Authority Blogs: Money Makers Or Time Wasters?

[sal64]

I see a lot of threads relating to blogs.

However, almost all of them relate to auto blogs and cash blogs which generate income from adsense, cpa and other affiliate products.

So, being a bit of an old fashioned marketer, I was wondering if you have an authority blog?

After all, the theory is that if you can establish yourself as an authority, then you can dominate your niche / audience.

Yet, if this is the case... why don't we see more and more authority blogs and threads about them?

Is it something you have considered, but found too difficult, or is it something your tried, but could not get any visitors?

What's stopping you from becoming an authority and wiping the floor with your competitors?

[hpgoodboy]

Originally Posted by sal64

why don't we see more and more authority blogs and threads about them?

Probably because it is a lot of work.

Sure you can build an authority blog. It would take about 6 to 8 months of hard and dedicated work. Every single day.

And there would be almost no income for the first few month.

After a few month: Yes, maybe.

If you want to have an authority blog there is a much better approach:

Create a few products first. Sell them. Get known.

And then start a blog. A blog is just one piece of the puzzle.

[TheZafraGroup]

It's definitely a lot of work. It takes consistent actions done on a daily basis to make this happen. Anything is definitely possible. I recommend tho, if you're aiming to brand yourself, don't flood your blog with all those unnecessary ads. Those only serve as a distraction for our visitors and they could click and leave our site and the worst part about it is... they may never come back.

I say provide tons of value. Have an opt-in form with a clear call to action on what they will be getting if they opt-in and followup with them thru emails. Start sharing valuable resources with them and build a strong relationship with your list. This is how I earned my first big check my first month with my blog. It all boils down to if you're willing to do whatever it takes to make it to the top.

[gully]

Why don't we all build an authority blog?
Lots of work. Little instant gratification. Opportunity cost: the time you spend building an authority site, you could be spend building income in another area much faster. Most people don't have a system to do so. Lots of risk, suppose you don't get the respect/ranking you think you deserve. too much time/money spent on producing quality content.

[TheZafraGroup]

Originally Posted by gully

Why don't we all build an authority blog?
Lots of work. Little instant gratification. Opportunity cost: the time you spend building an authority site, you could be spend building income in another area much faster. Most people don't have a system to do so. Lots of risk, suppose you don't get the respect/ranking you think you deserve. too much time/money spent on producing quality content.

Yes its tough and it takes a lot of work and money building it. The thing is to look in the long run. It is very rewarding in the future. If it others think it's quicker to generate more income in doing something else, then by all means go for it. To make this rewarding, we need to be dedicated and passionate with what we do.

[sal64]

Originally Posted by TheZafraGroup

It's definitely a lot of work. It takes consistent actions done on a daily basis to make this happen. Anything is definitely possible. I recommend tho, if you're aiming to brand yourself, don't flood your blog with all those unnecessary ads. Those only serve as a distraction for our visitors and they could click and leave our site and the worst part about it is... they may never come back.

I say provide tons of value. Have an opt-in form with a clear call to action on what they will be getting if they opt-in and followup with them thru emails. Start sharing valuable resources with them and build a strong relationship with your list. This is how I earned my first big check my first month with my blog. It all boils down to if you're willing to do whatever it takes to make it to the top.

Yes, I agree about removing ads. Content and value rule on this type of blog.

Originally Posted by gully

Why don't we all build an authority blog?
Lots of work. Little instant gratification. Opportunity cost: the time you spend building an authority site, you could be spend building income in another area much faster. Most people don't have a system to do so. Lots of risk, suppose you don't get the respect/ranking you think you deserve. too much time/money spent on producing quality content.

That's an interesting argument and there is no doubt that many cannot or want to be an authority.

But why can't you include it as part of an overall strategy... especially when the long term benefits are massive? All it takes is a quality post every week or so.

You will get the respect if you provide quality content and you know what you are talking about.

I don't see it as risky because even if the blog flops, you have ready made content to use for other traffic methods and / or products.

Sal

[Anonymous Affiliate]

Originally Posted by sal64

What's stopping you from writing an authority blog?

As someone who USED to have an authority blog and who stopped blogging...

• It's TONS of work, constantly writing FREE content that you could actually charge for.
• Low conversion rates compared to other types of marketing.
• Difficult to outsource, since your followers want to read from you, not your Virtual Assistant or your guess bloggers.
• Time-demanding (consistency). If you go on holidays, your followers will wonder whether you've stopped blogging and will stop visiting your blog.

All in all, I found the effort vs. income ratio to be very poor with my successful (thousands of dollars per month) authority blog, so I let it dry to move on to other ventures.

[Anonymous Affiliate]

Originally Posted by sal64

But why can't you include it as part of an overall strategy... especially when the long term benefits are massive? All it takes is a quality post every week or so.

Because the long-term benefits are NOT massive. There are many ways of providing value and build authority without having to waste hundreds of hours writing content that will be given out for free.

Like I said in my previous post, blogging delivers a poor effort vs. reward ratio.

[sal64]

Just curios how long you think you should spend on it? If you look at guys like Seth Godin, the post infrequently, yet each post is of high value.

[mecanique]

Getting proper exposure

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

It's TONS of work, constantly writing FREE content that you could actually charge for.

I wouldn't really describe it as "tons" of work, myself.

I do this for 8 different sites. I don't update them as often as many marketers do, admittedly, but it's certainly manageable.

I'm an article marketer anyway, so I need to post all my articles of my own sites before getting them syndicated.

I don't look at it as "FREE" content at all. I used to "charge" in the sense that I wrote content for other people, but I've found it works out much better paid just writing it for myself, because this builds up long-term, increasing, residual income from work done, so the cumulative benefits are enormous. When I was "charging" (i.e. writing content for others), it was those others who got all those long-term benefits. Now I get them myself, instead.

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

Low conversion rates compared to other types of marketing.

I've found the exact opposite, in my range of 8 niches.

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

Difficult to outsource

Yes, this is very true.

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

If you go on holidays, your followers will wonder whether you've stopped blogging and will stop visiting your blog.

Not if you post in advance, for automated publication while you're away. Nobody can tell you're away - just as with an autoresponder - and you lose nothing. That's one the attractions of blogging.

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

the long-term benefits are NOT massive.

For me, they have been. I find that having a content-rich site, with content regularly updated, gives conversion-rates a dramatic boost.

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

There are many ways of providing value and build authority without having to waste hundreds of hours writing content that will be given out for free.

For me, it isn't a "waste", at all: it all works out very highly paid.

Originally Posted by sal64

Just curios how long you think you should spend on it? If you look at guys like Seth Godin, the post infrequently, yet each post is of high value.

I do one long post per niche per week, effectively. And it's information much of which I can re-use in my autoresponder series, of course, so quite a lot of it's effectively serving two purposes.

I don't suggest it's a viable alternative to list-building, obviously. But I find it an enormous aid to list-building. Far better for me (in all the niches in which I've split-tested) than a "squeeze page approach". I build bigger lists with squeeze pages, but I make a lot more money out of my smaller lists by building up "authority blogs", because different people are attracted that way, and they include more buyers, it seems.

[brit16]

Could someone explain to me what exactly makes a blog an authority???? I think that is what I am going for, but don't know what exactly that looks like. My blog is in my signature, do y'all think it could be an authority if I keep working it???? Thanks!

[sal64]

@Alexa. This sort of approach is definitely a marathon as opposed to a sprint for cash. So I guess it depends on the individual's desire.

However, I tend to agree with what you wrote.

@brit16: That's a great question and perhaps Alexa will chime here as well. It menas different things to different people.

I see it as being a credible source of info in any given niche. I like the idea of being yourself and being interesting to your readers. This is where most blogs are found wanting.

Simply posting articles won't make you an authority. This is why your blog posts are difficult to outsource. Because they need personality. Where as an article is pure info.

The key is that whilst you may not see an immediate ROI, the longer term benefits are massive. It literally can take you months to become an overnight success. Sadly, many don't have the patience to do it... nor see the need to be one. And that's cool.

Bottom line: If you can show customers that you know what you are talking about, then you'll sell more to them. A blog is just another way of communicating to them... much like a newsletter... only a blog can give you a much bigger audience as well as search engine advantages.

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by sal64

@Alexa. This sort of approach is definitely a marathon as opposed to a sprint for cash. So I guess it depends on the individual's desire.

Yes, very good point. Very much so - it certainly suits people who prefer marathon approaches to sprint approaches.

Originally Posted by brit16

Could someone explain to me what exactly makes a blog an authority????

I was (terribly naively!! ) hoping to get through the thread without anyone asking this question.

In reality, I think the expression has two completely distinct meanings.

First, there's "what Google considers an authority site" (which is the more objective of the two), which I think we can all take as meaning "a content-rich blog/site which ranks very highly for a large number of different keywords and whose outgoing backlinks have great value to the sites linked to. Something like that, anyway.

Secondly, there's the more subjective evaluation of readers/potential customers, about which obviously one could write many paragraphs perhaps not boiling down to all that much more than saying that is subjective and that we all mean slightly different things by it, and take different factors into account in forming our (doubtless partly subconscious) impressions?

Originally Posted by brit16

I think that is what I am going for, but don't know what exactly that looks like. My blog is in my signature, do y'all think it could be an authority if I keep working it???? Thanks!

I've seen your site twice earlier today (and again now), when reading other threads. And both times (three times, now) not answered properly (or at all, as you may say). This is because I have "too much to say" and not enough time to say it.

Very briefly (and will say more tomorrow or soon, anyway - perhaps in your thread) ...

I like your site. I understand what you're trying to do with it. I think you've got off to a decent start in many ways.

I think it's exactly the right sort of site for this sort of niche. It's not too glossy and professional-looking and that's a compliment, and a very good thing, because it means you don't across as "just another marketer".

However, I think you've also made some fundamental mistakes (easily changed - don't panic!) of which the first and foremost is that you're not building a list. In my opinion, you're not going to sell that ClickBank product (or other products which you'll add to that blog as it grows) from the blog itself. Not in bulk. Not so that you can build it up and make a living from it. As it stands, you can make only occasional sales to a swiftly exhausted market. I'd expect you'll make some, and then they'll gradually tail off and you'll be left with very little.

Here's the thing (and please excuse me, I'm pasting a little bit in here, from earlier posts I've made on this subject) ... however you look at it, selling ClickBank (and similar) products is all about three main things ...

(i) You have to select the products wisely (obviously enough, without getting this part right, it doesn't much matter what else you do);

(ii) You have to pre-sell effectively to well-targeted traffic;

(iii) You have to build a list and form relationships with the people on it, so that they'll buy on the strength of your recommendation. Without doing this, your conversion-rate won't be great.

These things aren't optional: you really do need to do all three of them. There's a huge turnover of affiliate marketers trying other ways and not being successful. The above overview - simplistic and superficial though it is - is representative of those who make a living from it, however we choose to attract our traffic.

The product you're selling, in particular, in my opinion, is one that's going to sell "on the strength of the recommendation". It's not the product itself (or strictly speaking its sales page) or even your blog itself, that will (often) determine your sales: it's more whether you're the person through whom the customer chooses to buy it. (I don't suggest they'll think about it consciously in those terms, of course, but that doesn't make it any less a reality). With apologies, I'm being long-winded about this: all I'm really saying is that in my opinion you can sell this one far more easily by email (if you have a blog like this, through which people opt in to receive the emails) than you can from the blog itself.

There are some other smaller, specific things I think you ought to change. Will say more when I have more time.

[unclepennybags]

Usually the type of marketer who thrives on an authority blog is the type that loves their topic, is in it for more than just the money, and builds a huge amount of trust with their readers pulling in sky high conversion rates.

I think these marketers also tend to be the ones who know little about technical stuff such as SEO.

[sal64]

Originally Posted by unclepennybags

Usually the type of marketer who thrives on an authority blog is the type that loves their topic, is in it for more than just the money, and builds a huge amount of trust with their readers pulling in sky high conversion rates.

I think these marketers also tend to be the ones who know little about technical stuff such as SEO.

Fair point raised. So you are saying that they are not usually focussed on the SEO aspect, but more on the content?

Sal

[Anonymous Affiliate]

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

I've found the exact opposite, in my range of 8 niches.

The OP was asking about Authority Blogs, not blogs made by a string of 500-word articles with the sole purpose of ranking in Google. It is impossible to run Authority Blogs in 8 niches because no one is an expert in 8 different fields. We are talking about blogs like JohnChow.com, CoppyBlogger.com, EntrepreneursJourney, etc. (all 5 figures per month blogs).

And according to my experience (i used to run a 5-figure per month authority blog), i can assure you that the effort vs. Reward ratio was poor. There are far more efficient ways to market online WHILE establishing yourself as an authority than blogging.

[Anonymous Affiliate]

Originally Posted by Michael McCloud

Could you talk about some of the ways that are more efficient ways to market online while establishing yourself as an authority?

No sorry, I don't want to divert the thread into other topics.

Originally Posted by Michael McCloud

Also, don't you think that someone with enough interest in a subject and smarts could establish themselves as an expert in 8 niches like what Alexa Smith explained above.

No, I don't think anyone can be an expert in 8 different fields. At least not an expert enough to build a reputed Authority Blog and have a herd of people following you and building your reputation and authority factor up, which is what the OP was inquiring about.

A proper Authority Blog is actually almost a full-time job in itself and requires TONS of work, and needless to say TONS of knowledge about the topic at hand. That's why Authority Blogs are almost impossible to outsource properly (your followers want to read from your and your knowledge, not from your guest bloggers), which is why they are highly inefficient from an effort vs. reward point of view.

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

The OP was asking about Authority Blogs, not blogs made by a string of 500-word articles with the sole purpose of ranking in Google.

I know he was; and that was what I was answering about, too, AA.

I write authoritative, 1,200-word articles which are widely syndicated to and/or referenced by other authority sites after initial indexation on my own property. I don't write 500-word articles and I write for readers, not for search engines.

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

It is impossible to run Authority Blogs in 8 niches because no one is an expert in 8 different fields.

It depends what you mean by "fields". Some subjects don't actually require huge "expertise" to become an "authority". I agree that it would be rather difficult (for me, anyway) if involving anything terribly technical, but I tend to stay away from those niches.

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

We are talking about blogs like JohnChow.com, CoppyBlogger.com, EntrepreneursJourney, etc. (all 5 figures per month blogs).

Ah ... all your discussion is limited to the "IM" and "MMO" markets? Yes, those are different. I'm more interested in the other 99.9% of the world and its internet users and customers, myself.

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

And according to my experience (i used to run a 5-figure per month authority blog), i can assure you that the effort vs. Reward ratio was poor.

I'm not doubting it for a moment - simply recording that my experience (as on so many other subjects, apparently ) is pretty much diametrically opposed to yours.

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

No, I don't think anyone can be an expert in 8 different fields. At least not an expert enough to build a reputed Authority Blog and have a herd of people following you and building your reputation and authority factor up, which is what the OP was inquiring about.

Because you haven't chosen to do that yourself, for whatever reason(s), you think that nobody else can do it either, AA - is that it?

[Anonymous Affiliate]

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

Ah ... all your discussion is limited to the "IM" and "MMO" markets? Yes, those are different. I'm more interested in the other 99.9% of the world and its internet users and customers, myself.

No, my discussion is not limited to the MMO niche. I was talking about the size of those blogs, and their authority levels, regardless of whether they're in the MMO, Loss Weight, Self-Help, Stock Trading, or whatever niche.

Remember, we're talking about Authority Blogs here with thousands of RSS and Facebook followers. We're talking about blogs that thousands of people subscribe to and read on a recurrent basis.

An authority blog that has hardly no RSS or Facebook followers and hardly makes a few hundreds a month is not an Authority Blog by any means. And that's because in order to become an authority (a brand), by definition you need a critical mass of followers. That's why I was listing those top blogs before, because they do have that mass of followers and thus they can be labeled as Authority Blogs. There's NO authority without a mass of followers.

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

It depends what you mean by "fields". Some subjects don't actually require huge "expertise" to become an "authority". I agree that it would be rather difficult (for me, anyway) if involving anything terribly technical, but I tend to stay away from those niches.

Then we simply disagree on what an Authority Blog is, because in my definition of an Authority Blog, you DO require top knowledge in order to become... well, an authority figure with a reputation and branding within your niche. Again Alexa, we're talking about Authority Blogs that are well reputed and known withing your niche since the goal here is to set yourself as a reputed and easily recognized brand within your industry.

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

Because you haven't chosen to do that yourself, for whatever reason(s), you think that nobody else can do it either, AA - is that it?

Not, that's not it. My opinion is based on first-hand experience from running a 5-figure-per-month blog, with 5-figure RSS followers, with an average of 50'ish human real comments per blog post, etc. THAT is what's an Authority Blog (it wasn't in the MMO niche, by the way). Does any of your 8 blogs reach those levels Alexa? because if not, then our respective definitions of what an Authority Blog is might be slightly different... In the other hand, if they do reach those levels, then by my definition you do run Authority Blogs and we will simply have to agree to disagree.

I ran that blog for 2 years until I figured much more efficient ways of running my business, involving less working hours and much easier to be outsourced. Like I said before, from first-hand experience I can tell you that there are better ways to A) make money online and B) brand yourself.

Or at least that's just my opinion based, again, in FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

at least that's just my opinion based, again, in FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE

Nobody here has questioned, or doubted, your experience, AA.

We're having this conversation only because you seem (as elsewhere) strangely unable to reciprocate that, regarding the experiences of others which are apparently - as in so many other contexts - so very different from your own.

[JoshuaG]

Originally Posted by sal64

Just curios how long you think you should spend on it? If you look at guys like Seth Godin, the post infrequently, yet each post is of high value.

Just so people are not mislead, I know Seth Godin posts to his blog several times a day because I follow him on my google reader.

His posts are usually fairly short, but are quite insightful.

With regards to creating authority blogs, I think you have to have a knack for writing in an active voice that keeps people interested in what you're saying...and thats not easy.

Even coming up with creative topics to write about, while still being poignant can be challenging.

IMO, blogging is for people who are very social.

If you don't have some of these traits, you'll have a tough time getting people to follow you.

[sal64]

Ahem, ahem, forgive my intrusion...

Just to clarify a few things.

I am not overly concerned with or refering to becoming another John Chow.

Obviously the term Authority is subject to interpretation. My original OP was more about having a blog as part of your business in order to help brand and present yourself as an authority in that given market.

Not sitting their pumping out content 24/7.

From my perspective, it's about providing quality info to your list of readers. I did this successfully when I had my real estate sites going.

I built a blog and apart from reaching new visitors, I also sent existing subscribers and customers to it every time I updated it. NOTE: I had my own products on the back end.

Personally, I think this is a great and effective was yo build trust and authority with your readers, as well as interact with them. It kept my list responsive as they knew who I was and what I stood for. There was basic stuff and there was some straight shootin' as well. In short, there was some personality that differentiated me from my competitors.

Now I understand that this may differ from what is defined as a traditional authority blog, so sorry for the confusion.

Another reason why I raised them is I see a ton of threads on here asking about new ways to get customers, and I reckon that with a bit of effort, a good blog will benefit you in the long run as stated above.

I'm not fussed nor interested in becoming another Jack Humphrey or John Chow and generate revenue from having millions of visitors. For me, it's all about trust and confidence that a well written blog can give you... call it pre-selling if you like.

Sal

[sal64]

Thanks for that Alexa.

Just because we do not have a preference for a method, we cannot assume that everyone thinks like us, or that it does not work for others.

AA, I appreciate your input and perspective, truly. But to simply state categorically that they are a waste of time doesn't really help others. Nor does arguing with posters who clearly have succeeded with them.

Sal

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

Nobody here has questioned, or doubted, your experience, AA.

We're having this conversation only because you seem (as elsewhere) strangely unable to reciprocate that, regarding the experiences of others which are apparently - as in so many other contexts - so very different from your own.

[Anonymous Affiliate]

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

Nobody here has questioned, or doubted, your experience, AA.

We're having this conversation only because you seem (as elsewhere) strangely unable to reciprocate that, regarding the experiences of others which are apparently - as in so many other contexts - so very different from your own.

Opinions are based and filtered on our experiences, which is precisely why each person's opinion is different: because their respective experiences are different.

Therefore, I'm stating my own opinion based on my own experience, which is what an internet forum is about.

Agreed so far? good.

Now, the key issue here is what we understand by an "educated opinion".

• Your "educated opinion" on Authority Blogs is based on running 8 different blogs on 8 different niches, of which we don't know how much money they generate per month, how many RSS/Facebook followers they have, how many real human readers they get, how many average comments per post, etc. I won't even get into the fact that it's simply impossible to be an authority in 8 different fields at once...
• In the other hand, my "educated opinion" is based from having owned a 5-figure-per-month blog, with thousands of RSS/Facebook followers, with thousands of human readers per day, average 50'ish real human comments per post, etc.

So I repeat my previous statement: either your blogs have reached those levels (which is the level of a true Authority Blog), or I will simply not deem your opinion as an "educated opinion". Don't take this wrong in any way, but in order to have a meaningful conversation, both persons need to be leveled in the terms of such conversions.

That's the difference Alexa: I'm speaking here from experience after having run a top blog. Now the question is: have you? If you have not, then I'm sorry but I will stick to my version of the story.

[Anonymous Affiliate]

Originally Posted by sal64

AA, I appreciate your input and perspective, truly. But to simply state categorically that they are a waste of time doesn't really help others. Nor does arguing with posters who clearly have succeeded with them.

1) I did not say they're a waste of time. I said that there are more efficient ways to monetize your online efforts while building up a reputation within your niche. And this is true whether you like it or not.

2) "Arguing with posters who've clearly succeeded with them", you say?!?! Who has "clearly succeeded" with Authority Blogs here? because as per the last few posts, I have no seen ANYONE here claiming to have made 6-figures a year with their blog, nor having run a true Authority Blog for that matter.

That's the problem with Internet Forums: people speak like if they have mastered their craft while their bank account proves otherwise...

Now, I'm done with this thread. You're the OP of this thread. It's your choice to listen the feedback from someone who has been there, has done it, got the t-shirt (along with hundreds of thousands of dollars), and who is telling you that there are better ways to proceed... or alternatively you can listen the feedback from someone else who might not have a first-hand experience on what he/she might be talking about because he/she might have not actually run a top Authority Blog in his/her life.

It's entirely up to you, and your wisdom, which feedback you want to listen to. Your bank account will reflect the results of such decision.

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

That's the difference Alexa: I'm speaking here from experience after having run a top blog. Now the question is: have you? If you have not, then I'm sorry but I will stick to my version of the story.

Nobody's actually asking you to do anything other than that, anyway, AA.

It's not compulsory (nor, apparently, possible) for us to have matching experience.

That doesn't invalidate your experience in any way, and nobody suggested it did.

It also doesn't invalidate mine (however difficult or unpleasant that seems to be for you to acknowledge).

As in several other discussions I had absolutely no problem at all, here, with your perspective or your experience. It was only you who apparently had a problem, as in several other discussions, with other people's being very different from yours.

For the record, only one of my content-rich sites is now 3 years old, is top-ranking for a whole range of keywords, has a big, accompanying, segmented list, and I have a range of 5 (sometimes 6) products which I review and discuss a lot on the blog and promote to the list. But no - it doesn't yet produce 5-figures per month - only "very respectable 4-figures". It'll get there. Maybe I have only 3 years' experience of this, but I'm also not a complete beginner, however much it appeals to you to try to belittle others' experience when, as in several other discussions, it's so strikingly different from yours.

Fortunately, there's room here for your viewpoints and for mine. Which is - to quote your own exact words - "what an internet forum is about". Sorry about that.

[Fraggler]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

Difficult to outsource, since your followers want to read from you, not your Virtual Assistant or your guess bloggers.

That depends on how you position the blog. Instead of outsourcing I have hired writers interested in the niche all with unique experiences and points of view. I have 4 dedicated writers who deliver their article for the same day each week. The readers know when to expect an article from their favourite author.

Because the writers are passionate about the subject I just give them the freedom to write what they want. I give them one of two Adsense units on every article they write to give them the motivation to build a following of loyal readers. The freedom means their writing is entertaining and a unique style that will attract their own followers. It gives the blog the ability to attract people who might not like one particular person's style.

Authority blogs are ideal for those interested in traffic generation for advertising rather than just affiliate sales. They're suited to regular newsletters and can let you make cash out of niches that otherwise don't convert.

I've got a long way to go with mine but the comments and emails of support are increasing all the time so something must be working.

[brit16]

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

Yes, very good point. Very much so - it certainly suits people who prefer marathon approaches to sprint approaches.



I was (terribly naively!! ) hoping to get through the thread without anyone asking this question.

In reality, I think the expression has two completely distinct meanings.

First, there's "what Google considers an authority site" (which is the more objective of the two), which I think we can all take as meaning "a content-rich blog/site which ranks very highly for a large number of different keywords and whose outgoing backlinks have great value to the sites linked to. Something like that, anyway.

Secondly, there's the more subjective evaluation of readers/potential customers, about which obviously one could write many paragraphs perhaps not boiling down to all that much more than saying that is subjective and that we all mean slightly different things by it, and take different factors into account in forming our (doubtless partly subconscious) impressions?



I've seen your site twice earlier today (and again now), when reading other threads. And both times (three times, now) not answered properly (or at all, as you may say). This is because I have "too much to say" and not enough time to say it.

Very briefly (and will say more tomorrow or soon, anyway - perhaps in your thread) ...

I like your site. I understand what you're trying to do with it. I think you've got off to a decent start in many ways.

I think it's exactly the right sort of site for this sort of niche. It's not too glossy and professional-looking and that's a compliment, and a very good thing, because it means you don't across as "just another marketer".

However, I think you've also made some fundamental mistakes (easily changed - don't panic!) of which the first and foremost is that you're not building a list. In my opinion, you're not going to sell that ClickBank product (or other products which you'll add to that blog as it grows) from the blog itself. Not in bulk. Not so that you can build it up and make a living from it. As it stands, you can make only occasional sales to a swiftly exhausted market. I'd expect you'll make some, and then they'll gradually tail off and you'll be left with very little.

Here's the thing (and please excuse me, I'm pasting a little bit in here, from earlier posts I've made on this subject) ... however you look at it, selling ClickBank (and similar) products is all about three main things ...

(i) You have to select the products wisely (obviously enough, without getting this part right, it doesn't much matter what else you do);

(ii) You have to pre-sell effectively to well-targeted traffic;

(iii) You have to build a list and form relationships with the people on it, so that they'll buy on the strength of your recommendation. Without doing this, your conversion-rate won't be great.

These things aren't optional: you really do need to do all three of them. There's a huge turnover of affiliate marketers trying other ways and not being successful. The above overview - simplistic and superficial though it is - is representative of those who make a living from it, however we choose to attract our traffic.

The product you're selling, in particular, in my opinion, is one that's going to sell "on the strength of the recommendation". It's not the product itself (or strictly speaking its sales page) or even your blog itself, that will (often) determine your sales: it's more whether you're the person through whom the customer chooses to buy it. (I don't suggest they'll think about it consciously in those terms, of course, but that doesn't make it any less a reality). With apologies, I'm being long-winded about this: all I'm really saying is that in my opinion you can sell this one far more easily by email (if you have a blog like this, through which people opt in to receive the emails) than you can from the blog itself.

There are some other smaller, specific things I think you ought to change. Will say more when I have more time.

Thank you for the thoughtful response!! I replied to you on the thread I started here, but since I see that you are still on this thread I thought I would reply here also. I would love to hear more about what you think, when you have the chance! Thanks again.

[sal64]

lol and what exactly do you know about my bank account? Perhaps read my comments throughout and not just what I replied to you.

If you don't like forums, perhaps take your arrogance elsewhere.

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

1) I did not say they're a waste of time. I said that there are more efficient ways to monetize your online efforts while building up a reputation within your niche. And this is true whether you like it or not.

2) "Arguing with posters who've clearly succeeded with them", you say?!?! Who has "clearly succeeded" with Authority Blogs here? because as per the last few posts, I have no seen ANYONE here claiming to have made 6-figures a year with their blog, nor having run a true Authority Blog for that matter.

That's the problem with Internet Forums: people speak like if they have mastered their craft while their bank account proves otherwise...

Now, I'm done with this thread. You're the OP of this thread. It's your choice to listen the feedback from someone who has been there, has done it, got the t-shirt (along with hundreds of thousands of dollars), and who is telling you that there are better ways to proceed... or alternatively you can listen the feedback from someone else who might not have a first-hand experience on what he/she might be talking about because he/she might have not actually run a top Authority Blog in his/her life.

It's entirely up to you, and your wisdom, which feedback you want to listen to. Your bank account will reflect the results of such decision.