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Posting my first thread on Warrior Forum

by SMworkcafe
18 replies
This is actually my very first thread in which I intend to just introduce myself and say hello to the WF community. So, 'Hello Warriors'!

I'm Sana and I started freelance writing back in 2004 through various outsourcing platforms (I have my profile in almost all of them ). Today, I am in the middle of changing my online business strategies and work on my own niche website which I know will be a great success, if all goes well...

I would like to ask some specific questions and get benefit from the valuable and varied experiences of the marketers who participate here. Here are some I had in mind:

1. How many pages do I need to score good rankings on Google in a niche which is related to pregnancy issues? I am currently ready with 25 pages consisting of no less than 1000 words each (I still have them in my drafts folder and have not published them yet through to some designing issues I am having at the moment)

2. What kind of tone will you suggest me to carry throughout my articles? Will sharing my own experience will lead to better visitor interest or keeping it neutral would be sufficient? I don't have experience engaging a women-centric audience (I am a woman myself, I know but still) so I am confused to choose the tone of my content.

3. Should I be including affiliate offers/ products within my website at this stage?

4. Is it really necessary to buy traffic in the early stages of a website? I am asking this with a doubt in mind because I have enrolled into an IM coaching program of a well-known marketer who is giving advice to buy traffic through Fiverr in his 30-day money making challenge. On the contrary, I do believe that I shall be able to capture good leads/ visitor interest considering the niche I have involved myself into.

5. Is it wise for me to invest money on advertising and backlinks? Considering the fact that this is my very first 'experimental' project. I don't have high hopes with it but I would love to see succeed and make around $1000 a month. This is my expected target income.

I shall be following up your responses if I get successful in getting your attention.

Sana.
#forum #posting #thread #warrior
  • Profile picture of the author art72
    First off, welcome to the Warrior Forum Sana!

    As far as the pregnancy niche, not sure I'm much help even as a father of three myself, lol.

    However, you seem to have done some homework, and have realistic and educated questions concerning your next steps. In my opinion, creating your tone is entirely up to you, as different people prefer the 'personal experience' delivery method, and others do well keeping their blogs/sites strictly non-personal, and informative.

    Truth is, if you're a seasoned writer you can create different user profiles whereby, you submit different tones under various pen names... thus, being unlimited in your chosen character... a lot of people do this, especially when assuming the authority role in multiple niches.

    As far as having 25 articles at the ready, if they are keyword specific, optimized, and reader friendly, you should do well in getting organic search traffic fairly quickly. I personally have a bad habit of writing an article and publishing it, and quickly getting on page one before I am even ready for traffic, or have my sales funnel in place... not a bad problem to have per se, and yet, I often feel the tech stuff is my immediate crutch!

    As far as monetizing, there's no reason you shouldn't include relative affiliate offers, but more importantly work on capturing visitors emails, and gaining email subscribers and building a targeted prospect list... *maybe with a short eBook or report specific to your topic. This way you can use email follow-ups to test your audiences specific interests, buying practices, and possibly retain visitor interests through a newsletter, or monthly give-a-way, etc...

    As far as paid traffic, once you have your site set up and monetized with a good lead capture, and product offering, you can test ppc cheap using FB ads or Fivver... although I've never tried buying Fivver traffic personally.

    I'm sure you'll receive some good advice from other Warriors, as many are more qualified to answer some of your SEO based questions than I... but, I wish you the best of luck.
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    Atop a tree with Buddha ain't a bad place to take rest!
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  • Profile picture of the author SMworkcafe
    Thank you so much Art72. I appreciate the time you have invested in putting up your detailed response.

    I love to learn and you have given me some great ground level steps to polish my marketing strategies.

    For example, I didn't think of writing under different pen names and approaching my visitors with personal experiences through this strategy. This is something I would be doing for sure! Now, I am thinking of keeping the website informative and sharing experiences through different pen names. Sweet!

    I am still in the middle of understanding how to implement a system to build a list. I might sound lame but it has taken me 16 months to actually get to the point of understanding how autoresponders work. The monetizing part is something I would like keep away from me, a bit. The reason is that I think it will distract me from the sole purpose of why am I creating this website. I intend to build a solid community of women who need information on their finger tips. Need to think more on this...
    Signature

    Cheers!

    - Sana.

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  • Profile picture of the author art72
    Not complicating the process, is always the best bet. As for having spent 16 months, I myself have invested 5-6 years (on/off) learning online strategies, methods, tech stuff, etc...- (in between a few small offline start-ups) and to this day... I still feel as though there's so much more I need (and want) to learn.

    As far as the autoresponder goes, it's really not that complicated. Just simple form code installed on your site that allows visitors to subscribe to your newsletter or small offering (*a bribe basically) that enables you to collect a form of contact (email) to follow up with them at your leisure. Basically, like that of building your Rolodex online.

    Overall, I agree... focus on the building of trust, community, authority, and later you can capitalize on the financial rewards.

    However, I would strongly recommend you start capturing subscribers (emails) from the get-go, as you'll find most here agree..."The money is in the list".

    You don't have to sell them anything at first, just nurture that list with value... and later, that sacrifice of time and hindsight will likely return '10-fold' to you later. Your time is valuable, and while many lose focus not seeing monetary gains instantly, it's my belief; some of the most successful blogs and websites became so, simply because their creators had long-term visions, and they knew their audiences needs beforehand, and knew exactly how to communicate to that specific audience, and deliver solutions.

    It's really about reverse-engineering. You say you have experienced a specific problem, of which you found a solution.

    Millions of people are still seeking that solution, and if you can layout the path leading to the solution... and direct (or lead) others to that solution... viola, you will succeed by helping others find what they are seeking...win/win. No need to deny the reward (or making some money), it will be essential for you to help reach more people, just as any church, business, or charity still requires funding.

    All the Best,

    Art
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    Atop a tree with Buddha ain't a bad place to take rest!
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    • Profile picture of the author SMworkcafe
      Originally Posted by art72 View Post

      Not complicating the process, is always the best bet. As for having spent 16 months, I myself have invested 5-6 years (on/off) learning online strategies, methods, tech stuff, etc...- (in between a few small offline start-ups) and to this day... I still feel as though there's so much more I need (and want) to learn.

      As far as the autoresponder goes, it's really not that complicated. Just simple form code installed on your site that allows visitors to subscribe to your newsletter or small offering (*a bribe basically) that enables you to collect a form of contact (email) to follow up with them at your leisure. Basically, like that of building your Rolodex online.

      Overall, I agree... focus on the building of trust, community, authority, and later you can capitalize on the financial rewards.

      However, I would strongly recommend you start capturing subscribers (emails) from the get-go, as you'll find most here agree..."The money is in the list".

      You don't have to sell them anything at first, just nurture that list with value... and later, that sacrifice of time and hindsight will likely return '10-fold' to you later. Your time is valuable, and while many lose focus not seeing monetary gains instantly, it's my belief; some of the most successful blogs and websites became so, simply because their creators had long-term visions, and they knew their audiences needs beforehand, and knew exactly how to communicate to that specific audience, and deliver solutions.

      It's really about reverse-engineering. You say you have experienced a specific problem, of which you found a solution.

      Millions of people are still seeking that solution, and if you can layout the path leading to the solution... and direct (or lead) others to that solution... viola, you will succeed by helping others find what they are seeking...win/win. No need to deny the reward (or making some money), it will be essential for you to help reach more people, just as any church, business, or charity still requires funding.

      All the Best,

      Art

      Thank you so much again Art. You guys make it seem so easy and I know you have tested everything (or most of it) which is why your response/ comments are precious to me. I would like to focus on creating solid backlinks. If I am able to grab attention of just 2 influential bloggers out of 100 people (have them in an excel file) within my niche, I would be on top of the world! I am not considering this as a short term project. If it successfully forms a community which I want to build, I would be more than happy. Later, or probably next month, I shall be looking into the monetization methods.

      I do hope someday I would be making $1000 per month through my own project. 11 years of creating articles for others and see them succeed is more than enough to get my feet on the ground in order to establish my own online business.
      Signature

      Cheers!

      - Sana.

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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Singletary
    Just curious what is the coach suggesting you buy through Fiverr?

    Mark

    Originally Posted by SMworkcafe View Post

    4. Is it really necessary to buy traffic in the early stages of a website? I am asking this with a doubt in mind because I have enrolled into an IM coaching program of a well-known marketer who is giving advice to buy traffic through Fiverr in his 30-day money making challenge. On the contrary, I do believe that I shall be able to capture good leads/ visitor interest considering the niche I have involved myself into.
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    • Profile picture of the author SMworkcafe
      Hello Mark. His first name is Alex. I don't want to get into trouble so yeah, PM me anytime
      Signature

      Cheers!

      - Sana.

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  • Profile picture of the author SaeedKhan
    Welcome Sana, regarding fiverr traffic, i've tried a few where they promise 1 billion visitors for fiverrs, but my experience is they low quality traffic, and my squeeze pages where converting with other traffic. Or mabe the traffic sources were not good. Be careful when buying on fiverr traffic
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    • Profile picture of the author SMworkcafe
      I see. Thank you Saeed. You are right. I have come across marketers saying that such traffic usually contains bots which is, again, useless. But others say, including my coach, to just test drive the ones which have great ratings. I am more interested in buying solo ads and few offers presented by fellow WF list building experts. This is business after all and if I have to spend on something, I need to research the heck out of it to not get into trouble in the long run.
      Signature

      Cheers!

      - Sana.

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      • Profile picture of the author SaeedKhan
        I personally have had the most success in solo ads, opts ins and instant sales from solo ads, however there are also some shady solo ad vendors, i use the soloadsx.com directory to look for genuine vendors which constantly checks all the solos ad providers for results. The only downside to solo ads is finding solo ad providers outside of MMO, IM niche.
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        • Profile picture of the author SMworkcafe
          Originally Posted by SaeedKhan View Post

          I personally have had the most success in solo ads, opts ins and instant sales from solo ads, however there are also some shady solo ad vendors, i use the soloadsx.com directory to look for genuine vendors which constantly checks all the solos ad providers for results. The only downside to solo ads is finding solo ad providers outside of MMO, IM niche.
          Thank you Saeed for the link. I do have the money but right now, I am more focused with the content and designing part of the website. If in the process, I make money through my content, boy will I be glad or what!
          Signature

          Cheers!

          - Sana.

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  • Profile picture of the author ContentPro22
    Originally Posted by SMworkcafe View Post

    This is actually my very first thread in which I intend to just introduce myself and say hello to the WF community. So, 'Hello Warriors'!

    I'm Sana and I started freelance writing back in 2004 through various outsourcing platforms (I have my profile in almost all of them ). Today, I am in the middle of changing my online business strategies and work on my own niche website which I know will be a great success, if all goes well...

    I would like to ask some specific questions and get benefit from the valuable and varied experiences of the marketers who participate here. Here are some I had in mind:

    1. How many pages do I need to score good rankings on Google in a niche which is related to pregnancy issues? I am currently ready with 25 pages consisting of no less than 1000 words each (I still have them in my drafts folder and have not published them yet through to some designing issues I am having at the moment)

    2. What kind of tone will you suggest me to carry throughout my articles? Will sharing my own experience will lead to better visitor interest or keeping it neutral would be sufficient? I don't have experience engaging a women-centric audience (I am a woman myself, I know but still) so I am confused to choose the tone of my content.

    3. Should I be including affiliate offers/ products within my website at this stage?

    4. Is it really necessary to buy traffic in the early stages of a website? I am asking this with a doubt in mind because I have enrolled into an IM coaching program of a well-known marketer who is giving advice to buy traffic through Fiverr in his 30-day money making challenge. On the contrary, I do believe that I shall be able to capture good leads/ visitor interest considering the niche I have involved myself into.

    5. Is it wise for me to invest money on advertising and backlinks? Considering the fact that this is my very first 'experimental' project. I don't have high hopes with it but I would love to see succeed and make around $1000 a month. This is my expected target income.

    I shall be following up your responses if I get successful in getting your attention.

    Sana.
    Welcome to WF!

    To your questions:

    1. 1000+ word pages are NICE. Most people write 500-word articles, but I find that too short to really dive into the topic at hand. Plus, 25 pages is a good number to start out with. Don't expect to rank on Google for 90 to 100 days (it might be less, but don't count on it).

    2. Look at what the authority sites in your niche are doing- match that tone. Then again, don't feel compelled to write in a way that feels unnatural to you either.

    3. Instead of affiliate products, set up an email capture form and build up your email list. This is one of the best ways to make money online today, in my opinion.

    4. If you are going to buy traffic, DON'T do it on Fiverr...use a more professional service. Although, if you are going to buy traffic, I'd recommend using it to promote a landing page (for capturing emails).

    5. Depends on the type of backlinks.

    Good luck
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    • Profile picture of the author SMworkcafe
      Thank you for your valuable insights ContentPro22.

      You are right. Writing only 500 words on a topic I am passionate about is something I consider not sufficient. I am thinking on expanding my articles a bit more and make them 1500 words each with lots of bullet points and great sub-headings to attract more and more visitor interest.

      3. Instead of affiliate products, set up an email capture form and build up your email list. This is one of the best ways to make money online today, in my opinion.

      I would like to ask a follow-up question on this one:

      How can I make money through my e-mail list? Is it again selling affiliate products OR giving out my list to other marketers within the same niche? Or both? If you have any other methods, please let me know as I know only two.

      Also, can you send me some quick sources of professional networks from where I can buy my targeted traffic?

      I'd be totally thrilled if you take out time from your busy schedule to answer my questions as your response would be invaluable to me.
      Signature

      Cheers!

      - Sana.

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      • Profile picture of the author ContentPro22
        Originally Posted by SMworkcafe View Post

        Thank you for your valuable insights ContentPro22.

        You are right. Writing only 500 words on a topic I am passionate about is something I consider not sufficient. I am thinking on expanding my articles a bit more and make them 1500 words each with lots of bullet points and great sub-headings to attract more and more visitor interest.

        3. Instead of affiliate products, set up an email capture form and build up your email list. This is one of the best ways to make money online today, in my opinion.

        I would like to ask a follow-up question on this one:

        How can I make money through my e-mail list? Is it again selling affiliate products OR giving out my list to other marketers within the same niche? Or both? If you have any other methods, please let me know as I know only two.

        Also, can you send me some quick sources of professional networks from where I can buy my targeted traffic?

        I'd be totally thrilled if you take out time from your busy schedule to answer my questions as your response would be invaluable to me.
        There are many ways to make money with an email list. The two main ones:
        1. Selling your own products
        2. Promoting affiliate products

        Use Aweber. They are a really good auto-responder. Free for the first month, and $19 thereafter. You can build a descent email list this way. Good luck.
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        • Profile picture of the author SMworkcafe
          Thank you ContentPro22. I appreciate your response.
          Signature

          Cheers!

          - Sana.

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  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    How can I make money through my e-mail list?
    For your niche I would use it to bring people back to your site. You can let them know when you've posted new content. Have ads for affiliate products in the sidebar. This way you are just sharing useful, relevant content and are not selling directly.
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    Get Off The Warrior Forum Now & Don't Come Back If You Want To Succeed!
    All The Real Marketers Are Gone. There's Nothing Left But Weak, Sniveling Wanna-Bees!
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    • Profile picture of the author SMworkcafe
      Originally Posted by Brent Stangel View Post

      For your niche I would use it to bring people back to your site. You can let them know when you've posted new content. Have ads for affiliate products in the sidebar. This way you are just sharing useful, relevant content and are not selling directly.
      Good gosh of course! Why can't I think of such ways? You guys have mastered your skill that's why. You just made me think out-of-the-box. I need to make a cup of tea now and start thinking and implementing according...

      Thank you so much Brent. Your response was brief but believe me it did wonders in opening my jam-packed mind.
      Signature

      Cheers!

      - Sana.

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    • Profile picture of the author discrat
      Originally Posted by Brent Stangel View Post

      For your niche I would use it to bring people back to your site. You can let them know when you've posted new content. Have ads for affiliate products in the sidebar. This way you are just sharing useful, relevant content and are not selling directly.
      You can definitely do this. And I might suggest you can mix it up. A lot Marketers do this. I personally don't. But there are many like Charlie Page that do.

      Half time Charlie will have an email with a link that leads back to his blog. Then he will have some emails that have a lot of content and at the end he will have a link to a Product (an aff. or your own) that can further help the Subscriber with their problem.



      - Robert Andrew
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      • Profile picture of the author SMworkcafe
        Originally Posted by discrat View Post

        You can definitely do this. And I might suggest you can mix it up. A lot Marketers do this. I personally don't. But there are many like Charlie Page that do.

        Half time Charlie will have an email with a link that leads back to his blog. Then he will have some emails that have a lot of content and at the end he will have a link to a Product (an aff. or your own) that can further help the Subscriber with their problem.



        - Robert Andrew
        Thanks Robert. Actually, I am aiming to serve the women through their difficult times when they are pregnant. The offers/ products are something I would be throwing in here and there but it isn't my main focus because I don't want to make my website look spammy or give an impression as 'here's another affiliate website on the rise'.

        So the question I have is:

        "How can I sell/ promote products of others in such a way that I don't give an impression that I am just another affiliate marketer?"

        I really want my website to fulfill it's purpose and be grandiloquent in every sense AND do me good financially.
        Signature

        Cheers!

        - Sana.

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