How To Do It Like A Pro When You’re New At It (ANYTHING)

Although I started a series on Why Using Tactics As A Freelance Writer Is Important two weeks ago, something came to mind simply THAT good that I just had to ‘break’ my own pace with the series and share this one first.

Let’s face it, being successful online in whichever niche you are is not as easy as many make it out to be.

If you have been persistent for a noticeable time period at making a success of your online career, you will agree with me that you have perhaps had a few of those 18 to 20-hour workdays in the past and if you’re anything like me, you may still be having them on a regular basis.

I’m sure that counts only for a very small portion of online entrepreneurs (you and me of course) when I look around at how many “gurus” and “experts” advertise “live the life you want” and “work only two (2) hours per day and make 30k in 30 days!”, right?

Please forgive me for being old school but I believe there is no ethical getting-rich-quick scheme without reaching ‘riches’ at the the expense many others have to pay on your behalf. A Pyramid scheme is a good example so I’m sure you can let your imagination go and think of a few others.

What I do believe though is that there are ways and strategies one can use in order to definitely shorten the time to reach a desired level of success or a goal you set out for yourself. These are smart and calculated but more importantly, proven and tested strategies you can use to make life a whole lot easier not only as a total newbie in whatever niche you can think of but also the more experienced individual, still humble enough to learn from others, the best.

The Drafting Technique

One of these strategies I would like to quickly share with you in this post is the “Drafting Technique” I learnt from a young guy (think he is my age at 28) called Derek Halpern over at Social Triggers. I’m sure many of you know him but in case you don’t, I strongly recommend that you go check out the things he can teach you about psychology and internet marketing.

What Is The Drafting Technique?

In short the drafting technique can be explained with the following:

Think of a few racing cars on an oval track. Now imagine a group of them racing in a small conformation of a few cars here and there racing literally bumper to bumper behind each other at speeds of goodness only knows, to the point that you are literally sitting at the tip of your seat thinking what could happen should the one in front hit hard on it’s breaks for some crazy reason!

Why do they do that?

The cars behind the one in front use the slip stream of the car in front which helps them to travel at exactly the same speed as the car in front without using the same kinetic energy or the same amount of fuel. The cars behind the one in front are indirectly using the resources of the one in front if you will. This is called “drafting”. Runners and cyclists use the same technique. Quite clever, right?

“So Ruan, What Has The Drafting Technique Got Anything To Do With Doing Things Like A Pro?”

I am sure you might have a good idea at this point, perhaps? In order to save yourself quite some time and to make things a whole lot easier as a newbie (at ANYTHING) one of my most effective strategies to use in order to make a noticeable impact is to use the drafting technique.

In other words, whatever it is that you want to do, look for someone else that has already done what you want to do. Of course you want to be looking for someone who has a trusted and reliable track record, someone who got he results that you’re after.

Chances are, during your research before starting your project, you have had to notice and learn about people whom have done what you are planning to do, people whom have done it successfully. So this step should have been covered already, you just need to refer back to it.

A Short Case Study

I know you are wondering how would you go about using the drafting technique to your own advantage. How would you get into the slipstream of someone who has done what you are planning to do and has done a pretty good job at it, getting the results you are dreaming about?

When I started online, I eventually got to the stage where I was simply overwhelmed with all the information and gurus online each claiming to have the perfect solution to the subject I was looking answers for, in my case traffic generation. Yes without a doubt many people do have the ideal solution to whatever it is that you need answers for, no doubt about or denying that.

One of the problems is that the amount of people claiming to have the solution are too many. You simply don’t know whom are the real deal and whom are not.

So in order to sift through all these people to make the best decision about what person’s advice to follow you need weeks to your disposal and in many cases, it will only get you to the stage of information overload.

Being the persistent and ambitious person that I am, giving up is simply not an easy option I choose quite often and as the months went on, I found and started following people with proven and trusted track records, people whom have nothing to hide, don’t sell me “secret never seen before” strategies and more importantly, are willing to share with me practical advice which I can go and implement directly into my own business.

Note:These are typically the kind of people you are looking for to get into their slip stream.

To shorten the story of the total journey which took months building relationships with these people (VERY IMPORTANT), I decided to write my very first eBook on the topic of traffic generation.

I can hear you all going “bleh, traffic generation…I am going to scream if I hear another guru claiming to have the traffic generation concept all figured out!” Believe me, I feel your pain!

As much as we might want to avoid the term “traffic generation”, we can’t; you and I both know that…

“The Drafting Techinique, Ruan?”

Right. I used the drafting technique and wrote and eBook called “The Best Website Traffic Generation Strategies By 10 Top Bloggers | A Tribute which includes the exact proven and tested traffic generation strategies these 10 highly successful and trusted bloggers use, with the actual social and physical track records that prove that what they do, they do really well. They are using these on a regular basis to this day which are also the driving force behind the massive amounts of traffic they are getting to their content.

I approached each of them, people like:

• Darren Rowse (Problogger)
• Derek Halpern (DIYthemes & Social Triggers)
• Ana Hoffman (Traffic Generation Cafe)
• Jon Morrow (Boost Blog Traffic & Copyblogger)
• Alex Whalley (AlexWhalley.com)
• Jane Sheeba (Problogging Success)
• Kiesha Easley (WeBlogBetter)
• Elizabeth Horlemann (ElizabethHorlemann.com)
• Mavis Nong (Attraction Marketing)
• Ileane Smith (Basic Blog Tips)

and explained to them what my idea is. I explained that I would like to feature proven and tested traffic generation strategies whom other people can truly believe and follow and that they are living testimonials of what they are doing, really WORKS. I asked them if they would be comfortable with me compiling all these strategies together into one eBook, making it a single resource for easy reference anyone from absolute newbies through to more advanced and experienced individuals can use and implement the strategies into their own businesses to achieve similar or even greater success with it.

Of course every single one of them agreed because who wouldn’t love to potentially help more people than they already are?

So Why Does The Drafting Technique Work And Why You Could Use It Too?

Probably the most important factor why I completely fell in love with this method is that you get to help a lot more people with your project. Firstly you are building a relationship with an A-list person, showing them on a more personal level how much you appreciate what they have been and continue to do for you and so many others. Secondly, you get to reach a lot more people in one go than you would have had you gone at things all on your own, especially when you are relatively new at whatever it is that you do.

I like to call it a “win-win-win” scenario instead of the usual “win-win” you are familiar with:

1.  You help yourself by getting to know A-list people, even making friends with them which surely you can imagine the true value thereof. Kiesha (indeed Kiesha Easley, the owner of this blog and Highly Favored) is one of the people featured in the eBook. How often do you read a post in which the guest blogger have been given the opportunity of “you are welcome to write up a guest post to promote your eBook and use any links to it” in that post? Not too often, right? Would she risk harming her name if the content of the book wasn’t worth sharing with her audience or if she hasn’t heard of me ever before? I’ll let you decide…

Note: If your intentions are sincere you will reap the best rewards. Do an incredible job of whatever it is you’re planning and these guys will even help you to promote your content even after the race in their slip stream is done and you both possibly took 1st place on the podium, as good friends.

2.  You help A-list people and experts in that you are putting them in front of potentially larger audiences for one, and for two you are showing them on a personal level how much you and others truly value what they are doing for you.

3.  You get to truly help others with proven and tested strategies that have the social and physical proof to back up the credibility these strategies have. People can be rest-assured that no matter how well-known YOU are, what you have to share with them are the real deal. Imagine what could happen to my name if I decided to advertise to be featuring these great and highly-trusted names and within the actual eBook I share with you a bunch of useless affiliate links of products I have never even bothered to use myself? Would I risk that? Beyond my limited understanding some people actually do but I’m way too determined to be successful at everything I do.

Exclusive Offer To WeBlogBetter Readers

Since Kiesha did give me permission to possibly help even more people with the eBook I have written, I have decided to offer a special discount on it to WeBlogBetter readers exclusively. This is purely because I believe in the content it contains and I want to help as many people as possible with it and also because I believe that giving is something I want to do as much as I possibly can.

I am offering a $8 discount on “The Best Website Traffic Generation Strategies By 10 Top Bloggers | A Tribute“ exclusively to WeBlogBetter readers and subscribers.

There are no catches, shenanigans or fluff. However. there are a few specific but extremely simple instructions though which are only in place to ensure that you do end up grabbing your copy at the discounted price instead of the normal public price:

1.  (OPTIONAL) First, I want you to go read this blog post I wrote about the eBook so that you can get more behind the inspiration and also the other excitements of the eBook.
Important Note: Do NOT buy your copy through any of the links contained within that post as they will have you pay full price and not at the discounted price. I mean if you really want to I guess I can’t stop you but I would love to give you the discount. :)

2.  You need to go to this page and follow the simple single instruction on that page.

3.  (OPTIONAL) Go to the public sales page of the eBook and tell me what you thought of it as it’s my very first eBook sales page ever and I would love to know how I can improve, what you loved and what you hated about it. Do this in the comments section of the first optional instruction at the top of this list.
Important Note: Want to be featured on a sales page like that with a link back to you? Give me a review or short testimonial of the eBook and I’d be happy to add you to the bottom of the page where I plan to ad a “testimonial section” with links.

That is it. Simple enough, right? It will take you ten minutes at the very most – is that worth $8 to you?

One last but unofficial and optional favor I’d like to ask you is if you know just one person within your social networks, even on your personal email list that you know who will want to drive traffic like a pro – will you please go as far and take the MASSIVE amount of effort it takes to just click on one of the tweet buttons or Facebook like buttons? Or if you feel like being out of action due to extreme exhaustion for at least a week, then please use all of the social sharing buttons on this page and just click on them, that’s it, just click on it. Deal? Would you do that for me please? Thanks, I’d appreciate that!

Here is the important link again to the page that will ensure you get the discount:

“The Best Website Traffic Generation Strategies By 10 Top Bloggers | A Tribute” $8 discount

Over To You

What do you think of the drafting technique? Have you used or implemented it in some of your own projects? Share them with us in the comments section! Even if you’ve never thought about it, tell me how awesome you think it is! ;)

As always, my best of freelance writing success to you!