I love Beginner Blogging.
Everything about it feels right to me. I get to provide an awesome service at no charge. I get to see people start with nothing and build blogs they love. Even the domain name beginnerblogging.net was available (I couldn’t believe that).
Furthermore, the scope is huge. I don’t just want to stop at helping people set up their sites; I want to empower them to grow their blog into something they consider truly meaningful.
But to be able to pour the necessary time and energy into making Beginner Blogging what it should be, the site needs to provide a return on my investment. In August it made $1,700, but that was the honeymoon period (i.e. when I was able to best leverage the existing Leaving Work Behind audience). If I want to sustain and build upon that kind of return, I’ve got work to do.
With the above in mind, in this post I want to introduce a number of ideas I have for building Beginner Blogging into a six figure blog.
How Beginner Blogging Makes Money
The only existing source of income for Beginner Blogging is hosting commissions through Bluehost.
People can either sign up for our completely free blog installation and setup service or follow the Beginner Blogging course at their own pace. In the first case, signing up for Bluehost through our affiliate link is a requirement of receiving our free service. In the second case, we hope that people use our Bluehost affiliate link to purchase hosting (although it is not a requirement) as they go through the process.
So in a nutshell, the site is funded through web hosting signups. My thinking is simple: if we provide enough quality guidance on how to create a blog, people will be compelled to purchase web hosting.
In the future I may expand this monetisation strategy, but web hosting commissions are my singular focus at this time.
My Goals for Beginner Blogging
My ultimate goal is for Beginner Blogging to turnover $100,000+ per year, which would be represented by a monthly turnover in excess of $8,333.33. I want to achieve this within twelve months of the site’s official launch date (i.e. by 29th July 2015).
I haven’t had a year-long goal since I decided to quit my job by 23rd May 2012. I ended up quitting way ahead of schedule on 31st December 2011; a similar result here would be great!
At the moment I have a linear plan for meeting my goal, which is to increase turnover by $1,000 per month, starting with $2,000 this month. That would lead to $9,000 turnover in April 2015, which I’d then want to sustain through May, June and July to demonstrate that the earnings are stable.
It sounds easy enough on paper, but I’m pretty intimidated by the goal if I’m honest. I’m not yet sure how I’m going to manage it. But I figured the best place to start would be to write down my thoughts here on Leaving Work Behind then start taking action!
My Ideas to Increase Turnover
With that said, below you’ll find a selection of ideas I have for increasing Beginner Blogging’s turnover. I will be implementing these ideas over the following weeks and months and plan to keep you updated on how things are progressing.
Any feedback or questions you have are welcomed in the comments section at the bottom of the post!
Keep the Course Updated
When it comes to marketing a website, it can be all too easy to lose sight of what matters the most: providing something useful. After all, what’s the point in pouring your time and energy into marketing something that is declining in value?
That is mistake I want to avoid. WordPress 4.0 has just come out, and I need to update the course material to make sure that it is fully up-to-date. I also need to check that the Bluehost signup process is the same as it was, and update the course if it has changed.
This approach should also be adopted for the Beginner Blogging blog. While keeping all posts constantly up-to-date to match updated plugins is too big an ask for my liking, my plan is to periodically sift through the archives and commission new versions of existing tutorials for plugins that have changed considerably.
Figure Out What to Do With Beginner Blogging Email Subscribers
At the moment, the core aim of the autoresponder series that people receive when they sign up to the Beginner Blogging email list is to convince them that blogging is both relatively easy and worthwhile. I want to remove all doubt in people’s mind so that they are ready to give blogging a go (at which point I hope they turn to us).
But what happens after the autoresponder has finished? I’ll have three groups of people:
- Those who already have a blog
- Those who have signed up for hosting through my Bluehost link
- Those who haven’t signed up yet (i.e. they need more time/convincing)
These three groups separate natural into two lists: those who have a blog and those who don’t. Unfortunately, they’re all bunched into one.
The first two groups aren’t as important to me as the third; these are the guys I need to speak to. I need to find out why they haven’t signed up yet, so I can edit and add to the autoresponder series as necessary. In a perfect world, my autoresponder series would be compelling enough to convince 100% of subscribers to either sign up for hosting or unsubscribe (having realised that blogging isn’t for them).
The most obvious way of reaching out to these guys would be to send them an email at the end of the autresponder series with a simple question: “If you haven’t started your blog yet, what is holding you back?” I need to know how I have failed to convince them that blogging is worthwhile, so that I can hopefully ‘fill in the blanks.’
Implement a More Diverse Blog Content Strategy
At the moment we are publishing two technical tutorials on the Beginner Blogging blog every week. Ideally I’d like to add an article per week that focuses on a non-technical aspect of blogging, such as content creation, marketing, etc.
I’d want to keep these articles as short as possible (less than 1,000 words) and focused down on one tight topic. The intention of this would be to give readers a clear prompt for taking action for each post.
I intend to start writing these articles starting next week.
Start Tracking Sales
I’ve always been terrible with analytics; I’ve never had much interest in tracking the success of my endeavours. I’m far more of a creator than a marketer.
While I have embraced that to an extent, I recognise that I need to be a bit more numbers-oriented to have any chance of reaching my financial goal with the site. In other words, I need to start tracking sales (or more specifically, web hosting signups).
I’m not quite sure how to do this, but I’m looking into it. I want to be able to track when someone signs up for web hosting and know where they’ve come from. In doing so, I’ll be able to see the value of my various marketing efforts and adjust my strategy accordingly.
Split Test The Homepage Signup Form
Split testing is something else I’ve heavily neglected in the past, but I want to change that with Beginner Blogging.
There are a lot of things I can split test, but I don’t want to overwhelm myself. So, my first port of call will be the homepage signup form. I’ll focus on improving the sales copy to improve the percentage of readers who sign up.
Feature Beginner Blogging on Leaving Work Behind
Beginner Blogging attracted a grand total of 786 unique visitors in August. 786 visitors is not going to get me to my goal, regardless of what I do with the content on the site.
In terms of attracting more people to Beginner Blogging, I want to start by tackling the ‘quick wins.’ The most blatant quick win I can get is to feature Beginner Blogging more heavily on Leaving Work Behind. I started this process last week by adding an email to the LWB autoresponder series, but I also plan to add Beginner Blogging to the Resources page and sidebar (in button form).
Another thing I plan to do is go back through the archive blogging posts and find opportunities to link naturally to Beginner Blogging.
I’m also considering other options, like syndicating the occasional Beginner Blogging post to Leaving Work Behind, with a link back to the site.
Write About Beginner Blogging on Other Blogs
I also plan to leverage my freelance blogging connections to blog about Beginner Blogging on some client sites. It is my hope that at least one of my clients will permit me to write a short piece on Beginner Blogging on their site as a sort of guest post.
Speaking of guest posts, I’m also interested in pursuing that option once I’ve got my sales tracking process in place. I’ll experiment with a few posts on a few blogs and see if they actually lead to conversions.
Offer an Affiliate Program
Generally speaking, I’m not keen on affiliate programs. They’ve not performed wonders for me in the past; probably because I’m not particularly marketing-minded.
However, it is something to consider. If I can track sales, then I could potentially form affiliate agreements with other blogs whereby they’re paid a percentage of any Bluehost signup via Beginner Blogging.
Given that I’m not so good at marketing, this might be a good way for me to leverage the marketing skills of others.
Test Facebook Ads and Google AdWords
When it comes to advertising, the equation is simple: If you can make more money from advertising than what it cost, you’re golden.
With that in mind, I plan to explore both Facebook Ads and Google AdWords. I’ll run small campaigns to see what kind of a return I can get (if any). If I can get a decent return, I’ll look to scale up my advertising efforts.
What Else?
As I look back over the ideas above, I’m concerned that they’re not enough.
But then I realise that there’s little point in me fearing if these measures are big enough. The proof will be in the pudding; if I don’t turnover $2,000 this month, I’ll know I need to do more.
All I can do at this stage is get my head down and start working on the above ideas. And you’re more than welcome to suggest your own ideas below; your help would be most appreciated!
Photo Credit: liber
MR says
Hi Tom, with your success with LWB and your evident optimism and persistence, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble succeeding in this latest pursuit if you put your mind to it! I also wanted to say a BIG thanks for creating Leaving Work Behind – it is a real inspiration and I’m sure your readers will follow you to Beginner Blogging!
I wondered if you would be seeking guest writers to assist in article creation for your blog? If so, I know I’d love to hear about it and contribute. 🙂
Best wishes in your endeavor!
Tom Ewer says
It’s my pleasure MR 🙂
I’m not looking for guest posters for Beginner Blogging at the moment, but I appreciate the offer!
Gina says
Keep us posted on what you learn about analytics and tracking your marketing efforts; that would be helpful to learn about! Good luck to you – as the above comment mentioned, you have the drive and motivation to make it happen!
Tom Ewer says
Will do Gina, thanks!
Beth says
I love that you’ve spelled it all out here. I hope you continue to keep us updated with what’s working and what’s not. I’m particularly interested in learning more about Google Adwords and Facebook Ads myself. Best of luck to you!
Tom Ewer says
Thank you Beth!
venkatesh i khajjidoni says
Good updated post. you motivated me start my own blog. now, i am feeling freelance blogging is best career option. unfortunately,i launched my blog on june 1st this year which missed your bluehost affiliate program. anyway, thank you very much.
Tom Ewer says
My pleasure Venkatesh 🙂
Lisa says
Tom,
Love your idea, your plan and your enthusiasm! I’m sure with your strong focus, set timelines and drive it will all be a huge success! I don’t normally post comments on sites, or give unsolicited “advice”, but since you asked for ideas/feedback… I’ve got 2 things for you:
1. Videos — I know everyone is touting the value of these, but they aren’t wrong. Many people prefer a powerful 3 min. video over reading how-to’s. Since we’ve spoken live, I know you are succinct, powerful speaker and think you’d be awesome at videos.
2. Your Audience — although as an individual I applaud your desire to convert 100% of your sign-ups, as a marketer I think it’s a poor use of your energy. I heard someone once says “you only need a capful of your audience to fill your bucket”, and I think she was right. Go to the people who are ready for your help (i.e. #1 and #2 on your list) and help them. Someone who has a blog always wants it to be better, and you can help them. Someone who has signed up is proving they are committed enough to take the first step, and probably desperately need your help now. The others could have a multitude of reasons for not moving forward, many of which have nothing to do with you. Maybe they got a new job, or had a family emergency, or decided a different way to go, or were never really that interested in the first place. It’s a matter of deciding to constantly swim against the current, or find the flow. #1 and #2 is the flow. Find more and more ways to serve them, and you will blow your target out of the water!
Best of luck!
Lisa
Tom Ewer says
Hey Lisa,
Thanks for your feedback!
Regarding videos, I take your point but I’m just not a fan. Don’t like to do ’em. (See here: http://leavingworkbehind.com/podcasts-videos/).
Regarding my audience, I’m not trying to convert 100% of my signups. In a perfect world, my autoresponder series would be compelling enough to convince 100% of subscribers to either sign up for hosting or unsubscribe (having realised that blogging isn’t for them). Of course, we don’t live in a perfect world, but that is the ideal I have in mind.
Given my current business model, it is the third group that I need to convince to start a blog. That’s how I make my money. Once I think I’ve optimised that process as much as possible, I’ll start on other monetisation methods (like helping existing bloggers more).
Cheers,
Tom
Fran says
I tried several of your current Paid to Blog headlines on aminstitute.com, using their emotional headline analysis tool. Your current headlines could be replaced with “”Freelance Blogging: Start Today, Earn Tomorrow.” That’s the best I came up with to give you better scoring on their scale. I’m not sure if this will help at all in getting more traffic and participants.
There are also tools on Sumome.com, including a free heatmap that you may be able to use to test your site.
(I have no affiliate status with either of these entities.)
Hope this helps.
Tom Ewer says
Hi Fran,
Thanks for that, but I’m not sure how any of this applies to beginnerblogging.net…
Cheers,
Tom
Kristy Rice says
Hey Tom. It sounds like you have a solid plan in place! The only additional thing I can think of is using affiliates to create additional income. Since you are offering free training and only making money from hosting, could you possibly sell affiliate advertising to known blog-niche authors, allowing them to advertise their specialized blogging-related books in a sidebar or further resource section? You could receive a percentage of the book sales originating from your site and you will be offering your members more extensive and specialized resources. The authors who participate could also write guest articles (or lessons?) for your site and link back to theirs, allowing a two-way flow of information and traffic.
Best wishes with Beginner Blogging and keep us posted! (I suck at marketing, too.)
Tom Ewer says
Possibly Kristy; it’s something I’ll consider in the future. Thanks for the suggestion!
Joe says
Might talk to the people at http://www.wpcurve.com that regularly help technophobes like me update their blog, regular maintenance, help make entries look good etc.
They charge $69/mos. Think that’s a pretty good deal. I’m sure they have affiliate setups. So you could help get blog set, then have ongoing program where group takes care of blog for XX/month..??
Might check it out. If you find of use, then help me with my blog joelarge.com
Thanks,
Joe
Tom Ewer says
Hey Joe,
Looks really interesting! They do have an affiliate setup…I’ll look into it. Thanks for the tip!
Cheers,
Tom
Debashish says
From monthly income reports to laying bare a complete business plan! You have outdone yourself, Tom! Respect!
It’ll be awesome to see this journey unfold. I’ll be following along for sure.
On a related note, do you know Scott Dinsmore (liveyourlegend.net)? He’s a big fan of Bluehost, and actively urges people to start blogging too. You could reach out to him to do a guest post. Or even, an expert interview for one of his online courses. I could introduce you, if you want (although, I feel you may know him already).
Tom Ewer says
Hey Debashish,
Yep, I know Scott. Thanks for the suggestion though!
Cheers,
Tom
Meagan Paullin says
One idea – have a section of the site where you interview and feature other bloggers who have been successful. From a part time side income to full six figure incomes. So that people who are considering blogging, but don’t know if they can really “make it” can see some real examples of others who have found success. But make sure to tell the story of how they got started, obstacles and how they overcame them, etc.
I started my blog when I lost my job, with a brand new baby and a full time college schedule. I had NO tech knowledge whatsoever – just read a couple of books on blogging and using WordPress, and jumped in. I know that it would have been really motivating back then to hear other stories of people like that, and what to expect, realistically. I was kind of flying blind, and learned as I went along.
But that was 4 years ago, and my business is awesome now – best crazy decision I ever made, lol.
But I think that something like that might help convert those people who keep subscribing, but aren’t brave enough to take action 🙂
Fran says
I love your interview idea.
Tom Ewer says
That’s a great suggestion Meagan; it’s going on the list! Thanks 🙂
Susan Shain says
Sounds like a great plan, Tom! I will share Beginner Blogging with everyone who emails me about starting a blog!
PS. To snag those people who haven’t started a blog yet, maybe you could email and ask them what type of blog they want to start, then email a tip sheet specific to that kind of blogging (food, travel, fashion, tech, etc.). That might be just the boost they need!
Tom Ewer says
Thank you Susan!
Love that idea. I’ll be on the lookout for common concerns after people have gone through the autoresponder and will try to address them all!
Cheers,
Tom
michael says
Thanks for the post. I enjoyed how real it was. The 1st thing that goes through my mind is to contact someone like Tyrone shum, who pushes videos to increase business, and ask if he would be interested in cross promoting some form or version of a joint venture. The thought being that it would be a win-win situation for both of you. Because I know that there are lots of people out there who would like to begin a blog and a YouTube channel that work together to promote their own agendas.
I will continue to follow you and wish you much luck.
Tom Ewer says
Hi Michael,
Thanks for the suggestion. Didn’t Tyrone Shum get tangled up in a pretty dodgy situation a few years back, when it was shown that he was lying about his achievements?
Cheers,
Tom
Jo says
Sounds like a perfect fit 😉
Jocelin says
Hi Tom,
Great plans! I look forward to hearing more about the process and what strategies work for you and which one to avoid.
I do have a question: What about bloggers who already have a web hosting program set up and still want to participate. Is there a way to do so?
Thanks! (:
Jocelin says
Oh, I see. All of the blogging information is public and does not require a Bluehost web hosting sign up.
But, it is still something to think about in regards to varied ways of monetizing the site.
For example, could you also refer for hosting renewals or various plugins with affiliate commissions?
Tom Ewer says
Hey Jocelin,
Yep; that’s definitely on my mind. Once I feel I have maximized conversions for new signups, I’ll move onto monetization methods for existing bloggers.
Cheers,
Tom
Dave says
Hey Tom – great start to the site. Looks like you’re providing a valuable service and are making some respectable money with it as well!
With regards to focusing only on hosting – to me this really feels more like handicapping yourself than focus. And taking that all the way to 9k a month? Sure, it’s definitely possible, but not without leaving a TON on the table.
This type of service is just begging for a cross sell/up sell. I get not wanting to overwhelm your fledgling audience with a bunch of offers, but there’s a lot more you can go with this where you’re still frankly just being helpful and not pushy. These are qualified leads and if they are going to succeed at blogging they’re likely going to need more than just hosting.
For example, some sort of blog management/set up service, and other affiliate sales from email capture, plugins, etc. You know the deal.
Good luck!
Tom Ewer says
That’s right Dave. I probably wasn’t clear enough in the post that focusing on web hosting signups is only step one of the plan; once I’ve made the most of that (within practical bounds), I’ll move on to explore other monetization methods.
Akosua Albritton says
Hi Tom: I love your transparency. You know that transparency can be monetized.
Akosua
Tom Ewer says
Thanks for Akosua 🙂