he’s taught me a great deal about blogging before finding problogger, Seth Godin or SEOMoz etc which are all great sources.
Does that mean Yaro’s work is no longer valid to me? No, of course not. I dig the style. Everyone has to start with the basics and work up. His style is easy to understand and I enjoy getting the feeds and watching the vids.
Yaro. I think you have the positioning spot on. I’ve recommended his EJ site to loads on my mates in business (but not in the business of blogging) who are new to this and you’re helping them out learning the basics.
Big shout out to Darren too, your 31DBBB was a great programme. Many thanks.
Is it just me or it is getting hot in here? :)
Thanks for the offer Darren/Yaro/Gideon. I understand why you ask people to pay for it. Presentation of material is something that people pay for everyday. All of the information in this course is, of course, available free online on sites like Yaro’s Entrepreneur’s Journey, and Darren’s ProBlogger.
The difference is (and it is a key difference and the whole reason why you have to pay for it so take note) that the information is presented in a teaching course type of format which is easier to digest, aligned chronologically into lessons in a way to maximize learning.
The value of the course comes from presentation and convenience, something that could be incredibly for beginner bloggers (the target market of ProBlogger I imagine) with expendable income.
With that in mind, I think it’s very appropriate to offer this type of affiliate offer after the 31DBBB.
My $0.02,
Josh
CMP – what on earth is anyone on line doing if not trying to make money.
Yaro and Gideon are no exception neither, I suspect are you.
Yaro is imparting his knowledge to people who are thinking they would like to join in making money on line but haven’t the slightest notion where to start.
Yaro and Gideon are showing these beginners how to make a start for free. Then if they want to continue to learn a fee would be quite acceptable because they can see a way to earn enough to pay.
I just can’t see why you need to slate him so vehemently – you wouldn’t be just a little bit green by any chance would you?
If Yaro were not open and above board, do you think he would bother to answer your criticisms of him?
He is right – he should just leave you with your opinions and let it go at that.
There are hundreds of others who have a high opinion of him, and I am one of them.
I’ll chime in on this – I don’t have the same anger that some of you guys do towards Yaro, but I actually subscribed to Blog Mastermind for 5-6 months and found all of the above criticisms to be basically true.
Darren’s blog and book had already taught me almost everything Yato had to say. The only added value I got out of the course for me was the audio interviews with OTHER experts, one of whom happened to be Darren.
The part that left a sour taste in my mouth was the feeling that Yaro was always holding back “the good stuff” for sometime in the future.
I understand that Darren makes his living from affiliate programs, and I understand his target audience is brand new bloggers, but this is one series where I wish he hadn’t made the hard sell – it soured me on Problogger in the end because I felt misled.
Yaro has a great blog, and friendly customer service, but he DOES strike me as a get rich by talking about it type. I still wish I’d saved ~$500 bucks and stuck to Darren’s book.
Yaro,
What do I like about you? Honestly, not much. Which is why I commented here in the first place. I’m not saying I hate you, I think you suck, or that you’re stupid and you smell. You certainly seem like a nice enough guy, a helpful guy, a guy who cares about his users and all of that wonderful stuff.
I’m just questioning your credibility with pretty valid points and opinions, and am looking for equally valid responses that prove me wrong, change my mind, or both.
Hi everyone-
I am a newbie blogger-
and I have to say that I have found the become a blogger course very useful, and good value for money- and I am dam sure that there are other people starting off who read this blog who will also!
I always remember something simple my mum taught me- “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”
If you don’t like someones course etc, then ask for a refund, and get out of it!
Much better to do that at the time rather than have the poison of resentment live on in your life, I think… And often healthier for all concerned to deal with it mano a mano at the time…
Just my take, thanks Yaro-
Can we get a great deal like this for the membership mastermind course? That’s the one that’s a stretch for me to pay!
Yeah, just to clarify:
I think Darren’s a great guy, and Entrepreneur’s Journey is a good blog – Yaro takes a much more philosophical approach to his writing about internet business than most, and there are some genuinely good insights.
I just felt that his paid content didn’t live up to that standard, and that his email list felt like it promoted every big launch, not just things he thought were quality.
For Problogger, I was confused that Darren promoted a paid and expensive product that was ultimately less helpful than his own free content or book.
cmp and Yaro – thanks for all your comments.
However I am sensing this is just going in circles. If you’d like me to introduce the two of you so that you can sort it out via email please indicate that you want that with a comment that includes your valid email address (I’m assuming yours isn’t a real one cmp?). I’d love to set up an email exchange and even help moderate it as I genuinely feel you could work it out.
If you’re not interested in communicating privately on this I’ll take it as an indication that you’re not genuinely interested in making this conversation more constructive and will close the comments. Happy for you to keep chatting here but I’d also like to see a commitment that you’re willing to try sort it out in private also. The balls in your courts.
I am not going to add to the Yaro hating or Darren lecturing… Personally Darren can do whatever he wants with his blog and I am just thankful that he has been willing to put so much great content on it. Also, 31DBBB was wonderful!
Yaro and Gideon’s become a blogger program has also been enjoyable. I remember first using the videos when I started blogging. They were great!
Everyone has their own style, tone and personality. That is what makes blogging great! Find what you like and stick with it.
Thanks Darren for always having your readers in mind and providing wonderful services. Yaro, don’t sweat the small stuff, you’ve helped a lot of people.
Being a “student” of Yaro’s I have to jump in for a moment here. It is much better than dealing with database issues on a forum that is for sure.
When I saw this comment “You’re a guy who takes pictures of himself next to his car and uses it to sell a product” I had to laugh a little bit.
Yaro has explained how blogging and the other aspects on working online has afforded him to support his life. This including a house and a car.
It was a Suzuki Swift, seriously.
I remember this because this was one of the reasons I liked Yaro from the beginning. I thought it was refreshing to see a guy infront of (what looked like) a townhome and a nice, but simple new car.
http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/images/articles/end07/carhouse2.jpg
Not that showing proof of your income is a problem, but really you think that is comparable to the guys who stand in front of the mansions with an Aston Martin?
Yaro isn’t flashy, is highly ethical, and has real quality control. In my industry that is rare, and it is really true in any industry.
I am a member of all three of Yaro’s courses and not one hasn’t been exactly what it was stated as.
CMP you may have valid points, but they are clouded with bias.
You are also relaying (intent or not) that everyone should learn from one source and one source only, or that someone else couldn’t add something to a topic. That isn’t the case at all. Sometimes you can have two people explaining the same process, but with a different story.
Take for example a man explaining to another man how to cook a frozen pizza.
“Man A: Take the pizza out of the box, put it in the oven, and cook it on 450F for 20 mins.
Man B: Preheat the oven to 450F
Move the rack to middle level so that you can optimize position for cooking.
Take the pizza out of the box.
Before putting it in the oven remove the clear plastic wrapper.
Place the pizza on a flat baking sheet.
Place in the oven and cook for 20 mins. Try not to open up the oven door as much as possible as it will change cook time.
Let cool for 5 mins after done. ”
What are the odds that someone is going to mess up as much with Man B’s directions?
Less.
I am not saying that Darren is A and Yaro is B, or that Man A is wrong, it is just a difference in instruction relay and explanation.
I am a reader and Fan of both Darrens and Yaro. I will say that Yaro is the one that made that “click” happen and who I turn to for the majority of my information or for a starting point to move forward from. It helps to keep down information overload.
Because of that click by the way it has left me in a very nice financial place and I am sure my future will be even better. I owe a lot of that to the help of Yaro and is K.I.S.S. blogging principles.
I’ve personally met Yaro and I can say he’s a stand up guy who cares for his users.
But his latest sales copy has the classic ‘this is the only way you can be rich online’ feel to it. These so called gurus follow these ‘cheesy’ sales tactics because they work for a ton of people, but others can see through this.
Be authentic, be real…we want to see the real Yaro, not another cheesy sales launch that’s being done because it’s time for you to make more money.
It’s cool with me. And the email I’m using is indeed real.
cmp,
Yaro offers a money back guarantee which means it’s impossible for anyone to get ripped off. He is offering to teach me something I don’t already know.
I have paid much more than Yaro’s asking price for courses that weren’t great but guess what? The one or two things I did learn gave me positive ROI.
If I find I don’t care for Yaro’s content I’ll get my refund. No biggie.
cmp, your personal attacks reek of arrogance and bias. I bet you’re a huge bore to all who are forced to interact with you in the dirt world.
Always the smartest guy in the room aren’t you?
Your comments and generalizations are unfair. I know I’m supposed to take the high road here, but screw it. I think you’re an a-hole.
Yaro – I’m in. See you on the call tomorrow night.
Sorry about the Darren, I did get caught up defending myself here a lot more than I usually like to because this can be a time suck. We can leave it at that.
I’ll end with one comment for everyone else – don’t judge anything by what is being said here. Study the information provided by people and assess the value you receive personally.
Whether that’s Darren’s blog, his book, my free reports, my blog, my paid courses or any other resources out there.
Be open minded and gravitate to what actually helps you, not what brings you down.
Yaro
Oh, one more thing – Jeff – if you didn’t get your money’s worth from my program please email supportATblogmastermind.com and I’ll give you your money back.
I’m not in this to take money from people who don’t get value from my work.
Most people do that because of jealousy. Or naivety.
There is a value in packaged content. That’s why people go to concert, buy DVDs of music videos and still purchase audio CDs.
That’s why people buy books, read blogs, listen to podcasts, buy training videos, etc. They want different experiences. I don’t know anyone who read a blog the whole day.
A course is a compilation of hundreds of hours of work. Think of a blog as a raw format of content. And a course is an organized one. If you can’t find value in a course, feel free to do the hard work but don’t presume everyone should do that.
As a fellow Australian blogger I have genuine respect and admiration for Darren and Yaro. I believe that both of them have a strong and positive influence on the blogging community and are no doubt ‘thought leaders’ within this industry.
Personally I haven’t gone through Yaro’s MasterMind programs, however I have been a part of other Membership sites, and in the end it’s not so much about the content that a Membership site offers it’s members, but rather about how the content is organized, accessed and how much time it saves me from having to browse through hundreds of free articles on the internet trying to find what I’m looking for.
There is a lot of trash out there, and it’s therefore great to find high quality content all in one place, which I have no doubt Yaro provides given the high quality of his free articles, online resources and special reports.
Membership sites may very well not provide you with unique information, however what they do is organize it in such a way that enables us to utilize this information to its greatest effect all in one place. I personally don’t run a Membership Site, however I do organize content on my blog within Mind Maps – organizing large scale topics and making them easy to understand on a single map at a single glance. The content of these Mind Maps isn’t unique, however the organization of the content allows for quick integration, and saves people time. In the end that’s what Membership Sites are about. And therefore if Yaro’s Membership Site will save you time, than that’s worth a lot of money.
Both Yaro and Darren provide a wonderful service to bloggers around the world, and I would probably not be blogging today if it wasn’t for the positive influence.
Holy Crap! I sense a lot of jealous tension in these comments. Here’s my 2 cents worth as a fellow Aussie who lives just down the road from Yaro.
I run an online marketing and web design company and have been doing so for the last three years or so. When I was learning the ropes as it were the two resources that I discovered that helped me get a sense of the lay of the land were Yaro’s and Darrens blogs.
I’m fortunate to have found them first because they were like to mates in a new city who tell you which parts of town are off limits and where to go to get a decent meal.
I have followed both their blogs and through them I have been introduced to online mentors I would deem as reputable and through them I have gained my online education.
I’m cringing when I read some of the haters comments because it’s like someone criticising your mum when they don’t even know them.
To those that criticise because they feel Yaro’s page is too salesy or “get rich”, then you simply have to get over yourselves.
Yaro’s sales page is a long form style that works effectively to sell and inform potential customers of what he is offering.
I see many traditional businesses set up “non salesly” sales pages that NEVER SELL ANYTHING….it’s simply the medium and it is effective.
You simply demonstrate your “newbieness” by those stupid comments.
I save all of yaros sales pages in my swipe file as they are the best looking and least kitchy and cheesy in my opinion.
Also please don’t criticise re the whole “earn money online” thing..that’s like going to a bar and criticising them for selling alcohol…ProBlogger and Entrepreneurs Journey are about earning a living online and they are probably the most reputable duo out there.
I give you a nice “monty pythonesque” clip on the head for those rather nasty criticisms….imagine if someone talked about your mum like that..shame on you!
Congrats to both Darren AND Yaro for their success..they did it themselves and in their own way..you should wish for the same rather than being an angry little soul.
Cheers
Ed
It’s amazing that our new world of Social Media affords such intense and specific discord over an individual’s need to publish their rationale for not purchasing an offer they’re not interested in, and holding the publisher to “rights” over the ethical rationale of promoting said offer.
I went to a newsagent this morning and bought a diet coke. I didn’t buy Sprite because it tastes crap and I don’t like all the sugar in real coke.
Funnily enough, I can’t find a website where I can have a fight with all the Sprite lovers to tell them why I didn’t buy their drink.
In short, I don’t believe the publication of a (clearly relevant) offer made with (clearly genuine) trust warrants a picketing march from an audience who are delusional if they don’t think they’re learning about (a) Blogging and (b) Making money with it.
I just want to say that I have found Darren and Yaro to both be very genuine and helpful guys. People talk about “getting rich blogging by talking about getting rich blogging” and that may what they do, but there are a ton of sites that try this and fail miserably. You don’t actually have success in that field unless you actually know a little bit about how it works.
I haven’t taken Yaro’s courses mostly because I’m cheap, but based on the free content at his blog and the fact that pretty much every major online marketing / blog about blogging website promotes him, I am confident that his content is good and he knows what he is doing.
Darren, thanks for the great resource that is Problogger and being a guy that will stand up for his friends.
Yaro, thanks for having the guts to come here and defend yourself and know that most people who read what you have to say think that your content is great and you are a genuine person.
I’ve been reading both Darren’s and Yaro’s blogs for awhile and a Blogmastermind student of Yaro’s. I had the privilege of briefly meeting Darren @ the Blogworld Expo in Las Vegas last year. Blogging, Social Networking, Membership sites…it’s BIG industry! . I found out about various blogging tools, software, TWITTER etc. before they started appearing on major news stories and everyone jumped on the twitter bandwagon. Yaro’s program is just another tool to help would be internet entrepreneurs to succeed.
People like to criticize without fully studying the issue. He doesn’t just merely regurgitate information he finds online, he documents his experiences and gives you very useful tips . He shares some of the successes of his past students. He’s very candid in documenting his experiences and I like that. I don’t like people that provide testimonials and that’s it. Yaro really connects with his audience.
Membership sites can provide great value. I look @ it as furthering your education. I don’t think I could’ve learned Photoshop as in-depth on my own had I not taken a class and learned from others critiquing my work.
Yes to the last two comments!
and I would add a quote of my own “Sour Grapes Feed No Man, Least of all Him who Offers Them”
I know Yaro personally, infact I shared a coffee with him just recently here in Brisbane. I offered to buy him cake but he declined :)
The thing that struck me about Yaro, was that unlike other internet marketers that Ive met, Yaro is completely grounded and a genuine guy. Its obvious from the outset, and others who know Yaro will agree. Yaro isnt about the dollar, he just has a passion for what he does, and I believe he enjoys sharing his knowledge with people who simply want to learn from him.
To suggest that Yaro is anything but a decent guy, who has nothing more than the best intentions for his work and clients is nothing more than grossly incorrect.
I would put money in Yaros hand any day to learn from the guy, and I say that with 100% commitment.
CMP youre a moron mate.
Big John
@Darren Rowse @Yaro @Gideon Shalwick
I trust all you guys..
One thing I got confused with the above post!
In 2 weeks time, how much of the above mentioned modules will be covered?
I think those 8 modules are for the whole course..
Hey Satish
As part of the 2 week trial, you get access to:
– The first two modules of the course (19 videos in total)
– The members only forum area
– The teleconference page
– Yaro’s Master The Mindset audio series
– The Roadmap To Become A Blogger report
Our next teleconference is 26 May which is in about 2 weeks time again (we just had one today that lasted for almost 2 hrs – we got a lot of really good questions from existing members and we stayed on the call until Yaro and I answered every single question).
All the best!
Gideon Shalwick
I don’t know Yaro but apart from some comments here I haven’t read any negative feedback on his work. I must say however that I think the costs of his Mastermind Membership course in particular is ridiculous. I respect his ultimate objective is making money but I think he is being greedy in charging so much to a group of genuine people most of whom will not end up making a cracker out of their online endeavors. He does portray his courses as surefire get rich fairly quick schemes if his customers religiously follow his instructions. We all know that won’t happen for the vast majority. He should have more respect for a lot of little people trying to raise themselves up – charge a fair price but don’t gouge them.
If there’s a thing that I learn from such criticism, usually it is the fact that the blog readers feel like they own the blog. They want it to be what they want. Mostly that means without any ads or affiliate promotion.
Just get over it. This is life. It is not always what you want. Rather than wasting time, just skip any post that you dislike. Although I’ve been a reader for years, I admit that I only read perhaps 1/5 or less of the posts in problogger.net, but those that I read, I learn a lot from them.
Hi all,
I am Yaro’s virtual assistant and support desk for Blog Mastermind and Membership Site Mastermind.
I have just been reading a few posts here and wanted to share my view, because I probably know better than anyone what goes on in terms of Yaro’s ethics and customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction.
I see all the complaint and praise email first, and I can tell you complaint emails generally only arrive due to a misunderstanding (can’t get into forum, etc), and very rarely at that. Yaro puts EVERYTHING into creating the best programs he can, and he is far more concerned about helping people and doing the ‘right’ thing by everyone than making an extra dollar. He instructs people every day to NOT take his program if he feels that might not be in the right place to learn, or if he feels he will be taking the last of their money. He’s much more ethical than most people I know would be in his situation, and I’ve come to realise that it is because his priority is maintaining his reputation as an honest guy, even if it means he loses money.
He has always honored refunds, even when I think the person is taking advantage of the whole system, he will give them their money back with good wishes.
CMP – It really makes me laugh when I see his sales page images with his car and his house, because he is not a boaster in real life at all, most of his non-internet marking friends have no idea of his success. But isn’t it obvious that these common style of sales pages are done in this fashion because they work? They show what he has accomplished so that people who trust him enough to hand over their cash.
In the end, he gets so much email from happy customers telling him how their blog has improved since employing his advice (both free and paid for), that there is no question that his programs are valuable. If someone doesn’t want to buy it, them that’s fine, but I find it sad that there are people who seem to be so negative about it instead of thinking ‘Hey that guy is doing well for himself, he must be doing something right, what can I learn from him?’.
I won’t be checking the comments here again because I’m really busy, but you can email me at [email protected] if you have something to say!
Angela
Hi All,
Back to basics.. – Yaro’s defense.
Information
CMP – There was a comment about Yaro’s content just being the same content as other sites.. (I cant remember and cannot be bothered quoting)
I would argue that everything we know in our heads came from somewhere else. We are taught our whole lives.
Even the guy teaching how to sprint 100m learnt that from other coaches, lecturers, own experience etc (see my point)
I believe that Yaro understands his topics
Information Overload
There is so much information out there! There are so many wrong ways of doing things. I am happy for Yaro – or anyone else who creates an information product to:
– do all the research
– work out what works and what doesnt work
– explain to me the content in the order I need to understand it
– support me through the things I do not understand in forums and coaching calls
This is what Yaro’s and Others membership sites do for us
Value and Trust
I dont know about you but I value my time. That is one thing we have a finite amount of. (Some people actually have a countdown timer – showing them how many days, hours, mins, and seconds they have to live – that would stop you wasting time)
I am happy to pay $27, $47, $77, $whatever – If I can see that it is saving me time – and allowing me to focus on what I do best.
Let the Information provider work it out – you TRUST the process and just do it..
The Fat Guy Selling Weight Loss
Yes, Yaro is selling information about how to sell information. However the positive side of this is – he gets to understand his content twice as much as anyone else.. Follow me on this train of thought. For the guy who is writing a membership site about running 100m – he spends his time – learning how to do membership sites AND hundreds of hours on how to Run 100m. Yes, 2 different topics.. Yaro gets to Hyper Focus on one topic. And so does Darren. These are the guys we should be listening to because their knowledge is ‘amplified’ – that their delivery mechanism AND their topic.
You cannot get better testing and feedback than that.
Success
Success is measured in so many ways. Mates of mine are some of our countries wealthiest people. I am fortunate to be surrounded by huge success every day. From sports people to business people. Everyone of these guys is a basic human underneath. You do not know they have money when you first meet them. That is not what they talk about. (The poor want-to-be’s are usually flashing their watches, cars, talking it up) These guys are normal friendly guys. Content in their success for their own sake – not for other people opinions. Only after getting to know them for a while do you realise they have achieved unbelievable success – you stumble upon stories of success – like you need to extract it from them.
The thing I like about Yaro is he is not talking about getting rich quick – (I dont really know anything financial about Yaro except for what is in this blog comments.)
He presents a comfortable income, comfortable house, comfortable car – and a sustainable approach to an income.
He helps you build ‘assets’ with your content – not just hunting for money every day.
Chill out guys, just be nice to each other – humans need humans – and congratulate people on making the world a better place.
Michael