I remember watching a video with a well known internet marketer (who will remain nameless). In this video, he was asked an interesting question that went something like this:

“Mr. Bigtime Internet Marketer”, I can see that you are applying some great strategies that are helping you be VERY successful. Why do you teach those strategies so openly to everyone? Isn't that going to increase competition?

“Mr. Big time Internet Marketer” responded – No it isn't. I can teach it so freely because I know that they won't do it.

When I saw the video, I thought to myself “that guy is so cocky”. He just doesn't believe in people.

Then, I started to teach people how to become bloggers, and what I saw was a bit disheartening. Here are a few of the things that disappointed me in looking at many “wannabe bloggers” (and I mean that in the kindest sense of the word, lol):

  • They are looking for a quick fix. They've heard so much
  • They fail to take action. They learn SOO MUCH, but it stops there.
  • They spend lots of money on product after product hoping to stumble on to “the big one”
  • They expect you to do the work for them

Then, there are those that are really working hard at blogging, but having a hard time getting going. Here are some of the difficulties they run into:

  • They are Overwhelmed with the wealth of information that's out there and get stuck in a rut trying to figure it out. The net result – they accomplish nothing.
  • They spend a lot of time Focusing on the wrong thing. The net result – they accomplish nothing.
  • They do the right things over and over, but give up right before reaching the point where they can be successful. The net result – they accomplish nothing.

How not to Fail

Ok, I must admit, this post has been somewhat of a downer so far. But wait . . . There's more!

I started that way because I wanted you to be aware of the realities we face as bloggers, but now it's time to kick that to the curb and talk about what you can do to avoid the kinds of setbacks I mentioned.

My main goal for this blog is to provide others with tips, resources, information and everything they need to be able to start successful blogs – blogs that can change the world, AND that can set them up for financial success.

It's not about sharing because I know people won't act. It's about doing my best to make sure that YOU have what you need to be successful.

With that in mind, lets get to the 5 Tips . . .

Tip #1: Ignore most of what us bloggers say

I know what you're thinking – If you ignore what we say, you won't learn. However, I want to look at this a little differently. We say A LOT, and we say it because we're trying to help (hopefully), but there are so much of us out there with all kinds of differing perspectives that it's hard to keep track of everything.

So, this is what I recommend – As you build your blogging business, focus on what you need to know to get you to do what you need to do at that time. If you are trying to get good at video, focus on that, and not everything else. If you are trying to write better headlines, focus on that, and not everything else. I'm not saying don't listen to anything else, but apply the 80/20 rule to the info you consume. Spend 80% of your time learning about and acting on the 20% of the things that you need to take your blog to the next level.

Tip #2: File all the other stuff away for when you need them

As I mentioned before, us bloggers say A LOT. One of the things I LOVE about the internet is that you can get soooo much information 100% free of charge. However, you don't need all that information at every point in your blogging business.

If your focus is NOT Facebook marketing right now, but you stumble onto a great article on how to get more likes to your Facebook page, file it away for later study and use. Personally, I use Evernote for this. It's great because it allows you to save articles, write content, take notes and do a whole bunch of other stuff in a way that you can access from anywhere (Mac, PC, iPhone, Android, etc). I also use it for jotting down ideas. And it's free. Gotta love it.

Tip #3: Take “Action-point notes”

By this, I mean when you read an article like this (hint, hint), or any other article (or watch a video etc), jot down the important action points – the things that you can act on. By doing this, you don't have to come back and read the entire article. Some of the article might just be a bunch of added fluff to get you to understand those major points. Now that you understand the major points, you don't need all the fluff. Be concise, and it'll make it easier to act on it later. Trust me, this step will save you TONS of time in the future.

Tip #4: Revisit the significant action points on a regular basis

It's so easy to take notes and have them disappear into the “black hole of notes”. If your brain is anything like mine, it tends to forget even the significant things in life. Due to this mental limitation, it's necessary for revisit thoughts and ideas over and over.

This helps to form stronger connections in your brain. The stronger those connections, the easier it is for you to access that information. They say that “Practice makes perfect”, and this is also through for internet marketing.

Tip #5: Take decisive, goal-oriented action over and over and over and . . .

You get the point. Yes, you hear so many people say take action, but the fact is that taking action without a goal-oriented plan is the best way to get nowhere fast. Once you know what your goals are, all of the actions you take should be actions that lead you in the direction of your goals. It's a rather simple, but underutilized concept that if we really internalize it, can really change our businesses.

On the other hand, inaction is even worse. If you don't act on the things you are learning, I can GUARANTEE that you won't reach anywhere. There are so many potential bloggers out there with great ideas for blogs. The only thing missing is the blog. Don't be one of those people.

So there you have it – 5 tips that I believe we all can use. I really wanted to cover this right now, because over the next 4 weeks, I will be posting the interviews I did with some AWESOME bloggers at BlogWorld. They are very short interviews where I asked each blogger to give their top 3 tips to help us all take what we do to the next level.

I learned from those tips and can't wait to share them with you. However, as you go through these tips, remember to apply the 5 tips I outlined above, because they will really help you maximize what you learn from the tips.

Today's Question:

Which of these tips is the most significant one to you and why?

About the Author Leslie Samuel


Leslie Samuel a business coach for high-performing entrepreneurs. As the host of the Leslie Samuel Show, he teaches how to build an online business. "Changing the world one post at a time” is the mission he strives towards. As a former university professor, he has a passion for education. He's the founder of Interactive Biology, a blog and YouTube channel dedicated to making biology fun for students and teachers. As the head of training for the Social Media Marketing Society, he helps social media marketers get the training they need to stay on the leading edge of social media.

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