Am I alone with this problem?

13 years ago

I am new to IMing and it's definitely overwhelming at times and I'm constantly questioning WHY I'm doing it and HOW I'm going to get to where I want to be. Heck sometimes I'm even so over-thinking I'm already analyzing trying to figure out how I can outsource everything.

Pick a plan, then stick with it. Just keep your head down, write out daily goals for the next day the night before (to clear your mind before bed) and knock 'em out.

Thanks

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Matt Ausin

13 years ago

I think that about 90% (completely made up statistic) marketers have that problem

To me, it actually seems that you have two problems - the first one is being impatient, and the second one is that you're not sure whether what you do works.

The fact that you're doing things that take a lot of time to bring results doesn't help. Articles, especially nowadays, can take quite a while to bring traffic, if any - and you do need quite a lot of them. Myself, I never had the patience to do article marketing.

As for what works and what doesn't.. Persistence works. You just have to follow through on any traffic generation/conversion method to see if it works yourself, because there are markets where one method completely crushes another and vice versa.

Thanks
1 reply

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blueorca17

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Matt Ausin

I think that about 90% (completely made up statistic) marketers have that problem

To me, it actually seems that you have two problems - the first one is being impatient, and the second one is that you're not sure whether what you do works.

The fact that you're doing things that take a lot of time to bring results doesn't help. Articles, especially nowadays, can take quite a while to bring traffic, if any - and you do need quite a lot of them. Myself, I never had the patience to do article marketing.

As for what works and what doesn't.. Persistence works. You just have to follow through on any traffic generation/conversion method to see if it works yourself, because there are markets where one method completely crushes another and vice versa.

That's very true. OP you have to find something that works for YOU. Don't do what everyone else is doing, because chances are it's saturated already or it takes more money that you don't have to get it right. I don't have patience with article marketing either. Patience is a virtue, my friend. The more patient you are now, the more it's going to pay off in the end, trust me.

Thanks

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volit

13 years ago

Your best bet is to not think, but do. Results come in time and yes impatience is something we all struggle with.

But being too impatient will lead to discouragement even if you shouldn't be discouraged with your efforts. Basically what I am saying is you can defeat your efforts before you really begin.

Just keep pushing forward and you'll get sales.

Thanks
1 reply

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bretski

13 years ago

Are you serious? You quit your job to concentrate on IM yet you haven't made any money at it?

Yes, you are heading down a dark alley and on the other end is a reality full of bill collectors, pan handling, doing Fiverr gigs so you can buy enough mac and cheese to keep your heart beating for another week. I hope you live with your parents or have a rich girlfriend/wife to take care of you...

There is no possible way for anyone to tell you how many articles you need to write to begin making money online. This is not an across the board formula and there are too many variables that come into play... what niche you're working in, what kind of writer you are, whether you're capturing leads with a list, how motivated your buyers are, the quality of the product and the sales page that you are ultimately sending your traffic to.

I know that I can look back at my efforts and stats over a year and guestimate approximately how much revenue can be created from one article. I can do a long term calculation and see over a year approximately how many click throughs it took before a sale... over a 3 month period or a year. But to query what my efforts from yesterday will bring is just futile.

Look... I know guys that are having $1000 days and they still haven't quit their day job. If anyone is reading this and thinking of quitting their day job just hang tight. Once you have maybe 3 months salary in the bank and can match if not exceed your paycheck consistently, KEEP YOUR DAY JOB!

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Richard Van

13 years ago

I'm sorry to sound negative in advance but I'm with Bretski on this one.

I can only hope you have no outgoings at home?

From what you've said I'll also assume you're a gifted and very good article writer?

You seem to be basing your entire IM career around writing articles in the hope that the more you do, the more you fling at directories, the more money you make. The recent Google update took a lot away from article directories, not just in terms of link juice but traffic.

May I politely suggest if your entire plan is to throw as many articles at directories in the hope that some of the traffic will stick, you also look at other methods because that's not the best idea in the world.

I also find it rather concerning you've quit your job too. If you find yourself in a position where you can't pay bills, you may give up on IM and have to get a job. If however, you'd kept your job and built your IM carrer around it, you'd have had a lot more chance of success.

Either way I do wish you luck though.

Thanks
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Alexa Smith

Banned 13 years ago

Originally Posted by Richard Van

May I politely suggest if your entire plan is to throw as many articles at directories in the hope that some of the traffic will stick, you also look at other methods because that's not the best idea in the world.

This ^^^ ... exactly.

Don't depend on article directories for traffic.

When someone finds one of your articles by putting one of its keywords into a search engine, do you want him finding an article on your own site, or one in an article directory? (I don't know about you, but I lose most of the "potential customer traffic" that goes to article directories. I think almost all marketers do).

In this helpful thread, a whole succession of successful article marketers explain why they always publish their articles on their own sites first, and have them indexed there, before submitting them anywhere else.

Since that thread was compiled, Google's latest algorithm change has devalued articles directories still further (and I'm putting it mildly).

I wish you very good luck, but I join Richard, above, in urging you to look at other, additional methods, because the overall success-rate with what, apparently, you're currently doing is extremely low.

Thanks
1 reply

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burtie

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

In this helpful thread, a whole succession of successful article marketers explain why they always publish their articles on their own sites first, and have them indexed there, before submitting them anywhere else.

So the articles that I have in the que waiting to be published at EZA I should post to my blog first? I could do this as it is a new account at EZA and they apparently take a week to publish them.

My blog is at blogger - does that make any difference?

Thanks
1 reply

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Alexa Smith

Banned 13 years ago

Originally Posted by burtie

So the articles that I have in the que waiting to be published at EZA I should post to my blog first? I could do this as it is a new account at EZA and they apparently take a week to publish them.

Good thinking ... yes, if they're a bit slow (as they certainly can be with new authors) you might be able to overtake them, if you can get your own site indexed quickly enough. Worth trying, anyway.

Originally Posted by burtie

My blog is at blogger - does that make any difference?

What a big question.

It's not "your" blog, if it's at Blogger. You don't own it. They do.

There are 100 threads on this, so please excuse my not repeating all the salient points here. The "key issue" is that it isn't safe to have your blog at Blogger. It isn't property you own. The whole point, in this context, of publishing them yourself first, and having them indexed on your own site, is to build up your property and your business rather than EZA's. But if your blog is at Blogger, you have a similar problem. You're doing nothing to build the security and stability of your business.

They can just delete your blog, at Blogger, any time they feel like it, or any time a competitor sees it and flags it. They can decide it's commercial, or spammy, or that you're using it to generate traffic for another site (that includes affiliate links) or whatever they want to do.

As hundreds of Warriors have found, to their cost, they're notoriously idiosyncratic and inconsistent in the way they interpret their own (changeable) terms of service.

You need your own site, and Blogger just isn't "your own site" in all the ways that matter.

If money's the issue (as it is for so many, when they're starting off), you can get your own self-hosted Wordpress blog without paying anything, by using reliable, professional, advertising-free, high-quality, free hosting somewhere like Free Hosting, Paid Hosting, Reseller Services & VPS Servers : Byet Internet

You'll need a domain-name, but you can get a $1 .info domain-name at GoDaddy - for SEO purposes, it's just as good as a .com.

And much better than relying on Blogger, which is a site you don't own and may not be able to control, in the long run.

[ 1 ] Thanks
1 reply

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burtie 13 years ago

Oh now this is VERY exciting! I have just brought a domain name and and adding it to my godaddy hosting. Thank you so much for your help. I really do appreciate it!
- Thanks
- 1 reply
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- DWolfe 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by burtie
  
  I have just brought a domain name and and adding it to my godaddy hosting.
  
  Hope you got the domain from another site besides godaddy. Their is another thread here, that this can create another problem. Especially in the future if you decide to switch hosting companies or have issues with godaddy.
  
  Being impatient seems to be hurting you. It might be time to step back a little. Rome wasn't built in a day.
  
  Thanks
  
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Dan Allard

13 years ago

Hey Burtie, I agree with the others. The fact that you're doing something and taking action means alot.

As far as the article marketing, what are your goals with that? Are you trying to sell directly from your article, promote the site in your signature line above, or send the traffic to a squeeze page or sales page?

Are you using article marketing for link building? Are you trying to get them syndicated to other sites? (published)

If your goals is link building I'd also add some other methods in there. Better to have links coming from multiple sources. And if EzineArticles is a traffic method for you I'd probably also try another thing or two.

Trying to get your articles syndicated to other sites is a great strategy. Focus on providing EXTREME value! I once wrote a "27 Ways to..." article for Ezine and it got picked up by other sites. It took 4 hours to write that article, but it was worth it.

Make sure you're using analytics and tracking where your visitors are coming from. That way you'll find what works and you can focus on that.

Thanks

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MingJong

13 years ago

Hi Burtie,

Jumping from 1 to another is a common problem in the IM industry. Firstly, you should identify and adopt a proven blueprint, set up daily timetable so that you will accomplish the specified tasks everyday.

Focus on just ONE strategy at a time, test it, tweak it, optimize it until you satisfy with the results. Otherwise, you can also try multiple traffic strategies but you need to track each of the traffic source so that you know which one works the best.

Being a platinum author does not mean anything however it does help with the Ezine approval timeframe. You should take a look at:

1. No. of views of your articles.
2. No. of clicks of your articles.

Use accurate thinking to analyze the effort of article marketing. Is yours working? If your no. of view is pathetic, what's the reason? If you get lots of view, you need to ask why as well. Keep the good title that gain lots of view and abandon the loser. Use an attractive headline, etc...

If your article does get lots of view, congratulation! Now, you need to get clicks from it. If you are getting decent amount of clicks, you are on your way and you can easily scale up by submitting the same article to multiple high traffic article directories such as:

Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web
Free Articles Directory | Submit Articles - ArticlesBase.com
Article Directory - Free Expert Article Directory - GoArticles.com
Bukisa - Share your Knowledge
SearchWarp Writers' Community

Otherwise, you need to find out the reason why the no. of clicks is not as expected. There are basically 2 things to check on:

1. Your content
2. Your resource box

Write decent content with great call to action so that people will know what's in it for them. They need a reason to click through your link.

So, before you jump in and start writing and submitting tons of article, remember to track and improve along the way.

Hope this help a bit

Cheers,
MingJong

Thanks

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Marx Vergel Melencio

13 years ago

Hi Burtie. Article directories are useful because other webmasters who have sites and pages contextually relevant to your affiliate products, free digital info products and onsite content can pick your articles up and publish your content on their websites for their daily viewers. I for one'd do this:

Pinpoint immediate needs and urgent problems of certain groups of people about topics and sub topics covered by a particular set of categories and sub categories...

Zone in on the needs and problems of groups of people expected to regularly search and purchase solutions on the Internet...

Identify the top online social communities with contextually relevant discussion pages top ranking in Google for relevant keywords...

Determine the top three online social communities with the largest active membership bases. Go to those discussion pages contextually relevant to possible solutions for their immediate needs and urgent problems. Learn their particular needs, problems, experience and recommendations among other relevant details...

Zone in further on one group of people with specific needs and problems. These people should be expected to frequently search and purchase beneficial solutions on the Internet...

I'd develop my own products, but since you want to implement affiliate marketing campaigns:

Choose the best affiliate products to promote using details I've gathered at this point. Use those products. List down my observations, inferences, test results, theories and opinions about each product...

Write a short, easy to read PDF report that provides my observations, inferences, test results, theories and opinions about each product. I'll include my recommendations, tips, advice, techniques and strategies which can maximize the utility and benefits offered by my affiliate products. I'll also include my affiliate product URLs in my PDF report...

Offer my PDF report as a free digital info product downloadable after signing up to my mailing list. I'll write an enticing description about the benefits provided by my free digital info product...

Write seven to ten posts helpful in solving some of the particular problems and needs of my target viewers which they can't solve nor satisfy on their own...

Register as a member of those top three online social communities mentioned above. Update my profile page photo, about me section, tags and website URL...

Help other members of those online social communities by answering their questions and giving useful advice, tips, strategies and techniques yet to be mentioned in the discussions there...

Build mutually beneficial relationships with other members who have a lot of FB friends possibly with similar needs and problems...

Write articles and posts. Offer these to webmasters with websites heavily trafficked by my target viewers and are top ranking in Google for my relevant keywords as content they can publish on their websites for their viewers, of course with links pointing to the pages of my website along with their recommendations if possible...

I'll continue writing content for my website, updating my free digital info product and my list of affiliate products, sending my mailing list beneficial newsletter and email update content, helping other members in online social networks, looking for possible joint venture deals and offering guest authoring arrangements with other webmasters of sites contextually relevant to my affiliate products, free digital info and onsite content...

I'll obviously monitor my results, consider other methods to drive traffic to my website, reformulate my strategies and plans then implement those improved plans along the way...

I'll document my adventure so I can teach others to do it for me as soon as I can afford to hire employees...

Thanks

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Shakakka

13 years ago

Before quitting your full-time job, you should've ALREADY been article marketing. You should've ALREADY been building some measure of success with your landing pages, and you should've ALREADY been making some (if not a decent amount) of money.

By doing this you would've realized how s-l-o-w things can often come. You wouldn't be so impatient for results, because you would've already have SEEN results.

My guess? You'll do this another two weeks, get totally discouraged, be pressured by everyone else (including bill collectors), and go back to working 9 to 5 before July comes around. Not that I wish this on you, but that's the road you're heading down.

DO DO DO. That's all I can say. Stop checking your accounts to see if you're making money, and stop worrying about SERPS right now. Although you seem to know what to do (so far), you haven't done any significant amount of work that you should be looking back upon anything yet.

I wish you luck, but unfortunately I think you're a lot like most of the friends I tried to teach AM to: just too impatient to grasp that this whole thing takes TIME. If it were easy and the results were quick? Everyone would be doing it.

Thanks

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burtie

13 years ago

Hey guys, thanks for all your advice.

Just to clear things up - I never quit my job without a safety net! I already have an online income coming from an article directory that I own, a magazine site that I publish and online product sales. These are all pretty much automated now and I quit my main job so that I could try something different.

Thanks
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Richard Van

13 years ago

Originally Posted by burtie

Hey guys, thanks for all your advice.

Just to clear things up - I never quit my job without a safety net! I already have an online income coming from an article directory that I own, a magazine site that I publish and online product sales. These are all pretty much automated now and I quit my main job so that I could try something different.

Good for you Burtie,

I take back my advice from earlier, I had no idea you were already doing rather well, I was reading into it the wrong way.

Good luck with your new adventure.

Thanks

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bretski

13 years ago

Originally Posted by burtie

Hey guys, thanks for all your advice.

Just to clear things up - I never quit my job without a safety net! I already have an online income coming from an article directory that I own, a magazine site that I publish and online product sales. These are all pretty much automated now and I quit my main job so that I could try something different.

My bad too... it's just that there are people that have gone and quit their job only to discover that their plan if flawed...

Good luck, keep plugging away. Slow and steady wins the race.

Thanks

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travlinguy

13 years ago

Okay bertie...

This probably won't make you feel all warm and fuzzy but three articles and a single answer on Yahoo answers isn't even a fart in a hurricane. The thing is consistently doing stuff like that every day. Put blinders on and just do it. Pile up the articles and the answers. It takes time to build something worthwhile.

I also find your clarification post interesting. You say you have an online income with an article directory and newsletter. Okay, excuse me for the "duh" moment here but if you're already having success with those two things, major things in IM BTW, why in heaven's name are you not scaling those enterprises up, WAY up? Why are you trying to reinvent the wheel with other strategies?

Don't misunderstand, I believe it's good to branch out. But do it smart. Divide your day in half. One half you branch out with stuff you already know. Create another newsletter and start to promote it. You can even tie it into affiliate marketing. If you've had success with such a venture in the past, do it again.

Same goes for your article directory. Do that again but maybe this time specialize in a single niche.

My whole point is to capitalize on the momentum you already have. Now, quit reading this stuff and get busy!

Thanks

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lisalafrance

13 years ago

My approach to IM has always been, test, test and test. If you think some approach might work don't spend hours and days promoting it before you know if it works or not. Get onto the sites that will show you data:

1. How many visitors
2. how many buying visitors
3. What's your competition?
4. How many are making money?
5. Is this a current trend?
6. What state is the trend in?

Lots of questions, ask them all and get answers before you start building.

or

Split test a PPC campaign for faster results (also riskier)

Hope this helps,

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majay

13 years ago

I do agree with most of you on some of the frustrations faced in IM especially when one does so much e.g article submission,SEO,etc but doesn't see the results immediately.

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omk

13 years ago

Article marketing works and is time tested. The only drawback for most people is that it usually takes some time for the total effect of your efforts to show, stat-wise.

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burtie

13 years ago

New blog on my own domain set up now with two articles on

Thanks for Alexa Smith for the advice!

Thanks

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