For more than 15 years, ShoutMeLoud has been a key player in turning creative passions into successful careers. It’s become the go-to resource for budding creators eager to dive into digital content creation, whether making YouTube videos, writing blog posts, or nurturing online communities.
What sets ShoutMeLoud apart is its wide range of content strategies, catering to everyone from beginners to seasoned creators. It offers invaluable SEO and digital marketing content for free, helping creators stand out in their respective niches. It is this commitment to empowering creators that has earned ShoutMeLoud awards such as ‘Best Indian Blog’ and ‘Best Blog in SEO Category’ from Indiblogger.
In an interview, Harsh Agrawal, the founder of ShoutMeLoud, shares insights into the platform’s growth and how their partnership with Kinsta has been instrumental in streamlining their operation.
Snapshot
- Industry: Digital Marketing Education
- Business size: up to 10 team members
How it all started
Back in 2008, ShoutMeLoud began as a tech blog. Then, Harsh Agrawal discovered he could make money from blogging through Affiliate Marketing and AdSense. “It was a Eureka moment for me–I felt compelled to share this knowledge with the world. At that time, making money online was not widely accepted. But I saw blogging as a means for individuals to pursue their passions while generating income at their own pace.”
This discovery transformed ShoutMeLoud. It went from being a tech blog to an educational platform where Harsh could teach other content creators how to build and grow their online businesses. Since not many people worldwide were doing this, it quickly became popular. The idea of making money doing what you love without a traditional boss resonated with many.
“This practice played a pivotal role in changing perceptions about blogging as a viable business in my home country, India, and eventually, on a global scale,” Harsh shared.
The challenge
Challenges are chances to be creative. I think a lot of us don’t face enough challenges, so we don’t really get to explore our creative sides.
Paving the way for digital content creation
When Harsh began earning money from his content around 2008-2010, digital marketing was still new. There were no clear guides on how to do it. “This uncharted territory provided me with a first-mover advantage, laying a foundation for future generations to come.” he shares.
A big change happened in 2012 with the ‘Google Panda’ update. This update devastated his website’s organic traffic and nearly made Harsh consider switching careers. Despite this, he remained committed to professional blogging and decided to approach the issue from a different angle.
“Asking myself whether Google recognized or disliked my work led me to realize I needed to align better with Google’s expectations,” he shares. Harsh spent about 8 months learning SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Soon enough, ShoutMeLoud’s traffic bounced back, and it became one of the top blogs in India for the next five years.
Outgrowing subpar hosting providers
By 2016, ShoutMeLoud faced a new challenge. The website wasn’t just a blog anymore – it was getting 2 million page views monthly.
“We were using Easy Digital Downloads for selling eBooks, had a deals section featuring top marketing deals and discounts, and so on. Also, we used to get over 50 comments on every blog post back then,” Harsh recalls. However, this growth also presented a significant challenge: finding an appropriate hosting service capable of managing their increased traffic.
“My previous hosting was not ready to handle the amount of traffic. Then, I migrated to WPEngine and then to Cloudways. On WPEngine, I got overage charges, which was not cost-effective, and Cloudways did not have support staff that understood WordPress to its core, nor did they have the architecture for handling high-traffic WordPress sites.”
And then, Kinsta came into the picture.
“I believe we were doing about 2 million page views a month around that time. I was ranting about the same on Twitter, and then Kinsta CEO, ‘Mark Gavalda,’ pinged me on Twitter. We got on a Skype call and had a great talk, and then ShoutMeLoud moved to Kinsta.”
Kinsta’s partnership offered not just a solution to the high-traffic challenge but also provided robust support and an architecture specifically designed for high-traffic WordPress sites, something that was lacking with previous providers. This change marked a significant turning point for ShoutMeLoud which allowed it to continue its growth without technical limitations.
The solution
I chose Kinsta because it seemed promising, and honestly, I was surprised by the quality of customer support and hosting services. They really know what users need and created such great hosting for WordPress sites.
Kinsta has been a reliable choice for Harsh. Ever since he migrated his sites, he has never had to worry about hosting issues again. “There were times I traveled to Antarctica and Africa with limited to no internet connection for up to 2 weeks, and I was never worried about my site going down.”
“Even if it would have, I was certain that the Kinsta active support team would take care of the issue. Luckily, we never had this issue.” he shares.
Many hosting companies have offered to host his blog or work with him, but Harsh always stayed with Kinsta. His thoughts? “I believe in the idea that ‘if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.’ I blog because I enjoy it, and money is always secondary. And if the product is not of quality or something I have not tested, I’m not keen on promoting it.”
Kinsta’s Affiliate Program
“The kind of affiliate Kinsta offers is not so common,” said Harsh. “For any respectable blogger, a high-quality product with an effective affiliate program is the perfect monetization tool.”
When discussing the standout features of Kinsta’s Affiliate Program, Harsh highlights a blend of key elements. “I think it’s a combination of multiple things. The first thing is the product itself, followed by the one-time and recurring payments. This setup is particularly rewarding and motivates long-term partnerships.”
Harsh also appreciates the unique tools Kinsta provides to its affiliates. Unlike other web hosting services that might rely on generic platforms or basic marketing tools, Kinsta has developed a custom Affiliate dashboard. “The custom dashboard is a nice touch and also a symbol that Kinsta is serious about building a long-term partnership,” he adds.
The winning strategies
Harsh has developed a multifaceted strategy to make the most out of Kinsta’s Affiliate Program. He relies on a blend of content marketing – making video content and writing blogs – and targeted email newsletters. This blend of methods ensures he reaches a wide and varied audience.
But what really sets Harsh’s content apart is the genuineness of his reviews. With his first-hand experience with Kinsta Hosting, his community trusts his authentic and thorough affiliate content. “I don’t just list features. I share real experiences, covering both positives and negatives. This honesty builds trust with my readers, leading to higher conversion rates,” he shares.
Engaging with his audience is another critical aspect of Harsh’s strategy. “Spending time responding to each comment was crucial for grasping our audience’s needs and engaging with them,” he points out.
And back in 2014-2015, Harsh made a similar move by introducing a forum to ShoutMeLoud. This step was all about giving his readers a space to interact more. The forum quickly turned the site into a lively place where people could share ideas and help each other. Harsh says, “Adding the forum brought our readers together. It was a place for great chats and for everyone to support one another.” Eventually, due to his busy schedule, he had to remove the forum, but its impact on strengthening the community was clear.
The result
The biggest difference Kinsta has made in my life is that I can travel or do my 10 day Vipassana course without the internet and never worry about web hosting problems. While answering this, I realized how moving to Kinsta has made a huge difference in my whole life over the past eight years.
Customer support
When asked about his favorite aspects of Kinsta Hosting, Harsh emphasizes the Support team, “The number one reason that made me instantly like Kinsta was outstanding customer support.” He contrasts this with his prior experiences: “Before Kinsta, there were times when I used to burn the midnight lamp just to resolve a simple issue.”
Now, he rarely needs to contact their support team. On the few “unavoidable” occasions he has, the Kinsta Support team resolves issues incredibly fast.
Harsh also recalles how Kinsta’s CEO, Mark Gavalda, used to answer customer support queries personally. “I believe this hands-on approach is how Kinsta came to understand real-world user problems and build such high-quality hosting for WordPress sites,” Harsh reflects.
Affiliate success
Since joining Kinsta’s affiliate program in 2016, Harsh has gained more control over doing what he loves most.
Not only has he been able to nurture his ShoutMeLoud community by sharing his enthusiasm for Kinsta, but he has also achieved financial freedom with a stable passive income. With Kinsta’s 5 to 10% lifetime recurring commissions, Harsh enjoys a reliable income stream every month.
From educational resources to advanced analytics tools, Harsh and all Kinsta affiliates receive the support they need to succeed. And with a dedicated affiliate dashboard, they can track their referrals, commissions, and performance metrics in real-time. Essential for a transparent and mutually beneficial partnership.
Kinsta features
Harsh faced the common challenge of finding reliable hosting and found his answer in Kinsta. “Kinsta’s hosting architecture and excellent customer support solve the problem for most solopreneurs and website owners.” A sentiment that goes beyond Harsh’s personal experience. “I’ve had many ShoutMeLoud community members reach out to me and thank me for introducing them to Kinsta. After all, who doesn’t like a good night’s sleep or a tension-free holiday.”
Moreover, Harsh and his community are particularly impressed with the MyKinsta dashboard. They commend its “simple, no-nonsense interface” for making daily web management tasks easier, even for those without technical expertise.
For Harsh, who enjoys exploring and experimenting with technology, the backup options offered by Kinsta have been a crucial safety net. “I’m a nerd, and if you are a nerd or know a nerd, you know that we like to break and fix things. There have been many times when Kinsta’s daily and manual backup feature saved me from irreparable losses.”
The conclusion
Kinsta goes beyond its excellent customer support, user-friendly dashboard, and reliable backups. For Harsh, Kinsta has been a key factor in achieving a much-improved balance between his work and personal life in the past eight years. Thanks to Kinsta, he can travel and focus on his personal growth without worrying about web hosting issues.
You could have multiple problems in scaling your business, but hosting should not be one of them. That’s what Kinsta offers.
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