Four Months In - Time To Reset

Four months and it has flown by. When I began I had never created a website, did not know how to "properly" use social media, and never had any interest in writing. So logically, I decided to start blogging. Well, in four months I have learned so much that I wanted to pass it along so it can help others.

Let's Start With How To Blog

So I started with a niche that I felt pretty confident about. I have a lot of knowledge and experience so I figured I could create a website. Well, I was close...

Learning #1 - Make A Plan

I started and flew through the OEC. Man was I excited so I was posting every other day...then...I began to run short of ideas. This means posting slowed down as I had to start researching more ideas.

No worries, I have been updating my older posts and adding new ones. Still, it got me thinking...

What I Wish I Knew #1 - Make A Plan / Schedule

Looking back, if I had taken my time through the OEC and posted 2 - 3 times a week I would have been better off. From what I have gathered, it is better to post on a schedule. Next website, I will take it slow and steady.

Learning #2 - You Do NOT Need Affiliate Programs

I know, this is how you generate your income, but, seriously, wait until the training guides you to join affiliate programs. Your first focus is to build the website. Then you will start to get traffic, and finally, you can earn some money. Don't get ahead of yourself (I did).

What I Wish I Knew #2 - Affiliate Programs Can Be A Pain

So you long onto your favorite affiliate network (Clickbank, Share-A-Sale, CJ Affiliates, etc.) and you see the PERFECT program. You request to be added and then wait... and finally get the email that says "thanks but no thanks".

Why is that? Usually because of lack of traffic. So yes, wait for a bit and then you will have more success. This doesn't even include Amazon...

Amazon has an entire other issue... you have 180 days to generate some consistent sales. If you do the math, that is 6 months which seems like plenty. Until you remember Kyle says 3-6 months before you start getting traffic.

Moral of the story, just wait until prompted in the training.

Now Let's Move On To Perfection

So you start blogging, you post to your website, you set up your menus, and then you think...meh...it's ok. Now you return to find another theme or re-write your post trying to achieve perfection.

Learning #3 - Just Make It Good...For Now

Yup, this was me. I tried 46 different themes. I reworked the entire content of multiple posts trying to make them perfect. I finally decided on a theme that I am happy with, but there are some posts that I would like to redo. I am holding out and just updating them.

What I With I Knew #3 - There Is No Such Thing As Perfect

So I had a vision of "perfect" after going through the OEC. Yup, each step of the way I knew what perfect was. Then I learned something new that was even better.

My advice, what you will learn in the first four months (this is my experience) will keep you reshaping your website. Focus on getting the posts published and update as you go... remembering you won't have sustained traffic for a while after you start.

Social Media Is Good

This took some time. I will not even pretend to be an expert (or even coherent) in social media, but I think I have picked up a few things along the way.

Learning #4 - You Don't Need To Start With A Base Of Followers

Yeah, this was my big take-away from Facebook. I added friends and family to my Facebook business page. Turns out, they don't really understand that the share button is a powerful tool for affiliate marketers.

What I Wish I Knew #4 - Hashtags Are Key

I will admit that I had no clue how to properly use a hashtag so I set out and followed a bunch of Twitter users that related to my niche. That did not help me gain followers, but I watched how they used hashtags.

From that, I started adding hashtags to my posts. Then, suddenly, I started getting followers. If you use hashtags correctly, you will find your target audience.

That is a good start to what I have learned so far...now what I am going to do in month 5?

My Next Steps

I am going to work on preparation. I have a blog in progress to review some coasters (they reached out to me!!!). Beyond that, I am going to generate a list of keywords (shooting for 50). I will outline the posts and do some research.

Why slow down? I am changing jobs in a couple weeks. I would like to get it where I have posts ready to go so I can sleep a little more and post more.

What are your big learnings from your start?

Cheers!

Nate