So, I have input from affiliate “experts” about the types of content to create and where to find affiliate programs. Now, it’s time to build a content strategy to engage an audience and sell some stuff. With all of the different blogs I have, though, it may be a bit of a pain to keep them all organized in the beginning.
Mostly, it comes down to time. Do I have enough time to crank out enough content to draw an audience and convince them to make a sale? That’s the hardest part of this entire venture. Remember, I’m not very good at sales or being a capitalist. I’ll point out the flaws in every product I test.
That’s why I don’t make more money than other bloggers. I don’t blow sunshine and rainbows up anyone’s butt. I can’t necessarily call something “the best” if I’ve never used it.
How Much Content Is Needed for Affiliate Marketing?
Experts attest that a blog should have between 50 and 100 high-quality posts published to earn a significant amount of income. The problem with this information is that it’s too vague.
You can write 100 high-quality blog posts and still not see traffic, especially if you’re focusing on topics that don’t see a lot of action in search.
One of the key elements of making this successful is consistency. Of course, that’s true whether you’re diving into affiliate marketing or not. Google and YouTube value consistency and will show your content more often.
The hard part for me is figuring out what a consistent publishing schedule would look like, considering how much is on my plate.
Developing a Content Strategy for the Blogs
So, I think I’ll have to come up with a different strategy for each of the blogs. They are all at various levels of development, and the content reflects that. For instance, the writing blog has over a thousand posts, while the gaming blog is sitting at just under two hundred.
Not to mention the fact that I don’t have a lot of time during the week. I won’t be able to put the same amount of time into each website, as I am also currently working for clients, going to school, writing a book, and trying to manage a few YouTube channels…all by myself.
We also have to remember that we don’t want the blog to seem like a non-stop advertisement for a brand, either. That means mixing things up a bit so that it’s more of a natural flow. Plus, links have to appear more incidental and less salesy.
It’s All About Time
Because my life is incredibly chaotic, it’s very difficult for me to commit to a set publishing schedule for all of the blogs. This is especially true when you factor in how some blog posts are simply going to take longer to put together than others.
For example, it takes me almost twice as long to create a tutorial as it does for a review. Part of that is because of all the screenshots and images I take for the tutorials.
If I can spend at least 14 hours per week on the blogs, that should give me enough time to write about 7 blog posts on average. But as I said, it really depends on the post and topic. I’ve had some take an hour to write, while others reached upward of six hours.
I’ve already set up the 14 hours as a blogging goal in my spreadsheet. If I don’t have as many posts published that week but still hit my 14-hour goal, then I can say that I did my best and move on.
The Ideal Week of Publishing
Even though I am striving to put in 14 hours per week for the blogs, I still want to create a tentative publishing schedule. Subscribers, followers, and Google’s algorithm love it when you’re consistent.
For the time being, at least until I can hire some help, the publishing schedule will look like this:
- Writing blog: Monday, Wednesday, Friday (9:30 am)
- Health and Fitness blog: Tuesday, Thursday (10:00 am)
- Gaming Blog: Wednesday, Friday (1:30 pm)
These are also according to priority. The writing blog content comes first, then the fitness content, then the gaming content (if I have time). Unfortunately, I highly doubt that I will be able to maintain this schedule. As I said, my life is too chaotic, and life often derails my efforts.
Still, I’ll try to get as much time into the blogs as I can each week.
Affiliate Marketing Content Plan
I often use spreadsheets to keep track of upcoming content, which includes search phrases, monthly search volume, word count goal, competitor links, and more. I’m going to add a tab (or perhaps make a whole new spreadsheet) for the affiliate platform and the link.
Now, not all content is going to have a specific affiliate partner. However, it helps me organize what affiliate content I am creating next, what has been published already, and if other keyphrases are more valuable than others.
As I think about it some, perhaps a new spreadsheet would be best. That way, I can keep track of all my affiliate accounts in one location without having to sift through bookmarks and emails. Or, I could also do both.
Guess I’d better figure that out before I start getting too deep into signing up for affiliate programs.
Conclusion…
Setting up a content strategy is nice and all, but that’s not what is going to hold me back from making any significant money from the blogs. I have a feeling my biggest hurdle is going to be time itself. Currently, I have an insane number of things on my plate, between clients, books, blogs, YouTube channels, and school.
That’s not including the personal life stuff, which can easily melt through 10 hours in a day.
Nonetheless, I think I can make a few things happen if I focus on my 14-hour goal and do what I can to make some things happen in terms of content. It may not sound like a lot of time for some, but it’s an extreme challenge for me, given everything I have my fingers in.
I suppose we’ll give this a few months and see what happens. If I come across any more affiliate marketing information, I’ll add it to the posts or write something new. Some of these posts will get regular updates.