My Best Tips For New Members (& For Those Struggling)

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Lately, I’ve thought about what I may have done differently during my first year at Wealthy Affiliate. Looking back to my first month or two, I’m a much different person today than I was over a year ago.

Indeed, no one comes to WA to make a quick buck or run away once you become a millionaire. It isn't like playing the lottery- no way!

As I always remind myself, it’s possible to be a "Wealthy Affiliate" (and make how much you desire) through affiliate marketing. I have a great desire for a massive increase in personal wealth; but, it takes a lot of patience, time, and effort to get to that high point.

It’s also critical you have the right mindset and understand you’re working on a long-term project. In particular, mindset appears to be a problem for beginners. I noticed it's a big problem here in our community- particularly for those who are starting their journeys. (I will discuss more about mindset in a future post).

But most importantly, investing WA should come with an understanding that it’s a long-term commitment to achieve your highest potential. If you understand how that works, you will be successful in the long run.

Being here for nearly 16 months, I’ve learned the first year of WA may come with lots of challenges and roadblocks. Starting a website or business can be the most challenging part of the whole process. The time and commitment it takes can be a long one, but well worth going on an exciting adventure.

The best part about WA is you’re not alone, with an active community ready to assist you along the way. The community here has kept me going, and makes me NOT want to quit.

So here are some tips I want to layout that I think would help new members.

Take your time with the training

As you work through the training, keep in mind there’s no pressure or rush to get through one lesson after another. Whether you’re taking the online entrepreneurship certification (OEC) or affiliate boot camp, the training is meant to go at your own pace.


Follow the lessons and take action when it’s time. Trust the process- it works!

It’s great if you’re a student or working part-time/full-time. Even setting aside a couple of hours (or 1-2 days) a week is committing to a better future for yourself.

Even myself, it took me almost six months to fully complete OEC. I was never in a rush to finish it all at once.

With the recent updates to the platform last month, I’ll likely be revisiting the training to review some of the basics. So for me, it’s constant learning and taking action when necessary.

Content is KING (the key to long-term success)

    One of the most critical components of internet marketing is content creation. Creating high-quality content is what brings in the dough for your website/business.

    As Jay (magistudios) once wrote about, it’s that words sell.

    It’s not pictures or logos. It’s not colorful, fancy text, or any of the little stuff on your website.

    All of that stuff is secondary to content and can be changed at any time.

    Content creation is probably the most critical component of WA training. We’re taught to be consistent with creating content (i.e., 2-3 posts on a website each week). Having that type of commitment for one year can lead to big things down the road. Whether it’s commissions, more social media followers, or an extensive email list, there’s so much potential by taking massive action now.

    For the bulk of my first year, content creation was my primary focus. From the start of 2020 until now, I’ve written at least two posts each week on my websites. For two websites, I did between 4-6 posts each week for about 3-4 months. So get in the habit of writing each week, and be persistent regardless.

    Start with one website (NOT multiple ones)

      The best tip for those with no experience on building websites is to start with only one. Once you begin building out a website, you realize there’s a lot of time and effort to put in. Posting content is a big part, but turning it into a money-producing machine takes plenty of discipline, effort, and patience. Kyle recommends that new people start with one website, and I think he’s right on that point.

      That was one of the biggest mistakes I made toward the end of 2019. I transferred an old domain to WA hosting before Christmas last year and have worked on two websites for the last 8-9 months. I don’t regret the time I’ve spent working on two websites every week. But I think it would have been more efficient and less time-consuming for me to focus on one site solely.

      Moving forward, I’m spending more time on my first niche site. On the other website, I plan on writing a monthy post and doing some maintenance here and there. It’ll be that way until my first niche site brings more traffic, and passive income rolls in.

      Focus on one social media platform (mastering one at a time)

      There’s nothing wrong with going back and forth between social sites. But based on my experience, I recommend working on mastering one platform before trying another one. I feel I wasn’t efficient with my time switching between multiple social sites, and I didn’t get good results.

      So if you’re a pro on Facebook and highly engaged in FB groups, be laser-focused going down that route.

      If you're great at making videos, start thinking about it and get going on that Youtube channel.

      If you’re unsure where to start, places such as Pinterest are an excellent starting point for traffic. A lot of members and myself have had great results with Pinterest, so get on there soon. There are separate training courses on Pinterest here at WA to assist you as well. Jay’s past webinars on Pinterest (February 2020) is a great starting point.

      Pinterest is a place I’ve spent a lot of time in the next year (I’m on Pinterest nearly every day). You can’t underestimate what wonders it can bring for your website, especially when starting.

      Start small and work your way up

        Similar to when I started the training, many new members can feel overwhelmed in the beginning. The best part about WA is that the training is not complicated.

        It’s simple, self-taught, and designed to go at your own pace. If you need to rewatch the videos or revisit some old lessons, don’t feel bad about it. Most of us need to go back and refreshen our skills from what we’ve learned previously.

        More so, start with some basic questions

        1. What are some things you want to get done in the next week?
        2. What are some things you want to fulfill in the next 30 days?
        3. What do you want to accomplish in the next 90 days? (This one is my favorite- I myself revisit my progress and long-term goals every three months)

        Feel free to jot down some things that you want to accomplish in the short-term. I think it’s much easier to focus on short-term goals when starting with the training.

        Wrap-Up


        Based on my first-year experience, these tips should be helpful for those starting their online businesses. The first year can be challenging, but it’s well worth learning the skills necessary for success.

        One other thing I dealt with at times was self-doubt. Self-doubt (or always doubting yourself ) is one of the greatest killers in life. It makes the difference between pursuing your dreams or settling for the mediocre, 9-5 grind lifestyle.

        There were times I thought it’s not going to work out, or said to myself, "Maybe it's just not for me." But thanks to the our community and putting more confidence in myself, I’m still around pursuing my highest potential. All of the motivating and success posts are well-worth reading on here.

        So if you ever find yourself in doubt, please think twice before giving up. You can be successful if you commit yourself in the long-run.

        If you need some motivation, check out one of Kyle’s posts (I think it’s the best one he’s written to this day).

        As he mentions, one month will not lead to results; however, committing to one year certainly will!

        I'm even talking myself to take on a challenge to write at least three posts on one website- every week for all of 2021.

        I may not have experienced massive success (or considered a super affiliate yet), but I’m slowly working my way forward in that direction. If you’re willing to commit to it long-term, great things will happen. The possibilities are endless! If I can do it, so can you.

        Follow the training, take action, and be consistent with your content creation. If you can do that, you’ll see great results to come.

        I'll end with a quote:

        “Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.”

        – Conrad Hilton

        Until next time,

        -Eric (etseil20)

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        Recent Comments

        40

        This article is on point. I joined WA last month and while I have been enjoying the training there are days when I have thought why did I come here, but I'm learning to get past self doubt. Thanks for your testimony. It is prodding me onto greatness. Blessings.

        Very good post with some great points.

        I wish I could take your advice and concentrate on one website, I have 3. I know it would be more efficient and probably result in a quicker return on investment. But for several reasons I need to concentrate on all 3 which is a bind and is very difficult alongside a fulltime job.

        Hi Lawrence,

        Yeah, I hear what you're saying. I’m not saying don't do multiple sites at all. It’ll just take more time and be less efficient.

        Also, if you’re working a full-time job, it can take up more time for sure. Time is something we all need to be self-conscious of-
        because we can’t make it up later.

        But good points- I wish you the best with your websites.

        Thanks,

        -Eric

        Wow! Thank you so much, Eric.
        I learned from your good experience, thank you so much for sharing.
        All the best,
        Joyce

        No problem, Joyce.

        I’m glad to hear you found my experience helpful. All the best to you as well.

        -Eric

        Same to you and you are welcome.
        Joyce

        Thanks Eric for sharing this great post and advice. I needed and appreciated this today :) Wishing you continued success.
        Tracy

        Hello Tracy,

        Of course- I’m glad you found it useful. Every now and then, I like reading these types of posts. So I like to write them from time to time- great to know it helped.

        Thanks again for your comment. All the best moving forward,

        -Eric

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