How To Make Your First $10K with a New Directory Site – No Traffic Required

Your first revenue goal for your new directory should be $10,000, and you want to make that as soon as possible. Why? Because once you reach this amount, you can hire help and spend money on ads to grow your website. This will help more people find your site and use it.

But how do you make your first $10,000 when your website is new and doesn’t have many visitors or much trust yet?

Today, I want to show you how to make your first $10,000 even if you have no traffic and no audience. In this guide, we will:

1. Explain why making $10,000 fast is crucial for your directory.
2. Discuss why traditional methods like premium listings and affiliate ads don’t work well for new directories.
3. Share my approach for making your first $10k without needing traffic or audience.
4. Detail my step-by-step process for finding customers willing to pay.

By sticking around, you’ll learn strategies that can help you overcome the biggest hurdles and set your directory up for long-term success. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to boost your current efforts, this guide will give you the tools you need to reach your revenue goals quickly and effectively.

Let’s dive in and see how you can make your first $10,000 and build a strong foundation for your directory website!

Why Making Your First $10K Fast is Crucial for Your Directory Website

I’ve found that $10,000 is the amount of money it takes to accelerate the growth of your directory when you’re starting from scratch. That means no audience, no traffic, and no track record. Why? Because with $10,000, you can simply buy the resources you need to kickstart your growth.

Here’s exactly how you should spend your first $10,000 to set your directory up for success:

1. Hire a Content Moderator

One of the most important aspects of running a great directory site is having high-quality content. Like I mentioned in my last video, workflows and tools can help you find, enrich, and clean your data. But to ensure the highest standard, there’s always going to be some manual work involved, like:

• Fact-checking the information in your listings.
• Finding and adding great images.
• Making sure your directory is as polished and professional as possible.

Realistically, this kind of work shouldn’t be done by you. Your time is better spent focusing on growth and strategy. So, the first thing I recommend is outsourcing these tasks to a content moderator. You can find someone for around $20/hour, like a student or freelancer. Start them off with 10–20 hours per week and provide clear documentation and processes for how you want the work done. As your directory grows, you can increase their hours over time.

2. Invest in Paid Ads

Despite what SEO gurus might say, waiting for SEO to kick in can feel like watching paint dry. SEO is great, but it takes time to see results—months or even years. And while some experts may swear they ranked for a gazillion keywords in 3 days, the truth is SEO often requires technical expertise that most of us (myself included) don’t have.

The solution? Buy traffic with paid ads. Paid ads are the fastest way to:

• Drive traffic to your directory.
• Build an audience.
• Establish credibility in your niche.

I recommend starting with Facebook Ads because you can target your ideal audience very precisely. Setting up effective Facebook Ads takes some learning, but there are plenty of tutorials online to help you get started. Unlike SEO, paid ads work immediately. You’ll start seeing results as soon as your ads are live, which makes it easier to test what works and adjust quickly.

If you allocate $100–$200 per day, you can quickly build momentum, drive traffic to your site, and start growing your audience.

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With traffic and a system for creating high-quality content, you’ll have the solid foundation you need to implement all the most popular monetization strategies, like:

• Premium listings
• Affiliate ads
• Sponsorships

These strategies don’t work if you don’t have traffic and an audience—but once you have these two things, the doors to revenue opportunities open wide.

By focusing on these two priorities—hiring a content moderator and investing in paid ads—you can set yourself up for long-term success and get your directory growing faster than relying on slow, conventional methods.

Why Affiliate Revenue, Listing Fees, and Premium Listings Won’t Generate $10K Any Time Soon

When you start researching how to make money with a directory, three strategies always come up: affiliate revenue, listing fees, and premium listings. These methods are often promoted as easy, passive income streams that require little effort once they’re set up. But here’s the reality: these methods don’t work when your directory is brand new.

Let’s break down why:

1. Affiliate Revenue Requires Massive Traffic

Affiliate revenue seems like a great idea—promote products and earn a commission for every sale. But here’s the catch: affiliate revenue depends entirely on traffic. Without thousands of visitors regularly coming to your site, the earnings are so small that it’s barely worth the effort.

Do you know how I know this? Because I’ve tried it myself.

I built a site called Booknotes.ai, which was a book summary and review website created using AI and no-code tools. I promoted the site on my YouTube channel and through a few other sources. On the site, I added affiliate links to books. The idea was simple: if someone clicked on the link and bought a book (or anything else) on Amazon, I would get a cut of the sale.

Since launching Booknotes.ai, I’ve made about $200. That’s it.

What I learned is that in order to make affiliate revenue work, you need a lot of traffic. For example:

• The average affiliate commission is around $25 per 1,000 visitors (depending on your niche).
• To make $10,000, you’d need 400,000 visitors.

If I couldn’t make meaningful money with affiliate revenue after promoting the site on YouTube and other channels, how likely is it that a brand-new directory with no audience will reach that level of traffic anytime soon? The answer: it’s almost impossible.

2. Listing Fees and Premium Listings Require Trust and Credibility

Listing fees and premium listings are another common way to monetize a directory. With listing fees, you charge businesses to list on your directory. Premium listings take it a step further, offering extra features or visibility for an additional fee.

Both strategies can work really well—if your site has traffic and trust. Without those two things, these models are very hard to implement successfully.

For example, businesses need to know that your directory will actually bring them value before they’ll consider paying to list on your site. They want to see:

1. Traffic: Proof that people are visiting your directory.
2. Results: Evidence that listings on your site lead to real benefits, like new customers or increased visibility.

This is something I experienced firsthand with Unicorn Factory, my freelance marketplace. Listing fees and premium listings are the primary ways Unicorn Factory makes money, but I learned early on that showing value is key.

When I started Unicorn Factory, freelancers weren’t interested in paying for premium listings right away. I had to list a lot of jobs and show that the platform was actively helping freelancers find work. Once they saw the value and trusted the site, they were much more willing to upgrade their accounts and pay for premium features.

Now, if you’re just getting started with no traffic or proven results, it’s unlikely that people will:

1. Pay listing fees to use your directory.
2. Upgrade to premium listings for extra features.

Without traffic, trust, or any track record, it’s hard to convince businesses to pay listing fees. Even if you manage to get a few to sign up, charging small fees like $50 or $100 means you’ll need a lot of paying customers to reach your $10,000 goal.

For example:

• At $100 per listing, you’d need 100 paying customers.
• If your conversion rate is 5%, you’d need 2,000 people to sign up and create accounts.

As you can see, it’s an uphill battle if you’re starting from scratch.

Now, I want to be clear—these business models absolutely work, especially for directory sites. They’re great because, once set up, they don’t require a lot of ongoing work to generate revenue. Affiliate revenue, listing fees, and premium listings are fantastic sources of income once your site has traffic, an audience, and a track record.

However, the key thing to understand is that it’s very hard to make meaningful revenue from these sources when you’re just starting out. Without traffic, trust, or proof of value, it’s unlikely you’ll see results quickly.

How to Make Your First $10K with a Directory Site Without Traffic or an Audience

If traditional monetization strategies like affiliate revenue, listing fees, and premium listings won’t help you hit $10,000 quickly, what will?

The key is to focus on offering services ($500 - $2000 per sale) directly to businesses in your niche. This approach allows you to bypass the need for traffic and trust by solving specific problems for your target audience.

But before we dive into the details, there are a few key things we want to avoid.

1. Find People in Your Niche Who Actually Spend Money

Not everyone in your niche is going to be willing—or able—to pay for your services. That’s why your first step should be identifying the key players in your niche who already spend money.

For example, in the case of the running directory, there are a variety of players in the niche:

• Low spenders: Volunteer running club organizers who are already giving their time for free.
• Medium spenders: Small event organizers or running coaches who have limited budgets.
• High spenders: Large event organizers, sports brands, and companies selling products or services to runners.

It’s important to focus on the high spenders, because these are the businesses that are most likely to invest in marketing, advertising, or services to grow their operations. Trying to sell to low spenders is often a waste of time, as they simply don’t have the budget to pay for your services.

2. Understand the Real Problems in Your Niche

Once you’ve identified the high spenders, the next step is to figure out the real problems they face. And this is where a common pitfall happens—you might accidentally try to solve a problem that doesn’t really exist.

Here’s an example from my own experience working on the running directory:
At first, I thought I could sell premium listings to race organizers. It seemed like a logical idea—offer them a way to get more visibility for their events. But through research, I discovered that most running races sell out without any advertising.

To confirm this, I used the Facebook Ads Library to see if race organizers were running ads on Facebook or Instagram. What I found was that most of them weren’t advertising at all. This told me that selling out events wasn’t actually a pain point for them—it was already happening naturally.

However, during this research, I noticed something else: many race organizers were inconsistent with their social media content. A lot of the marketing was done in-house, and because race organizers are already stretched thin managing events, keeping up with social media often fell by the wayside.

This insight gave me a much clearer understanding of the real challenges these businesses face. And it’s key to note that the only way to truly validate these assumptions is by talking directly to your target audience—something we’ll dive into later.

3. Map Out Problems and Find High-Value Solutions

After identifying the real problems, the next step is to map them out and evaluate their severity. Which challenges are the most urgent or impactful for your target audience?

For example, once I realized that social media consistency was a common issue for race organizers, I started brainstorming solutions that would be:

• High-value: Worth $500–$2,000 to the customer.
• Simple to deliver: Easy to explain and execute.

One potential service I came up with was a social media content package. Here’s what that might include:

• 12 weeks of high-quality social media posts, complete with captions and images, tailored to their upcoming race.
• A fixed price of $1,000–$2,000, depending on the scope of the work.

By offering a solution that addresses a real pain point, you’re positioning yourself as someone who can deliver tangible results.

4. Keep It Simple

When presenting your solution, don’t overcomplicate things. You’re not reinventing the wheel here—you’re solving one clear problem with one clear solution.

For example:

"I’ll create 12 weeks of social media content for your event, including captions and images, for $1,500. You’ll get everything within two weeks, and it’ll be ready to post right away."

This simplicity makes it easy for potential clients to understand what you’re offering and decide whether it’s right for them.

5. Focus on Building Relationships

The ultimate goal of this approach isn’t just to make money—it’s to build trust and relationships with key players in your niche. By helping businesses solve real problems, you’re establishing yourself as a valuable partner and gaining insights into your market.

These relationships will set the foundation for long-term success. As you better understand your market and the people in it, you’ll be better positioned to grow your directory and introduce other monetization strategies down the line.

Now, let’s say you want to go down this path. The next question is: How do you actually find customers who are willing to pay? In the next section, I’ll share my step-by-step process for finding and connecting with potential clients.

How Do You Find Paying Customers for Your Directory Website?

So now we’ve identified that traditional directory business models like affiliate revenue, listing fees, and premium listings don’t really work when you’re starting from scratch. Instead, we need to focus on selling services to generate revenue.

Does that mean building a directory is pointless? Not at all.

Your directory is going to be the tool that helps you build relationships with potential customers. It’s a phenomenal way to show people how you can add value to their business before you’ve even met them. By using your directory strategically, you’ll stand out from the crowd and position yourself as someone who genuinely wants to help.

Here’s the exact process I use to find and connect with customers who are willing to pay:

1. Start by Being Useful

If you want to get the attention of potential customers, you need to offer them something valuable before asking for anything in return. Most people ignore cold emails or outreach because it’s clear the sender is only focused on what they want. Instead, you want to take the opposite approach—add value first.

For example, with my running directory, here’s how I approach race organizers:

• I create an epic listing page for their race, including all the details, dates, and other information runners would need to know.
• I do this without asking for their input or requiring them to lift a finger. I research everything myself and ensure the listing is polished and professional.
• Once the page is complete, I send them an email introducing myself and letting them know the listing exists.

Here’s what the email might look like:

This approach does two things:

1. It demonstrates value by showing that you’ve already done something useful for them.
2. It includes a small, non-committal ask that’s easy to respond to with a simple "yes" or "no."

2. Accept That Many People Won’t Respond

It’s important to set the right expectations when reaching out to potential customers. The reality is that a lot of people won’t respond to your email.

Why?

• Your email might get lost in their inbox.
• They might be too busy to reply.
• They might not care about what you’re offering.

That’s just the nature of outreach—it’s a numbers game. The key is to not take it personally and to keep sending emails. Even if only a small percentage of people respond, those are the ones who are genuinely interested and worth pursuing.

3. Take the Value to the Next Level

Once someone responds and gives you permission to use their images or acknowledges your effort, it’s time to blow them away with even more value.

For example, after adding their images and finalizing their listing, you could take it a step further by creating a free resource related to the service you eventually want to sell. Here’s how I do it with race organizers:

• I write sample ad copy for their event.
• I include a few images I think would work well for their ads.
• I attach everything in a follow-up email, letting them know it’s free to use.

Here’s what that follow-up email might look like:

Subject: Added Images + Free Ad Copy for Your Race

Hi [Name],

Thanks for letting me use the images! I’ve added them to your listing, and it looks great. You can check it out here: [Insert Link].

By the way, I used to help sports event organizers in New Zealand with their advertising, and I noticed your race is coming up soon. I went ahead and created some ad copy and image ideas that you can use to promote it. Feel free to use them however you like!

Let me know if you’d like to hop on a quick call—I’d be happy to share some tips and strategies we used to help other events get more visibility.

Cheers,
[Your Name]

This approach further establishes you as someone who is genuinely trying to help and makes it easy for them to see your value.

4. Make It Easy to Schedule a Call

If your free resources resonate with them, they may want to discuss how you can help further. To make this process smooth, provide them with a simple way to schedule a call. Use tools like Calendly or Cal.com to let them book a time that works for them without any back-and-forth emails.

Once you’re on the call, remember: this is about building relationships and learning about their needs, not just selling. Focus on understanding their problems and showing how you can help.

5. Build Relationships First, Revenue Second

The ultimate goal of this process isn’t just to make money—it’s to build trust and relationships with the key players in your niche. By helping businesses solve real problems, you’re establishing yourself as a valuable partner and gaining insights into your market.

These relationships will set the foundation for long-term success. As you better understand your market and the people in it, you’ll be better positioned to grow your directory and introduce other monetization strategies down the line.

By following this process, you can find and connect with customers who are willing to pay for your services—even if your directory is brand new. In the next section, we’ll talk about how to approach these calls and turn them into meaningful opportunities.

How to Approach Calls with Potential Customers

As soon as a potential customer agrees to a call, your focus shifts to creating a game plan to make the conversation as comfortable and productive as possible. Now, I know that the idea of jumping on a call can feel a bit intimidating—especially if you haven’t done many before. But here’s the thing: sales calls are part of the process, and there are ways to prepare that will make the entire experience smoother and more enjoyable.

Here’s how I approach calls to keep things simple, stress-free, and effective:

1. Don’t Think of It as a Sales Call

The first mindset shift is to stop thinking of these calls as “sales calls.” Instead, think of them as an opportunity to:

1. Build relationships with people in your niche.
2. Learn about your industry and gain valuable insights into how businesses operate.

For example, I’m genuinely interested in my niche, so I look forward to these conversations as a way to connect with people and better understand the challenges they face. When you frame the call as an opportunity to learn and connect, it doesn’t feel intimidating—it feels like a natural conversation.

2. Show Up Prepared

If there’s one thing you absolutely need to do, it’s to show up prepared. I’ve been on calls where the other person clearly wasn’t prepared, and it’s immediately obvious—and off-putting. All the goodwill you’ve built up to get on the call can disappear instantly if you don’t look professional.

Here’s how to prepare:

• Review the customer’s business: Visit their website, check their social media, and familiarize yourself with what they do.
• Know the details: If you’ve already created a free listing or resource for them, make sure you’re familiar with it so you can reference it during the call.
• Prepare a simple offer: Have a clear idea of the service you’re going to pitch and how you’ll present it (more on this later).

Taking just 10–15 minutes to prepare can make a huge difference in how the call goes.

3. Focus on Listening

The key to a great call is to do more listening than talking. This can feel counterintuitive—after all, we often think we need to “sell” ourselves by talking a lot. But in reality, the more you listen, the more you learn about the customer’s needs, challenges, and goals.

Ask open-ended questions to get them talking:

• “What’s working well for you right now?”
• “What’s been your biggest challenge with [specific area]?”
• “If you could wave a magic wand and fix one problem in your business, what would it be?”

When they answer, listen carefully and take notes. Don’t rush to respond or try to sell them something right away. The goal is to let the conversation flow naturally and uncover valuable insights.

4. Keep Your Offer Simple

If the conversation naturally leads to you sharing what you do or how you can help, keep your pitch short and to the point. Don’t overwhelm them with too much information—focus on one clear solution to a problem they’ve mentioned.

For example, if a race organizer mentions that social media content is a struggle, you might say:

“I can help you come up with a content plan for the next 12 weeks, including posts, captions, and images. All you’d need to do is plug everything into your accounts, and you wouldn’t have to think about creating content at all.”

Then, pause and let them ask questions. This is key because people will only ask questions about things they care about. Instead of flooding them with unnecessary details, you’re letting them guide the conversation in a way that feels natural and relevant.

5. Accept That Not Every Call Will Lead to a Sale

Not every call will result in a sale, and that’s okay. Some people may not be ready to buy, and others may just be curious about what you’re up to.

Remember, the goal of these calls isn’t just to make money—it’s to build relationships. The more people you connect with, the better you’ll understand your niche, and the easier it will be to navigate future opportunities.

Even if nothing comes from the call immediately, you’ve still taken a step toward establishing yourself in the industry. Relationships often lead to referrals, insights, and opportunities down the line.

When you approach calls as conversations rather than high-pressure sales pitches, you’ll feel more confident and comfortable—and so will your potential customers. Focus on listening, keep your offers simple, and prioritize building relationships over making quick sales.

In the next section, we’ll dive into how to package your services in a way that’s easy for potential customers to understand and say yes to.

How To Make Your Offer Simple To Say "Yes" To

Once you’ve had a productive call with a potential customer and identified their key challenges, the next step is to package your service in a way that’s clear, compelling, and easy to understand.

A common mistake is overcomplicating your offer with too many options, confusing deliverables, or pricing that isn’t straightforward. Simplicity is key—your potential customer should be able to immediately grasp what you’re offering, what they’ll get, and how it solves their problem.

Here’s how to package your service effectively:

1. Focus on One Problem and One Solution

When packaging your service, start by addressing one specific problem the customer mentioned during your call. This keeps the offer focused and ensures it feels directly relevant to their needs.

For example, if a race organizer struggles with social media consistency, you might offer:

“I’ll create 12 weeks of ready-to-post social media content for your race, including captions and images. This way, you can stay active on social media without spending hours creating content yourself.”

This clarity eliminates guesswork and helps the customer immediately see the value of your service.

2. Keep the Deliverables Clear and Simple

Spell out exactly what the customer will receive. Avoid vague promises or overly technical jargon. Instead, focus on the tangible outcomes they’ll get from working with you.

For example, your package might include:

• 12 weeks of social media content: 3 posts per week, including captions and images.
• A social media calendar: A schedule showing when to post each piece of content.
• Custom visuals: Branded images tailored to their event.

This level of detail shows professionalism and reassures the customer that you’ve thought through every aspect of the service.

3. Offer a Fixed Price

Pricing is often a sticking point for potential customers, so it’s important to make it as simple as possible. Avoid hourly rates or complex pricing structures—offer a fixed price that clearly reflects the value of your service.

For example:

“The package costs $1,500, and you’ll receive everything within two weeks. Once it’s ready, you’ll have all the content you need to stay consistent on social media for the next three months.”

By providing a fixed price upfront, you eliminate uncertainty and make it easier for the customer to make a decision.

4. Include a Clear Timeline

Let the customer know how long it will take to deliver your service. This helps manage expectations and reassures them that the project won’t drag on indefinitely.

For example:

“You’ll receive the full content package within two weeks, so you can start posting right away.”

A clear timeline builds trust and gives the customer confidence in your ability to deliver.

5. Make It Easy to Say Yes

The more straightforward and tailored your offer, the easier it will be for the customer to agree. Avoid overwhelming them with multiple packages or optional add-ons—keep it simple and focused on their immediate needs.

If you want to add a little extra incentive, you could offer a small bonus, such as:

• A free consultation on improving their social media strategy.
• A few bonus posts for upcoming events.

These small extras can make your offer feel even more valuable and tip the scales in your favor.

Example: A Simple Service Package

Let’s revisit the example of helping a race organizer with their social media:

Service:

“I’ll create 12 weeks of ready-to-post social media content for your event. This includes 3 posts per week with captions and branded images, plus a posting schedule to make it easy for you to stay consistent.”

Price:

“The package costs $1,500, and you’ll receive everything within two weeks.”

Bonus (Optional):

“As a bonus, I’ll include a free consultation to help you plan your social media strategy for future events.”

This offer is clear, actionable, and focused on solving a specific problem. It’s easy for the customer to understand what they’re getting and why it’s worth the price.

Packaging your service doesn’t need to be complicated. By focusing on one problem, providing clear deliverables, and offering a fixed price, you make it easy for potential customers to say yes.

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The Final Step: Hitting Your First $10,000

Now that you have a roadmap for getting clients to jump on a call with you and offering services tailored to their needs, the final piece of the puzzle is understanding just how achievable your $10,000 goal really is.

Here’s the reality: To hit your first $10,000, you only need to sell 7–10 of these packages. And realistically, that might take 30 to 40 calls to make happen—maybe a bit more. But here’s the good news: if you’ve listed 100 businesses on your directory and you’re reaching out to all of them, those numbers are absolutely within reach.

What Happens After You Hit $10k

As soon as you hit that revenue target, things start to get much easier. You can:

• Invest in Paid Advertising: With paid ads, you can quickly drive traffic to your directory, grow your audience, and build credibility.
• Implement Traditional Directory Revenue Streams: With more traffic and trust, you’ll be in a position to introduce premium listings, affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and other scalable revenue streams commonly used by directories.

These strategies work incredibly well—but only once you’ve built a foundation of traffic and credibility. Your initial $10,000 will give you the resources you need to get there.

Why Hands-On Work is Worth It

Let’s be clear: this approach is more hands-on than the “passive income” dream many people chase. But if you’re serious about building a successful business, fully relying on passive income from day one isn’t realistic.

By focusing on hitting your $10k target quickly, you’re accelerating your progress and setting yourself up for long-term success. Once you have momentum, everything else—traffic, trust, and traditional revenue streams—becomes much easier.

Yes, this part of the process requires more effort upfront. But the payoff is worth it. By taking this approach, you’ll not only hit your first revenue milestone faster, but you’ll also build a stronger foundation for your directory and your business.

If you have any questions or need help along the way, feel free to reach out. I’m here to help.

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