In my last post, one member asked the following question:
“Does operating a well-established website like yours require a lot of work? I’m completely new to blogging but I do write in my diary daily. I’d like to start a blog so I can share my personal experience and views online. Please let me know if you have any ideas or tips for new aspiring blog owners.”
Here’s my reply……
Operating a well-established website like LeadsLeap doesn’t require a lot of work. That’s because it is “well-established”. But to start a website like LeadsLeap and bring it from nothing to what it is today requires a lot of planning, strategizing and of course, work!
LeadsLeap wasn’t started as a blog. If it were, it’ll probably not be as successful (I’ll explain why later). It evolved into a blog because blogging is the best way to engage both new and old visitors. Our business is traffic generation for our members, and great contents is our weapon to generate such traffic.
When we started blogging, we already had some 10,000 members. This means we had ready readers to read what we wrote. Also, our blog is designed as a viral blog, where members can convert any blog post into a referral link. This means they can easily share our blog with their audience while building their referrals at the same time. When we started, most of our readers were our own members and their referrals.
Fast-forward to now, we get many traffic from search engines. That’s because LeadsLeap.com has reached a certain authority level, something that will take a new blog months or even years to attain.
Why it is not a good idea to start a blog
You see, I’ve heard many people saying “I’d like to start a blog so I can share my personal experience and views online.”. It’s good, if all you care is to have an avenue to share your thoughts, and you are not concerned about making money.
But until your blog becomes established and you start getting some substantial traffic from the search engines, chances are you will be talking (or blogging) to thin air, or perhaps your friends and relatives. The teething stage is often more demoralizing than what you expected, and it can last for months or even a few years. If you are mentally prepared for it, by all means, go start a blog.
Personally I will not start a blog right away if I were an online newbie. Below are some other alternatives I would consider:
Blogging alternative #1 – Start a content website
If you are really good in something and you want to share with the world, my advice is to start a content website, not a blog.
Huh? What’s the difference?
You are right. They are essentially the same. A blog or a content website is basically a url with some content in it.
The difference is in the look and feel, and the way information is organized. A blog is like a diary. You add something to it from time to time and old posts tend to be less important than new posts. But a content website is like a book. It ‘s well organized, has different sections and sub-sections and it has complete discussion on a particular topic, not just snap-shots of random thoughts like a blog.
You don’t have to start a 100-page content website over night. You can start with 10-20 pages, and add more over time. What’s important is once you have your initial website ready, you spend most of your time promoting it. If your website really provide a good solution to a problem, its popularity will grow over time.
Also, aim to grow your content website into ‘the encyclopedia’ for your niche, meaning people can find out everything they want to know about your niche. When that happens, you have a true asset that can make you money in different ways over a very long period of time.
Blogging alternative #2 – Start a service website
Another alternative is to think of some free online service that you can offer, not time-consuming personal service but self-running web-based services.
Say if you are a mortgage expert and you have lots of info to share about mortgages, you can first start a website providing free mortgage tools like mortgage calculators, etc. (I know there are tons of mortgage calculators online. I’m just giving an example.)
The free service is a bait, so that you have something to promote. The next move is to build a list and then a blog, so that you have a list to talk to!
Blogging alternative #3 – Use our List Builder Script
One last suggestion is to simply build a list by giving some freebies. You can use our free List Builder Script to do so. Offer something free, promote it, build your list and then start blogging.
My last advice to new bloggers is, bloggers are poor, internet marketers are rich. You need to think and act like a marketer if you want to be a rich blogger.
Here is my suggestion:
Create three sites and use them together.
Start a blog, a content site, and a bookmarking site. The bookmarking site will draw traffic which then goes to your blog; the content site will gain page-rank authority, which again you can transfer to your blog. The list-builder sites can be used effectively as “interstitial” pages, that are shown when a reader clicks from one site to the next.
If you put these sites on different IP addresses, search engine spiders will see them as separate entities, and will not divide the traffic as they appear to do with sites on the same address.
– Mark Fisher
I agree that if you want fast results then starting a blog to gain those results will not satisfy the desire.
On the other hand if you are looking for long term results and loyalty from your subscribers as well as being able to offer them direct, quick and accurate content in a pleasing format then blogging can be a great tool. As for making money with a blog there are several ways to accomplish that as well.
The reason I am a fan of blogs is that it is a great way to learn some simple SEO strategies that will assist anyone in any online marketing activities.
The alternatives you offer in the post are all incredible tools and suggestions but I wouldn’t completely count out blogging just don’t expect the quick results.
There isn’t really any better way than to do as you suggest and build a online business / blog / website from the ground up – long term residual income doesn’t come along fast or easy (or if its does it leaves just as quick!)
I’ve been a member of leads leap for a lot of years now and want to say thank you for taking this direction and helping us all with regular very useful blog updates with solid content!
Blogging in one way of connecting and sharing your views with the public especial if you solve their problems. This will brand you and many will trust you and keep on coming, thus creating more traffic to your blog. This may take weeks, months or years.
So if your aim was to make fast money, you may be disappointed in one way or the other, because the blog needs some sort of SEO tweaking, just like this blog or that of the Empower Network Blog. It comes with all the SEO, you do not need to do all that staff. You duty is just to add articles daily. Many people are earning over thousands of dollars with such blogs.
The trick is, patience and determination.
So taking the advice given above will see you making substantial income in future! Good luck and keep the fire burning!
That would explain why facebooki and Twitter are 2 of the biggest sites on the internet today thanks for the advice well appreciated
Jimmy
For now but I think Twitter and Facebook are going to be right up there with them As a matter of fact I only advertise on Facebook right now and the results are pretty damn good and I don’t have to worry about keyword at all which I really like. But I have notheing against google I just know that they have the tendency to penalize people too much and if that’s the case I don’t need them to advertise I personaly wouldn’t advertise on google anymore after all the hassel they gave me.
You can start a service of your interest. You don’t really need to have a great website to offer your service.
I come across this website which offering web designing. this site is simple enough for getting you going if you have one.
http://www.maxedoutdesigns.com
Regards,
getdomaincodes
Hi cheapest Domain Transfer,
The maxedoutdesigns website really looks clean. I don’t know if it was affordable to beginners. Then it will be a good value for money.
Thanks for sharing
Charles
Look just don’t do whqt I DID FOR YEARS AND TRY TO MAKE MONEY WITH JUST YOUR BLOG YOU NEED YOUR OWN WEBSITE
I can see that this blog will go viral in the near future, the readership is getting bigger because the content is helpful.
Keep on educating and advising!
Thanks
Charles
Hi
I’m afraid you are right.
With blogging, it’s about engagement – and there is just so much to learn that it simply becomes too much.
social integration, plugins, etc…
smaller content website – perfect. Easier, faster, less hassles. All you need to do is to provide some value, and have a way to capture leads. You can do that with a five page website if you answer the right questions.
just my 0.02c
Peter
Look I have a blog and I have a website. My website get 10x the hit’s and 30 times the signups of what my blog does. And the reason is presence. Anyone can have a blog but when you have a webssite it just makes you look more professional
Boy Ken you sure do know how to get a lot of readers to pay attention to what you have to say good job I have a lot to learn from you it seems
Way to spell it out Ken!
Of course, whether your primary objective is with a blog, regular website or content website, the bottom line is that it takes time to develop. That’s what separates those that stick around and those that don’t. You have to be willing to work with your sites and pages constantly, and that doesn’t mean just writing content. It means getting out and building links, relationships and driving traffic through many different sources. If you plan on building your pages over the long-term, than it’s highly likely that your website or blog will become successful. If you’re new and expecting something short term and instantly, good luck. Thanks again Ken,
Stay Hydrated
I totally agree. I think now I know that’s why most people fail to make any kind of home based business work use to be like this myself till I stopped living a fantasy.
I have both a website and a blog. But I do my marketing on my website making it what I would call my money maker. However! My blog has a lot more content and personal thoughts kinda like a journal you could say. I thought about getting a website simlar to this just haven’t gotten around to it yet. But the thing I hate to see most is when people use there free google account blogs to make them money making website you have no idea how bad this makes you look and you will not be an authority on the internet if you try this trust me!
well yet i dont have any idea that what type of disadvantages of the list building but well thanks to you to tell me that those.
Even i am new to blogging. I have created one blog long back, but due to lack of knowledge i find it more difficult to maintain and make it look perfect just like yours. I must thank you for all your ideas and suggestions on best blogging. It really helped me a lot. Keep sharing more.
Blog and TWEET about your blog post. The way I see it, or the way I use my blog, is as an EXTENSION of my tweets. I don’t sit around waiting for Google. I write a post and tweet to some 25 Twitter accounts. INSTANT TRAFFIC EVERY TIME.
And here’s the thing.. those blog posts.. they are not one time shots. You can re-tweet them from time-to-time because not all of your Fans will see them first time around. You can dissect them as well.. tweet a line of a blog post to drive more traffic to your blog. You can also update a post. Or, convert a really good post into a PDF and use it as an optin offer. You can also post your blog entry to Social Media to drive more traffic.
Now the real work here isn’t in getting Google to throw you a bone. Google will eventually come sniffing around. The work is in carefully targeting your Twitter fan base to your niche.
I blog about that!
Good tips, Dan. Thanks!
great advice , thank you
thanks for your advice
Thank you for the advice. I also have blog and I realize that only my friends visit my blog and leave a comment, but Fb is better in this field :v
Helpful tips and great advice!Keep sharing such more in future also.
Don’t use the blog as it is a dull method to post like duffers.
Thanks For the blog you shred i loved you writting style.
Great info
Hey it’s nice to be noticed! I found the information interesting.