How to Actually Make Money Online This Year

About this video

Martell lays out five steps to build a personal brand that makes money. He claims he built a brand to over 10 million followers across platforms, has been paid 100K for a single keynote, and has generated over 100 million in revenue for his companies. Step 1: understand that a brand is association — what people think when they hear your name, as with Nike and athletes or Ferrari and luxury — and that the new model is build audience, community, and trust first, then monetize. Step 2: stop talking to everyone; have a specific person, opinion, and answers to what was the toughest thing you went through, what is wrong with the world you want to fix, and what you love talking about, summarized as ‘I help [specific person] get [desired outcome] without [pain].’ Step 3: don’t think, just post — accept the first 100 posts will suck, pick one platform (he suggests Instagram, twice a day if pro, once a day if possible), and he challenges viewers to go live for 30 days. Step 4: don’t be a sellout — reply to at least five comments per post, reply to every DM, and give 10 times more free value than you ask for. Step 5: monetize only after trust, via ad revenue, brand deals, or your own product/service; he says many he taught monetize with under 10,000 followers, cites his buddy Mike Brown doing, he claims, a million in revenue in his first year from Instagram, and says his own book launched in 2023 sold 20,000 copies in its first two weeks.

Key takeaways

• A brand is association: what people think of when they hear your name; audience and trust are the asset to build before monetizing.
• Talk to a specific person using your toughest experience, the problem you want to fix, and topics you love to talk about.
• Just post: expect the first 100 posts to suck, pick one platform and a stretching schedule, and try going live for 30 days.
• Do not be a sellout: reply to comments and every DM, and give 10 times more free value than you ask for.
• Monetize after trust through one route first — ad revenue, brand deals, or your own product/service — not all at once.

Episode details: published May 11, 2026 · 17:23 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dan Martell’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

← Previous: I Tested 500+ AI Tools, These Will Make You Rich · Next: Brutally Honest Advice For Someone Trying to Make Money with AI →

All Dan Martell videos · Dan Martell profile · Dan Martell (official site)