It’s an addiction like any other. Ten or twenty bucks will scratch that itch, but the high never lasts, and before long you’re craving the next hit. And the worst part? Nobody understands. Except just maybe a fellow addict… That’s how I’d introduce myself to the support group. (You know, the one that doesn’t exist yet.) I’d stand up and tell my story to a circle of fellow addicts, who’d nod their silent support. My own addiction started with an act of vanity — I acquired the .COM version of my own name. That was 17 years ago, and owning a piece of Internet real estate was novel and exciting. But that first domain registration, like the first high from an illicit drug, set me on the path to dependency. The Telltale Signs of a Destructive Domain HabitLike many addicts, I failed to acknowledge my problem until it was too late. For years I told myself buying domains was just a harmless hobby. Something to do on evenings and weekends to help unwind after work. But over time my hobby became a powerful obsession. I’d wake up each morning with a head full of new domain ideas and a burning desire to check their availability. At social occasions, I’d sneak out of the room to browse domain resale sites on my smartphone. And despite plans to become a savvy domain “flipper,” I was selling almost none of the domains I bought, instead keeping them for personal use. Eventually, my behavior became more erratic. I would buy any domains I could get my hands on — .ORGs, .COs, even .INFOs. One Monday morning I hit rock bottom when I found a dozen GoDaddy receipts in my inbox for domains that had no practical purpose. Worse still, I couldn’t even remember buying them. These days I’m on the road to recovery, and my mission is to help other addicts. So take a careful look at the list below, and see if you recognize any of these destructive behaviors. If so, you might just be a domain name junkie. #1. You Just Can’t Quit GoDaddyWhen you’re a domain name junkie, you struggle to think about anything else. You spend every idle moment brainstorming cool domains for your “someday, one day” online projects. And once an idea has surfaced, you simply must know — is the name already taken? It doesn’t matter where you are, at work, at home, even in bed. You have to know. When you discover the domain has already been taken (the good ones usually are), you start the search for viable alternatives. And once you’ve dived down the rabbit hole, you can hardly crawl back out. #2. You Lie About How Many Domains You OwnWhen you start collecting domains, it’s fun to log in to your account and delight in the breadth of your online kingdom. But one day you reach the point where that list of domains is a painful reminder of a habit that’s out of control. When your partner catches you buying yet another domain and casually asks, “How many is that now?” you pretend you don’t know, or deliberately lowball the true number. But of course, lying is a telltale sign your casual hobby has turned into a serious problem. #3. You’ve Started Dabbling in the Newer TLDsIn the beginning (well, 1985), just six top-level domains (TLDs): .COM, .ORG, .NET, .EDU, .GOV and .MIL existed, but that list has since snowballed. Today we have more than 1,500 TLDs including .COFFEE, .LAWYER and .PORN. On the one hand, domains are more plentiful than ever, and even if your dream .COM is long gone, you have hundreds of other options for snagging a snappy name. On the other hand, who knows how much prestige these newer domains will hold over the longer term? Nobody wants to build their blog around the domain equivalent of a pet rock. Some domain junkies won’t look beyond .COM, but if you’re exploring the murkier end of the market (.CM anyone?), it might be a sign that your hobby’s taking a worrying turn. #4. You Tell Yourself You’re a “Domain Investor”When your domain account lists tens (or even hundreds) of seemingly random domain purchases, there are two ways to explain it. Either it’s the result of years of clueless impulse buying from a click-happy domain junkie with no more strategy than a half-blind pigeon pecking in the dirt. Or it’s the culmination of a strategic acquisition campaign to build a valuable portfolio of undervalued digital assets for future sale. Not surprisingly, most domain name “enthusiasts” favor the second version. But deep down, if you suspect there’s very little method to your madness, it might be time to go cold turkey on domains. #5. You Read the Thesaurus… for FunNot every domain you dream up will be available for registration. The truth is, most won’t. That’s why a thesaurus is a domain collector’s best friend. In fact, uncovering snappy synonyms for your latest near-miss idea can be a lot of fun. But if a thesaurus has become your favorite bedtime read (you know, just in case a cool domain idea jumps out) it may be time to seek professional help. Because — wake up call! — it’s a reference book, not the latest Jack Reacher. #6. You Secretly Stalk the Person Who Owns YourName.comI was lucky. I grabbed my personal domain before anyone else could. But if you have a popular birth name, or you were just too slow to the punch, your best options may already have gone. And that really stings. Because when your name’s John Brown, telling people your treasured home on the Internet is TheRealJohnWBrown.info is plain embarrassing. And that’s why you secretly stalk the person who nabbed your name online. You stake out their website, mentally mocking their pathetic efforts while waiting patiently for the right moment to pounce. Because one day, they’ll forget to renew that domain and then, my friend, victory will be yours. #7. You’ve Felt the Pain of “Lapsers Remorse”Sometimes you see a domain for what it is — a dumb impulse purchase you’ll never be able to use or resell. Maybe you tried to make money by listing it for sale at a couple of domain marketplaces but didn’t get the faintest sniff of interest. So when it comes up for renewal, you do the sensible thing and let it lapse. You even feel good about your level-headed decision. Weeks later, you casually check to see if anyone’s re-registered it and find it’s now listed on a “premium domains” site for $3,000! Of course, just because it’s listed for thousands doesn’t mean it’s worth thousands. But you can’t escape the feeling you let a valuable domain slip through your fingers. #8. You’re Considering a Domain-Inspired Career MoveSometimes you’ll stumble across a domain name that’s so good you simply have to own it… even though it’s totally unrelated to your work or hobbies. The smart move would be to snag it and sell it for a profit to someone who can make good use of it. But like Gollum and that damned ring, you can’t quite bring yourself to part with it. So your brain starts to explore a future possible world where you become the person for whom this is the perfect domain. Sure it means throwing away years of hard-won experience and starting a blog in a new field. But finding a domain this good must be a signal from the universe, right? #9. You Lose Interest in Domains Moments After Buying ThemOnce the buzz of snagging the name you’ve been lusting after subsides, a faint sense of regret can quickly follow. “I can’t believe nobody bought this yet,” quickly turns to, “I can’t believe I just bought that.” And the longer you hold onto a domain, the more money you rack up in wasted renewal fees. The best way to take your mind off this painful predicament? Start scouting for your next domain name. #10. You Have a Conspiracy Theory about Domain RegistrarsMaybe this happened to you… One day you check a new domain and find it available for the regular price. The next day it’s suddenly a “premium” domain, commanding several thousand dollars. And you can’t help but wonder: Did my search alert the registrar to the juicy potential of this previously unrecognized name? You wouldn’t be alone in your suspicions. Type “do domain registrars” into Google and “steal domains?” is the top auto-complete suggestion. Are registrars capable of dirty tricks like this? Maybe. It’s difficult to be sure. But paranoid thoughts like these might be the first sign your harmless hobby is turning into a dangerous addiction. Learn to Spot the Signs of Addiction Before It’s Too LateDomain name addiction is real. And it can wreck your life if you don’t catch it in time. If you suspect you might be addicted, ask yourself the following questions:
If so, you’re likely a domain name junkie. The good news? With the right support, a full recovery is possible. But you must take that crucial first step. Acknowledge your addiction. So repeat after me: “I’m a domain name junkie. And today’s the day I get help.”
About the Author: Glen Long is Smart Blogger’s operations guy and a recovering domain name junkie. He’s holding a “yard sale” of the best blogging, copywriting and content marketing domains that he’s collected over the years — go check it out.
The post 10 Things You’ll Only Understand If You’re a Domain Name Junkie appeared first on Smart Blogger. from https://smartblogger.com/domain-name-junkie/
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Are you accomplishing your blogging goals? Are you failing on your New Year's resolutions? In this episode, you will discover how to get more done that actually matters. Listen to the episode
I have a confession to make. Over the last 7 or 8 years, I've been a part of an amazing mastermind group. And at the beginning of the year, we get together to talk about our goals. Every year, I write down my goals for that year and share it with the other members of the group. We all do it. Yet, if I'm to be perfectly honest, I can't remember accomplishing any of the goals I shared with my mastermind groups. They are usually large goals, and I find myself putting most of those goals back on my list the next year. However, over the last month or so, I've made more progress towards my goals than I'd made in entire years previously. Why? Because of the process I've gone through. A process that I believe can change your life like it has changed mine. One that will make you way more productive. But there's good news and bad news. The bad news: It's going to take AT LEAST 10 to 20 hours to get set up. The good news: It'll save you a ton of time and help you get WAY more done. And I want to challenge you to take this seriously. You in? Then keep reading. Goal-setting for BloggersIn order to accomplish your blogging goals, it's important for you to spend the time to work out your blogging goals. In order to accomplish the blogging goals that really matter, they need to be understood and evaluated in the proper context. Here are the steps I recommend you take. Step 1 – Write down (and break down) your life goalsWait a minute Leslie? Why are we going so deep so fast? Here's the fact – it will take a whole lot of work to accomplish your blogging goals, especially if they are big goals. Starting with your life goals helps to give your blogging goals context. It helps you to get clear on your “why”. In the episode, I walk you through a more detailed process for coming up with your life goals. Step 2 – Write down (and break down) your business goalsOnce you understand your life goals, it's important to then think about your business goals in the context of those life goals. If you're reading this, you are most likely trying to start a blog as a business. You're not just in it to have an outlet. You want to actually make money from it. Well if that's the case, you want to set some goals for where you want your business to go. And from there, you can move on to the next step. Step 3 – Write down (and break down) your blogging goalsNow that you have your business goals, it's time to focus on your blogging goals in that context. By doing it this way, you know that your blogging goals will help you meet your business goals. And since your business goals are in the context of your life goals, what you do with your blog will help you to accomplish your life goals. I highly recommend for you to listen to the episode above to see how this all plays out. How to Break Down Your GoalsIn order to break down your goals, there are a few important questions that you want to answer. I also recommend that you write down your answers to these questions. What is the goal?This is where you want to get specific. It's not good enough to say I want to make money with my blog. It's better to say I want to make money by selling my first product by a specific date. Or I want to grow my email list to 10,000 subscribers by the end of the year. Write down your goal and be specific. Why do I want to accomplish that goal?If you understand why you want to accomplish your goal, you'll be more likely to accomplish it. Write down your “why” for each goal in one sentence. If you can't come up with a reason why then it shouldn't be on your goal list. What are the benefits of reaching that goal?If you're setting a goal, there will be benefits associated with that goal. What are they? Write them down for each of your goals. If you can't think of any benefits, I can't think of a reason why you'd want to accomplish that particular goal. What are the pains associated with not reaching that goal?One of the things I've learned on my journey as a blogger is that people are more likely to take action to solve a specific pain point in their lives. Getting clear on the pains that are associated with not accomplishing your goal will make you want to fight more to accomplish your goal. What do I need to know to accomplish my goal?This is where education comes in. To get to where you want to get, you will have to learn certain things. You can take courses, listen to podcasts, and even read books to help you learn what you need to learn. However, you need to be clear on what you need to learn so that you can pursue those resources. Who do I need to engage to help me accomplish that goal?No man is an island. In order to get to where you want to be, there are people out there that can help you. Knowing who those people are will help you plan out your strategy from connecting with them and engaging them in the right way. What steps do I need to take?This is where the rubber meets the road. It's important to come up with a plan of attack. You may not know everything that needs to be done right now. But you can at least come up with a plan of things to do to figure out what needs to be done. Come up with a plan so that you can know what to act on. When will I accomplish each goal by?It's important to set a date. Then your goal becomes real. If your anything like me, setting that specific date will help you to push harder as that date slowly creeps up on you. Tracking your progressNow that you've broken down your goals, it's important to have a way to track your progress. It's what you do on a daily and weekly basis that will contribute to the goals that you reach on a monthly and yearly basis. And tracking your progress will help you to continually be aware of where you are in the process and what's left to be done. Here are my recommendations: Choose 3 – 5 goals to start working onNow that you have your huge list of goals, it can be overwhelming to try to attack them all. In fact, it's virtually impossible and you will be easily discouraged. That's why I recommend choosing 3 – 5 goals to start with. These are the goals you'll be focused on right now. Set Weekly goalsAt the beginning of each week, determine what you need to accomplish that week to get you closer to accomplishing those 3 – 5 goals by the dates you specified. Write those down at the top of your weekly planner, which can be a simple notebook or something like The Performance Planner by Zig Ziglar. Plan your daily schedule and task for tomorrowEvery day, it's important to plan out the next day's schedule and tasks. The last thing you want is to wake up uncertain about what needs to be done. Your goal is to jump to action as soon as you start your day. Knowing what to do beforehand is essential. Of course, make sure the tasks your write down will help you accomplish the goals you are focused on accomplishing that week. Reflect daily on what you accomplishedAt the end of each day, take note of what tasks you complete. More importantly, which goals didn't you work on. Make a note of that. You won't work on every goal every day. However, if you keep seeing a goal show up as not being worked on, that will prompt you to add tasks related to that goal on future days. Reflect weekly on what you accomplishedIt's also important to evaluate how your week went. Where are you in terms of your goals? What did you accomplish? Where could you use some improvement? What didn't you work on as much as you would like? Bringing it togetherI know – the plan that I'm proposing here will take a lot of work. You're welcome! Accomplishing your goals takes work. The problem is that most people are already doing the work, but are not doing the right things to help them accomplish their goals. By having the clarity I outlined in this episode, you'll gain the confidence to know that you're not wasting time. And when it's all said and done, you'll be checking those goals off quicker than ever before. So what do you say? Will you take me up on this challenge? If so, let me know in the comments area below. The post Goal-setting for Bloggers: How to Get More Done That Matters appeared first on Become A Blogger by Leslie Samuel. from https://www.becomeablogger.com/26414/goal-setting-bloggers-get-more-done/ Letâs cut right to the chase⦠If you want to find the best affiliate networks in 2019 so you can start earning some sweet passive income, youâve come to the right place. Thereâs no fluff here. No overwhelming list of 100+ affiliate networks that all sound the same. No superficial content that doesnât help you answer the only question that matters: whatâs the best affiliate network for me? Hereâs what weâre going to do: Iâm going to briefly answer some common questions, show you the top affiliate networks we recommend for 2019, and quickly break down each of them for you. You will then take the information, choose an affiliate network to join, and start padding your wallet with twenties. Sound good? Then letâs get started. Affiliate Networks: Q&AUp first are the questions and answers. Already an affiliate marketing aficionado? Awesome. Click here to jump ahead. What is an Affiliate Network?Affiliate networks are middlemen connecting bloggers and entrepreneurs (âpublishersâ) with companies (âmerchantsâ) offering affiliate program opportunities for their products or services. Through a single portal, affiliate networks give publishers access to numerous affiliate programs. If that sounds like a bunch of gobbledygook, donât worry. Hereâs the important part: You monetize your blog with these affiliate programs by using a process called affiliate marketing. What is Affiliate Marketing?Affiliate marketing is a new twist on an old idea: getting a finderâs fee when you refer a customer. You introduce your audience to a product or service and, if they buy using your unique affiliate link, you earn a commission. In short: find a product or service you like, promote it to your blogâs readers, and earn part of the profit on each sale. Can You Really Make Money with Affiliate Marketing?Absolutely. Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income earned over $2 million through affiliate marketing in 2017. John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneurs on Fire earned $37,974 â in November 2018 alone. Slightly (ahem) on the other end of the spectrum, one of my affiliate programs has earned $3,450 over a span of 3 years. Thatâs not âquit my jobâ money. Itâs not even âhire Nicolas Cage to attend my birthday partyâ money. However, as passive income resulting from a single blog post I wrote years ago, itâs not too shabby. Your mileage can and will vary, of course. But itâs definitely possible to make real, tangible, passive income through affiliate marketing. Smart, attractive people just like you do it every day. So, that begs the question⦠What is the Best Affiliate Network?Thatâs what Iâm going to help you figure out. Iâll give you the breakdown (in no particular order) â you choose the network that best fits your needs. Letâs get to it. #9. ShareASaleThe Scoop on ShareASale
What Makes ShareASale Different?Thanks in part to its solid reputation, ShareASale is trusted by quite a few big-name companies. In fact⦠Over 1,000 merchants, such as WP Engine and OptinMonster, are exclusive to the network. If you want to advertise their products, you can only do so through ShareASale. Who Should Join ShareASale?Anyone whoâs looking for a reliable affiliate network that offers a wide variety of affiliating marketing options (thus eliminating the need to join multiple networks) should give ShareASale a try. Whether you want to offer services, physical goods, or digital downloads to your audience, ShareASale has you covered. #8. ClickbankThe Skinny on Clickbank
What Makes Clickbank Different?By focusing on digital products created by entrepreneurs from all over the globe, Clickbank offers affiliate opportunities you canât find anywhere else. But be careful⦠While Clickbank itself, the network, has a solid reputation, some of the products offered by its merchants can be questionable. You have to do your homework. If you do, youâll be fine. If you donât, and you end up promoting some subpar products, your audience wonât be happy. (For the record: this advice is applicable to every affiliate network.) Who Should Join Clickbank?If youâre looking to exclusively promote digital products, and you want (literally) millions of options, Clickbank is a good bet. #7. CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction)The Lowdown on CJ Affiliate
What Makes CJ Affiliate Different?It offers lots of bells and whistles, such as real-time reporting. That means you can monitor activity on your account as it happens. (No more having to refresh your browser every five seconds like a caveman.) Who Should Join CJ Affiliate?Anyone with an established audience who wants a feature-rich affiliate network will find a lot to like with CJ Affiliate. However, it may not be a good choice for beginners. Because accounts are deactivated if you go six months without earning a commission, and because their merchants have a reputation for being picky on who they accept as publishers, CJ Affiliate is best for those who get steady traffic to their websites. However, if you already have an audience of modest size and engagement, youâll appreciate what CJ Affiliate has to offer. #6. Amazon AssociatesThe Rundown on Amazon Associates
What Makes Amazon Associates Different?By offering the entire Amazon catalog, no affiliate network can match the sheer volume of physical and digital products offered by Amazon Associates. Heads up, though: Including affiliate links in emails is against Amazonâs company policy, so keep this in mind if email marketing is your primary method for promoting affiliate products. Who Should Join Amazon Associates?Affiliate marketers who are familiar with the Amazon ecosystem will feel right at home with Amazon Associates. Those looking to promote services should look elsewhere, but anyone who wants to focus on physical and digital products will find millions of different opportunities in hundreds of different categories with Amazon Associates. #5. eBay Partner Network (EPN)The 411 on eBay Partner Network
What Makes eBay Partner Network Different?One thing that sets EPN apart from other affiliate networks is the way it lets you promote⦠unique offerings. The great Weird Al Yankovich once sang about buying William Shatnerâs toupee on eBay. With the eBay Partner Network, if such a transaction ever takes place, you could earn a commission on it. Who Should Join eBay Partner Network?If your focus is on physical products and you want the peace of mind that comes with doing business with a large company youâre already familiar with, eBay Partner Network is a great option. #4. FlexOffersThe Skinny on FlexOffers
What Makes FlexOffers Different?When you sign up with FlexOffers, youâre assigned a dedicated account manager to help you navigate the affiliate marketing waters. This makes it a good fit for both beginners and veterans of affiliate marketing. Who Should Join Flexoffers?Donât let its youth fool you. If you want lots of affiliate options, great support, and quick turnaround on payments, FlexOffers is a solid contender. #3. PepperjamThe Scoop on Pepperjam
What Makes Pepperjam Different?Publishers and merchants can communicate with one another inside the Pepperjam system. Thatâs very unique. Want to ask a merchant who caught your eye a question? Have at it. Flirt away. Pepperjam actually encourages communication so strong relationships can be built. Who Should Join Pepperjam?If you value transparency and customer support, youâll be hard pressed to do better than Pepperjam as an affiliate network. #2. Rakuten Marketing (formerly LinkShare)The Lowdown on Rakuten Marketing
What Makes Rakuten Marketing Different?Itâs been ranked the #1 affiliate network for 7 straight years by an industry publication that presumably knows about such things. Who Should Join Rakuten Marketing?If you want an affiliate network with an intuitive user interface, a great reporting system, and the kind of solid reputation you can only earn by being in the business for two decades, Rakuten Marketing is a great selection. #1. PeerFlyThe Rundown on PeerFly
What Makes PeerFly Different?PeerFly is known as a CPA (cost per action) affiliate network rather than the typical CPS (cost per sale). The âactionâ could be a sale, but it doesnât have to be. It could be whatever action (downloading an eBook, filling out a survey, etc.) the merchant desires. Though individual commissions typically arenât as high for CPAs, the number of commissions is usually higher. Who Should Join PeerFly?If youâre a beginner or have a small audience, PeerFlyâs CPA model is a good option. Actions are easier to obtain than sales, so your chances of success will be higher. And if youâre an old pro at affiliate marketing, the large selection and flexible payment options offered by PeerFly should serve you well too. Itâs Time to Choose an Affiliate NetworkLetâs cut to the chase one more time⦠Which affiliate network are you joining today? Which one is going to launch you on the path towards Pat Flynn and John Lee Dumas levels of ginormous passive income in 2019? You now know the track records and distinguishing details of 9 great affiliate networks. So now itâs time to choose. Passive income isnât a myth. Itâs real. Itâs out there. And itâs yours if you want it. Are you ready? Then letâs do this thing.
About the Author: When heâs not busy telling waitresses, baristas, and anyone else who crosses his path that Jon Morrow said he was in the top 1% of bloggers, Kevin J. Duncan uses his very particular set of skills to help bloggers improve their craft.
The post The 9 Best Affiliate Networks for Earning Passive Income in 2019 appeared first on Smart Blogger. from https://smartblogger.com/affiliate-networks/ What if I told you thereâs a new strategy for how to start a blog and make money, thatâs 20X faster, requires no software or technical expertise, and costs absolutely nothing up front? Youâd think there must be some hidden catch, right? But thereâs not. Itâs totally real. In this post, Iâm going to walk you through the newest method for how to start a blog, step-by-step, with screenshots and links to all the resources you need. Letâs jump in⦠Table of ContentsShould You Even Start a Blog in 2019? The Old Way to Create a Blog (And Why It Doesnât Work) Should You Even Start a Blog in 2019?With the dominance of video content on platforms like YouTube and Facebook, you might think the whole idea of blogging is a little⦠out of date. Research tells a different story, though: And itâs not just companies who are getting great results from blogging. It also works well forâ¦
So, letâs say you fall into one of these categories. Should you just install WordPress and get cracking? Actuallyâ no. The Old Way to Create a Blog (And Why It Doesnât Work)A few years ago, I wouldâve said WordPress was the only game in town. Itâs faster, more powerful, and more customizable than anything out there. Thatâs why they power 27% of the sites in the world. The problem? WordPress is also extremely complicated. Hereâs a typical list of tasks for setting up a new site:
If youâre a techie, and youâve done it all before, itâs not a big deal. You can do it all in a few hours. But if youâre a beginner learning how to start a blog for the first time? Itâs overwhelming, and once you see how much there is to learn, youâll probably feel like quitting. If you do push forward, you can spend months or even years stuck in a technical quagmire, just learning how to do everything the right way. Of course, you can always outsource it, but you donât really know what you are doing, your chances of picking the wrong service provider is pretty high. You might get scammed, hacked, or overcharged. And hereâs the really disturbing question: Even if you get your WordPress site set up the right way, what if you discover you chose the wrong market or nobody likes the content you are publishing? It happens all the time. When I was a beginner, I went through three failed blogs before I created one that succeeded. Each time, I spent dozens of hours setting up WordPress, only to discover the blog was never going to work, and I had to start over. If you push forward and set up WordPress without testing your idea first, I pretty much guarantee the same thing will happen to you too. The bottom line: Putting it all together, I think setting up a WordPress site is the worst possible approach for a beginner. Youâre just setting yourself up for failure. Fortunately, after working with thousands of students, Iâve discovered a new method that is much, much easier, not to mention faster, and Iâm going to outline the entire process for you here. How to Start a Blog and Make Money (the New Method)The driving principle behind this new method for how to start a blog is simple: Waste as little effort as possible. If youâre familiar with the thinking behind The Lean Startup by Eric Ries, everything outlined here will intuitively make sense to you. If not, hereâs the idea: Innovation is messy. Anytime you create something new â regardless of whether itâs an app or book or blog â thereâs a huge chance of getting it wrong and having to start over. The problem with blogging? Most people donât know thereâs a huge chance of failure, so they spend months or even years creating a blog that has zero chance of succeeding. Eventually, they realize where they went wrong, and they start over, but again, they invest months or even years into creating a second (or third or fourth) blog that doesnât work. And hereâs the part thatâs tough to swallow: This kind of failure is inevitable. Whenever youâre doing anything new, you will make mistakes and have to start over. It doesnât matter if you are smart, rich, or successful at many other things. The first time you launch a blog, you will fail. Itâs pretty much guaranteed to happen. The good news is, you can dramatically speed up the process. Instead of wasting months or years chasing a bad idea, you can find out if itâs going to work in weeks or even days. In fact, the process Iâm outlining here often destroys a bad idea within minutes. The result? You waste WAY less time. Instead of banging your head against the wall for months or even years before you finally figure everything out, you can adapt quickly and get to the right idea within a matter of weeks or months. Itâs at least 20X faster. Probably more like 100X. So, letâs dive in: #1. Make Sure Your Blog Is Actually Viable (Not All Are)
Important: The ideas in this section are subtle and hard to grasp. Reread it several times, and think about it carefully. We have tested it on thousands of students starting their blogs, and thereâs no question itâs correct, but itâs easy to misinterpret these rules. When in doubt, consult an expert (like us).
Itâs not fun to think about, but if thereâs no chance in hell of your blog succeeding, wouldnât you rather find out right now? Well, sometimes you can. One of the most damaging myths about blogging is the belief that you can start a successful blog targeting anyone, almost as if itâs a one-size-fits-all technology for getting âfree traffic.â But itâs not true. The fact is, blogs are good at getting traffic when targeting specific kinds of audiences, and they are absolutely terrible when targeting others. Itâs also shockingly common to target the wrong audience. Of the thousands of students who come into our courses, more than 95% begin by targeting a poor or nonexistent audience that will never be able to support a successful blog, no matter how much time they put into it, and we have to use this checklist to push them in the right direction. Surprising, right? You probably had no idea there was such a thing as a âbad audience,â but itâs true.
Here are some examples:
To be clear, Iâm not saying you canât target these audiences. Iâm saying blogging is an inefficient way of attracting them. Youâre better off using advertising, public relations, attending conferences, etc. Of course, the obvious question is, âWhy?â Why is it that some audiences are well-suited to blogs and others arenât? Letâs step through the criteria, and I believe it will become more clear. A good audienceâ¦
Interesting, right? And perhaps a bit unsettling? The good news is, a rule disqualifying a bad audience usually suggests the adjustment you need to make. For example, the audience of âparentsâ was disqualified by the rule that a good audience must âshare the same perspective,â but by subdividing the audience down to âmiddle-class mothers of toddlers,â we were able to find a viable audience. Sometimes though, you canât make a topic workable, no matter what you do. In those cases, look at the bright side: you just saved a lot of effort by finding out now rather than after years of trying. But what if your idea for a blog is indeed viable? Well then, itâs time to do a little good old-fashioned espionage! #2. Spy on Popular Blogs to See Whatâs WorkingThankfully, this next step is a lot less painful than the first one. Itâs also much easier to explain. Once youâve verified your blog has potential, you need to study the blogs your audience already reads. For instance, letâs say you want to start a blog for new homeowners. Youâll teach them how to make simple repairs themselves, maximize the value of their home, save money on their mortgage, and so on. After going through the checklist above, you discover it meets all the criteria, and â alakazam, alakazoo â you have a workable blog topic. Whatâs next? Well, the average new homeowner is in their 30s. Many are also parents. Chances are, a lot of them also have at least a passing interest in personal finance. Otherwise, they wouldnât be able to afford a home. So, hereâs what you do: study the top personal finance and parenting blogs. In particular, you need to uncover their most popular content and learn from the patterns you see. Hereâs how:
When you finish, youâll have a list of ideas for blog posts backed by evidence of popularity. While nothing is guaranteed in life, the success of these posts will be far better than anything you might dream up in the shower and decide to write about. As a result, you should have a much easier time outpacing your competitors. But itâs still worth testing a few of them, just to make sure⦠Test Your Ideas for Free on Medium (Not WordPress!)At this point, you might be tempted to grab a hosting account, install WordPress, and start blogging your heart out, but donât. Yes, youâve done some cool research. Yes, your ideas for blog posts are far more likely to succeed. Yes, youâre way ahead of most beginning bloggers. But I hate to break it to ya⦠Thereâs an excellent chance you analyzed all those popular posts from other blogs your audience reads and came to all the wrong conclusions. Before going through all the effort of creating a new blog, I recommend testing your ideas on perhaps the coolest blogging platform out there right now: If youâve never heard of it, Medium is the brainchild of Ev Williams, the geeky and brilliant co-founder of Twitter. He created it to become the largest, easiest to use blogging platform in the world, and heâs managed to attract over 30 million monthly readers, as well as celebrity writers like Matthew McConnaughhay and James Altucher. And hereâs the really cool part: you can write on Medium and get the chance to have your writing exposed to its 30 million readers, free of charge. Hereâs how:
Now, hereâs the big question: How do you know youâre ready to switch over to WordPress? Should you target a certain number of claps? Shares? Comments? Actually, none of the above. In my opinion, none of those really mean much. Youâre much better off paying attention to your outreach success rate. You see, influencers are an excellent judge of content. If you can convince 20% of the blogs you email to share your post, and you can hit at least 20% on three different posts, I believe youâre ready to start your own blog. If your outreach success rate hits 20%, thereâs also an excellent chance at least one of your posts will end up featured on Medium, either on one of the interests or maybe even the front page, driving thousands upon thousands of new readers to your post. Again, not only will that help you build your audience, but itâs an excellent indication youâre on the right track, and itâs time to branch off on your own.
Note: If youâre familiar with the Lean Startup, the approach weâre following here is similar to the idea of an MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Instead of creating a product though, you are creating the minimum amount of content necessary to test your post ideas.
Get a Clear (Not Clever!) Domain NameSo, lots of influencers are sharing your post on Medium, and youâre itching to crank up your own site and snag some of that traffic? Cool. Letâs just take it one step at a time, and the first step is getting a clear domain name. Put yourselves in the shoes of the visitor. Youâre browsing the web, and you see a headline for a blog post that catches your attention. Maybe a friend on Facebook shared it with you, maybe it came up on a Google search, or maybe itâs just a link in another article youâre reading. Regardless, you click the link, and consciously or not, youâre asking yourself a single question as you browse through it⦠âIs this for me?â Within a few seconds, you have to decide whether to keep reading the post or move on to something else, and the only way youâll stay is if itâs relevant to you. Not just the post, either. When youâre deciding, youâll take in the design of the page, other post headlines, and, yes, the domain name. For example, consider Entrepreneur.com. Is there any doubt who the site is for? Entrepreneurs, of course! How about MakeaLivingWriting.com? Obviously, itâs for people who want to make a living as a writer. Neither names are clever, but they help you decide to stay or go by clearly articulating who they are helping. Thatâs what a good domain name does. Of course, all the great domain names are taken, right? Not necessarily. Here are three different methods for finding the perfect domain name for your site:
My suggestion: Use these three strategies to make a list of 10-20 domain names youâd be happy having. You can write them out in a word processor, or if you want to get fancy, you can use a tool like NameStation to generate a lot of ideas at once. Once youâre finished brainstorming, head over to a site like NameCheap to see if they are available. Click âBulk Searchâ in the search box and paste in your domain names to check them all at once. Sometimes you get lucky, and one of your favorites is available. If not, you either have to head back to the drawing board for another brainstorming session, or you can go to a premium domain name marketplace like Sedo. Either way, one word of advice: Donât get hung up on your domain name. While itâs certainly helpful to have a good one, there are thousands of hugely popular sites with terrible domain names no one understands. In other words, itâs not really a âmake or breakâ factor for your site. Give yourself a few days or maybe a week to brainstorm ideas, and then make a decision, because once you have your domain name, you are ready to⦠Switch Over to WordPressYou knew we had to run into some technical stuff sooner or later, right? Well, here it is. Thereâs no code, complicated software to install or anything like that, but there are a lot of little steps you need to follow in exactly the right order. Itâs not too bad, though, I promise. You can do everything here in about an hour, and I have step-by-step guides to walk you through every little detail. Letâs get startedâ¦
Set Up WordPress the Right WayThe great thing about having a self-hosted WordPress site is youâre in total control. You can change how it looks, what functionality it has, improve its performance, and almost anything else you can imagine. The problem? Complete control also comes at a cost: complexity. There are thousands upon thousands of themes and hundreds of thousands of plug-ins to choose from, and you can easily lose weeks or even months of your life wading through them all and trying to figure out whatâs best for you. So, Iâm going to take a minimalist approach here. Rather than giving you a huge list of things to do, Iâm reducing it down to the absolute minimum, and Iâll even recommend some specific themes and plug-ins. Before we begin though, let me be clear about one thing: Your content matters more than anything else. You can have a site thatâs ugly, clunky, and slow, but if you have great content, youâll still get a lot of traffic. Not the opposite, though. You can have the most beautiful, user-friendly website online, but if the content sucks, nobody will give a damn about you. So, donât allow yourself to get lost in these details. Focus on making your website functional, and then you can always come back and make it unique or beautiful later. That said, here are some different options to consider: The Simplest Option: Elegant Themes
Cost: $89 per Year
You might wince a little at the annual price, but the advantage of Elegant Themes is they give you everything you need in one package:
Now, is every piece of it the best? No. In fact, I donât think they are the best in any single category. But the combination of everything put together makes it far easier to get started. The design is also top-notch. Thatâs why theyâve become the most popular theme company on the market with over 400,000 paying customers. The bottom line: If youâre looking for a simple, stable solution that will last you for years and doesnât require a âtech guyâ to get up and running, Elegant Themes is the way to go. The Free Option: A Hodgepodge of Stuff
Cost: Zero
So⦠what if you canât really afford to spend any money on your blog? What should you do then? The answer: Cobble together a hodgepodge of free stuff into a workable site. Hereâs what I would do: The downside? Sumo will only last until you hit 500 subscribers, and then you have to either switch to something else or start paying a rather high monthly fee to stay with them. You also have to update everything separately, and youâll have far less support if anything breaks. To me, those are some pretty big downsides, and I really wouldnât recommend it, but sometimes you donât have any other choice. If thatâs the case, give it a try. A Quick Word about CachingRegardless of which option you choose, youâll want to install a caching plug-in before you start getting too much traffic (100+ visitors per day). The two most popular options are plug-ins called WP Super Cache and W3 Total Cache. If youâre looking for simplicity, I recommend WP Super Cache. You can install it, and youâre done. Hereâs a video where a guy gets everything set up in three minutes: Later, when youâre getting 10,000+ visitors per month, you might think about getting a tech guy who really knows the ins and outs of either plug-in to configure it for you. It really helps, but itâs not worth the trouble or expense for a new blog.
Important: If you end up going with Siteground (affiliate link), as I recommended above, they have their own caching plug-in, and it only takes about a minute to set up. Hereâs a tutorial that walks you through it.
Grow to $1,000 per Month (And Beyond)In the immortal words of Harry Connick Junior⦠Up to this point, youâve published posts on Medium until itâs clear people love what you write, you switched over to your self-hosted WordPress site, and now you are up and ready for the world. So, hereâs the big question: When does the money start rolling in? After all, thatâs the point of all this, right? Well⦠good news and bad news. The good news is youâve done the hard part. By far, the hardest part of building a popular blog is writing posts other people enjoy reading. Nothing else even comes close. The bad news? Thatâs just the beginning. Now that your blog is up and running, you have to learn the ins and outs of getting traffic, building your email list, and monetizing your site. Even if you have top-notch writing skills, itâll still take you at least 3-6 months to figure all that out. But think about it this way⦠Nothing worth doing is quick or easy. Personally, I was a slow learner, and it took me three years to reach $1,000 a month. Thatâs a long time, right? Well, two years after that, we crossed $100,000 per month, and weâve never looked back. So yeah, itâs hard work, but Iâd say itâs worth it. Letâs go through some other common questionsâ Frequently Asked QuestionsHow do I start a blog for free?WordPress.com and Medium.com both have free options. Of the two, we recommend Medium, because they feature the best content from writers, and if you get featured, it can send you a ton of traffic. But the truth? Starting a blog is never free. Even if you donât spend any money, youâll be investing lots and lots of your time, and thatâs worth something. Donât forget about that. How do you start a blog to make money?Your best bet is to blog in a niche where lots of other bloggers are already making money. For example, the marketing, personal finance, and self-improvement niches can all be very profitable. If your goal is to start a blog to make money, those are the least risky options. But what if you donât want to blog about those topics? You donât have to. You can theoretically make money blogging about anything, assuming the audience a) trusts you and 2) frequently spends money on products and services related to your blog topic. You can either make money blogging as an affiliate or selling your own products and services. What should I make a blog about?It depends on your motivations. If you want to make money, you should probably start blogging in a well-known space with lots of traffic and buyers, and then stand out by offering exceptionally good content for free. For more on what it takes to choose a popular blog topic, read this post on what to blog about. How do I get my blog noticed?Getting noticed is about three things:
Lots of people obsess over getting the links from influential people, but the truth is, thatâs relatively easy if your content is really the best. Focus on that, and then tactics like these will help it rise to the top. How much does a beginning blogger make?If youâre working for another company, you can make as much as $50,000 per year. Professional content marketers get paid very well. On the other hand, most beginning bloggers are hobbyists. They tinker around in their spare time and seldom make much. If you do commit to blogging over the long-term, and you start a truly popular blog, you can make millions. Itâs a long road, and most people fail, but itâs worked out well for me. The Bottom Line on How to Start a BlogJust getting your blog off the ground is the hardest part. It might take you a few months or even a few years to build up momentum. And you might feel a little dumb for investing so much time to it, but then that momentum builds and builds and builds, and you wake up one morning to the stupefying yet delicious realization that youâll never have to worry about money again. Thatâs what happened to me. Might happen to you too, now that youâve learned how to start a blog. At the end of the day though, thereâs only one way to find out: Get started and see what happens.
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 Canât Move Anything but His Face.
The post How to Start a Blog (and Make Money) in 2019: 20X Faster Method appeared first on Smart Blogger. from https://smartblogger.com/how-to-start-a-blog/ |
ABOUT MEHello I am Claude 32 years old. I have been doing internet marketing for 7 years and successfully running 3 e-commerce stores. I like to share tips with people aobut online business. Archives
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