online success

The more time I spend working from home in my online business, the less convinced I am about the age-old mantra that it’s hard work that makes you successful.

That doesn’t mean that hard work isn’t integral.

It is.

But I actually think there is something even more important that a lot of people don’t really talk about. Every day I get emails from bloggers who work their fingers to the bone but still aren’t seeing results.

So what is going on?

Here’s a few thoughts.

NOTE: This post contains ranting that may be upsetting to some viewers.

The problem with the word ‘success’

I wanted to start this post by highlighting something that always bothers me with the word success.

It means different things to different people.

And, perhaps more importantly, it’s good to challenge the idea of what success means if you find that your pursuit of it is making you kind of miserable.

For example, if you have a loving family that you never see because you are trying to make $1m a year by working from home then maybe you need to reevaluate what it is to be successful.

It sounds like you’re screwing it up.

For me, success is more about doing something that I love and ensuring that the work I do and the money I make goes towards helping people and doing something useful and beneficial with my life.

Of course I don’t always hit that target but it’s kind of a guidepost I can refer back to each day.

The problem with hard work

Last week I posted a tweet and got a very interesting response from someone who has a very good track record with successful online businesses (he’s also one of my best friends in the world).

hard work

I agree with his response wholeheartedly. But first I want to give you some background as to why I wrote my initial Tweet.

There seems to be an attitude, particularly amongst the older generations, that hard work is all you need if you want to be successful in business. I often see it in political commentary – the idea that people who are struggling or poor are there because they don’t work hard enough.

Well, excuse my Australian, but it’s BS.

It’s especially BS when it comes to online business.

As I said in the opener, I regularly get emails from bloggers and business owners who work night and day for years and don’t see the results that some people get in a matter of weeks.

Why is that?

Well, one fundamental thing that I think everyone needs to acknowledge is that not everyone has the same starting point.

For example, it’s ridiculous for someone whose parents paid for them to go to Harvard to think that someone who dropped out of school to care for a sick parent has had the same opportunities they did.

When you want to learn about starting a blog or using online marketing to grow a business it is vital that you acknowledge your own starting point because it will really help you to not feel disillusioned when success doesn’t come right away.

It’s unrealistic to expect ourselves to all perform equally.

I don’t have any children so I naturally can devote more time and money to my business. But I also never worked in a corporate environment so maybe don’t have the experience that other people have.

Experience varies.

So what is the secret to online success?

One thing that was mentioned in the Tweet above that I really can’t emphasize enough is the ability to learn.

When you look at all of the people who have had some online success you’ll notice that the common thing they all share is that they have an inherent curiosity for the web.

They are tinkerers.

They see opportunities and figure how to make solutions.

They are dissatisfied with initial results and find better ways to test.

And, yes, they don’t give up. That’s where the hard work comes in.

But, unfortunately, hard work isn’t enough by itself alone. I think it’s much better to think about smart work instead of hard work because hours/weeks/years spent doing the wrong things isn’t going to get results.

So where do you take it from here?

Speaking quite honestly, I really wasn’t the kind of person you would’ve put your money on in a bet about online success.

But, I’ve learned a lot over the years and feel like it’s a nice thing to let people know that you can emulate the successful practices of people who are good at it.

If you’re stuck in a rut then try this:

  • Be curious about your readers’ problems
    Figuring out the real problem that your readers are having on a day-to-day basic is an extremely simple but very important bit of information to have. It will give you ideas. It will motivate you because you’ll be helping people. Try doing a survey on your blog and seeing where it leads you.
  • Be curious about expansion and risk
    Don’t stress too much about growth and change – be curious about it. My favorite example of this is good old Copyblogger and how Brian Clark took it from a simple two-column blog to a company that sells hosting, software and memberships to hundreds of thousands of users. Expansion for you, however, might be something as simple as experimenting with a 9,000-word blog post.
  • Be curious about your honest interests
    Glen from ViperChill is an example I regularly cite. A few years ago he put a hold on his blogging and really dove back into SEO. Why? Because he remembered that it was Google SEO that really got him excited. Since then he’s made a lot of money.
  • Be curious about the numbers you see every day
    That opt-in form on your homepage that converts at 2.5% – have you ever asked why? Ever challenged yourself to get it to 5%? What about 100,000 visitors in a month? Ever installed some new software that’ll give you deeper insights? Ever paid an expert a tax-deductible $500 for a consultation? Well, why not?
  • Be curious about failure
    When a successful entrepreneur “fails” at a project she or he will be curious about the causes. They will then, if possible, reset and have another go. Most of us just give up. If you can have a sense of curiosity about your failures you’ll find a lot of new energy, ideas, and you’ll attract the right people to your business.

All of these items are things we can work on and develop over time. As I said, we don’t all have the same starting point which means it’ll take longer for some that others.

But it is possible for most people to get better at it.

Are you successful online?

I’m really curious to hear your thoughts on this one. Do you agree that hard work is important but not the full picture? If you’ve had any success online I’d love to hear about it below so please leave me a comment. Feel like I’m going to learn some things!

Photo: Jose.

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  1. Sarah Beeson on April 29, 2015

    Great thoughts Ramsay! I used to think it was hard work that separated those who are successful and those who aren’t, but you’re right, it’s so much more than that. I’m now convinced that learning, growing and adapting are just as crucial.
    I also don’t think it matters though how you start (to a degree), as an awesome attitude can get you further in life than most things!

    1. Perfectly summarized!

    2. “For me, success is more about doing something that I love and ensuring that the work I do and the money I make goes towards helping people and doing something useful and beneficial with my life.” – Ramsay

      You hit the mark with the above quote. Unfortunately, most people including myself usually make things harder and more complicated than they are… leading to work or success being harder than it is. We work, we do everything… small or big things… free or for money or other results. We succeed far more than we fail. We have far more than most!

      How we perceive our life/work/situation etc… as Not good enough or Not successful enough or Not this or that… gets us in trouble. Just trying to live honestly, enjoying what we have and working for what we want and enjoying ourselves in the process… makes life so much easier and worthy of a successful celebration.

  2. One of the biggest things I see in other successful bloggers is that they’ve:

    #1. Done something noteworthy either lost a lot of weigh in the fitness niche, made money from a non-IM blog in the “make money online” niche (like you did), provide insanely valuable case studies of stuff that’s ACTUALLY working like Glen from ViperChill does

    #2. Be real and authentic. I think people love connecting with real people. Seeing how they solved problems or accomplished goals that the audience is currently struggling with. That’s why they’re reading your blog in the first place.

    #3. Connect with other people. The idea of passive income online from doing nothing sounds really cool. But you HAVE to build relationships with other people in your industry if you want to make it. You have to help them, selflessly and sincerely, if you want to make it. You have to participate in the blogs and forums in your niche so that you become well known.

    Just listen to the interview Steve Kamb (from NerdFitness) did on the Rise to the Top. That’s exactly what he did and look where he is now.

    If you’ve accomplished something, and are genuine, you’ll start earning guest post opportunities, get your stuff promoted by others, and start building real trust with your readers and peers.

    1. Yeah really well said. I think you get it exactly. By the way, your comment went to the naughty folder. Might want to check with Akismet.

  3. I follow what works!

    Simply “Do what works !”

    Nice article Ramsay.

    1. Yep. You’ve got the curiosity.

  4. Michael D Gorman on April 29, 2015

    I have to absolutely concur – which may sound sycophantic but good honest horse sense is a rare commodity in these times. There are more and more people understanding the ‘the real’ opportunity that building a genuine business online represents, but they all have vastly different ideas about what it takes – doing lots of stuff is not always sensible. Success can mean just making a basic wage each month but being at home doing it…and of course doing it your way.

    1. I totally agree with you. I think a lot of it comes down to whether you are intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. Some people are better off doing something they love for less money because it will provide a lot more satisfaction.

  5. Yes, curiosity. I would use a different word though: Strategy. But that’s essentially the same thing, looked at from a different perspective.

    hard work + right strategy = success

    strategy that adapts to be effective = right strategy

    I’m not successful yet, but going there. 😉

    1. I like that. Thanks for sharing. Keep us up to date with your progress.

  6. “It’s great finally met you,” are the words I heard a few times on Tuesday when I was at a conference. That didn’t come from hard work, it came from smart work, smart marketing, and loving my readers (replying to emails, comments, tweets, etc.)

    “I can ship you one of those to demo,” said a company rep regarding a $4k piece of equipment…again, said on Tuesday. That didn’t come from hard work, that came from my obvious dedication to helping those in my niche.

    I started out doing HARD WORK and almost burned out with nothing to show for it. Then one day I started doing SMART WORK and the fruits of my labor are great.

    The one other piece I find a requirement for solo entrepreneurs is their passion must shine through their work, otherwise it just looks like they are only trying to make money. That passion can be seen in personal bio photos, videos, and even the way they write. Hard work can yield a mowed yard but passion yields a beautifully trimmed and landscaped lawn.

    People purchase products from passionate people.

    1. I think you’re right about passion for small business owners. Not sure about bigger companies/products, however.

      Nice work on the good feedback. That’s always nice. I try to shun it when it happens – don’t want a big head! 🙂

  7. Benjamin Houy on April 29, 2015

    I do believe hard work to be important. However hard work is useless if you don’t go to the right direction.

    For me building a business is like crossing a lake, you need to swim a lot, but if you swim in the wrong directions, you’ll never make it.

    If I had to summarize my point of view, I would say the most important is to work hard yes, but work hard on things that move your business forward.

    P.S: yesterday I followed a tip from Ryan Levesque which was to create automatically send a message two hours after someone subscribed and got a free ebook/product you offer. In this email, you ask if the person receives the ebook, and what they struggle with the most.

    I only implemented it yesterday and already got 6 answers (out of 30 new subscribers). So far, this is the best way I’ve found to know what your readers want, which is also important for success IMO.

    1. Yeah that is a great tip. I think I heard it first from Derek Halpern. Very clever.

  8. Hi,
    Once again, great post! I don’t feel so successful online at this moment, but I’m sure it will change soon. On the learning part, I don’t think I fall short, I’ve got books and books full of information, the thing is to understand everything. Especially when Google talks to me (tells me of some settings or whatever that has to be changed), I don’t understand a word they say, is it only me?
    Be blessed
    Linda

    1. I still feel the same sometimes, don’t worry.

  9. Yea.. Hunger and curiosity is what puts the successful in their class.
    Thanks for another great incite Ramsay!

    1. Glad you enjoyed it.

  10. Kamlesh Drolia on April 29, 2015

    Hi Ramsay,

    What i learnt from my 4+ year experience in online platform is that:
    You have to be sincere
    Smart content thinker,
    Timely,
    Open to new technologies,
    continuous monitoring of your work and digging it.

    You need hard-work in this areas. It doesn’t mean, 14 or 18 hr work per day. But spend time wisely and smartly rather than donkey work.

    1. Nicely said!

  11. Matt Geib on April 29, 2015

    Being a 60 year young man who has been online 10 years…I have found out the HARD way Just Hard work alone as you say, is NOT the answer to online success that translates into a comfortable living. Lord knows, I have worked on a number of things VERY Hard yet found I was applying things in a WRONG way or the opportunity did not really work.

    There is much more to this like you said so well being open minded & curious are keys + Finding others who have already had success & being open to following their track at least until you gain some experience.

    Be Blessed!

    1. Thanks for sharing! It’s so awesome to see people stick at it and get results.

  12. Boy was this post written just for me today!
    Only yesterday I was feeling completely worn out trying to develop my online presence.
    Then I remembered why I do what I do.
    To help people. Period.
    I’m not sure what the future holds for me as an author, speaker and musician, but if I ever stop genuinely helping others, I probably need to retire.
    I’ve been spinning like a hamster on a wheel, but today I’ve stepped off the wheel and I’m gaining my balance.
    Thank you, Ramsay. Your post will help many. And that’s what it’s all about!
    Sincerely,
    Jennifer

    1. Jennifer that is so good to hear. Really, if we aren’t doing that there is no point to it all.

  13. Chris Wespi on April 29, 2015

    Hi Ramsay

    Thanks again for this brilliant post. I have more success with my wine travel website due to the wine tasting tours I did in the past. Means interestingly my wine tasting tour website where I post only once in a while something has more success and is way better ranked than my german wine geek website, which I use only as a blog.

    Anyhow. As the whole wine thing is in the meantime more a hobby of mine, it’s enough successful for the moment. Which may change. You never know.

    But I would like to throw in 2 other things about success:

    a) I just had a fab massage by a woman who lives now in Switzerland but is originally from Moldavia. Before she changed her life and started to live and work here in CH, she was working at a Bank. And she told me that any idiot can make money nowadays. She said the shitloads of money she saw when working there where absurd and mostly made by people who didn’t even knew what they where doing. They just had the right idea in the right moment.

    b) one of the biggest errors in my opinion is that everyone who starts a blog think they will have success. They think they can write cool stuff too. But maybe not. Maybe they are really bad writers. Maybe their ability would be more in knitting fancy things, or baking fab Muffins, creating dog apparel etc. And instead of starting to think the other way around: first I knit/bake/create – then I take pictures of it – then I start a website and try to sell that stuff – and only then I will write some blog entries too… They start on the seemingly easy side. But with no success at all.

    One of the most important things I learned in my life so far is: never take things for granted, never give up, change whenever things don’t work the way that you are happy. And: less is more. And don’t waste energy and time in thing you are not successful within 3 month. Either you are or you aren’t.

    I hope my point came out right and I wonder what you think about it.

    Many greetings from Switzerland!

    Chris

    1. Hi Chris.

      Thanks for that excellent comment.

      There are a lot of industries, particularly in trading, where I feel like people add on value but still make a lot of money by moving things around. It’s very common. I think it’s important to try and do something that helps people at the same time.

      Thanks again.

  14. Scott Kindred on April 29, 2015

    Ramsay,

    1. Thank you for including the ranting .gif(t). Laughs!
    2. I typically fall into that group of people you mentioned who think hard work is key and the younger generation’s entitlement attitude is at the heart of their lack of success and laziness. There; I said it 🙂

    But seriously, the ability to learn must be distinguished from the desire to learn. I’ll stand up and give a hand up to people in my life who have the WANT (desire). But the ones – particularly younger – who think they are owed a ticket on the easy train or who, unfortunately, are content with being slothful and complaining about their situation, are a whole different story.

    The successful results of hard work and the other big picture factors you mentioned are evident all around us. Look at the owner of this website, for example.

    1. Nicely said, as always.

      I actually found that gif because my housemate always sends me 5 text messages instead of just one. So I reply with that gif. 🙂

  15. Elise Xavier on April 29, 2015

    When I first came across the title, I was a little skeptical, thinking you were going to say something along the lines of hard work isn’t even an important factor to online success – and that’s certainly not true. Glad you didn’t take that route.

    I suppose hard work is this ever-present thing that has to exist while you’re trying to make a project kick off. Ability to learn is certainly just as important, as is curiosity, like you were saying. In the comments, passion was mentioned, and I do agree that it’s certainly more than helpful, but not always necessary. Some things will just be helpful for others, and thus be a hit – whether they’re a chore for you to produce or they’re easy because you’re passionate about the topic makes no difference. So long as the *result* is something other people can be passionate about, you’ve struck your gold.

    I’d add that to find success, you’ll also need to generate a thick skin (if you don’t already have one); you need to keep trying, but not butting your head against the same wall until it topples over – you’ll need to keep testing, just like Alex said above (PS Alex – if you’re reading this – very nice summation there: i.e. hard work + right strategy = success; strategy that adapts to be effective = right strategy; really like that).

    You’ve got to have some serious perseverance as well. Expect things to not go as well as you’d like them to, but keep pushing for a better long-term and forget about the short term. Expect everything you do to pay of 6 months from now, and don’t worry about the meantime until then. If you’re in it for the long haul, you shouldn’t be trying to “game” any system. You should be doing exactly what you believe will help you stick out the drawn out process of getting to success and foregoing “shortcuts” that you think might stand the chance of having you lose trust with your readership and/or client base.

    Look where you want to go (just like if you were driving), make sure you have a somewhat clear sight of what that looks like and how to get there (in terms of particulars), and you’ll stand a pretty decent chance of ending up there.

    1. What an awesome comment! You actually made me more motivated!

  16. Sarah Burke on April 29, 2015

    As always, an amazing piece of content that hit my inbox JUST as I needed it. Thank you for this!

    – Sarah

    1. Glad it helped Sarah.

  17. The Witty Whisk on April 29, 2015

    Good post, Ramsay,

    I’ve always been the one in the many “structured/corporate” jobs I’ve held in the past, watching everyone during times of crisis or urgency, running around like chickens with their heads cut off…panicking, wheels spinning, putting together half-a**ed solutions…in short, “working hard, but not working smart,” as the old adage goes.

    That being said, I don’t have this thing down to a science…not even close, but it never made sense to me those who just act, without the due diligence. I understand there’s a time and a place to act quickly, but from what I’ve learned so far, blogging is no different than any small business, and every startup needs a plan to stay the course, and needs to invest time and money to reach any type of monetary success.

    Working diligently or “hard,” is a given, but actually slowing the brain down to research, or ask the questions of yourself that need to be asked to improve the blog/site, take time, and deserve that time.

    I remember getting my first guitar, and me and my ex were on tight budget…I wasn’t born with the Hendrix-type talent, to pick up the 6-string and go to town, so I told my ex that I would need to get some lessons…he looked at me, appalled, and responded that I should just be able to teach myself and play. I think a lot of people think this way. But it’s not realistic, for most of us non-prodigies. Sure, I did work “hard,” got the painful calluses until they smoothed out, taught myself some chords, and could play some songs, but my abilities would have improved with a structured lesson plan, for sure.

    It’s typical to want the instant gratification, and no doubt, if someone’s invested in you, is also wanting that gratification/quick return, like yesterday…but any business person knows you have to be preemptive as well as reactive.

    You worded it well, we all must have that curiosity, and always be a lifelong learner to improve. Willing to learn from our mistakes and keep moving forward. I’ve given up on lots of my own worthwhile ventures, but I’m rooting for myself on this one, and appreciate the advice from tyrants like you along the way ; )

    1. Lovely comment! I feel the same about my own guitar playing. Ha.

      I wish more bloggers would think of their blog as a small business. That’s exactly what it is.

  18. Leigh Langston on April 29, 2015

    I agree. My life is all hard work with nothing to show for it. I wish I could afford to hire someone to help me do it the right way because I obviously don’t get it.

    1. Where are you struggling, Leigh?

  19. Infinite Loop Designs on April 29, 2015

    Great article. Staying curious and motivated is crucial!

    1. Totally!

  20. Dan Western on April 29, 2015

    Hey Ramsay,

    I love what you’ve brought up here, and completely agree!

    Yes it does take hard work, but the real key is being enthusiastic and curious to learn more, and to find out more… regardless of what the subject may be.

    In a way it’s definitely those people that think it’s all about hard work, that don’t have the curiosity many others do.

    Anyway, thanks for sharing!

    Dan

    1. Thanks Dan. Appreciate the comment.

  21. @ChristophrRice on April 29, 2015

    Smart observation.

    And speaking of 9,000 word blog posts, I’d say we’re starting to catch on by the look of the epic long-form comments in the discussion above. Always a pleasure reading through your comments section Ramsay.

    Cheers from Vegas!

    1. Ha ha ha. Yeah they are amazing.

  22. Darius Gaynor on April 29, 2015

    Awesome post! I am all about working smarter than harder. On past projects I tried to do everything just so I can get 100% profits.

    The results was not as good as current projects that I outsource tasks and given up a percentage to other experts.

    You do have to have the ability to learn and learn from your mistakes. We all definitely don’t have the same starting point but its the determination, passion, and new ideas that will take you to the top in your industry or niche.

    1. Thanks Darius. Glad to hear the way you are approaching it.

  23. I think you are so right! It’s the old expression that you need to work smarter not harder. I was under the impression that if I put hard work into my blog, people would find it! I would be so disappointed when I hit the publish button to find almost no one read it. I tried all the network strategies (commenting, guest posting, social media), etc. but to no avail. It’s actually one of your blog posts that really hit home for me. I was commenting on sites who also had few followers. It finally made sense that my chances of someone seeing my well-thought-out comments were much greater if the person had a much larger following. I’m now devoting time to promoting my work and increasing my audience in a more strategic way rather than wait for people to show up out of nowhere:)

    1. Hi Nicole.

      It’s such a simple but important idea, isn’t it? Bloggers always seem to think that they need to put all their content on their own site when in fact you want to be putting it elsewhere!

  24. Ben Murray on April 29, 2015

    This is a great article and there’s many interesting comments defining success as something that’s subjective in nature which is very true.

    I’d like to point out that ‘success’ is also something that is dynamic, meaning it changes each day for us.

    I think James Altucher said in a post on Quora about what it was like to make a million dollars that he felt like everyone around now had 10 million dollars and he needed to get to back work to be successful.

    When going on this blogging/online journey I hope some of the readers keep this in mind that our definitions of success will change as we grow. But, that’s ok as it will push us to grow and change in new ways we didn’t think possible as long as we’re enjoying the journey.

    1. That’s probably another good reason why it’s not the best idea to define the success by financial goals, I think. All those external things never seem to give lasting satisfaction.

  25. Ryan Biddulph on April 29, 2015

    You genuinely, positively must LOVE what you do or else you can’t generate that curiosity factor. Can’t fake it. For years I didn’t love what I did online-wise. I wanted to make money. So I gave a rat’s ass less about being curious lol. But when I loved my blogging/traveling blog, and all about it, I delved deeper into questions, I investigated, I spotted patterns and did all the neat stuff one does to really rock it out online.

    Smart, effective action, coupled with curiosity, and persistence, this mix helped me expand my presence online. It took some long, persistent thinking but if I was gonna be here anyway, may as well do the online thing right 😉

    Ryan

    1. Yeah it definitely shows through with you work – very passionate. Thanks for sharing.

  26. Kulwant Nagi on April 30, 2015

    Very interesting point Ramsay.

    Obviously the definition of success is different for everyone.

    For someone it’s related to money, for another it’s about freedom, and for another guy it’s related to happiness of family.

    We all work day and night to taste that success, but as you said, “few people just keep trying and few get within few weeks.”

    I think the difference is – commitment and vision.

    People who keep trying to shoot in the dark take more time as compared to people who have clear vision and strategies.

    As you talked about Viper Chill in this article. Yesterday I was reading one of his niche ideas blog posts and read that he made $350,000 with OptinSkin plugin.

    He started his journey with a blog but soon he understood his audience and converted his blog into a money funnel.

    Hope he’s going to launch something very big soon.

    I loved your ideas and becoming a regular reader of your blog with time. 😉

    Thanks for this thought provoking article.

    1. Glen is very clever. I try to pay careful attention to everything he does.

  27. Agreed! Here’s another dark side to it – I’ve seen some people get frustrated because they’ve worked hard, not been successful yet, and then become resentful because they feel they deserve success since they’ve invested so many hours. But like you said – hard work alone isn’t the full picture.

    If I spend 20 hours surveying my audience and developing a product that they ask for, in order to sell it to them – that’s going to produce a much different result than spending 20 hours tweaking my blog design or editing my podcast to perfection (which I now hire someone to do :-p).

    Another important thing to remember is that every online business’ journey is different. I sell relatively low-priced products, so it took me a while to get to a comfortable income stream – whereas others, who sell high-priced courses or consulting, were able to reach six figures in a matter of months. But I shouldn’t compare my progress to theirs, because our niches, audience, and positioning are totally different!

    In the beginning, I often struggled not to compare my results to others’. “How come I’m not getting even close to the results that guy/gal is getting so easily?” Then someone gave me some words of wisdom – only compare yourself to yourself a month / a quarter / a year ago, to see if you’re making meaningful progress.

    1. That is a really good point about comparing our own progress to that of others. It’s very hard not to do. I think that advice is excellent.

  28. Lisa Sicard on April 30, 2015

    I like the “ability to learn” but I don’t agree with the student that has his or her education paid to Harvard will succeed.
    They may not work as hard or learn well and they could fail. Just because they had money doesn’t mean they will succeed. I think it is also about the “want to” “determination” and “gusto” that makes one be more successful than others. Some starting with nothing are so much more driven to success than those that are hand feed everything, no?

    1. Good point Lisa. I guess I just was trying to point out that some people have had very different opportunities and head starts.

  29. Peter Ewin Hall on April 30, 2015

    Ramsay,

    I think you nailed it with the tinkering and not giving up. Hard work can just be digging a bigger hole but if we pause to reflect on where the hard work has got us and do something different then there’s a chance that we can lift what we’re doing to the next level.

    The other point is that hard work can lead to dull results. It can all be a bit worthy. To quote Seth Godin we need to be remarkable or as he would say purple cow.

    So I think we should aim to tinker our way to the next level of remarkability rather than having a big sucess goal.

    1. Love it. Very well said.

  30. Melanie Wilson on April 30, 2015

    I think you’re right on. I just learned something about Facebook engagement that has made all the difference. I worked hard at it before, but now I’m working smart. Not only does it work better, but I’m motivated. Hard work with no results isn’t motivating. If you’re struggling to stay motivated, you might be doing something wrong. I was.

    1. Care you share what you learned about FB?

  31. C. Lee Reed on May 1, 2015

    This was an interesting read, thank you.

    1. Thanks for commenting.

  32. Good conversation here. If there is one thing I am learning about my part of the blogging world (fashion), it that money goes a long way. Someone who has a $10,000 budget to put into ads and marketing can be successful within a few weeks or months. A single mom looking for additional income with no budget for blogging will probably take years upon years or may never be successful. That stinks…..but a head start financially or with connection or high quality equipment sure seems to go a long way in the blog world.
    Long way of saying I agree with you and it sucks that it’s that way.

    1. Yes, money makes a big difference. But you can also start looking at lots of free marketing methods to help. Guest posting is still super-effective.

  33. Santanu on May 2, 2015

    It may not be hard work for a blogger like you. 🙂 But for a beginner, to accept the fact that one have to learn many things while blogging, make good blogging friends, put his/her entire heart in blogging. Then only a blog become like blogtyrant.

    1. Hi mate. I never said it wasn’t hard work for me. Not at all. I think you might have missed my point. 🙂

    2. Vishal Ostwal on May 13, 2015

      You shouldn’t doubt that BlogTyrant has earned it without hard work.

      It’s one the qualities of cool people – “They make difficult things sound easy”

      Ramsay is probably one of those kinds.

      1. Vishal Ostwal on May 13, 2015

        Darn!

        I hate it when I post something and then realize that I had made grammatical mistakes.

        Spare me everyone.

  34. Diana Smith on May 3, 2015

    If you really want to be successful in online world I would simply say that do what you like and keep doing it.. You will see slow growth in the starting and then exponential growth in the end… ! Thanks Ramsay for this beautiful piece of content.

  35. Hi Ramsy,

    Definitely remarkable post. Very comprehensive checklist of things we all ought to be doing. Some are basic improvements and others need a lot more work. I am going to keep utilizing this guide until I get these points done. Thanks a lot.

  36. Patrick Vassell on May 5, 2015

    Hi BlogTyrant,

    I have been following your comments for a couple of weeks now and
    find them very interesting, especially for a complete newby like me.

    Somehow I just can’t seem to decide when to stop reading and just start doing. The problem seems to be :”where too start”. I just can’t seem to find the right niche.

    1. Peter Ewin Hall on May 5, 2015

      Patrick
      You can wait too long for certainty. Start blogging on a subject you care about and see what emerges from your writing. You can always dump the subject or tune it as you go.
      Too much analysis leads to paralysis.

  37. Hi Ramsay,

    Thanks for your post! Totally agree that curiosity and willingness to learn are necessary. As a beginner in blogging I see that a beginner has to learn a lot (just like in any other business).

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