How I made $2M from content this year
Welcome to DreamMail, a newsletter where you can keep up to date with the dreamers you see in my content, as well as actionable advice to help you build your own dream.
If you’re enjoying these updates, you can also grab my latest book to teach kids business.
This week, Australia banned social media for everyone under 16. And it doesn’t quite sit right with me.
I read the comments, I saw a lot of people celebrating. But social media, for all its flaws, might be the most democratising tool we've ever had.
Think about what it actually represents. With nothing more than a phone and an internet connection, anyone can build an income. An audience. A life on their own terms.
They’re free to connect with people from all across the world and they aren’t restricted by bosses or money.
You. Reading this right now. Can now reach more people than a Fortune 500 marketing department. That's extraordinary when you stop and think about it.
So restrictions like this concern me. It feels less like protection and more like control.
I'm also not naïve. Social media has real problems and I’m not ignoring them.
But the answer isn't to take it away. The answer is to teach people how to use it well.
That's what I wish we'd focus on instead: how to create, not just consume. How to build something meaningful. How to stay safe while doing it.
And that brings me to why I'm writing to you today...
Apple spent $775 million on display ads last year.
Amazon spent $20 billion. Coca-Cola drops around $4 billion annually.
You can't outspend them. But you can out-distribute them.
It’s why I tell people ALL the time they should be posting on social media.
These companies are paying billions to reach people. That’s how valuable reach is.
And social media is basically like handing out free gold. You no longer have to pay for attention. A 22-year-old with a ring light can out-reach a Fortune 500 marketing department if the content hits.
I made over $2 million this year from social media. Not from my book. Just from my content. I have a simple system that I use to make my content make money.
The funnel: Content → Link in bio → Free value → Product
Here's why each step matters:
1. Content = Trust at scale
Every post is a first impression. You're not selling, you're proving you're worth listening to. People buy from people they trust, and trust comes from showing up.
2. Link in bio = One clear path
Most people's bios are a mess. Five links going everywhere. You've got about 2 seconds of intent when someone clicks your bio. One focused destination converts. Scattered links leak attention.
3. Free value = The real sale
This is where most creators fumble. They go straight to asking for money. But the free thing IS the pitch. A guide, a template, a mini-course, an intro call, something genuinely useful. If your free stuff is good, people assume your paid stuff is better.
4. Product = The payoff
Only now do you sell. And because they've watched your content, clicked your link, and got value for free... they already trust you. The sale becomes easy.
The tool that makes step 2 and 3 work:
I use Stan Store. It turns your link in bio into a proper storefront where you can deliver free downloads, sell products, and collect emails all from one page. It’s by far the easiest way I’ve seen to leverage your content and social media to start monetizing online.
And if you want to learn how to create viral content, you can sign up to my free guide here.
One thing you can do today:
Look at your current link in bio. Ask yourself: is this one clear path, or a scattershot of options? If someone lands there with 2 seconds of intent, do they know exactly what to do?
Remember Freddie?
Freddie told me he wanted to be an actor. So I gave him £10,000 to act as my bodyguard.
And boy, do we have an update for you…
Last week, I caught up with Freddie, and he told me he just finished filming two series of the Netflix show A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
I’m so happy for Freddie. He had a dream and made it come true. He’s been going to auditions, showing up, taking risk and it’s paid off.
This is only the start of Freddie’s acting career and I can’t wait to see him win awards for his acting soon.
If you have a dream, no matter how far-fetched it may seem, you’ll never truly know if you can achieve it if you don’t at least try.
See you next week!
- Simon Squibb
P.S. This week, I'm releasing everything I know about social media. How to go viral, how to turn it into income, all of it. I'm also giving away £10,000 to one person who follows the steps. You can sign up here - https://newoil.lovable.app/