Editor's note (2026): PL Secrets, the private label rights (PLR) membership service reviewed here, is no longer available. The specific product, pricing, and bonuses described in the original 2009 review are historical. However, the two core principles I discussed — the importance of owning your own products and the value of professional-quality landing pages — remain fundamental truths of internet marketing. I'm keeping this post updated because those lessons are worth revisiting.
Two Timeless Internet Marketing Truths
Back in 2009, I outlined what I considered fundamental truths of internet marketing. More than fifteen years later, they still hold up.
1. You Need Your Own Products
When you have your own products, you unlock the power of affiliate marketing in reverse. Instead of promoting other people's products for a commission, you have affiliates driving traffic to you. With a good product listed on platforms like affiliate networks, you can have dozens or hundreds of partners promoting for you. They drive the traffic; you keep the lion's share of the revenue.
The objection I always hear hasn't changed either: “But Mark, I don't know how to create a product. I don't have anything to say. I'm not qualified.” In 2009, PLR services like PL Secrets tried to solve this by providing ready-made products you could rebrand and sell. Today, the tools are even more accessible. AI assistants can help you outline, draft, and refine digital products. Print-on-demand services handle physical goods. Course platforms make it trivial to package your expertise. The barrier to product creation has never been lower.
2. Landing Page Quality Is Critical
Your landing page is where the sale happens. Great copy, professional design, and a clear value proposition aren't optional — they're the difference between a business that converts and one that bleeds money on traffic that never buys.
In 2009, professional graphics and landing pages were expensive and hard to access for solo entrepreneurs. That's changed dramatically. Tools like Canva, Carrd, and modern page builders make it possible to create professional-looking landing pages without a design degree or a large budget. But the principle remains: invest in how your offer is presented, because first impressions drive conversions.
The PLR Model: Then and Now
Private label rights products still exist in 2026, though the market has evolved. The core value proposition — getting pre-made content you can modify, brand, and sell — is now just one option among many for entrepreneurs who want to sell without creating from scratch. AI-generated content, white-label SaaS tools, and licensing arrangements offer similar speed-to-market advantages.
The key lesson from the PLR era remains: whatever shortcut you use to create your initial product, you still need to add genuine value. The entrepreneurs who succeeded with PLR weren't the ones who slapped their name on an unchanged product. They were the ones who customized, improved, and truly made the content their own.
If you're looking to launch your first digital product in 2026, skip the PLR sites and focus on packaging your own experience and expertise. The tools to help you do that have never been better or more affordable.
Just a point of clarification Mark – the first two products we see on the video (one is a twitter product) are no longer available? That part is a bit confusing to me if you’re paying for a membership, but the product for that month is not available -maybe I missed something – thanks!
Sorry Kent — you get everything currently shown on the sales page. The month one products are not shown. They are gone forever (protecting their value for month one members). But, people who purchase through my link get MRR (not PLR) to one of the month one products called AdWords Cash Mountain. I have edited the post to clarify this.
I couldn’t agree more.
I’ve been an affiliate marketer (I am still an affiliate), but now, I started to create my own products, and PLR save you a lot of time.
Franck
Excellent Frank. That is exactly how I got started! Thanks for the comment.
Thanks Mark – one more follow-up and pardon my lack of understanding. I understand PLR and how it works, but would this product be something I promote as the author, would you envision re-titling it, or just “presented by” you or I – to your list? These deals get a little confusing to me as far as how you are actually presenting it to your list or on your MMO site. Thanks!
Sure Kent. I think you could take this a couple of way. The best approach would be to take the PLR product, edit it to make it “yours,” edit the sales page to make it “yours” and put it up on a website for sale. You might choose to add some bonus products to the sales page (there is a library of MRR products inside the site). Then, it is simply a matter of traffic and conversion. I would target some keywords for the site that I could achieve and start building links, etc. I would also look at putting the product on clickbank and letting affiliates sell it.
Bottom line is that if you can sell 1 or 2 copies per month of either report per month, you pay for the service for that month and then it just sits there making money for you.
It’s not easy money, but it is pretty clear that can work well.
So, for my business, I think in terms of diversity.
AdSense Sites
Authority sites
eMail Marketing
MasonWorld.com blog
Affiliate Sites (eBay, amazon, clickbank, etc)
Product sites (orig products and MRR/PLR)
I am also thinking about a podcast to round things out.
So, this should be one piece in a diverse business in my opinion.
Thanks,
Mark
Ok, great, thanks. I guess part of the confusion was “putting it on Clickbank” – if other people are putting it on there too – but, as you note – you would have differing bonuses, and some “tweeking” to make it yours. Very cool – and, yes, for those that might not have looked – the graphics are awesome.
Hi Mark,
What are your thoughts on putting the product on Clickbank vs. PayDotCom? I’ve used Clickbank, but no experience with PayDotCom – just wondering how you see the pros and cons of these two sites with respect to PLR items like these.
Thanks, Steve
Well, I am a big fan of clickbank because I don’t have to worry about paying affiliates. On the down side, clickbank does not do enough to protect the commissions of affiliates (you can buy CB products using your own aff link). I have never done a head to head test, but I stay with clickbank. Some people I know and respect have moved to PDC and like it.
Hey Mark,
I’ve been using PLR products to build my list through giveaway events and have done pretty good with them. However, I do realize that I can do much better if I create my own product. I am in the early planning stages of creating a couple products. I haven’t exactly decided yet but I’m thinking about writing and ebook on a particular topic and also create some “How To” video tutorials to go along the same topic. I would put links in the ebook to promote the videos.
These are my first products and I am a little bit intimidated about doing it but I have to do it at some point if I’m going to be successful in this business. I don’t want to just sell other people’s products the rest of my life.
Later,
Jeff Sargent