How to get 150,000 people to read your blog post in 1 week (and how I did it)

When I started blogging in 2004, I took a good look around at other blogs, calmly chewed a cookie in my dorm room, and then vomited. There were only about 12 big personal-finance blogs back then, and yet even in 2004, I noticed the trend of new bloggers complaining about why they couldn’t get covered by the Big Blogs.

Today, I’m going to share a strategy I’ve used to get regularly featured in The Wall Street Journal and extremely high-traffic blogs like Lifehacker.

You can skip right to the detailed writeup (includes examples & screenshots), but I hope the story below is useful.

This advice can be useful for getting thousands of new readers to your blog, customers to your new startup, or to get your dream freelance job. And you can start using it tomorrow morning.

So, back to the question: Why do some bloggers get the lion’s share of attention, while others toil endlessly to write posts that virtually nobody will ever read?

On a recent forum where both new and experienced bloggers share tips for getting traffic, SEO, etc, most of the discussions were debating minutiae about meaningless changes they could make to their blog to get more readers. “What SEO plugin should I use?” one asked. “Does anyone think I should change my blog’s name???” another wondered. After 20 minutes of reading, I had to close the window because I was getting so frustrated.

Look, here’s a simple chart of what matters for getting traffic for your site.

 

The Guest Post Strategy

Besides writing really good content, the easiest way to get traffic to your blog is to write something interesting for another blogger who has more traffic than you.

It’s funny — when you point this out to many new bloggers by saying, “Hey, why don’t you write up something really good and send it to a bigger blogger as a guest post?” — many of them quickly make up a bunch of excuses. “Well, uh…I am really busy this weekend” or “I’m in the middle of this really interesting post on how HSBC interest rates changed!” Yes, okay.

But it’s not just as simple as deciding to write a guest post. When it comes to high-traffic bloggers, there are very specific ways to approach them so they’ll accept your pitch.

Before we get to the tactics…

Who could apply this strategy? 3 examples

Like I said, this works for bloggers and many other areas of business:

1. You’re a new blogger who wants more traffic: If you’re a blogger and you’re looking to grow traffic, put yourself in the mind of bloggers with large readerships: They’re busy, they have huge egos, and they need to constantly post new, interesting stuff to satisfy their readers’ voracious appetites for content. Could you write one piece of excellent content for them? 
   As an example, here were the results of Nora Dunn’s travel post earlier this week, which drove nearly 100,000 pageviews in 72 hours. I’ve already invited her to have a regular guest spot on I Will Teach You To Be Rich.
   
   
   
2. You want to break into the fashion industry: Or let’s say you read fashion magazines and really want to break into the industry. The magazine needs fresh perspectives, especially things that haven’t been done (think Money Diaries for a magazine, for example). How could you help them?
3. You just started a new company and need customers: How about if you’re starting a business on Christmas ornaments, and you aren’t sure how to get traffic to your website. The first thing I would do is record some interesting videos for other Christmas sites and give them away for free.

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How to Determine Your Profit Margin

A business' profit margin is a key piece of information about whether or not the business is producing income, and if so, how much. You’ll need to monitor your business' profit margin to create a good business plan, keep track of your costs, adjust your prices, and measure the profitability of your business is over time. Your profit margin is expressed as a percentage: the higher the percentage, the more profitable your business is.

Part 1

Calculating Profit Margin

1. 
   1
   Know the difference between gross profit , gross profit margin, and net profit. Gross profit is your total revenue earned from your goods or services, minus the cost of producing or providing those goods or services (COGS). This calculation does not include expenses like payroll, rent, or utilities; it only considers the cost directly related to creating those goods and services.^[1] Gross profit margin is the gross profit divided by revenues.

   • Net profit takes all business expenditures into account and is calculated as gross profit minus administrative expenses and other relevant expenses. This includes regular operational costs (payroll, rent, etc.) and one-time costs (taxes, contractor invoices, etc.). You must also include any additional earnings, such as investment income.^[2]
   • Net profit provides a more complete and detailed rendering of the business health and is generally what is used to manage the business. The steps below detail how to find this number.
   • Net profit is also known as "the bottom line."
2. 
   2
   Determine your calculation period. To calculate your business's profit margin, choose the period of time you want to analyze. Generally, people use either months, quarters, or years to calculate their profit margins.

   • Consider why you want to calculate your margins. If you are applying for loans or looking to attract investors, these people will want to know more than just how your business did over a single month. However, if you're comparing your profit margin between different months for your own purposes, it's fine to use shorter periods of time.
3. 
   3
   Calculate the total revenue generated by your business during the calculation period. Revenue is everything the business brings in through sale of goods, services, or earnings of interest.^[3]

   • If your business only sells goods, such a retail shop or restaurant, your total revenue is all the sales you had during the period you've chosen to analyze minus any returns or discounts. If you don't already have this figure on hand, multiply the total number of items you sold by the price of each of those items and then adjust for returns and discounts.
   • Similarly, if your business provides services, such as lawn mowing, your total revenue is all of the amounts you collected for your services during a period.
   • Finally, if the business involves owning securities, you should include the interest and dividend income from those sources in your total revenue calculation.
4. 
   4
   Subtract all your expenses to calculate your net income. Expenses are the opposite of revenue. They're any amounts you have had to pay, or will pay in the future for things you did and/or used during the calculation period.^[4] This includes expenses incurred to operate as well as the expense required to carry investments.

   • Common expenses are the cost of labor, rent, electricity, equipment, supplies, inventory, banking, and interest expense on loans.^[5] Generally if you run a small business you can just add up everything you paid for during the period.
   • For example, if your business earned $100,000 in revenue during the calculation period, and in order to earn that revenue the business spent $70,000 on rent, supplies, equipment, taxes, and interest payments, you subtract $70,000 from $100,000, your remaining revenue after expenses was $30,000.
5. 
   5
   Divide your net income by the total revenue you already calculated. The resulting percentage is your profit margin, which is the percent of your revenue that you keep as income.^[6]

   • In our example above, our difference was $30,000. $30,000 ÷ $100,000 = .3 (30%)
   • As a further example, if your business sells paintings, the profit margin calculation tells you on average, when a person pays for a painting, how much of that money you will keep in profit.

Part 2

EditMaking Sense of Your Profit Margin

1. 
   1
   Assess whether your profit margin meets your business needs. If you plan to live solely off income from your business, consider your profit margin and the amount of sales you generally make in a year. You will want to reinvest some of your income into developing your business, so when you take that amount out, is the remaining profit enough to sustain your lifestyle?

   • For example, like above, your business netted $30,000 in cash after $100,000 in sales. If you use $15,000 of the profit to reinvest in your business (and potentially pay off loans), you have $15,000 left over.
2. 
   2
   Compare your profit margin to other similar businesses. Another useful aspect of knowing your profit margin is comparing it to similar businesses to determine where you stand. If you are applying for a loan, the bank will likely tell you what kind of profit margin they expect for your size and/or business type. If you are a larger company with competitors, you can likely research those companies and learn their profit margins to compare them to yours.

   • Say that Company 1 has revenue of $500,000 and total expenses of $230,000. This would give it a profit margin of 54%.
   • Assume that Company 2 has revenue of $1,000,000 and total expenses of $580,000. This means that Company 2's profit margin is 42%.
   • Company 1 has a better profit margin, even though Company 2 makes double of what Company 1 does and has a higher net profit.
3. 
   3
   Compare apples with apples when comparing profit margins. Companies have widely varied profit margins based on their size and industry. It is best to compare two or more companies in the same industry and with similar revenues in order to make the most of the comparison.

   • For example, the airline industry averages around only 3% profit margins, while technology and software companies average in the 20% margin range.^[7][8]
   • When comparing your company, also consider size to ensure your comparison is meaningful.
4. 
   4
   Adjust your profit margin if necessary. You can change your profit margin percentage by making more revenue (such as by increasing the price of your products or selling more of them), or by reducing the expenses associated with your business. Also, even if your profit margin remains the same, if you increase your total revenue and expenses, your net income will increase in dollar value. Consider your business, competition, and risk tolerance as you experiment with raising prices or cutting costs.

   • Generally you should make small changes and work up to larger ones to prevent a dive in business or angering your customers. Remember that there is a cost to increasing your profit margin, and doing so too aggressively can have the reverse effect by tanking your business.
   • Don't confuse profit margins with markup. Markup is the difference between what something costs to produce and how much it is sold for.

How to Improve Your Sales

The ability to sell someone something - whether it's a product, a service, or an idea - is the fundamental skill at the core of many, many jobs in the business world (especially ones with commission-based pay). When it comes to closing a sale, it's not all about smooth-talking your buyer. It's just as important to be able to listen intently, think critically, and to intelligently apply effective sales techniques. By doing these things, not only will your personal sales increase - your business's will as well. See Step 1 below to get started.

Part 1

Interacting With a Customer

1. 
   1
   Satisfy your customer. Above all else, try to keep your customer happy and satisfied. Humans aren't perfectly logical creatures - if someone likes you, they're more likely to buy from you, regardless of the deal you're offering. Be friendly, charming, and open with your customer. Give her peace of mind. Whatever your customer is looking for, that's what you should try to provide.

   • This applies both to your conduct and to the thing being sold. Not only should you be a customer's friend up to (and after) the point of the sale, you should do your best to convince the customer that whatever you're selling will give him exactly what he wants - that it will solve his problem, save him money in the long run, etc.
2. 
   2
   Listen. It's pretty difficult to satisfy a customer if you don't know what she wants - luckily, most of the time, all you'll have to do to figure this out is to simply listen. This isn't hard - at the beginning of your pitch, ask a customer what you can help with and let the customer describe her problem or desire. Once you know what she wants, you'll be able to decide which products, services, etc. best meet her needs.

   • Don't just listen to what a customer says - try to pay attention to how she says it in terms of facial expressions, body language, etc. If, for instance, a customer seems impatient or tense, you'll know that you can probably satisfy him by offering him a quick, easy solution to his problem, rather than giving him a lengthy sales pitch for your whole range of products.
3. 
   3
   Give your full attention. When a customer is considering making a purchase, you want to give the impression that you're available to fulfill any needs or answer any questions that may arise. You don't want to give the impression that you're distracted or that you're attending to your customer as an afterthought. Whenever possible, interact with customers on a personal, one-to-one basis, returning to your other duties only when the job is done.

   • This being said, try not to be an annoyance to customers. When you've gotten a sale, you can back off somewhat and allow your customer some breathing room. For instance, you might say something like, "Great, I think you'll be happy with this purchase. I'll meet you at the register when you're ready!"
4. 
   4
   Demonstrate your product/service's value. When it comes to convincing a reluctant customer to make a purchase, flowery, glowing praise for your product or service is only going to get you so far. To really get the customer on your side, show your customer how the thing you're selling will make their life better. Whether it will save them money and time, give them peace of mind, or simply make them feel good, make sure your customer understands exactly how the item you're selling benefits him in real, practical terms.

   • This is a common sales tactic. For instance, car dealers let customers go on test drives and guitar salesmen let customers play on their instruments - even department stores let customers try clothes on before they buy them. If the thing you're selling is intangible or something you can't let customers touch before buying, think of another way to show customers its value. For instance, if you're selling solar panels, you might help customers estimate the savings they'll have on their electricity bill.
   • An old saying goes, "Sell the benefit, not the product." Focus on what your product or service allows your customer to do, rather than on the product itself.
5. 
   5
   Know your field. Customers like buying from salespeople who seem knowledgeable without being condescending. Be a friendly resource for your customer. Ideally, not only should you know the products and/or services you're selling like the back of your hand, but also those of your competitors. If you know this information, you'll be able to make comparisons that cast your product or service in the best light possible and your competitors' in a less favorable light. You'll also be able to intuitively recommend certain products based on your customer's unique situation.

   • For example, if you're selling televisions and you're approached by a single father wrestling to control 3 unruly children, you might want to use your knowledge of your products to recognize that a certain model has extensive parental control options and to use this information as a selling point.
6. 
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   Close. It's relatively easy to get a customer to like a product, but your commission ultimately depend on whether your customers buy your products, which is another matter entirely. Try to get a commitment from customers the same day you first meet them - a customer that leaves the store to "think about it" might not come back. If a customer is reluctant to make a purchase immediately, try to sweeten the deal - offer a minor discount or "throw in" extra bonuses in exchange for a customer's commitment.

   • Additionally, try to streamline the purchasing process so that it can be completed with a minimum of hassle. Accept multiple methods of payment, offer options for enrolling in an installment plan, and keep paperwork to a minimum. Not only will this make your customer's overall experience more positive, but it will also reduce the likelihood that customers will get cold feet before completing the process.
7. 
   7
   Build relationships with your customers. Customers that feel that they've been respected and satisfied by a business are likely to give it a good review to their friends and may even return for future purchases. Building happy, respectful relationships with customers is a great way to give yourself a long-term sales boost. Try to genuinely connect with customers - when all's said and done, even if it can be tempting to think of customers as nothing more than numbers on a balance sheet, remember that these are real people with real emotions and that nearly all of them appreciate human warmth.

   • After making a major sale, consider sending a quick note or making a phone call to make sure your customer's enjoying his or her purchase. This can give the impression of a friendly, personal relationship. However, don't overdo it - most customers will eventually want to be left alone.

Part 2

Using Sales Techniques

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   1
   Create the impression of urgency. Most customers, whether they're conscious of it or not, hate the idea of missing out on a good deal. Giving the impression that, by passing on a sale, your customer is missing a special offer or a limited-time deal is one of the oldest, most effective tricks in the book for getting reluctant customers off the fence. To do this, try to call attention to certain deals that won't be offered forever or certain products that are almost out of stock and encourage customers to "jump" on these opportunities.

   • Some business even take this to a borderline-unethical extreme, increasing a product's price so that a big, appealing, limited-time deal reduces its price to normal levels. This sort of trickery is unfortunate, but, sadly, common.
2. 
   2
   Flatter shamelessly (but subtly). The stereotype of the salesperson as a slimy flatterer isn't entirely unearned - by playing to a customer's ego, you can increase your chance for success on almost any given sale. The trick here is to genuinely flatter your customer without seeming transparent, cloying, or phony. Pour on the honey, but don't overdo it: when your customer takes your exclusive deal on a new car, she's smart, not an absolute genius. When a heavy customer tries on a suit, he looks slim, not astoundingly dashing. Flatter, but be reasonable and realistic.

   • When in doubt, it's hard to go wrong by complimenting a customer's taste at having picked a certain product. A simple "great choice!" or "ooh, nice!" can work wonders.
3. 
   3
   Make customers feel obligated. Most people are more likely to do things for others when the other person has already done them a favor. Particularly sly salespeople can take advantage of this fact by giving the customer the impression that they've received some favor or act of kindness. Sometimes, being attentive and responsive to a customer is enough - for instance, a shoe salesman who tirelessly runs back and forth from the storeroom so that a customer can try on a dozen pairs of shoes has demonstrated serious kindness simply by doing his job well. Other times, small "actual" favors are necessary, like getting a customer a drink or clearing time out of your schedule for an appointment.

   • For best results, make sure your efforts are noticed. For instance, if you have to schedule an appointment with your customer, pull out a schedule book and visibly cross out another appointment when you write theirs down.
4. 
   4
   Don't rush a sale. It's tempting, especially if your commission is on the line, to pressure a reluctant customer into a sale, rush him to the cash register, push him out the door, and forget about him. Obviously, this isn't a smart way to make sales. Customers don't like the idea that they're being tricked or swindled, so sales tactics that rely too heavily on making fast, high-pressure pitches can build hostility. Even if these tactics result in short-term sales gains, negative word-of-mouth can cause long-term downturns and tarnish your image.

   • The smartest salespeople present convincing pitches to the customer, then let the customer decide to buy the product, rather than pushing them to do it. While good salespeople do everything in their power to play up their product's benefits and minimize its downsides, they never attempt to actually make the decision for the customer.
5. 
   5
   Be responsible and reliable. Other, slier sales techniques have their place, but if you do nothing else as a salesperson, try your best to have personal integrity. When you make a promise to a customer, deliver on it. When you make a mistake, offer a sincere apology. Respect is at the center of any sales transaction. Customers want to respect a salesperson enough to be confident they won't be swindled, salespeople want to respect customers enough to assume they'll get a good review for their hard work, and businesses want to respect customers enough to assume they'll be paid for goods or services rendered. When one of these respect-based relationships breaks down, sales suffer, so do your part and earn your customers' respect by being a respectable human being.