Income School vs. Wealthy Affiliate: What's the Difference?
I've seen quite a few members here who love Income School and I do too! The disturbing thing is how some newer members get distracted by them, and go off on tangents for illegitimate reasons.
What is Income School?
For those of you who don't know, Income School is a website created by two guys, Ricky and Jim. It's become an authority site in the internet marketing industry over the last couple years . They have a wildly engaged Youtube channel with nearly 70,000 subscribers and a high traffic site. In essence, their brand teaches people how to start a niche website, and how to build it to replace a job. They create posts and videos about:
- Building niche websites
- SEO
- Case Studies
- and, they promote their program called Project 24
And, they use their own websites very transparently to build credibility that their system works. They have websites in niches like Christian lifestyle, Trailor Camping, Dirtbiking, and outdoors (to name a few).
What is Project 24?
Project 24 is a membership program that contains 60 steps to grow a niche website to replace a job over 24 months. They don't PROMISE you'll become full-time over 24 months (which I commend them for), but they say it's a feasible goal that they've succeeded to achieve with several of their sites.
What I Like About Them
I really like how they're not big on:
- the hype
- the charisma
- or persuasion tactics that are common for the industry
I also haven't heard of any ethics issues with them which makes them check off alot of credibility boxes for me. They're also so funny and engaging as well as:
- They're very generous on their Youtube channel and give alot of valuable content for free
- They host their own community so everything is centrally located on their site
- Their stance on backlinking is very similar to WA, although they entertain the "old school backlink crowd" by recommending healthy ways of acquiring backlinks like guest posting, collaborating with other site owners, and other methods that originate from building relationships (which I believe is what WA wants us to do)
- and, they're promoting a low-cost strategy for starting an online business with little overhead with many similar tactics that are taught here. They recommend $3320 in physical tools, 6 subscriptions, and $327 in one-time digital product purchases (which they've added up and openly share...kudos to them for the transparency)
What I Dislike About Them
Although I love their character and their creativity on their videos and things, what I don't like is:
- Their stance on keyword research--they believe it's unnecessary and you only need to use the alphabet soup technique. I don't think startup online business owners should start out shooting in the dark without knowing the avg searches, amount of competition, and having the ability to anlyze the search results (like Jaaxy does for us)
- They encourage SEO, video marketing, and photography, but it's not nearly as much contant, monetization strategies, or traffic generation strategies as what's offered here
- It's not nearly as proven with student success stories as what we have here
Follow Their Advice!
One thing I love about them is they tell you "Follow one proven strategy to the end!". They don't want people to jump around (especially considering their strategy has LESS pieces than what we have here. When you look at their curriculum and what they offer, every technical skill they teach (with the exception of photography) is taught here and more.
I've considered joining there, but my ONLY reason for doing so would be because I like networking within paid communities in the industry, so I wouldn't do that until I'm making money I want to reinvest, and that's not currently on the top of my list.
Their program is $499 for the first year and $199 for every consecutive year and in exchange, you get digital training, no SaaS, and a smaller community in comparison to WA. I think it's still reasonable for the industry we're in, but it's not as high of a value as Wealthy Affiliate in my opinion.
It's important to dig deep and be resourceful because all of the answers will not be located in a training program regardless of which one you choose.
My Final Thoughts and Takeaways
I completely understand how appealing their brand is. They've done a great job!
I encourage everyone to aspire to mastery in your chosen profession. Be the best, the top, which means you'll eventually study nearly everything in it.
Many people have the "this vs. that mentality" and make it seem like you have to be 100% exclusive to one training program. That's been bad advice from my experience. For everything I've done very well, there has been numerous people who invested their time and effort to help me get there, which is why I have a list of courses I'll take either for networking or to master skills: one-at-a-time.
Learning is a lifelong journey, so don't think because you focus in the beginning means you won't be able to learn from all of what this industry has to offer (which is alot!)
The Income School program is legit, so set it as a goal to reinvest into their program if you're still interested AFTER making one thing work (I recommend WA). I don't advise you do that in the beginning though (especially if you have a low startup budget).
They recommend a different and more expensive set of tools. They're focused on niche sites and Wealthy Affiliate prepares you for both niche and authority sites, and because you will get distracted and think one way may work better than the other.
You may also have a hard time discovering who to trust and your priorities can get thrown off and you waste time as a result. Then rather than progress, you'll find yourself making progress in one strategy, then starting over and over and over in another.
We have a member who recently told his story of regret that stems from "shiny object syndrome". He shared this story to get us to focus, and I'm hoping we take heed to it, dig deep, start asking questions, and do the work rather than blaming the training or tools.
WA is proven with success stories that range from teaching complete novices to earn their first $1 up into 7-figures, guys! Did you know that? Check out the success stories! This place has lots of credibility, but Kyle, Jay, and many others are very humble and don't put that at the forefront like many other places do.
What do you think?
- Have you seen Income School?
- What do you think are the differences between WA and Income School?
- Do you think WA is a good place to take you from $0 to full-time income or should we all be looking at alternatives to supplement us to get there?
- What can we (as a community) contribute to WA to make members here less likely to fall into shiny object syndrome in their early days? I mean we do get 40% commissions so Kyle and Carson are kinda considering us as partners in what we create...just a thought.
- If you've been interested in Income School, what did you think WA was missing? (technical skills, charisma, entertainment, etc.
Recent Comments
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I haven't heard of Income School, but it sounds promising. I think I agree that I prefer WA.
That's not to say that I don't learn from other resources. I'm trying to learn all SEO stuff right now as I'm still a newbie, a little. So I subscribe to Neil Patel's newsletter, I use Yoast now instead of All-in-One SEO and subscribe to their free newsletter (they have paid courses, but at the price we pay here yearly for just a couple SEO courses). I'm also picking up some Social Media marketing by subscribing to the Social Media Society newsletter. Just little tidbits as I'm still not an expert but want to learn a little bit about it all.
If I decide to get more serious about becoming a Social Media marketing expert, I'd join their premium courses, of course. Right now, I just want basics.
But I wouldn't likely join a program that WA already provides, like Income School. :)
I think you're experiencing the natural inclination to sharpen your skills which takes place as you're learning and growing. Sometimes, you might need more depth on a topic, but to try competing strategies is going to set you (or anyone else) back.
Some of the tools you were talking about on your previous post have great training resources on social media also. Have you checked out eClincher yet? I know they have training on social media because they're ON THEIR STUFF.
I downloaded the eClincher app at work today! My wifi is being super slow today so I'm doing a quick look around WA on my phone and going to read. I need a day off :)
But I've got it to try it out.
It's the best one I think in the social media tools category. Let me know if you come to the same conclusion. Plus, they're so agile. Many people talk about giving them feedback and they make the modifications the customers want. I think they're going to be monstrous because Buffer, Hootsuite, and the others have slowed down on innovation. eClincher is very innovative.
I'll let you know! I do know Tailwind has been doing awesome, and I love it, but it's pro version is per account and only for Pinterest and Instagram. Sigh. But it gives hashtag suggestions and let's you repost old content in a smartloop and stuff. But I will definitely be playing with eClincher to see.
Tailwind is definitely the best tool for Tailwind. I have the pro version, and you're right it's great. I'm not into Instagram right now, so I don't use the functions it has for that.
I was recommending eClincher because of how it works on the other platforms. It's also nice how it's integrated with Canva so it's super easy to resize your images and so on. I wouldn't compare it apples to apples against Tailwind because they're targeted so differently, but if you want a social media strategy beyond Pinterest, I think eClincher is the way to go. My opinion.
Never looked into it. Of course, cant afford it but if their youtube content is free I will check into it but buy no way, thats not something that is affordable for me, I’ll pass.
Hahaha. They have a good Youtube channel. They're very transparent guys with alot of valuable content there. Let me know what you think.
I've been watching Income School's videos on YouTube for some time, and I think that they're a good supplement to WA. I've never tried the Income School membership, as I'm happy with WA.
I agree. They teach on their Youtube channel in a very engaging way. Their concepts are almost identical to the beginning lessons of the OEC with the exception of the keyword research and the entertaining way they present it. They're very funny to watch. Is that what you've noticed?
This is new to me, Tiffany. Of course, there are other programs, platforms, and possibilities to learn about this business. I must admit, my very first impression was this is it, this is the place I want to be, these are the people I want to have around me and I stick to that. It's my heart feeling and the excellence of the vision of Kyle and Carson is just exquisite to me.
So, I don't look around!
N with a smile
There are some people who find focusing to come naturally like you do. You trust the process and I commend you for that. Others, get discouraged, and start looking for something else that says it works.
They might have unrealistic expectations or maybe they've had a run-in with someone here, so they overlook all of the other gold. I just wanted to reinforce...focus. I'm glad you have the ingredient already. That will get you far. Best wishes.
Thank you for this article Tiffany. I have far too much to do here to be thinking about anything else currently. But it is always good to know what other training is backed by endorsements. there are so many scams and companies who are not open or fully disclose the costs.
I believe choosing one way and getting absolutely everything you can out way. Of course if there is any extra free videos or training (and time permits) great. I won't limit my learning, or progress by blind loyalty.
WA is great and I love it, but there are other things to learn and other people to learn from, but that comes after I have done the job here : )
Speaking of which, I have some training by you to attend to
I'm on the same boat. I love love love learning about this industry. I truly love internet marketing so much!
As a result, I like to know who is in the industry, alternatives they might stand for, and how what we're taught at WA compares. Plus, I'm determined to become a Super Affiliate here, so my avid study of the niche is a required part of the path.
Even with that, I completely stand against being one of the people who ignorantly calls everything bad because it's not WA and I try to give credit where credit is due.
Study and learn, but focus--it's a mandatory balancing act.
Exactly, and by going external, we can bring diversity and variety back to WA. We have many teachers in our lifetimes, it would be very limited if we restricted ourselves to one or two. The great thing here is that every one of us can be a teacher!
I love your drive and dedication to your craft, but what truly makes it great is your will to share your knowledge. A true Master knows when to be the teacher and when to be the student. It is always an infinite cycle
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Much Love
Sara
Hi Tiffany,
Thank you for this blog post.
When I first came across Jim and Ricky,
I thought they were Ex-WA members who
started their own affiliate marketing course :)
I felt that because of the similarities in teachings
of WA and income school-especially regarding
backlinks and alphabet soup technique.
I love income school youtube channel and I always
look forward to their videos on Mondays.
I also considered joining income school, but hold
back since I am an yearly WA member and I want
to make full use of WA before I jump into other
courses.
The area where WA is lacking in that, the core
training for example-about writing an article, don't
get into the "details".
The income schools guys on the other hand go
deeper and in detail even in their free youtube videos.
Income school with their youtube channel gives the
impression that they are always up-to-date with the
industry trends.
While WA(core training), even though it works, it looks
like old stuff.
But what I learned is that, the gaps in the OEC or
bootcamp training can be filled by Jay's weekly webinars.
The people who are distracted by other shiny courses
have not even completed the core training or even a
good amount of Jay's training.
The final point is this-income school-project 24 is legit
and is a good course. But we as WA members have
everything-training,hosting,keyword tool and community-
to build a successful online business.
Great feedback! Do you think it's the video quality or what that makes the training seem "outdated" to so many people? I've heard that more than once, but I don't understand. The methods are evergreen, so is it aesthetics? Also, regarding writing a post, do you mean like building out the template or actually putting the content there, the timing, the research, and the steps?
It's not about the video quality.
If you look at the course introduction page, the images,
fonts etc looks like they are a decade old.
But that doesn't really matter if we get the results by
following the training.
The important thing is that, the income school guys are
building passive income niche sites actively.
They also share results of their passive income niche sites.
Have you seen Kyle showing any case studies? How much
organic traffic a site is getting and how much it is making per
month?
In some videos Kyle refer Jay's football snack helmet site
which is close to 4 years old, in other videos he shows a
different site to teach us some particular lessons.
It will be really exciting to see and learn from, if Kyle or Jay just
build one niche site from scratch and grow it $1000/month or
more.
Sure Jay does some niche case studies from time to time.
If I am right, he only shown income results for the football
snack helmet site.
What were the results of the recent niche site case studies?
how much traffic that site is getting and how much income it
is making per month?
Another area where WA is lacking is that, WA doesn't provide
article writing templates.
Sure a basic writing template is provided in sitecontent but
if we look at other courses, their templates are much more
in-depth and helpful while writing an article.
Income school youtube channel got a video on writing a
perfect article. Even though it is free, it is super helpful while
writing an article.
Although I feel that Jay's webinars fill a lot of gaps in the
core trainings in WA, Kyle can improve the courses a lot,
if we compare it to other courses or free youtube videos in
the market.
Regarding the case study issue, I agree. I'm not aware of Kyle showing his own site: from start to finish. Jay shows his sites including stats and keywords they're ranking for very often.
We also have several success stories which are case studies from students (including my video case studies). Don't you think that's even better?
Their case studies aren't from the beginning, are they? If so, don't you see lots of members here sharing their 1 month, 2 month, and up results?
Regarding images and so on, I think that's legitimate. Kyle probably is thinking that as long as it works, why fix it. That's what I think too, but if it's important enough to more of the members here, I'm sure he'd probably like to hear about it. Do you know more people who have those same complaints?
I agree with you in that, even though Kyle doesn't
show any case studies, if the training is able to
get results for members then it is good.
I have read, I guess over 100 success stories and
case studies from WA members here. So WA do
works.
But if we compare WA to other courses, WA looks
old school(even though it works). I know because I am
following the IM industry for over 5 years now.
I don't know if other members have complains regarding
images, I am also not complaining, just pointing things out.
You are right about the way Kyle thinks, "as long as it works, why fix it".
I agree with you on this 100%. That is the only reason why
WA trainings-OEC and bootcamp-doesn't look shiny or
up-to-date like other affiliate marketing training.
Because Kyle knows that the training is "good enough"
to get results for the members here-whether it is to build
a full-time income blog or passive income.
I know several IM guru's trashing WA that it is old school
or WA teaches "me too" marketing.
Even then I want to be a part of WA because I know Kyle,
Carson and Jay are good people. They have our best
interests in their hearts.
You, me and all others who stick with WA knows Kyle,
Carson and Jay are good people, also the WA training works.
Why is that? because we stick with WA for some time and
not use it for a day or few hours to write a review article on.
In the same way, there will be other courses that are good.
But we may not know about them-whether it is good or not,
without using them and sticking with them.
This is the mistake several bootcamp site members are
making. They trash other courses to promote WA.
Serious there are lots of good affiliate marketing courses
out there. But if WA is working and we can get all the tools
under roof for a small price, why we have to distract us
with other courses?
The same time we half-heartedly putting into checking out
other courses or youtube videos can be used to use the
WA training to the fullest.
I think your comment said it all. I agree there may not be the most up to date images or graphics, but most people here join because they want to make money. It satisfies the most important common goal.
I also agree with you that we shouldn't be the type who trash other programs because it's not WA--that's wrong. This program, for example, is legitimate and I've found other legitimate programs as well. You don't have to have the exclusivity mentality here. Just focus so you can master skills: one at a time. Do the work and be a life long learner. Great points.
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Good Job Tiffany,
I think there is so many training courses out there, you have to just pick on and do the work.
Yes your right, it's a whole bunch of ways to make money on the internet, but you can get overwhelmed with information overload and find yourself chasing the "shiny object" which forces you into permeant learning mode.
I know I have to master the training here first by succeeding and earning that way when I have the income It leaves room for more training either inside or outside of WA. Thank you for the article this sets me back on the right track and follow though to greater success for my business.
Jerald
You definitely got my point Jerald! Thanks for sharing your views on this.