Today’s interview features app designer Anthony Feint
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Please introduce yourself to our readers…
I’m Anthony, an entrepreneur from Australia. I’m the founder of the productivity startup Task.fm and blog about one of my favorite subjects, lifestyle design, on my blog at Feint.me. I’ve been working on the internet for over 7 years.
When, how and why did you get started with blogging @ Feint.me?
The blog was started towards the end of 2008 as just a personal journal, a place where I could post my thoughts on the internet and technology. Much of the early content on the blog was rubbish, and it took me until about a year ago to really hit the mark and build a following. I didn’t actually think I would make money from it. But as time went on, I realised the blog had huge potential to generate some extra money and also build a brand I could use to promote my startup.
How long did it take you to get you to where you are now, and what would you say to our readers who are already tired and frustrated of not seeing any results from their blogging?
I actually started building websites when I was just 13 years of age. I made a lot of mistakes back then, but thats all part of the process of learning. “Time” really is a powerful tool. I’ve found that in my niche, most people only last for around 1-2 years at the most. If you can stick it out and keep hustling, and push past that 2 year mark, you have a much greater chance at success. I didn’t make any money from blogging for around the first year, so time is definitely the key.
What are the TOP areas I should concentrate on when blogging?
Content really is king. But more importantly, the right content is king. Finding “your voice” in blogging is really important. Don’t fall into the trap of copying someone elses voice and content. People can only take so much of the same regurgitated content that is reworded all over the blogosphere. I like to blog using my own personal experiences. This way, its guaranteed to be unique.
Do you have a formula for attracting traffic to Feint.me?
My formula is very simple. Write an article, share it on Twitter and respond to any comments. 90% of my traffic comes from Twitter. I also submit the odd article to a couple of niche social bookmarking sites. The right article can attract over 4000 unique visitors (and paying customers!). I don’t have any complex traffic formulas. I try and focus on the content first, my twitter network second and then do occasional article marketing, forums posts etc.
What would you say is the one most important thing you’ve learned about affiliate blogging?
“Time” is a very important tool. The longer you blog the easier it becomes. Don’t get me wrong, you can earn money from a blog within a few weeks. But new bloggers will usually have little success early on. Stick with, try things, and most importantly, collect data. Don’t listen to me – instead use your own data to form the basis of your blogging venture.
What’s the biggest mistake you made getting started in affiliate blogging?
I have a habit of selling blogs rather than holding onto them. Its tempting to sell a blog for a nice hunk of cash. But in reality, its much easier to hold onto a blog than keep building new ones. That being said, I definately reccomend building and flipping affiliate blogs. Just make sure you keep a home base as the cornerstone to your business.
So how do you make money online with your blog?
80% of revenue doesn’t come from affiliate sales. At the bottom of each post, I place a banner which links to my startup, Task.fm. This banner converts extrememly well. The other 20% of revenue comes from affiliate sales and from selling my ebook Flipped. I have setup targeted affiliate pages such as this one http://feint.me/blogging – which usually averages 1-2 affiliate signups or sales a day.
What else?
As I mentioned before, I run a startup called Task.fm. This is my big earner. Affiliate sales generate a nice passive income, but I have a lot more fun building this app. I’m in it for the long run, and its shaping up as a valuable asset.
I also run a number of affiliate sites and still build the odd blog that I build solely for the purpose of flipping.
What role does your blog roll play? And what do you expect others do once they finish reading your interview?
In the grand scheme of things, my blog is just a small part in a grander business vision I have. It provides a central place to build a brand. But I think, in order to create a decent income, you need multiple sites.
After reading this interview, the first thing I think people should do, is break down and plan out exactly how much they would like to earn each month, otherwise known as your target monthly income. I then take this and break it into a target daily income. Its this figure I work towards each day. Its amazing how simple and clear online business becomes when you do this.
Thank you for sharing your blogging advice with us.
P.S. If you have any questions or suggestions on today’s interview, comment below [I want to hear from you]…
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