Cycle 82: Give Yourself Permission to Experiment

It is easy to believe that success comes from knowing exactly what to do. But sometimes, finding what works starts with being willing to try what you have not tried before.

Fortunatly, affiliate marketing gives people plenty of room to experiment. This may come in the form of a different content format. A new topic. A different way of introducing a recommendation. A conversation with someone you would not normally communicate with.

While none of these need to become your new strategy overnight, the fun, the learning — and sometimes, the next opportunity — lies in giving yourself permission to find out what happens.

You don't have to get it right the first time

When trying something new, there is always a chance it will not work. That does not necessarily mean its a failure. But it does give you information you can work with.

If something works, you have found an approach worth exploring further. If it does not, you have learned something about what may need to change. Either way, you have more information than you had before you tried.

Change one thing and pay attention

The beauty of experimentation is that it does not have to be a complete overhaul of what you're already doing. It can start off as something small and subtle.

If you normally create educational content, try something more conversational. If you usually introduce a recommendation one way, test a different angle. If you tend to speak to a broad audience, create something specifically for one group.

Then pay attention to what happens.

What responses did you get? What questions did people ask? Where did they engage? What did they ignore? Did anyone come back with a comment or conversation? Did the content feel easier or harder to create?

The answers may help you understand your audience, yourself, and the direction for your content — a little better.

Let curiosity lead

One of the advantages of experimentation is that it gives you a reason to stay curious.

Instead of asking, “What should I do?” you can start asking, “What happens if I try this?”

That small change in thinking can open up new possibilities.

You might discover a content format that feels more natural, or perhaps you find a topic your audience responds to more strongly.

This is the benefit of allowing curiosity to lead — creating new opportunities to learn.

Take one new approach in Cycle 82

You do not need a completely new strategy for this cycle. Choose one thing you have been curious about and test it.

Try a different format. Explore a new topic. Change the way you communicate an idea. Start a conversation you might normally leave for later.

Give the experiment enough time to tell you something, pay attention to the response, and decide what to do with what you learn.

A new cycle does not have to mean doing everything differently. Sometimes, it simply means giving yourself permission to try something different.