*Updated: July 2020*
The 2020 BC Stack is Here!
A couple years ago, I started purchasing training on all sorts of topics. I invested in Pinterest training, read several ebooks, and signed up for 7 courses on specific topics like creating lead magnets, visual branding, learning Instagram, and creating ebooks.
I basically surrounded myself with experts, paid and free and absorbed as much knowledge as I could. One of the purchases I made that I has paid for itself many times over is a package of products called the BC Stack from Blogging Concentrated…
It was a package of dozens of products by expert bloggers and online business people packaged up into one price (less than $50 total). It was such a good deal and I learned SO MUCH from the handful of trainings and ebooks I took from it.
The first year, I was learning the ropes and absorbed as much as I could from this set of learning materials. Then for the next three years I continued to grab this educational value for my personal learning library and continued to learn a lot in a short amount of time.
The BC Stack includes 65 classes, ebooks, software, plugins and services designed to give you that edge over so many other bloggers & online business owners who are just guessing as they go.
Take a look at it and I guarantee you’ll see some amazing resources that you would love to have. And you can HAVE. THEM. ALL. For just $47. It’s a crazy sweet deal.
Several courses cost $97+ on their own and the bundle together is worth over $8,300!!! Amazing.
Click here to get this 2020 Online Business & Blogging Bundle >>
Today I want to go over something that I get asked about all the time. It’s something weighing on the minds of every single blogger I meet. I know it because I was there just a few short years ago.
How do I make money from my blog? How do I get people to read it? How do I get them to buy something from me? How does all of this work?
What “Big” Bloggers Do
When I first started asking these questions, I sought out advice online from bloggers who were where I hoped to be. The ones making a full time living from their blog and even the ones whose husbands had quit their jobs to work online as well. It seemed like an impossible dream, but these ladies seemed like real people, so I knew there was a secret they had that I didn’t know.
As I dove into my research, I noticed a consistent trend among “big” bloggers. When you read or hear an interview from them, they almost universally say the same thing – they attributed their success to massive investments in blogging education. I also noticed the mention of investing 10-20% of their income back into blogging education.
Eventually, I joined a mastermind full of bloggers making a full time income blogging (many over the $200K mark), and you know what they said?
The same thing!
Every single person I have asked to date attributes INVESTMENTS IN BLOGGING EDUCATION as the foundation for their success.
Now that I have a six figure blog of my own, I am also on the bandwagon. It’s strategic investments in proper blogging education & resources that have helped me get to nearly $200k in annual income.
Investing in Blogging Education
Thing is….10-20% is different for everyone. And do you invest 10-20% of your current income or the income you WANT?
Not knowing the answer to this, several years ago I started investing heavily in education. 10% of the income I WANTED, not the income I had (which wasn’t much!) 😀 I tried to be selective, but also humble in my choices because I didn’t know what I didn’t know and I wanted to absorb as much as possible.
In order to evaluate each blogging education purchase, I held it up to this one standard:
IF this course/ebook teaches me what it promises, will I be able to at least DOUBLE my investment? If the answer was yes, it was a no brainer.
When I did this, I removed the absolute value of the product from the equation.
I didn’t compare $25 versus $297 products. I compared the $25 or $297 cost against the RETURN. This is how you make investments like a CPA (see Mom? I AM using my degree as a blogger!)
Who wouldn’t spend $25 to make $50? Or $297 to make $600? Everyone loves those returns! When you’re faced with a buying decision, it’s easy to get caught up in the actual number, but I urge you to remove the amount from the equation and consider the return on your investment. (For instance, I invested $2,000 in a private mastermind group because I estimated that the knowledge I would gain was worth over $100,000 in future revenue. If I had looked at the $2K price tag and walked away, I would never see the estimated returns).
Once you know the value a course or ebook can have on your income, then your only issue is coming up with the money. I’ve found a good benchmark is to set aside 10% of my blogging income for investing in blogging education. Over time it always seems to work out that. And over time I’ve been able to afford more expensive courses and tools as my income increased.
What Happens When You Invest Heavily in Blogging Education
You will be completely surprised at how quickly your knowledge progresses once you start investing in blogging education. For every course you take that someone else hasn’t, you will stand out above the pack. Sponsors will notice. Affiliates will notice. Everyone will notice!
Fast forward to now, and the past 5 years have been quite the ride for me. I went from not knowing how to make a single image to having 68,000+ followers on Pinterest and being scared to email my list, to sending out drip campaigns to many different segments! I also went from wishing I could figure out affiliate marketing to having a virtual assistant implement the content plan that I mapped out on paper.
I’m blown away by the knowledge that other bloggers are willing to share, and I’m so grateful to have this opportunity to share my passions with the world and with YOU!
Courses That Have Shaped My Blogging Journey
Here are just some of the courses I’ve taken and ebooks I’ve consumed in the past few years:
- Elite Blog Academy by Ruth Soukup
- Pinning Perfect by Blog Clarity
- Building a Framework by Abby Lawson
- 6 internet marketing bundles
- Genius Blogger’s Toolkit from Ultimate Bundles
- Affiliate Marketing for Bloggers by Tasha Agruso
- Moolah (Facebook Growth Strategies) by Rachel Miller
- Pinaffiliate Masterclass by Addi Ganley
- Pro Blogging Secrets by Bob Lotich
- Facebook Brilliance by Beth Anne Schwamberger
- Brilliant Pin Promotion by Beth Ann Schwamberger
- Persuasion Hacks Labs by Bushra Azar
- Instagram Impact by Chalene Johnson
- Core Affiliate Strategy by Rosemarie Groner
- Instagram for Success by Helene Sula
- And many more!
I get asked all the time to help bloggers with their affiliate marketing and blog traffic. But here’s the thing – when I look at their blogs, I am piecing together bits of knowledge I’ve learned from dozens of different courses to determine that they need to change certain things on their blog, utilize affiliates a certain way, improve their headlines, and/or update their Pinterest images.
What I want to say is “I need you to take these three courses and come back to me.” But of course I can’t say that! They need help NOW and don’t have time to go through those courses at lightning speed.
How to Know What Courses to Take
It may seem like I have taken a lot of random courses, but there’s a bit of a method to my madness. 😀 In general, I take a course when I feel like I have a knowledge gap.
I’ve taken so many Pinterest courses because I find it’s helpful to know as much as possible about Pinterest – it’s the #1 or #2 source of page views for many bloggers, so our livelihoods sorta depend on knowing what to do there.
When I wanted to know if Facebook ads were the way to go, I signed up for Beth Anne’s course, Facebook Brilliance. I am so glad I did that because it helped me realize just how complicated Facebook ads could be so I actually did NOT move forward with ads. Spending $197 to save potentially thousands of wasted dollars? Yes, please! I have since invested in a lot more Facebook training (sometimes I need to hear something said several ways before it sinks in!) and I’m starting to get rather good at FB ads!
When I felt like I could be better at writing emails and capturing my visitors’ attention, I signed up for Bushra’s Persuasion Hacks Lab. And so on! You get the idea. If you have a knowledge gap, there is no better way to fill that gap than find an expert who has written about the topic and invest in learning from them.
How Do You Fit in Learning Time?
Someone just asked me this and I think it’s a great question.
The answer is: I fit it in when I’m not at the computer! I don’t really make time, I just prioritize it and multitask during otherwise wasted times of day. I do it because I have to. There is no way I could be an involved mom, professional blogger, AND blogging student. I just don’t have that in me! But I can be a student while I’m doing random things.
I prefer video based courses because I can listen to them. So I can easily do 2 hours a day if I need to…I drive the kids around so much that I primarily use my van time to listen. So an hour for carpool, driving to sports, etc. I make sure to talk to my kids, too. LOL But when they’re not in the car, I’m learning something or I feel like I just wasted a valuable half hour! 😀 Sometimes if it’s a nice day and the kids are playing outside after school, I’ll also listen/watch on the iPad while I cook dinner. And today I’m learning while I reorganize my closet and do laundry! You get the idea.
Importance of Finding a Mentor
I will say that the easiest way to figure out which courses to take is to find a mentor (whether you actually meet them at a blogging conference or you’re just a huge fan of their blog) and once you determine that they are someone you can trust, do everything they say.
There are a few bloggers I follow who I completely trust to lead me in the right direction. I’ve never been let down by their recommendations. Those bloggers include: Rosemarie Groner, Becky Mansfield, Darren Rowse, Ruth Soukup, and Beth Anne Schwamberger.
What this means is –
- If they write about a tool they use on their site and explain how it helped them, I will err on the side of choosing the same tool for myself.
- If they create a new course, I am the first in line to buy it.
- If they recommend that I follow another blogger, then I am off to check out what the fuss is all about.
I hope I can be that voice of reason for some of you. I don’t recommend resources lightly and only recommend select courses and ebooks to my audience. Also, it is very important to me that a new blogger can take my advice and implement changes with great success. I love teaching what I know, and I hope you find it useful!
How to Consume Blogging Education Without a Body Double
I know it sounds overwhelming, but consuming a lot of blogging education doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. It just takes CONSISTENT EFFORT.
- I listen to podcasts during carpool
- I catch up on course videos when I’m cooking dinner (I just choose the one I’m feeling that day)
- I set fitness goals & layer on an education goal (like I will listen to one module from EBA while I walk 2 miles!)
- I read one blog post per day on the topic of internet marketing OR pull up a resource from an old bundle
- I take at least one module of one course every week
Over time, the little 10-30 minute increments here and there really do add up to something quite significant! I feel like I now have nearly a Bachelor’s Degree in Blogging without having actually been to a university!
The Best Blogging Education Investment You Can Make
One of the best tools you can invest in along the way are blogging bundles. If you don’t know what these are, they are collections of carefully curated resources available at one low price.
They allow you to invest one relatively small amount and get access to the equivalent of a year’s worth of blogging education (if you were to take it seriously and consume the content consistently over time like I mentioned above).
I try my best to keep track of blogging course deals, especially on my favorite ones. If you know me, you know I LOVEEEEE a good deal! After all, the base of WhatMommyDoes is couponing posts! 😀
During the BC Stack sale this week, you can get access to 65 products worth $8,350 –
It’s in insane value!
Get the BC Stack here >>
Bundles like the BC Stack are THE BEST investment to come our way every single year!
This bundle is brand new every single time it comes out. This means that this is your ONLY CHANCE to get this exact list of blogging courses & resources all in one place for this price EVER AGAIN.
If you look at the courses included in the BC Stack, you’ll see that quite a bit overlaps with the types of courses I’ve taken & recommend.
The two things worth more than the entire bundle…
If you’re wondering what I think are the most valuable items in the BC Stack – that’s not even a hard question – it would have to be Webinar in a Box by Kim Jacobsen and Facebook Profit School by Mitch Asser.
One of the most profitable things I did this year was hold a webinar but I felt like I did everything wrong. I am really looking forward to learning how to coordinate a PROPER webinar! LOL I can’t wait to dive in to that course.
I think everyone should pay special attention to Facebook Profit School in the bundle because Facebook ads are the BEST thing I ever learned for my blog. Well, that and course creation!
Even if I only ever take my favorite courses, the purchase will have been WAY worth the $47.
Here are the four courses I am taking immediately. They’re my favorite out of the long list of courses!
Starting Your Blogging Education Journey
This BC Stack should be the tip of the education iceberg for you. It’s a lot of content to consume, but it’s not the end all be all. That’s not the point. It’s just a way to get access to very valuable blogging education at an amazing price!
Wouldn’t it be nice if this time next year you had walked through the top 10 resources in this bundle and also moved on to even more advanced training on a couple of specific topics? You could be an expert on your chosen subject!
Just by diving deep into a specific topic, you’ll know 95% more than nearly every blogger out there on that subject and be ready to conquer the next.
You want to be a six figure blogger…..
I know this is a dream for you. I had the same dream three years ago and didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I am so glad I took a chance on myself!
To have the feeling of accomplishment (whether or not you tell the world in blog income reports like I do) that you created something out of nothing and make more than $100,000 per year doing exactly what you love. It’s the dream!!
I know you can get there. You just have to take 1000 steps in the right direction, but in a manageable way – one foot at a time.
Karim Toulba says
Lena,
Thank you so much for the awesome post. This one just came on time. I started to make a nice income from my blog on my third month blogging. And I’m seriously considering investing a portion into blogging education.
I think I will jump in a couple of the recommended courses you mentioned in a day or two.
Thanks again, & All the best.
Lena Gott says
So glad to hear it was helpful, Karim! 😀
Adrienne Miller says
Hi Lena! I just launched my blog http://www.simplylivinghappily.com last week and I have a lot of work to do to get exposure. I bought this tool kit and I know it has a TON of great information but like you said all this information is a bit overwhelming. I’m not sure where to start first. Any tips that you can give would be greatly appreciated!
By the way, all your tips about blogging have been super helpful! Thank you for sharing!
Lena Gott says
Hi Adrienne! Email me at lena at whatmommydoes.com and I’ll get you a guide to help walk you through the toolkit + the other awesome bonuses. 😀
Lindsey B says
Lena I signed up ☺ I sent you a message on FB ?
Kristie says
Thank you for sharing your knowledge Lena! I am definitely loving investing in courses and learning all that I can! This was a very encouraging article!
Lena Gott says
Thank you, Kristie! 😀
Ashlee @ The Normal Mom's Guide says
Thank you for sharing, Lena! I’ve been debating whether to take a couple on your list and you may have just convinced me. Now to convince the husband…haha. Thanks for sharing!
Lena Gott says
You definitely can’t go wrong with these! 😀
Shauna | SimplyHipSavings says
Hey Lena, I originally came to your site today via Pinterest! The post I first visited was the 3 Reasons not to take EBA. Then I stumbled on this post….. This may sound silly but I purchased this bundle back in November and NEVER took advantage of any of the courses. Reading your post today made me realize how silly I’m being for not investing in my blog by not taking advantage of such a wonderful bundle I paid next to nothing for. Once I read your entire post I immediately went back into my bundle and started Addi’s course. I’ve already implemented some changes and look forward to continuing my education! Thanks for the kicking me back into gear! Check me out at http://www.simplyhipsavings.com .
I’m not thrilled with the look of my site completely and need to implement several changed but if you might let me know what you think 🙂
Warm Regards,
Shauna Cabrera | Simply Hip Savings
Lena Gott says
Hi Shauna – I am so glad this was helpful for you! I love Addi’s course – you will definitely see improvements after you make her suggested changes.
Dr. Vi | PersonalFinanceJunkie.com says
Hi Lena. Your words are absolutely true. My blog is almost 1 year old now but I just recently decided (about 2 months ago) to invest in quiet a few of the courses you listed. And guess what? I have had more success in the last two months than all of the other months combined. Now I regret not investing from day 1. I guess sometimes we have to hear the same message more than once and from multiple sources. Anyway, thanks for the post and all of your hard work on this blog. It is a valuable resource for me.
Lena Gott says
I’m so glad to hear that! Yes, I think I sound like a broken record sometimes, but these really are my “secrets.” 🙂