Background
Hopefully by now you all understand that I did not create this site for selfish reasons. I created this site because I genuinely want to help people. When I applied for OTS in 2015 the online support for applying for OTS was sparse. The airforceots.com site existed, but it was extremely buggy and almost unusable. They have since upgraded their site, but in my opinion a need existed for a site which was more easily referenced and easier to search and navigate. Additionally, I thought there was value in having a consolidated perspective.
To fulfill this perceived need, this blog originated on the free blogspot platform. The platform worked okay and it became fairly popular, which was all the same to me. As I started to expand the topics I blogged about, however, the navigation became tedious. I began to receive feedback that it was difficult to drill down on specific subjects that people needed help with. In order for people to get the help they needed, it was necessary for some people to have to read every post I made chronologically. Based on the format of this site, that method was not effective. It became apparent that I needed to better organize the site.
New Platform Needed
As I began to expand the site on the free platform, I began to hit roadblocks. In order to enable certain features which would allow me to make the reader’s life easier, it became apparent that I would need to start paying for said features. After consulting with many of my readers who worked in web design, I decided to go fully legitimate and purchase my own domain. This unlocked a ton of features and allowed me to provide what I perceived as a better service to you all. Thus, airforcejourney.com was born.
While my overall goal of providing you all with a better service was achieved, the one downside was that providing the service was no longer free. The Air Force does not endorse this site and I pay for everything out of my own pocket. While I am okay with that because I love what I do, it would be great if this site was financially self-sustainable.
Marketing
In an effort to offset the costs of this site you have probably noticed that I have been linking products and started putting ads on my site. This was a very difficult decision for me. First and foremost, I do not run this site to make a profit. My number one goal is to help people become successful officers in the United States Air Force. The purpose of the marketing campaign is to help me keep this site running long-term. I want this site to be advice that is applicable from civilian to retirement, so I need to have a model which is long-term focused.
With my primary goal for this site in mind, I do not want this site to became an exclusive member’s only club. I do not expect you to sign up for mailing lists, and I do not want my ads to be “in your face” and annoying. For me personally, it only makes sense to take advantage of what is already happening. For example if you are buying something and my site helped you make some sort of decision, it makes sense for the site to receive a small commission for that.
Full Disclosure
The world of marketing is completely new to me, but this is what I have figured out. In order to advertise for someone you have to first establish a relationship with that organization. I am only reaching out to organizations that I personally use and support. For example, I have been a customer of Kellac uniforms for years. I buy my ABUs solely from Kellac so it is easy for me to vouch for their quality and convenience. This is my overall marketing strategy for the future. I do not want to place my stamp of approval on a product which I do not support. Due to this strategy you will only see products I personally support on my site.
Support Air Force Journey
If you support this strategy and want to help me keep my site going, I created a category called “Support” and linked in on the main page. Every post I make which links to a product will have this category assigned to it. Sometimes I get a small amount per click and sometimes I get a commission for a purchase you make, but either way you can help support this site by using the links on the posts. I am not trying to make a million dollars, I just want to keep this site running. If you don’t support this strategy or you think something I post violates my own strategy, feel free to shoot me an email with your concerns. I want this site to always be best tailored to the reader’s needs. Thank you for your support.
Squirtle
Your site has helped so many people become US Air Force officers. We would be more than happy to help others benefit from your work.
airforceotsguy
Thank you.
Darkphox
Have you considered something like Patreon? Not sure if that’s exclusive to “content creators” in the youtube/media realm, but it could offer a more consistent & long term way for individuals to help fund the site’s activity.
airforceotsguy
Actually no, I haven’t. I have heard of it but nothing beyond that. Thank you, I’ll look into it.
Louis
Thank you for creating this site! I was recently selected to go to OTS. Other the information I read on Facebook, your site has provided me with the core and essentials that I need to succeed at OTS. You have my support.
airforceotsguy
Thank you! Good luck at OTS and feel free to email me at airforceotsguy@gmail.com if you have any specific questions.