Changes in the Market Impact Your Blog - Adapt or GET LEFT!

There always has and always will be changes in The Market.

These changed affect us bloggers and affiliate marketers.

If you pay attention to things like TV commercials, billboards, radio ads, ads in your Facebook feed and other online sources, you can see the trends.

In my industry (internet marketing) it used to be all about rags to riches stories. Big houses, fancy cars, laying on a bed of $100 bills.

A year ago, it was all about sales funnels. I rarely see much on that anymore now.

It’s all about connection. Not much connection going on in a sales funnel.

Now I see people talking about connecting with their audience, relating, building relationships, engagement.

I watched a video from a Big Marketer this morning who gave a 15 minute talk on going through tough times, walking through the fire.

Did I watch the whole thing? You bet I did because she connected with where I am at. She really got me when she talked about her colon scare. I had one of those.

Consumers are Becoming Educated and Immune!

consumers are immune to your games What used to work is not working so well anymore.

Consumers are getting smarter, they are educated.

Take product review sites for example. There was a time where you could put up a product review site and make a killing.

Not so much anymore, especially if you are using Amazon (that is a whole different barrel of monkeys).

Consumers know that they can go straight to a retailer like Amazon and see tons of product reviews.

Over 70% of searches now go straight through the retailer and this number is growing as consumers evolve with technology.

People can get reviews on these mega sites but they come to people like you to relate to their problems and their interests.

When you can solve your readers problems and relate to them on a personal level – you have a good blog!

Remember all the ads with people in mansions and shiny new cars? Laying on the beach with a laptop. I see them less and less.

Because they don’t work anymore.

People have been burned too many times by these things promising riches.

If I am here eating beenie weenies, sure I would love a mansion and shiny car, but that’s a big jump.

My ego self is not going to believe it’s possible.

Belief is everything so be believable.

Real life, authenticity as opposed to laying on a bed of hundred dollar bills.

If I made thousands and thousands of dollars am I really going to get the cash out of the bank, lay it on the bed and take a picture of myself? God I hope not.

The Signs Are Everywhere!

Facebook is making changes. Their focus in on friends and family and CONNECTIONS!

That like farming you used to do, you know, I will like you if you like me. “Hey friends like my page!”

Not going to work now, not to mention that’s not how to attract a targeted and buying audience in the first place.

Youtube is making changes.

If you don’t have x number of views or x number of followers, no ad revenue for you!

They are weeding out low quality!

Will Pinterest jump on board next?

I don’t know the answer to that, but it seems to have turned into a bloggers paradise?

Who repins the most? Bloggers or Users?

All I do know is bloggers often try to manipulate Pinterest.

All the repining over and over again is not natural. It can’t last.

They are repinning their lives away, even paying for expensive tools and classes to do it.

I know someone who has paid probably close to $500 in the last year for Pinterest classes from gurus and she’s not making THAT much more as a result.

You know how sad you’re gonna be if you pin all your hopes on social media?

You know how said it is to drop $500 on a Facebook class and then have them change the game a week later?

Think about where you are putting your time and money people!

All that money and time and you could have been making your blog the best it can be over in our VIP!

These are 3rd party platforms which you have no control over!

There are marketers putting a lot of focus on these platforms I know.

They bring traffic.

I know marketers that 80 to 90% if their traffic comes from Pinterest.

That’s great to get that kind of traffic.

We need 3rd party platforms but we also need to be aware that it can be risky business if we put all our hopes into it.

Don’t do that.

Anyone remember Squidoo?

What You Can Control – Your Blog!

Focus more on what you do have control over.

Your blog and making it the best it can be!

It is the foundation of everything, yet many spend more time on the things outside of their blog.

You can drive tons of traffic, but if your blog isn’t targeted, with valuable content people are searching for and want and and let’s not forget converting, you are wasting a lot of time!

Putting that cart before the horse.

Do you get tons of traffic but little to no sales.

If so, you skipped the most important part.

The Foundation, which is your blog being the best it can be!

Building relationships via your content, groups and yes, an email list.