Imagine if I hand-cuffed you.
I then told you how to spread out your arms. I showed you how to do it via my example. I told you to work really hard at it. Try with all of your might. Push. Strain. Strive. Go for it. Try harder.
But since the handcuffs bind your wrists you cannot spread your arms out wide. Knowing how to do this seems worthless. Trying with all of your might seems worthless. As long as one wears handcuffs, the individual seems bound.
Offsite marketing channels like:
- social media
- Q and A sites
- genuine blog commentingÂ
- guest blogging
are handcuffs because humans other than yourself set the rules for those websites. Most possess a different vision than yourself. Elon clings to a clear vision for Twitter; driving traffic from Twitter to individual blogs is not part of his vision. He needs to keep people on Twitter to fulfill his vision.
Mark Z clings to a clear vision for Facebook designed to keep people on Facebook. I hope to God you do not think that Elon and Mark make clear plans to send people away from their sites, do you? People who own Quora and Reddit build their model on keeping users onsite.
Fellow bloggers typically offer you greater flexibility but their specific rules are handcuffs because their vision is not identical to your vision.
Stepping away from your blog is akin to slapping on a big old set of handcuffs consisting of:
- algorithms
- rules
- regulations
- conflicting visions
- politics
I desire to send people to Blogging From Paradise Dot Com. I own this site. My online store exists here.
The moment I leave my blog my goals conflict with the goals of other site owners. Welcome to the world of separation. The ego divides. Everyone for themselves.
I never take this concept personally.
But I spent most of my time on my blog because I am free here. No handcuffs. No rules, regs or politics here. I pay for the domain and hosting. I control everything here. I set the rules. I lay out regulations. I establish the algorithm.
I monetize my blog how I wish to make money through my blog. I run my show here.
Owning your blog is non-negotiable because you are free on your blog.
Stepping away from your blog slaps cyber handcuffs on yourself. Bye-bye freedom. Mail Chimp sets rules, regulations and restrictions. I will email this post to my list through Mail Chimp but while wearing handcuffs. Look closely at the campaign building process. Rules arise. I respect the reasons for these handcuffs while seeing the handcuffs clearly impinging upon my creativity and ultimate motives. I play the game but mostly through my blog because I set the rules there.
Every second I spend on Blogging From Paradise is handcuff-free because I own it and set the rules here. I have full creative control. Freedom! Blessed relief. I do things how I wish here to best help you in the most appropriate manner. Compare this experience to any offsite experience. Appreciate the contrast to get the gist of this post.
I will share this post to:
with heavy restrictions. Offsite owners want me to pay for advertising. Offsite owners do not want to direct users away from offsite sources to Blogging From Paradise Dot Com.
Playing by their rules lets me consistently send some targeted users here but my greatest success depends on patiently directing people to my blog by:
- publishing new blog posts consistently
- promoting old blog posts consistently
- updating old posts consistently
Everything needs to funnel back to Blogging From Paradise Dot Com as consistently as possible because handcuff-free blogging expands peace of mind and success.
Every other off-site decision builds their empire.
I appreciate their marketing channels.
But I am also part of their product the split second I forget to channel users back to my blog consistently.
Are you a blogger or social media user?
If you are a blogger…..then act like it!
