3 ways Wealthy Affiliate changed my life – confessions of a ghostwriter

I offer this advice to cub journalists: don't be a ghostwriter because SEOs will exploit your ambition, paying you pennies on the dollar.

You deserve so much more for your hard work than $0.01 per word. Believe it or not, that's approximately the going rate for cubs – the same as it was a decade ago, same as it'll be in 10 more years.

This truth is the dirtiest, darkest-kept secret in the SEO industry.

Having said that, I utterly ignored this wisdom and backed into ghostwriting rear-end-first about eight years ago, maybe nine or 10. It's hard to say, really.

After writing hundreds of articles, it's a little difficult to remember how and where it all started.

After typing content in hundreds of different voices for hundreds of different brands, it's hard to find the right words of encouragement for bright-eyed cubs who don't know any better.

Yet what I do know without equivocation is this: joining Wealthy Affiliate changed my life in three ways, and I'm a better writer because of it.

1. Mastery of content marketing and affiliate marketing

When you talk about marketing, it's easy to get caught up in a lot of conceptual mumbo jumbo, too easy to get lost in the sauce.

Content marketing is a perfect example.The concept isn't hard, but many have analyzed it to the point of cynicism.

Content marketing isn't a thing per se; it's something that you do. I'm content marketing right now as you read this post. I'm just not making a big deal of it.

Likewise, I'm also affiliate marketing at this very moment. I'm just not pushing the angle this time. That comes naturally.

The thorough training here at WA – the video walkthroughs, the webinars and the genuine sense of community – has taught me that content marketing and affiliate marketing are like peanut butter and jelly. They're not as tasty without each other.

Mastering content marketing is symbiotic with affiliate marketing revenue. The more you learn about the affiliate model the better you get at content marketing and vice versa.

I simply wouldn't have learned as much without help from WA members, and I'm forever grateful to all of you. I couldn't have accomplished this fete on my own.

2. Wealthy Affiliate technology has tremendous value

Web hosting services aren't what they used to be. The major brand name web hosts now upcharge for essential capabilities that you need to build a safe, professional site.

Top-class cybersecurity should come bundled with even the most basic hosting, but it doesn't, not anymore at least.

It's not that they're lying to you; they're just not telling the whole truth about what you need to get the job done right.

What they're not telling you is that at the very least you'll need a real content management system.

Don't even get me started on the tech support situation because you're lucky if you get a response in 48 hours, and no, automated responses from a chatbot don't count.

Even if you were to get around bargain security features, handcuffed by an elementary CMS and no server-side help, a host will still upcharge you to manage multiple domains ontheir servers.

But WA bundles all of that stuff together into one shot.

In fact, WA gives you access to so much technology on the back end it's absurd. I mean, really, who does that?

It's not an exaggeration to say it's one of the best marketing platforms on the web. No one else gives you this much help. The value of WA is over the top.

3. Career perspective

The third way that Wealthy Affiliate changed my life is by giving me some much-needed career perspective.

To state it bluntly, ghostwriting is a dirty business...it's not exactly something you go out looking for. You don't find ghostwriting agencies; they find you.

Honestly, when I found out about WA, I assumed it was just another crowdsourced content mill. The reality couldn't be further away because the people here genuinely want to help you grow a business.

I've got around a decade of writing for SEOs and content marketing agencies under my belt, yet I never received any genuine help with my career.

Stop and think about that for a moment.

In 10 years, I wasn't allowed to speak to my editors on Skype or the phone. I had no way to contact and communicate with my coworkers.

Furthermore, I wasn't allowed to contact clients directly if I had questions, and to top it all off, I had to essentially work for free whenever a client requested revisions.

WA has given me a perspective on my career that I find invaluable.

The first time that Kyle popped in to chat and helped me out honestly got me pretty choked up. I've never had that kind of support and respect before.

It was all wham bam thank you, ma'am.

Get the assignment, do the job, cross your fingers the client was clear in their instructions, take the cash and walk.

Today, at this very moment, sharing my story for the first time, I see my ambitions are worth more than that kind of work.

When you join WA, you join the squad. You join the tribe. You join the family.

I hope that you heed my advice and words of encouragement and join us as well. It's a decision that may change your life as it did mine.