Fearless Social

How You Can Build a Profitable Blog In 48 Hours

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Wouldn’t it be nice to end the next 12 months closer to your financial goals than you are after the past 12? How much do you want it?

Imagine investing your next weekend into building a website that will make money for you. Imagine that website growing your email list. Imagine building a profitable website with just three types of posts.

How different would your next 12 months be if you had a website you could maintain and build a list of followers? What if they were targeted, interested followers you could then convert them into customers?

In this post you will learn:

  • Why Content-Based Blogs Will Work For You
  • The Three Types of Articles You Need In YourProfitable Content Marketing Site
    • Authority Article
    • Review Article
    • How-to Article
  • Putting It All Together

Follow the steps in this article and you build a blog that will result in sales. This plan will work for local businesses, online businesses, and information marketers. It works because content marketing generates traffic, creates interest, and builds social shares.

If you follow this strategy, your e-mail list will grow. And your customer list will grow in no time flat, too.

Yellow road warning sign , Storm Coming , 3d render

But, one word of warning: There are plenty of “get rich quick” schemes out there, this isn’t one of them.

If you need a way to get your new business started, this could be one of the first steps you need to take. First, a few disclaimers:

  • if you’re looking to create wealth immediately in the next 48 hours
  • if you’re looking for an easy “push button” magic software solution
  • if you’re looking for a “set it and forget it” business model

Go look in your junk email folder. This isn’t one of those. We don’t do “get rich easy and fast.” We know that building a business requires some work.

So, let’s get busy!

WHY CONTENT-BASED BLOGS WILL WORK FOR YOU

Recently, we ran a survey during a webinar on the subject of content marketing. The survey question was, “what is content marketing and why is it important?”

  • 33% of the respondents said they were using content marketing
  • 46% said they knew what it was, but weren’t using it
  • 13% said they were familiar with the term
  • 8% said they had no idea what content marketing is

Most marketers today don’t have a real strategy to grow their business short term or long term. And, without a plan, there is no consistency. Content-based blogs provide the consistency you need to build a following and loyal customers.

There are many reasons why content based blogs will work for you.  to grow your list and sell your products or services. As a matter of fact, the folks over at NewsCred listed 56 Reasons Why Content Marketing Works last year. Some of the findings there are incredible:

  • 80% of the most effective B2B marketers have someone who oversees content marketing strategy. Only 46% of the less effective marketers do.
  • 82% of marketers who blog see positive ROI for their content-driven marketing
  • Company websites with a definite content strategy converted more than twice as many customers
  • Using content -driven tactics saves an average of 13% in cost per lead

Even without the empirical evidence like that post, you can also use logic. When’s the last time anyone you know shared a sales page in social media? Understanding that one truth should dictate a commitment to content marketing.

Social signals are a huge factor in Google’s ranking algorithm. They’re huge to Google because the folks over there know the power of sharing content in social media. A well-placed share has the potential to drive thousands to a website to check out the link in a matter of seconds.

Content marketing is a powerful marketing tool because it can expand influence. It can also position you as an authority. With strategy and good execution, your blog will give you the power to change lives. You will affect character, the development, or behavior of others.

That influence is the true currency of entrepreneurs. Because that influence is so valuable, you should make a commitment. Commit to invest your time, effort and money into things that increase your influence. Remember: influence = leadership = power.

Jim Belosic, over at ShortStack.com, puts it this way:

“My decision to shift away from advertising and toward content marketing was based on one simple idea. I’d rather invest my company’s hard-earned dollars into awesome people instead of ads that died as soon as I stopped funding them.“

content is king handwritten

Content based marketing isn’t just some trendy way selling stuff online. It’s a long-term strategy of building a relationship. Of  creating influence and trust that your customers will appreciate with their money.

What you do when a person clicks on your website depends on your content strategy. Do you have the content that will convert them from visitors to customers?

Take a second or two to think about the following four questions. If you can answer “no” to two or more of the questions, study this article. You can recreate your blog  this weekend so that it will be profitable in less than 48 hours.

  1. Do you have a place you can send anyone interested in what you’re selling?
  2. Do you feel comfortable sending your customers to your website without having to explain the opt-in or payment wall to learn more?
  3. Do you consider your Facebook page, your Twitter profile or some other social site as your web “home”?
  4. Do you have a blog or website that doesn’t transition to the sale easily?

This plan works for just about anything you can sell:

  • physical products
  • digital products
  • subscription based content
  • information based memberships
  • local businesses
  • affiliate products
  • even books.

I know, because we’ve done it here at Fearless Social. And we keep doing it.

Why does it work? Because it’s targeted. Targeted content aimed at your customer and their needs does two things well. Good content guides them to the content and then to the sale. And, it all happens with only three types of posts.

By the end of this article you’ll know how I built a money generating blog in six hours. And, how you can do it for your business too.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR PROFITABLE CONTENT MARKETING SITE IN 48 HOURS (OR LESS)

Content marketing is a powerful tool in your money making arsenal.  But, let me warn you, writing really good content on your blog isn’t enough. You need a strategy. You need a target, and you need some focus.

I was able to create my profitable content marketing  site in six hours because I only use three types of content. I call these three types of content my “Sales Triad.”

Circle of Blogs Post Types

Using this triad (authority, review and how-to content) makes you and your message captivating. These three specific types of content stacked together act as a powerful sales engine 24 hours a day. Seven days a week.

When you set up your content this way, you’ll get many benefits. Opt-ins, shares, sales, notoriety and authority in your field can come from well-crafted content. But, the best part of using this content triad is that you won’t need a million different posts or articles.

Just let these three types of posts working together as a cohesive unit. Each part will handle a specific task in the potential customers’ mind. Together, they will move the customer from vague interest to specific action.

And, here’s a terrific hint: you don’t have to continue to add important content (but it helps).

So, let’s look at these three types of content you’ll need to create in your new website.

Authority and its sources

Authority Article

The nice thing about writing your authority post is you only need one per site. This article should establish you as an authority in the niche you’re selling to. Tell your story, be personal, be interesting.

The authority post will bond your reader to you, and to your life story. It ties all your review articles together. It feeds traffic to your review articles and serves as your website’s welcome mat.

Here’s how you write a great authority article.

Write About Your Audience

What are some of the things your customer struggles with? What are they wanting to avoid by buying your product or service? Write about how you struggled with those things before you finally became successful.

Your customer wants to know that you “feel their pain” as a former US President would often say. Give them your experience with their pain. Later on, you’ll give them the understanding that they don’t have to live with that pain any longer.

Write About Yourself

Why are you building this website? (Other than to make money, of course)

Are you hoping to help other people improve their golf score? Why? Are you wanting to write more content for people’s websites? Why?

Give your customer a reason to want to learn more from you by giving them your justification for what you do. Dig beneath the surface. Give them your enthusiasm that gets you out of bed each morning. Bottle up that energy, passion and love for what it is you do, and give it to them in your authority article.

I read a quote the other day that will help you write this authority page. Michael Nolan said “There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few that will catch your heart… pursue those.”

If you communicate your heart, you’ll find others who are like you. When you find others with similar passions, problems and purposes, you’ll find customers.

Now, there’s just one more thing you need to do.

Write About Their Next Action

Nobody sells anything unless there is a call to action. Help them visualize what it is a customer improves about their lives with your product or service. Be descriptive. (But be honest, don’t over-hype)

Then, give them a clear set of instructions about the next step. Let them know what to click. Explain for them in simple terms how to contact you. Be descriptive in the explanation of the “next steps” they should take. Then, give them as many ways to get in contact with you as you can manage at one time.

There are some extra links I’d put in your authority article, as well.

  • Links to your social media presence
  • Links to popular blog posts
  • Links to guest blog posts you’ve written
  • Link to your FAQ Page (if you have one right now)
  • Any contact information or contact page link

People want to learn from real people. You want to learn from real people. That’s why you come to Fearless Social to learn more about growing your business. You know me. You know our people.

Group People Crowd Audience Casual Multicolored Sitting Concept

If you’ve paid attention at all to my story, you know how I worked at a mattress store while finishing college. You know that I taught myself Facebook marketing.

You know that I and applied the techniques to building my chiropractor’s practice. You know that I built a multi-million dollar business. You know that I grow my business by learning new techniques and teaching you.

You know my story. Your customers need to know your story. Think of this post as the welcome mat to your online business presence. Make them feel at home with you. Make them feel like you want to make them feel at home with you.

Review Articles

The next set of articles you need to write are review articles. I’m not talking about the hypey “this product is the best thing since sliced bread” type of review.

This is an honest presentation of the product or service. A real review, takes the customer on a step-by-step walk through. A beneficial review tells the customer how something might work for them. A trustworthy review will also most-likely have a testimonial at the end.

There are many ways to present an accurate, descriptive and honest review. One way is to simply write a step-by-step instruction post. Walk the customer through just one useful aspect of that product or service.

If you’re selling a book, review the high points of each section and how to apply the knowledge to improve life. Give practical, easily repeated steps you used to improve your life.

Whatever you are selling, create a series of review articles that deomonstrates an expertise. Share first-hand knowledge of different tools your customer could (or already does) use. Give unique insight to that product you’re reviewing that makes that product useful.

Better yet, show them how to use a product in a way they never thought useful to them before! That will get their attention fast!

You don’t have to review the product or service you’re selling. Review competitors. Review companion products. Review the high level products or services in your niche. Review training products that can serve as affiliate income for you in the long run.

Review increase rating

Whatever it is you’re reviewing, ask yourself three key questions:

  • Does this benefit my audience?
  • Does this answer their questions about this product or service?
  • Is this totally honest?

If you can’t answer all three of these questions with an honest “yes,” you’ve got some work to do. Either re-write the review or pick something else to review. Just make sure it serves those three needs.

It doesn’t matter if your review is a positive or negative one. Just make sure it’s honest, valuable and beneficial to your reader. (But, be careful if you post a negative review. There are lots of legal issues you can get into by posting negative reviews).

If you write this article in a correct way, you will be seen as an authority in your niche. Your audience will have  insider access to what you’re reviewing. And, your reader can “like” and share your content on their preferred social platform.

Neither of these two article types will be huge traffic drivers. Authority articles and review articles work to increase your perceived value. But, when you add the third post type, you get traffic. Then, the authority article and the review articles can serve their true purpose. They will keep your customers on the site longer, and bring them back for more later.

But, first, we have to bring some traffic to the site.

How-To Articles

This type of article will drive traffic to your blog. When you want new traffic to hit your website and see your sales offers, there is only one thing to do. Create new how-to content because this is the part of the sales content triad to must feed to get new visitors.

These posts are super simple to write: just document what you do to solve a problem!

These articles don’t have to be too long, or two short! Make them as long (or as short) as you need to to convey a skill or help the reader solve a problem.

One quick and easy way to do this is to post screen-capture images or videos with an explanation. Or, you could do a video recording of the same thing, with your narration.

The most simple way to compile your how-to content is to document each step you take while solving a problem. When you review software, take note of  what you do each time you click on your mouse or type on your keyboard. Most of the time, those are the steps you take.

Collect screen grabs, photos, or illustrations for visual documentation of your actions.

All you have to do is begin with a task. Explain and introduce the need for accomplishing the task, then list out the steps, one by one. Then, explain each step, with some type of illustration with each step. Make sure to break each step down into it’s simplest action. Make sure every “newbie” will get some value from the information.

How to Showing Learning Mentoring Education Concept

There’s a few things you want to avoid too:

  • Avoid industry-specific jargon
  • Avoid clustering more than one action into a step
  • Avoid making the task too complicated – just focus on one task to do
  • Avoid talking “over the heads” of your audience. (Try to keep it at a 5th grade reading level)

You don’t have to start with how-to articles. And, to be honest, you don’t have to create all this content on your own. Find great how-to videos twith minimal traffic in YouTube and embed them into your blog post. Present the video as a great find you’ve made that will help your customer with their problem.

As a matter of fact, Neil Patel talks about using other people’s content on your website in part of an article. “13 Content Hacks that Will Help You Attract More Clients”. In that post, Patel mentions a podcast episode with CopyBlogger creator Brian Clark. In the podcast, Clark talks about how content curation is a profitable strategy for him.

The point is, you should find ways to provide value for your customer. Teach them something they may not yet know. Teach them how to do something they already know better, faster, or more efficiently. Find new hacks they can use to be more profitable and teach it to them. Make it your own, but, teach it to them.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Composite image of thoughtful beautiful brunette posing

Once you get your blog put together, great things start to happen. Especially when you start to add some special sauce into the mix.

Here’s how it works: a reader gets drawn in with a how-to article. Then, they check out the authority article or the review articles. After checking you out, they buy a product or service you’re offering.

These how-to articles feed the system when you want more traffic, sales and opt-ins. Over time, the value stacks on top of each other and the search engines start to take note. Then, Google’s bots rank you higher and higher. This is the long-term benefit of content marketing. We’ll show you how to short-circuit this process in just a bit.

Now that you understand how this mousetrap works, building the trap becomes a bit easier. But, first, some things to note:

  • You only write the authority article in the beginning
  • You only write the review articles in the beginning (you can update them if you wish)
  • You write how-to articles to feed the system when you want more traffic, opt-ins and sales
  • The effect of this content strategy stacks and grows and a beast starts to form

cmubanner

There are many added benefits of using content marketing strategy. You’ll feel better about yourself when you finish publishing your blog site. Once your blog site is set up, you will sell things to your customer. But, you’ll also add something of value to your readers’ world and lives. Even if they never buy a thing.

Now that you have the basics of building a money making blog website, you might want to learn more. To become a content marketing genius, we designed a course just for you. The Fearless Social Content Marketing University Immersion Course is available now.

Comments

  1. Wow what I call a super post complete and better than many courses they sell there. And the best is free all information.

    Now I knew their job and intend longer keep forever. Very good and illustrative.

    Reply

  2. What if you don’t want to blog?

    What I mean is, if you have a very small topic with about 30-50 articles on the suject can you just create a static website kind of site and spend the rest of the time driving traffic to it?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Then don’t blog 🙂
      The benefit of blogging is that Google’s ranking algorithm favors domains that are constantly updated.
      If your business is powered by paid ads only, you don’t have to worry about that. With a blog, we use paid ads
      to drive short term traffic and over time we rank really well.

      Hope that helps!

      Reply

    • Greg,
      Why would you not want a blog if you have that many posts?

      WordPress is pretty simple to set up, is Search Engine friendly, has great plugins to help you increase your SEO, allow for comments and discussion (another big positive for SEO), and gives you the opportunity to repurpose your content within the site to bring more people to your site.

      A straight HTML site is cool… and I can see the benefits if, as Ben says, “your business is powered by paid ads only.”

      But, there are more things you can do with less expense, using WordPress (or some other blogging content management system).

      Reply

      • I know about SEO and that but I have ideas for multiple sites with quality articles as opposed to quantity.

        I use wordpress with Optimizepress 2 for static pages.

        I plan to create 2-3 micro niche sites that don’t need much updating.

        Thanks.

        Reply

        • Makes sense… not all platforms serve all purposes.

          I just know that it is much easier to manage a site through a CMS like WordPress than with straight HTML (unless you have someone else doing it for you).

          I just didn’t want you to miss out on the benefits of WP if you weren’t aware of them.

          Reply

  3. Great info … what about total noobs who don’t have a blog? Do you set up your own website with a blog or a free blog through somewhere? I am completely new at this, so advice for a first step would be much appreciated. Cheers!

    Reply

  4. Hey Ben,

    This is a great post. Like your courses and other content – right to the point, without the fluff… A complete newbie would be lucky to stumble upon this post!

    Reply

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