I Bought the Genius Bloggers Toolkit

Yep, I did. I bought the Genius Bloggers Toolkit, aka the GBTK and in this post, I will tell you why, and if I think that it is worth it.

Of course, everybody’s needs are different. We all have different levels of experience. Some of us are more interested in the writing of content, others in SEO, and others in the technical courses.

Why Buy the GBTK?

We do have one thing in common though, and that is that you will find yourself using several tools when starting, or running, a blog. 

Now I know what your thinking. You probably think of tools like design tools, SEO tools, content management systems, etcetera, but…

The experience of others, in the form of a course, an ebook, a video, or a template is one of the best tools you are going to use. The Genius Bloggers Toolkit (GBTK) in that comparison, is a complete toolbox that is carefully selected by Ultimate Bundles.

Where To Buy It?

It’s more of a when to buy it.

They have flash sales twice a year for this bundle and the bundle is fresh every year. Long story short: You will get a toolbox filled with ebooks, courses, templates, resources, videos, and more, worth thousands for less than $100.

Why Would You Pay for That? 

Great question. Why would you do that if all that information is out there for free?

For one thing, the really valuable information is actually hard to find. Information is copied over and over and it loses information in the process of rewriting it.  What often is left, is a generic version that becomes ‘common’ knowledge.

The Real Value

The real value is often found in the experience that others illustrate their story with. What made them fail? How did they get back up? What were the things they learned from it and how did they turn that back into success?

Even with paid courses, there is a lot of variation in their value. There are some that hold real gems, while others are a bit more basic but informing nevertheless.

Why did I purchase it?

To be honest, I’m a little stuck. Or better, I’m drowning a little in all the possible next-step actions I could or need to take. 

I have the feeling that I need to level-up, so I tried to find out what I needed to figure out next like I always do. By Googling all kinds of things that I believe are necessary to do.

Information Overload

I did find a lot of things! But that is also a problem.
There is so much out there, which also made me lose my focus. Trying to figure out what had to be done in the first place took more time than actually doing it.

If you recognize this, don’t worry. It is common for self-learners, especially if they are interested in a lot of different things. Eventually, you will find your way out of it. 

However, I decided that I wanted to speed up that process, so it was time to make some investments. The GBTK came exactly at the right time.

Is It Worth It?

That is the key question, isn’t it? Let’s find out.

Now, one week after I bought it, I only have seen a fraction of what is included, but here are some of my first impressions and experiences.

First Course Taken

I just completed The Zero To Superhero Affiliate Marketing Training Bundle and learned a lot from it.

And I don’t mean just the ‘technical’ things. I especially valued how Ana Skyes approaches affiliate marketing in her successful business. 

The course is valued at $57. Comparing that to the price of the GBTK half of it is already well spent.

Secret Gems

The above is also an example of a gem inside that toolbox. As you may have noticed, the link is an affiliate link.
Not all authors in the GBTK have this, but she does. 

So now:

• I have a ‘product’ that I use and like, which makes it easy to write about from my own experience and in my own words.
• Plus: I have learned from the course itself.
• And I have the possibility to promote it and earn a commission. Awesome!

Tip: If you use the code TSA5OFF you will get a $5 discount! Go grab that course!

Surprising Kit

The next thing that grabbed my attention was Kate Danielle’s Special GBTK Graphics Kit for Canva. 

I used some of her free templates before, which made me eager to unwrap this gift (opening the contents of a bundle is a bit of a digital unboxing party isn’t it?)

To my surprise, there were not only Canva templates, stock photos, and design elements in it but there was also a course inside on how to use it. Nice!

I’m sure that I’m going to use some of the templates for Pinterest soon, but what I learned from her Canva tips was already worth the $17 her kit is valued for.

You can find the Gorgeous Graphics Design Kit for Canva, along with other awesome kits on the products page of this Canva Wizard. 

Stock Photos

Including the ones from the ‘100 Unique Lifestyle Stock Images for Bloggers’ download that is included by Sage Media and Marketing, I now have about 150 new pictures to use for this blog or for my pins.

It’s hard to value those as there was no price mentioned. You probably won’t use every picture, as some just don’t fit your topics or themes.

Let’s say you use a third. The pricing of stock photos ranges from 0 to hundreds of dollars, but even if you range it to a low-priced subscription site, a price of $0.25 per image, is still $12.50 in total.

The Value of the Bonus Offers

The GBTK comes with even more gifts as they offer a package of time-limited bonuses. Think of things like extra free months when trying out ConvertKit (or extra automation for existing customers), discounts for Tailwind, etcetera.

Access To Even More Knowledge

I always wanted to try out the Bloggers Breakthrough Summit and the GBTK offers 3 months of free access as a bonus. Yummie!

It is valued at $47 and you will also get access to replays of previous talks.
At the moment I am half-way through a talk about ‘Using Google Analytics with Affiliate Marketing’ and I am already learning new things.

Getting Organized

So now I bought the Genius Bloggers Toolkit and then what?
Remember what I said before about getting lost or drowning in all the information?

If you are like me, then buying a toolkit like this does not help (at first), because you still have the same situation.

Hero

And then Kristi from the Paperless Boss came to the rescue!

Inside the GBTK was a little gem called Trello Tracking Board for the Genius Blogger’s Toolkit and although every chaos-loving bit of DNA in my body was protesting, I gave it a go.

Now, if you don’t have Trello, then do yourself a favor and join it (for free). It will help you do a lot of different things like organizing, keep notes, track progress, etcetera. It is a bit of a combination between a notebook, your refrigerator door (or pinboard), and sticky notes…

Trello + System = Gold

To get the most out of it you need a system. And for the GBTK Kristi made a perfect board to help you track your subscriptions, your progress, etc.
She even included a course on how to use it.

The best thing: you can customize it however you like. I added some labels and colors to identify if I registered already and to quickly find the ones that have an affiliate program.

Take a look at the featured image at the top of this post for a screenshot.

Thank you, Kristi, you are a lifesaver!

Conclusion

So, I bought the Genius Bloggers Toolkit, but did I think it was worth it?
Long story short: To me, it is most definitely worth it. Here is a summary of why:

• Already, after just a week, I have learned a couple of things that I am going to use while running The Side Gig Longlist.
  I am certain that it will be valuable, but time will tell.
• As I only have used maybe 2 or 3% of what is inside the GBTK, the value it represents has already exceeded its purchasing price.
• The contributors of courses, ebooks, and downloads that also offer affiliate programs give me the opportunity to earn a commission.
• With or without an affiliate program, there is a lot to write about. The GBTK gives me a lot of ideas, and input, for future posts. 
  This post is an example of it.
• I found some new experienced and successful bloggers to follow, which will give me the opportunity to keep on learning from what they do.

What’s Next?

As I wrote in the beginning, Ultimate Bundles offers the GBTK about twice a year for a short period of time. After that, you will have to wait for the next flash sale.

I will inform my subscribers when the next sale is up, so no need to check the site every day, just sign up to join my email list and you will get a notification in your inbox.

And if you enjoyed reading this post, then I would really appreciate it if you shared it!

Thanks for reading, you are awesome!