Joined: 21 Aug 2003 Posts: 37 Location: Rochester NY
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2003 5:10 pm Post subject: Researching SBI topics
Hi
This is my first post. Someone once told me "there are no stupid questions" so I guess I'll dive in.
I have been procrastinating for some time now on purchasing SBI. I do realize that using SBI is by far the best choice for me, being new to affiliate marketing and really not wishing to get into all the technical aspects of site building etc. etc.
I have several topics I am interested in developing into websites but lets face it (my opinion) just about anything you can think of has been done to the nth degree on the net. And as I review the popular websites on my potential topics they seem way better than anything I could come up with. Even though I love the topics I am not an expert at any of them and I would have to do research to come up with credible articles.
So....doing the research! And writing the articles are the two skills (of many) I am weak in.
Are there legitimate techniques to gathering information on the net, reorganize it, add content from many sources, nip and tuck, regurgitate (you get the point) and come up with fresh articles without ripping any one off.
How do SBI'ers come up with all that content. I can't believe it's all coming straight out of memory.
Hope I haven't rambled too much. Thanks in advance for the help.
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2003 5:32 pm Post subject: topics and SBI
Your choice of SBI, IMHO, is a good one especially since you don't want to have to deal with the behind the scenes stuff like html, SEO, etc.
Now, for topics ... the most important thing in the Action Guide is
PICK A NICHE PICK A PASSION
I cannot stress this enough, believe me. I had 3 false starts with my first SBI site because of this and wasted a whole year! Now I have a site I am passionate about and fell into because of family problems and looking for solutions to help my family.
What do you love? What could you write about, talk about, read about, all day long? Start there.
Next, content ... you can research a lot of different resources, then combine what you learn into fresh content from a slant that you feel is unique. You can also hire a copywriter, or journalist, to create content for you.
Feel free to post some ideas and we can hash them out if you like. Don't worry about someone stealing your ideas ... it's being unique, and passionate that makes the difference, believe me. However, if you are worried, use the messaging here to contact me.
I have ideas for more sites that will keep me going for several years, so you don't need to worry about me.
Best,
Debs _________________ Learn how to turn keyphrases into quality, well-targeted articles your visitors and SE's will love with Gary Antosh's new ebook "Web Content Made Easy!"
I couldn't agree more with Debs - you have to pick something that you are passionate about, something that is personal to you.
I am a newbie, not even got a website yet. BUT I have finally come up with some ideas!
When I first started thinking about what I could, I felt exactly like you - every thing I came up with had already been done and done extremely well. But you have to dig deeper. One of my first ideas was golfing but I looked around and thought, hell it's all been done before. If you dig deeper, there are many opportunities there - a market dedicated to left handed golfers, junior golfers, golfer's wives (that was one close to my heart!) etc etc. In the end I have decided not to go with golfing as it is more my hubby's passion and not my own. And that hits the nail on the head - it has to be your own passion.
One way I brainstormed was to write down all the problems I had faced in life, why I had those problems, how I overcame them. I practically wrote my life story! Somewhere out of that I have come up with my ideas (and guess what? They don't involve writing a book on 'how to get rich on the internet' ). And this is just one area. I have yet to seriously brainstorm my hobbies, interests etc etc. Shows that brainstorming really does work, done properly.
Just keep at it, don't ever give up. I know niche market seems to be the 'in words' at the moment but one other thing so often overlooked is - have PATIENCE! An abundance of it preferably!
As for content, what I am doing now is reading anything and everything I can on my chosen subject. Get organised, get some files and then start printing/filing/reading everything you can on your subject. May take days, weeks or months but with some PATIENCE you will get there!
Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Posts: 1126 Location: London, England
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2003 4:32 pm Post subject:
Hi Outat60,
You are right, there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers. I hope this answer aint too stoopid.
Quote:
Are there legitimate techniques to gathering information on the net, reorganize it, add content from many sources, nip and tuck, regurgitate (you get the point) and come up with fresh articles without ripping any one off.
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Well I for one will put my hand up and confess that is roughly how I do it. That and getting information from library books ect.
How many people are the original sources of knowledge? Very few. If you know something, it's because you got that knowledge from someone else. Of course you will understand that you can't just copy and paste from someone else's site, that apart from being completely out of order, would be in breach of their copyright.
Debs and Kathy are spot on when they say you've got to be passionate, but don't think that you have to be an expert. Just learn as you go.
And yes, I guess most of us feel that it has all been done, but when you think about it...
Are there legitimate techniques to gathering information on the net, reorganize it, add content from many sources, nip and tuck, regurgitate (you get the point) and come up with fresh articles without ripping any one off.
Larry Chamberlain wrote:
How many people are the original sources of knowledge? Very few. If you know something, it's because you got that knowledge from someone else. Of course you will understand that you can't just copy and paste from someone else's site, that apart from being completely out of order, would be in breach of their copyright.
From my experience, whether online or offline, there is indeed VERY little truly original material. Many book authors, for example, simply take the best bits of everyone else's books, put them into their own words, add a few thoughts of their own, and sign their name at the bottom.
This is the way of the world, and I suggest you do a similar thing with your web site's content. Find the best information you can, then inject a bit of your own personality. At the end of the day, it is often a person's style - as much as the content itself - that helps build up a loyal following of readers.
Regarding theme choice...
What do you do when you are not being paid?
For goodness sake don't create "a job you don't even want". Your passion (or the lack of it) will show through your writing.
Regarding procrastination
What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?
"Better to do something imperfectly, than nothing perfectly."
I often used to use "perfection" as an excuse for doing nothing. Allan G. actually once suggested settling for B+ instead of A, saying hardly anyone but me would ever notice.
I don't know if he'd still say that!
Seriously though, most truly "successful" people seem to be just better than the rest of us at learning from their mistakes... and then forgeting them.
Hope this helps,
Charlie. _________________ "Before I speak, I have something important to say."
- Groucho Marx
Last edited by Charlie on Fri Jan 02, 2004 5:01 pm; edited 1 time in total
Joined: 21 Aug 2003 Posts: 37 Location: Rochester NY
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2003 4:00 pm Post subject: Thanks so much
Thanks Debs, Kathy, Larry and Charlie for your comments and recommendations. I truely appreciate them and am hooked on this board. Just hope I can help someone else someday. I'll be back atcha soon. Thanks again.
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). And this is just one area. I have yet to seriously brainstorm my hobbies, interests etc etc. Shows that brainstorming really does work, done properly.
