Generating true passive income online is the holy grail for many entrepreneurs. Jeff Bridenstine and Ben Esman of Passive Income Unlocked claim to unlock these secrets with their course The Passive Income Unlocked Protocol. This training promises to teach students proven methods for building profitable niche websites from scratch.
In this post, I’ll be providing an in-depth review of The Passive Income Unlocked Protocol. I’ll share my insights into the quality of Jeff and Ben’s training, topics covered, teaching approach, and whether the course delivers on enabling students to build lucrative passive income streams.
As an experienced online business owner, I understand both the appeal of creating a passive income stream and the inherent challenges in creating them. My goal in this review is to assess whether The Passive Income Unlocked Protocol offers tactics of genuine substance or mostly hype.
Before I start…
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Key Takeaways
- Passive Income Unlocked Protocol, created by Jeff Bridenstine and Ben Esman, aims to teach beginners (and possibly intermediates) how to create profitable niche websites that attract significant traffic from search engines like Google.
- The course covers strategies for making money through affiliate marketing and digital products, providing additional monetization avenues.
- The course offers three payment options: a lifetime membership for $350, an annual subscription for $150, and a 6-month subscription for $90. It has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- VERDICT: Passive Income Unlocked Protocol is ideal for beginners looking to start profitable niche sites. Jeff and Ben have achieved substantial income through their niche sites, primarily from display ads. They practice what they teach.
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What is The Passive Income Unlocked Protocol?
The Passive Income Unlocked Protocol course is all about helping you build and expand a niche website or blog that attracts a significant amount of traffic from search engines like Google. The goal is to earn passive income.
Imagine Passive Income Unlocked’s training as your backstage pass to Jeff and Ben’s journey of building profitable niche sites.
When you invest in this course, you gain access to all the documentation of their success.
They even launched a test site purposely for the course:
“Throughout the course, you’ll learn from real examples using mybackyardlife.com, our case study site (the domain is revealed in the course), and a fresh domain that we purchased specifically for the course. You’ll also gain access to our Workflow Tracker, which can help you streamline your workflow, whether you’re working alone or with a team.”
Inside the training, you’ll get a plethora of useful downloads such as checklists, templates, spreadsheets, and more, all aimed at helping you on your path to passive income success.
The goal is not just to get those eyeballs on your content but also to show you how to make money from that traffic.
The monetization strategy they teach prioritizes Display ads, then Affiliate marketing, and finally, digital products.
The course is designed to walk you through the exact process that Jeff and Ben used to grow their niche sites to over 1 million page views and generate more than $50,000 per month.
Per their December 2022 income report, they earned, close to that:
“We ended up making $44,646.97 in December of 2022, down from $46,446.49 in November. With our traffic levels this year and the same RPMs from last year, we would have cleared $50,000, which would have been a great way to end the year.”
It’s worth noting that a substantial portion of this revenue comes from display ads.
When it comes to income from display ads, it hinges on a few variables, but in general, the more visitors you can attract to your site, the greater your earning potential.
Display Advertising
Display advertising is a form of online advertising that involves the placement of visual ads, such as banners, images, videos, or interactive media, on websites, apps, or social media platforms.
Jon Dykstra of Fatstacks swears by Display ads as a reliable form of income from niche sites. He even gives you a handy breakdown of the economics involved.
Display ads are usually designed to blend in with the website they’re on and match the audience’s interests.
These ads are typically shown to users while they are browsing web pages or using mobile applications.
Display advertising is something you’ve probably come across while browsing the web, even if you didn’t realize it. It’s those eye-catching ads you see on websites that use videos, images, or text to promote products or services.
You can run display advertising campaigns through networks like Facebook and Google.
But you should aim for Mediavine as it offers more RPM.
These platforms offer audience targeting options and various ad formats, which you can even combine with search ads for a more comprehensive marketing strategy.
In the Passive Income Unlocked Protocol, Jeff highlights that using display ads is the simplest way to generate income with an informational website.
However, he acknowledges that many people shy away from informational sites because they require substantial traffic to earn money through display ads.
Their approach involves producing a lot of content, where each piece contributes a small amount to the overall earnings. Over time, these small amounts accumulate into a significant income.
And the proof is in the pudding, as they say.
Jeff shares a remarkable achievement of almost $40,000 in revenue from just six of their niche sites in a single month.
It’s worth noting that the lion’s share of this revenue comes from display ads, emphasizing the potential for consistent earnings through this method.
Affiliate Marketing and Digital Products
Jeff and Ben also teach you how to make money through affiliate marketing and digital products.
Affiliate marketing is essentially when you promote products or services created by others and earn a commission for every successful referral you make. It’s a bit like being the matchmaker of the digital world, connecting people with things they might love.
Digital products are downloadable items like short PDFs or ebooks that you can either sell directly from your website or use as incentives to persuade people to join your mailing list.
It’s a fantastic way to share your knowledge and make a little income in the process.
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Who is the target audience for Passive Income Unlocked Protocol?
Passive Income Unlocked Protocol mostly caters to beginners who have no experience building a successful niche website.
In their sales page’s FAQ section, they candidly state that this course covers the strategies they’ve used to build their niche sites, step by step. That’s the kind of thing someone new would want.
Having said that, even folks with some experience building websites can still find value in it.
For example, if you have a niche site whose numbers have plateaued and you have no idea how to level up, you could gain some insights from the course.
However, if you’re already an expert, you are better off looking into more advanced courses elsewhere.
Another course that covers passive income-related activities is Passive Income Geek by a guy called Morten Storgaard.
Who is behind Passive Income Unlocked?
Passive Income Unlocked is run by Jeff Bridenstine and Ben Esman.
Jeff Bridenstine
Jeff embarked on his online journey properly in 2017. Before that, he had tried and failed to build a few websites.
He spent several years searching for a reliable way to make money online, but it wasn’t until he developed a simple system that he started generating passive income.
That first dollar he earned was a pivotal moment, proving to him that making money online was indeed possible and motivating him to persevere.
Today, Jeff manages over 7 websites, including some earlier failed attempts at affiliate sites, his current content sites, a couple of past drop-shipping ventures, and even some print-on-demand platforms.
Alongside his small team, they are now generating life-changing income by creating straightforward niche websites, following the fundamental steps outlined on Passive Income Unlocked.
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Ben Esman
Ben Esman joined the world of niche site building in late 2019 but didn’t fully dive in until early 2020 when he teamed up with his friend, Jeff.
Their collaboration began after a casual chat on Ben’s back deck in 2019. Jeff had mentioned his modest success with building websites, making around $100 a month.
This conversation led to further discussions about a niche website, and Ben was all in.
It was clear to them that scaling was the key to success, and fortunately, that’s exactly what they’ve been doing ever since.
Their story is a testament to how small beginnings can lead to substantial growth in the world of online entrepreneurship.
YouTube
They run a channel on YouTube where they share their insights with their followers.
It is still a relatively small channel with close to 4,000 subscribers but that will only grow over time.
Ben Esman and Jeff Bridenstine have an engaging YouTube channel where they generously share their wealth of knowledge about launching and managing niche sites.
Through their videos, you can truly get a sense of their teaching style and approach to monetizing blogs.
Their insights range from niche selection to content strategy, SEO, and various monetization methods.
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What is Included in Passive Income Unlocked Protocol?
The training is neatly organized into nearly 20 modules, with a total of 50 videos that collectively span over 10 hours.
The great thing about these modules is that each one guides you through a specific step in building and, importantly, monetizing your blog.
Jeff does a good job of breaking things down in a way that’s easy to follow. What’s even more helpful is that he shares the same spreadsheets he uses in his videos, allowing you to follow along with your research and analysis.
For a reasonably priced course, the training is surprisingly comprehensive. It places a strong emphasis on producing high-quality content, which is key to setting up a site that truly adds value for your audience.
Here are the modules:
Community Forum
Instead of the usual Facebook group, Passive Income Unlocked offers a built-in forum. It is easy to navigate, which is great for fostering a supportive community.
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What Are People Saying About The Passive Income Unlocked Protocol?
At this moment, as I sit down to write this, the course is still in its infancy.
The truth is, not many students have had the chance to dive into the training, let alone put the teachings into action and witness substantial results.
That said, there’s a certain air of promise surrounding the course. It seems to be built on a solid foundation, and there’s a sense people will like what it offers.
Jeff and Ben are honest guys who have put their heart and soul into it, and they’ve likely packed it with valuable knowledge and strategies.
So, while it’s a bit early to gauge the full impact of the Passive Income Unlocked Protocol, it’s safe to say that the course holds promise. In due time, as more students embark on their journeys through this course, we’ll get to learn more about it.
Passive Income Unlocked Cost
Passive Income Unlocked’s premium training has three payment options. Let’s break it down:
- You can join Passive Income Unlocked with a lifetime membership for $350. That means you get unrestricted access to the course materials and their private community, forever.
- If you’re not quite ready for a lifetime commitment, an annual subscription is available at $150. This still gives you full access to everything for a year.
- Or, if you’re more of a short-term planner, there’s a 6-month subscription for $90. It’s a budget-friendly way to dive into the course materials and join the community.
Now, here’s a heads-up: in addition to these fees, you’ll want to set aside a bit of extra cash for web hosting and a domain name for your website.
Oh, and one more thing to keep in mind – while the course might recommend some paid tools to make things easier, you can manage without them if you’re on a tight budget.
Refund Policy
Passive Income Unlocked has a 30-day refund policy. This means that if you’re not satisfied with the course, you can request a full refund within 30 days of your purchase.
So, if you ever decide it’s not the right fit for you, just reach out via email within that 30-day window.
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The Benefits of Passive Income Unlocked
- The instructions are crystal clear and super easy to follow. You won’t be left scratching your head.
- They stress the importance of creating top-notch content. Quality is key!
- No tricks or deceptive marketing practices. What you see is what you get.
- Jeff and Ben, the creators, aren’t just talking the talk; they’re walking the walk, sharing their real-life experiences.
- It won’t break the bank. Compared to similar courses, it’s budget-friendly, especially if you opt for a yearly subscription.
- You won’t find yourself shelling out a ton of extra cash for hidden expenses.
- And to top it off, there’s a safety net – a 30-day money-back guarantee. So, you’ve got some peace of mind.
The Drawbacks of Passive Income Unlocked
- One area where the course could be beefed up a bit is in the monetization section. While it covers monetizing with display ads quite well, it might leave you wanting more information on affiliate marketing and digital products. But, if your main focus is on monetizing with display ads, much like the PIU guys do on their sites, this shouldn’t pose a significant issue. Besides, you can take a dedicated affiliate marketing course.
- Few third-party student testimonials. On this, I’d say don’t be too quick to judge – the course is relatively new, so it’s understandable that they might not have a long list of success stories just yet.
- Something that might be an inconvenience is the lack of a search function or a text version of the lessons. This can make it a bit tricky to quickly find or refer back to specific information when you need it.
Passive Income Unlocked Verdict
In closing, The Passive Income Unlocked Protocol succeeds in providing an on-ramp for beginners looking to build profitable niche sites.
Jeff and Ben cover core foundations like choosing a niche, technical setup, content creation, SEO, and monetization in an easy-to-grasp way.
While light on advanced tactics for experienced webmasters, newcomers will come away with a solid baseline understanding. For intermediate developers seeking to expand established sites, some helpful gems may boost efforts to the next level.
Given the course is still new, student testimonials are limited. However, the curriculum sets up aspiring website entrepreneurs for future passive income potential. For newcomers willing to apply the teachings diligently, it’s a worthwhile starting point.
Of course, building truly passive income demands substantial effort regardless of what training you choose. But for beginners committed to escaping the rat race through niche sites, Passive Income Unlocked Protocol offers a solid roadmap to get there.
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FAQs
What is The Passive Income Unlocked Protocol all about?
The Passive Income Unlocked Protocol is a course designed by Jeff Bridenstine and Ben Esman to teach individuals how to build and expand niche websites that attract significant traffic from search engines, providing a behind-the-scenes look at Jeff and Ben’s successful journey in this domain.
What do you gain access to when you invest in this course?
When you enroll in The Passive Income Unlocked Protocol, you gain access to a wealth of resources, including documentation of Jeff and Ben’s successes, a case study site (mybackyardlife.com), downloadable materials like templates and spreadsheets, and a Workflow Tracker to streamline your work.
What are the key monetization strategies taught in the course?
The course prioritizes monetization through Display ads, followed by Affiliate marketing and digital products. Display ads are highlighted as the simplest way to generate income with informational websites, but the course covers other methods as well.
Who is the target audience for Passive Income Unlocked Protocol?
The course primarily caters to beginners with no experience in building niche websites. However, individuals with some experience can also find value in the course, especially if they’re looking to level up their existing niche sites.
How does the course compare to the free content available online?
While there may be some overlap between the course content and free resources available, The Passive Income Unlocked Protocol delves deeper into strategies, particularly in keyword research, and offers new techniques not covered in their free materials.
Is there a refund policy for the course?
Yes, Passive Income Unlocked offers a 30-day refund policy. If you’re not satisfied with the course, you can request a full refund within 30 days of your purchase.
What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Passive Income Unlocked Protocol?
The benefits include clear instructions, a focus on high-quality content, transparency, real-life experiences shared by the creators, budget-friendly pricing, and a money-back guarantee. Drawbacks include a need for more comprehensive coverage of monetization methods, few student testimonials due to the course’s newness, and the absence of a search function or text version for lessons.
What is the overall verdict on the Passive Income Unlocked Protocol?
The course is a valuable starting point for beginners looking to build profitable niche sites, offering essential foundations and practical guidance. You can consider it if you want to start generating passive income, something that requires significant effort.
Before you leave
If you’re tired of scams and want a real solution for making money online, check out my no.1 recommendation.
This is the best business to start in 2023 and made me over 27k last month alone:
Go here to see my no.1 recommendation for making money online
David Fortune has been the editor NoBSIMReviews.com since 2019. He is an expert at writing content on stock advisory services, side hustles, reviewing online business opportunities and many more topics. You can learn more about David on our about us page.