2012. From where I come from, today is the first day. If it was ten years ago, I would still be in bed with a humongous headache and heebee jeebees from the aftermath of last night. Things change as age catches up and all those year end late night parties are only but memories to live by. If not for the horrible blast of fireworks from the nearby resort last night at the stroke of midnight, I would have slept through the year like a pig.
For many it has become customary to blog abut their plans and resolutions for the new year. Liz wrote a detailed business plan on what she hoped to achieve in 2012, RT came out early with his resolution for 2012. Google published their “achivements” for 2011 Copyblogger, never one to give up an opportunity to interlink his contents posted his best articles for last year. So did Daniel of Daily Blog Tips. Problogger took a different route of linking out to 20 bloggers whom he feel will make it big in 2012 and some tips to revitalize your blog. Small Business Trends wrote 20 Content Marketing Ideas.
The list goes on and on and on and on..
Plans And Resolutions for 2012
I am no different as every new year brings new hope and past reflections of what we have achieved for the past 365 days of our lives. I do reflect, but besides that reflection, I have no plans nor resolutions which I intend to make or keep. For me, planning your life and sticking to it will only make it more boring than it already is.
These days, I live my life one day at a time, never knowing what I am going to do or what will be happening tomorrow.
Especially when now I am making my living full time online. Things evolves so fast that I don’t think you or anyone can “plan” and hold on to it.
There are however, a few things I might or might not start doing in 2012. No fixed plans though. I always acted on impulse and do what I feel is best for that time and for that moment.
I Might Start Buying Traffic In 2012
For years I have refrained from doing this as I have a small pride in me that says I can get traffic without having to pay for them. 2012 might be different. Big Daddy is making it tough for what I have been taught to take good effect. The scenario changes so fast and drastic. The landscape changes like the desert dunes after a sandstorm. What seems to be working fine today maybe gone tomorrow.
You might think you know everything about SEO and traffic generation, but when Big G comes along with his stick, he will make you feel like a novice.
To loosen G’s stranglehold on our self generated traffic, many will have to start buying them. Maybe that is the intention of Big G in the first place. making people who are hungry for traffic buy them through Adwords.
In 2012, if my ranking keywords goes downhill and I can’t get enough organic traffic to make decent conversions for the affiliate products I am promoting, I will resort to buying that traffic. If the traffic holds and I can sustain what I am making presently, I won’t have to.
No More Guest Postings From 2012
Though I said I don’t plan, guest posting is something I promised myself never to do ever again. Then again, this is also a flexible “plan” which can change when and if the situation changes.
In all, I think I have done less than 5 guest posts for the past year. I should have realized and learned after the first post was published. But no, I had to do it another 3 or 4 time before the facts could sink in to my big fat skull.
Guest posting is a big farce. Apart from the one or two miserable juice-less linkbacks, there are no real benefits for the guest poster. All credits goes to the blog and the blogger you have guest posted for. They get all the links, the tweets and the likes. You do not even get nuts to show.
It is very moronic to be giving away your best stuffs for free to benefit someone else and get nothing back in return.
Take Things As It Comes In 2012
My hero, Bruce Lee once said,
“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless – like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
No matter what you have learned about Blogging, about Internet Marketing, about Making Money Online, one should not become static and stagnant and live by the book. We should adapt. Adapt to style, adapt to time, adapt to changes and adapt to situations. Learn the basics then use that basic to adapt for the long term.
In 2012, I will be formless, shapeless – like water.
Happy New Year Everyone.
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Totally agree with you on the guest posting thing – I tried it in the travel niche, waste of time, and expensive way to get a link basically! Thanks for the link !
It’s always a pleasure to link you Lis.
Hey Lissie, it’s only a waste of time if you don’t have much time to spare.
If you could churn out 100 unique articles on a specific niche, that didn’t quite fit on one of your own sites, the link backs and the traffic would be well worth it.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t have that kind of time. I think guest posting should be a one-off thing – as a means of getting a specific kind of visitor you wouldn’t normally get.
I’ve not tried guest posting and was wondering if it was actually worthwhile considering the I’m promoting more than just a website but my expertise in real estate.
Do you still think it is useless if what I’m trying to do is build credibility locally? I assume I should target local blogs etc.
Anyways Happy News Years and BTW Bruce Lee ROCKS. I’ve always been a huge fan of his.
Regards
For branding, any exposure would be good, but to build credibility, I don’t think guest postings would help unless you are posting in some relevant authority sites that are popular with your local community.
Since you are trying to build your reputation, if you can get some of your articles published in a local real estate magazine, that would be a terrific boost to your name.
Anyway, I’m no branding guru so I really can’t offer much advise other than those common sense ones. One thing I know for sure is, if you want to brand yourself, you have to expose yourself. Politicians are experts in this area.
Costa, I think you’re mistaken. At least a little.
Guest posting works when it’s targeted. Just putting up a guest post on any site that will take it won’t do much good at all and that’s where you’re completely right.
My blog has tons of guest posts on it and the majority are repeat submitters. It’s not just the link backs they’re looking for – they’re also looking for the click-throughs. Traffic is traffic, regardless of the source, but targeted traffic is the best.
I understand and that is where I submit all my guest posts. To reasonably high traffic blogs that is relevant. Yea, I am also looking for clickthroughs and exposure and of course some referral traffic.
Admittedly, the articles was well received, getting more than 20 to 30 comments each time, but at least a third will be addressing me, the original author, by the blog owner’s name. Almost none clicked on my author bio link and all trackbacks to the article goes to that blog.
Nah..no more guest postings. I think I’ll stick to writing those search friendly articles for myself from now on. At least I will benefit some from those organic traffic.