Top MLM Blogger Interview: Chuck Holmes of OnlineMLMCommunity.com
What you will see below is an interview I did with my friend Chuck Holmes. He is the successful blogger and webmaster at OnlineMLMCommunity.com
What you will see below is an interview I did with my friend Chuck Holmes. He is the successful blogger and webmaster at OnlineMLMCommunity.com
Question: You seem to have a very successful blog, Chuck. How old is it and how many posts are on it?
I wrote my first blog post for my blog on April 10, 2013. I launched the blog about two days before that and set up my pages and layout during those first two days.
As of July 8, 2016 I have published 1,258 blog posts. Of those posts, I wrote 1,214 myself and the other 44 posts were written by guest writers.
Currently, I write a post every day, Monday through Friday.
Since starting my blog I’ve averaged about 32 posts per month.
Prior to starting my blog in early April 2013, I had a large 2,000 plus page network marketing website with Site Build It. I launched that website in October 2010. I closed down that website shortly after launching my blog.
Question: What specific topics do you like to cover on it?
I write about whatever interests me on that specific day. I do not do ANY keyword research, SEO or try “black hat” type of stuff.
I simply write what is on my mind. I write for my readers, not for the search engines.
I’m an avid reader and I currently have a list of over 2,000 topics I will eventually write about.
The most popular categories on my blog are company reviews, success tips and mindset.
Topics that interest me the most include leadership, lead generation and online marketing.
I have over 50 different categories on my blog.
Question: How much traffic do you get each month?
Here are my traffic stats from Google Analytics for the past three months:
June 2016: 38,672 visitors, 32,110 unique visitors, 52,115 page views
May 2016: 37,393 visitors, 31,126 unique visitors, 51,636 page views
April 2016: 38,096 visitors, 31,883 unique visitors, 51,695 page views
Here are my yearly traffic stats, from Google Analytics, for the past three years.
Projected 2016 Stats: 446,998 visitors, 358,976 unique visitors and 611,924 page views.
Actual 2016 Stats: Here are my stats for the first six months of 2016: 223,499 visitors, 179,488 unique visitors and 305,962 page views
2015: 322,211 visitors, 250,339 unique visitors and 458,373 page views
2014: 191,342 visitors, 150,165 unique visitors and 278,807 page views
2013: 66,982 visitors, 54,118 unique visitors and 147,165 page views
I am meticulous about keeping track of my website’s growth and watching the numbers. This helps me identify trends and look for areas of improvement.
As you can see, it takes time to build up a successful, high traffic website, but if you stick with it, and keep doing the work, you get rewarded.
These numbers are real, verified and come from my Google Analytics account. No fake traffic here. Probably 99% of this traffic is organic, not paid for.
Question: You seem to have a good story. Can you tell me a little about what you did before starting this blog?
I have been an entrepreneur since 2002, when I first entered the industry. I built my business the traditional, “old school” way from 2002 to 2009.
I started my “online MLM journey” back in 2009 when I first joined My Lead System Pro®. I no longer use that service, but I am grateful that it got me started on my online journey.
I have been a blogger since 2009. I own another blog that is even bigger and more successful than my MLM Blog.
That is a military blog and it gets even more traffic and makes more money than my network marketing blog.
My wife and I have also been selling antiques, jewelry and clothing on eBay for about 13 years.
Since 2006 I’ve written and published 18 books and numerous training programs.
I’m also very busy doing small business coaching and consulting.
I spent about 15 years in the U.S. Army, National Guard and Army Reserve from 1995 to 2011. I am a former Army Major.
Question: When did you discover Network Marketing?
I discovered network marketing in March 2002. I was a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army serving at Fort Carson, Colorado.
One of my peers invited me over to her house to listen to a guy talk about extra ways of making money. I was open minded and accepted her invitation.
I almost didn’t show up that night, but my best friend dragged me along.
At her house, an Amway® rep showed the plan. I was completely mesmerized.
I had never heard of Amway® or network marketing up until that time.
I loved the idea of leverage, time freedom and creating residual income.
I signed up that night and didn’t sleep much for a few days. I was so excited.
I still feel the same way about the industry 14 years later, although I am no longer affiliated with Amway®.
Question: Network Marketing seems hard for some people; did you have roadblocks as well when starting out?
It’s hard to build a successful business of any kind. Just ask any entrepreneur.
The failure rate in all businesses, other than franchises, is very high.
Most of us have never received even one hour of instruction about how to start, grow and run our own business. It’s not taught in school, college or at home.
Most people have been wired to be an employee their entire life.
For most people, this employee mindset and way of thinking will be the hardest thing they have to overcome if they want to succeed in network marketing, or any other type of business.
It took me more than five years to learn how to think like an entrepreneur and have the right mindset.
Network marketing has been the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but it has been worth it.
When I first joined the industry I had low self-esteem, a bad attitude, and no people skills.
I was a jerk. I was not the type of prospect you wanted in your business.
My biggest struggle was lack of focus, not being consistent and not sticking with one company for the long haul.
To be quite frank with you, it took me almost 12 YEARS of personal development to become the type of person I needed to be so I could achieve success in this industry.
I am still a work in progress, and I strive to get better every single day.
I still have challenges, just like anyone else.
Currently, my biggest challenge is finding quality people who have the vision, desire, and willingness to work.
Recruiting for me is very easy. Finding other leaders and doers like myself is the real challenge.
Question: When did you have your fist breakthrough with network marketing?
I did okay in my first company (Amway®). Nothing on a grand scale, but better than most people did.
After spending two and a half years in that company, I left. After that, I joined over 10 different companies in the next 10 years.
I wasn’t looking to get rich quick. I wasn’t looking for something for nothing. I just couldn’t find the right company.
More importantly, I never committed, stayed consistent and did the work with any of those companies. I dabbled. I was never “both feet in.”
When I joined my current company in April 2014 I made a vow that this would be forever home. I made a vow I would be persistent and consistent and do the work.
Over the past two years I have personally recruited about 100 people. I credit this success to my consistency, focus and discipline.
I get pitched multiple times daily, because of my blog, but I refuse to look at any other business opportunity, even if someone paid me to.
If I could give anyone reading this blog post just one tip it would be to pick an established, STABLE company with products or services you love and stick with it for the rest of your life. And do SOMETHING every day to move your business forward.
Question: Has your blog attracted Leads to your opportunity?
My blog is a lead magnet, but it didn’t start out that way.
In a typical month I generate at least 400 to 500 free leads from my blog for my free MLM Boot Camp and business opportunity.
I generate another 400 or 500 leads per month for the different affiliate programs I promote.
Question: What would you tell a network marketer first starting out?
I tell all my new people that this is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s probably going to take you AT LEAST five to ten years of part-time effort to replace your job income, and maybe longer.
You can do it faster than that, if you put in the extra hours, master your skills and work smart, but it’s not a get rich quick or something for nothing type of business.
Considering you are doing this part-time, that’s still a great deal.
Remember, successful businesses take years to build, normally DECADES.
After I give people realistic expectations about the time frame for success, I tell them they need to write down their goals, create a game plan, set a daily mode of operations, plan out their week every week, and most importantly, have the discipline and focus to do what they said they were going to do.
Being persistent and consistent is key.
Also, work on your personal development and get better every single day.
Question: Do you suggest they blog?
When it comes to having a blog, I HIGHLY recommend it for people who want to earn a full-time income or make a career out of the network marketing industry.
Let’s face it, we aren’t in the 1980’s anymore. This is the new millennium and the internet is here to stay.
We live in a global economy with more than SEVEN BILLION people. If you’re only building locally, you are a FOOL!
You need to know that your prospect is going to research YOU and YOUR COMPANY after you show them the plan. They are going to go to mother GOOGLE® and type in your name. That’s why you need an online presence, preferably a blog.
I also like blogging because I personally believe in multiple streams of income. I know not everyone does, but I love it.
My blog is my real business and my network marketing company is one of many income streams in my business. *** This might be the most important takeaway in this entire post.
I don’t think you need a blog if you are just looking to get your products for free or make a few hundred dollars per month.
But if you want to be a “long term” player in the industry, blogging should be considered mandatory.
Question: How long does it take a MLM blog to get good traffic?
What a great question! I wish someone would have sat me down before I first started blogging and told me what I am about to tell you.
Blogging is a LONG TERM project.
It’s not something that will typically show you much results in the first few years.
Building a successful, high traffic blog takes time, money and effort, more than you think, but it’s worth it.
Just like network marketing, most people who start a blog give up in 90 days or less. They start out excited until they find out there is actually work involved.
That’s why you see so many abandoned blogs out there that haven’t been updated in months.
If you’re blogging two or three times per week, I would say a realistic timeframe for blogging success is at least THREE YEARS. If you’re blogging daily, two years is a realistic time frame for success.
Some people might gain traction quicker, but I think this is a conservative estimate.
I’d also like to chime in and tell you that BUILDING AN AUDIENCE of people who like you, know you and trust you should be your number one priority with your blog.
Until you do that, you won’t make any money with your blog anyway.
Your job is to provide value, write good content, educate your audience, and build a loyal following.
Once you do that, the recruiting and making money part is very easy.
Question: How long should their posts be?
This is a very subjective question depending upon who you ask.
My top five most visited blog posts year to date 2016 include:
# 1 Top 27 Amway Diamonds (2,280 words)
# 2 Top 50 MLM Companies of All Time (3,767 words)
# 3 Top 10 Herbalife Marketing Tips (1,443 words)
# 4 Top 21 Tax Deductions for Network Marketers (1,769 words)
# 5 Advocare Success Tips (1,327 words)
The average amount of words for these posts is 2,117 words.
As a rule of thumb, I rarely write a post of less than a 1,000 words. I do sometimes, but not often.
Most of my posts are 1,500 to 2,000 words and from my own experience, posts with more than 2,000 words typically rank the highest on GOOGLE for me.
Of course this is just my experience and opinion.
Question: How do blog articles get leads?
Blog articles CAN generate leads, IF you have good content and a lead capture system on your blog.
When people find your blog from social media posts, YouTube or the search engines, they will visit your website.
Assuming people like your content, and you have a lead capture form with a good giveaway, some people will leave their name and email.
When they do this they are automatically added to your email list (auto-responder) and they become a lead.
My best tips for success to get leads are to write EPIC content and to make sure you have a “high perceived value” giveaway. I give away a free 7-day Boot Camp to generate leads. That works well for me.
Question: What countries are your prospects mainly from?
My MLM Team is in approximately 15 different countries at the present time.
My leads from my blog come from over 100 different countries.
My top 10 countries for website visitors in 2016 (according to Google Analytics) are:
United States
India
Canada
United Kingdom
Australia
Philippines
Malaysia
Nigeria
South Africa
Singapore
Question: How do they find out more about your opportunity?
If you would like to learn more about what I do, and how we could potentially work together, visit my website to see what I do.
About Chuck Holmes
Chuck Holmes is a professional blogger of OnlineMLMCommunity.com and Part-Time-Commander.com.
He is a business coach, author of 18 books, network marketer, treasure hunter, and entrepreneur. To learn more about him, check out his website.
The post Top MLM Blogger Interview: Chuck Holmes of OnlineMLMCommunity.com appeared first on Erik Christian Johnson.