Newbie Mistakes volume 2 - Advice for the New Kids on The Block from a NKOTB

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Before we all start singing 'Hanging Tough' at the tops of our voices, time is precious and I need to run out the door to work in 30 minutes so I'll get straight to my reflections.

1) Don't over analyse the analytics when there was nothing to analyse. (Yes lots of analysing).

I have probably wasted a lot of time clicking on these pages with anticipation that they are going to show that my impressions are going to be 1000s and that I have had at least one click. Each day I leave disappointed and despondent. I start to question Am I doing this right? What impressions should I be getting? No clicks yet! are you kidding me? but then I take a step back to reality and once again remind myself 'Sara it has only been a day, week, a month'!

Advice to NEWBIES: I know the training takes us on the journey to set up Google console, google analytics and Bing/yahoo analytic however please save yourself time, energy and stress. These will become a really useful and valuable tool to you in the near future, but on day one, week one or month one they are not telling you very much. So don't let it stress you out.

It is human nature to want results here and now, but affiliate marketing is a game of patience and holding your nerve for the long term. I check in with each of my analytic once a day, I am only getting impressions at the moment and no clicks (Which is perfectly fine). I note yesterdays figure and if it has stayed the same or increased I am very happy.

DO NOT COMPARE YOUR ANALYTICS WITH THAT OF ANOTHER PERSONS WEBSITE

Every Niche, website, writer is different, they each will give you different impression numbers and click through rates. You are not in competition with anyone here, it is all about building and nurturing and growing YOUR content.

2) Keep following the training until the end and do not rush it.

I rushed through a lot of the training and then my training progress stagnated and came to a stand still, because my focus was on writing content and connecting with people in the WA community. Time is limited but the mistake I made was not doing one thing each day. What I found was that the training will direct you to write a post on each section, and each time you will have learned something new and exciting to include in your new post.

ADVICE TO NEWBIES: If time is limited set yourself a goal to do one lesson a day, or twice a week or once a week, whatever your schedule allows. Remember this is not a sprint, it is a marathon and training is key to finishing it. Pace yourself. You are also not in competition with anyone else, the time you finish, your marathon is a personal best.

If you have time to do extra then of course do two or three lessons a day but don't rush it, the work you do in these lessons needs time to marinate and cook! Use the extra time to do some research into keywords or write another post for your website, or connect with the WA community.

3) Don't let Wealthy Affiliate become another Facebook

There are days (more so recently) when I allowed my time to be taken up with the dramas and debates that happen in the WA community. These are very valuable and I believe connecting with each other here is key to learning. However, in the last two days I have noticed that my focus on my own goal has been off. My very limited time and energy has been taken reading stories and cheering others successes. (which is wonderful). This has meant that I have not put any time into learning, my development or actually into my website.

ADVICE TO NEWBIES: Like Facebook the WA chat and community and posts, can become a bit addictive and distracting to your path. Focus, ask, am I adding value here? Am I helping someone solve a problem? Am I giving support to a fellow member when it is needed? If so great! BUT BE HONEST, and ask yourself have my sessions become hours of just chat? Am I just mindlessly adding comments but adding no value? Am I just wasting time and energy? Am I stalling or putting off actually doing something productive?

Find the balance between connection and progress, between adding value to someone else but getting value for yourself, between teaching someone something new and learning something new. Do not get me wrong making friends and catching up and having some fun, or just mindlessly reading or chatting is sometimes a wonderful pastime. However, don't be surprised if you wake up and realise your poor website has not improved. FIND THE BALANCE according to what time and energy you have to give

4) Be careful of NEWBIE burnout

It was pointed out in a comment on one of my posts, that I am an aspiring overachiever. It is true, when I have the passion to do something I set high goals and I give it everything. I DO NOT QUIT, and it will get every minute of my spare time and energy. I get up at 5am every morning now, I check in to WA with every spare moment. I have set myself high goals and high hopes.

I HAVE TO BE HONEST, I am tired and exhaustion and irritability set in last night. Especially when I took a step back and realised I had used all of my time and energy but not actually added any value to my website.

I have worked hard to hopefully add value to the WA community and I am truly grateful for the support and connections I have made, but unfortunately we sometimes have to admit that we are only human, and we can't sustain that newby passion and enthusiasm for ever.

ADVICE TO NEWBIES; Ride the wave of your beginners energy, passion and enthusiasm it is addictive and wonderful. Please be mindful of your health and energy and balance in your life. Many of us have multiple jobs, families.

BE HONEST are you maintaining balance. Yes I agree building a business takes sacrifice and many hours of hard work and dedication, but you are not going to succeed if you burn your self out in the first three months. REMEMBER THIS IS A MARATHON NOT A SPRINT! so think, behave and train like a maraothon runner, pace your self, do the training, and rest when you need it (Oh and eat, sleep and wash too). Take time for SELFCARE!

If you have children or a partner, take time off to go play, or spend quality time with them. Who are you doing this for after all? what is your purpose? don't lose sight of the real world and the people that are in yours.

5) Enjoy the journey, take small steps, and remember to look around at the view.

'The key to realising a dream is to focus not on success but significance, and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take greater meaning' - Oprah Winfrey

That is all for today

Much Love

Sara

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Recent Comments

38

Well done Sara!
Great advice for newbies...I remember going through the situations you describe and feeling the same feelings.
You’ve explained it brilliantly!
KyleAnn

Thank you so much. I think we all go through the stages of wanting to do so much and wanting everything to be so good. Putting in the hours. I just hope my experiences and reflections help others!

Wonderful advice for newbies and not so new members. Everyone should read. Thanks Sara.

Thanks Mick. I just try to share my experience and hope it helps others!

Awesome post Sara, full of some must needed reminders for us all. Google analytics is easy for me, all the lines are pretty much flat, currently.
Recognising that we're not on 'top-form' is a way of making sure we take time out. Our best work takes less time and is of better quality when we are 'On top of our game' so to speak.

Thank you, Yes I took some of my own advice last night and went to bed at 8pm Much needed good night sleep!

Hi Sara,

Another experienced member told me something like this when I first joined and it has stuck with me,

Thank you for underlining these important vibes!

Mike

Thanks Mike, It must resonate with others then. I just speak from my own experience and reflection, put it out there and hope it helps someone : )

The 3rd advice is very thoughtful to me, let me to re-think the balance of my time here at WA and my time at my website.


Thanks Sara, this is good!

Great, it is only because in the last 3 days, my balance has tipped 100% towards WA, and I realised my focus had changed, I know this was because of the WA league. I got caught up in the excitement and sense of achievement of it all. This is all great as long as it is balanced with actually progressing with my website.

good advice.

Thank you.

Thank you for this Sara!
"It is not a sprint, it is a marathon"...you are so right! Perfect analogy for affiliate marketing..
Also, the analytics. Yes, I am constantly checking to see if I have clicks or views... But I knew not to expect much. Until I logged on one time, and had 40 active users. I got myself so excited and now it bums me out to see a big 0 for active users. I have to remind myself.. I am making progress!
Thank you for sharing
Best wishes,
Megan

We all constantly check analytics Megan, the key is to take it for what it is, facts and numbers, and not lose heart, or let it take take over valuable time and energy! Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to comment. If I help one person then it has been worthwhile xx wishing you all the best

Excellent advice, especially the beginner's burnout! I watch so many people get so excited and gungho and create multiple websites all at once, and every single time, they regret it. Running ONE website is a full-time job if you're doing everything yourself. Doing 3 means shorting your site's potential.

At least, in the beginning.

Great article again!

So true, running one is taking me to the edge! I do have to be honest when I began I had lots of plans for multiple sites, but now, NO WAY! one is enough work for now lol Than you (again) for taking the time to read and comment, I really appreciate it!

We all have multiple plans when we get started, but reality sets in and you realize focusing on one is best, even if you have to switch to a different niche.

Good luck!

So true x

Excellent advice Sara, it is so easy to get to that burn out and even more important to balance your time. I had a day where I was on WA from sunrise to sunset, I walked away from the computer in a zombie like state...hand brake got pulled on real quick...a splash of cold water to my face and a refocus.
Plan your day....slow down and take it all in!
Great post
Daisy

Thanks Daisy, I can only do, and then report back to others from experience. I know, it is so hard when we are dedicated and motivated to get the content researched and written, before I started I didn't realise how long each blog would take! Thanks as always for your comments and support!

Sara,
What wonderful advice for not just newbies, but also oldies, have always limited my chat time to fifteen minutes, more recently am really hammering the delete button, to avoid getting over involved in commenting on peoples posts,
Regards
Stuart

Great advice! I might implement that strategy from today! Thanks Stuart

A pleasure as always Sara,
Take care,
Stuart

Will do, you too!

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