If you want, you can read Adam Enfroy’s opinion on two ERP software systems, SAP vs Oracle.
Or I’ll save you some time. In his introduction, Enfroy (or one of his ghostwriters, most likely) says:
“By the end of this article, you should have a good understanding of the main functional differences between SAP and Oracle ERP systems, along with a definitive idea of which one is better for your needs.”
No, you won’t. This is a multi-million dollar business decision. ERPs are the central nervous systems of Big Business. Companies take years to fully execute an ERP software implementation. They’ll spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on consulting fees alone.
But Adam Enfroy will break it down for you in just 3,000 words?
And if you’re wondering what SAP (or any ERP software) has to do with blogging, let me tell you: Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
So why is this article on choosing ERP software on AdamEnfroy.com, a … blogger?
Who Is Adam Enfroy?
Enfroy no longer posts blog income reports, but he makes somewhere between F.U. money and the Bored Ape Yacht Club money every month. In June 2021 alone, he raked in almost $282,000, mostly from affiliate commissions and course sales.
In the vernacular, Enfroy would be called a “guru,” a man who got rich mostly by showing other people how to get rich.
Now, before I go further, I must confess:
I have a love-hate relationship with Adam Enfroy. Well, not hate (nor love, for matter …) but you get the idea.
You see, Enfroy was one of the reasons I jumped into this bizness. I’m somewhat ashamed to admit it, but I was so enthralled by his rocketing success (plus a few others) that I signed up on Bluehost three weeks later!
I’ve also watched many of his videos and read many of his articles. There’s some good information in there.
So this isn’t an anti-Adam-Enfroy rant. Far from it. So long as you sift through the marketing-ese, he sells some good stuff.
I’m simply pointing out that any blogger who makes enough money to end poverty in a small African nation deserves some … attention.
Let’s do some reverse engineering. I want to highlight a few facets of AdamEnfroy.com that I think we can all learn from.
AdamEnfroy.com Is a Masterclass in Transactional Search Intent
Page views aren’t convertible to U.S. dollars. Some views, such as TikTok viral videos, are worth almost nothing. Last I checked with the TikTok Creator Fund, about $0.00002 per view.
A page view is only as valuable as the commercial intent behind it. Someone has to spend money.
I think AdamEnfroy.com is a masterclass in targeting transactional search intent rather than informational search intent.
If I search, “What is website hosting?” that’s an informational question. I’m just dipping my toe in the waters.
But if I search “Is Kinsta or WP Engine a better host?” then I’m investigating a transaction. I’m choosing what I want to buy. And if Kinsta or WP Engine has an affiliate program (they do) and a Reader clicks through an affiliate link on a comparison article (they often do) and completes a purchase, the website makes an affiliate commission. Which is exactly the modus operandi of AdamEnfroy.com.
Personally, I need to improve in this area. Most of my content across my websites is informational in nature. And while they’re easy to monetize with ads, informational blog posts don’t have a clear CTA. If you make a measly $15 a month per blog post with ads, you’re doing awesome. Hard to hit the big bucks climbing the Stairway to Heaven one rung at a time.
157 High-Paying Affiliate Niches, My A$$!
As of this writing, Enfroy’s list of high-paying affiliate niches includes 157 programs. It includes everything from TaylorMade Golf to Sam Ash Guitars to Bowflex.
Rather telling is that Enfroy, to my knowledge, has no affiliate blog content around golf or guitars or gettin’ swole. Instead, AdamEnfroy.com is pretty much a Times Square billboard for software subscriptions.
You want to know about Extended Detection and Response software? Remote HR? Telemedicine? Closed captioning? There are at least 180 blog posts covering the entire known universe of SAAS subscription software. I didn’t even know Reputation Management was a thing, but apparently, it’s big business!
To quote Deepthroat: “Follow the money.” Adam Enfroy makes bank recommending software, not physical products.
Software, particularly SAAS, has astonishingly high affiliate returns. Kinsta, for instance, which offers managed WordPress hosting, offers up to $500 for every referral + 10% monthly recurring lifetime commissions. That’s lifetime, people!
I’m not suggesting that bloggers should pivot en masse to recommending B2B software. Web hosting is already the scummiest affiliate racket around for this very reason.
I’m simply pointing out that if you’re selling relatively affordable physical products, math isn’t on your side. Most how-to-blog gurus are pretty honest about this. Income School and Create and Go both admit you won’t get rich off Amazon. Even Authority Site Hackers, which was once based around Amazon affiliate sites, admits the landscape has changed.
The more I look around, it looks like the affiliate marketing Big Dogs aren’t selling keychains and throw pillows. They’re selling software services.
(Hence the ERP reviews.)
It’s a Fusillade of Buttons, Links, and Banners
If you click on “Blogging,” the first tab in the Main Menu, you won’t go to a chronological blog archive page, like with most WordPress sites (hey, I’m guilty too).
You’ll go to this page.
Which is really nothing more than a bridge page to his most popular affiliate pages. Scroll down, and you’ll see links to his YouTube channel, Bluehost signup, “Best of” lists, and more.
I’m struck by the alternation between affiliate CTAs and brand equity building. For instance, the section showcasing his Blog Income Reports (an obvious cock-crowing brand builder) is sandwiched between his “Best Blogging Content” (also a combination of how-to and affiliate content) and a Bluehost signup recommendation.
Credibility, CTA, credibility, CTA. Repeat.
The more you scroll, the more he gains your trust. Clever, in’it?
And did you notice his top earner – his own blogging course – is an ever-present blue button in the site-wide header?
(FY,I if you try to leave, you’ll get hit with an exit-intent pop-up.)
Don’t hide your light under a bushel. It may look like AdamEnfroy.com has an obnoxious amount of CTAs littered over the place, but since most Readers scan and miss half of them anyway, too much seems to be just right!
It’s Not Me, It’s You
I’m not a blogging expert. I have 16 months of experience under my belt, which in blog-years makes me an 11-year-old pre-teen, I think. But I’m astounded at how many how-to-blog blogs cast blame for failure everywhere except … you, the would-be blogger.
Adam says:
“Let’s face it – most blogging advice is outdated.
You’re sold the dream of passive income, all while 99% of bloggers are still failing, and the same old school “influencers” who started 5-10 years ago are the ones making money online.
I hate to break it to you, but you’ve been lied to … To grow your blog in 2022, you need new tactics.”
Now, I don’t disagree with everything he says … but let’s admire the psychology of the pitch! Everyone loves to be affirmed. Everyone loves to know that secretly, deep down, it was The Man who was to blame.
Most gurus preach a similar sermon. I’ve yet to read a guru who said, “Honestly, most of you will fail because blogging is a mud-sucking slog and you ain’t got the guts!!”
But I have to admire his psychology. Adam brings the bar down to you. He makes you believe anyone can do it – so why shouldn’t you?
Me, Myself and I – The Power Of Your Story
You can read Enfroy’s rags-to-riches story yourself. In one section, he tells the story of how he, a mediocre recreational runner, decided to run a marathon one morning – and how he Rocky’d his way through the pain.
Now, ignoring the cautionary tale that running 26 miles impromptu is a good way to permanently strain your Achilles tendon, that’s some bada** sh*t. A marathon is a long way. And it’s an appropriate analogy for the blunt force trauma of starting up a blog.
Again, jokes aside, what Enfroy did was amazing. I’m not taking anything away from that. And even if he did make money mostly by telling other people how to make money, he still worked the evenings, nights, and weekends to make it happen. He had some skin in the game.
I would wager this single URL – https://www.adamenfroy.com/my-story – is worth over a million dollars to Enfroy. Who knows how many people he has inspired to click through his affiliate links or enroll in his course? It is, without question, the most valuable page on this website, regardless of page views.
And ironically, it’s also the one thing he can’t sell. The moment it loses his name, it loses its worth. But it’s also the one thing no one else can rip off. It’s not subject to algorithm updates or commission restructurings. It’s just … his.
And he makes full use of it. His story is front and center in both main and footer navigation bars. He personalizes his brand. I’ve seen his face so much I can tell you from memory what his haircut is and which arm has more tattoos (his right, if you were curious).
If you can leverage your personal story, you can gain instant credibility. And it’s the one post that only you can write and no one else can copy.
***
So, that’s what I’ve learned from AdamEnfroy.com. What have I missed? Let me know in the comments!
