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Potential in the long run: blogging vs product creation?

by ckbank
15 replies
Yes, I know I can do both. That's a discussion for another day. Seriously, would you say it pays off more, in the long run, to blog or to create a product?
#blogging #creation #long #potential #product #run
  • Profile picture of the author Christine Brady
    As a blogger and a product creator - I'd say create a product, without a doubt.

    Use the blog as a traffic driver.
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    • Profile picture of the author ckbank
      Originally Posted by Christine Brady View Post

      As a blogger and a product creator - I'd say create a product, without a doubt.

      Use the blog as a traffic driver.
      Thank you Christine.
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      Now that's what I call Guerrilla Marketing.
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  • Profile picture of the author Izerman
    Out of the two I'd say product creation pays more in the long run, without a doubt.
    But if you were to swap the blog for an authority site, things might look different.

    /Izerman
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      My prediction is that many/most responses here will be telling you that the real, serious money comes only/mostly from product creation.

      I think that's because people who believe that are more likely to reply to such a thread. You'll be dealing, mostly, with a self-selected/skewed group, in other words. Just my guess, but I've seen a lot of these conversations.

      I haven't ever produced my own product. I'd need to sell such staggeringly high numbers of copies of it (whatever "it" might be), for it to get anywhere near approaching how I do from my affiliate marketing blogs, that it's daunting and I keep putting it off and wondering whether it can really be worthwhile. Especially when you think that the way to huge sales comes from paying 75% commissions to affiliates rather than earning 75% commission as an affiliate. I don't know.

      I think there's a huge number of reasons for affiliate marketing blogs being better, overall, for many people, anyway. Here are ten of them ...
      • Affiliates have almost complete flexibility of products to promote: we can add, remove and change products whenever the need arises and for whatever reason, without needing to create a new one
      • When you're an affiliate, you get the chance to build up an asset-based business based on genuine residual income without your fortunes being tied in to the longevity, success and demand for any specific, individual product at all
      • Affiliates don't have to do (or outsource) the market research necessary to determine exactly which type of product's going to be a success - not to anything like the same extent as vendors, anyway
      • Statistically, just among the people I know really well (this point is clearly subjective and I don't pretend otherwise) the long-term successful affiliates I know are mostly earning far more from internet marketing than the long-term successful vendors I know, and their businesses are far more stable for the long-term
      • Affiliates don't have all the potential legal liability, compliance and enforcement problems (which incur time, effort, energy, worry and sometimes money to resolve) that vendors typically have
      • Affiliates don't generally have most of the customer service/support problems that vendors tend to have to deal with all the time
      • Affiliates have far greater flexibility of income-sources than vendors do: once I've built up my lists in a few different niches, covering a large range of products, if any one supplier gets into trouble, I can fairly easily promote things from other income-sources instead, so the sudden demise of a retail outlet (or even a payment processing method) doesn't affect me nearly as adversely as it would typically affect a vendor
      • As an affiliate, it's far easier to offer a range of promotions at very different price-points than it typically is as a vendor
      • Affiliates don't have to do (or outsource) the actual product creation-process and "put it all together"
      • Affiliates have to pre-sell rather than sell (it's much easier and it doesn't involve sales copywriting, which vendors either need to be really professionally good at, or pay quite a bit to outsource)
      I could easily go on ... those are just a few of the more obvious advantages that spring immediately to mind.
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      • Profile picture of the author ckbank
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        My prediction is that many/most responses here will be telling you that the real, serious money comes only/mostly from product creation.

        I think that's because people who believe that are more likely to reply to such a thread. You'll be dealing, mostly, with a self-selected/skewed group, in other words. Just my guess, but I've seen a lot of these conversations.

        I haven't ever produced my own product. I'd need to sell such staggeringly high numbers of copies of it (whatever "it" might be), for it to get anywhere near approaching how I do from my affiliate marketing blogs, that it's daunting and I keep putting it off and wondering whether it can really be worthwhile. Especially when you think that the way to huge sales comes from paying 75% commissions to affiliates rather than earning 75% commission as an affiliate. I don't know.

        I think there's a huge number of reasons for affiliate marketing blogs being better, overall, for many people, anyway. Here are ten of them ...
        • Affiliates have almost complete flexibility of products to promote: we can add, remove and change products whenever the need arises and for whatever reason, without needing to create a new one
        • When you're an affiliate, you get the chance to build up an asset-based business based on genuine residual income without your fortunes being tied in to the longevity, success and demand for any specific, individual product at all
        • Affiliates don't have to do (or outsource) the market research necessary to determine exactly which type of product's going to be a success - not to anything like the same extent as vendors, anyway
        • Statistically, just among the people I know really well (this point is clearly subjective and I don't pretend otherwise) the long-term successful affiliates I know are mostly earning far more from internet marketing than the long-term successful vendors I know, and their businesses are far more stable for the long-term
        • Affiliates don't have all the potential legal liability, compliance and enforcement problems (which incur time, effort, energy, worry and sometimes money to resolve) that vendors typically have
        • Affiliates don't generally have most of the customer service/support problems that vendors tend to have to deal with all the time
        • Affiliates have far greater flexibility of income-sources than vendors do: once I've built up my lists in a few different niches, covering a large range of products, if any one supplier gets into trouble, I can fairly easily promote things from other income-sources instead, so the sudden demise of a retail outlet (or even a payment processing method) doesn't affect me nearly as adversely as it would typically affect a vendor
        • As an affiliate, it's far easier to offer a range of promotions at very different price-points than it typically is as a vendor
        • Affiliates don't have to do (or outsource) the actual product creation-process and "put it all together"
        • Affiliates have to pre-sell rather than sell (it's much easier and it doesn't involve sales copywriting, which vendors either need to be really professionally good at, or pay quite a bit to outsource)
        I could easily go on ... those are just a few of the more obvious advantages that spring immediately to mind.
        I'm sold Alexa, but just one thing. As an affiliate, is it really possible to make as much money as a product launcher? The only reason I think the answer to this question might possibly be "no" is the fact that a product launcher, in time, will have bunch of professionals trying to sell his or her product. Whereas, an affiliate marketer, unless very talented and skilled, may sell a few product on a weekly or daily basis. Maybe I feel this way, because I haven't heard of people who are only affiliate marketers and who are making thousands of dollars. Keep in mind, I probably haven't heard of these types of people, because I'm still a noob.
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        Now that's what I call Guerrilla Marketing.
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        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          Originally Posted by ckbank View Post

          I'm sold Alexa, but just one thing. As an affiliate, is it really possible to make as much money as a product launcher?
          Both vary so much, I don't know how to compare them, honestly. I really don't know.

          I think most people who produce a product make very little, but at the other extreme there are the people with hugely successful track records of product creation and super-affiliates waiting, who make millions.

          I think most people who "try affiliate marketing/blogging" make very little, but at the other extreme there are people making six figures per month from it (I'm not one of them, but I know one or two).

          Which is "better", overall, and how you even define that, I don't know!

          Originally Posted by ckbank View Post

          The only reason I think the answer to this question might possibly be "no" is the fact that a product launcher, in time, will have bunch of professionals trying to sell his or her product.
          Yes; there is that.

          Well ... many won't, of course. Because in order to attract and retain affiliates, you have to have proven conversions. "New vendors", it seems to me, are always concerned about "how to attract affiliates" without quite realizing this! In thread after thread after thread here, people ask about attracting affiliates because they imagine that "attracting affiliates" will somehow take care of their sales for them. The reality is that if their product isn't proven and tried and tested and converting targeted traffic well first, it won't at all! :p

          Originally Posted by ckbank View Post

          I haven't heard of people who are only affiliate marketers and who are making thousands of dollars
          Oooh, there are loads and loads of us here making a good full-time living from affiliate marketing. (I don't doubt the same is also true of vendors).

          I'll be honest and reveal that part of the reason I wanted to get my list of reasons into the thread, when I saw it, is that long experience of these conversations has taught me that what happens otherwise is that a lot of vendors give lists of the advantages of being a vendor, and a lot of the "reasons" they mention are typically things that actually apply to affiliate marketers too (we also build up asset-based businesses etc.!) :p

          (Edited to add: I'm not talking about Jamie's good points just above at all, mentioning that! I hadn't seen his post - we both posted at the same time, except that he's in Asia at the moment and it must be nearly 7.00 in the morning there ...).

          Anyway, I interpreted your original question as equating to the differences between being an affiliate and being a vendor. I do see that you didn't necessarily have to mean exactly that, because "blogging" isn't necessarily for "affiliate marketing", of course.
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  • Profile picture of the author Miguelito203
    Originally Posted by ckbank View Post

    Yes, I know I can do both. That's a discussion for another day. Seriously, would you say it pays off more, in the long run, to blog or to create a product?
    This is interesting. I'll put it this way, I don't know anyone that has a product that doesn't also have a blog. If you're in the industry long enough, I think there's just a natural transition that happens. You start out with a blog and eventually create a product down the line.

    Think about it. If you already have a blog and a following, you're going to make tons more money. If you already have a blog, you don't necessarily have to launch a product on a JV network or anything like that to make good money from it. I know people that do this all the time. It cost way less money and time than doing a massive launch.

    Joey
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  • Profile picture of the author jbsmith
    As someone who does both - creating the product is definitely more profitable, sustainable and gives you so many other options for how you leverage to make even more in the future.

    All you have to do is pick any top "Blogging" celebrity and you'll notice that they now have their own information product - not an accident.

    All of that said - I would say my blogs are the #1 technique I use to generate traffic and sales directly - with my affiliate program generating sales through partners at a close second.

    They really do work very well together...to the point I would never suggest someone market their own infproducts without there being a blog as part of the campaign.

    Jeff
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    • Profile picture of the author ckbank
      Originally Posted by jbsmith View Post

      As someone who does both - creating the product is definitely more profitable, sustainable and gives you so many other options for how you leverage to make even more in the future.

      All you have to do is pick any top "Blogging" celebrity and you'll notice that they now have their own information product - not an accident.

      All of that said - I would say my blogs are the #1 technique I use to generate traffic and sales directly - with my affiliate program generating sales through partners at a close second.

      They really do work very well together...to the point I would never suggest someone market their own infproducts without there being a blog as part of the campaign.

      Jeff
      My friend, would you say if a product is decently successful after it's launch, one can make just enough to not have a real job. I guess that would be about 2 or 3 sales a day. How doable is that for a first timer?
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      Now that's what I call Guerrilla Marketing.
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      • Profile picture of the author fin
        I'd hate to have a product without a blog. Trying to fight for every last bit of traffic that might see your product a few times.

        Just for a laugh, I'll try to come up with a few ways being a product creator is better (even though I don't have one).

        1- You can tailor your product to your customers needs/wants
        2- Viewed as more of an authority from readers
        3- Don't share your traffic with anyone else
        4- Build membership sites that will have higher retention because you update what's in it
        5- Higher percentage of sale
        6- Affiliates to promote for you
        7- Easier to find a good PPC campaign
        8- Know way of truly knowing how the other person will treat your customer
        9- More respect from your peers in your niche
        10- Full control of sales page to add video, etc

        I think that just means there's 20 ways to skin a cat.

        You need to be doing BOTH.
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author fin
      Originally Posted by Randall Magwood View Post

      Create a product.
      That was 9 characters more than you needed. You're slacking.
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  • Profile picture of the author MilkerFocus
    During you are creating your product, you may have some idea but it seems can not be included in the book, then you can put it in your blog.

    Once you have a lot of blog posts, you can combine them to another product.

    Why not?
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  • Profile picture of the author goguy
    I will say creating a product but at the end of the day it's all about what you want.
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  • Profile picture of the author JFizz
    It really depends how high of quality you are providing on your blog or in your product. If you have a bad blog then no one will visit, and if you have a bad product then no one is going to buy it, obviously. That being said, unless your product is good enough to sell itself over a long period of time, I would go with the blog in the long run. A good blog that generates traffic can send you potential customers for a long time, as long as it doesn't drop in the rankings.
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