Today, I am going to attempt to do something very difficult.
I am going to try to help two groups of people at the same time, in one post.
The two groups I am trying to help are:
1. Business owners whose websites aren’t attracting any visitors
2. Bloggers whose websites attract readers, but don’t make any money
Business Owners
You’ve created a website for your business.
You’ve put up everything on there that you can think of to explain what your business does and how it can help your prospects.
But, for some reason, your website doesn’t seem to be doing much good.
According to your website stats, there are not many people visiting your website.
And those that do visit, seem to click right away only seconds after getting there.
Bloggers
You’ve created a great blog.
You regularly post great content.
You have a good amount of regular visitors.
But, for some reason, your blog isn’t making you any money.
You have tried some ads and things like that, but it hasn’t brought you much money.
The Secret to an Effective Website or Blog
Would you like to know a secret to making your website more effective or your blog more profitable?
Great. I have the answer for you.
It’s in the last place you’d probably look to discover the secret to an effective website or profitable blog.
The secret for an effective website or profitable blog has a lot to do with the secret behind an effective magazine.
Let me explain…
The REAL Reason Magazines Exist
I came across a quote about magazines that exposes the “secret” behind their real purpose.
And it reveals how you can make your website or blog more effective.
The quote I am about to share with you is from a book called The 1910s by David Blanke.
He says, “Ad executive James Collins told a congressional committee in 1907…
“‘There is still an illusion to the effect that a magazine is a periodical in which advertising is incidental. But we don’t look at it that way. A magazine is simply a device to induce people to read advertising. It is a large booklet with two departments – entertainment and business. The entertainment department finds stories, pictures, verse, etc. to interest the public. The business department makes the money.'”
Did you catch what he just said?
The purpose of a magazine is to be “a device to induce people to read advertising.“
It has two departments:
1. Entertainment which provides stories, pictures, etc. – to interest the public
2. Business whose purpose is to make money
Effective Business Websites and Profitable Blogs Have the Same Two Purposes
These two purposes are the same basic ones that a successful business website or blog has:
1. Provide content that interests the public
2. Make a profit
Cyrus H.K. Curtis founded the Curtis Publishing Company in 1891.
His company published the Ladies’ Home Journal, the Saturday Evening Post, and several other magazines. He was VERY successful as a publisher (someone who uses content to make money).
In the book The 1910s, David Blanke also shares a quote from Cyrus H.K. Curtis.
It’s something that he once confided to audience of manufacturers about the dual purpose of magazines.
Listen to what he told them…
“Do you know why we publish the Ladies’ Home Journal? The editor thinks it is for the benefit of American women. That is an illusion, but a very proper one for him to have. But I will tell you, the real reason, the publisher’s reason, is to give you people who manufacture things that American women want and buy a chance to tell them about your products.“
Now notice carefully what he confesses to these manufactures.
The publisher’s purpose for a magazine is to give its advertisers a chance to share with its readers about their products (which are things those readers want).
It’s not an evil purpose.
It’s the same purpose every business website has.
But notice that the publisher has someone else who is focused on something different: providing information that will benefit their readers.
This is the same purpose every blog has.
Now don’t miss this important fact because BOTH of those purposes are needed if you want to succeed.
- Without the purpose of the publisher (to make money), then the editor wouldn’t have the finances to build (and sustain) a platform they can use to help their readers.
- Without the editor’s purpose (to provide helpful content), then the publisher will not attract an audience that its advertisers can offer its products and services to.
Why Your Website or Blog Isn’t Working
If your website or blog isn’t effective, it is probably because you are only thinking like one of these people.
You’re either too focused on trying to sell with your website or you’re too focused on providing content on your blog.
You must focus on both.
To know what you need to do to fix this, then please read the section below that applies to you.
Business Owners
If you’re like most business owners, your problem is that you’re thinking too much like a publisher. The only purpose you see for having a website is to make money.
That’s why any visitors to your website quickly click away after only visiting for a few seconds.
They aren’t finding anything on your website that is helpful to them.
You need to begin thinking like an editor and begin to provide helpful (and even entertaining) information for your prospects.
It’s the only way you can gather an audience that you can help by selling your products and services to.
Bloggers
If you’re like most bloggers, your problem is that you’re thinking too much like a editor. The only purpose you see for having a blog is to provide awesome content.
That’s why your blog isn’t making you any money and you’re having a hard time financing the time and effort it’s taking you to grow your platform.
Your visitors don’t realize you have any products or services that they might want. (It might be because you actually don’t have any products or services to offer them! Or it’s because you never mention your products or services, so you might as well not have any!)
You need to begin thinking like an publisher and begin to promote and/or provide products and services that your readers want.
It’s the only way, in the long run, that you can sustain your efforts to provide helpful information to your growing audience.
My Confession
Note: I’ll make a confession. I tend to be think too much like an editor, I focus most of my effort on providing awesome, helpful content. (*But I am going to be working on balancing this tendency out!)
What’s your tendency? Who do you tend to think more like? A publisher? Or an editor?
Post in in the comments below!
51 Content Marketing Hacks
This post is included as one of the chapters in my book 51 Content Marketing Hacks.
You can learn more about it here.
I’m a business strategist, consultant, content creation specialist, and speaker. I’ve been studying effective marketing and business methods (both online and offline) since 1999.
===> If you would like to see ways that we could work together, then please click here to learn more.
