Content Vs. Calendar
Hello, friends.
As you may know, I just “got back” yesterday. As such, I am playing catch-up with reading posts, comments, PMs, and just generally getting back into the swing of things.
In fact, I have decided to actually go back to Lesson 1 and do a full refresher to make sure I didn’t forget anything important while I was out. It’s never too late to start over, right? Well, maybe not...
As I read other material here, a common theme I seem to have stumbled across is the idea of giving up. Some members are confused, frustrated, and ready to pack their bags and head for the hills.
Whether it is a single article, a site, or even choosing a different niche and revamping your entire business, often we question whether we are on the right path and, if not, if it’s the appropriate time to start over. How do you know?
Before I answer that, I would like to share a idea.
Sunk Cost
There is a concept in economics called “sunk cost”. Basically, what it means is that there comes a point where a thing has lost a ton of money; so much money, in fact, that the company is actually afraid to call it quits because of how much they have put into a project.
So, instead, they just keep throwing more funds into it hoping to get something – anything – back. More often than not, it is merely an exercise in futility and they wind up losing even more money.
The reality is that in a situation like that, as much as it stings, shutting a thing down and not wasting any more resources on it is the wise thing to do. And, yes, it is a bitter pill to swallow. Been there, done that, and got the t-shirt.
What About You?
What does this have to do with WA, you ask? Everything.
How do you know if you are in a “sunk cost” situation? It is extremely important that you understand the timelines involved with starting a new affiliate site.
If your site is a week old and you hate the theme you chose, it is not time to start over.
If you site only has an About Me page and two 300 word articles, it is not time to start over.
If your site is three months old and has 30+ well written articles, it may be tempting, but it is not time to start over.
If your site is six months old, has a solid 50-100 quality articles, but only a trickle of traffic coming in, it can be frustrating, but it is not time to start over.
Do you notice the pattern? You see, this business requires two major elements: hard work and time. No matter how good you are, one simply will not get you there. You need both.
What It Takes
The first requirement is hard work. Without a solid foundation of quality content, there is nothing for Google or your audience to see. Your site could be ten years old and still have no traffic because no one knows it exists.
And yet, you can have dozens of quality articles, but if Google hasn’t had time to index and rank them all, your audience will never know they exist and, again, no traffic.
But at some point, if you have a viable business, your content and calendar will merge. You will reach that “tipping point” where traffic just takes off, and then, my friend, you’re in the game.
However, if your site is at least a year old, and has a minimum of 100 articles, and you are still not seeing a steady stream of traffic, then analysis is necessary. Seek the counsel of your fellow WA members. Ask them for input to see if the issue is the quality of the content (or bad web design, lack of follow-up, etc.).
If you cover all of that and everything checks out okay, then and ONLY then should you consider this a potential sunk cost scenario. But you must be honest with yourself. If the thing is a dud, you should not try to view it through rose-colored glasses. Will it hurt to throw away a year’s worth of work? Yep. But it’ll hurt worse in year two, trust me.
The Good News
Now, lest I leave you on such a downer (if you know me, you know that is not my style), here is the good news.
You now have a reasonable expectation of what is to come, which means that when you start to panic or get frustrated when you’re not seeing huge success in month three, six, or even month nine, you can take a deep breath and know that it’s okay; it is just the way this business works. Instead, get excited and bang out a few more articles.
There is a great line in the movie Roadhouse with Patrick Swayze. Working as a bouncer in a club, he tells his crew that their job is to “be nice until it’s time to not be nice.”
The same applies to us. Our job is to keep pushing until it’s time to not push. How will you know when that time comes? See the guidelines above. And if you’re still in doubt, give old Uncle AJ a shout and we’ll figure it out together :-)
Take care and keep writing.
Recent Comments
42
It's so good to have you back here!
Well, I keep asking for suggestions, but no one gives them. I am satisfied with my content; I am satisfied with the items I list to sell. However, am not getting traffic. At least, not much. My niche site has 129 posts and I have been here a little over a year. I am missing something. Had hoped to get selected for Jay 's hot seat, but no such luck.
Want to look my site over and give suggestions? If you go to my profile, you will find the name of my niche site.
Thanks, my friend. With your good eye, you should be able to make a few comments.
One thing I need to do is figure out how to simplify my menu, now that the site is getting so big. One bite of the elephant at a time.
I have two websites mybasketball-gear.com and century21-boombox.siterubix.com. August will make it my third month in Wealthy Affiliate, but in reality it will be my second month. I have seen a scattering of traffic, but not too much. I am asking if you or any other WA member could please look at both websites and see if I need improvement. I would be grateful for any feedback.
Of course. It's late here and I'm about to head to bed, but I should be able to take a look in the next few days. Hang in there :-)
I agree with you, although I've never heard the term "sunk cost" but I can see the appropriateness of it.
Thanks for sharing
Chris
Hahaha. Well, don't be too impressed. I spent two years and $40,000 in grad school and all I got for it was that term... talk about a sunk cost. lol
Thank you AJ!
This is profound:
"But at some point, if you have a viable business, your content and calendar will merge. You will reach that “tipping point” where traffic just takes off, and then, my friend, you’re in the game."
you are spot on here and its important to be reminded of the mindset necessary, be aware of the sunk cost and when its time to stay and persevere OR cut your losses.
I need more articles, Still just under 30 articles so time to write more. Thanks AJ, regards John
5 years in MLM, that was a sunk cost for sure. But the "WHY" is still there. I think that is the key in what drives us. Thanks AJ for your inspiration
Hahaha... agreed. Right there with you. I won't even begin to tell you how many MLM companies I failed at, lest you lose all trust and respect for me. lol
That is so true, google pays attention although, in the beginning, it doesn't look like it. Writing quality content consistently will always get the job done, and if we follow Jay"s SEO online and offline steps, it would speed up the process. Thank you for confirming that writing is key to getting results.
That is true, and I apologize that I didn't make that clear enough. Google is paying attention fairly early in the process, but there is huge difference between being indexed and actually being rated... it takes a while for them to see us newbies as reliable :-)
AJ, you do address some good points but there are times when the site just isn't working. If it doesn't work out, its a time to change and improve the site.
The idea is to keep writing. I agree with that. However, the concept should be about branding you, meaning that we as WA Premium Members need to brand our sites.
Jay talks about that. Kyle talks about that. Little Mama (Grace), Tiffany, Nathaniel, Roope, all of them have brand themselves. See Little Mama's blog today, she talks about how she did it. Nathaniel (One Cup of Coffee) he branded himself and so do others. That is a relevant takeaway point.
If people aren't succeeding with traffic or their not gaining anything. It means its time to get refocused and improve the site to brand your name or brand your blog. The brand "you" is crucial.
People or readers (frequent readers or customers) tend to buy products from people who they know and trust. Your brand and high quality content creates your authority on the subject.
I had to change themes because I didn't like how it looked but I worked on improvising and now working on branding my site.
Find trainings and articles on how to brand you business then we should be on our way to the key goals that we have established when we first came into WA.
Thank, AJ for your key points about content creation.
I completely agree, and the issue here is not branding, per se, but unrealistic expectations. In fact, once you bring personal branding into the mix, it can take even longer to build a viable business. None of the people you mentioned were at the level they are at after only a few months; it likely took years of hard work.
The challenge is that people may trust a product from Amazon right out of the gate, but unlikely to trust AJ until I've interacted with them for a while. The point is that none of this is get-rich-quick. It takes time and a hell of a lot of effort to succeed regardless of how good a niche/site is.
I'm more addressing more the people that are ready to quit before they even get their foot in the door; I've seen too many people quit after only a few months. That's not a recipe for success in my experience.
You points are we spot on as well. Thanks for adding to the discussion :-)
Correct it takes a long time that is realistic. Some quit after a few days on here. Nothing we can do for them. Everyday, in live chat, I’ve seen this. Members gives them advice of how to stop their subscriptions instead of encouraging them to stay on and give it a chance, but they want out, so out they go. Thanks for responding to my comments.
I agree with you. That's the time I have given myself to get a result that will show me I am on the right path (6-12 months).
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Wow! What a post, thank you so much and welcome back
Thank you... it's good to be back :-)