My journey to making money blogging wasn't a rosy one. In this post and podcast episode, I share some of that journey with you as well as lessons learned. Listen to episode
There were three deposits in my PayPal account. Two $27 deposits and one $16 deposit – a total of $70. It was at that moment that the course of my life changed. I now knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that making money online was possible. Yes, I saw all the sales pages before and heard the stories – stories of those that had come before me making tons of money. That had never been my reality. You see – I had tried making money on the internet before. Allow me to share those experiences with you. Stocks with the pastorOne day I walked into our choir director's home – pastor Graham. I was a student at Andrews University at the time and was a member of the Deliverance Mass Choir (DMC). I don't remember why I was there, but I remember seeing something I had never seen in person. He had three computer monitors next to each other, and I was instantly in love. Not with him, but with having multiple monitors. On two of those monitors, there were all kinds of screens with numbers, graphs, and tickers. He had been investing in the stock market and was making a decent amount of money. Fascinated, I asked him to teach me how. He explained the basics, and I was ready to go. He warned me to try it out with a dummy account. That's precisely what I did – I invested in the stock market with fake money. What happened? I was “winning.” I had done some research and found a company that seemed like it would increase its value. So I dumped my fake money in, and things turned out very well. I was OBVIOUSLY a pro at this stock market game. It was time to take the next logical step – throw in some real money in the game. That's precisely what I did. I took $4,800 of my tuition money and invested in a company that was obviously going up. It wasn't a problem though – I knew I'd make my money back and then some. I'd have more than enough money to pay my tuition, and then I'd have more money to invest. What followed was an emotional rollercoaster. One day I'd be up $600, and the next day I'd be down $600. It oscillated back and forth for a few days, until one special day. On that day, something happened. I wasn't sure what it was, but I knew it wasn't good. I woke up that morning, and my investment was down $2,000. What the heck had taken place? However, I knew that fluctuations happened all the time. Surely, it was gonna come back up. So I held on to it. Unfortunately, it kept going down, and down, and down. But it was too late for me – I was already emotionally invested, and couldn't pull out. It HAD TO come back up . . . But it didn't. But yet – I couldn't see myself taking out less than I had invested until I had to. I eventually pulled out, when my investment was down to $136. But I pulled it out because I needed to pay rent and didn't have enough money to do so. My part of the rent was $162.50, so I had to add $26.50 to my “$4,800 investment” to pay my rent. I never invested in the stock market again (but don't worry – I will get back at it soon, now that I know much more about it). 12 Daily ProIn case you're wondering if I learned my lesson, allow me to disabuse you of that notion. I didn't. I should've learned not to put money into something without fully understanding it. But I guess that wasn't exciting enough. So I went on to something else. Something where I was sure I could make WAYYY more money WAYYYYYYY faster. The name was 12 Daily Pro. It was something some of my college friends had gotten into. They were making money effortlessly. All you had to do was sit in front of the computer and watch 12 websites flash on the screen for 12 seconds each. That's it. For every day you do that for up to 12 days, you'd make 12 % of your money back. Yes, with only 144 seconds of work per day, you could make 12% of your investment back. Moreover, after 12 days, you'd have 144% – for a profit of 44%. Now that's better than any other investment I knew of. How exactly did it work? WHO KNOWS and WHO CARES? 44% is a fantastic return. I knew I had to be smarter with this “investment.” So I only “invested” $100. I know – you think I was stupid. But hey – it worked. In 12 days, I had $144. Take THAT! So I took the obvious next step – I “invested” $2000 of my wedding money. Side note: My fiancee at the time trusted me so much that she allowed me to do that because I was so confident. She's amazing, and I was an IDIOT! Day 1 – 12%, Day 2 – 12%, Day 3 – 12%. Everything was looking pretty good. Day 4 – 12%, Day 5 – 12%, Day 6 – 12%. I told you – this stuff was working, and I was pumped. Day 7 – The site went down. At this point, I was a little nervous, but I knew it would come back up. Sites experience technical issues every so often. It was nothing out of the ordinary. I reassured my wife, and the other people I convinced to dump their money in, that everything would be ok. That wasn't the case. A few days later, the site was still down. I had no idea what was going on. That was until I got a call. I don't remember who it was, but the person told me to turn on the TV. I saw a news report about a big Ponzi Scheme called 12 Daily Pro that the SEC had shut down. They were working with the owner (read: fraudster) and were trying to get our money refunded. I was fortunate to get my money back. Unfortunately, there were many others, including people I convinced to join, who didn't. I decided never again to invest any money without fully understanding what I was doing. I needed to be able to trace exactly where the money was coming from. I needed to understand how every step in the process worked. Why I HATE Internet Marketing ScamsI didn't lose a ridiculous amount of money online (although $4,800 did feel that way at the time). But I was able to experience firsthand how it felt to lose a significant amount of money. Not just that, but as you can imagine, losing $4,800 of tuition money had negative ripple effects. I've been working online since 2008, and have seen a lot of “money-making opportunities” come and go. And I've seen a bunch of people fall for many scams. Scams that make the creators rich at the expense of others. And I hate it because real people are being hurt. So many people lose their savings and even retirement because of these scams. Some even lose their families. This is terrible and needs to stop. Unfortunately, it won't. Not completely. Because there will always be people, who will do anything for their own personal gain. Fortunately, there's always something you can do to make sure you don't fall prey to these scams. What I learned from internet marketing scamsI'm glad that I fell victim to these scams. Why? Because those scams taught me a few things. 1. Empathy above annoyanceFirst off, they enabled me to empathize with others who are looking for success the way I was. I was looking for the “easy button” like so many people are today. If I hadn't experienced this, it would be easy for me to write off people who are looking for the same thing. I know how it feels to be in a tough financial situation. I know how it feels to desire a quick win and a flood of extra cash pouring in from who knows where. As a result, I can help to guide people who are susceptible to these scams. 2. Don't do what you don't understandWhile the stock market isn't a scam, I didn't fully understand how it worked. With 12 Daily Pro and the other scams, I didn't understand any of it at all. All I cared about was that I could make money. Now, before I make any financial “investments,” I need to understand what I'm doing. I take responsibility for my actions. No more blind faith or, more accurately, blind hope. 3. Follow trusted, transparent experts/mentorsWhen I started to follow people who were doing what I wanted to do, I started having some success. These experts had been there, done that, and were transparent with what they did. The best mentors don't have anything to hide. Instead, they were very forthcoming with information. They spilled the beans. I read their blogs, followed their social media posts, and took their courses. By following these men and women, I was able to do what they did and see results. 4. Follow through with consistent actionThis is where most people fail. In every program that I've been through, the majority of people never follow through. They buy the course, take a few steps and then fall off the face of the planet. Those who show up, follow instructions, ask tons of questions and then take action, succeed. I always tell my Blogger Coaching Club members this… When I took my first course on blogging, I was probably annoying to the other members. I was on every call and asked tons of questions. So were a handful of others. We showed up and kept showing up. We created content and have been doing so for over a decade. And we're still around. 5. Work HARD!Building any business is hard work. Don't believe the hype you read on those flashy sales pages. Every successful blogger I know worked hard to get where they are. While they do have a lot of leverage today, they still work hard. Fortunately, with the kind of business we're building, it's possible to get to a point where you don't work as hard. I know I'm not there yet after doing this for ten years Making money bloggingOn that day when I received those first payments in my PayPal account, my life changed. Because I knew I could do that over and over again. My hopes were validated. That was the starting point for everything I've been able to do. I want to get you to that point. That's why on November 1st, 2018, I'm doing a 30-day Blog Income Challenge in my coaching club. If you can see that it's possible for YOU to make money, you will be more likely to follow through. Are you willing to follow the training? Are you ready to be challenged to take action consistently for 30 days? Are you willing to work hard? If so, join me, and let's do this. Click here to join the coaching club The post The Failures That Lead to Me Making Money Blogging appeared first on Become A Blogger by Leslie Samuel. from https://www.becomeablogger.com/26331/failures-lead-making-money-blogging/
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I hated the book “Think and Grow Rich.” So many people recommended the book to me that I attempted to read it at least four or five times. Notice the word “attempted” in the previous sentence. There’s a reason for that. I was never able to get through the first few chapters. I’d start reading it and then get turned off by its seemingly heavy focus on getting rich. And you know what? It turned me off. But it kept happening – people I know, trust and respect kept recommending it. And yes, it annoyed me. Then while attending Cliff Ravenscraft's Free the Dream conference, it happened again. Cliff got on the stage and boldly proclaimed – if you haven’t read the book “Think and Grow Rich,” you need to. Fed up, I made a decision. I was going to power my way through the book regardless of how I felt (I listened to the Audible version). That way – I could at least be able to point people to all the reasons why I hated the book. There was only one problem. From the beginning of the book to the end, I found myself LOVING what it said. It was at that point that I realized that I wasn’t receiving the value of the book because I wasn’t ready. I needed a huge mindset shift. And that’s precisely what has happened. My mindset has shifted as a result of my experiences in business. Also, a lot of this has to do with my mastermind group who challenge me to think bigger. I want to share with you the major lessons I drew from the book. Lessons that WILL change your life (and business) if you take them seriously. Side note: I HIGHLY recommend for you to listen to the episode. I share much more of my full journey through this process. Listen to EpisodeIt’s ALL about Mindset – THINK and Grow RichThis was my first revelation. My mindset issues were so significant that it caused me to repel the book. I hated the book without even knowing what it stood for. The first few pages challenged my previously-held beliefs, and that made me uncomfortable. Thank God I decided to go at it again. And in the book, Dr. Hill relayed the idea that one of the most significant powers we have is the ability to control our thoughts. If you control what you think, you will control what happens to you. To be successful, you have to have a success mindset. And once your mindset is right, other things fall into place. Does that sound a bit woo-woo? Well, I’ll take it even further. The laws that govern success are as immutable as the laws that govern nature. If you drop something from the top of a building, it will fall. Why? Because the law of gravity never fails. That law doesn’t change. Likewise, if you leave a garden untouched for a long time, weeds WILL grow. The beautiful flowers that were once there will die. There will be various changes that will result in a not-so-beautiful used-to-be garden. These processes are natural and are governed by the laws of nature. What many people don’t realize is that success is the natural result of having a success mindset. If you change your mindset, you change your outcome. There are laws that govern success. If we apply those laws to our lives and focus our minds on those laws, success is inevitable. The Importance of a Definite Major PurposeToo many people wander around in life letting life happen to them. They are passive in their pursuit of happiness/success. They work at a job because it’s the job they have, not because it’s in alignment with what they feel called to do. Unfortunately, success hardly ever happens this way. If you want to increase your chances of success, decide on a definite major purpose. The following four questions will help you define your definite major purpose:
Once you’ve determined your definite major purpose, write it down and read it at least twice daily. Once when you wake up and once before going to bed. Success is the result of the little thingsOne of the problems I’ve had in life is that I’m quick to pursue big goals. Yes, I know – that doesn’t sound like a problem. Well, not directly. The indirect result is that I’m not as consistent with the little things. Also, because the goals are so big, and often so far off, I tend to get distracted and move on to something else. Take for example when I made the huge announcement last September. I was going to grow my YouTube channel to 100K subscribers in a year. I went at it hard for a month and then fell off. But what I know now is that it’s the little things that result in success. The things you do each and every day. The habits you develop. The stuff you read every day. The content you create every day. The morning routine you go through every day. Over time these things add up. You will achieve your definite major purpose much quicker that way. The Importance of Going the Extra MileThis sounds obvious, but most people rarely ever do this. We go to our jobs and do what we have to do to get a paycheck. We start a business, and there are certain things we know we have to get done. That's how we get paid by our clients or customers. But do we go the extra mile? I’m reminded of a verse in the Bible: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance.” – Colossians 3:23 Is this how we approach what we do on a daily basis? Is this how we approach the little things? I can’t speak for you, but for me – this hasn’t been the case. But now I see that if we live our lives this way, success is inevitable. Success (and being rich) isn’t primarily about moneyYes, the thing that held me back from reading this book isn’t even what this book is focused on. Yes, the focus is on becoming rich. But richness, as Dr. Hill defines it is way more than just about money. In fact, here are the twelve great riches he addresses:
When I read this, I want to shout from the mountaintops – “YES, I WANT TO BE RICH.” Because I know that when I’m rich in those twelve areas, I will have had a ridiculously awesome effect on the world. In fact, I will have changed the world at a pretty tremendous level – and that’s my goal. Also, please note where “financial security” is found on that list. It’s dead last. It doesn’t mean it’s not important, but it’s there for a reason. It’s why we see so many examples of financially secure people being extremely depressed. Money alone doesn’t bring fulfillment. But if you’re a rich person in the truest sense of the world, fulfillment is a natural byproduct. My “Think and Grow Rich” ProgressionThis book has changed my life, and I’m only at the beginning stage. I loved it so much that I ended up listening to it four times in two weeks. Besides that, I’m going through their home study course. Next is their online distance learning program and in-person Leader Certification Class. My goal is to become a certified Napoleon Hill Foundation Leader. Why? Because:
You will see and experience the changes in my content. Yes, I will continue to teach you how to blog. But I will focus much more on the mindset issues that need to be overcome to be successful at it. That will be a core aspect of what I teach going forward, and I look forward to growing with you. What it Means for my Coaching ClubThis is the part that I’m most excited about. If you’re a part of my coaching club, you will see the most significant changes. Why? Because I interact with you on a near-daily basis. I will be pushing you like never before. I want you to embrace the mindset changes that will increase your chances of success. Mindset will be a core part of the new training. I will be doing an entire module on mindset. As I answer your questions via video in the Facebook group, you will notice a bigger focus on mindset. You’ve decided to invest in your success, and I’m going the extra mile to deliver the highest level of value ever. Click here to find out more about the coaching club Resources Mentioned
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The post I Decided to Think and Grow Rich – Here’s Why appeared first on Become A Blogger by Leslie Samuel. from https://www.becomeablogger.com/26311/think-and-grow-rich/ If you’ve ever wondered how to earn passive income from your website, this is post is going to become your new Bible. Not only am I going to teach you the basics of affiliate marketing, but we’ll also dive into some real examples from professional affiliate marketers who are making thousands or even millions of dollars per year. In other words… Want to make a few extra bucks on the side without doing much? I got you covered. Or maybe you’re wondering how to become an affiliate marketer and quit your day job? You’ll find this useful too. Let’s jump in. Table of Contents
So What Is “Affiliate Marketing,” Anyway?Well, here’s our (somewhat long-winded) definition: If you’ve been listening to us for a long, you’ve learned that bloggers make money by building an audience that trusts them, and then offering products or services that will genuinely help that audience. Affiliate marketing is really just a quicker way to offer products and services without creating them yourself. In practice, it’s a modern interpretation of a very old idea — getting a commission on a sale. You introduce your readers to products or services from trusted companies or individuals and get a commission on any sales to customers you send their way. For bloggers, that means you find a product or service that you like, promote it to your readers, and earn part of the profit on each sale that you make. Simple idea, right? Let’s see an example. In our WordPress hosting post, we give readers the ins and outs of how to choose an excellent host. A portion of readers want to know who we recommend based on those criteria, and so here’s what we say: The arrow is pointing to an affiliate link. If anyone clicks on that link and buys from them, we earn a commission Bloggers can include links like this in blog posts, emails, social media posts, and much more. We’ll get into all the possibilities later. For now, though, it’s important that you know exactly what affiliate marketing means — as well as its potential for you as a blogger.
Why Affiliate Marketing Rocks for BloggersAt Smart Blogger, we’re big fans of selling affiliate products and services. Here are three compelling reasons why we think you should look into it, too:
All pretty significant advantages to you as a growing blogger. But that’s not all. There are additional benefits to affiliate marketing as well.
Sounds pretty good in theory, right? Let’s see if affiliate marketing is right for you.
The Types of Bloggers Most Likely to Succeed with Affiliate MarketingAffiliate income can look pretty attractive, but you need to have a few things in place first if you want to succeed. For instance, don’t jump into the deep end if you’re still figuring out how to start a blog. Instead, make sure that:
Hold Off on Affiliate Marketing if…If you already have a list of at least a few hundred people and are planning to sell services like coaching, consulting, design, writing or other professional services (as in legal advice, finance, or real estate) in the short term, it’s probably best to hold off on affiliate marketing. That’s because for service providers, your best bet is selling services first. It’s simply your most profitable way to start monetizing. You can consider adding affiliate offers into the mix once your money-making machine from services is running smoothly. Still with me? Great!
How to Sell Affiliate Products (Without Selling Your Soul)Affiliate marketing has gotten a bad rap in some circles because of unethical marketers who annoy their readers with junk ads, offers that don’t apply to them, or general spam. These bloggers have given affiliate marketers an unsavory reputation. But when affiliate marketing is done right, it’s a positive, powerful “engine” for generating value for you and your readers. The bloggers who succeed understand this simple truth: Your relationship with your audience, and the trust that you build with them, is your single most important asset. The importance of trust can’t be stressed enough. You have to invest the time and effort to constantly nurture trust with your audience — and take care never do anything to betray that confidence. So whenever you’re tempted to cut corners or venture into the murkier regions of affiliate marketing, just remember you’re risking the relationship with your readers. In other words — don’t do it! The Simple Golden Rule for SuccessHere’s our foolproof rule for success as an ethical affiliate marketer: You should only become an affiliate for products that you have personally used — even if that means purchasing a product so you can kick the tires and decide if it’s something you can recommend. Why? Because your reputation’s on the line. Think about it: what’s the first thing you do when you need a new doctor, mechanic or building contractor? You ask for recommendations from people you trust. Word of mouth is still one of the most powerful marketing tools. But when you get advice from friends that turns out to be bad, you can’t help but wonder, “What on earth were they thinking?” You probably won’t value their opinion as highly the next time around — if you even ask them at all. As a blogger, you can’t afford to have your good name damaged because you didn’t do your due diligence and check a product out thoroughly. And doing it right makes everything so much easier. When you can honestly and wholeheartedly recommend a product or service that you’ve tried and liked, your marketing will simply work. You won’t feel sleazy or unethical. You’ll be legitimately excited about the product — and your audience will appreciate your authenticity and feel confident buying from you. That’s a good place to be — for both you and your readers. But in case this is all sounding a little too to good to be true, a few cautions are in order.
Behind the Hype: The Realities of Affiliate MarketingMost good things have a downside, and affiliate marketing is no exception. But if you’re aware of the potential trade-offs and pitfalls, you can enter into it with your eyes open. So let’s start our reality check with a few cautionary points. Quick and Easy to Set Up Doesn’t Mean Instant or FreeSelling affiliate products is certainly quick and easy when compared with creating, marketing and delivering your own products. But that doesn’t mean it’s a breeze. You’ll have to take care in choosing which products to represent — and you’ll need to invest time and at least some money into finding the best affiliate products for your readers. And you can’t expect miracles or overnight successes. You’ll need some trial and error to discover what works and build a mix of offers over time. Earning While You Sleep Doesn’t Mean “Set It and Forget It”No blog income is truly, completely passive. If you’re looking for an “easy button,” don’t become a blogger! Even when you’re set up with some affiliate offers, you have to continue the work of growing and engaging your audience — and that means creating great content and building trust with your readers. Without a loyal and engaged audience, you’ll struggle to find success via affiliate marketing. And without a growing list you’ll quickly “burn out” the audience you already have. The best way to think of it is like this: affiliate marketing is a money-making add-on to a successful blog, not an alternative to a successful blog. Even Smart Bloggers Can Make Dumb ChoicesMany bloggers have been fooled by unscrupulous merchants. If an opportunity seems too good to be true, it probably is. Even if a merchant is above-board, they might not be a good fit for your audience. Likewise, you shouldn’t let yourself be seduced by the tactics of less ethical affiliate marketers. You can find numerous tips and tricks in affiliate marketing forums that might help you make a quick buck but could quickly break trust with your audience. Here are some quick tips to help you stay safe:
Now that you know the pluses and minuses of affiliate marketing, let’s dig in for a behind-the-scenes look.
How the Affiliate Marketing “Engine” WorksEven though it’s based on a simple idea, affiliate marketing can be complicated, especially when you start getting into the nitty-gritty details. The section will help you understand the most important concepts without drowning you in technical detail. Let’s start with some basic definitions. Affiliate Marketing GlossaryAffiliate marketing has its own terminology, which can be confusing at first. But if you become familiar with these concepts, you’ll be well on your way. Here are a few terms it’s important to know: Affiliate — the partner who promotes the merchant’s products for a commission. Also called the publisher. Affiliate agreement — a contract that both parties agree to specifying the rules, responsibilities, rates to be paid and other legalities. Affiliate link — a trackable URL that identifies the affiliate as the source of targeted traffic to a merchant’s site. (A click on an affiliate link counts as a referral.) Affiliate network — an online marketplace where merchants list their products and where affiliates can find products to sell. Affiliate program — a program set up by merchants to pay commissions when affiliates refer people to their products. Commission — a percentage of the total sale that is paid to the affiliate for referring the sale. Cookie — in affiliate marketing, cookies are used to assign a unique ID to the buyer in order to tag the purchase as being referred by you. Cookies usually have a predetermined lifespan, so that even if the buyer doesn’t purchase right away, you will still get credit for the sale if it occurs within that timeframe (often 60 days or more). Customer — the end user or purchaser of the merchant’s product or service. Merchant — the owner or creator of the product or service. Also known as a retailer or brand. Referral — credit for a click or a sale that occurs when the affiliate sends traffic to the merchant’s site. The Mechanics of Getting Paid for Promoting Affiliate ProductsAffiliate marketing can get pretty technical. Fortunately, you don’t need to know all the details to get started. The actual mechanics run in the background, thanks to the merchant’s affiliate program software. But here’s a quick look behind the scenes:
Here’s a graphical overview to help you visualize the process: The flow is pretty straightforward once you understand it, and it works the same no matter what kind of product you’re promoting or how established you are as an affiliate marketer. So let’s look at the typical progression for a blogger who’s serious about making affiliate marketing a major source of income.
The Three Levels of Affiliate Marketing MasteryAs you mature as a blogger and affiliate marketer, you’ll pass through three distinct stages — each one with its own strategies and typical earning levels. Knowing what level you’re at is important. If you try to skip ahead and use strategies you’re not ready for yet, you’ll likely fail. Use these descriptions to figure out where you are in your blogging journey and build from there. Stage 1: Getting StartedYou can start selling to your list once you’ve proven that your topic has legs — i.e., you have enough engaged subscribers to prove your blog is a viable money-making platform. Generally speaking, you’re ready for this stage once you have 500-1,000 email subscribers and at least 10% of them are opening your emails. At this point, you can start testing products to see what your audience is likely to respond to.
Applicable strategies: Experiment with a few products or services to find a “core earner” and round out your affiliate offers with a few complementary digital products (ebooks, packaged services, download products, etc.).
Typical earnings: Up to $250/month, enough to cover your expenses and maybe the occasional treat. Stage 2: Ramping UpOnce your blog is more established and you have a few thousand subscribers, you’ll be ready to up your affiliate sales game. At this stage, you’ll be publishing quality content on a regular basis and continuing to grow and engage with your email list. You’ll be starting to build relationships with influencers serving similar audiences. You’ll also now have some experience selling to your subscribers, and you’re beginning to understand what they like and need from you. You’ve found at least one product that’s earning consistently and may also have plans for your own products.
Applicable strategies: Continue to look outside your core offers to find additional solid-earning products and services. Seek to identify additional smaller-earning offers that also sell consistently.
Typical earnings: Around $500–$2,000 per month — a nice part-time income. Stage 3: Full Time EarnerYou’re now considered a top-tier blogger, with an email list of 10,000 subscribers or more. It’s easier now to network with the big influencers because of your accomplishments and reputation. You’ll be invited to participate in major product launches and promotions. You’re also a pro at selling to your readers, building sales funnels and writing sales pages.
Applicable strategies: Build closer relationships with the “big name” authorities, participate in high-ticket product launches, and run your own major email campaigns.
Typical earnings: You’re now making a full-time income from your blog! Of course, relatively few bloggers will successfully progress to this final stage, but you can still achieve significant success and satisfaction from the earlier stages. Also, some bloggers may deliberately deviate from this path. For instance, if you’re serious about creating your own products, you might start to replace affiliate products with your own offerings around Stage 2. In other words, you can start monetizing your blog with affiliate sales, using the experience to generate revenue and learn what your audience will buy, then pivot to your own products with a much greater confidence in your product focus and your subscribers’ willingness to buy. Now that you know the typical stages bloggers go through on their affiliate marketing journey and figured out where you belong, let’s dig into how you find the best products to promote.
How to Decide Which Products to PromoteYou can represent many different types of products and services as an affiliate. Some are more profitable than others, but usually most of your affiliate income will come from one or two “ringers” — core products that just about everyone in your audience needs and which also pay a good commission. As you progress, you can add complementary products to round out your offerings and help your audience in new ways, but identifying your core earners is an essential first step. We highly recommend that you start with digital products, services and courses for this simple reason: They usually have greater earning potential. Digital products generally pay higher commissions than physical products because there is much less overhead to produce and distribute them. They also have the advantage that the merchant is often an individual rather than a company, so you can build a personal relationship with them that will increase your status as a blogger and future success as an affiliate. That said, physical products can be a good option for certain niches, but we’ll focus on digital products for the most part (although we revisit physical products below). So what’s a potential ringer? Your best bets are mid-priced ($200–$2,000) courses or services that could potentially benefit almost all of your readers at some point in their journey. Once you start generating steady affiliate income, you can offer other similar products, hosted services or ebooks that allow you to help more people (or help everyone more thoroughly). Let’s look into the product options for bloggers. Option #1: Digital DownloadsDigital downloads are online resources that your readers can access instantly, without having to wait for a package to come in the mail (as is true for physical products). They could be audio or video files, PDFs, ebooks or even links to webpages where the content lives online. Examples:
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Do it! But expect higher earnings from other options on this list. Option #2: Online, Hosted and Professional ServicesWhen it comes to selling services as an affiliate, it’s important to concentrate on those which will be accessible to your entire audience no matter where they’re located (as opposed to service providers who serve local customers only). In other words, don’t limit your earning potential by geography. Your best bet is to represent online, hosted or professional service providers/influencers you’ve worked with in the past and have full confidence in. Examples of professional services:
Examples of online/hosted services:
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Do it! Especially if you can find an excellent service provider who can potentially help nearly everyone in your audience at one time or another and who can be a strong, steady income generator. Option #3: Online CoursesOnline courses are an important subset of digital products, especially for bloggers, and the market is huge. They’re so popular that they deserve their own category on this list. Online courses exist on just about any topic you can think of. They range in price from free to thousands of dollars, with higher-priced programs promising big results for students. Examples:
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Disadvantages
Our recommendation?
Do it! Help your readers in a big way, and earn big at the same time. Option #4: Physical ProductsIf you decide to represent physical products on your blog, your best bet is to choose high-quality, distinctive products that that will appeal strongly to your specific audience. Avoid commodity products that your readers can buy anywhere — the commissions are so small you won’t make worthwhile money unless you can drive tremendous traffic to your site. Commissions on physical products are usually fairly low because of the overhead of production costs, storage costs, shipping, etc. So unless you are planning to build a large review or shopping site, physical products will probably be a very small portion of your blogging affiliate income. However, if you have a favorite tool of your trade, a must-have gadget that will make your readers’ lives easier, or a high-quality recommendation that you’re sure people will be thrilled with, go ahead and offer it. You’ll build goodwill even if you don’t make a lot of money. Examples:
Advantages
Disadvantages
Our recommendation?
Offer physical products only under certain circumstances:
Products might be a good fit for how-to, hobby, fitness, cooking, fashion, food blogs and similar niches. You should now have plenty of ideas for types of products you can represent. Here’s how to go about finding the best options for you.
7 Simple Steps to Affiliate Marketing SuccessFollow these seven steps and you’ll be well on your way to building your own affiliate marketing machine, even if you’re just starting out. Step 1: Identify the Desirable End GoalThe key to finding products that your audience wants to buy is knowing the goals they hope to achieve and the obstacles that are holding them back. Once you understand your audience’s aims and what’s keeping them from achieving them, you can find products that help them get where they want to go. Don’t worry — you don’t have to be a mind reader. You just have to know how to listen to what your audience is already telling you. The easiest and best thing to do is to tap your current readers for details, but even if your list is small, you still have lots of options. Let’s see how to discover your audience goals and roadblocks. 1. Mine Your Readers’ Emails and Blog Post CommentsGather up and read through feedback you’ve already received from your readers through email or comments on your blog. 2. Go Ahead and Ask Them by EmailSend your readers an email and ask them what their biggest frustration or obstacle is right now, and how you can best help them. 3. Look For Clues Left in Public PlacesRead the discussions in online forums in your niche as well as on sites like Quora. Amazon book reviews on your topic are also enlightening. Whatever source you use, look for statements that start with phrases like: “I wish…” “I’d love to…” “Someday I’d like…” “I’m frustrated by…” “I can’t seem to get past (barrier or challenge)…” “I hate it when…” Collect your responses into a spreadsheet or document and look for commonalities. Then choose a much-wanted accomplishment that you know your readers can achieve if they complete certain steps. Examples:
Step 2: List the Steps Needed to Reach the GoalOnce you’ve found a desirable end goal, list out all the steps that your readers need to take to get there from where they are now. You’ll find your audience’s objectives, stumbling blocks and challenges in these steps. Once you know these, you’ll be able to look for products to help your readers along their way. Let’s use our example of the indoor herb garden. The steps your readers need to take probably look something like this:
Sound about right? Good. Now you can start identifying your audience’s needs. Step 3: Determine What They Need to Get AheadLook at each of the steps you’ve outlined and figure out what types of tools or resources your readers need to accomplish each step. They might need physical products such as fertilizer, or they may need software, services or knowledge that they can get from a course or book. Any tools or resources that are either essential to success or dramatically increase its chances (or provide greater ease or speed) are good candidates for affiliate sales. Here are some examples for specific groups:
Here are some recommendations for each of the main blogging niches to help you generate ideas of your own:
Using these examples as a guide, brainstorm a list of all the products that you think would help your audience the most. We’ll narrow down your list in the next step. Step 4: Choose a Product to Promote as an AffiliateAs an ethical blogger, you’ll always be constrained in the products you choose to represent in one of two ways:
No matter which approach you take, expect to have to invest time and money into researching the best products for your audience. Here are your three options, listed in order of preference (with your best option listed first). Option #1: Promote Products You Already Know and LoveThis is probably the most common way bloggers get started with affiliate sales. You become an affiliate for something that you’ve used yourself, had a good experience with, thoroughly tested and feel good recommending. You should be fairly confident that others will get the same results you did (or better), as long as they do the work. If you’ve found great success from a course, mastermind, or ebook that your readers could also benefit from, it only makes sense for you to spread the word and share your results. Do an inventory of the products, services and courses you already have experience with. You might have a list of a dozen or more. Which of these would you be thrilled to promote? Cross out any that don’t fit the bill. Now simply check to see if the merchant has an affiliate program (some won’t but you’ll probably be surprised at how many do). Do a Google search for “affiliate program” + [product name], or simply email the merchant and ask. Then run your remaining options through this Good Affiliate Product checklist:
The products that tick all the checkboxes are your best opportunities for affiliate income. As time goes on, add as many of these products to your mix as you like. You’ve found your first product! Apply using the merchant’s process and start promoting. If you’re just dipping your toe in the water of affiliate marketing, this first option may be enough to get you started. However, most bloggers will want to try one or both of the next two options, too. (And you’ll have to explore these options if you don’t have an existing product you love that is also a great match for your audience and offers an affiliate program.) Option #2: Partner with Influencers to Represent Their ProductsAs mentioned earlier, one of the best ways for you to build relationships with the authorities in your niche is to promote their products to your audience. So if you don’t have any product, course or service in mind already, try this approach next. Start by asking for recommendations from people you trust. Spy on your favorite influencers’ sites to see what they have to offer. Check each product’s social proof and testimonials and see if they pass the Good Affiliate Product checklist above. Bloggers who have affiliate programs will often have an application process (sometimes formal, sometimes not) that you can go through to be approved. Usually, you’ll need to show that:
If you have all of these things in place, you can approach the influencer and simply ask. Sometimes — especially if they already know you — they’ll even approach you first and offer. Also, it helps if you’ve been building a relationship with the influencer prior to asking them to become an affiliate. If you want to work with top influencers doing huge, Jeff Walker-style launches, you might need to invest months or years in building those relationships.
Note: Requesting an interview is a great way to start getting to know an influencer. After that, just keep nurturing your relationship and building your list. You will probably need 5,000-10,000 subscribers to start gaining attention from the biggest authorities.
Good product candidates (ones that could become core offerings) will fill a vital need for your audience:
If the influencer is serious about building affiliate relationships, they may have program information on their website and/or they may have already mentioned the opportunity in emails to you. If not, just ask! Let them know that you’re familiar with their work and whether you’ve had positive experiences with their other products. Here’s how to approach an influencer and get the scoop:
Subject: Possible affiliate relationship?
Hi [First Name], I’m wondering, do you have an affiliate program for [course name, ebook, your services]? I have a blog at [your blog] helping [audience] with [mission]. I’ve got [X number] email subscribers and good engagement from my list. I’ve [followed your blog/read your book/taken your related course/used your related service] and [say a little about the results you’ve achieved]. It seems that [prospective affiliate product] could also be a good fit for my audience. Is there any way I can review [product] to be sure? Let me know. It would be great to be able to help my readers [achieve desirable result] with [product name]. Best, [Your Name]If you don’t already know any influencers in your niche offering what you’re looking for, try a Google search for
“affiliate” + [product] or [topic] or [company]
For example, a search for “affiliate build emergency fund” shows these results: Out of this list, the Busy Budgeter looks promising. You could check their site to see whose products they are promoting, and look into whether it would be right for your readers, too. If you find some excellent products using these first two options and want to stop here, you’re all set. However, if you want to keep exploring opportunities (now or in the future), go ahead and move on to Option #3. Option #3: Find Products via an Affiliate NetworkIf you don’t have any direct experience with or knowledge of products in your niche that could help your readers, you can often find good affiliate products on affiliate networks. But be aware — this approach requires that you invest time into research and money into purchasing products to try out, more so than the first two options. That’s because there’s less trust and prior knowledge involved from the outset. You have to do your due diligence to protect your reputation and the credibility you’ve built with your readers. When you work through a network, you typically won’t know the merchant ahead of time and usually won’t build a relationship with them (your business relationship is with the network). Two of the most popular and reliable affiliate networks are Clickbank and Amazon Associates. As one of the biggest affiliate networks, Clickbank represents physical products as well as digital downloads. Be sure to research and test potential affiliate products the best you can before signing on. There’s a lot of junk on Clickbank, but there are high quality products as well. Buy products that look promising and test them. Most aren’t very expensive. As usual, review all potential products through the Good Affiliate Potential checklist. Here are a some specific tips for finding affiliate products on Clickbank:
Here are some tips for finding affiliate products on Amazon:
You can review and vet products on your blog for quality and value, saving your readers time and headaches. You may even be able to claim a tax write-off for the expense of any purchase. Aside from Clickbank and Amazon, there are many good networks to find physical goods:
Once you find a product or two that are likely to be great offers, you need to apply and get approval. Step 5: Get Yourself Set Up as an AffiliateWhether you work directly with a merchant or through a network, you’ll have to apply, be approved and provide certain information so that you can be paid. At a minimum you’ll need to provide:
In turn, the merchant must provide you with:
Here’s what some typical affiliate links look like. Example link that directs to the merchant’s home page
https://merchantsite.com/dap/a/?a=1199
Example link to another page on the merchant’s site
https://merchantsite.com/dap/a/?a=1199&p=merchantsite.com/page.html
You’ll also usually get some tips and useful assets for marketing the product (often found in a welcome guide or on the affiliate reporting site). These could include:
If you use a network like Amazon, you’ll get your own link for each of the specific products you promote. Be sure to check your specific network’s help or support pages for more information.
Tip: If your audience is global (which many bloggers’ are), you might want to check out geniuslink for tracking overseas sales through Amazon, iTunes and Microsoft Store.
Step 6: Start Promoting Your Chosen Affiliate ProductsFew things destroy a good relationship with your audience as quickly as too many pushy sales messages. The last thing you want is for readers to think you care more about squeezing every last penny out of them than you do about helping them succeed. So make sure to balance out your offers with lots of valuable non-promotional content. Every once in a while (say, every one in four emails) you can include a specific call to action to ask your readers to buy a product. Remember, free content builds a reservoir of goodwill with your readers. Keep filling that well by giving and people will be much more open to sales-related emails when you send them. In addition to emailing your list, you’ll also cross-promote your offers in many different ways, at different times and through different media. Many of these promotional efforts will be “soft sells” — links, reviews, resource pages or informational posts added specifically to gently guide your readers toward products that they may need. Start off by collecting all the social proof that you can:
Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income recommends becoming an authoritative, credible source of information on the products that you sell. But what does that mean exactly? Well, people are often a little skeptical of the information they find about a product on the merchant’s own site, assuming it’ll always paint a glowing picture. This means you have an opportunity for your blog to become the go-to destination for more even-handed information about the product, describing its positive and negative points. Let’s see your options for promoting your affiliate products. Option #1: Add Affiliate Links in Key Places on Your BlogDon’t let your biggest asset go to waste. Make the most of your website’s real estate by using these tried-and-true methods to get your readers’ attention:
Here’s an example of ProBlogger’s resource page: Option #2: Create and Promote Custom ContentCustom content strategies will be the backbone of your affiliate promotional efforts. Use as many of the following different strategies as make sense for your blog and audience.
Note: All of these strategies assume that you are already sending traffic to the latest content you’re creating by emailing your list on a regular basis (at least two to four times per month) to let them know what’s new.
A) Write ReviewsYou can write detailed reviews of products, courses, books or software products you promote as an affiliate. Your reviews can focus on a single product or compare competing products side-by-side. The second approach arguably builds more trust and gives you the opportunity to promote multiple products at the same time, giving your readers the information they need to choose between them. B) Write Definitive Content on a Related TopicYou can write a definitive, comprehensive post on your site to educate your readers and “soft sell” your products. For instance, you could write an ultimate guide to setting up a WordPress blog and include your affiliate links to your favorite hosting providers. Whatever the topic, make sure that it’s evergreen content — information that’s likely to be useful and valuable for years to come. You can create blog posts, videos, infographics or anything similar — but whatever you do, it should not be a sales page. Finally, your content must be excellent — make sure it’s an authoritative list post, an epic how-to post, an ultimate guide or some otherwise epic content. C) Write Guest Posts to Promote Your Definitive ContentThe advantage with writing content for someone else’s blog is that you get to tap into their (hopefully large) audience. When looking for potential targets, make sure that the host blog’s readers are likely to be interested in your post’s topic and looking for solutions to problems your affiliate products can solve. Also, do your research to check that the host blog gets a fair number of comments and/or social media shares and that they credit and link to guest authors. Most blogs won’t allow the author to include their own affiliate links (but it’s worth checking). The next best thing is to link to the definitive content on your own blog, either naturally within the body of your post or in your author’s bio. D) Conduct InterviewsYou can interview people who’ve had great success using the product so that your audience can hear their stories — think of it as a kind of audio testimonial. If the merchant is an individual rather than a company, you can also invite them to chat about how their product works and why your readers will find it useful. E) Create Valuable Bonus ContentAssuming it’s allowed by your affiliate agreement (sometimes it’s not), you can create bonus content, exclusive to your readers, that helps people get even more value from the affiliate product. People love bonuses! You can create many types of bonuses fairly quickly and easily while still giving your readers excellent value. By the way, this is a fantastic way to differentiate yourself from other bloggers representing the same products. Here are some example bonuses you could offer:
Option #3: Craft Promotional Emails for Your SubscribersYour email list is your biggest asset when it comes to driving traffic to your offers. Assuming you’re already emailing your list on a regular basis — for example, every Tuesday, every two weeks, etc. — you can also run occasional promotions where you email your readers more frequently. If your mailing list software allows it, you can segment interested readers onto a separate interest list, so that only people who raise their hands will receive your free informational and promotional emails. But even if you can’t segment your list, you’ll want to provide lots of valuable content and build anticipation for your product offers. Here are some quick ideas:
If you’re promoting a low-priced product like an ebook, digital download or hosted service on an ongoing basis, you might do something as simple as using a P.S. or signature link in your regular emails, with occasional emailed links to custom content. For courses, masterminds, services or higher-earning products, you might do something closer to an official launch once per year with softer launches once per quarter. And of course, always follow your merchants’ lead. If they run major launches twice a year, for example, you can participate in those and take advantage of the natural momentum these launches often create. You may have a different promotion plan for each product. Example Email SequenceCustom email sequences are especially effective for your core products. You’ll usually send out a series of five to seven emails spread out over a timeframe spanning a week or two. These can be run in parallel with your normal blog emails or you can “pause” your regular content for the duration of the sequence. A sample seven-email series might look like this:
* Warning: Only use scarcity or urgency tactics if they are genuine and you intend to stick to the limits or deadlines. Telling readers a deal ends for good at midnight, then offering it again the following week, is a surefire way to lose their trust. The important thing here is to try different approaches for each product, see what your audience responds to best, and don’t give up! Option #4: Run Exclusive Live EventsFinally, you can run live events to introduce your audience to your products. Webinars are the most popular way to do this, and you can host them on your own or as a joint venture with the merchant. (Usually, though, merchants will only participate if you can attract a certain number of attendees.) If there’s already strong interest from your readers in a particular product, you can make it the focus of your webinar, giving attendees one of the following:
More typically, the webinar will focus on a particular outcome that the audience wants to achieve and then position the product as a way to achieve those results more easily or quickly. A common way to separate webinar content from product content is using the webinar to explain what you need to do to achieve a certain goal, and leaving the product to dive into (or facilitate) the how. Importantly, the webinar should be valuable even to people who don’t end up buying the product. To give an example, if you were promoting a software product that automates blogger outreach, your webinar could talk about high-level strategies for outreach that attendees could implement manually, then position the product as a time-saver that lets you focus on the relationship-building instead of the initial outreach.
Tip: to get the most from a live event, remember to publish and promote your webinar replays for people who weren’t able to attend first time around.
Don’t Forget to Track Everything to Discover What’s Working BestWhichever options you choose for promoting your affiliate products, you’ll want to know which are producing the best results. Pat Flynn recommends Pretty Link for this. You can create clean, easy-to-use-and-remember links plus get analytics so you can see exactly where people are coming from and what strategies are working best for you. Most importantly of all, be patient. Don’t expect to get any of this right the first time out. Keep building a strong foundation of content and continually test and try new things. Step 7: Comply with Legal Requirements (and Best Practices)In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires that you let people know you’ll earn a commission. But even if it isn’t required by law where you’re located, we recommend it. It’s just good business. Don’t be afraid to be transparent. People will appreciate your honesty and want to support you to repay you for making their lives better. So wherever you share an affiliate link, whether it’s in blog posts, web pages, or emails, let your readers know that you stand to earn a small commission if they buy through you — and if they choose not to use your link, no worries. Assure them that you wouldn’t recommend any products if you hadn’t used them yourself or were confident they could help them. It’s also a good idea to create an Affiliate Disclaimer page on your website. Here’s an example of our own disclaimer page at Smart Blogger: We’re also clear on how those affiliate links might look within blog posts. And finally, thank people before and after for using your links.
How to Start Affiliate MarketingThat dream you’ve had of making money while you sleep isn’t just a silly fantasy. It’s a completely achievable reality. Sure, it’s not as easy as pushing a magic button, but with a little knowledge and persistence you can definitely do it. Once you’ve gained a respectable following, affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to make money blogging. And the best news is that it’s so easy to get started. All the steps are spelled out in this post. Simply identify the one big thing everyone in your audience needs to reach their goals and start there. Choose a great digital product that you believe in and share it. Tell the story of your successes. Provide lots of valuable content that helps and educates your readers, and take care not to be too salesy. Be honest and transparent. Nurture the trust that readers place in you. And finally, be patient. All your efforts will pay you back with that sweet “cha-ching” of overnight deposits into your bank account.
About the Author: Leanne Regalla is a content writer and strategist for membership-based businesses at Writing That Resonates. Quickly avoid the common mistakes that bore your readers and drive potential customers away with her Compelling Business Writing Checklist.
The post Affiliate Marketing for Beginners: A Step-By-Step, Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Smart Blogger. from https://smartblogger.com/affiliate-marketing/ You’ve seen it for yourself. These days, there are a gazillion different ways to broadcast your thoughts online. Blogging, podcasting, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat — the options are overwhelming. Are you supposed to do all of them? If not, which ones are most important? What if you are talented in one medium and terrible in another? ARGH! It’s so confusing. Well, here’s the good news: In this post, I’ll do my best to answer those questions. Even better, I’ll give you answers that include taking things off your plate, not putting more things on. In other words, everything is about to get a whole lot simpler. Let’s jump in. Why Trying to Do Everything at Once Is a MistakeSome influencers are doing it all. They have a blog, podcast, YouTube channel, a bunch of social media accounts with tons of followers — everything. From the outside, it’s impressive. You might even think that’s what you have to do if you want to make money online. But here’s a little secret: Behind the scenes, most of those influencers are paying entire teams of helpers. In the rare case where they are doing everything themselves, it also leaves them without any time to monetize all that content, so many “social media influencers” are actually broke. The reason why? No one gets more than 24 hours in a day. It doesn’t matter how smart, fast, or multi-talented you are — you’ll never be able to do everything well. You have to choose. The question is… how? How to Figure out What to Focus onThankfully, this one is simple. Just answer one question:
In what medium can you develop a top 1% skillset?
At first glance, this might seem like a strange question, but let’s break it down. There are three types of media: the written word, audio, and video. Chances are, you’ll be better at one than the others. For example, writing has always come naturally to me. Even when I was in school, I could write essays 10X better than everyone else and barely exert myself at all. For you, maybe it’s something different. Maybe engaging people with your voice and having interesting conversations comes naturally to you. In that case, you should start a podcast. Or maybe you’re captivating on video. Ever since you were a kid, you’ve been a natural entertainer. Wherever you shine, that’s the medium you should focus on. But here’s the caveat: Don’t just jump in and expect to be successful. Success with any kind of content marketing isn’t about being good. It’s about being among the best. Here’s what I mean: The Staggering Difference between Being Good and Being GreatOnce upon a time, I was an NFL (American football) junkie, and I was always intrigued by the pay difference between players. The star of your team might make $20 million a year. The backup to your star, however, might make $2 million or even less. Was this because the star was 10X better? Not even close. In a professional sport, even the backup players are among the best in the world. At best, a star might be 50% better than his replacement. So why do they pay him 10X more? Because games are a matter of matchups. One player being just a little bit better than his opponent can mean the difference between winning and losing. If you have an entire team of players who are just a tiny bit better, you win the Super Bowl. You see the same thing in the Olympics. The silver medal runner might be just a fraction of a second behind the gold medal winner. And content marketing works the same way. The rewards go to the best of the best. You can be a good writer or podcaster or YouTuber and have mediocre or even terrible results. In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say something controversial:
If you’re not prepared to be among the best in your niche, content marketing isn’t going to do anything for you at all. You might as well quit.
Before you get too discouraged though, here’s the other side of the coin:
If you diligently upgrade your skills over time in a medium where you have some natural talent, you can almost always be among the best.
Let me explain… How I Became One of the Most Popular Writers on the WebOver the last decade, my work has touched over 200 million people — about 1 out of 8 people in the English-speaking world. Crazy, right? Obviously, I must have some secret. But I don’t. I followed the exact method I’m teaching you here. I recognized I was a naturally talented writer, so then I spent years improving my writing skills to the point of being among the best in the world. It took me about three years to begin to get noticed and another two years after that for people to start thinking of me as “the blogging guy.” During those years of practice, I wrote 1,000 words every single day. In the first year, I also wrote 100 headlines per day. Added to that, I spent one or two hours per day reading the work of other top bloggers, dissecting why they were popular, and deliberately practicing incorporating their techniques into my own work. It’s the same process an athlete uses to become an elite player in their sport. Identify natural talent, practice like hell, and then do your best to be in the right place at the right time. Content marketing is no different. It’s a sport, and there are winners and losers. The medium doesn’t matter. Blogging, podcasting, YouTube — the vast majority of the rewards go to the people at the top. The question is, are you willing to put in the work to get there? It doesn’t always have to take three years as it did for me. I spent a lot of time running in circles because I didn’t have anyone to guide me. With the right coach, you can progress much, much faster. And that brings me to my most important point. The Formula for Being an Insanely Successful PersonIt’s all about stacking top 1% skills. Let’s say you have some natural talent as a writer. You invest in some good training, work like hell, and gradually become a top 1% writer. But that’s not the end of the story. Now you’re getting lots of traffic, but you’re not making much money, and you realize it’s because your marketing sucks. So again, you invest in some good training, work like hell, and gradually become a top 1% marketer. Again though, it’s not the end of the story. Because now, you’re making some pretty good money, but you’re working night and day, and you want to hire someone to help you. Problem is, you’re a terrible manager and leader, but again, you decide to suck it up, invest in some good training, work like hell, and gradually become a top 1% CEO. The above story isn’t a fairytale, by the way. It’s the story of the last 10 years of my life. And it’s actually a pretty common story. Regardless of profession, the most successful people in any field get there by stacking 1% skills on top of each other. So, let’s bring this full circle: When to Branch out into Podcasting or YouTubeAssuming you’re a blogger, you should wait until you’ve mastered blogging. Let’s take me as an example. I’ve spent the last couple of years improving my skills as a CEO. It’s been a painful, gradual process, but I think I’m starting to “get it,” and that’s one of the reasons why the company is now growing faster than it has in years. Am I among the top 1%? Not quite, but according to these stats, I’m getting pretty close. I think it’s just a matter of time. So, what’s next? I’ll pick another media and become the top 1% there. I have some natural talent with podcasting as well, so that’s probably the next skill to stack on top. On the other hand, I don’t think I have much natural talent with video, so the chances of me starting a YouTube channel where I’m the star are pretty slim. And that’s fine. We don’t have to be great at everything. The key is to be great at one thing… and then another thing… and then another thing. If your first “thing” is writing, I’m your man. We have some of the best training there is for writers, and we’re expanding it all the time. But do me a favor… Don’t start a podcast or YouTube channel while you’re trying to learn how to write. That’s the equivalent of someone training for an Olympic marathon deciding to become an Olympic swimmer and skier all at the same time. That’s never going to happen. Not unless you’re inhuman, anyway. So, pick just one medium. Focus on it. Get really, really, really great at it. And then enjoy the rewards of being at the top.
About the Author: Jon Morrow is the CEO of Smart Blogger. Check out his new blog Unstoppable and read the launch post that went viral: 7 Life Lessons from a Guy Who Can’t Move Anything but His Face.
The post Why You Shouldn’t Start a Podcast or YouTube Channel (Seriously) appeared first on Smart Blogger. from https://smartblogger.com/start-a-podcast/ There are lots of guides out there about how to make money blogging, but here’s what makes this one different: I’ve taken three different blogs to over $1 million per year. In fact, the blog you’re reading right now has made a total of $5.3 million. And in this post, I’m going to give you a step-by-step case study showing you exactly how I did it, starting from nothing. Let’s jump in. How to Make Money Blogging, Even If You’re a BeginnerIf you’re starting from scratch with no traffic or influential friends, it’s easy to wonder… Is it reasonable for you to believe you can make money blogging? For that matter, how do blogs even make money? Ads? Or something else? Well, let’s take a look at exactly how I did it at Smart Blogger. Here’s my complete step-by-step process for how to make money blogging: #1. Choose a Profitable NicheLet’s start with a little brutal truth, shall we?
For example: You can be the world’s foremost expert on square-shaped tomatoes, wake up every morning with a burning passion to educate the public on their vast superiority to normal-shaped tomatoes, and work until your fingers bleed and your eyes fall out of your head, following all the right tactics for growing a popular blog, and… You’ll never have a chance in hell at making any money. Here’s why:
In other words, you need a large audience who buys things. Without that, nothing else matters. It’s a prerequisite for everything else. In the case of Smart Blogger, I noticed early on that bloggers buy lots of different things: In fact, there are companies with $10 million+ per year of revenue in most of those categories. It’s also a growing space with millions of people: The only problem? Loads of competition. Whether it be my previous employers Brian Clark or Neil Patel, my good friends over at Problogger, or the gazillion other “blogging about blogging” peeps infesting the social media space, everyone was intent on snagging a piece of the pie. They also had a several year head start on me. So, how did I compete? The honest answer: #2. Level up Your Content Skills
You’ve probably heard that “Content is king,” and it’s true… to an extent. A more accurate statement would be… The Best Content Is King If that’s hard to understand, think about it this way: Lots of bloggers sit down and think, “What will I write today?” They jot down some thoughts, doing their best to be helpful, original, and entertaining. If they’re disciplined, they might even stick with it for a few months. But it almost never works. Here are a few reasons why:
Granted, it’s not your fault. Until today, chances are no one ever told you about any of those requirements. You thought you just had to write interesting stuff and publish it. No, grasshopper. No. The truth is, you have to create the best content ever published on topics lots of people are interested in learning more about. And that brings us to the three levels of content creation:
You’re probably thinking, “Geez. That sounds hard.” And you’re right, it is. I personally spent about three years honing my skills by writing for other sites before I started my own blog. It doesn’t have to take that long — I’m just a perfectionist, so I wanted to learn from the best people in my space. It worked, though. Nowadays, my posts get millions and millions of visitors, not because I know some special “secret,” but because I’m really good at what I do. In fact, I’ll go ahead and say it… So you want to know how to make some money blogging? Become a badass writer. Then the next step is to… #3. Figure out Which Traffic Sport to PlayWhen you’re a beginner, getting traffic is confusing. Should you focus on optimizing your keywords? Growing your Facebook page? Leaving comments on blogs? Answering questions on Quora? Creating videos for YouTube? And so on. There are a gazillion traffic tactics out there. Everybody says theirs is the best. But here’s the data: Source: Facebook and Google dominate web traffic, but not the same kind Pretty much all the traffic for written content comes from either Google or Facebook. The rest of traffic sources combined don’t even come close to competing with those two Goliaths. So, how do you get them to send you a bunch of traffic? One option is you can pay for it. They like that. But chances are, you’re reading about how to make money blogging because you don’t want to pay for traffic. You want it for free, right? Well, imagine this: There’s an arena where all the bloggers in your space go to compete for traffic. The number of other challengers you defeat determines the amount of traffic you receive. In other words, getting traffic is a sport.
There are actually two sports, and I’d bet you’ve heard of both of them: search engine optimization (SEO) and going viral on Facebook. Both take years (yes, I said years) of study to master, but you can start getting pretty decent traffic after just a few months of study and practice. Which one should you focus on? Well, here are two questions to guide you:
For most topics, you can do both, but one or the other will be dominant. In that case, focus on whichever one is dominant. In the blogging space, for example, stuff about writing and grammar occasionally goes viral on Facebook, because we love criticizing our relatives about their terrible English. On the other hand, you rarely talk with your family about blogging platforms, WordPress plugins, affiliate marketing, or any other blogging topics. You will, however, search for them on Google. Just as you would guess then, the blogging niche is heavily dominated by search. Here’s a breakdown of Smart Blogger’s traffic by source: The truth is, we pretty much ignore Facebook. The volume of traffic available there comes nowhere close to the volume of traffic available from Google. So, we focus on Google. I also spend WAY more time keeping up to date on SEO stuff than I do on social stuff. I’m a geek about it. Throw me in a room full of Google engineers, and I’d probably know more than half of them. Not to imply I’m the best, though. I’m also competing against people like Darren Rowse, Amy Lynn Andrews, and Neil Patel. They’re pretty freaking good too. In time, I think I can be better, but who knows? That’s why sports are fun. You never know who is going to win. If you’re good though, you’ll always be in the “playoffs,” for your space, and you’ll get lots of traffic. Maybe not the most, but still plenty. And then you can focus on how to… #4. Grow Your Email List with Pop UpsChances are, you see pop ups as an annoyance. They get in the way when you’re trying to read. They ask you to hand over sensitive information like your name, email address, and phone number. Sometimes you have to deal with multiple pop ups on the same site, and it makes you feel hassled and uncared for. And all that sucks. In my opinion, you have every right to be annoyed. But here’s the thing… That’s where the money comes from. The best predictor of the revenue for a blog is the size of their email list. Here’s a breakdown of our revenue at Smart Blogger comparing revenue device from email to other sources. The rule of thumb is you can expect to make $1 per subscriber per month. So, if you have 10,000 email subscribers, you should be able to make about $10,000 per month. So obviously, growing your email list is a top priority. You might, however, feel conflicted about using pop ups. What are you supposed to do? Here’s a different way of looking at it: If a visitor comes to your site and doesn’t give you their email address, the chances of them returning are nearly zero. You’ll never have another opportunity to help them. If you believe your content is the best, and you believe you can help them over time, I believe you owe it to them to be as pushy as possible about staying in contact. In other words, not using a pop up is unethical. A little annoyance is a small price to pay for change. And remember, that doesn’t mean you have to be extremely pushy or spammy. You can absolutely use pop ups in authentic ways. But you absolutely must use them. Assuming you want to make money, anyway. #5. Begin Monetizing with Affiliate OffersSo, you’re operating in a profitable niche, and you have traffic and an email list. What next? Lots of bloggers jump into creating a course or book or community of some sort, but that’s a mistake, in my opinion. Before you start selling things, you need concrete evidence those things are what people want to buy. Otherwise, you’re risking wasting months or even years of your life trying to push a product no one wants. The simplest way to obtain that evidence: Affiliate offers. By seeing what your audience buys from other people, you can get a much better sense of what they might want to buy from you. If you promote a product and it converts well, you should think about creating a similar product. If it doesn’t convert well, you should probably move on. In other words, affiliate offers are a form of market research. As a bonus, you just so happen to get paid commissions on the products your customers buy in the process. So not only are you learning what your audience wants to buy, but you’re making money from your blog at the same time. Pretty sweet deal. At Smart Blogger, I’ve tried lots of different offers. WordPress hosting, landing page tools, email marketing software, WordPress themes, and half a dozen different types of courses. Since we sell courses, I pay the most attention to the results from those programs, and here are a couple of lessons:
By themselves, neither of those promotions really moved the needle on our revenue, but they did teach us useful lessons that went into creating Freedom Machine, which brings us to… #6. Develop a Unique MechanismBefore you think about launching your own products or services, there’s one essential point about human nature you need to understand: Whenever anyone purchases anything, they expect to transition from where they are now (Point A) to where they want to be (Point B). For example…
The success of a product ultimately depends on helping customers make those transitions. If the customer doesn’t get to Point B, they typically view the experience as a failure. So, here’s the magic question: What makes you better equipped to deliver that transition than your competitors? The answer to that question is what marketing expert Todd Brown calls your “unique mechanism.” It’s a little different from a “unique selling proposition,” because it’s not just something about you that’s different. It’s something about you or your method that makes you better able to help customers than anyone else. For Freedom Machine, we have multiple unique mechanisms:
Combined, those unique mechanisms are EXTREMELY convincing at setting us up as the superior solution. Therefore, the product sells like hot cakes. To be clear… it’s not necessary to have 7 different unique mechanisms. Sometimes just one is all you need (i.e. fresh, hot pizza in 30 minutes or less). The core idea though is to make sure you are obviously far more capable than your competitors at delivering results. Then all you have to do is… #7. Launch the Minimum Viable FunnelLook around at successful entrepreneurs of any type, and you’ll find a surprising trend: They tend to sell their products before the product is created. To most people, this sounds like insanity at best or a disturbing lack of ethics at worst. How could you possibly ask people to buy something that doesn’t exist? The answer: It’s the same principle as Kickstarter. You create a fancy minimal sales funnel of some sort (in this case, just a simple sales page), tell people the product is coming soon, and then wait to see if enough people sign up to justify making the product. If they don’t, you refund everyone’s money and start over. In other words, it’s the final step in validating you have a viable product. The steps go like this:
In my case, the minimum viable funnel was a 90 minute webinar (you can register for the current version here.) The first time I did it, there was no product, no follow-up sequence, nothing. It was just a bare-bones test. And it resulted in $126,000 in sales live on the webinar. Seeing that $30,000 sales was my minimum for success, we went ahead and created the first version of the product live with students. About a year later, it’s now approaching $1 million in sales. That’s also just one product. We have others, and we have still more in the research pipeline. And guess what I would do if I had to start over again? The exact same thing. It’s not easy, it’s not fast, it’s not even that sexy, but it works. Let’s close with some questions and answers, shall we? FAQ about How to Make Money BloggingSo, we’ve covered the basic process. Now let’s step back for a moment and answer some of the questions I hear the most often: Do bloggers make money?I certainly do, but I don’t think that’s what you’re asking. I think you’re asking… “Is it reasonable for me to learn how to make money blogging?” The no BS answer: It depends on how patient and persistent you are. Starting a blog from scratch is just as difficult as starting any business. For example, it requires the same time and effort as starting your own restaurant, software company, or accounting service. Yes, those businesses are wildly different, but the first few years are usually the same story: low income, lots of stress, big learning curve. If you want a more concrete answer than that, we’ve found it takes even our smartest, most dedicated students 3-6 years to make enough money from blogging to quit their jobs. And that sounds like a long time, but so what? 3-6 years to be able to work from anywhere in the world, take a vacation whenever you want, and probably have passive income until the day you die? Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. How much money can you make from blogging?The fact is, most bloggers make as much money as any other type of entrepreneur: Nothing. And it’s not because there’s no money in it. This blog makes more than $1 million per year, for God sakes, and it’s nowhere close to the most profitable blog out there. Blogs like The Penny Hoarder, Moz, and Lifehacker power businesses worth hundreds of millions of dollars. So why aren’t more bloggers rich? The truth is, most people quit. They start a blog, realize it’s hard work, and walk away. But if you’re patient and persistent? You can make millions. I have. So have lots of other smart, dedicated entrepreneurs. You just have to do the work. Consistently. For years. Can you do that? Then yeah, I think you can make six figures at least. Maybe more. How do you start your own blog for free?Lots of people say you can’t. They tell you to buy a domain name and a hosting account and a premium WordPress theme. But I think that’s nonsense. You can get started for free within five minutes on Medium. They also have over 60 million monthly readers, so you can get a lot of exposure there if you get featured. This article walks you through that strategy, step-by-step. Alternatively, you can write on WordPress.com, Linkedin, or any of the other platforms out there. It doesn’t really matter. The point is, start writing and learning as soon as possible. Once people start sharing your articles, and you begin to understand how everything works, then you can go through the trouble of setting up your own site, installing WordPress, and all that jazz. Until then though, it’s just a headache you don’t need. What are the most popular blogging platforms?WordPress is by far the most popular. No one else is even close. But that doesn’t mean it’s the best for everyone. As I mentioned earlier, I think Medium is a good place to start. You can also create your own blog with tools like Blogger, Squarespace, Wix, Joomla, and countless others. What are the top blogs about how to make money blogging?I’d like to think Smart Blogger is the best (and most comprehensive) site on the topic, but it’s by no means the only one. Not all of these talk about how to make money blogging, but together, they give you a solid foundation:
The Bottom Line about How to Make Money BloggingIs it possible? Absolutely, but only if you treat it as a business. Yes, you can start your blog as a side project. Yes, you can slowly grow it in the background. Yes, you can turn your blog into a source of passive income that eventually lets you quit your job, travel, spend more time with your family, whatever you want to do. But like anything worthwhile, it’s hard work getting there. You have to study. Practice. Master your craft. If you love writing, I can’t imagine a better business, though. Not only is blogging a great way to get your writing noticed, but it’s a great way to connect with people around the world who need you, teach them what you know, and get paid pretty damn well in exchange. There’s never a day I regret dedicating myself to blogging. Never. It’s not just because of the money, either. It’s because I also get to do what I love and help people at the same time. What could be better than that?
About the Author: Jon Morrow is the CEO of Smart Blogger. Check out his new blog Unstoppable and read the launch post that went viral: 7 Life Lessons from a Guy Who Can’t Move Anything but His Face.
The post How to Make Money Blogging: The $5.3 Million Case Study appeared first on Smart Blogger. from https://smartblogger.com/make-money-blogging/ You’ve heard the advice a million times. Write great comments on popular blogs, and your blog will grow. Why, it’s so easy even a caveman can do it! And it’s true — comments can be powerful. A great comment can land you on the radar of a popular blogger — the kind of super-connected influencer who can accelerate your success. It sounds so simple. The only problem? Nobody tells you how to comment on blogs. You aren’t sure what a great comment looks like. Is it a comment that shovels heaps of praise onto the author? Or one that argues a persuasive alternative view? Or one that simply thanks the blogger for their insights? Because while many experts preach the virtues of strategic commenting, almost nobody tells you how to do it. As a result, many well-intentioned bloggers are spending their precious time writing comments they think are great. In reality? Their comments usually suck. Why Clumsy Commenters Make Terrible First DatesIf you think about it, blog commenting is a lot like dating. You’re trying to woo another person, right? With dating, you’re trying to woo someone into becoming Mr. or Mrs. Whatever Your Name Is. With blog commenting, you’re trying to woo the owner of a blog. You want them to notice you. You want them to reply to your comment. Secretly, you want them to visit and comment on your blog, follow you on social media, and ultimately become your best friend forever. But is that possible if your comments are lame? Sure, it’s possible… It’s also possible to stumble into marriage, kids, and a house with a white picket fence even if you turn up to your first date with a mustard stain on your shirt and used the pickup line, “Did you hear about Pluto?” But just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s likely. That’s why it’s time to improve your commenting game. To help you do that, let’s look in detail at the anatomy of a great blog comment. But first, let’s look at the rookie mistakes that make most blog comments totally suck. The Common Mistakes That Make Comments SuckMistake #1: Using a Novelty (or Non-Existent) Gravatar ImageYou wouldn’t show up to a first date wearing a disguise, would you? Or wearing a plain paper bag over your head? So why would you choose an image of Grumpy Cat or Ron Burgundy to represent you in blog comments? Or settle for the faceless silhouette that screams generic nobody? Instead, let people see the real you. They will be far more likely to feel a connection with you if they can see your face. Besides, you know you’re sexy. Show us that smile! Mistake #2: Using a False Name (or “Fun” Nickname)Among your friends and family, you can go by Lil’ Bit, DJ Roomba, Superfly, House of Shane, or any other nickname you choose. But unless you’re a spy, or in witness protection, using your real name on a first date is just the right thing to do. (Unless, of course, it’s a blind date and Gary Busey sits down at your table.) The same is true in blog commenting. Bloggers, just like dates, want to know who’s trying to woo them. And someone who hides behind a pseudonym likely isn’t a long-term prospect. Mistake #3: Dumping Links in Your CommentsImagine you’re on a date and, halfway through, your date suddenly asks if you have life insurance. You try to wave it off, but they begin discussing rates and policies with you. “Oh no,” you think to yourself. “This isn’t a date … this is a sale’s pitch!” If you embed links in your comments, bloggers are likely to react similarly. It comes across as a cheap attempt to peddle your lemonade on their lawn. And usually it won’t matter how insightful your words are or how relevant your link may be; the blogger will feel an irresistible urge to kick you off their property. Mistake #4: Failing to Read the Post Before CommentingEver been on a date with someone from Match or eHarmony who didn’t bother to read your profile? “Do you have any hobbies?” they’ll ask despite your profile’s thousand-word tribute to paper mache. “Fancy a juicy steak?” they’ll suggest despite your publicly stated veganism. It’s the same with blog commenting. Yes, you’re busy. Yes, reading a post thoroughly before commenting takes time. Know what else takes time? Getting your foot out of your mouth. When you comment on a post after skimming it or — worse — not reading it at all, you greatly increase the chances you’ll say something silly. Mistake #5: Droning On and On (and On)
A long-winded blog comment, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read.Kevin Duncan
Some people like the sound of their own voices. Ask them what music they like, and they’ll take you on a 12-minute journey into the minutia of John Mayer’s latest album. One-sided conversations on a date are not much fun and neither are blog comments that last forever and a day. Many great comments are on the longer side, but be careful not to confuse quantity with quality. A 500-word comment isn’t better than a 100-word comment. It’s usually just five times longer. (And probably five times more boring.) Mistake #6: Repeating What the Post Just SaidEver had a date where the other person repeated everything you said? You love Kevin Costner movies? So do they. You adore Mexican food? Yep, them too. You hate Mondays? They hate Mondays. In the blogging world, this kind of parroting is a (re)Pete Comment. It doesn’t add to the conversation. It doesn’t ask questions. It doesn’t challenge an idea. It simply repeats what was said in the post. It’s okay to summarize, but your comment needs to be more than the CliffsNotes version of the post you just read. Otherwise, what’s the point? How to Write a Good Blog Comment (Plus: Lots of Examples)Now that we’ve inoculated you against writing comments that truly suck, let’s look at the structure of a comment that stands out for all the right reasons. How does a great comment begin? How does it end? What’s the stuff that goes in the middle? Here are the essential parts, from top to bottom. Part #1: The Friendly Greeting
The first thing I look for is personalization. This is so easy, all it takes is to just include the name of the author.Blogging Wizard
Let’s go back to our dating analogy… You meet your handsome guy or beautiful gal at a restaurant for your first date. Could they be the one? They don’t look crazy or anything. Hopeful, you take a deep breath, smile, and say hi. But instead of greeting you or even acknowledging you, your date just starts talking. No preamble — they launch right into talking about their day. Did you know they have a co-worker named Mr. Buttons? Did you know they have a peanut allergy? You do now. Memorable date? I suppose. A date you would like to get to know better? Definitely not. And yet, every day, thousands of comments are written that do not bother to acknowledge the post’s author in any way, shape, or form. Do they think robots wrote the post instead of a human being? Do they believe greetings are an outdated ritual from a bygone era? Or are they simply too lazy to scroll back to the top to find the author’s name? If you’re hoping to catch the attention of bloggers and strike up a relationship, a healthy dose of proper etiquette can go a long way. So say hello to them. Greet them. Refer to them by name. How To Do ItThis one’s so simple, it shouldn’t need explanation. But here’s how to do it anyway. Scroll back to the top of the post and find the author’s name. If you are prone to misspellings, here’s a comment editing tip — copy the name so you can paste it into your comment. Then say hello. Or hi. Or howdy, if you’re feeling folksy. You’ll only spend a few seconds to get your comment started on the right foot. It’s time well spent. Part #2: The Sincere Compliment
It’s a nice confirmation when an author’s work is validated, and they can see the fruit of their labor.Carol Amato
You meet your date for the first time. “Wow! I love your outfit,” you might say. Or, “I really like your car.” Or even, “Your SpongeBob tattoo is awesome!” The details are different each time, but the act is the same. When you’re on a date, you pay the other person a compliment. It’s what you do in civilized societies. Once again, blog commenting isn’t any different. Remember, you’ve chosen to be on this person’s blog, not someone else’s. You’ve chosen to read their post instead of another. You must have a reason to want to connect with them over any of the other million bloggers you could be trying to connect with at that moment. Chances are, you like them. You value them. You respect them. So pay them a compliment… Tell them how much you enjoyed their post… Make their day… Tell them you dig their groovy tunes… In short, pay them a compliment. Any compliment. Just make sure it’s a sincere compliment. How To Do ItYou can focus on the blogger, the post itself, or a combination of the two. Are you a fan of the blogger’s body of work? Tell them so. Say how much you enjoy their writing. Even better? Tell them about a specific example where their writing has helped you. If you choose to focus on the post itself, talk about a particular point within the post that truly hit home for you. Did it change your outlook on a topic? Did it motivate you to go out and take action? Did it rock your world? Tell them so.
Note: In order to sound sincere, refrain from heaping too much praise onto the bloggers themselves. A little praise can go a long way. For this reason, it’s often best to focus on the post rather than the blogger.
(Plus, you don’t want to come across as a creepy stalker.) Part #3: The Added Value
My favorite comments add extra value to a post. Perhaps they add a personal experience, a different perspective or a new question.Henneke Duistermaat
Now we’re into the meat of what makes a great comment great. Greeting the author and paying a compliment are nice, but no one cares how good the appetizers are if the main course is a garbage sandwich with no mayo. Your goal in every comment should be to add value. If your comment doesn’t add value, it’s wasting everyone’s time. Of course adding value has become one of those overused and meaningless phrases in the blogging world. Like Sriracha sauce, people tend to throw it around and use it for everything. What does it actually mean? In this context, it means doing something that makes you appear valuable — useful, insightful, entertaining, or interesting — to the blogger you’re aiming to woo. In other words, anything that establishes you as a person worth knowing and helps develop a personal relationship. You do that by making a positive impression and then building upon it. But how? Let’s review some tactics that work every time. Value Tactic #1: Share Personal Insights or AnecdotesDid a particular point in the post hit home for you? Did you find something particularly relatable? Did the post bring up an area in which you’re struggling? When you share a personal insight, bloggers can more easily relate to you. You’re no longer just an unfamiliar name making a comment that could have been left by anyone… You’re a blogger with a story! How To Do ItDon’t worry about channeling Herman Melville; remember, comments don’t have to be long to be effective. Amanda Formaro demonstrates this perfectly in her succinct comment about email subscribers. In the same discussion, Jenn establishes a connection by sharing her struggles. Don Purdum, meanwhile, enhances the post by sharing details of a conversation he’d had just days earlier. The number of ways you can share insights and examples are myriad. But the more personal your insight, the more unique it will be. And the more unique your insight, the more memorable your comment will be and the more you’ll stand out. Value Tactic #2: Ask Thoughtful QuestionsWas an idea presented in the post that you didn’t fully understand? Did you want the author to expand on a certain point? Did the post spark an inquiry? Asking thoughtful questions is an excellent way to build relationships because it starts a one-on-one conversation with the blogger. You ask them a question; they answer. It’s pure, simple, poetry in motion. And it’s a great way to introduce yourself to bloggers you enjoy. How To Do ItAndrew Warner went the inquiry route after reading Andrianes Pinantoan’s blog traffic case study: Pooja, an excellent writer in her own right, did the same after reading Glen Long’s post on crystal clear writing: And Gertrude Nonterah, after reading the blogger’s bucket list, took the opportunity to ask a question that had been weighing on her: Sometimes for brevity’s sake, an author won’t fully flesh out a detail in his or her blog post. So if the article contained a detail you want expanded upon, don’t be afraid to comment and ask. Value Tactic #3: Contribute To The Discussion
If you want the attention of influencers and blog owners, your comment should add to the conversation.Sue Anne Dunlevie
Were 10 ideas presented in the post, but you know an 11th? Want to flesh out a point discussed in the post? How about a detail that wasn’t covered at all? If your comments enhance the overall value of the post, few bloggers will fail to see the benefit of your contribution. Sometimes they’ll even update their post in light of your comment — which is a major validation of your ideas. And bloggers love when the comment count for their posts get higher and higher. It’s validation that their work is reaching people. When you write a great comment that adds to the discussion, it often has a domino effect. Others will respond to your comment, which will fuel even more comments. The result is more people reading and discussing the blogger’s work, which means a higher comment count. Bloggers love that — and they love the commenters who help make that happen. How To Do ItA great example of this is the following comment Anne R. Allen left Brian Dean in his blogger outreach post here at Smart Blogger. Another is the comment Harleena Singh left Will Blunt in his guide on Google+. And one of the best examples you’ll ever see is the comment Matthew Harding left on Smart Blogger’s post on blogging milestones. Here is a snippet: When you add value via a great comment, you’re investing in the blog post. Blog owners love that. They appreciate it.… They learn from it.… They remember it. Part #4: The Parting Promise
I love it when commenters tell me they’ve shared or will share my work. The ideal comment would come from someone who both tells me they’re going to share, and then remembers to tag me when they do.Brittany Bullen
After a successful first date, each person is usually looking for a clue that that the other enjoyed themselves and that a second date might be in the cards. That clue could be a lingering smile. It could be a casual remark about not having any plans the following Saturday. It could be the other person actually saying, “I enjoyed myself and would like to see you again.” Whatever form it takes, it sends the message that this date was not just a one-off. And when wooing a popular blogger, you’d be smart to let them know you’re interested in a longer-term relationship too. That’s why great blog comments make a promise at the end. They tell bloggers, “Hey… I enjoyed this so much I want to keep the party going!” How To Do ItOne great way to make a promise is to tell the author you’re going to share the post on your favorite social media platform… Tell them their post is so good you have no choice BUT to share it… Or channel your inner Arnold Schwarzenegger and tell them, “I’ll be back” (to read more of your content)… But whatever promise you make, be sure to keep it. Tweet the post like you said you would. Read the blogger’s other posts, and leave more comments. In other words, do exactly what you said you would do. And when you share the post on your favorite social media platform, be sure to tag the blogger — let them know you followed through… And if the bloggers are anything like Will Hoekenga, they’ll notice and express their gratitude… Examples of Blog Comments that Kicked Butt (and The Extra Ingredient They All Share)So what does a comment that has each of these elements look like? It looks a lot like this comment from Adrienne Smith: And it looks a lot like this comment from Carol Amato: Adrienne’s and Carol’s comments start with greetings, go straight to compliments, add value to make connections, and end on promises. But beyond that, they add an additional element present in every great comment… Personality. Any robot can start a comment with a greeting and end it with a promise. But for a comment to take that next step, for a comment to get you noticed by the blog’s owner, you have to let “you” shine through. As Jaime Buckley once wrote: “Unless you’re engaging, my eyes will glaze over. We all have a personality, but do you use it? Does it come out in your comments?” Jaime should know. He’s an expert at letting his personality shine through in his comments. The comment he left for “The Blogger’s Bucket List: 20 Must-Reach Milestones on the Path to World Domination” is a perfect example. Here is a snippet: Jaime writes his comments the way he might write an email to a friend. It’s refreshing and it’s an excellent way to get noticed. For a handy visual reminder of the four-part formula, check out the image below (click to see a larger view):
The Rich Rewards That Flow from Carefully Crafted CommentsYou may be wondering at this point… Is it worth it? Is it worth putting all that time and thought into a single blog comment? Well, that depends on what you’d like to achieve from your blogging efforts. Would you like influential bloggers to notice you and follow you on Twitter? Do you want to expand your reach on other platforms like Google+? Would you like Darren Rowse, Pamela Wilson, and other blogging icons to share your posts with their followers? Would you like to be invited to participate in expert roundups, conferences, and other great opportunities? Would you like to receive emails out-of-the-blue from super-cool and talented people asking you to write for them? Would you like to have your work published on one of the biggest, baddest blogs in the world? Because this is what can happen when bloggers notice you. It isn’t easy, and it doesn’t happen overnight. And, clearly, great comments alone won’t catapult you to world domination. But they’re a critical, often-overlooked component. And most people who try it write comments that suck. In a sea of sameness, great comments with great personalities stand out like Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels at a charity gala for the preservation of the endangered Icelandic snow owl. They’re capable of getting other bloggers to sit up, take notice, and ask themselves: “Who is that?” So tell me, now do you think it’s worth it? Let’s Find Out Where Comments Could Catapult Your BlogComments are perhaps the most misused — and least understood — weapons in the ambitious blogger’s arsenal. That’s why most blog comments suck. You now understand the anatomy of the perfect blog comment, so you can start crafting your comments with purpose. Comments that get you noticed. Comments that woo popular bloggers. Comments that cause opportunities to drop into your lap. The days of frowning cat gravatars are over. Repetitive comments are yesterday’s news. Empty contributions have gone the way of the dodo. So, are you ready for a new era of smarter commenting? Are you ready to discover where it could take you? Then let’s do this thing.
About the Author: Kevin Duncan runs Be A Better Blogger, where he uses his very particular set of skills to help people become the best bloggers they can be. To further your quest to woo bloggers, he’s written a special post just for Smart Blogger readers: How I Went From Unknown to Boost Blog Traffic Writer in Six Months (and How You Can, Too).
The post How to Write Blog Comments That Stand Out to Influencers (Plus Examples!) appeared first on Smart Blogger. from https://smartblogger.com/blog-comments/ Today's episode is a little different. In it, I explain why I haven't released a podcast episode in over a month. I also share why I'm reevaluating everything I do in my blogging business. Go ahead and click play below to listen. The post 339 I’m Back and Reevaluating Everything appeared first on Become A Blogger by Leslie Samuel. from https://www.becomeablogger.com/26250/im-back-reevaluating-everything/ This is painful to say, but… Most of what’s published out there about WordPress hosting is total BS. Not just incomplete information. Not just half-truths. I’m talking outright lies and boldfaced scams. You can’t even get straightforward answers to basic questions like…
It’s infuriating, but listen… I’ve helped build and run some of the most popular blogs in the world, scaling them from nothing to millions of visitors per month. During that process, I learned a lot of valuable lessons — often the hard way — about what makes a good WordPress host. And today, I’m publishing the guide I wish somebody had given me. It’s brutally honest. It’s full of technical details (that I do my best to explain). It’ll also save you tons of time and money. The Different Levels of WordPress HostingTo start, here’s an infographic explaining the typical path most bloggers take: They start with a shared host, and then they grow to a Virtual Private Server, and then they grow to a Dedicated Server. Wondering how that applies to you? Here’s the short answer: TLDR: The Best WordPress Hosting Right Now (In My Opinion)If you’re under 100,000 visitors per month, don’t torture yourself by getting a VPS or dedicated server. Just grab a cheap, no-frills shared hosting account. Is it the best hosting in the world? No, but it’s way better value than the alternatives. Here’s a pricing comparison: The more expensive things get, the more complicated and frustrating it gets too. You’ve never experienced misery until you try to optimize a dedicated server for the first time. My advice? Keep it simple and cheap. Use a shared host. Now, that begs the question… What’s the Most Cost-Effective Hosting for WordPress?Personally, I use SiteGround (affiliate link) for all my new sites. Here’s why:
That being said, I’ll be straight with you… SiteGround isn’t the only great host in the world. They’re just the one I personally use and recommend to our 2.6 million readers. I wouldn’t endorse them publicly without having a lot of confidence in them. But there other good companies with a different approach. Who Is the Best WordPress Host, Regardless of Price?WP Engine (affiliate) has an impeccable reputation for flawless hosting and support. In my opinion, there’s no question they are better than SiteGround, but they are also 10X more expensive. Is it worth it? If you want a host that can take unlimited traffic and has WordPress experts standing by to help you with pretty much anything you need, plus you’re hosting a business website with a significant budget, maybe it’s worth the extra cost. Quite a few big blogs host with them, and they believe it’s worth every penny. I’ve also been to their offices in downtown Austin and met with the executive team. It’s a solid company that’ll be around for years to come. The bottom line: If you want to skip the rest of this post and just choose a host, go with SiteGround (affiliate link) if you have a small budget and WP Engine (affiliate) if you have a large one. You won’t regret going with other company. Before you choose any WordPress host though, here’s an important point you should understand: Most Reviews Are Bought and Paid forPretty much every blogger making a hosting recommendation is getting compensated by the host. And yes, that includes me. The difference? I’m not hiding anything. I’m proud of the partnerships I have with SiteGround (affiliate link) and WP Engine (affiliate), because I have personal experience with both companies, many of my students are customers, and they treat everyone extremely well. I would happily recommend them even if they weren’t paying me a penny. And that’s NOT true for other bloggers. Most don’t even use the host they are recommending. In my opinion, that’s just unethical. Especially when it comes to one particular company… Many Hosts are Owned by the Same Terrible Company
Ever heard of Bluehost? Or maybe Hostgator? Both hosts are owned by a conglomerate called Endurance International Group (EIG). In fact, EIG runs most of the big hosting companies, and it continues to buy new ones all the time. So what makes them so awful? After they purchase a host, they lay off support staff, stop investing in new technology, and funnel the money into increased advertising and payouts to shareholders. In every case, the reputation of the host plummets. Of course, you might be wondering how you find out if they own your host. Or for that matter, how do you know if your host is a good one if nearly every review is bought and paid for? The answer: The Best Way to Get Unbiased ReviewsWeb Hosting Talk is the biggest forum on the web about hosting, and it has literally millions of reviews. They don’t allow affiliate links either, so you can count on the reviews to be unbiased. Granted, every host gets a bad review now and again, but you can comb through dozens of reports to get a much better feel for the reputation of the host, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Also, here’s a little hack to save you some time… Instead of using the search tool built into their forum, which can be a little clunky, grab the URL of the forum you want to search, and then put the following in Google:
site:URL “host name”
For example, if you wanted to verify the reputation of SiteGround (affiliate link), you can go to their list of forums, right click on the one that seems most appropriate, and copy the link: From there, use the search parameter above in Google. In this case, it would be:
site:http://www.webhostingtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1 “SiteGround”
And voilà, you have a listing of reviews you can easily look through for reliable information. In particular, here’s the biggest factor that should influence your decision: How to Evaluate Customer SupportCustomer support. When you’re a beginner, it’s more important than anything. No surprise there, right? But here’s the big lesson… It’s not just about wait times or the intelligence of the technicians. It’s also about the method of support, what the host supports, and the helpdesk schedule. For instance:
Personally, I want a host with technicians I can interact with in real time (either through phone or chat), have a thorough knowledge of WordPress, and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And that’s actually relatively difficult to find at an affordable price. That’s why I think SiteGround (affiliate link) is the best host for most beginners. They give you all those things for an entire year for less than the cost of a dinner at a nice restaurant. And here’s what’s even cooler… Their servers are also configured especially for WordPress. Let’s talk about that next. The Configuration Matters More Than TechChances are, you’ve seen a page on a hosting website that looks something like this: Almost like a foreign language, right? Disk space, RAM, page views, uniques, SSDs — what’s it all mean? And for that matter, how are you supposed to know which plan is right for you? Actually… you don’t have to. If you’re running a relatively simple WordPress site, none of those technical details matter much. You can ignore them. Here’s proof: In 2012, a fellow named Ewen Leith managed to get a $15 server to run a WordPress site receiving 10 million hits a day. Granted, it was an extremely simple site using a set up that would be tough for a novice to manage, but it’s still proof the configuration of your web host matters much more than having high-end hardware. That’s another reason why I recommend SiteGround (affiliate link) – their servers are configured specifically for WordPress. Your site will be able to handle far more traffic with far fewer resources. Over the long term, it translates into significant savings, because you have to upgrade less often. Granted, SiteGround isn’t the only host who does this. If you decide to search for someone else, here’s what to look for:
RAM, SSD space, bandwidth — for a normal WordPress site, none of those specs really matter much. Ignore them and focus on the three above details. Installing Too Many Plugins Can Mess up Any WordPress HostSo, you found a host that’s perfectly optimized for WordPress. Your site should be nice and zippy, right? Actually… not necessarily. If you install too many WordPress plugins (or even just one really bad one), you can slow down your site or even cause your host to cancel your account. It’s the most common source of problems. So,how do you know which plugins to install and which ones to avoid? The short answer: install as few as possible, and if you ever have problems with your site, the first thing you should always do is try deactivating plugins. For a detailed answer, take a look at our post on essential WordPress plug-ins. Make Sure You Get a Free SSL CertificateEver since Google announced that having an SSL certificate is now a ranking factor, it’s become essential for you to have one. What’s an SSL certificate? It’s an extra layer of security and reporting around the safety of your website. Any site using SSL will have the prefix “https” in the URL. In the past, you had to pay a yearly fee to register your SSL certificate, but most of the top web posts are now offering one for free. You should take advantage of that savings and have your site on https from day one. The 7 Things That Really Matter When Choosing the Best WordPress HostBy this point, I wouldn’t blame you if your head is spinning. We’ve covered a lot of technical details in this post, so I thought I would conclude with a quick checklist to help you choose the best WordPress host for you. Here are the seven most important things to remember:
Follow those recommendations, and you’ll save yourself tons of time, money, and headaches. I speak from experience. Ultimately though, the decision is yours. Choose wisely, my friend.
About the Author: Jon Morrow has asked repeatedly to be called “His Royal Awesomeness” but no one listens to him. So, he settles for CEO of Smart Blogger. Poor man. ?
The post WordPress Hosting: A Brutally Honest Guide That’ll Save You Money appeared first on Smart Blogger. from https://smartblogger.com/wordpress-hosting/ Let me guess⦠Youâre staring at the blank screen. Your brain is fried. You can feel a headache coming on. You know you should be writing, but⦠You canât do this anymore. Your muse is gone. Your well of inspiration is empty. Finished. Stone-dry. Youâre not just bored or tired. No, no. This is far worse: Writerâs block. You try to stop your mind wandering off. You try to stop being distracted by your long to-do-list. You try to write, but you feel like everything you do manage to jot down is⦠well⦠terrible. You know you have to keep going, but how? How do you overcome writerâs block and get back into your writing groove? The truth: You need to have some fun. Not take a break, not go for walk, not get some sleep. All of that is fine and good for a simple case of boredom, but the real cause of writerâs block is youâre holding on too tight. You need to loosen up. You need to go a little crazy. You need to let the goofy side of you out for a little while and get your creative juices flowing again. Here are 27 refreshingly original ways to get over writerâs block: How to Overcome Writerâs BlockTechnique #1. Talk to An Imaginary FriendWhether youâve 10 readers or 10,000, thinking about them makes writing a post daunting. So, forget about your readers. Instead, create an imaginary friend. Your friend is a real fan. He (or she) loves everything you write. He supports everything you do. Give your imaginary friend a name. Create a little drawing or find a picture of a lookalike. Pin this picture on the wall above your desk. Instead of writing a blog post, start a conversation with your friend. Or write him a letter. Discuss his dreams and challenges. Help him with whatever he is struggling with. Be a good friend. Technique #2. Curse Like a SailorFeeling a little frustrated? Well, let it out. Before you start writing, curse like a sailor. Get angry. Be emotional. Write something youâre passionate about. Have a good rant. Donât worry about going too far. Good writing isnât about picking the right words. You need to make your audience feel something. Inspire them. Writing is emotion. Sure, youâll have to edit your first draft. You might even decide to toss it. It doesnât matter, though, because the point is to overcome writerâs block, not write the perfect post. Just remember: you can correct mistakes in a passionate piece of writing, but you canât add emotions to a flat post. So, let it rip. Technique #3. Use a Different Writing ToolStuck in a creative rut? Try using a different writing tool. Switch from Microsoft Word to Google Docs. Or type your post directly into WordPress. Switch from a serif to a non-serif font. Or try a script font and change your font color to blue. Or my favorite option: Increase your font size. It seems silly, but itâs amazing how those small changes can cure writerâs block and make writing interesting again. Technique #4. Take a Short Trip to Overcome Writerâs BlockMissing your family? Got a friend you havenât seen in a while? Well, letâs go see them. The key: Donât drive. Instead, hop on a bus, a train, or a plane that takes you there. Then challenge yourself to write a short post before you arrive. My advice: leave your iPad or laptop at home. Just bring your mobile phone or a pad of paper. And donât stop writing until you arrive. Technique #5. Chug Some CaffeineOkay. Okay. I know caffeine isnât good for you. But sometimes you need something to keep going. Donât waste your fantastic ideas just because you canât keep awake. Try this schedule: Set a kitchen timer for 25 minutes â or use the focus booster. After 25 minutes of concentrated writing, take a break. Stop even if you feel like finishing a paragraph. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee. Start your next 25 minutes and drink your cup of coffee. Green tea fuels my blog posts. What fuels yours? Technique #6. Stop Writing for Your ReadersTo get over writerâs block, sometimes you just have to write something you want to write. It doesnât matter whether it suits your blog or not. Just get on with it. Get it off your chest. Why not? Technique #7. Stop Planning Your PostsWriting a post outline can speed up your writing. Itâs a proven technique. But it can also suck the joy out of writing. When you find yourself bored with a particular piece, stop planning. Write whatever comes into your mind. It may all be gibberish, but somewhere youâll find a precious idea. A thought you can use to create a full post. Technique #8. Surprise Yourself with This Writerâs Block TechniqueGive your mind time to wander. Get distracted. Embrace serendipity. Donât read only blogs about your topic. Donât just follow industry peers on Twitter. Donât just read the latest books of thought leaders in your niche. Go to a random movie. Watch a random channel on TV. Go to a museum. Surprise yourself. Find unexpected metaphors. The creative process is unpredictable, mysterious, and serendipitous (Malcolm Gladwell). Fuel your creativity by reading outside your niche. Technique #9. Write at a Different TimeWeâre always told about the importance of forming habits and having a fixed writing schedule. Stephen King has a fixed schedule. So does Haruki Murakami. And John Grisham. Routine habits can be good for creativity and reducing writerâs block. But what if your writing practice gets associated with lack of inspiration, procrastination, and despair? Break your habit. Try writing at a different time. Experiment. Technique #10. Write at a Different PlaceLeaving your desk is a proven cure for creative blocks. If you can, take a break and go travelling. If you canât travel, just drag yourself away from your desk. Go to a park. Try your local Starbucks or go to the library. Go somewhere thatâs not associated with work. Take your iPad and write wherever your feet take you. Technique #11. Go to a BookstoreIf youâre lucky, your bookstore sells coffee and tea. So, make yourself comfortable, find the shelf with books about your niche, and open up your notepad. (Thank you to Sean dâSouza for this idea.) Look through the table of contents of each book to find blog post ideas. Write them down in your notepad. Donât leave the bookstore until youâve written down 10 ideas for new blog posts. And if youâre enjoying yourself, outline one or two posts in your notepad while finishing your cup of coffee. Donât read any further than the table of contents. You should write the content of your blog post yourself (of course). Technique #12. Wash the Dishes to Get over Writerâs BlockDo you get your best ideas in the shower? Your brain needs to relax before coming up with an insight. Staring at your computer screen might work counterproductive. Trying to force an insight might actually prevent the insight from appearing. If you donât want to waste water by showering three times a day, try other routine tasks: Hoover your room. Fold the laundry. Or wash the dishes. Above all: Relax. Technique #13. Create Your Own Merry-Go-RoundDone all your household chores? Or just donât feel like cleaning again? Try this alternative routine: walk around in circles. Or just pace up and down your room. Seems silly, I know, but sometimes just the simple act of movement can help you overcome writerâs block. Give it shot. #14. Shut Down Your ComputerIn his book Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon describes his digital and his analogue desk. The analogue desk is where his work is born. The digital desk is for editing and publishing. Come on. Shut down your computer. Get a pen and paper. Or pencils, markers, and index cards. Get the feeling that youâre making something. It will inspire you. Technique #15. Browse Your Photo AlbumsSharing tidbits about yourself is a good way to build up a relationship with your readers. Browse your photo album to find anecdotes to share; and link these stories to your topic. Thatâs how I came up with the idea of comparing cycling trips with surviving a content marketing journey. Remind yourself of who you are. Think about the lessons youâve learnt. Who has inspired your career? How have your travels influenced your thinking? Technique #16. Stop Worrying About Grammar to Deal with Writerâs BlockTrying to write the perfect post can discourage you from writing. Stop trying to be perfect. Accept your first draft may be crappy. Just write as fast as you can. Editing can come later. Technique #17. Goof Around on Facebook, Linkedin or InstagramSocial media can be a huge time suck. We all know that. But if youâre stuck and donât know what to write about, then social media is a rich mine full of precious ideas. Give yourself half an hour. Interact and ask some questions. Enjoy yourself. Above all, absorb what others are talking about. Youâre bound to find a good idea. Just be sure to set a timer. You donât want to get lost out there while trying to get rid of writerâs block. Technique #18. Start in the MiddleYou know you need to draw a reader into your post with a fantastic introduction. Thatâs true. But trying to write the perfect opening can obstruct your writing process. Leave your introduction for later. Just get going with your post. Technique #19. Reread Your Glory PostsFeeling down? Youâve lost your mojo and doubting your writing skills. It happens to all bloggers at some stage. Remember that post youâve written a while back? Your best ever post? Go back and read the post. Word by word. You see how good you are? That talent didnât go anywhere. Itâs still inside you. Sometimes we just need a little reminder. Technique #20. Take a Cigarette Break to Get past Writerâs BlockWhoa. A smoke? Well, you donât have to light up. But a cigarette break takes about five minutes. And thatâs the perfect time to recharge yourself. The secret to creative productivity is to take breaks while youâre still in a flow. It helps you to get started again after your break. If you donât crave a cigarette every so often, good for you! Just set a timer to take a break. Donât spend your break tweeting, liking, and plussing. Thatâs not truly relaxing. Spend five minutes staring out of the window. Stand outside on your porch or balcony and listen to the traffic. Or watch the clouds float by. As if youâre a lonely smoker. Technique #21. Listen to the RainWhatâs the most relaxing sound? When you take your âcigaretteâ break to stare out of the window, switch on the sound of rain. Technique #22. Be a MisfitBeing a blogger isnât about conforming to the norms. Donât feel the pressure to be like your hero bloggers. You have to stand out on the web. You have to be YOU. Accept youâre a misfit. Just like me. Just like Jon. Just like all other bloggers. Be yourself. Enjoy yourself. Because your enthusiasm is contagious. Technique #23. Steal IdeasIs your wish to be original causing your writerâs block? Learn how to steal ideas and make them your own. Snatch post ideas from different writers, but donât copy outright. Read widely. Mix ideas from scientists and artists. Plunder quote books. As Austin Kleon says: âAll creative work builds on what came before.â Technique #24. Read Health Magazines to Cure Writerâs BlockI wonât lecture you about keeping fit. You know that. But health magazines are one of the best sources for headline and blog post inspiration. For instance, the idea to write 36 Quick Fixes to Jumpstart Lifeless Business Blogs came from the headline Food Fixes for Insomnia. You donât have to go out and spend money to buy a few magazines. Read covers of Menâs Health Magazine or Womenâs Health Magazine online. Or check out the health section on Amazon. Technique #25. Reread Your First Ever Blog PostIf youâve been blogging for six months or more, youâve written a lot. And youâve learnt a lot. Go back to your first few blog posts. Find one you can rewrite. Add power words, glean new insights, develop new arguments, and new examples. Voila. You got a new post. Technique #26. Create Weird ChallengesIs writing becoming a chore? Fed up with writing how-to posts? Create new challenges to have some fun. For instance:
Tickle your brain to make writing fun. Technique #27. Get Your Inner Critic on Your SideThe difference between good and great bloggers is your inner critic. As Mike Monday says: âA good producer and a great producer have the same number of ideas â some good, some great. But a great producer will know the difference.â Your inner critic can help you become a better blogger. So how do you get him on your side? Start writing a few practice paragraphs. Youâre just warming up. Listen to your inner critic to see how you can improve. Write and edit as you go. Your inner critic doesnât need to be your enemy. He could be your cure for writerâs block. Make him your friend. The Truth About Writerâs BlockWriting is hard work. Thereâs no doubt about that. But you can make it even harder by accepting writerâs block. Donât become a tortured genius. Choose to get on with writing. Experiment. Find out what works for you. Write where and when you like. Be as crazy as you like to be. Come on. Have fun. Letâs try something wacky.
About the Author: Henneke Duistermaat is an irreverent copywriter and business writing coach. Sheâs on a mission to stamp out gobbledygook and to make boring business blogs sparkle. Get her free 16-Part Snackable Writing Course for Busy People and learn how to enchant your readers and win more business.
The post Writerâs Block: 27 Techniques to Overcome It Forever appeared first on Smart Blogger. from https://smartblogger.com/writers-block/ Do you ever have doubts? You’re building your blog, hoping to one day turn it into a full-time income, but you have no guarantees it will ever pay off. What if this blog you created is doomed to fail? What if you’re wasting your time? What if you’re fooling yourself thinking this will ever lead anywhere? Building a profitable blog is hard work, and it usually takes time to see the rewards. Not everyone has the wherewithal to see it through. But those who do can find amazing opportunities. Today, we’re showcasing a few of the biggest blogging success stories. These 10 bloggers built their blogs and today make $1 million per year or more. We’ll tell you how they got started, how they built their blogs, and how they generate revenue. These stories will show you that you can take many paths to blogging success, and hopefully they’ll inspire you to see it through. #1. Michelle Schroeder-GardnerMichelle Schroeder-Gardner didn’t intend for her blog to become the income machine it is today. She started it more as a hobby, not even thinking she would ever make money from it. Once she made her first $100 from her blog, though, that changed. She saw the potential and got more interested in turning her hobby into a business. Her blog kept doing better and better, and eventually she was able to quit her job as a financial analyst and work on her blog full-time. She’s currently traveling full-time, touring North America in an RV and loving her life with her husband. How she makes money from her blog:Her blogging income picked up some serious steam in 2016, when she further diversified her income. Her main source of income up to that point was affiliate marketing, with some money coming in through sponsorships and advertisements. In 2016, though, she created her course Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. Her income doubled the month she launched her course, and in 2017 she had her first million-dollar year. #2. Steve PavlinaSteve Pavlina is an author, a motivational speaker, and one of the most prolific self-development bloggers online. He grew his blog to more than two million monthly visitors without spending a dime on marketing or promotion. Steve’s passion for personal development began when he was sitting in jail, having been arrested for felony grand theft. At that moment, he decided to work on improving himself and turn his life around. And it paid off. He accomplished many amazing things. He earned two college degrees in the span of three semesters. He founded a software company that developed computer games. He ran the Los Angeles Marathon and trained in martial arts. How he makes money from his blog:Steve has experimented with many income streams to see which he likes best. He mostly makes his money from affiliate marketing/joint ventures and hosting live workshops. When hosting one of his workshops, he asks people who register about their personal struggles and uses this feedback to custom-tailor each workshop, which means he never does the same workshop twice. Steve has also written a book called Personal Development for Smart People, the purpose of which was to create a single framework for growth that people could apply to all areas of their lives. #3. Pat FlynnPat Flynn was thriving in his career as an architect and had no plans to leave — until an economic downturn hit his industry hard and he was laid off from his job. Before all this happened, Pat had created a little website to help him study for an architectural exam. It got thousands of visitors, and he realized he could leverage this traffic for income. After studying up on doing business online, he created an ebook which he sold for $19.99 and made over $7,000 in his first month. This got him so excited that he started Smart Passive Income, a blog on which he would share his strategies that helped him grow his online business. Today, this blog generates over $100K each month, with some months doubling or even tripling that figure. But it’s not the money or material wealth that motivates him. Pat has remained a down-to-earth guy whose primary motivation is his family. He loves the freedom to plan his day around his family instead of his business, which allows him to spend the day with them and save work for after his kids go to sleep. How he makes money from his blog:Pat has done a great job of diversifying his income over the years. The bulk of his income comes from affiliate marketing and course sales, but he also sells books, software, and apps, and he makes money from podcast sponsorships. #4. Chiara Ferragni
Site: The Blonde Salad
Niche: Fashion & Lifestyle Income: $2.5 million from her blog in 2015 (source); $20 million from her shoe line in 2016 (source) Chiara Ferragni’s track record is impressive, to say the least. She got her feet off the ground posting her daily outfits to Flickr, an image-sharing website, where she amassed a significant following. She then started her personal style blog in 2009 — when personal style blogs weren’t really a thing yet — and within two months she got tens of thousands of visitors per day. She quickly began receiving sponsorship offers from fashion brands such as Dior and Louis Vuitton. And three exams away from finishing her law degree, she decided to make The Blonde Salad her main focus. Since then, Chiara has amassed over ten million followers on Instagram, Forbes named her one of the most influential people under 30, and she was the first fashion blogger to score a cover on Vogue. How she makes money from her blog:The Blonde Salad transitioned from an outfit-of-the-day blog to a full-on lifestyle platform with its own e-commerce clothing store. And Chiara Ferragni has become a brand in her own right and makes thousands of dollars through sponsorships, modeling, and appearance fees. On top of that, Chiara leveraged her platform to launch her own shoe line, the Chiara Ferragni Collection, aside from her blog. This line has reportedly made made eight figures in 2016. #5. Vitaly FriedmanVitaly Friedman was a freelance web designer before he started blogging. He had never taken a single design class at the time, but learned his skills from reading articles online. He always had an interest in writing and editing as well, though, and he wanted to give back to the design community, so he started blogging. Through one of his projects he was introduced to Sven Lennartz, who asked him to write for his German magazine Dr. Web. One year later, they started Smashing Magazine. They had no idea it would become one of the most influential resources for web designers and developers. It grew from two people’s hobby to a business with a dozen employees and hundreds of contributors, and today gets over three million page views per month. (Sven Lennartz is no longer actively involved with the site.) How he makes money from his blog:For most of its existence, Smashing Magazine made money primarily from ad revenues. But seeing those revenues decline a few years ago, they focused more on selling their books and diversifying their income. They now have a library of 60+ e-books for sale (which they also sell in packages). They run high-ticket conferences and workshops. They added a job board where companies can purchase job postings and find skilled employees. And they offer membership packages which are reportedly their biggest source of income today. #6. Brian ClarkBrian Clark started writing about content marketing before people started calling it content marketing. He had been using content to market products and services for several years when he started CopyBlogger in 2006. At the time, he wasn’t focused on selling because he didn’t know what he would sell. He focused on building an audience and had faith that he would identify their pain points. And his faith was justified. As his audience grew, Brian was able to identify the problems content creators were having online, and he partnered with other entrepreneurs to create and sell solutions. How he makes money from his blog:Brian has offered a number of training programs, plugins, products, and services through his blog over the years. Many of them have since been taken off the market, and today his main income sources include:
#7. Timothy SykesTimothy Sykes took $12,000 of his Bar Mitzvah money and turned it into $2 million by trading penny stocks. This feat got him on Trader Monthly’s “Top 30 under 30” list and on a TV show called Wall Street Warriors. He then got hundreds of emails per day from people asking questions, which led him to write his book An American Hedge Fund. He initially launched his blog to help promote his book. Around that time though, his hedge fund lost 30%, which lost him a lot of credibility. To get it back, he decided to start from scratch and repeat his earlier feat of turning a few thousand into a few million, resolving to track each step of the way. Now he makes more money from teaching others how to trade than from trading himself. How he makes money from his blog:Timothy sells DVDs, offers coaching, and offers a subscription program called Tim Alerts, which lets his subscribers follow his trades in real time. #8. Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman
Site: A Beautiful Mess
Niche: Food, DIY Crafts, Décor, Beauty & Style Income: $1.5 million/year (Source) Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman are a sister team who have turned their food and DIY crafts blog into a raging success. Elsie started A Beautiful Mess in 2007 and Emma started a food blog a couple of years later. They then decided to combine forces, and that’s when things took off for them. At the time Elsie was running a retail shop, and she used the blog to move products, but the sisters soon realized that they enjoyed the blog more and that it was more profitable. They decided to close the shop and make the blog their main focus. How they make money from their blog:They once got business advice from a friend who said they should diversify their income, and boy, have they taken it to heart. They have built up several healthy and reliable income streams over the years and they try to add a new one every year. They sell banner ads through AdThrive, promote products through affiliate marketing, and offer sponsored content. They sell fashion, beauty, and wellness products in their online store as well as subscriptions to monthly beauty boxes and monthly stationery packages. On top of that, they’ve written three books, created several courses, and launched three bestselling photo-editing apps. #9. Darren Rowse
Sites: Digital Photography School & ProBlogger
Niche: Photography & Blogging Income: Seven figures per year (no exact numbers known) (source) When Darren Rowse started blogging, he was only looking for a new hobby. He blogged about living in Australia, religion, politics, and other topics he found interesting. He didn’t even know you could make money blogging at the time. A year later, he started another blog on digital photography and discovered he could make money through ads and affiliate marketing. He only made a few dollars per week at first, but it was enough for him to see the potential. After consulting his fianceé, he decided to treat blogging as a part-time job and devote two days per week to it. He saw his income grow from a part-time into a full-time income, and eventually into an income most only dream about. Darren has started and been involved with numerous blogs over the years, but learned after a few years that his blogs perform better when he focuses on a few. So today he only focuses on ProBlogger and Digital Photography School. How he makes money from his blogs:While affiliate marketing is still his biggest income source today, Darren has since been experimenting with different income streams over the years. His second-biggest income source is product sales. Between his two blogs, he sells dozens of e-books and several courses. On Digital Photography School, he also sells Lightroom presets. On ProBlogger he makes additional money through a job board, and also through hosting an annual event in Australia. In 2016, his earnings were split as follows: #10. Heather Delaney Reese (and Her Family)
Site: It’s a Lovely Life
Niche: Family, Lifestyle and Travel Income: $1,696,672 over the last 12 months (source) After two of her daughters were born, Heather Delaney Reese looked for ways she could use the journalism skills she acquired in college and still remain a full-time stay-at-home mom. You guessed it. She started a blog. At first she wrote about budgeting and saving money, but over time she transitioned to writing about her family’s lifestyle and travel. Her husband Pete eventually quit his job to also work on the blog, and their three daughters now contribute as well. Over time, she has turned what started as a hobby into a full-time career for their entire family. How they make money from their blog:Until March 2017, the Reese’s blogging income came solely from sponsored content. Every year their income increased as their audience grew and they were able to increase their rates. From March 2017, they also started promoting products and services through affiliate marketing. But their income truly boomed over the past seven months when they launched their premium courses, Blogging Blastoff and the Travel Blogging Fast Track, which they launched only months apart. The launch of these two courses doubled their income and propelled them into their first seven-figure year. Now Find Your Own Path to Blogging SuccessIf you ever have doubts whether you’re chasing a pipe dream with your blog, keep these stories in mind. They all took different paths to success. Not everyone struck gold with their first blog, and you may not either. Not everyone got rich on their first attempt, and you may not either. That’s okay. Every step is a learning moment. If you keep going and keep trying new things, you’ll reach your goals eventually. It may be faster than you think, or it might take longer than you hope. But. You. Will. Get. There. Keep that in mind the next time you’re plagued with doubts.
About the Author: Robert van Tongeren is the Associate Editor of Smart Blogger, who helps our writers get their posts in tip-top shape. He also runs his own blog that helps guys dress a little sharper at Restart Your Style. You can find him on Twitter here.
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