Once I landed in my hometown and exited the plane, I felt the cold weather hitting my body as I walked through the boarding bridge. It reminded me I was back in reality, and work was waiting for me the next morning. I didn’t have a lot of luggage, so I decided to take the subway home to save some money. It was about 11 at night by the time I arrived home. My mother greeted me with a hug, and my cat gave me a perplexed, “Where were you hiding all this time?” look.
Making sure my mother was doing well and continuing my affiliate marketing journey were the two good things about returning home. Everything went back to normal until Dean Holland surprised me with “The Beginners Advantage” course and its new software platform, which had not yet been seen by the public. It was during this training that I understood the importance of giving people value by providing content.
How I Progressively Came To Understand The Meaning Of ‘Content’
My Story page and my first two posts were more like introductions to myself. I wrote about why I created this blog; I also wrote about my first failed attempt at affiliate marketing and why I’m still motivated to keep trying (my mission).
In this third post, I wanted to write about ‘content’ because it’s an important component of affiliate marketing these days, and it’s also crucial to know what it means. In case you’re not familiar with this term in relation to affiliate marketing, content is basically the written information/posts you’re reading throughout my blog that can provide some type of value. Maybe if I describe my experiences on how I came to understand it, you will be able to grasp its meaning a little better.
1_ During my first failed attempt at affiliate marketing in 2018, my strategy involved more numbers and statistics. I had very little room for creativity in written form. I might have been able to write a small paragraph on my landing page describing the benefits of the product I was promoting and a few sentences throughout my advertisements. Besides those two scenarios, I had no need for writing.
2_ As the weeks passed, students brought up the topic of subscriptions and email lists. The affiliate marketing course I was taking didn’t provide a lot of help regarding those strategies. I don’t think the coaches were against it, but I guess it was considered an advanced method. The way I interpreted the coach’s response was: First, I should become good at gaining profits with paid ads by promoting products through a landing page before considering building an email list. At the time, I had no clue or desire to build an email list. It seemed like a daunting task to accomplish anyway.
I used to get annoyed at emails from companies I didn’t remember subscribing to. The idea of putting in the tedious effort of writing emails and believing that I might annoy people by sending irrelevant content to their inboxes puts me off.
3_ Years later, once I came across Dean Holland’s book The Iceberg Effect, he described the importance of building an email list. He also talked about the types of tools someone will need to build a list. My mind was finally opening up to this possibility and that there might be a better way of doing affiliate marketing than just promoting Clickbank products through a landing page.
4_ As I was getting involved deeper and deeper with Dean Holland’s affiliate course, I learned more about opt-in pages, thank-you pages, and lead magnets. He also guided us through a lot of technical stuff. The analogy he used was that every technical component, the pages, the blog, the email list, and the products all put together are like an assembled car. The car might look good, but you still need to add fuel consistently to keep it running. In other words, you still need to create valuable ‘content’ consistently to keep your affiliate business running.
Everything was starting to make more sense, but I still felt I wasn’t fully aware of how to write content for my blog page properly. Thankfully, Glenn (one of the coaches in the Beginners Advantage course) gave us a good explanation that resonated with me very well.
5_ For me, it took different explanations from different coaches (Dean, Sophie, Glenn, & Alex Jeffreys) to better understand the meaning of content, but it was Glenn who took a different approach to describing it. For example, Glenn went back to the basics and clearly defined the word BLOG, which is short for WEB LOG. When I looked at the definition of the word log, it simply says: “To make a systematic recording of events.”. Glenn suggested that we treat our blog page like an actual diary for sharing our thoughts. That very simple explanation opened my eyes and gave me clarity on not only what to write but also how to write.
Whenever I write content, I try to make sure my ideas are coming from a place of real personal experience and without manufacturing anything. This helps the writing sound more natural and believable while at the same time being less sterile. This way, I can also provide better value and engagement to the people who read my posts and content.
But I still Get Stuck From Time To Time!
Even with my mission in place, reminding me to keep going, I’m still not perfect. There are days when I struggle, especially when I don’t have a creative way to articulate my thoughts in written form. I have a lot to say, but transferring my ideas onto a blank canvas in an organized and simple-to-understand manner does take me a long time.
It was said on the course that at least writing one post per week is the ideal way to go. I believe I can still do that whenever I have something short to say, but whenever I have something long, it takes me more than a week to put everything together. I think this is something I can hopefully get better at with practice.
New At Affiliate Marketing?
You might be wondering: How is content connected to making a profitable affiliate marketing business? All you are doing is writing stuff!
That’s where the other components and technical parts come into play. You need a place where you can deliver your content so people can read it and hopefully build a relationship with you. You’ll also need various web pages in case someone is interested in an offer you’re providing. (in other words, the parts of a car assembled together).
As I finish my introductions throughout my first two posts and the importance of ‘content,’ maybe now I can provide short explanations of some of the other basic components of affiliate marketing in the next few days. Hopefully, you’ll get some value out of those!
Warm Regards,
—Albert
23 responses to “I Didn’t Know What ‘Content’ Meant – I’m Embarrassed”
Regarding point number 2, I supposed you are talking about Facebook Affiliate Arbitrage?
Basically, you send Facebook Traffic to a landing page, then the landing page link to usually a weight loss product from Clickbank?
HI Alan,
I haven’t had the chance to use Facebook yet. When I was promoting products, I was advertising through Search Ads in Google. Then I tried Microsoft ads as well. But yes, then I would send all that traffic to my landing page and then towards the clickbank porduct.
The sales I made were not enough to recuperate the ad cost unfortunately.
We often hear about good engaging and quality content but without actually defining or getting into more depth of what this could mean. Personally I think that a post doesn’t have to be very long in order to have quality content. Also what is quality content? Doesn’t that sound a bit subjective? I like too the way Glen explained the blog definition being a log of entries or diary of documented activities. Describing and documenting something can become complex with it’s time to put that in words in a post. I’m always struggling at delivering posts each week. Me too I need to get better at it while keeping short and simple.
Thank you for your insights.
Martin
HI Martin,
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I’m going to try to create medium to shorter posts on most of my posts. Usually, after writing my post on a word document, I come back a couple of days later and notice unnecessary words or even sentences that I end up deleting.
Albert
Albert, really great blog thank you. What you say about you had to get explanation from different people that’s the same position I was in. When I was chasing shiny objects I was talking to different people and even though I didn’t really progress but what I did do, was learn from those people. So from Glenn, Sophie and Dean, as well as all the other certified partners. I like it when many experts tell me the same thing because then I know being told the right thing. Sometimes I like it when different people say different things about the same thing because it gives me a different viewpoint and then I can form my view of it, thank you so much until next time. Thank you, Atif
Thank You Atif,
Glenn had so much passion talking about this subject that his simple explanation resonated with me. I also never knew BLOG meant WEG LOG. That also gave me an Ah ha moment!
Hi Albert, So many things that I appreciate about your blog. First I like the layout, visually pleasing and not too busy. I also appreciate the personal content as I am new to creating a blog and hope to become as good as you! Finally, I loved your discussion on what ‘content’ means to you and how you’ve used the definitions you’ve learned to become free to express your thoughts.
Hi Eleanor,
Thank you for the compliment on the blog. The Simple is better I think. Hope to read your posts as well.
Hi Albert, great post! Your blog is looking really good too…simple to navigate and user friendly.
I like the friendly tone of your post, it was very personal and warm. Your explanation about content was really great and helped me understand it better too..so thank you! Keep going you’re off to a great start!
Hi Sharel,
I can’t wait to read your content as well. Thank you !
Albert,
I like the way you explain the use of a blog to share content and build relationships. All very relevant and understandable. It is true that when you first start out you don’t understand WHY you need to blog. What does that have to do with selling something? But once you learn what it’s about, it all makes sense! I, too, need to get much better at writing my blog. I am still very new to this, and need lots of practice! I may be entertaining to someone more experienced, and they may get a few chuckles, but hey, I’m learning! LOL Best of luck, and I look forward to your future posts!
Kelli
Hi Kelli,
Thankfully Dean explained to us how content can create value, build relationships which eventually bring a profitable business. Otherwise I would not have been able to easily see why writing was so important. Cant wait to read your latest post as well
Thank you, This is a post I relate to . Blogs have me stumped for some reason it seems like I have something to write about and as soon as I look at the screen I’m lost.It is getting a little easier when I see it’s not just me .Looking forward to more posts.
Hi Jon,
Yes sometimes its hard or tricky to get started. What I need to write usually don’t come in one day. It takes several days to put everything together and then a couple of more days to delete things I don’t really need. But as Glenn says: we also should be consistent and choose one specific day per week to upload some form of content. That’s something I think I still need to improve. Look forward to your posts as well.
Albert,
A recent podcast I was listening to talked a lot about content creation. It said we are by nature creators. Every where we look there is creation going on. So, it is only natural that we create content. Our primary purpose in online marketing is to create content.
His point was we are not online marketers, we are content creators. Then he went on to talk about how to create content.
This makes sense to me since online marketing is creating content for blogs and social media sites and other platforms so people get to know, trust and like us.
look forward to seeing some more of your content creation.
CJ
Hi CJ,
Thank you for sharing that. Agreed, we are definitely creators. and in our blog we are content creators. Hopefully our content provides great value to many people who might decide to join our list.
This word ‘content’ its starting to take a new meaning for me. Without utilizing it, we can’t keep on going!
I also look forward to your posts
Albert
Great post, I appreciate your willingness to record your progress. I need to do more of this myself.
A couple years ago I was told I should start a blog, but I didn’t really want to, and didn’t think anyone would care. But after not making it very far in affiliate marketing I’ve finally come to understand that it’s important, even if I still don’t know exactly how it all will work, I’m finally ready to listen to people who know more than me and do what they recommend.
If nothing else it keeps me working consistently on what I’m trying to accomplish.
A good blog is the basis of most successful Affiliate Marketing businesses. Regular blogging will entice readers back for more if the content is interesting, relevant, and instructive. Regular visitors will join your list and that is where you can make the occasional offer by email. I like the way you don’t have any advertising banners around your blog. Although I have to admit that I do have one square banner advertising The Iceberg Effect in the sidebar of my blogs. I have seen other blogs with far too many offers surrounding them. Will you allow me to pass on one tip Glenn gave me? Assuming the answer is “yes”, apparently the existence of internal links improves the SEO of your blog. In your third blog, you mention your first 2 blogs. That would have been the perfect opportunity to link appropriate phrases within your third blog, which, when clicked, would take your readers to your first and second blog respectively.
Cheers
Phil
Hi Phil,
Thank you for the advice. I will start applying internal links more often.
Yes indeed – it’s so easy to overcomplicate things!
I look at my blog as an opportunity to start a converstaion.
Not everyone wants to chat with me, but hopefully I can add value to those who do start to make it a 2 way conversation.
I’m sure we will all get better as we progress because I ahve always belived in the old adage of “practice makes perfect.”
Hi Graham, I agreed. Practice makes perfect.
Also, once most of the technical stuff its out of the way, we can focus more on the content and writing.
Hello Albert,
Good post, nice and clear, I loved the human aspect of the welcome from your mother and your cat; it has a personal touch that lets us know we are in front of a real person. Regarding your experience, I identify with you in the challenges of writing on your blog. It also takes me a lot of time to write, and I know that as we progress, we will get better. Welcome to the Affiliate System! I wish you all the best.
Thank you Ezequiel. Yes it can be challenging. As long as we have continue to have topics to talk about, we’ll just keep practicing.