Podcasts about your blog

Hey there, my friend! Welcome back to Creatives on Fire, the podcast designed to help content creators like you grow your audience and income. This week, we're diving deep into a powerful mindset shift—what happens when quitting is not an option? https://creativesonfirepodcast.com/episode182 Imagine this: You step off a ship, feeling the solid ground beneath your feet. Then your leader turns to you and says, "Burn the boats." That's exactly what historical leaders like Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, and Cortez told their men. They had no Plan B—only victory or defeat. And guess what? They chose to succeed. Now, let's talk about your business. What if quitting wasn't an option? What if there was no backup plan? How would that change the way you approach blogging? Why Having No Plan B Can Change Everything When we give ourselves a safety net, we often take it. If blogging gets hard, we say, “Well, I can always go back to _______.” But what if you removed the escape route? What if you committed, wholeheartedly, to making your blog your primary business? If you're ready to push forward and make blogging work for you, it comes down to three key things: ✔ Conviction – Believing in your blog's purpose ✔ Commitment – Showing up consistently ✔ Conversion – Turning content into income Let's break them down. 1. Conviction: Believe in Your Blog's Purpose The foundation of your success starts with believing that blogging is the way to build your business. It's your home base. Every piece of content—your social media, emails, videos—should lead back to your blog.

If you're an online entrepreneur, coach, or blogger, you've likely been told that email marketing is key to growing your business. The saying is true, "The money is in your list!" Yet, the complexities of setting up email systems and crafting campaigns can feel daunting. In my newest episode of The Blogger Genius Podcast, I interviewed Rebecca Shostak, co-founder of Flodesk (affiliate), a platform revolutionizing email marketing for small businesses. Rebecca shared her journey from designing merchandise for top music acts like Rihanna and Linkin Park to co-founding Flodesk, a tool designed to make email marketing simple, beautiful, and accessible. In this post, we'll unpack strategies for growing your business, simplifying your processes, and using tools like Flodesk and MiloTree to make your efforts easy, effective, and profitable. Show Notes: MiloTree Flodesk (affiliate) 6 Purchasing Triggers Download The 3 AI Prompts You Need to Create a Freebie Cheatsheet Join The Blogger Genius Newsletter Become a Blogger Genius Facebook Group Subscribe to the Blogger Genius Podcast: iTunes YouTube Spotify Why Email Marketing is Critical in 2025 Email marketing has evolved from a "nice-to-have" to an essential pillar of a successful online business. Here's why: Higher Engagement Rates: While social media posts have a 3-5% visibility rate, email open rates range from 30-80% for engaged audiences. Unmatched ROI: For every dollar spent on email marketing, businesses see an average return of $40. Ownership of Your Audience: Social media algorithms are unpredictable, but with email, you own your subscriber list, ensuring direct communication with your audience. If you're not already building an email list, now is the time to start. Luckily, tools like Flodesk and MiloTree make this process seamless and free. How Simplicity Drives Success In business, complexity can be the enemy of progress. Rebecca Shostak, co-founder of Flodesk, and my recent guest on The Blogger Genius Podcast, shared her philosophy: “Less is more.” This mindset applies to email design, business strategy, and the way you communicate with your audience. Here's how simplicity can transform your efforts: 1. Simplify Email Design Stick to 1-2 Fonts: Consistent typography creates a polished, professional look. Use Ample White Space: Break up content to make it visually appealing and easy to read. Focus on One Message: Avoid cramming multiple ideas into a single email. Instead, send shorter, more frequent emails. 2. Streamline Your Business Strategy Focus on Core Problems: Identify the single biggest problem you solve for your audience and build your messaging around it. Reduce Overwhelm: Avoid overloading your audience with information. Offer one solution at a time. Leverage Simple Tools: MiloTree integrates seamlessly with major email platforms like Flodesk, allowing you to grow your list and sell digital products effortlessly. How to Transition Social Media Followers into Email Subscribers Social media is great for visibility, but it's not where sales happen. Rebecca described email as the “intimate conversation” stage of the customer relationship. Here are actionable tips to transition your social followers into engaged email subscribers: Offer a Valuable Freebie A freebie (also known as a lead magnet) is an excellent way to incentivize followers to join your list. Ideas include: Cheat sheets Mini-courses Discount codes Free shipping Exclusive content (e.g., recipes, travel guides, templates) With MiloTree's Free Plan, you can create an AI-generated opt-in page, upload your freebie, and deliver it to subscribers automatically—all for free. Optimize Your Link in Bio Rebecca highlighted Flodesk's Link in Bio tool, which prioritizes your email opt-in form at the top. Pair this with a strong call-to-action like: “Grab your free cheat sheet now!” “Get 10% off your first purchase—subscribe today!” How to Use Email to Grow Your Business Your email list isn't just a communication channel—it's your most powerful revenue generator. Use it strategically to: Drive Traffic to Your Blog or Website: Send short, snappy emails teasing new content. Sell Digital Products: Whether it's an ebook, course, or membership, email lets you connect directly with your audience to promote and sell. Build Trust: Share personal updates or behind-the-scenes insights to foster a deeper connection with your subscribers. How MiloTree Makes Selling Digital Products Easy At MiloTree, we believe in empowering entrepreneurs to monetize their expertise without the tech headache. Here's why MiloTree is the perfect solution for selling digital products: 1. Hassle-Free Setup Set up your product, opt-in page, or freebie in under 5 minutes.   No tech skills required—MiloTree's AI tools handle the heavy lifting. 2. Affordable Plans Start for free, no credit card required. Scale up with plans that grow with your business. 3. All-in-One Platform Sell digital products, offer unlimited freebies, and grow your email list—all from one platform. 4. Build Relationships Unlike faceless marketplaces, MiloTree helps you establish a direct connection with your audience, fostering loyalty and repeat sales.

Got a Minute? Checkout today's episode of The Guy R Cook Report podcast - the Google Doc for this episode is @ Boosting Engagement: Top Strategies for Your Blog and Facebook ----more---- Support this podcast Subscribe where you listen to podcasts I help goal oriented business owners that run established companies to leverage the power of the internet Contact Guy R Cook @ https://guyrcook.com In the meantime, go ahead follow me on X: @guyrcookreport Click to Tweet Be a patron of The Guy R Cook Report. Your help is appreciated. Contact Guy R Cook Follow The Guy R Cook Report on Podbean iPhone and Android App | Podbean   https://bit.ly/3m6TJDV Thanks for listening, viewing or reading the show notes for this episode. This episode of The Guy R Cook Report is on YouTube too @ This episode of The Guy R Cook Report Have a great new year, and hopefully your efforts to Entertain, Educate, Convince or Inspire are in play vDomainHosting, Inc 3110 S Neel Place Kennewick, WA 509-200-1429

Are you looking for motivation to keep growing your blog? Today's guest is the encouragement you may need! Jessica Camerata is the author and owner of An Indigo Day, a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle blog that provides practical tips for her audience. Since launching her blog in 2011, she's gone through the ups and downs that come with blogging, but is a prime example of why it's so important to create a sustainable business. Listen in as she shares how she turned An Indigo Day from a creative outlet to her full-time job. She shares the value of SEO, branding, and intentional strategies in order to build a business that you not only love, but also serves you. Today's episode is brought to you by Link Whisper: Did you know that it's important to add internal links to your blog posts? You'll not only see a boost in your page views from your viewers clicking the links, you're also signaling to Google that you are an expert on this topic, which helps you rank higher. Link Whisper is the tool that will plug into your blog that will help you utilize this strategy! Head to the link below and use the code THRIVE. Try Now >> Head to thrivetogether.blog/podcast for the show notes! Find it Quickly 1:42 -Meet Jessica 2:46 - An Indigo Day 8:51 - Evergreen Content 15:11 - Staying Motivated and Managing Content 20:10 - Content Recirculation 22:47 - Blogging Strategies and Insights 24:25 - Blogger Lifestyle and Career 27:04 - Navigating Revenue Streams in Blogging 29:36 - Advocating for Your Blog in the Influencer Space 33:20 - Diversifying Your Online Presence Beyond Social Media 35:56 - The Future of Blogging and Affiliate Platforms   Resources Mentioned The Profitable Blogger Society Thrive's Youtube Channel Thrive Facebook Community Shift Connect with Jessica anindigoday.com instagram.com/anindigoday ----- Looking for more support? Check out our coaching programs! Shift—If you've made more than $5k in the last 12-months, apply today! Profitable Blogger Society—if you need help getting your foundation started, as well as knowing where to spend your time for the most growth!  ----- If you're looking for a blogging & influencer community, then join us over on Facebook, the Thrive Blogging Community! 

As we approach a busy holiday season, managing your podcast may feel a little more overwhelming than normal! In today's episode, I'm sharing how you can set your podcast up for success this holiday season without adding more work to your plate! Listen in as I share a few tips for the holidays, content ideas for the end of the year, and a few ideas for repurposing content!Review full show notes and transcript at clockinginpodcast.com!Today's episode is brought to you by Mic Check Society, our community for podcasters who are looking to take their podcast from good to great. Come join us for educational trainings, a private member's only community, and monthly calls! Get $10 off per month with code PODCAST at micchecksociety.com. Mentioned in this Episode:Episode 84 - Taking a BreakEpisode 85 - Other Podcasters Who Have Taken a BreakEpisode 92 - Defining Your Own Success | Repurposed EpisodeEpisode 103 - Should You Start a Podcast for Your Blog? | Repurposed EpisodeBonus: Riverside Updates | Repurposed Facebook LiveConnect with Haylee:instagram.com/hayleegaffinGaffincreative.commicchecksociety.comClocking In with Haylee Gaffin is produced by Gaffin Creative, a podcast production company for creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about our services at Gaffincreative.com, plus you'll also find resources, show notes, and more for the Clocking In Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ecommerce SEO strategies, as an eCommerce business owner, you likely understand the importance of optimizing your website for search engines. After all, appearing at the top of Google's search results is the key to driving traffic to your website and boosting sales. However, many eCommerce businesses make the mistake of focusing solely on product pages and category pages and overlooking the value of a blog. In this post, we'll explore the real reason eCommerce business owners should be publishing articles on their blog, and how it can help maximize eCommerce SEO. Time Stamps 0:00:00 | Unlocking the Benefits of SEO for Ecommerce Businesses: Why Publishing Articles on Your Blog is Key 0:03:24 | Optimizing Ecommerce Websites for Organic Traffic: A Content-Led Approach 0:05:54 | Exploring Topical Mapping: A Comprehensive Overview 0:07:09 | Exploring Content Mapping Strategies for SEO Success 0:08:41 | Exploring the Benefits of Topical Mapping for SEO 0:10:09 | Exploring the Connection Between Topical Relevance and High Performance Ranking 0:13:15 | Evaluating SEO Performance: Leading Edge Metrics and Competitor Analysis 0:14:59 | Exploring the Benefits of Topical Mapping for SEO Programs 0:18:19 | Exploring the Benefits of Topic Mapping and Buyer Journey Mapping for SEO 0:18:55 | Exploring the Benefits of Building Authority for SEO Success 0:21:50 | Understanding the Relationship Between SEO and Ecommerce: How to Maximize Traffic and Conversion Rates 0:24:42 | Unlocking the Potential of SEO: Insights from Ashley Pierce 0:26:36 | Understanding SEO for Ecommerce: Key Takeaways for Driving Traffic and Conversions 0:28:12 | Understanding Ecommerce SEO: Takeaways from Ashley Pierce of Future State Media 0:32:37 | Exploring Risk Mitigation Strategies for E-Commerce Platforms 0:35:51 | Exploring the Benefits of SEO: Leveraging Topical Relevance to Increase Profitability 0:38:19 | Exploring Opportunities for Establishing Topical Relevance in SEO 0:41:25 | Exploring the Power of Authority Building in SEO Ecommerce SEO Strategies : The Power of Topical Mapping To start, it's essential to understand the power of topical mapping. At its core, topical mapping is the process of identifying the key topics that are most relevant to your business and creating content around those topics. This approach can help build a level of topical authority in search engines, which can drive traffic to your website. Traditionally, building topical authority involved generating millions of backlinks. However, today's SEO techniques are more sophisticated, and topical mapping has become an essential tool in the eCommerce SEO toolkit. To get started with topical mapping, you'll need to map out your niche using tools like Google and SEM Rush. By analyzing what your competitors are already publishing, you can gain a better understanding of the topics that are most relevant to your business. Ecommerce SEO Strategies : Topical Mapping and the Buyer Journey However, it's essential to note that topical mapping is not the same as mapping out the buyer journey and providing content. In most cases, there will be some overlap between these two approaches, but they won't be perfectly aligned. The aim of the game is to cover the topic more fully and to a higher quality than your competitors in the search market. Once you do this, you'll find ranking for commercial "buying intent" terms easier and more reliable. The Role of Commercial Intent One of the most common mistakes eCommerce businesses make is creating content solely for informational search intent, which may have no commercial intent. While this approach can help you rank product pages and category pages for commercial intent topics, it doesn't necessarily translate into sales. Instead, it's essential to create content that aligns with commercial search intent. This type of content should be designed to drive high-profit sales from Google Organic traffic,

https://DarkHorseSchooling.com   The Dark Horse Entrepreneur Podcast helps entrepreneurs, coaches, and course creators who want to build a business online but are struggling with technology, procrastination, and imposter syndrome. In this episode, Tracy Brinkman discusses five money-generating niches that entrepreneurs can focus on to build a successful business.   Tracy Brinkmann shares that the topic of health is one of the best money generating topics out there. She explains that the health and fitness industry is growing rapidly and is worth billions of dollars. If you are passionate about the topic of health, you can carve out your own niche and make a lot of money.   Tracy discusses how to become a successful fitness content creator by narrowing down your niche and providing value to your audience. They also talk about the importance of money in the fitness industry, and how to make and save money as a content creator within the fitness arena.   Tracy discusses different ideas of possible blogging topics that could be profitable. The topics discussed were health, money, food, fitness and.. one other area of passion. It was noted that while not everybody is interested in every topic, there are ways to cater to different interests within each topic. For example, within the topic of food, one could blog about recipes, cooking classes, or the best places to eat in a certain city. It was also noted that food bloggers tend to make a higher median income than bloggers in other industries.   TIMESTAMPS 0:00:00   The Five Best Money Generating Niches for Content 0:02:21   The Best Money Making Topics in the Blogosphere 0:03:59   How to Make Money in the Fitness Industry 0:05:24   3 Profitable Blogging Niches to Start in 2021 0:08:47   How to Make Money in the Food and Travel Niches 0:10:21   How to Create a Travel Blog That Makes Money 0:12:10   How to Choose a Niche for Your Blog, Video, or Podcast 0:17:29   The Benefits of Leveraging Your Experience to Create Products 0:19:03   The Dark Horse Entrepreneur Podcast: Episode #1 – Why These Five Passions Will Work For You   HIGHLIGHTS You'll find it far easier to sustain your blog, your video, your podcast, whatever medium you're choosing to share your passion driven niche. You'll find it far easier to get over the hurdles, to crack through the barriers, to dig under the walls that are going to be placed between you and your goal, which is probably earning some money with it, right?.   Heck, you could probably get the folks that come on to your videocast or your podcast or your blog to pay you via their marketing funds that they would use to pay for their advertising.   One of the ladies I'm trying to get on the podcast has five of them  (unique air BnBs) and they're all ones like a spaceship. One is like shaped like a dog crazy.   Try creating a travel blog about the most unique airbnb's that are out there. Think about that for a moment, just for a moment, would you? There are a number of very unique B and B's out there.   There are some of them out there that are in the travel industry. So you could get your travel paid for, most likely, and enjoy the process at the same time.   A special thanks to ConspiracyMusicGuru.com for our new true solfeggio background music

Need a comment? Leave a link, head over to the comment section here.To read a transcript of How To Get More Comments: 7 Secrets You Won't Hear Anywhere Else go here.Extra Credit: For a good article on 9 Reasons People Don't Comment on Your Blog go here. To eyeball the post I mentioned on my Four Surprising Benefits of a Small Mailing List go here.For the Tony Buzan Mind Mapping Video I mentioned go here.Charmed Studio Podcast on How To Turn Your Website into an Attraction Magnet (WITHOUT Social Media).One of my favorite posts from Luann Udell: Let Me Count The Ways; Why That Gallery Didn't Take My Art.How Tea Can Make You a Better Artist: With Top Ten Bonus Book List For Tea HeadsThanks for sharing your valuable time and energy with me here at The Charmed Studio. 

As a teacher, you may be sick of hearing about data. But as a blogger and business owner, you can't ignore the numbers. If you want to know if your efforts are paying off, you need to track your numbers.  If you want to know what people are responding to, you need to track your numbers. If you want help determining where to reinforce your efforts, you need to track your numbers. You know this. The good news is that, thanks to Google Analytics, gathering data for your blog is much easier than it is in your classroom. You can literally just log in and find out what you need to know! If you've not set up your Google Analytics account, you can find the instructions on how to do so here. Once you set up your account, Google will track your site's activity and you can check on it at any time. It's a beautiful thing! The not so good news is that Google Analytics gives you a ton of data, and it can be overwhelming.  So let's dig into the numbers you really need to know to track your progress. What Are Key Performance Indicators? Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the data points that are going to help you evaluate whether your blog is growing in the way you want it to.  Over time, these KPIs will also help you  identify trends, like whether or not it's normal for your traffic to drop after Christmas, or that your bounce rate drops when you include at least 3 internal links in your posts. This knowledge will give you insight, inspiration, and peace of mind when you're going through the ups and downs of blogging. Page Views Your page views represent the total number of pages people have viewed on your blog. This is a great number to know as a basic overview of your site's performance. Page views are tallied each time someone views a page on your site. So if a visitor reads a blog post, follows an internal link to another blog post, then clicks to go to a page to sign up for your freebie, that would count as 3 page views. Another data point you can look at are Sessions, which is counted as a single visit, regardless of how many pages the reader views. The example above would be 1 session. There's also Users, which counts the number of unique visitors to your site. The example above would be a single user, and if they returned to your site on another day, it wouldn't add another user to your count. Generally speaking, you want your page views to go up, but don't obsess over them. Your readership is going to have natural peaks and valleys. For example, a health and wellness blog might see a big jump in page views around the first of the year, but November might be a bit of a lull. As long as the numbers are trending up over time, it's all good. Pages Per Session To calculate this number Google takes the total number of page views and divides it by the number of sessions over the same time period. The higher this number is, the more your readers are interacting with your site. Shopping sites tend to have higher average pages per session because people click around looking at different items. Sites that attract more cold traffic, like blogs, have lower pages per session. To increase this indicator provide more opportunities for readers to click to other content on your blog. You might add more internal links to your posts, add a stronger call to action, use a related posts plugin, or add a sidebar that entices readers to click on your opt-ins. Bounce Rate Your bounce rate is the percentage of sessions that include a single page. It indicates that people are coming to your site for whatever content drew them there, but are not engaging past that post. Of all your KPIs, this is the number you want to see decrease. A lower bounce rate means more people are sticking around and clicking through your site. Like above, to improve this focus on encouraging your readers to do something or click somewhere in each of your posts. Inbound Traffic Sources Your blog can get traffic (visitors) from lots of different sources. In Analytics, Google breaks it down into 6 basic categories in the Acquisition Overview: Direct: people who click on a link in an email or just type in your web address Referral: people who find you through a link on someone else's website Organic Search: anyone who finds you through entering a search term in Google, Bing, Yahoo!, etc. Organic Social: those who get to your page via any social media network Organic Video: people who find you through YouTube and click over to your site Unassigned: anyone who finds you in a way that doesn't fit one of the other categories But here's a little tip; In the bottom left corner of this page is a box called Sessions. This box will show you where your traffic came from based on the 6 default categories. But… you can choose to dig a little deeper.  The graphic below shows the Sessions box with the default categories (on the left) and by session source (on the right). I prefer to look at the session source because it tells me exactly where my visitors are coming from.  [sessions image] My focuses for acquiring new traffic are email and Facebook. This information confirms that my efforts are paying off. You can see that direct traffic tops my report, and Facebook (mobile and standard) make up another large chunk. I can also see that my SEO game is on point because I'm getting a very nice amount of traffic via Google. I could also use information about my inbound traffic to determine if a new campaign is working or not. For example, if I had just implemented a new Instagram strategy I'd be pretty disappointed because I have literally no traffic from Instagram. I could then decide to revamp my efforts or just stick with what I can see is already working. Top Posts and Pages This KPI tells you what your most popular posts and pages were over the selected time period, based on page views.  Beyond just feeling good about yourself, there are some big benefits to knowing what posts are driving your blog traffic. First, once you know what type of posts your readers are engaging with most, you can create more of this content. Write a part 2 or follow to that post, or just craft more posts geared to that specific segment of your audience. (This may be part of niching down even further.) This data can also help you decide which older posts to promote in your email newsletter or on social media. If it's something your audience has already told you they liked through high engagement or page views, it can't hurt to put it out there again. Since you originally published the post you've likely gained new followers, and there's a better than decent chance not everyone in your audience didn't see it the first time you shared it. Finally, once you know which posts are your top performers, you can take a bit of time to optimize them. Make sure those posts have lots of internal links in them (we talked about this in the previous post 17 Essential Dos & Don'ts to Get More Traffic to Your Blog), have a really strong call to action, and that you've checked that these posts are well formatted for mobile. New Email Subscribers This is the only metric that you won't find in Google Analytics. Instead, you need to go to your email service provider (I use ConvertKit), to see how many subscribers you've gained in the month. As I mentioned above, my email list is one of my best, and most consistent marketing channels. In order to get the most value from it I need to make sure it's continually growing, with new people being added. Here's what my report looks like for the last 5 weeks. [email image] It's important to note here, that when you check this report you're also going to see the number of people who are unsubscribing from your list.In the image here they're shown in light gray. Don't get discouraged by unsubscribes. As long as over time you're gaining more subscribers than you're losing, it's all good.  New subscribers are a good indication that your opt-in is connecting with your audience. If you want this number to go up faster, there are some things you can do. While you might be tempted to scrap your current opt-in and create a new one, first play around with your call to action, and the placement of your opt-ins. You might even want to try a pop-up if you don't have one. Yes, they're annoying, but they work! (I use OptinMonster, which you can try here.) Once you know the KPIs you want to track, set a date in your calendar every month to review them. You can make a spreadsheet to record month over month, or just write it in a notebook. You don't need a complicated system, especially at first.  Instead, simply make an appointment with yourself once a month to review your numbers and don't be afraid of them. They're just numbers. They're indicators of your blog's growth, not it's success or failure (or yours). Just like your students' standardized test scores or the number you see when you step on the scale, it's just data you can use to continue to grow. And what's the most important thing when it comes to growing your blog? Consistently putting out great content. Now you can enroll in the 5-Day Content Challenge and never be stuck for what to write about. Click here to enroll for free!

In this week's episode, I discuss the three ways to make a great first impression with your website.   You've got 10 seconds to make a good—or bad—impression once a visitor arrives at your website.  HERE'S WHAT MAKES A BAD IMPRESSION: 1. Slow load time 2. A cluttered layout 3. Poor functionality SO, WHAT MAKES A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION? 1. A clear brand 2. Direct calls-to-action 3. Building credibility See “Website Art vs Website Art” to learn about the differences between aesthetics and functionality. See my blog post “What Makes a Good Website” for more information about functionality. And listen to “How to Create Content for Your Blog or Podcast” for information on how content creation helps boost your SEO ranking.  Link to this episode — For information on website design services, visit AKS Design Studio. Contact Kelly at kelly@aksdesignstudio.com. Music by Zen Man Mentioned in this episode: The Podcast Launch Playbook -- If you've been thinking about starting your own podcast, The Podcast Launch Playbook will help you do it—step-by-step, super-simple, exactly what you need to go from idea to launch! Buy here: https://the-marketing-chat.captivate.fm/plp

019. We've probably said this a thousand times now, but we made some big mistakes with SEO when we first started Create and Go that still haunt us to this day.In our last episode, we talked about our dark history with SEO, and how Noah and Alex managed to dig us out of the hole we accidentally made for ourselves. Y'all, I can't tell you how much it hurts me to think of all the time, effort, energy, and money we could have saved (and how much more successful we could be even today) if we hadn't blown off focusing on SEO in the beginning. It wasn't that we didn't know SEO was important (although we didn't realize exactly how vital it was). But we were doing so well with the traffic we drove from Pinterest and YouTube that we figured SEO was something we could focus on later. We kicked the can down the road, and boy, did it come back to bite us!Our strategies with social media were great in the short-term; but every blog needs a plan that includes SEO, or you won't make it long-term. Period. Today, Noah and I are going over: exactly where we went wrong, the three biggest mistakes we made,and how you can avoid them.Ignorance might be bliss, but y'all...knowledge is power. And SEO knowledge is the most powerful and valuable knowledge you can have in the blogging world. We want you to empower you to get this right the first time, get an SEO strategy in place, and avoid making the major mistakes we made.(But if you're like us, and have already been kicking the can down the road, you can still fix it!)In this episode, Part 2, Noah and I are discussing:Our mindset on traffic in the beginningWhy we didn't have an SEO plan at firstThe three biggest SEO mistakes we made when we started Create and GoHow our lack of knowledge and planning came back to bite usWhat you can do to avoid making the same mistakes we madeFor additional resources and show notes, visit the episode podcast page on our website.Resources and Mentions:Podcast: SEO Pt 1: Do You Need an SEO Strategy for Your Blog? [With Noah Riggs]Course Mentioned: SEO Blueprint for BloggersRelated Post: Blog SEO: 10 Step Beginner's Guide to Ranking Blog PostsRelated Video: SEO for Beginners: 10 Steps to get More Organic Traffic to Your BlogTutorial: How to Start a Successful BlogStart your first blog with our Free 5-Day Blogging BootcampFor more information and resources, check out the podcast page on our website.

019. We've probably said this a thousand times now, but we made some big mistakes with SEO when we first started Create and Go that still haunt us to this day.In our last episode, we talked about our dark history with SEO, and how Noah and Alex managed to dig us out of the hole we accidentally made for ourselves. Y'all, I can't tell you how much it hurts me to think of all the time, effort, energy, and money we could have saved (and how much more successful we could be even today) if we hadn't blown off focusing on SEO in the beginning. It wasn't that we didn't know SEO was important (although we didn't realize exactly how vital it was). But we were doing so well with the traffic we drove from Pinterest and YouTube that we figured SEO was something we could focus on later. We kicked the can down the road, and boy, did it come back to bite us!Our strategies with social media were great in the short-term; but every blog needs a plan that includes SEO, or you won't make it long-term. Period. Today, Noah and I are going over: exactly where we went wrong, the three biggest mistakes we made,and how you can avoid them.Ignorance might be bliss, but y'all...knowledge is power. And SEO knowledge is the most powerful and valuable knowledge you can have in the blogging world.  We want you to empower you to get this right the first time, get an SEO strategy in place, and avoid making the major mistakes we made.(But if you're like us, and have already been kicking the can down the road, you can still fix it!)In this episode, Part 2, Noah and I are discussing:Our mindset on traffic in the beginningWhy we didn't have an SEO plan at firstThe three biggest SEO mistakes we made when we started Create and GoHow our lack of knowledge and planning came back to bite usWhat you can do to avoid making the same mistakes we madeFor additional resources and show notes, visit the episode podcast page on our website.Resources and Mentions:Podcast: SEO Pt 1: Do You Need an SEO Strategy for Your Blog? [With Noah Riggs]Course Mentioned: SEO Blueprint for BloggersRelated Post: Blog SEO: 10 Step Beginner's Guide to Ranking Blog PostsRelated Video: SEO for Beginners: 10 Steps to get More Organic Traffic to Your BlogTutorial: How to Start a Successful BlogStart your first blog with our Free 5-Day Blogging Bootcamp

Every so often some new internet guru proclaims to the world that blogs are dead. (Spoiler alert: they're not.) They (you know… “they”) have also tried to declare email, Facebook groups, and static images dead, so they don't have a great track record here. The fact is that blogs are still an amazing way to make money, whether you use them as an income producer on their own or you use them to market products or services. And to prove it, here are some pretty mind blowing statistics provided by Optin Monster: Every month, 409 million people view more than 20 billion blog posts Blog readers post 77 million comments per month Companies who blog get 97% more links to their site Blogs have been rated as the 5th most trustworthy source for gathering online information. 77% of internet users read blogs. Businesses that blog experience twice as much email traffic as businesses who don't. Marketers who prioritize blogging are 13x more likely to have a positive ROI on their efforts. But perhaps the most compelling evidence that blogs are still effective is that so many people are still using them! With all the options available to companies - from solopreneurs to massive Fortune 500 companies - the fact that so many still blog regularly as a way to grow their revenue is telling.  The Blog is Dead. Long Live the Blog. What most people mean to say when they say blogging is dead, is that blogging isn't what it used to be… But let's be honest; what is?  I started blogging in 2012 which, in internet years, was a million years ago. What I did back then to build my business isn't what I teach people to do today. Just like my mentors couldn't teach me to blog like they did back in the 1990s and early 2000s. There are lots of things that have changed about blogging over time - more about those changes in a future post - but the biggest thing we have to think about today is intention. When blogs first started they were a means of connection and communication. It was easy to start a blog, but more challenging to monetize it, and honestly that wasn't the point. People shared about their day-to-day lives, swapped stories, and built connection and community in a less formal way. Bloggers were thought of as outcasts, and they formed their own online Island of Misfit Toys.  A big turning point for bloggers was 2003 when 2 major developments happened. WordPress released their open-source blogging platform and Google launched AdSense and AdWords Those 2 tools allowed bloggers to create their own websites and monetize their content much easier than they'd been able to in the past. This is when blogging became a business.  The intent of blogging had shifted. It wasn't just about connection, now it was also about capitalism. Even still, the content of blogs didn't change a whole lot. Yes, they were on self-designed websites and there were ads on the page, but the posts were still very personal and informal. Now there were 2 other platforms having an impact on blogging: Google Analytics and the popularity of email. Google Analytics allowed bloggers to see data on what readers were reading and sharing, which meant that bloggers started to plan content around what their readers wanted, as opposed to what they wanted. Also at this time, email was becoming an essential service, but because it was still new, people happily gave their email address out to anyone who asked for it. All bloggers had to do was ask people to join their newsletter mailing list. (Ah, the good ol' days.)   Once blogging was established as a viable, sustainable way to make money, the floodgates opened.  By 2010 just about every news outlet had a blog.  Blogs weren't just for outcasts, college kids,  and stay-at-home-moms anymore! Now What? These days there's a lot more to blogging than there was even 10 years ago.  Social media became a massive force, not just in blogging, but in society as a whole. YouTube became a thing (enough said about that). Podcasts got started.  And people guard their email addresses with more fervor than they do their social security numbers. But, while it's not as easy as the olden days, it's still totally worth it. To stand out on the noisy, crowded internet, especially if you want to make money, you need more than a website with some words on it. You need to solve a problem, build relationships, and become a consistent go-to source for your audience. Some tips for doing blogging right in 2022: Stay in your niche. Once you choose a niche and decide on your content pillars, make sure your content stays true to your vision. It's tempting to follow trends and do what others are doing, but you'll see the fastest return and growth when you become an authority in your niche rather than a generalist. Need help choosing your niche? Grab my freebie, The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Topic for Your Blog, Podcast, or Video Show. Design matters. If you read blogs that were first published on WordPress in the early 2000s, you may have noticed that they were, well… ugly. These days your blog needs to be visually appealing and easy to navigate to keep people from clicking away. Make thoughtful design choices and frequently check your website for broken links to ensure a greater user experience. Be yourself. With the vast internet at everyone's fingertips, the biggest factor that will get people to choose you as their go-to source is YOU! Let your personality shine through on your website and you will attract people who like who you are (and repel people who are just going to give you agita). Repurpose your content. Here at Side Hustle Teachers I call my blog a blogcast because I repurpose this blog into a podcast. You can also save yourself a ton of time by repurposing blog posts into social media posts, and these days you must continually promote your blog, so do it without creating extra work for yourself. So, no, blogging is not dead. It's evolving, just like everything else.  For your investment (money and time), blogging is still the easiest way to get started with content marketing and start building your business. There's an extremely low barrier for entry and just about anyone can be successful!

ooking to grow your brand, business, spread your message, generate leads or sales? To do all of that digitally, there are things we need to put in place that goes beyond the realm of social media. I call it our Digital Foundations. A website is not a static brochure to display a product or contact info...It is the #1 Employee and Sales rep for your brand. It collects data, shows up in front of people who are looking for things related to your niche, takes your bookings and makes you money. For your website to do this, you will need to learn how to extract data from the search engines to craft the right content and optimize your pages to be found via the search engines. Your Blog or Post Section should be getting the most love on your website. This is where you create content on your website from the written blogs, audio and video posts. Learning the type of content to create, optimizing them for search and how to properly distribute it on the various digital channels is a key part of success. So join me on Oct 23, Oct 30, Nov 6 for the Digipreneur Foundations Workshops...Each session builds on top of the other. Each session is $30usd/$200ttd but if you take all 3 sessions, you can use the Code: Foundation and save $15usd/$100ttd off.   To register for the workshops or get more info, visit The Digipreneur Foundations Workshop Series. I look forward to seeing you there.   

What is a niche? My favorite definition: A niche market is a subset of a larger market defined by its unique needs, preferences, and identity. - Kitty Shark Creative It's the thing you do, in the way you do it, and for whom. There's also some confusion about how to say niche. Some people say it in a way that rhymes with rich, others like it rhymes with sheesh, both are correct. So however you say it, you're good. For example, in teaching, we're all specialists. I teach music, that's my specialization. Even though I'm certified to teach Pre-K through 12th grade, I teach middle school music. And to narrow that down even further, my passion is general music. There are lots of ways to narrow down your niche, but let's focus on the big 3: Services offered Clients demographics Geographic area Services Offered. By choosing to focus on a specific set of services, you are narrowing your customer base and becoming known for a particular skill set. I was driving behind a tree removal company's truck recently, and on the back of the truck it read, “Specializing in difficult removals.” Does that mean that this company can't handle regular tree pruning and chopping? Not at all. But you can bet I took a picture of the truck to show my neighbor who's been worried about the tree towering over his house. Similarly, a virtual assistant could niche down in social media management, a bookkeeper could focus on payroll, or a dog trainer could narrow his business to security dogs only. Client Demographics. Many products or services can be used by an overwhelming percentage of the population. By focusing on a group of people with a specific set of characteristics you become known in that particular population. I know several people in the health and wellness industry and none of them are competing for customers with each other. One serves CrossFit enthusiasts, another helps the elderly stay fit with chair workouts, and another works with stay at home moms who can't get to the gym…  Other examples might include a seller of essential oils who focuses on Gen Z customers, a tennis coach who only teaches players who want to play in competition, or a business coach who only works with teachers. Geographic Area. Not every business is limited by geography, but if yours is, it's best to take note and use that “limitation” to benefit your business. Recently I noticed a bunch of for sale signs in a neighboring town from a real estate company I'd never heard of. It turns out that this agent had left a nation-wide real estate company to start his own that was entirely focused on ONE TOWN. Word spread like wildfire that if you want to sell in his town, he's your man. While you don't have to niche down to a single town, if your business is done in person, defining a geographic area in which you work is not only helpful, it's necessary. So furniture flippers, in-person tutors, notary publics, home organizers, etc. be clear about the locations you serve. Realistically, you're going to want to mix and match the characteristics you look for in order to achieve your perfect niche. Here are a few examples of businesses that use all three techniques for parsing out their niche.:  Lawn and garden maintenance service for people with 3+ acres of land in Westchester County. Makeup and lash application for brides within 30 miles of St. Paul, MN. Electrician for commercial new builds in Phoenix, AZ Why do you need to niche down? “My product/ service can help anyone. Why would I limit who I market to?” This is a common objection of those who are hesitant to niche down and focus on a specific way in which you can help a specific group of people. And it's understandable. Choosing a niche feels counterintuitive at first. But let's think of it this way.. If you have a migraine, you're not going to go to the medicine cabinet and look for the medicine that says it cures everything. You're going to reach for the bottle that says, “Starts kicking your migrain to the curb in 10 minutes.” Why? Because you know that medicine is going to solve the exact problem you have right now. Here's another example: I don't use a travel agent to book travel just because I can. I use one because I am a worst-case scenario person. And when I imagine getting stuck at some airport in the middle of nowhere with my utterly exhausted child, ready-to-snap husband, and lost luggage, I want to be able to pick up the phone and have someone else make it better while I go to the gift shop for a KitKat. Someone else will use a travel agent because they're going to Disney for the first time in 25 years and it's insanely intimidating to try to plan that trip yourself. Another wants to make sure they are swaddled in luxury every inch of the way, while another just wants the cheapest possible everything. By defining your niche, you're able to identify the kind of travel you want to specialize in, the people you want to work with, and how you work with them.  You're also able to zero in on the language used in your niche, where your customers hang out, what their goals are, and what's getting in their way. Then you can market, through free content or paid advertising, directly to your niche market. Can you imagine trying to create content that connected with all those different types of travelers? Haggard Mom doesn't want to hear about traveling in luxury while she's got Cheerios stuck in her hair. Mr. Cheap doesn't want to know about Disney - that's too expensive - and you lost Luxury Lady with the word bargain. Instead of trying to speak to everyone - and no one listens - a niche lets you speak to a smaller group of people who really want to hear what you have to say. When people engage with your content you want them to think, “Has she been spying on me? This is exactly what I was looking for!” That's how you attract people who want what you're offering. When you're clear on what you do and who you serve, you provide your audience the opportunity to self-select into or out of your world. You don't have to chase them down or convince them to buy from you. AND there's a lot less competition in a small, specific niche than there is in a big general one. As a side hustler, you don't have time to try to reach everyone, everywhere. Focus on a problem you can solve for a specific group of people who share common characteristics, challenges, and goals, and you'll get a much better return on your investment (of time or money). Ready to jump into your niche? Check out my brand new freebie, The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Topic for Your Blog, Podcast, or Video Show: Define your niche so you can confidently create content that will build your authority and attract your ideal customers! Join me on Tuesday at 7:30 pm (EDT) in the Side Hustle Teachers Facebook Group for a LIVE recap, answers to your questions, and the 5 steps to take to determine your niche!

More than ever, building relationships that matter is key to your career success. While networking has always been something you “should” do, more and more professionals find that networking is essential to helping them meet new people, being an excellent connection resource, and learn how to be a giver when it comes to these relationships.  Rebecca Otis Leder is the author of KNOCK - How to Open Doors and Build Career Relationships that Matter. It's a fantastic book and an easy read to help you identify and build these types of business relationships as you create Your Mid-Career GPS. Rebecca's KNOCK Method focuses on five fundamental principles: ·      Know My Topic and My Contact·      Not About Me·      Own It·      Commonality·      Keep Giving You can contact Rebecca at rebecca@theknockmethod.com and follow her on Instagram and Facebook at @theknockmethod and Twitter at @therebeccaleder. In addition, you can find KNOCK, How to Open Doors and Build Career Relationships that Matter on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Target, or ask your favorite book store to order you a copy! Key Topics & Time Stamps: ·      What did you want to do growing up? (2:45)·      Your Blog – therebeccamendations.com (4:40)·      Collaboration vs. Competition (8:10)·      Career Growers, Career Changers and Career Builders (12:05)·      What is the KNOCK Method? (13:19)·      Why is it “Not About Me?” (17:33)·      Don't be creepy! (22:06)·      Career Builders during the pandemic (26:23)·      “Value people for who they are” (30:20)·      What advice would you give someone to help them build their Mid-Career GPS? (34:10)·      Where you can follow Rebecca Leder (36:20)  List of Resources:·      Visit www.theknockmethod.com for more information·      KNOCK – How to Open Doors and Build Career Relationships That Matter by Rebecca Otis Leder·      SHOW UP - Six Strategies to Lead a More Energetic and Impactful Career Calls to Action: ·      Download “The 55-Minute Career Transition Jump Start” by clicking here or visiting https://johnneral.com.·      Join the “Your Mid-Career GPS Private Facebook Group” here and be part of an amazing group of like-minded professionals navigating their career paths just like you. ·      Get notified when new podcast episodes drop. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts here or wherever you listen. And don't forget to rate and review to let me know what you are enjoying or learning. ·      Let's stay connected by following me on social. LinkedIn @johnneral, Instagram @johnneralcoaching, Facebook @johnneralcoaching, Twitter @john_neral.·      Visit https://johnneral.com for more information.  

009. The very first step to start earning some money from your blog is to get some people in the door. A steady and consistent stream of people that are interested in what you have to say -- enough that they might consider buying something that you recommend. You need good, CONSISTENT traffic to your website to understand what people want most from you so you can create those raving fans!  Building your audience is the foundation of your business, who you create your content for, and ultimately who you sell most of your products and/or services to.And it's not that difficult to do this -- you just need to spend some time upfront figuring out what type of content and traffic platform will be best for both you and your audience.  Alex and I have created a six-figure a month business using platforms that felt good to us - and skipping the rest until we felt ready for them.  This episode is part of a 3-part series on building your audience where I share how to be intentional with where you spend your energy and learn how to get the best ROI for your time. What we're talking about in this episode:Where YOUR people are. What your message is and the purpose of your content.How you want to reach them and the kind of relationship you want to build with them.The nature of the platform and the behavior of the consumer (how they interact with that content, what action you want them to take).Outsourcing and at which stage it makes sense. For additional resources and show notes, visit the episode podcast page on our website.Resources and Mentions:Episode 8: How to Create Content That Stands OutTutorial: How to Start a Successful BlogStart your first blog with our Free 5-Day Blogging BootcampArticle: Blog SEO: 10 Step Beginner's Guide to Ranking Blog PostsArticle: Pinterest Traffic for BloggersArticle: How to Get More Traffic to Your Blog

Today, I'm interviewing Allison Baggerly from Inspired Budget, and we're talking about money and blogging! Yep, we're going there. Money is one of the most uncomfortable topics to discuss, which is why I think it's so important. Allison shares how she pulled herself out of over $100,000 in debt, which led to her creating her blog to help others do the same. We talk about how as a blogger, you should think about budgeting (even if you have debt), so you can grow your online business successfully. You do need to spend money to make money, but how do you know how much to spend? How long should you give yourself to build a blog? And what about all those expensive courses? Are they worth it? These are just a few of the topics we cover in today's conversation. If money is something you think about and worry about (and who doesn't?), this is the episode for you. Listen now! Show Notes:  The Beginner's Guide to WordPress Course MiloTree Become a Blogger Genius Facebook Group Newsletter signup Inspired Budget Subscribe to the Blogger Genius Podcast: iTunes Stitcher YouTube Spotify Amazon Music Other related Blogger Genius Podcast episodes to listen to: What I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Motherhood and How to Write About Difficult Topics in Your Blog How to Drive Enormous Traffic to Your Blog with Melanie Ferguson 5 Secrets Successful Bloggers Know to Grow Their Blogs with Jillian Leslie Imagine a world where growing your social media followers and email list was easy… If you are looking for ways to grow your community whether that be email whether that be social media, right now head to Milotree.com install the MiloTree app on your blog and it will do the work for you. Let it do the heavy lifting for you. Let it pop up in front of your visitors and ask them to follow you on Instagram Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook, join your list, check out the exit intent but really get your community growing. And we'd love to help you with MiloTree. And I will see you here again next week. Sign up for MiloTree now and get your first 30 DAYS FREE!

How to Keyword Research for Your Blog ? Is Podcast me maine apko batya hain ki apne blog ke liye Keyword Research kaise kare .

In today's episode I'm sharing how important your homepage is for your food blog and how you can strategically plan what should go on it. The homepage of a food blog is often overlooked but it can be a huge key to turning random page views into raving fans! In this episode, we'll cover: What should your homepage do? What elements should your homepage have? What content should be on your homepage? Resources mention: 003: Clear & Strategic Messaging for Your Blog 019: How to Get Clear on Your Blog's Tagline 026: How to Strategically Set Goals for Your Food Blog 011: How to Design a Freebie for Your Blog   Instagram | Website | Show Notes Web Design for Food Bloggers

In episode #46, we reveal how to set basic business blogging goals to make your content marketing more effective and manageable. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:59] Introduction [02:29] Why are You Blogging? [04:34] Who is the Target Market/Audience for Your Blog? [06:10] What Topic or Theme Will You Focus Your Content On? [07:36] What Goals Do You Hope to Accomplish With Your Blog? [09:31] Develop a Purpose Statement for Your Blog [10:43] An Example of a Purpose Statement [12:11] A Few Tips on Setting Business Blogging Goals [13:49] Bloopers WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: Please email us at messydeskpodcast [at] gmail [dot] com to get in touch. What did you enjoy about this episode? Please leave us a review to let us know, thank you! CONNECT WITH US:  MessyDeskPodcast.com  TheresaCifali.com  Twitter @TheresaCifali  MeghanMonaghan.com  Twitter @MeghanMonaghan1  Don't forget to FOLLOW US to get notified when a new episode and blog post launch.

This episode of The Long Game is part of our Kitchen Side series, where we show you behind the scenes discussions, brainstorms, and decision making processes that happen at our content marketing agency, Omniscient Digital. In this episode, Omniscient Digital's co-founders Allie Decker and Alex Birkett discuss how to build an audience and a passionate following. Jimmy Daly, former Content Marketing Director at Animalz, wrote an article called “Your Blog is Not a Publication”. Most blogs won't develop a big audience of passionate followers who read every post chronologically, but you can certainly set your blog up to be a reference library that answers searchers questions and converts those who are delighted. The problem, however, is that some creators and businesses can build audiences and can act as publications. In the best case scenario, your blog acts as both a library AND a publication -- think HubSpot, Intercom, CXL, etc. In most of our client work, we pursue a Barbell Strategy with about 70-85% of our work being driven by the “library” model. We pursue strategic keywords, build links, and hope to convert searchers on individual posts. However, building and owning an audience is powerful. You're able to effectively motivate action, change ideas and perceptions about the market, and coral your fans if you have an audience. The question then remains. How do you actually develop an audience?Hope you enjoy this episode of The Long Game podcast.Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game.

Are you risking your personal assets in your small business? A sticky situation with a customer or client could land you in an equally sticky spot. Today, we're going to talk about whether you need to file as an LLC (limited liability company). In late 2016, I wrote a post on the Businessese blog titled “Is an LLC Right for Your Blog?” Even years later, this is still the most popular post on the site, and it gets way more love from the Google search engine than I ever expected. Nowadays, Businessese isn't focused solely on bloggers and influencers anymore. But the topic of LLC formation is something that most online and service-based business owners consider, so I wanted to revisit the topic on the podcast. In this episode, I'll give a short overview of the three most common kinds of businesses and why LLCs are considered the easiest and most liked by small business owners. You'll discover how to decide whether or not you actually need to file as an LLC, and I'll offer up eight questions to ask yourself before you settle on how to do business. If afterward you still aren't sure, this is the best time to consult with your lawyer or CPA. They'll be able to provide you with the customized guidance that you need to make your choice. Please subscribe if you haven't already. And if you like the show, I'd love it if you'd give it a review wherever you listen to podcasts!   In this episode: [01:45] - Before diving into today's topic, Danielle gives a quick disclaimer. [02:09] - Here's a short overview of the three most common business types: sole proprietorship, corporation, and LLC. [03:04] - Why wouldn't everybody be a sole proprietor if it sounds easier? Danielle talks about the distinction between it and doing business as a corporation or an LLC. [04:24] - Corporations are far more complicated. They come with higher regulations and may require a number of formalities. [05:06] - A limited liability company is an easier step between a sole proprietorship and a corporation. It makes sense for a lot of small business owners. [06:31] - Taxation is another reason why many small business owners like LLCs.  [07:14] - Now for the big question: do you need an LLC? [07:52] - Consider these eight questions if you're thinking about whether an LLC is right for you. [10:29] - Would you want to handle it yourself or hire a filing service or lawyer to complete it for you?  [10:57] - This consideration for setting up an LLC is a big one for some people. It can also depend on where you live.   Links & Resources: “Is an LLC Right for Your Blog?” Businessese Businessese on Facebook Businessese on Instagram Liss Legal Liss Legal on Instagram

You're blogging - check. You're doing your keyword research and focusing on competitive keywords - check. You're optimizing all of your blog posts for SEO - check.You're probably doing all of the above, but you're still not ranking in Google - why?That is exactly the situation I was in until I embarked on doing some research. And from that research, I have come to some conclusions.The final frontier of SEO and ranking in search engines is in generating backlinks. And if you want to generate backlinks you need to be proactive in doing so.This episode will hopefully be an eye-opener for you as I introduce my own research and methodology so that you can maximize your own social influence.Episodes Mentioned in the Show:181: How to Optimize Your Content Publishing on Your Blog and Social Media177: The 11 Blogging Mistakes Your Business _Might_ Be Making160: SEO and Social: Honing the Skills Needed for a Modern Marketer [Cyrus Shepard Interview]137: How To Optimize Your Blog Posts For Higher Search Rankings And Stay Ahead Of The CompetitionReference Links:My Instagram: https://instagram.com/nealschafferSEMrush: https://nealschaffer.com/semrush (affiliate)Brandon Gailie's The Blogging Millionaire Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-blogging-millionaire/id1072931592Neil Patel: https://neilpatel.comReference Links for Neal Schaffer:My Website: https://nealschaffer.com/Learn more about this podcast: https://nealschaffer.com/maximize-your-social-influence-podcast/The Age of Influence Free Preview: https://nealschaffer.com/age-of-influence-preview

How To Pick A Niche for Your Blog? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/nirajkumarsingh/message

Hey everybody! I’m so glad to have you here. As a reminder, we’re opening up brand creators on July 6th. If you want to be notified when we open, make sure you go to brandcreators.com. Look for the icon that says “checklist.” Make sure to grab it, and you’ll automatically be notified when we open up registration.  Benefits of a Digital Product   I’ve been known for selling physical products in the past, but you can also make money on digital products too. I’m going to provide you with a simple way to create your own digital product. From there, you could take the same content and use it for blog content and can get traffic from it too, which will save you time in the long run.   You can still charge for it if you’ve published it on your blog. You’ll be making it easier for visitors to consume the content, and it’s all in one place, so they don’t have to go search for it all, especially if they want that information in a pdf format.    We did that in one of the products we’ve been talking about for three years. We took some of our past blog posts and turned it into a guide. We sell it for $4.99, and it leads to some additional upsells, which is great. We can make money faster when we’re solely focused on creating a content-based website, and digital products make that possible.    Creating a digital product doesn’t have to be hard, especially when you implement this exact process by creating content and understanding what your market wants and needs.   Get Very Clear On Your Markets Wants And Needs    #1 What is the problem or help you can provide to get a result    First off, if you’re just starting and have started the brand growth validation checklist, you have a good idea about what your niche needs.    Create a guide or manual to hand off to visitors. If you have an email list, ask people what they are struggling with or looking for more information about.    If you don’t have an email list, go to a Facebook group and ask people. You can also implement social media if you have a reach there.    A great way is to go into the inside of the community your apart of. You’ll see commonly asked questions that people need content created on.    If all else fails, head over to Google and find common problems that people are searching for.    #2 Create an Outline   What is the main thing you are going to help someone with? Create an outline for 5-10 blog posts.    #3 Write The Content As a Blog Post     You can publish one blog post every week, and once you’ve finished, you can compile them into a guide, say five or six blog posts worth. You can include pictures from your blog as well, which will save you some time.    Write the content, stay consistent, get it down, and after a few weeks, you’ll have a guide, you can turn into a digital product. Make sure you get an email signup on the blog sooner than later so you can grow your email list.    #4 Edit & Add Additional Content   Maybe you want to add in additional content that isn’t in the blog posts or more pictures.   Our Brand Creators playbook was made from six podcast episodes than turned into six blog posts and then turned into the playbook. I made plenty of changes and added stuff to make it more robust before it became the finalized playbook. If you want to check it out head over to brandcreatorsbook.com   #5 Create a Good Cover and Format   A pdf is super easy to use and create. You could send it over to someone on Fiverr to format and create the cover if you don’t have time. It’s a super easy and affordable way to get it done.  Remember, this is a digital asset that can turn into dollars and turn people into a customer. Even if it doesn’t cost them much, it shows that they are serious and are ready for the next step.    That is the exact formula I have used all the way back to when I was teaching people photography. I’d start with a video, get it transcribed, and then turn it into a book or quick download. It’s always been a super easy and effective method. How to Promote Your Digital Asset  There are six ways you can successfully promote your digital asset. Within Brand Creators we will be focusing on this within the next few weeks as it’s a really important part of the process.      Create a Lead Magnet   We’re not going to send people directly to your digital download. Offer a free lead magnet they can download instantly. On the thank your page, they would get an offer or promo code for your digital guide.    Content takes time to get moving, but this can help get things going and adds an asset to your business.    We have a lead magnet to our book, and then a physical product upsell.    Post the Lead Magnet on Your Blog     Create a widget, header, or popup to get people to sign up and get to the thank you page. Even if they don’t buy you can follow up with more tips and send a reminder about your guide later on.    Email Your List     Give them something of value and segment your list in the process. You could also drop a line at the end about buying your guide.    There is a lot you can do with the email list once you have it.    Post It On Social     If you have pages or groups, if you want it sharable, add it to a page. I wouldn’t post this in other people’s groups unless you’ve added value to the group first. Always reach out to the admin first.   Pinterest     I like it because I can drop a pin within my board, and someone can find it and it can get picked up by goggle. It can go to a landing page or a blog post.   Facebook Ads     They can be really powerful, but you’re going to spend money before you figure out if it’s going to work. It’ll take several tests to figure it out. Test it with a small budget first. If you’re doing paid traffic is you’ll be able to pixel the audience and get their email address. They will also see the thank you page immediately.    The process is fairly easy, and you can do it while you’re creating content for your site. Take time to plan it out and see what you could turn into a digital project. From there, you have an asset you can sell almost immediately.  Mark Your Calendars!   If you want to be surrounded by other brand rockers where we’re sharing learning and supporting one another, you’ll want to be apart of our brand creator’s academy when we open up enrollment on July 6th. You must get the checklist, so you understand where you have these opportunities in your market and brand.    Thanks again for being here!   As always I am here for you, I believe in you, and I am rooting for you.   It’s time for you to take action and go rock your brand! Take-Aways From Today’s Post   Benefits of a Digital Product (3:48) Get Very Clear On Your Markets Wants And Needs (7:05) How to Promote Your Digital Asset (17:45)   Quote: Creating a digital product doesn’t have to be hard, especially when you implement this exact process by creating content and understanding what your market wants and needs.

Your branding is much more than just the logo file that goes on the top of your theme. This episode will break down why you need to be sure that your blog has more than just a logo.  Resources Mentioned: Clear + Strategic Messaging for Your Blog Defining Your Ideal Reader: Your Blog Isn't About You Figuring Out Your Niche as a Food Blogger How to Get Clear on Your Blog's Tagline Instagram | Website | Show Notes Web Design for Food Bloggers

Welcome to another week of our Friday Jam session. This is always one of the highlights of my week. I love spending some time with some awesome people and answering some great questions. If you want to be a part of our Take Action Crew, we go live every single Friday where you can ask me any questions you have about starting your business. To join us, head over to takeactioncrew.com to sign up for free. Let’s dive right into today’s session.  Valuable Advertising and Affiliate Info  This week I had a bunch of questions related to ads and affiliate links and when is the best time to use them.  I'm excited to answer a few of those today, and hopefully, you'll find my answers helpful.  When to Apply for Affiliate or Ad Programs  Don't apply too early. You need to focus on getting traffic before you can even consider monetizing your site. Once you get there, you'll have plenty of options. We didn't turn on ads until we had 18,000 visitors to our site for one of the brands we're working on.  We do have a few affiliates but no ad networks. You'll need at least 10,000 visitors to your site to qualify for an ad network.  Don’t talk about monetization until you have traffic.  Start out by writing a few pieces of content, including reviews or comparisons, where you can go back in later and add affiliate links when you're ready. Just get the content written now, and you can do the rest in the future.  Should I Consider Advertising on My Website Yes, advertising is great. Over on brandcreators.com, I'm currency only offering private offerings. Our playbook, checklist, and signups for Brand Creators when registration is open again in July. I'm not selling anything else on my site.  We do have a resources page with all the products that we use that link to affiliate programs.  If you're driving traffic to your site to sell your own stuff, I recommend limiting your advertising to other companies. You'll just need to pick and choose what to include. On a side note, I do run ads on a couple of our other sites.  Just be sure that any ads you include on your site are of interest to your visitors.  In regards to affiliate links, you can have a few on your site, and once the traffic is there, people will see the. Keep in mind that the benefits of affiliate links just aren't there when you only have a few thousand-page views. Instead, focus on creating content and wait to get steady traffic to worry about affiliates. How to Get The Most Out of Your Blog   When you’re getting ready to start a new website or blog, it can be overwhelming. This week I answered a few questions that I hope will help make it easier to get started.  What Elements to Include on Your Homepage  Let people know immediately that they’ve come to the right place. Answer the questions they’re looking to have answered. Always have a lead magnet front and center but also make sure they know they are in the right place and not just in an eCommerce store, so it’s not a turn-off.  Ask yourself what your visitors are trying to achieve and tell them right up front how you can help. Keep your messaging on brand which will help detract people who aren’t ready to hear your message or not apart of our target market.  Why You Should Integrate Your Online Store to Your New Blog Include a tab on your blog that includes access to your shop. Integrate the two as soon as possible, especially if they are in the same niche and go hand in hand. You can always have a separate Shopify store and use a  subdomain, so it still looks like it’s all apart of the same website. Post Blog Content As Soon As Your Website is Up and Running  Who is seeing your unpolished blog if you don’t feel like it’s ready?  Just start publishing blog posts, and you can make changes to your site later. There will always be things you want to change and fix. But to an average person, they’re going to look past those things. Just start getting it running so you can monetize sooner. You won’t get any traffic if you don’t publish any content. There’s no better time like the present to get started.   How To Come Up With New Blog Content What are the five questions your market is asking right now? Write “how to” articles that answer these common questions. They are easy to answer and are asked often.  Create a content tree where you have the main content topic you’ll focus on and branch off from there. Head over to Google and use the autofill feature to see what is being searched for often in your niche and what keywords people are using.  Best Ways to Sell Digital Courses or E-books on your site.  You’ll need to create a sales funnel on your site. It can be as simple as creating a landing page in Convertkit or Gumroad. Keep it simple.   Build an email list and hop on social to bring people to your website where they can view your digital course or e-book.  How to Structure an Interview  I start by asking questions that you, as the listener, will benefit from. Know your audience and what they would want to know.   Make sure the person you’re interviewing feels comfortable.  When I interview, I only have a couple of points, including their back store.  I also ask a few of the questions, like what did they do when they had a business venture fail. So many people don’t typically share their failures, and I think it’s so important for my listeners to hear about how successful people overcame rejection and discouragement.  When I interview, I want to know what people do on the days that are bad. And how they kept pushing through. Get really raw and real. Get questions answered that they aren’t usually asked.  Live Streaming & Video Editing Tips  I’ve had a lot of questions about live streaming during the past few weeks and am excited to touch on a few of those today.  Live Streaming Videos on Multiple Platforms In the beginning, you need to get comfortable and make it easy. Start broadcasting to one platform. You can always add another platform at a later date. The goal is to get a few people watching who you can engage with. Even if you don’t have anyone watching in the beginning, still get started and don’t overthink think it.  Live streams are not easily searchable on Facebook. Consider streaming to YouTube because it’s saved on the site and makes it super easy for people to search for those videos at a later date. You can always take your YouTube video and upload it to Facebook. It’ll perform better when you upload it directly to Facebook. Should I Go Live & Stick With The Same Time Every Week When you do something live there is less structure and it becomes more natural. Just get started and know what you’re going to do upfront. Commit to yourself and show up the same time every week. This will help people look forward to joining and know when to expect they’ll hear from you. Consider answering questions that show you are an authority in your market.  How to Crop Videos for YouTube ScreenFlow is great for Mac users. You can zoom in and even slow zoom on different parts of your video.  If you’re just starting out consider going to Fiveer and hiring out someone to edit your videos for you! It’s pretty cheap to find someone and will save you lots of time from having to do it yourself if you have a lot going on.  Too Many Plugins Will Slow Down Your Site Keep your website very light so it runs faster. You don’t need a bunch of plugins to get started. If your site is slow people won’t stick around. I recommend starting out with just a couple of plugins like Yoast and an optimization plugin that compresses images.  Always check to see how your site works on mobile. Why I Don’t Charge More for My Products  I’ve had a lot of questions about why my products are so affordable. In particular, my Brand Creators Playbook. I use this all the time within Brand Creators. I only charge $4.99 for the playbook. If you buy my book, it shows that you are interested in my content and is a great lead magnet. I also want to help you succeed, and I can reach more people if I charge less. If you purchase the playbook, I do off a market selection class, but I don’t advertise to anyone else. I actually go in and show you how to go through the process to find if a market is good and show some examples of some that should be avoided.  My goal is to give people enough content and information to get them started. And if they’re interested they can join Brand Creators when it opens again in July.  Always give people as much value as you can and don’t be afraid of giving too much.  The goal is to attract the right people. Thanks For Tuning In! I hope you enjoyed this week’s Friday jam session. Head over to takeactioncrew.com to join for free. We go live every Friday at 10 am when I answer all your questions. Thanks for being here. Remember, I’m here for you, I believe in you and am rooting for you! It’s time for you to take action and go rock your brand!  Take-Aways From Today’s Episode Valuable Advertising and Affiliate Info (3:50) How to Get The Most Out of Your Blog (7:13)  How to Structure an Interview (15:40)  Live Streaming & Video Editing Tips (9:20) Why I Don’t Charge More for My Products (41:45)  Quote You won’t get traffic if you don’t publish content. There’s no better time like the present to get started.   Or  Always give people as much value as you can and don’t be afraid of giving too much. 

Inside you will find a full-proof system that will not only help you to determine the true focus of your blog but also how to be seen as an absolute authority in your field. You will also learn how to properly identify your audience to ensure you are giving them the content they want, not just in terms of usefulness, but in terms of true enjoyment so that you can be sure they will stick around to the very end of everything you write. When it comes to content marketing, there are countless books out there making countless claims, and here is another one. Content Marketing: How to Get 12 Months’ Worth of Ideas for Your Blog in One Hour and Start Converting Your Audience Into Paying Customers by Alain Magnuson. The title of this book makes a very big claim, and don’t worry it isn’t hyperbolic or just a marketing ploy, you will find the tools you need to create the ideas you are looking for inside. The catch, however, is that you have to read through the book in order if you hope the system to be effective. If you currently can’t wring a conversion out of your blog, even when giving things away for free, then it's likely not the blog that is a problem - it’s the way you are presenting yourself and Content Marketing has you covered in that sense as well, you will learn how to ensure your reflection is an accurate reflection of who you are, or who you want your target audience to think you are. For production information, contact Russell Newton at Newton Media Group. See more titles by this narrator on Audible. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/voiceoverwork/message

Inside you will find a full-proof system that will not only help you to determine the true focus of your blog but also how to be seen as an absolute authority in your field. You will also learn how to properly identify your audience to ensure you are giving them the content they want, not just in terms of usefulness, but in terms of true enjoyment so that you can be sure they will stick around to the very end of everything you write. When it comes to content marketing, there are countless books out there making countless claims, and here is another one. Content Marketing: How to Get 12 Months’ Worth of Ideas for Your Blog in One Hour and Start Converting Your Audience Into Paying Customers by Alain Magnuson. The title of this book makes a very big claim, and don’t worry it isn’t hyperbolic or just a marketing ploy, you will find the tools you need to create the ideas you are looking for inside. The catch, however, is that you have to read through the book in order if you hope the system to be effective. If you currently can’t wring a conversion out of your blog, even when giving things away for free, then it's likely not the blog that is a problem - it’s the way you are presenting yourself and Content Marketing has you covered in that sense as well, you will learn how to ensure your reflection is an accurate reflection of who you are, or who you want your target audience to think you are. For production information, contact Russell Newton at Newton Media Group. See more titles by this narrator on Audible. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/voiceoverwork/message

If you want to know how to successfully sell your products online, you are in for a treat. I'm interviewing my friend, Monica Froese, from Redefining Mom, on how to know what products to sell, how to find product opportunities, how to build highly converting sales funnels, and how to provide wins for your customers so they keep coming back. We do a deep dive into the strategies and frameworks you need to know to build compelling products for your audience and market them successfully so they happily buy. Show Notes MiloTree Pop-Up App MiloTree Membership Group Redefining Mom Catch My Party Host 0:04 Welcome to the Blogger Genius Podcast brought to you by MiloTree. Here's your host, Jillian Leslie. Jillian Leslie 0:11 Hello, everyone. Welcome back to The Blogger Genius. Looking for tech support, teaching, and community? Join our MiloTree Membership Group Before I get started, I want to announce that we have a program called the MiloTree Membership Group. We were listening to what you guys were telling us in terms of feedback. And one thing that you kept saying is getting tech support is difficult as a blogger. Bloggers have to wear so many hats. So the idea that you have to dig in and deal with all of the back end technology related to your blog can be difficult. Also, we've heard that you want ongoing teaching sessions and workshops, like in the podcast, and third, you're looking for a community of like-minded bloggers and entrepreneurs. So within the MiloTree Membership Group, we offer tech support. We offer workshops, and we offer community. It's all of that rolled into one. We're very excited about it. It's like having a whole support system behind you. So if you want to learn more head to milotree.com/membership. It's a monthly membership, but you can cancel at any time. We, as you can tell, are really committed to helping you succeed. For today's episode, I have my friend Monica Froese back on the show. What we are talking about is business building. And we are talking about how to think about your blog as a business, how to roll up your sleeves and really get to know your audience, how to solve problems for your audience, an dhow to sell to your audience. We give you the whole framework in this podcast episode. And I love Monica because she is so straight. And her advice is so clear. I think you are really going to get a ton out of this interview. So without further delay, here is my interview with my friend Monica Froese from Redefining Mom. Monica, welcome to the show. Monica Froese 2:51 Thank you so much for having me again. And I was just saying to you that your episodes are some of my most popular so I was very excited to get you back. Monica Froese 2:51 I think we've recorded some really good ones like the first one was right after I had the baby, which I still think is one of my favorite because it's a it's like a snapshot in time. I get to listen to how I was feeling in that postpartum period. Jillian Leslie 3:03 Yes. And I think that you were so authentic and honest about the struggles. Yeah. And I found that. Yeah, but I think that there was something. I think other people could see themselves in that struggle to go. Yeah, that explains all those feelings that I'm having. Monica Froese 3:19 Yeah, for real and that and I've gotten emails with people who told me that that really helped them. So I appreciate you having me on so that I can share that kind of stuff with people. How to Build Online Products Jillian Leslie 3:28 Absolutely. So what I wanted to talk about with you today is products. You've built your business— you tell me if this is true—by serving needs, finding needs, serving those needs to your audience. And we talked about this before, which is when you started Redefining Mom, you were a variety of different things. And I think that you've been able to potentially find your sweet spot. Monica Froese 3:58 Yes, even a lot has changed since the last time we talked in terms of my product strategy. So when Redefining Mom started in 2013, there were no products because I was working full-time corporate, didn't have time for that. When I decided to start taking it seriously, I knew that I really wanted to do products, but I needed somewhere to start. So I had this brand Redefining Mom, which is for working moms. Now it was for corporate working moms and like time management for corporate working moms, and we've morphed into helping moms balance running a business and motherhood. So it's taking them out of corporate and moving them into like the entrepreneurial space, but we still cater to the mom needs and the business needs. But what has happened is so when I got started with Redefining Mom and creating products, it was very much geared towards the stuff that moms needed to address. And I started with a product. The Importance of Experimentation in Building Products online Jillian Leslie 5:02 You started with like a Google Sheet or a spreadsheet or something for yourself. Monica Froese 5:07 still one of my best selling products. Yeah. So I basically when I in 2016, I remember this, it was June of 2016. And I wanted to accelerate the process of leaving my corporate job. And I wanted the quickest win I could get. And my husband actually said to me, because we had this really awesome family budget spreadsheet that we had developed while we were in corporate, to manage our finances, we got out of $65,000 in debt doing it or using it. And he's like, moms need this. Why don't you just throw this up as your product and see how it goes? Well, it ended up going very well. Which was like my first sign of understanding what people need and then how to fill that gap. Jillian Leslie 5:55 So it was like a light bulb moment. Monica Froese 5:57 It was a light bulb moment and I would say it took a few months for the light bulb moment because I, I didn't really know what I was looking at, like, why are all these people buying this stuff and or buying the spreadsheet and I had to like back into it. So it took a few months to try to dissect what was going on. Like, why was this such a big hit? And, you know, part of it was the uniqueness of Pinterest at the time, and still the uniqueness of Pinterest, which we can talk about. But at the time in 2016, you could get a lot of organic traffic pretty fast, like you could rank under keywords pretty fast in 2016. And this happened to take off for me. And now you can still rank but it's a little bit different. Creating a Product for Pinterest by Using Pinterest And I've I look at creating products for Pinterest a little bit differently than I used to, which I know you're probably gonna talk about, but what happened after the budget spreadsheet was I started creating more products for moms. Specifically, I had a course which I've since retired, which was to help moms take their corporate skills and repurpose them into the online world. But what happened was I ended up getting really good at Pinterest ads because I'm impatient. And I got to the point where I was sick of waiting for organic traffic to come to me. I really wanted to have more metrics that I could look at. I love looking at data, you only have so many metrics that you can go off of like you can't see specifically what keywords are getting you traffic clicks, conversions, but promoted pins would tell me that. So I got really good at that. And of course, as soon as you get good at something that nobody else is doing, everybody wants to know how you did that. And so teaching Promoted Pins took on this life of its own. I developed the Promoted Pins course right before I had the baby at the end of 2017. And I would say for all of 2018 and all of 2019, it was all about refining that course like I put all of my energy into making this the best Pinterest ads course that it could be. There's no recurring fee to be in my student group. And so like people who bought the course two years ago are still getting support. I do monthly office hours. And so I really became known as the Pinterest ads girl. But there was a part of me that still felt this pull to help moms and create products that I knew would help them. And for reasons that they were coming to Redefining Moms so we made the decision, which we hope to finish this year, which is to break off all of the Pinterest products under my own brand. Creating Products for Women Balancing Careers and Motherhood So just MonicaFroese.com and bring Redefining Mom back to what it was originally intended to do, which was to help moms, particularly with balancing motherhood and their careers, specifically bringing them from their corporate career into the online world. So this really has created this opportunity to create two distinct products sets for two different audiences. Jillian Leslie 9:00 That's terrific. Again, we have Catch My Party we have MiloTree. They don't look at all alike, but one came out of the other one. And one is a SaaS business, which means software-as-a-service and one is a B2C business which is, you know, consumer-facing. And most people have no idea I'm the person behind both, you know, there is some crossover, but not a lot. But again, it was organically how we grew our business. Right? Nobody said, you know, you didn't start off and go, I'm going to become Pinterest expert. You started using it. It started working for you. And you thought I can teach this. Monica Froese 9:37 And I really feel like now that I'm a few, like four years into really taking this as a serious full time business. My corporate skills were invaluable to me for where I ended up here because I looked at Pinterest differently. All the people who are teaching Pinterest back in 2016 were not looking at it in the same way. All I care about is ROI and what I'm getting from it. So, like I got very hyper hung up on the fact that everyone was talking about all the pageviews they could get from Pinterest. And I just was sitting there scratching my head thinking, why do I want a pageview? I don't like what comes after the page view and see, you know, sale. Yep. And that's the thing, like, you know, a lot of bloggers at the time and still, are monetizing through ads and sponsorships and stuff. But you don't have as much control over that. And I couldn't get, I could not get away from, why am I going to spend all of this time getting traffic to my site for them to click away from my site. It just never resonated with me. And when I put into place the principles that I executed in corporate, which was like the ROI principles that I was accountable for when I ran large marketing campaigns. It just seemed logical to me that paid advertising was the way to go, and the most targeted way to go. And that's kind of how it ended up happening. And honestly, I don't regret it at all. Because while I still have this pull, I want to help women get out of corporate into this world and repurpose their skills. I couldn't have funded that part of the business if I hadn't gotten to be known for something. And if that happened to be Pinterest ads, that's great. And that has served me too. So it's been an interesting ride, to be honest with you. I couldn't have predicted it a couple of years ago. How to Create Emergent Online Products Jillian Leslie 11:30 There is this concept that I think about a lot. I talk about it a lot, and it's called emergent business building. And what that means is bottom up, not top down. So top down would be, I have this hypothesis, and I'm going to go toward it and not be open to what my audience is saying to me. What people are coming to me, for that kind of thing. And, again, I have used this example I live in Austin. An Austin is all about emergent development, meaning it's the antithesis of the planned community. You go down some street and like there's a shopping mall, and it looks like it's out of the 70s. But there'll be one cool coffee shop in there. And then all of a sudden, you notice, like, there's the record store, or there's something else is coming, like right next to it. And it's because all of a sudden people are discovering this. And then other businesses are drawn to those businesses. So it looks really messy. Yes, but it's emergent. And I believe when you are building businesses on the internet, that is definitely the way to go. Because if you think you're going to plan this out, that it's going to work the way you think it's going to work, I think you are setting yourself up for a world of hurt. Should you Niche Your Blog Down? Monica Froese 12:53 I completely agree. And actually, because I originated in the blog world, I hear a lot of conflicting advice about you have to niche down right away, or it's okay to go broader and then niche down and I am all for the broader first to see what resonates. If you think about it, I had no business putting any budgeting stuff on Redefining Mom, it wasn't the purpose of the site. But I did it anyways, and it ended up being a huge smash hit, which has made me a ton of money. And I wouldn't have done it if all I listened to were the people who told me you have to niche down, you have to niche down, you have to niche down. I'm to the point where I firmly believe if you know how to drive targeted traffic, then you can really have a funnel about anything as long as you're, I mean, don't be a fraud, like be able to give the advice that you're saying that you can give, like for me with the budgeting spreadsheet. I literally had at that point used it for five years. We did use it to pay down $65,000 a debt. It's the only thing that saved us from literally going completely broke when we had our daughter because we were paid on commission, and it was how we estimated out, like the highs and lows if we hit commission if we didn't, how we, you know, literally could pay our bills. And because I used it, I was able to authentically speak about it and the tools that we use every day. Like, I would have sat back in 2016 and said, doesn't everyone have a budget spreadsheet? And my husband said to me, he's like, No, your father is a CPA, and drilled this into your head. Ordinary people don't actually do this all that often. And I was like, Really? Jillian Leslie 14:34 I know. Yes. Yes, yes. So we call them "at bats," which are, how many times are you at bat? And the goal is to increase the number of experiments that you are running, because you don't necessarily know what's going to hit, and you think you have a hypothesis, but I can't tell you how many times we've been wrong, or it's morphed into something. We could never anticipate it. And that is always the surprise. You are trying to attract the audience that you think is the right audience, but you have to be open to I always say like, hold your hypotheses, have them, but hold them lightly. Because you can get blinded thinking, Oh, no, you're the wrong audience for me. So I'm going to kind of push you aside trying to attract the quote-unquote, right audience, when you need to recognize No, no, this is the right audience. They just look different than I thought they were gonna look. How to Attract an Audience on the Internet Monica Froese 15:34 So I get asked all the time, because I bring on thousands of people through my budgeting stuff onto my list, which my email list is integrated with these both sides of the business, and I've gone back and forth about are we gonna divide out the email list or are we not at this point. I don't think I will. Because the thing is, if people are interested in saving money, they're also interested in making money and because my brand attracts, primarily moms. My messaging is actually very on point if they came in on the budgeting side, or they came in wanting to know more about how to build a business, how to get good at Pinterest, marketing, all of that stuff. I have done a really good job, in my opinion, at least of connecting the two. And the people who don't like the connection, they'll weed themselves out, and I've become okay with that. I just am because I this is how this is what resonates with me. This is how I like teaching. This is how I want to develop my products and so people who aren't okay with that, they'll just believe. Jillian Leslie 16:37 So let's talk about your products. You started with a budgeting spreadsheet, which surprisingly sold really well. And then you figured out Pinterest ads and started teaching people about Pinterest ads. Yes. Now you also then have other products. What are they and how did they emerge? Monica Froese 16:57 Yeah, I have a lot. So they're all digital. I'm actually in a mastermind with two girls who do physical products. And I think that's a lot of work. And I give them so many kudos because obviously we need physical products in the world, but it's a lot more work than digital products. Just there are a lot more intricacies that go into it to make sure it's profitable. So the order of things: I had the budgeting spreadsheet, then I launched the course, which was to help moms in similar positions to me who were in corporate and they're like, I want to have a career. But I also want more time with my kids. How do I make that happen? It's like, No, you are smart, you are smart, and you can take what you've learned in corporate and bring it over to this world. That was the next thing. From there. What ended up happening was because people were saying, How are you getting all of these leads? How are you selling these products, and I was selling them with Pinterest. So it started with a 13 video course that I made for friends because I got asked the same questions of what I did on Pinterest. I gave them I literally gave these 13 videos away just to friends and they're like, you should have people pay you for this. Like this is really good. This is better than other courses I've taken on Pinterest, and I wasn't even trying to make it a course. So then I put it up for sale and that was my original organic marketing course. How to Teach what You Already Know Monica Froese 18:23 This is how it started with me teaching organic Pinterest marketing to people who simply just in conversation, were asking me questions. And then I turned that into a course that I did an actual launch for that in like mid-2017. And that well. At the time, I was also very heavily invested and getting traffic to the mom side of my business with Pinterest using Pinterest ads, I had the budgeting spreadsheet. I have a few other templates, spreadsheets, a planner, stuff like that. And so my blogging friends who took my Pinterest organic course were then like, I want to learn how to do this next level things because it really at that time was definitely next level. I mean, I would argue it's still next level because not a lot of people actually do Pinterest ads still. But it was certainly next level at that point because all anyone talked about was organic. And nobody talked about the power of Pinterest ads. So during my third trimester, they pushed me into launching this course which I was so adamantly against. I didn't want to do it. I just wanted to have this baby. I want to go nesting. I am so thankful to my friends that pushed me to do this because clearly it was a huge gap out there was stuff that people wanted to know, but they didn't know they needed to know. It was like they didn't know they needed it until someone was there presenting it to them. It's kind of what ended up happening. When I was on maternity leave. I was getting very big influencers, like people that I had followed for years, sending me dm saying, Can I get this course? And I was sitting there saying I just had a baby I'm not working because I didn't have help or anything. At this point, so I was like, No, no, I had a baby. I don't have time for this. And my husband tapped me on the shoulder and said, maybe you should take a day and open the cart since these people are begging to give you money and let them in. And I was like, okay, so we did that. And then I came back from maternity leave. And I got really invested in making that course the best it could be, while having this calling to wanting to get back to creating other products that I could put behind funnels because as I was doing the Pinterest ads course, what was the prevailing thing that I kept running into was, when you are ready to run an ad, you need an offer that converts. Like you should not put money behind something that doesn't convert. Overwhelmingly, I was getting people joining my Pinterest ads course that didn't have a converting offer. And that could be converting someone onto your email list, converting someone into a sale. They didn't have an offer. How to Create Sales Funnels that Convert So then they would run an ad, and they'd come to me with data even though I said this is in the course. I don't think it necessarily resonated. They just wanted to get to the running ad part. So they'd run the ad and they come to me with data and they'd say, this didn't work. And I'd say, What is it? What is your objective? And overwhelmingly they'd say, to get traffic? Well, why then my question be like, Why? What is it for? Well, I don't know. Just I have ads on? Jillian Leslie 21:22 And by the way, we talked about this all the time to run an ad to for traffic never make sense. It will never be itself. So if you are thinking that you're going to boost now, if, for example, you're working with a brand, and you do some sort of sponsored content, and you want to show the brand that you've got traffic to make the brand happy because they've paid you a bunch of money for this. It's worth putting some money behind that to go look at my numbers. But if you think you can monetize that traffic, just because you're with AdThrive, or you're with MediaVine, it will never, you'll always be upside down. Always, you'll always be paying more than that traffic is worth to you with ads. Monica Froese 22:11 And if you think about it, you're literally running an ad that you're paying for to send people to another ad that you'll make back end money from it. It seems it's very goofy to me. Add the MiloTree Pop-Up to Your Blog and Grow Your Followers and Subscribers on Autopilot Jillian Leslie 22:22 Given this uncertain time as online entrepreneurs, all we crave is certainty. So what if I could promise you that growing your social media followers on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, plus your email list could happen automatically. All you need is a blog or a site you own and some visitors and I guarantee that the MiloTree pop-up app will automatically convert those visitors into followers and subscribers and you don't have to do a thing. We are no longer living in the world as it was. I think we're all realizing the importance of nurturing our online businesses. So we can have freedom to live the lives we want, but in order to get there, we have to manage our scarcest resource time. So let MiloTree do the heavy lifting for you when it comes to growing followers and email subscribers, and you spend your time creating content solutions products that serve your audience, so you can start seriously monetizing your blog. So here's my advice. stay consistent. Kill the perfectionist in you so you can get stuff out there quickly. Touch yourself with kindness, embrace the mess, and go make a couple of smart choices like using MiloTree on your blog to grow your followers and subscribers. So you don't have to worry about that. Get Your First 30 Days of MiloTree Free Sign up now for MiloTree and get your first 30 days free. There's really no risk 8,000 other bloggers just like you, are using MiloTree right now to grow their businesses. Please pause this episode and head to MiloTree.com to sign up for your free trial. With all the worry we're feeling this will give you one less thing to worry about. So what are you waiting for hit pause, head to MiloTree and sign up today. How to Start to See the Opportunities for Creating Products Monica Froese 24:07 So what ended up happening through running this course and getting very dedicated to being in it for these two years and not letting myself diverge off and create all these new products, is I started to see the gaps. And I took notes of these gaps, but I was resistant to filling them until I had that course so buttoned in, and just and the students were doing really well with it. Once I got to that point, and I would say that took just under two years. So I started the course in November of 2017. And in November of 2019 is really when we started launching, again, different products. So the first thing we did was we realized that some people have really ugly landing page and it matters for conversions, and I get super good opt-ins and tripwire conversions. And I have other different funnels that I teach, specific to Pinterest that I get really good conversion rates. And when I would be asked to review like my ad tanked, I'd go into the page that they're promoting. And I was like, you know, and it's hard to get feedback like that, but your page is ugly. You know, that's hard. That's hard feedback to give. So I thought, How can I solve that problem? I created templates in Elementor and LeadPages. I use LeadPages for all my funnels. And so that was my first. That was the first way I was going to solve the problem of people not having ugly pages. Unknown Speaker 25:39 Are you working with a designer? Are you designing them yourself? Selling High Converting Template Landing Pages Monica Froese 25:43 Funny enough, I don't feel like I am a designer at all, but yet I make pretty good landing pages. I like pretty things that convert. So first in my mind was, how do I get this to convert? Second in my mind is how do I make this look aesthetically appealing? Because and this is super important. Pinterest is a visual search engine people expect to come from Pinterest and see pretty things and I was seeing so many funnels that had ads popping up and pop-ups here and pop-ups there and it's like, guys, like a display ad should never be on a sales page Jillian Leslie 26:36 For MiloTree, we create it so that you can turn it off on certain pages and people say why would I turn it off? And I go, if you are selling something you do not want to distract from the sale even if it's my product, turn it Monica Froese 26:52 off. Yeah, exactly. And that's the stuff that Oh, I just feel like there was a big gap of understanding. Finding that and so when so we started with the templates and those went super well. Monica Froese 27:09 I created them on LeadPages. And we duplicated them on Elementor. So we have two solutions. Here's the difference between my templates and what you see on the market for other people's templates. A lot of templates sellers are giving you templates in different color palettes, right. Mine are designed with the conversion mechanism in mind and you have to plug in your branding to it. So it's like branding agnostic. I'm not giving you different color palettes or anything like that. I'm giving you a page that I know convert. You plug your messaging and your brand into it, which is, I found very different than pretty much anything out there that I've seen at this point. And it's very specific because I've spent years testing, where different buttons should go and different headlines. And so it's basically like, the best information I can give you for what has worked on Pinterest. Not just with me, though, with hundreds of my students, because as I've cultivated this promoted pins group, I help them to change their pages. So over time, you just get really good when you see the back end of hundreds, I mean, really thousands of campaigns, you just get good at knowing what works and what doesn't. If You Get People to Trust You, They Will Buy More From You So that's when that came out. But there was still a gap I had in the Pinterest suite of things. So I had the organic Pinterest marketing course which we were keeping updated, but it wasn't necessarily my passion. It was kind of like the on-ramp into getting to know how I teach. And I do think when you stick with the same teacher makes things more seamless. So by the time we get to my promoted pins course, it's like you already understand my logic of Pinterest. So I had an organic, I have an organic Pinterest course, then I did an affiliate marketing course, on Pinterest because not everyone is ready to move right to products. So affiliate marketing is a nice gap that can be filled on Pinterest. Then it went right to paid ads. What I realized was I had a gap between the affiliate marketing and the paid ads, which was I needed to teach people how to create Pinterest-friendly sales funnels. And so actually, as we speak, I am in the very last module right now I'm launching it. I have 125 people in the beta round and I would say probably 85% of them are promotion students so they're my students that know they trust me. They know I delivered in that course, and I'm telling them hey, this course is going to make your funnels just amazing so that when you go back to ads, they will convert like gangbusters. And they're like, yeah, we trust you. We know you you know what you're talking about. That launch I did on Black Friday went nuts. It was like, incredible. The power what I learned from that because all these are learning lessons like, every time I've launched the Promoted pins course, I've learned so many different things like from flash sales, to life challenges, to how long you should have between launches. When I launched them Black Friday, this new sales funnels course to my current students that taught me the power of cultivating your students and pouring into them, they will buy almost everything else you offer, because they trust you. And I'm like, Whoa, light bulb, like I mean, that's logic, right. It's actually very logical. But it was such a lightbulb moment for me to realize that people that everything I did over those two years, really meant something. So that's what we're doing now is teaching people and when this is over, it's kind of like the last installment of my Pinterest, then I have like really a whole framework in place. So there are a few things you have to decide one we want to move the Pinterest courses to MonicaFroese.com. So that Redefining Mom can go back to being for moms. I really feel passionate. The Importance of Integrity as An Online Entrepreneur Like my employee right now, Haley, she's pregnant. And it really reignited my passion for maternity leave. Because under the law in the US, I'm not required to pay her or give her a maternity leave. But I'm going to because I believe that I need to set an example if I'm going to sit here and preach about that stuff, which I did when I started Redefining Mom, that I need to live up to that. And it really reignited my passion to want to help moms. So my goal now is to get the Pinterest stuff buttoned up running. However, we ended up combining it maybe it's gonna be one framework we don't know yet. Like that's our questions there. And then that's going to be moved over into its own thing and then I want to dive back into creating more funnels in more products for the mom side of the house. Jillian Leslie 32:03 I love that. And just to go back for a second to filling in gaps, I noticed because I'm on your email list that you are always coming out with templates for pins and selling them or offering some I think for free. I don't know how you do it, but what I love about what you're saying, Have I noticed a gap? I fill it. Monica Froese 32:28 When I got started, there were a lot of like marketing people, gurus, experts that would say stuff like that, like listen to what your audience is telling you, and then create the product that they want. And for some reason that never clicked for me. I'm like I don't under I didn't. It didn't resonate until I was in the weeds. And this is part of the reason why I don't want people to get stuck. I see so many people getting stuck in the questions that they should not be getting stuck in because you don't know until you try. You have to start putting stuff out there so you understand what people want from you. And then you move forward. Like if I had never done the promoted pins course, I never would have realized how important teaching the sales funnel piece was. You know, it just all I needed all of that, Jillian Leslie 33:15 I would say, and you can tell me what you think the more you are willing to roll up your sleeves and get in the muck with your customers, the more success you'll have because it's in the muck. It's in the confusions. You can't be kind of above it all thinking you're gonna sell stuff to people. You need to get down and dirty. Like it's, you know, I always talk about this, get on the phone. Monica Froese 33:45 Oh, yeah. Jillian Leslie 33:46 Do things that do not scale. You know, you think you're going to set up all these automations are all going to be working in the background and the money's just going to come? And it's like, you take that person who's asking you questions and you say hey, can we do like a 10-minute phone call. And of course, you can't do that 100 times, but you could do it three times, you could do it five times. We've been successful in businesses where we understand where people are struggling, like from a visceral place, not from an intellectual place. Monica Froese 34:21 So one of the things that I like to tell people, because everyone always wants to look at where I am now, and they forget all the things I had to do to get here. I used to do 15 minute calls. All the time, I had a free Facebook group that I had regular teaching lives in that I never missed for like a year and a half, like so I had, I ended up having to close the group when the baby was born just because I could not keep I couldn't keep up with it. And I didn't have an employee at that point either. But the point is, like I showed up for free for a very, very long time to understand what people want it. It wasn't just a matter of I put up a funnel and it did well. I'm not gonna lie, I can put up a funnel now, and I can get it to do well without ever getting on the phone with someone. But I've learned so much over the four years. It's all of that experience that has gotten me to the point that I can do that now. Jillian Leslie 35:22 Absolutely, absolutely. So do it's messy. Like, those are always those are always my thing. Like, don't think it's neat. Don't think it's like you just kind of follow what you know, you pay thousands of dollars for a course and boom, all of a sudden you're gonna have business and it's all gonna work out. Ah, it's like nights of anxiety where you don't understand why this should work and it's not working and it's tweaking and it's making it ugly before it looks pretty and it's, it's getting down in the weeds. So if you're willing to like, get in the muck, that's how you grow business. It doesn't look you know you see people Like Goop with Gweneth Paltrow and it just looks so effortless. And so even though you look at it and go I want that. Like No, no, it's you in your pajamas. It's you. You know with a crying baby on your hip. It's you going Why isn't this working? It's you investing in Pinterest ads and sometimes losing money because you're trying to learn, right? So if you think it's glamorous or anything, trust me, it's totally not. But I think it's totally worth it. But know that your mess is not unique. It's the way through to ultimately find little nuggets of success. Why You Need to Treat Your Online Business Like a Full-Time Job Monica Froese 36:48 I absolutely agree with all that. I show up every day I treat this like a full time job. I get up every morning as if I'm going to work. I take my shower, I get changed. I make my coffee, I sit down, and I work for eight hours. It's not, I don't, I don't work in the margins. I personally don't feel like I'm wired to work in the margins. And I have seen women that do work in the margins. And they have made some really amazing things doing that. I would, I would argue that the majority of people who are going to be successful are going to need to treat it as if it's a full-time job and treat it like you would get up for a job. There are plenty of days like this morning, I got a migraine. And it would have been much easier for me to close my computer and not be on this podcast and not finish the Facebook ads. I'm going to finish when I get off this podcast and not finish the module. But I'm not going to because that's not what gets me to the next step. It's all building blocks. I say that all the time. Like my sister right now is trying to start a blog because she's at home with her kids. She's a health care worker, but she's, uh, she goes to people's houses. And so that's pretty much like not happening right now in the current environment. Um, so she's home. And she's thinking like 15 steps ahead, and I keep reminding her that like you have 15 building blocks you're missing here. You got to go back to the beginning. Everyone started from nothing, you got to go back there. You can't be where I am now, because I had four years to get here. Jillian Leslie 38:27 Absolutely. People ask me all the time. They want a magic bullet. They want something and they say, how did you grow Catch My Party to millions of pages a month? And I go, it's a long slog. That is the answer. And they don't like that. Because if I believe me, if there were a magic bullet, I'd be using it. And I'd be selling it for like millions of dollars. But the truth is, you make mistakes, you make a couple smart decisions along the way. You add some keywords in there, you know, work with your audience, you definitely are making decisions and you hope that those are the right decisions, or if they're not that you're able to pivot those decisions. But for me, I would argue it's all about showing up. Just what you're saying. Monica Froese 39:16 Yeah. And I went through a period in late 2018, where I was, I was in a pretty bad burnout stage. And I stopped emailing as much as I used to, and there's a direct correlation with communicating with your audience to sales, really, I mean, it's all about consistency and showing up and being a real person. Unknown Speaker 39:45 I feel like we're gonna have to do a part two, where you come back and talk more about this, like the nitty gritty, Monica Froese 39:51 I took notes before we got in. Okay, I know I know. At some point in my notes, I said, connection and more connection, especially when you're first getting started, tell us and then like how I have my free group and I went live every single day. And in my paid course I show up every single day, they didn't just pay me money, and then I disappear. Reputation is everything. And I've said this so many times, and I firmly believe that I will make money slower. If it means keeping my integrity and my ethics in place, and I love that. There are people that make money online that are not ethical and they don't keep their integrity in place. And I don't want to be that person. Jillian Leslie 40:44 And I feel if you want to be in it for the long term. That is the answer because people can ultimately I believe that it gets discovered. You know, like you can't, I don't believe that if you work in the internet, you have to weirdly believe in karma. Because eventually it comes back to you. So the more good you put out there, the more good you ultimately get back. Now, it might not be in the way you think it's going to be. And this is again, that idea of, you have to hold things, ideas lightly, because you don't know what it's going to look like you have an idea of what it's going to look like, like, I'm providing all this value, why isn't the money coming? Well, maybe something else is coming. You know, maybe, who knows, maybe you're attracting a person to you that you can ultimately work with. And that's gonna lead to something like it's not necessarily going to look the way you think it's going to look. But if you put enough good stuff out there, over time, you weirdly, I think, attract a lot of good stuff back. And the reverse is true, which is if you cut corners, if you don't walk your talk, if you don't deliver, you could probably survive for a year or so but eventually it will show. Yes, You Want to Make Money Online Monica Froese 42:02 So the thing is, I, okay, I find nothing wrong with being in business to make money. Like that's what we have to feed our families. Like I show up every day, I should get paid for my hard work. There's nothing wrong with running a business that's profitable, and making money at all. There's nothing wrong with it. I think the disconnect is when you don't, when a business owner doesn't understand the bigger impact that they're trying to make in the world, and it's just all about the money. If it's only about the money. It is very hard to wake up every day, stay motivated and keep doing it. Because absolutely, just money is great, but I'm going to tell you I firmly believe now and the thing, more money, more problems. That is a true statement in my opinion. It's not all rainbows and roses all the time. It's a lot of hard work and so if you lose sight of why you're doing it to begin with, and that's why, like when my employee got pregnant, and they put me in this position where I could walk the talk, which meant when I started Redefining Mom, my rant was about maternity leave in the US. I actually got to talk to President Obama about this to his face. And I will never forget when he said to me, he's like, so what are you going to do about it? That was what ignited me to start this, like to make this a business that served moms, not just about money, but it was about making a greater impact. So when she got pregnant, I actually can hear him saying I can see and hear him saying this to me. What are you going to do about it? Well, you know what, I am going to offer her a paid maternity leave because she deserves that. I ranted about that and I am not going to contribute to that problem. Jillian Leslie 43:50 And I would say by you doing that, which is it's a sacrifice to you, you're not going to have an employee, and money's going out out the door. However, She will love you and be so dedicated to you and go the extra mile because you saw her and you were there for her. Again, not a bad situation, but you know what I mean? Like, again, you do not know that you will, chances are get that back tenfold. Unknown Speaker 44:25 Oh, absolutely. Jillian Leslie 44:26 But it's about the faith of that. It's about putting out your best highest self and it gets rewarded. So I again, I don't mean to sound all woowoo about this, but think about how you show up and where your values are because I believe people can sniff it out. Monica Froese 44:45 They can. Okay, so this actually goes to like the topic of the tripwires because a lot of my students and a lot of people I teach, are afraid to sell. They are so afraid to sell and and I always ask them, Do you not believe in what you're selling because if you believe in what you're selling, you wouldn't be afraid to sell like I got to a point in this, I think was the last launch I did for the promoted pins course, I had someone emailed me and was not very kind about. They thought that I was charging too much. And all these course creators think they can charge all this money and they all suck and they don't provide. I wrote her back a very factual answer, which is that there are some crappy courses out there. I've taken them I've invested in them, and I understand where you're coming from, but mine's not crap. And I show up every single day, and it is worth what I'm charging you and I'm I stand behind it. I don't feel bad about charging it because I know I provide that plus more value. And so when people feel like they can't sell that, the question I always have is, do you not believe that what you're selling can actually help the person you're selling it to? Because if you believe it, there's no issue with selling because it's your expertise, you're giving them the shortcut, you know, selling is a good thing. Also selling is what keeps our economy going. People Value What They Pay For Jillian Leslie 46:08 Absolutely. And wait and I will say this. There's this weird reverse thing, which is, when I get something for free, I tend not to value it as much. But if I put money behind it, you better believe I'm going to show up, I'm more likely to show up. If I paid a couple of hundred bucks, let's say for something versus it's the exact same product, but now you're giving it to me for free. So if you want a more dedicated say, student, my hunch is those students that have made the decision to actually open up their wallets and pay you will be better students, which will make a better course which will make a better you know, the whole environment is better. So free is not always better. In fact, I would argue if you're if you are providing value, you charge for it because you want to attract the kind of customer who's willing to pay for it Monica Froese 47:04 Exactly. And so that when you offer something for free to get a conversion to get people on your list, you give them a taste of who you are and what you know and what you can offer them. But it doesn't give away the kitchen sink as they say. Pinterest is a visual search engine. So people come to Pinterest with a problem. They search it, they visually are looking to see their solutions. That's what they arrive on with search results. It's a visual solution that they're looking at. So I come they like to say like meal planning for a week. When I get there. I want to see a visual representations of what meal planning solutions, that's what I'm looking for. So when I click to the meal planning solution, let's say it's an opt-in, that opt-in is to solve, it's meant to solve a quick win. Your Opt-In Should Be a Quick Win It's to give them that immediate gratification that you can help them over that hump. And then your paid product is like, and it can go. There's two different ways, i Pinterest that often can be a layer of your solution, like the first prong of your solution. And the paid is the rest. It's how they take that first prong and make it an actual system. Or your opt-in can be the "what" and the "why,"like, this is why you need this. This is how it will help you and then your paid product is the how. So there's two different ways that you can look at it. I would say I lean more towards the "what" and the "why" and the paid product is the "how." Jillian Leslie 48:46 So I like that. Oh, I like that. Okay, so Monica. I feel like we could talk forever and I know that you have a hard stop. Will you come back? Can we put this in our calendars. We can talk about the tactics, I feel you and I, we are so like-minded. I'm so happy to know you as my online friend on the east coast. Because I feel like my audience loves the tactics, you know what not to do what to do that kind of thing. Monica Froese 49:19 So interesting that you say that because my course on sales funnels is broken down. Strategy is the first three modules. And the last three are tactics. And I say in the course, you cannot have the tactics without the strategy and everyone wants to go to the tactics always and not have the strategy and that's when you fail. And I seriously take my students kicking and screaming sometimes through the strategy, like they just want to tell me where to put this and tell me where to put that and No, I will not. I refuse because if you don't understand the strategy if you don't understand the problem you're solving if you don't get all of that and how it fits into the bigger picture. But you can have all the tactics in the world and it will not help you make sales. Jillian Leslie 50:05 Absolutely, absolutely. Okay Monica. I just I love talking to you so, so let's we're literally going to hang up this call and schedule part two. And I just love that you come on on the show and you share so much. Monica Froese 50:22 Well, I'm really glad that you have me. People listen, I love doing this. Jillian Leslie 50:28 Alright, so Okay, so until part two. Key Takeaways My big takeaway from this episode is how putting in some thought about your solution, how to attract your audience, how to provide them with a quick win and then ultimately sell them on the solution, I think is really powerful, I think to step back in your own business and think about putting these pieces together, lining them up. So they all make sense is what I recommend. Did it take some thought it really does. If you want to talk product with me, please reach out at Jillian@milotree.com. And I'd love to hear what you're thinking and give you some feedback. Also, I want to say do check out the military membership. So it's Milo tree.com/membership, if you are looking for tech support, ongoing tech support, so we've got your back. So when you want to make a change to your blog, we can do that for you. Also, it provides you with workshops, ongoing workshops of what is what are cutting edge strategies that we want to share with you both strategies that are working in our business, but also strategies that we are seeing work in people's businesses and also community because being an online entrepreneur can sometimes feel lonely. It can feel like you are yelling into the abyss and you're not sure anybody is listening. Well, I'm listening and this community is listening. So, if you if any of those things are interesting to you, and you can roll them all into one, please head to milotree.com/membership. And again, there are no contracts or anything so there's really no risk and I will see you here again next week. Imagine a world where growing your social media followers and email list was easy… It can be with MiloTree! Try the MiloTree pop-up app on your blog for 30 days risk-free! Let your MiloTree pop-ups help you get to that next level by turning your visitors into email subscribers and social media followers on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube. Sign up today! Install your MiloTree pop-ups on your site in under two minutes. Sign up for MiloTree now and get your first 30 DAYS FREE!

Looking for an easy way to create killer content for your blog? Or, are you trying to design a motivational speech for your team? In this post, I cover a simple way to create content that your audience will love. The technique works equally well if whether you are delivering in verbally (in a speech) or writing it.The Keys to Good Communication Are Similar Whether You Are Writing or Speaking.Way back in 2000, I partnered up with a speaker in Dallas who had acquired a big contract to do leadership training for a national trade association. It was a big break for me, because, although I had done pretty well in my first few years as a speaker, clients were still hard to come by, back then. When he and I first talked, he mentioned that he had written a public speaking book that was in the final stages of editing.Since my specialty was designing class content, I built an entire presentation class to compliment the book. From time to time, I'd ask him about the book, and he'd always respond by telling me, "It's almost ready."Two years later, it was still... almost ready. I finally realized that the book was likely never going to be finished. In desperation, I decided that if I were going to have a good, well-written textbook for my class, I'd have to write it myself.I Learned to Write Out of Necessity.At that point, I'd never written anything except term papers in school. But, I figured, whether you are communicating via the spoken word or via written text, the goal is still the same. You want to communicate important ideas in such a way that your audience (or readers) can retain the information, and you also have to make that communication somewhat entertaining so that your listeners (or readers) continue to pay attention.So, out of necessity, I sat down at my computer, and I wrote the book Fearless Presentations. The whole process from start to finish took me less than three weeks. (And the only reason that it took me that long was that I type really slow.)This episode will explain the step-by-step process that I went through, and how you can use the same process to create unlimited content for motivational speeches, keynotes, and blog posts.Full Podcast Notes at How to Create Killer Content for Your Blog or Motivational Speech

Blog Your Way to Business Profit Host: Antionette Blake Episode 9: Driving Traffic to Your Blog with Twitter Discussion Topics: *Tweets can quickly spread content to your communities *Make business contacts - many businesses are now on Twitter *Find and share resources - looking for guest writers, interviews and reviews - you can offer your services too - send a tweet! *Tips to drive traffic to your Twitter Wednesdays at 1:00pm Produced by Elite Conversations Life Talk Radio & Podcast https://www.eliteconversations.com/ecradio.html

Intro 0:04 Welcome to The Blogger Genius Podcast brought to you by MiloTree. Here's your host, Jillian Leslie. Jillian Leslie 0:11 Hello friends. Welcome back to the show. I hope you are staying safe and healthy during this unusual time. Before I start with today's episode, I wanted to announce that on May 26 we are starting our next coaching group. Join Our 6-Week MiloTree Entrepreneur Coaching Group Starting May 26th It's a six-week coaching group. It is for new bloggers and experienced bloggers where we dig in, get to know you and your business, and teach you really how to grow an online business today. Especially, during this time. There's a lot. There's a lot that's the same and a lot that's different, and we break it down piece by piece. In fact, don't take my word for it. I'm going to read what Clara said about our coaching group. Coaching Group Review She said, "Being part of the group was such a great experience. Jillian and David provided so much valuable information, tips, ideas and help. They shared all their expertise and that is a lot. I strongly recommend anyone join. It's empowering. It's helpful, dynamic and fun. Every session with them opened my mind and gave me fantastic insights and support for my own business. It's totally worth it." Well, Clara, thank you for saying that. Clara has continued on with us in our monthly membership. This is just a great way to get some momentum. That's what I would say. And we'd love to have you. If you want to learn more, head to MiloTree.com/group. Email me at Jillian@MiloTree.com. If you want to get on a call to talk about your business and how I think we can help you, I would love it so please reach out. In today's episode, I have David as my guest. He is, of course, my husband, my partner. He is a technologist. He is really insightful. I learn from him every day. What we are talking about is how to look at your blog with fresh eyes. Show Notes MiloTree Entrepreneur Coaching Group MiloTree Pop-Up App—30 Days Free MiloTree BlogStart MiloTree Downloadable Blog Checklist MiloTree Mastermind Facebook Group Episode #110:Why Site Speed can hurt your blog and How to Fix it GTmetrix Google Site Speed How to Look at Your Blog With Fresh Eyes We get really comfortable with our own blogs and we almost become blind to that. So what I've been doing in my Facebook group, my MiloTree Mastermind Facebook group, (If you're not a member, please go to Facebook and join.) is I will ask people and say, "Hey, do you have something you want us to review?" And people will say, "Yeah, will you look at my blog?" So, what I'm doing in this podcast is outlining how David and I take a look at your blog. What's great is we've got fresh eyes, but we also have a systematic way of looking at the pieces of your blog to see if you are making good choices to help move your business forward. I'm going to give you some insights into how we think about it. If you want a free download, a checklist of what we're talking about, please head to MiloTree.com/blogchecklist. You can go through this and hopefully see your blog in a new way. And if you want help doing this, that's where David and I come in. Please join our coaching group. What's great about it is that David is there to give technical and design help. If for example, you look at your blog and you go, "Oh my God, I really need to change this or whatever." We're here! Reach out at jillian@milotree.com and we will help you. That's what we are here for. So, without further delay, here is my interview with David. David, welcome back to the show. David 4:05 I'm glad to be back. Jillian Leslie 4:06 It's fun. It's funny because we're sitting here close together, talking. David 4:10 Sharing a mic. Jillian Leslie 4:11 Sharing a mic. Thinking about whether we should have two mics but realizing that it's probably logistically somewhat difficult. David 4:19 I don't want to have to Skype from another room. Jillian Leslie 4:21 It's cute. It's like we're all cuddled up here next to the mic. Okay. We just finished our first coaching group. And it was really fun, wasn't it? David 4:32 It was good. Jillian Leslie 4:32 What was cool about it was getting to know the bloggers and entrepreneurs in the group and really getting to understand their businesses and they are our friends. David 4:41 Yeah, especially during the time we're quarantined and not seeing anybody. It's kind of nice to meet new people and talk to them. Jillian Leslie 4:49 Yeah. And that you have this ongoing relationship. It's funny, we started the group before quarantine, and then all of a sudden the world shut down around us. And it was something that I started to really look forward to not just because it's fun, and we want to help people succeed, but it was like, "Hey, we could just show up with this group of people." Because the truth is we've been hanging out a lot together for a while. So it was really nice. So anyway, we are starting our second coaching group on May 26th. And what's cool is that we have really been able to take this time to synthesize how we teach, and what we think is really important. Has Your Blog Gotten Cluttered? We thought about doing this episode and sharing how we look at blogs, especially you David because you have such a technical foundation. Our blog is kind of like your home, which is you move into your home with your stuff and you put everything in place and it looks really nice, let's say. And then over time, you start to bring in more stuff. You might bring in a tchotchke or a decoration. David 5:59 Some souvenirs from the vacation trip. Jillian Leslie 6:01 Exactly. And then there's the stuff that is kind of functional, but you don't really have a place for it. Like the big mixer ends up on your countertop in your kitchen. And then, the pile of papers. And at a certain point, you step back, and you go, "Oh my God, my house is so cluttered, and it used to not be cluttered." David 6:25 Or you never step back and you never realize it. Jillian Leslie 6:27 Exactly, yes. David 6:29 But when your friends come to visit, they might go, "Hmm." Like, "How do I get to the kitchen behind that pile of books?" Jillian Leslie 6:37 And in fact, I think a blog can be somewhat similar, which is, it's really easy to add stuff. I think that we get used to our blogs and how they work and we forget to take stuff off, or we forget to pare it down. In our Facebook group, the MiloTree Mastermind Group, and we just did this recently. I'll say, "Hey, do you want feedback on your blog?" And somebody will give me their blog URL. We're always happy to do this. What I do behind the scenes is I say to David, I go, "Hey, David, look at this blog with me." And so, usually we sit by your computer and you call it up and you start looking and kind of how… If I were to think like you, what are your first thoughts of when you're evaluating somebody's blog? David 7:18 Right? Well, the advantage we have is we may not have seen the blog before, so we can really bring fresh eyes. Jillian Leslie 7:23 And we've seen hundreds and thousands of blogs. David 7:26 Right. So I think as we give this advice to you, having you lived in your blog. The main thing I would say is you're trying to bring fresh eyes. Bring your own eyes in a fresh way looking at your own site. Putting yourself in the position, a new visitor coming in for the first time. People Don't Start on Your Homepage Anymore As content creators, we are intimately familiar with our blogs or sites. I think inherently you kind of think of it hierarchically, right. Imagine you're putting up your blog. Start with what is my homepage going to look like? And then, what are my sections? And then, I'll put the blog post in the sections. But, you know, in the world today, it's the opposite. Right? Someone's out on the internet, they're on Google searching for a recipe. They're on Pinterest looking for a cool photo of some home decor. Hopefully, your site comes up and they're going to click on it and they're landing deep in your site, like they're in a blog post. Ninety percent of the time they're not coming to your homepage and looking at the cool hierarchy you set up, they're landing in it, on your content. How Does Your Blog Feel Overall? So, the very first thing is, like really the feel. A lot of that is about performance, page speed. Not like in like, you have your stopwatch out, but just when you go to your page, what does it feel like like? Are things loading in blocks and shifting around? If I'm starting to see your content and want to scroll down, can I? I don't know if you've been to sites that are loading really slowly you can't move the page. That can be super frustrating. That can be like an automatic… Jillian Leslie 9:13 Bounce. David 9:14 Yeah, people back out because you know, they're not even confident that the content they want is going to be there. So, go for that feel first. Jillian Leslie 9:24 Okay, wait. We did a podcast episode, David and me, about site speed. I will link to that where we talked about certain tools. But what is the URL or where do you go to detect people's site speed where they can just put their URL in? David 9:39 Google PageSpeed. So, I was just saying like, don't think to spot stopwatch. First, go for the feel. But also after that, especially if you think there's a problem, go to Google PageSpeed. I think that's an important metric to have, because a lot of the performance we're doing is in the hopes that Google will reward us or not penalize us for PageSpeed. And there's another site called GTmetrix. I like GTmetrix if you're going to sit down and try to optimize your site performance because I think that some of the feedback it gives are a little more clear than what you get from Google PageSpeed. Jillian Leslie 10:17 Let's talk about orientation, because you talk a lot about that. David 10:21 Right. So, once someone's there, like they're in your recipe post… Jillian Leslie 10:27 Kind of like in the bowels of your blog. David 10:29 Yes. They haven't come to your homepage, they haven't gone through this. It's not the museum tour, or they come at the front front desk and get the map and there's the desk going, "Okay, we're going to start here. We're going to go into the east wing first. We're going to learn about deserts, and then move into…" Actually, maybe start with appetizers, end up in deserts. But they're deep in your blog. So, I think these days on the internet, like one question every time you arrive at a new site, maybe someplace you haven't been before is like, "Is this place legit?" Jillian Leslie 11:01 Right. There's like a moment of skepticism because we all know that there are people out there wanting to scam us or somehow there's like this underbelly. And also if it's a recipe, like do I trust this person? David 11:16 Yeah, exactly. I'm sure anyone who uses Pinterest. Sometimes you'll go to a pin and like, "Okay, that's a great photo. I want to get more information." And then you'll click and then like, who knows where you'd end up. Nothing related to it. They're just kind of spamming that photo out trying to get a click to something unrelated. Jillian Leslie 11:33 They probably stolen that photo. David 11:35 Stolen that photo. Reused it. Bought an unrelated stock photo. So, one thing is like when you're pinning, like hopefully, there's a easily mental connection that the person can make between the photo you're pinning from your post and the content that's in your post. And it doesn't have to be the same photo. I know you can do like custom pin photos, kind of the tall with a label. You may not have it in your post but as long as you just want to be able to, like the gut reaction should be okay. How to Orient Your Visitor When They Come to Your Site Jillian Leslie 12:12 Oh, I'm here and this is right where I'm supposed to be. David 12:15 Right. Because that's your first hurdle The second one is like they might go like, "Okay. Before I invest, like more than two seconds here, start scrolling. Like, what is it this place?" Jillian Leslie 12:26 Who are you? David 12:27 Who are you? Jillian Leslie 12:28 Why should I trust you? David 12:29 Like one thing we recommend is having the little mini bio. If you're an individual blogger, your photo could just be like a sentence or two, your mission statement, who you are. Jillian Leslie 12:42 Right. And you can click to another page that has much more information about you. Have Your About Section on Every Page David 12:46 Yep, by all means have an About Page if you're comfortable with that, but with more of it too because you don't know where people are coming, what page they are going to view first. Assume that on every page, you want to have something about yourself to let people know, "Hey, I'm a real person. I have a real mission here with my site." Jillian Leslie 13:08 Right. I like that. So you would have a photo, preferably a few, like a liner to about you. And if you can put your mission in there of like, so it's not just I'm a mom of three and I live in Colorado. David 13:22 Right. I'm a budget baker. I could say it should be on the first page that people view but you don't know what that page is. So, you blanket it on every page. Jillian Leslie 13:31 And then also, let's talk about nav because your nav should be on every page. David 13:37 Absolutely. I think the question around nav is once someone has arrived, like you've done all this work pinning images and optimizing for Google search results and someone clicks to your page, like, asked what do you want from that person? What do you want them to do? Jillian Leslie 13:56 Yeah, this is a really interesting question because I think as bloggers, especially if we started 10 years ago, we didn't think about that. It wasn't about building a business. It was like I was creating a blog. And look, I can put ads up. What Do You Want Your Visitor to Do on Your Site? It was almost like you backed into a business. And today, I think it is all about what do you want this visitor to do. And how does that help you grow community, make money, build your brand, but very clearly, do you want this person to read this post? Do you want this person to sign up for your list? Do you want this person to download something? Do you want this person to buy something? Do you want this person to click on five different pages of your site? David 14:44 The gut reaction, I'm sure of everyone, is yes. Right? I want all those things. Read the recipe. Print it. Make it view five more pages. Pin stuff. Draw on my list. Click my affiliate links. Jillian Leslie 14:57 And follow me on Instagram. David 14:58 Exactly. Jillian Leslie 14:59 With your MiloTree pop-up. David 15:02 The truth is you want to be optimizing for one thing. Jillian Leslie 15:06 Right. And this is so hard. It's so hard. David 15:08 You got someone on your site. Is your goal to get them on your email list? Is your goal to get them to buy something? Is your goal to get them to view more pages because you've got great content? Jillian Leslie 15:21 Yes. Yeah, I want it all. You're right. But there should be a hierarchy in terms of what is most important for your business. And again, how many times do you come to a blog and then lots of things are popping out at you? I mean, this goes back to MiloTree. When we created it, our feeling is really one ask. Now, people will have multiple pop-ups on their sites in addition to MiloTree, but really our thinking is always funneling people to make it so easy for them to do what you want them to do. And not confusing them. It's the kind of thing where again, this is one of those moments where when you step back and you think about it that way, you want to find that journey. And kind of put road signs pointing going, "Do this. Go here." I like actually, when blog say start here in the nav, because guess what I do? David 16:21 Start there. Jillian Leslie 16:21 I start there! You just told me what to do. Install MiloTree on Your Blog and Get 30 Days Free Advertisement 16:25 Given this uncertain time as online entrepreneurs, all we crave is certainty. So, what if I could promise you that growing your social media followers on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, plus your email list could happen automatically. All you need is a blog or a site you own and some visitors and I guarantee that the MiloTree pop-up app will automatically convert those visitors into followers and subscribers and you don't have to do a thing. We are no longer living in the world as it was. I think we're all realizing the importance of nurturing our online businesses so we can have freedom to live the lives we want. But in order to get there, we have to manage our scarcest resource - time. So, let MiloTree do the heavy lifting for you when it comes to growing followers and email subscribers, and you spend your time creating content, solutions, products, that serve your audience, so you can start seriously monetizing your blog. Here's my advice. Stay consistent, kill the perfectionist in you so you can get stuff out there quickly, touch yourself with kindness, embrace the mess, and go make a couple of smart choices like using MiloTree on your blog to grow your followers and subscribers so you don't have to worry about that. Sign up now for MiloTree and get your first 30 days free. There's really no risk. Eight thousand other bloggers just like you are using MiloTree right now to grow their businesses. Please pause this episode and head to MiloTree.com to sign up for your free trial. With all the worry we're feeling, this will give you one less thing to worry about. So, what are you waiting for? Hit pause, head to MiloTree, and sign up today. How Does Your Site Look on Mobile? David 18:10 I think it's also a good time to bring in mobile. Again, as content creators, we're spending a lot of time at our desk on our desktops, laptops with big screens. Jillian Leslie 18:26 Yeah, you should see what our office looks like right now with our big screens. David 18:32 You have to always remember that we have the bulk of our audience on mobile. Jillian Leslie 18:40 Yes. David 18:41 It could be 60. It could be 80. It could be higher, 80% or higher of people coming on their phones. That means there's a lot less on their screen when they visit your site than on your screen when you're designing and creating your blog posts. Jillian Leslie 18:59 And the other thing I would say is if you came to our house and watched us at night, let's say watching a baking show or so, which we love, we will be on two screens. I'm going to admit it. You're sitting there. The show is on in the background. I've got my phone out, and I'm scrolling, which just means not only am I seeing a smaller screen, but I'm also distracted. That's why you want any way that you can direct people to do what you want. You need to be doing that because you're not only getting small real estate, but then also, like in terms of people's mindshare, they can only devote 15% of their attention, 30%, hopefully 60%, but chances are, it's not 100%. David 19:46 Yeah. One very specific point is your logo. Jillian Leslie 19:52 Let's talk about that. David 19:53 So again, we love our own brand. Jillian Leslie 19:57 We do. How to Optimize Your Blog Logo David 19:58 We want a nice big logo to show off. And again, on a desktop, you know, you can sacrifice a fair amount of space to your logo. It's not that big a deal. I'd say, I don't know, maybe half the blogs I go to, like between the logo and the nav, you can't even see the title of the post on the first page without scrolling down. So, you're already forcing the user to commit to your site, wait for it to load to scroll to even start to see your content. Jillian Leslie 20:31 What do you recommend for somebody's logo? David 20:35 Simple, wide, and short. Jillian Leslie 20:39 And we were talking about this, how many pixels tall would you? David 20:42 Under 100 pixels tall if possible because it's that short. That's why simple, easy to read. Jillian Leslie 20:50 Yep. All right, let's talk then. So, you want to have a small logo or a short logo, especially on mobile, and then also a short nav? Just in terms of height. David 21:02 Yes. Jillian Leslie 21:03 Okay. So again, like we fall in love with our own designs and our own… David 21:08 I mean navs are things that typically take up too much space because they're tall, but they might take up too much space, because there are too many options in them. Jillian Leslie 21:17 Let's talk about that. How to Optimize Your Nav Bar David 21:17 And again, that ties right back to what is the ask. Right? Someone's come to your site and they're not bouncing off but maybe they've read a lot of your content but now want to go somewhere, maybe see some more content in their choosing to use your nav. How many things are you going to put up there to give them a reasonable choice of making a quick decision? Jillian Leslie 21:43 What is the kind of conventional wisdom? David 21:46 Rule of thumb is when you're presented choices, five or fewer? Jillian Leslie 21:50 Do you have a home? Does it say home or does it not say home and you just link your logo to your homepage? David 22:01 It's okay. Your logo should always link to your homepage. Jillian Leslie 22:03 Okay, regardless. David 22:04 Regardless. I think it's okay to have a home in your nav but you don't need it. Jillian Leslie 22:09 Okay. So, you need space get rid of that. David 22:12 If you have six things in your nav and one of them is home, I would definitely get rid of it. Jillian Leslie 22:16 Okay. Okay. And therefore would you do, let's say that I am a travel DIY recipe blogger. I know it's a lot. It's honestly not what we recommend. We recommend go figure out which one of those is your most popular where people are really connecting with you and go that way. But let's say I've got a part that says recipes and DIYs and travel, and then I'm not going to have home but then am I going to have like an about us and maybe a shop? Are you feeling overwhelmed? You look overwhelmed. David 22:49 I'm starting to feel overwhelmed. Jillian Leslie 22:52 Okay. David 22:54 I might drop the about first. Jillian Leslie 22:56 Just put it in the footer? David 22:58 In the footer and you potentially have a about module somewhere. If it's on desktop, it's going to be at the top of the right rail. When you drop into a mobile view that'll typically drop below your content, which isn't as accessible but is still there. How Many Fonts to Have on Your Blog Jillian Leslie 23:14 Okay, let's talk about fonts. David 23:18 Definitely. I think a lot of people are attracted to many fonts. Jillian Leslie 23:24 Why don't you want many fonts? David 23:26 Starting with performance. Each specialty font, non-system font means everyone who views the page doesn't have to load the font before they can start reading the text in that font. Jillian Leslie 23:42 Okay. David 23:44 So, typically, I would say no more than two fonts. Jillian Leslie 23:47 Really? David 23:49 The main thing is you want like a typeface that's very simple, easy to read. Maybe a Sarah Font for your titles and asante sarah font for the body of your post, your content. Jillian Leslie 24:05 Do you really think that's enough? I think that we love fonts and they're pretty. We love photos, we love it. David 24:16 If you're trying to evoke something friendly and homey, you're going to be attracted to like a script type face but think about that those can be much harder to read. Especially at a glance. Someone's scanning the page and you just want something as clear as possible. Jillian Leslie 24:36 Okay. That's okay. David 24:39 Along the same lines, I think there's a disproportionate amount of time spent on WordPress themes. Jillian Leslie 24:48 Can we talk about that? David 24:49 And all these like getting the right background. I mean, the truth is, you want people to see your content first. Right? And to a degree, the type face and your theme and background image, those are helpful and kind of like setting the stage and creating like a feel for what kind of site it is. But the truth is what you want people to see right away is the title of your post, the content, the key photo from your post. You don't want the background color of your theme to distract people from the content. Jillian Leslie 25:26 Right and clash with your content, let's say. David 25:28 Yes. Can You Get Rid of Your Slider? Jillian Leslie 25:29 Okay, let's talk about then sliders. People love sliders. David 25:35 Yes, I would say sliders are emblematic of indecision. Right. I have limited space but I want to do multiple things with that space so I'm going to use a slider to put a bunch of things in that limited amount of space. Jillian Leslie 25:53 I like what you're saying because it is a little bit like this: "You're a visitor. I'm going to serve you up a whole host of choices and you decide." It sounds really good. I'm going to let my visitor decide. And we would say, "No, no, no. You decide. You as the content creator, as the blogger, you decide." David 26:11 Right. Welcome to our restaurant. Here are our three menus. Which one do you want to order from tonight? Jillian Leslie 26:15 Right. Right. David 26:17 Honestly, there's a lot of data around sliders too that people tend not to interact with them. Let's say you've got a slider with three pieces of key content. And typically, I would say people use sliders on their homepage, not in their hosts. If you think all three pieces of content are important, break them out of the slider and let people scroll vertically down. It's much easier to scroll vertically and scan through three pieces of content than to wait for a slider to load and wait for these transitions. Most sliders, I would say, are pretty poorly designed. Like, are my arrow keys going to move the photos? I don't know. Like, how big is the target to shift to the next slide? Can I go backwards? Like all the million little pain points, then I think most people have had enough painful experiences with sliders, they tend not to interact with them. Jillian Leslie 27:15 Yes. David 27:16 If you have a slider on your homepage, I would say, "Okay, look what's in it, and decide if you really want to promote all that content, and either get rid of it or break it out." Jillian Leslie 27:28 Got it. One thing that you've always taught me from like, I don't know, I feel like the last 20 years is this idea that when you make people click, they drop off. No matter what. Always. And therefore, you don't want to necessarily be giving your audience so many choices, kind of a little bit like the about page. We were just on somebody's site yesterday, evaluating it. The woman had a beautiful photo of herself and there was no text underneath it. You could click on it and end up on her about page. We were saying just even having a little bit of text right up, like pulling it up, will give people much more information about her than assuming somebody is going to look at that photo, click on it, and then go read about her. David 28:16 Guaranteed. That is true, right? Fewer people are going to click through, then we'll see it. So, if you want people to see it, put it there. Jillian Leslie 28:26 So, always think about what are you serving up? If you want people to see those, like if you're hiding stuff behind sliders, it's kind of a similar concept. David 28:37 Yes. If you imagine, the prime real estate on your blog homepage is a slider. It's going to get less interaction guaranteed than if you just had a piece of content that you were focusing on and featuring. Jillian Leslie 28:53 Yeah, I agree. And I think that that speaks to kind of what you've always said. You don't want to be hiding stuff, assuming people are going to happily click because every time you click, it's a little bit like you're opening a door. You don't know what's on the other side. It's like a commitment. It feels kind of uncomfortable. David 29:12 And weirdly, you present people with choices, the easiest one. Jillian Leslie 29:15 Is that true? David 29:17 Sure. Jillian Leslie 29:18 Okay. All right. As we're kind of wrapping this up, as I'm looking at my checklist of things, one last thing which I just wanted to mention is that something that you always look at and we talked about this in our previous podcast is, do they have a caching plugin? Do they have a photo optimizing plugin? I feel like when you just look at a site after you've kind of looked at it… David 29:41 I throw those into the page speed. How quickly does it load? How quickly can I interact with it? Just how does that initial feel? Jillian Leslie 29:49 Okay. So a lot of, I think, what we are sharing… And by the way, if you like how we are thinking about this, if this is resonating, please sign up. Join our next six-week coaching group because what we do is we do deep dives into your site and we give you thoughts and ways to figure out what kind of niche you're in, how to make money in your niche, how to create content that will get you to where you want to be, and how to be really intentional. I feel like that's a word that is coming out of our conversation today. Instead of saying, I'm going to push it on the visitor. It's like, I need to do all that thinking up front. And it's hard. David 30:32 It can be hard. You have to make, you have to choose. Jillian Leslie 30:36 You kind of have to like… David 30:37 Pick your favorite child. Jillian Leslie 30:38 Yes. And by the way, in our coaching group, we're there to help you make those choices. Look at your analytics, figure out who you are, what your what your mission is, what your message is. Why Analytics Are Important for Making Decisions David 30:51 In reality, data is a really powerful tool. Let's say you've put tons of stuff on your pages and you're trying to figure out what to take off. Looking at your data analytics to see what people have been engaging with is a great guide. Jillian Leslie 31:06 Right. And one thing we talk about a lot is this idea of you put it out there. And then you're co-creating with your visitors, with your audience. Like, it's not just the Jill show. It's how does the combination of something I put out there mixed with people, and their questions, and their interactions with me, and me going further. It becomes this kind of beautiful soup. And then, using analytics to go what vegetables in the soup do people like and how do I make another soup that's similar to this soup? And so, there's a lot of… as I like to call it, like emergent building and that's really how we think about building businesses on the internet. It's fun because you get to touch people, don't you think? David 31:56 Absolutely. Jillian Leslie 31:57 That's what I think I liked the most about it. David 32:01 If anyone's new here and… Jillian Leslie 32:05 You mean to the podcast? David 32:06 New to blogging. And maybe they've been thinking about it. So, I would caution them against spending like a ton of time designing a custom theme. Jillian Leslie 32:16 Yes, hiring somebody and spending thousands of dollars. David 32:19 Designing your nav. It will get something up that's quick, easy, simple, that looks good, start putting content in. And then, as Jill says, things will become obvious as you go. Jillian Leslie 32:37 As you go, you learn. And by the way, remember, we can help set up your blog with our BlogStart Program and we're happy to do it for that very reason, which is we want to get you going. We want to get you started. David 32:50 You might think when you start that you're going to have a desert blog and the nav is going to be candy, chocolate, and cookies, and cake. And then, you're going to put up two or three posts. And you know, "Oh my God. I didn't know this but people just love my cupcakes." So throw out your nav. Jillian Leslie 33:17 Yeah, exactly. David 33:18 Now it's like chocolate cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, whatever, a frosting. That's the nav that's going to work for you. We don't know until you try it. Jillian Leslie 33:28 Yes. You want to right. You want to be really nimble. And this is where B- work comes in. Why Being a Nimble Blogger Is So Important David 33:34 Be nimble and not therefore invested into kind of designing yourself into something that's hard to change or expensive to change. Jillian Leslie 33:44 Absolutely. David 33:45 Like spending $1,000 for a custom theme that you're going to have to or want to totally redo after two or three months. Jillian Leslie 33:52 Absolutely. Yes, nimble, nimble, nimble. Fast, meaning get it up. Be embarrassed, do B- work. And then, see, and then reach out, and then listen, and then make decisions for your visitors. David 34:07 Yes. Jillian Leslie 34:07 Based on what you know, based on you as an expert, based on what you want from them. David 34:14 Maybe people want your email list. Maybe people want to follow you on Instagram because they're more interested in your photos. Jillian Leslie 34:22 Absolutely. David 34:22 So, you're going to try focusing on different asks. Jillian Leslie 34:27 Absolutely. David 34:28 Like, follow me on Instagram or join my mailing list. Jillian Leslie 34:30 Yep. Yeah, you don't know. And a lot of times you get to be surprised. But it is how you set yourself up as an influencer, as an expert. Do you want people to feel comfortable with you and to feel like you can solve their problems? So, that's what I would say. Okay, what we are going to do is have a checklist for you, so that you can do this for yourself. Like how you walk into your house that one day after you've lived there for a couple years and you've kind of potentially see it in a new light go, "Oh my God, how did all this clutter show up?" We want to help you walk into your blog. Take a look. Notice. By the way, one thing we've just looked at, when we were just recently reviewing somebody's blog, are all these things jumping out at you and doing all of this animated stuff. Like simple, simple, simple. Take stuff off. Get rid of things. Think about how much you've added to your blog. What Can You Remove from Your Blog? David 35:33 Think about anything that moves is going draw the eye. Okay, so how many times do you want people's eyes drawn off your content? And are you one at most? Jillian Leslie 35:45 Right. So think about again, it's that trite saying that less is more. I think it is. I think intention, focus, and simplicity, and going. Got up. Like go write stuff. That's how you learn. That's how you start connecting. It's not about waiting too much your blog until your designer has done everything for you. Waiting until you've gotten that one perfect blog post written, and then launching the site. David 36:17 Right. Until your friend from college finishes your perfect logo. Jillian Leslie 36:19 Exactly. David 36:20 Go ahead and use a stock logo. Jillian Leslie 36:21 Yeah, go make your own. Yeah, go to Canva. Like, just go is really, I think our recommendation. David, I have loved having you on the show again. David 36:31 Thank you for having me. I enjoyed it. Jillian Leslie 36:33 And we'll do it again. David 36:33 Of course. Jillian Leslie 36:34 I hope this episode gave you a new way of looking at your blog. And if you want our free PDF download, head to milotree.com/blogchecklist and you can look through all of these items that we have highlighted. If this sounds interesting to you and you want to work with us, reach out to me at Jillian@MiloTree.com. Our coaching group is starting on May 26th. We would love for you to join. And in fact, I was going to read what somebody else wrote. Jenny Deremer said, "David and Jillian immediately came in, took a huge piece of that stress off me, and followed up with weekly small site fixes and suggestions. I've never been so proud of my site. David and Jillian are Energizer. Plus, David is a tech genius who's help to me has been in valuable." So, please reach out. We're here and we're really excited to work with you. The other thing that I didn't mention is it becomes a community of like-minded entrepreneurs and bloggers especially during this time when we are isolated. It can feel like you're almost like yelling into the abyss. Is anybody out there really caring what I'm doing or listening? Well, the truth is people are and we are. We're there to help you, support you, hold you accountable, encourage you, and teach you, push you, get you over those humps and get you really growing your business. So, please head to MiloTree.com/group and we would love to have you. And I will see you here again next week. Imagine a world where growing your social media followers and email list was easy… It can be with MiloTree! Try the MiloTree pop-up app on your blog for 30 days risk-free! Let your MiloTree pop-ups help you get to that next level by turning your visitors into email subscribers and social media followers on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube. Sign up today! Install your MiloTree pop-ups on your site in under two minutes. Sign up for MiloTree now and get your first 30 DAYS FREE!

Starting a blog can be daunting, especially when you're not sure what to write about! In this episode, Jillyn and Kelli discuss how to come up with post topics that will resonate with your readers and target market. Podcast Transcript Here are a few links to supporting blog posts from our site: How to Come up With Article Ideas for Your Next Blog Post 9 Tips for Creating Great Business Blog Topics Simple Ways to Create Great Content for Your Business Blog 9 Methods for Generating Business Blog Ideas How to Find the Best Keywords for Your Blog for Free Persona examples: How can they help your marketing strategy? --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/technology-aloha/support

In today’s episode I’m going over what should be on the homepage of your food blog. This page is a huge part of your website and one that is often overlooked. Even though only a small percentage of your traffic may go to your homepage, it’s a critical part of your website and one that can help turn random site visitors into your loyal fans.  In this episode, we'll cover: What should your homepage do? Should your homepage have a sidebar? What elements should your homepage have? What content should be on your homepage? Resources mention: 003: Clear & Strategic Messaging for Your Blog 019: How to Get Clear on Your Blog's Tagline 026: How to Strategically Set Goals for Your Food Blog 011: How to Design a Freebie for Your Blog Growing your food blog? Grab the free guide: 3 Reasons Your Food Blog Isn't Growing Instagram | Website | Show Notes Web Design for Food Bloggers

Do you know you're being tracked? Like, everywhere. Everything is tracking us all the time and I for one don't appreciate it one bit. I don't find myself needing personalized ads. If I have to have ads in my browser, then at least show me some that doesn't convince me I'm being watched 24/7.Unfortunately, you can also find this tracking technology in the emails you receive, too. Sure, they're used to track opens and click-throughs, but how much of that information is actually valuable and how much of it is actually creepy? My money's on the creepy side. Let me tell you what I'm trying to do about it for Dandy Cat Design.There's a brand spankin' new blog post waiting for you. It's called, How to Add a Sidebar to Your Blog (and Why You'd Want To).Adding a sidebar to your Squarespace site can boost your audience engagement to some pretty excellent heights. Who wouldn't want to encourage their visitors to spend more time on their site? Sounds like a good thing to me. Learn a couple powerful ways to add a sidebar to your Squarespace website by reading this post today!We're wrapping things up with what I'm watching, reading, and listening to this week. It's a great assortment of media that's worth your time.Links to stuff that was mentioned:Spy - Paul JarvisFacebook Pixel - FacebookHow to Add a Sidebar to Your Blog (and Why You'd Want To) - Dandy Cat DesignI Am Not Okay With This - NetflixLadies and Gentleman We Are Floating In Space | Spiritualized - YouTubeThe Dark Tower: The Gunslinger | Stephen King - Goodreads

Driving Traffic to Your Blog with Giveaways and Product Reviews on Amazon In this episode of Basic Blogging Tips for Beginners I talk about how using giveaways, contests and product reviews on Amazon can help drive more traffic to your blog. If you received gifts for the holidays and love the recipient too much to tell him or her that you hate the item, don't re-gift it, GIVE IT AWAY in a blog contest.  Make sure to stipulate that the contest is open to USA Residents only, otherwise, depending on the gift, you may be spending more money in shipping then in the price of the product.  Gift Cards purchased from stores or Amazon are great for monthly or quarterly contests.   Sign up for a free account with Rafflecopter so that you can gather email addresses to build your lists for newsletters. Always review items that you have ordered from Amazon and include a link to your blog and if you can, write a blog post review for more exposure. https://delblogger.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/DelawareBlogger/message

As bloggers, it can be tricky to know how to use ads on your site, what ads you should use, and what types of content will bring you the most ad revenue.  So let's explore how to increase your income with online ads. Ad income is beneficial for bloggers because it's passive income. I am a huge believer in finding ways to grow your income without increasing your workload. The ad company we use on our site, Catch My Party, is Ad Thrive, and it's been a great fit for us. AdThrive is a premium ad company.  My guest today is Paul Bannister, Executive Vice President at Ad Thrive. We talk about what a company like Ad Thrive is looking for in terms of its bloggers and publishers, why ad revenue is important, what kind of content will grow your traffic, and the latest trends in the online ad business.  If you are a blogger who wants to learn more about using ads, I think this episode will be a great tool for you! What You Need as a Blogger to Join Ad Thrive Paul and his company look for bloggers who have original content, a clean site, and who view their blog as their business, not a hobby.  They want bloggers with a good history of content and a strong audience.  Ad Thrive has minimum monthly page views of 100K in order to consider working with a blogger.  If you are getting more than 100K page views a month, it will be evident that your blog is more than a hobby to you.  How Digital Ad Agencies Work  There are various types of ad networks. Some focus on connecting as many bloggers to brands as possible.  There are other ad agencies that want to focus on a specific niche, such as healthcare.  Using Google AdSense can be nice since they are a big name and you can easily add ads to your site even if your blog is small. As your blog gets bigger, an ad network like Ad Thrive can bring in ad agencies from all across the industry, not just Google-related.  Ad Thrive makes their business decisions based on what is best for the bloggers they work with. Can You Make a Living Off of Ads on Your Blog?  If you are a blogger with 100K page views, you are not going to be able to quit all your other jobs and live off your ad revenue.  Not only is it not feasible, but Ad Thrive is big on their publishers having several different revenue streams.  It is always a good idea to have several sources of income, no matter where you are in your blogger stage. Ads can be a big part of that revenue, but you need something to fall back on should your ad revenue dry up.  Your niche will also affect how well your ads do. Travel and personal finance are great niches for ad income.  How to Grow Blog Traffic  Traffic is crucial to ad income, because the more traffic you have, the more ad income you earn.  But we all know that growing traffic isn't easy these days. *(Which is why you need a tool like MiloTree!) The best way to grow your blog traffic is to be great at something. If you understand Pinterest and do really well marketing your blog there, keep it up. If email is your jam, use your email list to the best of your ability. Focus on what you're best at and stay in that space for a while.  Site Speed Matters  Sire speed matters, particularly for SEO. Anything you add to your blog is going to affect your site speed.  You should have the overarching view of, “What is on my page and how is it serving my audience?” So, you need to think of the tradeoff of the new content or ad that you're publishing and how it will affect your site speed.  If your site is slow to load, the person who found you on Google search is probably going to bounce away from your page to one that loads faster.  Each ad has a slight effect on your site speed. The first ad is going to have the most impact, and after that the impact is minimal.  How to Find an Ad Network  Let's say you're a blogger. You have no ads on your site currently, but after listening to this episode, you're ready to jump into the ad game. Where do you start? What should you look for in an ad network? One of the first things to do is to read reviews from other entrepreneurs who have used a specific ad company. If you know someone who has ads on their site, as them if they're pleased with the ad agency they're using. Checking out other sites or businesses that are using a specific ad company is a good way to get a feel for that company's values.  There is a tool called Built With that will show you which ad networks the site is working with. Your ad network is a big revenue stream, but it is also a big part of the user experience. You want to make sure that the ad company you use matches the experience you want your readers to have. Where You as a Blogger Should Focus Your Business Bloggers wear a million hats, so it can be hard to know where you should put the majority of your focus. Paul believes in focusing on the thing you are the best at first.  Pick the content you are good at creating and create more of that.  Which audience do you completely understand? Talk to them more. Pick the revenue source that you are good at building and focus on that.  Different people are good at different things, so knowing yourself and what motivates you is the best place to start. The folks at AdThrive are very much focused on the future, whether that's 3 months from now or 3 years down the road. Their goal is to “future proof” what they offer their publishers.  We here at MiloTree and Catch My Party recommend that if you are interested, you reach out to Ad Thrive at info@adthrive.com. Read the podcast transcript for “How to Best Understand the World Of Online Ads” Imagine a world where growing your social media followers and email list was easy… It can be with MiloTree! Try the MiloTree pop-up app on your blog for 30 days risk-free! Are you serious about growing your online business? Have you got some traffic but you know you need more? Let your MiloTree pop-ups help you get to that next level by turning your visitors into email subscribers and social media followers on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube. Sign up today! Install your MiloTree pop-ups on your site in under two minutes. Sign up for MiloTree now and get your first 30 DAYS FREE! TIMESTAMP Intro 4:25 Content Requirements for Ad Thrive 6:20 How Ad Agencies Work 11:15 Making A Living Off Ads  15:35 Growing Traffic  18:45 Site Speed Matters  25:20 How To Find An Ad Network  27:10 Where You as a Blogger Should Focus 29:10 The Future of Ads   TOP 4 TAKEAWAYS  If you want to work with an ad agency, create plenty of original content, design a blog with clean lines, and concentrate on making your blog a business, not a hobby.  Don't count on ad income as being your sole source of revenue; multiple streams of income is always a smart move. Grow your blog traffic by being great at something and doing more of it. When looking for the perfect ad agency, ask other bloggers who they prefer and read reviews online. 

The Anti- Guru is here to teach you how to get Local SEO Results And Rankings On Google Search for Your Blog! Let’s go find you some more customers with these simple steps on Google!

How to Drive Traffic to Your Blog and Make Income with Matthew Woodward by Robert Palmer

Leave Us A Review Keeping with our super-informative entrepreneurial theme, we follow on from last weeks podcast about scaling your online business with Drew DuBoff, by sitting down with Dale Roberts and taking a deep dive into the world of self-publishing. You may know Dale Roberts as the host of the popular YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale, or as the author of over 3000 publications. What started as a squat challenge made by his corporate wellness coach, ended in Dale's desire to share his knowledge of fitness with other people. He set about writing a book that would help people on their fitness journey — and the rest is history! For the past five years, Dale has built up a lucrative career by self-publishing his own books. When people noticed his business go from 0-60, he received many questions from other would-be authors, and realized the demand for a knowledgeable and experienced coach in the field of self-publishing. Ever the innovator, Dale decided to create a YouTube channel that is devoted to building a successful self-publishing business in which he shares his experiences. We got advice from Dale on how to get started in the world of self-publishing, as well as other ways budding entrepreneurs can create additional streams of income. Dale focusses his business model on book publishing, video production and public speaking and stresses the importance of giving value in everything that you do. This conversation is full of useful insights and advice on self-publishing and monetizing what you are passionate about.  For the rest of the show notes and Our Favorite Tips from Dale go to: https://jayalders.com/shifting-perceptions-podcast/self-publishing-with-dale.html Links & Resources The DIY Publishing Course - The fundamentals of publishing your first book. Learn where to get started, how to do it, and what the best first steps are. The 90-Day Home Workout Plan: A Total Body Fitness Program for Weight Training, Cardio, Core & Stretching An Ultimate Home Workout Plan Bundle: The Very Best Collection of Exercise and Fitness Books Six Figure Blogger – The Formula for Making Six Figures from Your Blog with Digital Products and Services, Without Being Scammy or Spending Thousands on Overpriced Course - Create and Go Blog Monetization Bundle - The Blog Monetization Bundle of TWO Best-Selling Courses on How to Make Your First $1,000 Blogging All the Way to Earning Six Figures! - Create and Go  Monetize Your Content: How To Create and Produce Your Own Show * Thanks to BeautyCounter for the support. Find out more about their full line of Men's and Women's products on: https://beautycounter.com/chelseaalders Connect with Dale Roberts Facebook Twitter  Instagram YouTube Twitch Connect with The Shifting Perceptions Podcast: Shifting Perceptions Website Join Our Mailing List Facebook Instagram Twitter Connect with Jay Alders Jay Alders Website Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Pinterest Connect with Chelsea Alders & Companies Om Mamas Doulas Website Sun Dreams Productions Website Instagram Chelsea Om Mamas Doulas Sun Dreams Productions

Leave Us A Review Drew Duboff is a growth strategist, outsourcing expert, and founder of "Start Scaling Successfully."   An insanely insightful SEO guru, Drew discussed with us the importance of working smarter, not harder, and gave us some awesome tips on how to make Google's algorithm works for you. A fun (and serendipitous!), fact about Drew, is that his very first blogger clients were previous podcast guest, Alex Nerney, and Lauren McManus. Alex and Lauren run several insanely successful blogs  (including Create & Go and Avocadu) and earn six-figures — per month! If that's not a testament to Drew's work, we're not sure what is! We recently interviewed Alex and asked him about his meteoric rise to blogger royalty status. If you want to hear the full conversation — if you're a blogger you absolutely should! — you can find it here.  One of the most poignant points that Drew shared is that after deciding to launch his business, it took five months of marketing and building his reputation before he landed his first freelance client. His dedication to his goals, as well as his refusal to give up, is impressive — especially in a world where instant success and reward is frequently expected.  Drew also shared with us tips for entrepreneurs who want to build their businesses, such as employing reliable and consistent freelancers who are easy to work with. This not only reduces the workload but also gives business owners a chance to focus on the tasks that generate them the most ROI. This is a whole 40 minutes jam-packed with sage (and applicable!) advice for freelancers and entrepreneurs on smart ways to scale your business, increase your website traffic and maximize profits! Find all Show Notes, links and Drew's Best Tips on our shownotes:  https://jayalders.com/shifting-perceptions-podcast/drew-duboff-040.html Links & Resources Six Figure Blogger – The Formula for Making Six Figures from Your Blog with Digital Products and Services, Without Being Scammy or Spending Thousands on Overpriced Course - Create and Go Pinterest Traffic Avalanche - Finally, A Solution for Beginner Bloggers to Drive 10,000 - 100,000+ FREE Monthly Visitors to Your Blog - on Autopilot! - Create and Go Blog Monetization Bundle - The Blog Monetization Bundle of Our TWO Best-Selling Courses on How to Make Your First $1,000 Blogging All the Way to Earning Six Figures! - Create and Go  SEO Fitness Workbook: The Seven Steps to Search Engine Optimization (2019 Edition)   Monetize Your Content: How To Create and Produce Your Own Show Connect with Drew Duboff Facebook Twitter  Instagram LinkedIn Connect with The Shifting Perceptions Podcast: Shifting Perceptions Website Join Our Mailing List Facebook Instagram Twitter Connect with Jay Alders Jay Alders Website Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Pinterest Connect with Chelsea Alders & Companies Om Mamas Doulas Website Sun Dreams Productions Website Instagram Chelsea Om Mamas Doulas Sun Dreams Productions  

Leave Us A Review Alex Nerney, along with his partner Lauren McManus, attract over 250,000 visitors & six-figure incomes from their blogs every month. We sat down with him this week to find out what the catalyst was for him to give up a thriving personal training career to transition to full-time blogging.  Alex embodies the spirit of entrepreneurship. Sharp, witty, and most importantly, creative, he has harnessed his passions and skills to turn blogging into a six-figure monthly income. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Alex is his passion for teaching other people how to succeed. Rather than carefully guarding his success, he is an open book full of tips, tricks, and advice on ways that you can work smarter - not harder.  We talked about how managing your expectations is everything and the reality that most people aren't overnight successes.  From trading hours for dollars, to accidentally shooting what looked like soft porn during his first blog attempt, Alex takes us on his hilarious and very human journey of putting himself out there and learning something new. Although Alex is careful to acknowledge that there is no surefire way to success, his optimism is infectious, and his work ethic is admirable. Key Takeaways Seize Opportunities Alex took a leap of faith into the world of blogging. After being invited to The Millionaire Fastlane Conference, he met other entrepreneurs and heard their success stories. This inspired him to create a scalable income and build his own dream - instead of someone else's.  From that moment, Alex began figuring out ways that he could monetize his interests, while also offering value to other people. Not Everything You Touch Will Turn To Gold (without a plan!) Alex's first foray into the world of blogging was not an instant success. The aptly named 'Health and Happy Hour' consisted of him and his buddy, sitting around at his dad's house, drinking and writing. Health and Happy Hour served as a learning curve for Alex. As he puts it, "We learned very quickly that the thing that we think is awesome, doesn't mean that everyone else thinks it's awesome." Understanding the need for a strategic marketing plan, Alex focussed on creating a definitive target demographic - which leads us to our next important takeaway. Develop An Avatar  Alex stresses the importance of creating an avatar of your potential customer, and really getting to know who they are. He believes that this shift in his mindset allowed him to really up his blogging game. When you create content, Alex recommends that you always ask questions through the eyes of your avatar during the process. Would the content you're creating resonate with them? Does it add value to their life? If you can answer these questions in the affirmative, it's likely that you will connect with your target person. The 'Poop' Phase is Okay One of our favorite takeaways from our chat with Alex (besides the penis jokes) were his views on starting out at something new. We all know that initial stage - where your expectations are not mirrored by your results and everything you put out there seems to be 'poop.' Alex explained to us that this is a necessary part of the growth process, whether you're blogging, learning an instrument, or playing a new sport. As you navigate through the poop stage and develop your skills, you will continue to get better and be more successful. These growing pains won't last forever, but they are an essential step in honing your craft. Variety is The Spice of Life If your passion is waning, it can be difficult to continue creating consistent content. Alex mitigates this by developing different outlets that he can focus on. From the insanely successful educational business Create & Go, to his more creative outlet WANDR, a travel vlog, he emphasizes the need to keep following ideas that fuel your fire. “I like working on the projects that I'm working on - And the ones that I don't, I'm getting much better at delegating to other people. Then every day is my own.” Monetize Your Skill Set Alex shared with us his recommended ways of making money from blogging - even if you don't have a product to sell. From utilizing ads and sponsored posts on your site, to aligning yourself with an amazon associates account, there are multiple ways that you can create streams of income from your blog. Once you feel confident enough to educate others and create your own product or service, you can scale your business even further. As explained by Alex, "80% of (our earned) $100k a month happens through the process of someone  reading a post, opting in for an email, and then getting sold a product." They are some wild figures to wrap your head around! Alex is truly an impressive business person. We learned so much from our chat with him and will absolutely be using some of the tips he shared with us! If you want to hear more from our conversation with Alex (he's hilarious so we suggest you do!), you can click the link to our podcast and laugh along with us.  Links & Resources Six Figure Blogger – The Formula for Making Six Figures from Your Blog with Digital Products and Services, Without Being Scammy or Spending Thousands on Overpriced Course - by Create and Go Pinterest Traffic Avalanche - Finally, A Solution for Beginner Bloggers to Drive 10,000 - 100,000+ FREE Monthly Visitors to Your Blog - on Autopilot! - by Create and Go Blog Monetization Bundle - The Blog Monetization Bundle of Our TWO Best-Selling Courses on How to Make Your First $1,000 Blogging All the Way to Earning Six Figures! - by Create and Go The 4 Hour Week - by Timothy Ferris The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime! - by MJ DeMarco I Didn't Ask For Twins – Chelsea Alders Connect With Alex Nerney YouTube Instagram Facebook Connect with The Shifting Perceptions Podcast: Shifting Perceptions Website Join Our Mailing List Facebook Instagram Twitter Connect with Jay Alders Jay Alders Website Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Pinterest Connect with Chelsea Alders & Companies Om Mamas Doulas Website Sun Dreams Productions Website Instagram Chelsea Om Mamas Doulas Sun Dreams Productions  

3 strategies to drive traffic to your blog is a podcast episode I recommend you should listen to, if want to drive traffic to your blog or website. I want to write so that people can read. I want to record a podcast so that people can listen to it. So do you. Whatever content type you create on the internet, without the right kind of people interacting with it, it is useless. Take that from me. So, in today’s episode of the Fruitfulujah Podcast, we will look at 3 Strategies to Drive Traffic to Your Blog. Like I said, the aim of this show is to help you plan and launch fruitful internet projects. So, if you have any questions you will like me discuss on the show, feel free to send me a message with your questions or suggestions. Read more: https://www.fruitfulujah.com.ng/3-strategies-to-drive-traffic-to-your-blog/#ixzz5iuuKLaFy Follow us: @fruitfulujah on Twitter | fruitfulujah on Facebook

In the last post we discussed about creating a reader profile for your blog. A reader profile primarily identifies your readers so that you can write for them. At the same time, the reader profile also gives you another very critical information which is one of the pre-requisite to creating a lead magnet. In this ... Read more

Have you ever seen a “Not Secured” notification in front of a website URL on the address bar? What was your first thought when you saw that? If you are anything like me, you would have asked yourselves if you really want to click through to the website. Isn’t it? Now imagine if it was ... Read more

Your Blog is not a Publication: https://www.animalz.co/blog/library-vs-publication/Jimmy: https://twitter.com/jimmy_dalyJan: https://twitter.com/janerikasplund

Are you looking to drive more traffic to your blog? There are many tips, tricks, tactics, and strategies on how to do it. But the average blogger is often left scratching their head on how to actually do it. In this episode, Jonathan walks us through a simple 4-step process to get traffic by the end of the day using the Facebook Boost Post strategy. BONUS: Free Workshop Replay. A Beginner's Guide to Facebook Ads! Try These 3 Simple Facebook Ad Strategies for Beginners, and Get Traffic to Your Blog by the End of Today! Go here: http://BloggingYourPassion.com/152Visual Learner? Check out Jonathan's blog post on how to boost a post on Facebook here: http://BloggingYourPassion.com/boost-post-facebook

How a Mindshift Changed One Blogger's Perspective This episode of our Blogging Breakthroughs series features eight-year blogger Sarah Cook. Her blog Sustainable Cooks shares recipes, gardening tips, and real food for food people. Sarah describes how a simple and practical mindshift recently ramped up her efforts as a blogger. She changed her mindset from “me” to “we”. Most bloggers put the emphasis on themselves, which is natural. But if you want to build a big audience and monetize your blog you should focus on your readers. You can still inject yourself into your blog. Just remember who is reading, what their lives are like, what role you play in their lives, and how you can help them. Create an avatar to learn more about your readers. If you have one, revisit and update it. Another option, depending on how brave you are, is to connect with your readers directly. Before each post Sarah asks herself, "How will this post improve my readers' lives?" Keep it real, and show your readers what normal life looks like. Being vulnerable is powerful. Knowing more about your readers will help drive and reveal your blog’s design, branding, marketing, monetization and content. Never forget that your readers are human beings, not just numbers. Links and Resources for How One Recipe Blogger Turned Her Blog Around with a Simple Mindshift: Sustainable Cooks How to Create a Reader Avatar for Your Blog (with free downloadable template) Pat Flynn’s Blog Further Listening My Mid-Life Crisis and the Power of Being Vulnerable on a Blog Courses Starting a Blog ProBlogger Pro – 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Join our Facebook group Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Darren: Welcome to episode 260 of the ProBlogger Podcast. My name's Darren Rowse and I'm the blogger behind problogger.com which is a blog, a podcast and a series of courses, eBooks and events even, to help you to become a better blogger. You can find more about ProBlogger at problogger.com. Now today, we're going into our blogger breakthrough series where we’re sharing stories of bloggers who have had breakthroughs in some way. We've had three of these previously and they've been really popular. I've had a lot of really positive feedback about those episodes. People seem to like to hear from normal bloggers. I’m not saying I'm not a normal blogger, but normal bloggers who are at different stages of their journey. Today, we've got a story from Sarah Cook. Sarah has a blog called Sustainable Cooks. I guess, a bit of a play on her name but also the topic as well. She writes about recipes, and gardening, and I guess doing food from a family perspective in realistic ways. She will introduce that much better than I did. I love this story. It's a really short one today and it's simple on some levels, but it's incredibly powerful. Sarah has been blogging for eight or so years now. Things have really ramped up in the last year as a result of a mindshift. Also something really practical that she did. As in similar stories, it is a mindshift type thing that needs to start with, but it's also a practical. I'm going to let Sarah share that story. As I said, it's not long. At the end, I want to come back and share a few thoughts and give you a free downloadable resource that you can also use to do the exact thing that Sarah did. You'll find a link to that on today's show notes, and you'll find a full transcription as well as links to Sarah's blog, the show notes are at problogger.com/podcast/260. If you want to look at Sarah's blog as you listen, she is at sustainablecooks.com. Sarah: Hi, I'm Sarah Cook from Seattle, Washington and my blog is Sustainable Cooks. You can find it at www.sustainable cooks.com. I've been blogging for eight years though only seriously in the last 11 to 12 months.

How a Book Deal Launched the Career of a Blogger We’re kicking off our Blogging Breakthroughs series, where a variety of bloggers share their stories of breakthroughs they’ve experienced over the years with their blogs. We received submissions from numerous bloggers. And today I want to introduce you to Andrea Vahl. When Andrea started getting into social media, she realized nobody was teaching it in an entertaining way. So she invented a character: 'Grandma Mary: Social Media Edutainer'. She'd even show up at events as Grandma Mary – a great way to stand out! Here's Grandma Mary and myself at an event several years ago. Andrea is also the co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies and a public speaker. She was a presenter at last year’s Success Incubator event. In her blogging breakthrough story, she describes how she started her blog in 2009 and how she got her book deal. She also shares some good blogging tips: Start experimenting with monetization early on Be open to where your blog may take you, and stay open to possibilities/opportunities Show up consistently and participate Network: Be well connected and relational, even if you have to wear a costume Her first eBooks may not have sold many copies, but they got the attention of a publisher. So she created more eBooks that were profitable, and created opportunities for her to speak, consult and teach. Much of what Andrea does today started as a simple blog. She pushed herself out of her comfort zone to do some great things. Links and Resources for PB 256: How One Blogger Landed a Book Deal That Launched Her Career: Andrea Vahl Andrea Vahl’s Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies book Andrea Vahl as Grandma Mary Success Incubator Further Listening Why You Should Create a Product to Sell on Your Blog (and Tips on How to Do It) How to Create a Library of Products to Sell on Your Blog Blogging Breakthroughs - Your Invitation to be on the ProBlogger Podcast Courses Starting a Blog ProBlogger Pro – 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Join our Facebook group Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Darren: Welcome to episode 256 of the ProBlogger Podcast the podcast. My name is Darren Rowse and I'm the blogger behind the problogger.com. A blog, podcast, event, job board, and a series of eBooks, and courses all designed to help you as a blogger to start an amazing blog that's going to help people, that's going to give you an opportunity to make the world a better place in some way, and also that will hopefully build some profit for you as well, and give you an extra income stream. You can learn more about ProBlogger and check out our courses and eBooks over at problogger.com. Now, today we're kicking off our blogging breakthroughs series where you'll be hearing over the coming weeks from a variety of bloggers who are going to tell you their stories of breakthroughs that they've had over the years. I put the call out a couple episodes ago for this series, and we were inundated with amazing stories. We can't use them all, but we are going to use quite a few of them over the coming weeks. We're still working through those applications to be honest, there's so many of them, but today I want to introduce you to the first of them, a friend of mine called Andrea Vahl. I actually asked Andrea to submit her story while we went through all the other submissions. Now, Andrea is someone I met many years ago now at a blogging conference, I think it was in Las Vegas of all places, but at the time of meeting her, she wasn't actually Andrea Vahl, she was Grandma Mary, which is a strange one, and I was a little bit freaked out when I first met her because she was obviously someone dressed up in costume. Andrea is someone who had been doing improvisational comedy be...

Share Your Blogging Breakthrough on the ProBlogger Podcast Do you have a blog? Why not? It’s time to get started. Imagine the breakthroughs you could experience. And if you do already have a blog, have you had a breakthrough? You have? Then tell us about it. We're seeking submissions of stories to appear on the ProBlogger podcast for the theme, My Blog Breakthrough. Our goal with this series is to feature bloggers from around the world telling stories about breakthroughs in their blogging. We want to inspire ProBlogger listeners and give them practical ideas to try with their own blogs. Your breakthrough can be about anything, big or small. For example: How an influencer helped you grow your blog A new income stream How you made your first dollars blogging How a post went viral An opportunity that arose from blogging A mindset shift that led to growth in your blog A tool you started using that led to new results Refocusing your blog on a new, narrower, or broader niche How you overcame fear or some other obstacle in your blogging We want to feature a variety of bloggers’ stories, including bloggers of different experience levels, countries, and niches. If you’d like to participate, submit your story and complete the form at problogger.com/breakthrough. You can be brief and only include: Your name Your blog URL Your blog topic What blogging was like before the breakthrough What the breakthrough was What blogging was like after the breakthrough A tip you’d give listeners that might help them with this breakthrough Anything else you think we need to know that relates to your breakthrough story If your story is selected, you will be asked to record your breakthrough story as an audio file. Ready to share your story and help others? Further Listening 10 Things I Wish I’d Known About Blogging My Million Dollar Blog Post (and How Procrastination Almost Stopped Me from Writing It) Why You Should Create a Product to Sell on Your Blog (and Tips on How to Do It) I Guarantee This Will Improve Your Blog Courses Starting a Blog ProBlogger Pro – 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Join our Facebook group Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hi there and welcome to episode 254 of the ProBlogger Podcast. My name's Darren Rowse and I'm the blogger behind problogger.com, a blog, podcast, events, job board, ebooks, and a couple of courses now that help you to start a great blog, and to build a profit around that blog as well. In today’s episode, episode 254 which you can find the show notes for it at problogger.com/podcast/254, I want to invite you to be a part of an upcoming show on this podcast. We want to do a series of shows actually called My Blog Breakthrough. We are seeking submissions from you, listeners of the podcast and readers of the blog, to appear on the podcast by submitting a short audio clip where you talk about a blogging breakthrough that you have had. My hope is that this series is going to both inspire our listeners by hearing some different voices from bloggers around the world, sharing their stories, but also giving a few practical ideas of things that other listeners could apply as well. If that interests you, listen on, and I’ll talk to you a little bit more about what we’re looking for and how you can participate in today’s challenge. Again, the show notes today where you find links to how to submit your story, the show notes are at problogger.com/podcast/254. As part of our Start A Blog course which we launched at the start of this year. We did a similar series to what we are planning with this new one–where we invited listeners to submit stories of them starting a blog and it was amazing. People really enjoyed that series. We featured,

9 Things I Wish I Knew About Blogging That Will Accelerate the Growth of YOUR Blog In today’s episode I want to share my keynote at this year’s Social Media Marketing World – 9 Things I Wish I Knew About Blogging that Will Accelerate the Growth of YOUR Blog. Here are the slides from my talk: 9 Things I Wish I Knew About Blogging that Will Accelerate the Growth of Your Blog from Darren Rowse Keep focusing on the pillars of pro blogging: Profitable blogs are built on great content Take the initiative to drive traffic to your blog Take ownership of building engagement with your readers Monetization. Don’t skip over these pillars or take shortcuts. And here are 9 accelerators to grow your blog faster: Understand and engage with your audience. Know your readers’ needs. Transform your readers’ lives. Great content leaves a mark on your readers. Focus less on the number of eyeballs, and more on engaging the hearts of the right readers. Create a design based on what you know about your readers. Customize their experience. Teach and engage readers through challenges using various mediums. Collaborate with others to: exchange services generate content drive traffic create revenue streams. Focus on creating evergreen content that maintains relevance and doesn't date as fast as other content. Maintain your archives, or they depreciate. Archives are an income-generating asset. Be careful about where you go all-in on.. Where should you spend your time? Quotes of the Week: “Speed is only useful if you are running in the right direction.” – Joel Barker, Future Edge “Everyone wants to live at the top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.” – Andy Rooney “Growth is a spiral process, doubling back on itself, reassessing, and regrouping.” – Julia Margaret Cameron Links and Resources for 9 Ways to Accelerate the Growth of Your Blog: Success Incubator New Members Area Social Media Marketing World Social Media Marketing World last year’s virtual pass Further Listening: Strategies to Help Convert First Time Visitors Into Interested Readers of Your Blog How Collaborations Can Accelerate Your Blog’s Growth The Ultimate Guide to Creating Evergreen Content for Your Blog 7 Types of Evergreen Content You Can Create on Your Blog More Evergreen Content Ideas for Your Blog How to get More Traffic By Updating Your Archives Trends in Social Media - Where Should You Focus Your Energy? Courses Starting a Blog ProBlogger Pro – 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Join our Facebook group Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Darren: Good morning and welcome to episode 246 of the ProBlogger podcast. My name is Darren Rowse and I’m the blogger behind problogger.com. A blog, podcast, event, job board, series of ebooks, and courses, all designed to help you to start an amazing blog to grow the audience on their blog, to create great content, and to build some profit around that blog as well. You can learn more about what we do at ProBlogger at problogger.com. In today's episode, I want to share with you a recording of a talk I gave this year at Social Media Marketing World. A great event run by Mike Stelzner and his team from Social Media Examiner. This talk is one that I got a lot of positive feedback on. In fact, I don't think I've have so much positive feedback on a talk at Social Media Marketing World as I've received both at the event this year and since the event. I've got permission from Mike and his team, who've kindly allowed me to republish it here on the podcast in its entirety. The title of the talk is Nine Things I knew About Blogging that will Accelerate the Growth of your Blog. It's nine things that really–today,

Why Shiny Object Syndrome Can Be Good for Your Blog and Business Do you suffer from Shiny Object Syndrome? Are you easily distracted by something new – a tool, medium, tactic, or income stream? Whatever it is, it captivates and distracts you in the moment. And it can easily take over your day, week, or even month. Shiny Object Syndrome has the power to take you away from your core business, which can be destructive. But it can be a good thing, too. JR Caparas asked me how to avoid Shiny Object Syndrome in blogging. My answer? Don’t avoid it. Just make sure you put boundaries around it. Sometimes shiny objects can give you energy, spark new ideas, and help you discover new ways to engage your audience. So rather than avoiding shiny objects, make time for them. But don't let them hijack your business, your time and your life. You need to spend most of your time focusing on what’s most important, what keeps your blog growing, what’s already working, and what’s proven to work. But put some time aside to play, experiment, learn, and be curious. And look for what makes sparks fly and gives you energy when you play with that shiny object. Put shiny objects in their place. Quote of the Week: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Washington Thurman, author, philosopher, theologian, educator, and civil rights leader. Links and Resources for Why Shiny Object Syndrome is Sometimes a Good Thing Success Incubator Further Listening 3 Productivity Tips to Help You Build Healthy Habits 7 Productivity Tips for Bloggers Examples of Why Shiny Object Syndrome is Sometimes a Good Thing The ProBlogger podcast started out as a shiny object. Courses Starting a Blog ProBlogger Pro – 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Join our Facebook group Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hey there and welcome to episode 245 of the ProBlogger Podcast. My name is Darren Rowse and I'm the blogger behind problogger.com, a blog, podcast event, job board, series of ebooks, and courses all designed to help you to start an amazing blog, to grow that blog, to monetize that blog and hopefully have a good time while you're doing it. You can learn more about ProBlogger at problogger.com. Now, today's podcast is all about something that I know many of us struggle with in this space, it is shiny object syndrome, that time when you're working away and suddenly you find yourself doing something completely different to what you had set down to do. You're being distracted by something; it could be a game on your phone, but it also could be something that is good, a new tool, a medium, a new tactic, a new income string. Whatever it is, it captivates you in that moment, it looms large, it can distract you right where you're sitting not only for that moment, but it can end up distracting you if you're anything like me, for a day, for a week, for a month, or for the rest of the year. It has the power to take you away from your core business and to be really distracted, but, and this is what I want to talk about today, I think it can actually be a good thing too. There's some positives when it comes to shiny object syndrome. I want to explore that a little bit in today's show. It will be a short one, but I want to put to you that shiny object syndrome is actually something you can—maybe you should plan for, maybe you should actually build into your week. Hang with me though, before I get into that, I want to just let you know that this episode is brought to you by this year's Success Incubator event which I'm running with some good friends this coming September on the 24th and 25th in Orlando, Florida. If you are in the U.S. or you feel like a troop out to the U.

How to Use Collaborations to Grow Your Blog Have you ever felt that too many things need doing to build a successful blog? A student I spoke to this week who recently completed our Start A Blog course said they were a little overwhelmed by how much needed to be done. They said it felt like juggling with too many balls in the air. So today I want to share a principle that has helped me keep a lot of balls in the air, and scale my business beyond what I ever thought I could manage–collaborations. When you’re juggling alone you can only keep so many balls in the air. (The current record is 9 balls for 55 seconds.) But if you juggle with other people, you can keep more balls in the air for longer. And this podcast is all about how you can make your blogging a more collaborative experience. Links and Resources for How to Accelerate the Growth of Your Blog with Collaborations: Further Listening 7 Productivity Tips for Bloggers 3 Tips to Increase Your Productivity How to Create a Product for Your Blog Examples of Collaborative Content Creating Products Week: Before You Even Think About Creating Products, Think About This Creating Products Week: Which Product Should I Create? Courses Starting a Blog ProBlogger Pro – 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Join our Facebook group Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hi there and welcome to episode 237 of the ProBlogger podcast. My name is Darren Rowse and I’m the blogger behind problogger.com, a blog, podcast, event, job board, series of ebooks, and courses designed to help you to start and have an amazing blog that’s going to change the world in some way, that’s going to change the lives of your audience but also build a profit, and in doing so, change your life a little way as well. You can learn more about ProBlogger over at problogger.com. Of course, check out our two brand new courses. Firstly, our Ultimate Guide to Starting a Blog which was released earlier this year, and our soon to be released, 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. You can find the Start a Blog course at problogger.com/startablog and you can sign up to be notified when our 31 Days to Build a Better Blog course goes live at problogger.com/31days. In today’s episode, I want to talk about collaborations as a way to grow your blog, to accelerate the growth of your blog. I want to give you some practical ways that you can collaborate with other bloggers to grow you traffic, to create content, to build engagement on your blogs, and to monetize your blog. Collaborations have helped me incredibly to grow my blog, to scale it so much faster than I could’ve ever done alone, and I want to help you to do the same. You can find today’s show notes at problogger.com/podcast/237. Have you ever felt that there’s just too many things that need to be done to build your blog to make it successful? This week, I was speaking to one of the students who’ve recently completed our a Start a Blog course and they said to me that they felt like they were completely overwhelmed by how much needed to be done. The words they used were they felt like it was a juggle and that they had too many balls in the air at once. This is a feeling that I can relate too and I’m sure many of you can relate too as well because there’s so many things that need to be done to build a successful blog. You need to write content, edit that content, polish that content, and schedule that content. You need to promote that content, drive some traffic to your blog, engage on social media, set up an email list. Then when the traffic comes, you’ve got to moderate the comments and engage with the audience, there’s email lists, there’s blog design, there’s servers, there’s plugins, and WordPress that needs to be updated, then there’s the monetization and finding the advertisers,

Growing Your Blog's Income In today's episode, I want to talk about growing your blogging income, particularly when you’ve already started building some traffic and income streams on your blog. This one will be most relevant if you're at an intermediate to more advanced level. If you're just starting out you'll learn things that may not be relevant for you today, but will be good to know going forward. Series on Growing Traffic to Your Blog: 2 Questions to Ask to Help You Find Readers for Your Blog 2 Types of Content that Help You to Find Readers for Your Blog Turn Surfers into Blog Readers by Building a Sticky Blog Find Readers for Your Blog Through Commenting and Relationships Grow Traffic to Your Blog Through Guest Posting and Creating Content for Other Blogs, Forums, Media and Events Podcast on Autoresponders: How to Drive Traffic and Profit in your Blogging with Autoresponders Check out our two courses - ProBlogger’s ultimate guide to start a blog and the soon to be released 31 Days to Build a better blog: Ultimate Guide to Starting a Blog ProBlogger Pro – 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Join our Facebook Group Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hi there and welcome to episode 236 of the ProBlogger podcast. My name is Darren Rowse and I’m the blogger behind problogger.com, a blog, podcast, events, job board, series of ebooks, and courses, all designed to help you as a blogger to grow your blog and to build profit around your blog which is exactly what we’re talking today in today’s episode. You can learn more about ProBlogger at problogger.com. Also, check out our two new courses, How to Start a Blog course for those of you who are wanting to start a blog. You can get it at problogger.com/startablog or 31 Days to Build a Better Blog which will be launching in March which is more relevant for those of you who’ve already got a blog whether it’s a relatively new one or you’re at that intermediate stage. You can find that at problogger.com/31days. In today’s episode, I wanna talk to you about growing your blog’s income, particularly those of you who’ve already got a bit of a start with building some traffic and income streams to your blog. This episode will be much relevant for those of you are perhaps at more of an intermediate level, maybe more of an advanced level. You’ve got a start but you’re not satisfied with the level of your income. Those of you who are just starting out, you’re probably gonna hear some things that may not be relevant to you today but you might also find them useful to have in the back of your mind as you go forward. Today’s show notes and full transcript of the show are at problogger.com/podcast/236. Today’s show is inspired by a conversation I had this week with a blogger who had been blogging for a couple of years now. She built some traffic up to her blog. She’d already started to experiment with selling sponsored content on her blog. She was in sort of a style, fashion, beauty type niche and had been selling sponsored posts on the site but was not satisfied with the level that she was at. She’s been blogging for two or three years and when she started out had hoped she’d be full time by this point. Whilst she had some success so far with building the income on her blog, she came to me asking, “How do I double what I’m doing?” She really needed to double what she was doing to get to a full time level. On one hand, it was great, getting to a half time level with your blog is something that many bloggers dream of but she also had this thirst for more because she wanted to be able to give up other par- time work, children were going to school now and she had a little bit more time on her hands and so she wanted to really sink herself into her blogging, and to justify being able to do that full time rather than ...

4 Things to Consider When Choosing a Domain Name for Your Blog This episode is perfect for anyone who's preparing and planning their first blog, as well as those thinking about starting a second blog. Note: if you are starting a blog sign up below to get notified of our brand new course on the topic which will go live early next year - and check out our article on how to start a blog in 5 steps. Today I'm talking about what to consider when naming your blog and choosing a domain name for it. I'll share four things to consider when choosing a domain name. You want one that: helps you achieve your goals will have a memorable impact on your visitors helps you to build your brand sends the right message to Google and the search engine bots. (Domain names have an impact on SEO.) I'll also talk about legal implications of choosing a domain name, because it's important to stay within the law. Links and Resources on 4 Things to Consider When Choosing a Domain Name for Your Blog: 4 Things to Consider When Choosing Your Domain Name How to Choose a Domain Name Knowem Nameboy GoDaddy Facebook group Legal Links: Copyright.gov Uspto.gov Bloglovin.com Aussies: Asic.gov.au ipaustralia.gov.au   Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hi there. My name is Darren Rowse. Welcome to Episode 217 of the Problogger Podcast. I’m the blogger behind problogger.com - a blog, a podcast that you’re listening to, event, job board, and a series of ebooks all designed to help you as a blogger to start a blog, to create great content to grow your audience, and to build some income from that blog. You can learn more about what we do at Problogger over at problogger.com. Today’s episode is for those of you who are just starting out. It’s perfect for those of you who are considering starting a blog in the preparing, planning stage, or for those of you who want to start a second blog or even a second business of some kind, because we’re gonna talk about things to consider when you are naming your blog, or finding a domain name for your blog to be more specific. I said both of those things because they really are tied together. Ideally you want a domain name that is the same as the name of your blog, or at least tied to it. In today’s episode, I wanna share with you four things to consider to find something that is going to suit your needs in terms of a domain. Something that’s gonna help you to achieve your goals in blogging, whatever those goals are. Something that’s gonna impact the people who come to your blog and be memorable, but also something that is gonna help to build your brand, to communicate something, a meaning, to those people. Also, something that’s going to communicate something to Google and the bots, the machines, the little robots that come to your site as well and help to determine how your site will be ranked, because your domain name has an impact on SEO. Lastly, something that is gonna help you to stay within the law because there are some legal things that you need to know about choosing a domain as well. If that is of interest to you, listen on. I’ve got today’s show notes with some further reading for you. This is actually based upon an article that we published on Problogger a year or so ago, I’ve updated it slightly but you can find the original article on today’s show notes at problogger.com/podcast/217. I almost forgot the podcast bit there, you would think after 200 episodes, I would’ve got it. It’s problogger.com/podcast/217 where you can find that further reading and a full transcript of what I’ve got for you today. I wanna say right upfront, there’s a lot of different opinions on this. The main thing that I really wanna say is whilst I’m going to talk about some ideal scenarios today,

How and Why You Should Create Style Guides for Your Blog In today's episode, I talk about style guides for blogs – why they’re important, and what elements you should include in yours. Links and Resources for How to Create a Style Guide for Your Blog AP Stylebook The Chicago Manual of Style Virtual Tickets Facebook group Further Reading and Listening for How to Create a Style Guide for Your Blog 10 Writing Tips to Help You Sound More Human How and Why to Create a Blog Style Guide How to Create a Content Style Guide to Improve Your Blog’s Quality How to Create a Writing Style Guide Built for the Web Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hi there. Welcome to Episode 216 of the ProBlogger Podcast. My name is Darren Rowse and I’m the blogger behind problogger.com – a blog, podcast, event, job board, and a series of ebooks all designed to help you as a blogger to start a great blog, to grow your audience, and to build some profit around that blog. You can learn more about ProBlogger over at problogger.com. Now I’m just back from Dallas. I’ve had a few weeks off from the podcast and it’s been great to get some feedback from some of you that you missed the podcast over the last few weeks. I’m sorry for the break, but I hope you had a little bit of fun digging around in our archives. As I’ve said, just back from Dallas and we had an amazing time in Dallas. I was at the FinCon Conference where I did the opening keynote and had an absolute ball. I think there was around 1800 financial bloggers, real estate bloggers there. Really great conference, very good community. And before FinCon, of course, we ran the Success Incubator, a little event that we had as well. We had about 80 or so ProBlogger listeners and some attendees from the previous digital collab events and it was fantastic. We had this full day of training, we started about 8:30, 9:00 in the morning  and went through to about 9:30 at night. It was a big day and that was packed with teaching. We had Pat Flynn, Kim Garst, Andrea Vahl, we had Rachel Miller, Kelly Snyder, a variety of other bloggers as well. The feedback we had on that day of teaching was fantastic. People loved how intense it was, the fact that we packed in so much information. That was great. And then we had half a day of masterminding the next day, which I always love – that opportunity to sit around the table with bloggers and online entrepreneurs and brainstorm. You can still pick up virtual tickets for that event, if you go to problogger.com/success. I think they’re US$127 and that gets you the first day, that first full day of teaching. I think it’s about eight hours of teaching and you get the slides as well. That price will go up. It’s not an early bird one because it’s now after the event, but it will go up in the coming days as well. You get some teachings there on live video creation from Kim Garst, Pat Fynn’s teaching on creating an editorial calendar, promotional calendar for your business, you get some training on Facebook advertising, using challenges to grow your blog, how to sell courses, Steve Chu did an amazing session which I picked up so much information on how he promotes his courses using webinars and Facebook advertising. It’s really practical teaching, and again you can check out the agenda there at problogger.com/success. On to today’s episode. Today I want to talk about style guides – how to create them for your blog, and why you should create them for you blog as well. Style guides in my opinion are one way that you can really lift a good blog to a great blog by building more consistency across your content, across from one blog post to another. You can grab today’s show notes with the full transcription of this episode at problogger.com/podcast/216. Lastly, I should say on our events,

In Episode #429, Eric and Neil discuss 7 tips for increasing engagement with your blog. Tune in to learn how you can boost your viewer’s engagement levels and hook them so they have to keep coming back for more.  Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: 7 Tips for Increasing Engagement with Your Blog 00:35 – First is to write your blog in a conversational tone by using “you” and “I” 00:54 – People become more engaged and they will probably leave comments 01:00 – Add a live chat button to your blog 01:26 – Third is to wrap up your blog post with a conclusion 01:36 – Most readers will read your conclusion first before reading the whole blog 01:44 – Fourth is adding different types of content 02:00 – Some read on their mobile while others on their computer 02:13 – Fifth is to respond to comments in your blog 02:30 – Connect social media channels with Edgar 03:08 – Seventh is to do a content upgrade with Thrive, Hello Bar, OptinMonster 04:00 – There are different content upgrades available at Leadpages 04:15 – Marketing School is giving away 90-day FREE trial to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 04:26 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway to get your copy 04:28 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Writing in a conversational tone will engage your readers making them more likely to comment. Use social media platforms to increase your blog’s reach. Have a catchy conclusion, most readers read it first anyway. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu

In Episode #429, Eric and Neil discuss 7 tips for increasing engagement with your blog. Tune in to learn how you can boost your viewer's engagement levels and hook them so they have to keep coming back for more.  Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today's topic: 7 Tips for Increasing Engagement with Your Blog 00:35 – First is to write your blog in a conversational tone by using “you” and “I” 00:54 – People become more engaged and they will probably leave comments 01:00 – Add a live chat button to your blog 01:26 – Third is to wrap up your blog post with a conclusion 01:36 – Most readers will read your conclusion first before reading the whole blog 01:44 – Fourth is adding different types of content 02:00 – Some read on their mobile while others on their computer 02:13 – Fifth is to respond to comments in your blog 02:30 – Connect social media channels with Edgar 03:08 – Seventh is to do a content upgrade with Thrive, Hello Bar, OptinMonster 04:00 – There are different content upgrades available at Leadpages 04:15 – Marketing School is giving away 90-day FREE trial to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 04:26 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway to get your copy 04:28 – That's it for today's episode! 3 Key Points: Writing in a conversational tone will engage your readers making them more likely to comment. Use social media platforms to increase your blog's reach. Have a catchy conclusion, most readers read it first anyway. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu

10 Things I Wish I Knew About Blogging and Content Marketing When I Started Today, I want to share the audio of a keynote I gave at a conference early last year about 10 things I wish I’d known about blogging and creating content for content marketing when I started. In episodes 204 and 205 I shared some recordings of keynotes I’ve given, and the response from many of you was that you wanted to hear more of that style of podcast. So today I dug out a talk I gave at the Super Fast Business conference, which is run by James Schramko here in Australia.s James, who puts on a great event, asked me to share some of my story and give some practical tips on content creation. I talk about defining what your blog is about, the three phases of creating great content, how to mix up the different types of content you feature on your blog, idea generation, creating ‘content events’ on your blog, and how to differentiate yourself in your content.    I loved doing this talk, and I hope you enjoy it too. Don’t forget to join the Facebook group Slides from the Talk For those of you who would like to follow along with the slides - here they are. 10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW ABOUT CONTENT MARKETING WHEN I STARTED from Darren Rowse Further Listening on 10 Things I Wish I Knew About Blogging (and Content Marketing) When I Started 059: What Should I Blog About? 15 Questions to Ask to Help Identify Your Blogging Niche or Focus 033: 2 Questions to Ask to Help You Find Readers for Your Blog 011: Create 10 Blog Post Ideas for your Blog [Day 11 of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog] 084: How to Come Up With Fresh Ideas to Write About On Your Blog 086: How to Get into the Flow of Creating Great Content for Your Blog 087: 9 Questions You Should Ask Before Hitting Publish On Your Next Blog Post 152: How to Use Embedded Content on Your Blog [Challenge] Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hi there and welcome to episode 213 of the ProBlogger podcast. My name is Darren Rowse, and I’m the blogger behind problogger.com, a blog, podcast, event, job board, and a series of ebooks, all designed to help you as a blogger to grow your audience. You can find more about ProBlogger over at problogger.com. In today’s episode, I want to share with you an audio from a keynote I gave at a conference early last year. The topic was '10 things I wish I had known about blogging and creating content for content marketing when I started'. A bit of a mouthful, but you get the idea. Back in episode 204, 205, just a few episodes ago, I shared a couple of recordings from keynotes I’ve given at my ProBlogger events and I had so much positive response from that. People really enjoyed that format, a presentation, a talk. Longer form and also the slides from those talks as well. I wanted to do it again because many of you wanted more of that style of podcast. We’re not going to do it every week by any account. I don’t give that many talks. But I did find this one from the Superfast Business Conference. It’s a conference that is run by James Schramko. Many of you will know here in Australia. It’s run in Sydney and it was a great event. I really enjoyed getting to that particular event. James puts on a really good event, and he asked me at the event last year to share some of my story but also give some practical tips on content creation. Really, that’s what the focus of this talk is about. In it, I’ve given a few tips on defining what your blog is about but then we get a lot into content creation itself. I talk about three different phases of creating content. I talk about how to mix up the different types of content that you might want to feature on your blog. I talk about idea generation, some tips on creating content, finishing content, running content events and challenges on your blog and also how to diff...

7 Types of Evergreen Content for Your Blog Today I want to talk about Evergreen content, and suggest seven types of evergreen content you might like to try on your blog. I’ve got loads of advice for you today, and in today's show notes I have a lot of examples you’ll want to check out. Some are from my blogs, but there are also a lot from listeners who put examples of their own evergreen content in our FB group. 7 Types of Evergreen Content To Create On Your Blog How to Content How to Start a Blog How to Hold a Camera Beginners Tips for Night Sky Photography Advanced Tips for Tack Sharp Images How to Recover Images from a Damaged SD Card 5 Ways to Write Faster How to Replace a Face in Photoshop in 6 Easy Steps Frequently Asked Questions What is a Stop? The Common Currency of Exposure Explained What the Numbers on your Lens Mean How Often Should I Post? How Long Should Posts Be? How to Shoot in Low Light – 9 Commonly Asked Questions Can You REALLY Make Money Blogging? [7 Things I Know About Making Money from Blogging] Research Results ProBlogger Earnings Poll Results – April 2006 The 37 Most Popular DSLR Lenses with our Readers The 19 Most Popular DSLRs Among our Readers The 19 Most Popular Compact System and Mirrorless Cameras with Our Readers Storytelling What to Write When You Feel Like You’ve Got Nothing Left to Say 14 Types of Stories You Can Tell On Your Blog Using Photography to Make a Heartfelt Difference How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise and Get Paid to Change the World Case Studies Case Study – How One Blogger Used a Blog Post, SlideShare Deck, Lead Magnet, Email Sequence and a Webinar to Earn Over $28,000 The 5 Stages of Building a Culture of Community on a Blog [Case Study] $72,000 in E-Books in a Week – 8 Lessons I Learned Introductions to… Introduction to Shutter Speed in Digital Photography Introduction to Aperture in Digital Photography ISO Settings in Digital Photography An Introduction to Street Photography for New Photographers An Introduction to Bird photography Lenses 101 – An Introduction to Camera Lenses Introduction to Taking 360 Degree Photos Ultimate Guides The Ultimate Guide to Street Photography The dPS Ultimate Guide to Photography for Beginners The dPS Ultimate Guide to Getting Started in Lightroom for Beginners The dPS Ultimate Guide to Landscape Photography The Ultimate Guide to Making Money with the Amazon Affiliate Program Further Listening 136: The Ultimate Guide to Creating Evergreen Content for Your Blog 139: How to Create Content That Answers a FAQ [Challenge] 142: How to Create a ‘How to’ Post [Challenge] 181: How to Overcome the Challenges of Being a Solo Entrepreneur And don’t forget to join our Facebook Group Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hey, it’s Darren Rowse from ProBlogger here. I'm the blogger behind problogger.com, a blog, podcast, event, job board, series of ebooks and a whole lot more all designed to help you as a blogger to start an amazing blog, to grow an audience, to create content that will change the world and make money from your blog. You can learn more about what we do at ProBlogger over at problogger.com. In today’s episode, Episode 209, I want to talk about evergreen content. I want to suggest to you seven types of evergreen content that you might like to try on your blog. I’ve got loads of advice for you today. It has taken me a long time to prepare this show because there’s so much in it. If you want to follow along with me and get the examples that I mention along the way, I do encourage you to head over to the show notes at problogger.com/podcast/209 because there I do have some examples of the type of content I'm going to talk about today.

How to Build Traffic and Profit into Your Blog On today’s episode I want to talk about a key to creating a blog with lots of traffic and profit.   The topic comes from a conversation I had this morning with a new blogger who was asking me about how to create content that would go viral and as I look back at the growth of my own blogs I think it’s an important lesson to my own business’s growth. Links and Resources on The Secret to Building a Blog with Big Traffic and Profit Facebook group ProBlogger Success Incubator ProBlogger Event 4 Techniques to Get More Eyeballs on Your Blog 31 Days to Build a Better Blog 10 Things You Can Do Today that Will Pay Off On Your Blog Forever Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hey there, my name is Darren Rowse. I’m the blogger behind problogger.com, a blog, podcast, events, job board, and a series of ebooks, all designed to help you as a blogger to grow a profitable blog. You can learn more about ProBlogger and all we do over at problogger.com. Today’s episode is episode 201. In it, I want to talk about a key to creating a blog with lots of traffic and profit. It comes from a conversation I had this morning with a new blogger who was asking me about how to create content that will go viral. As I look back on the growth of my own blog, I think it’s a really important lesson for bloggers of all stages, good reminders on how to grow a business around your blog and traffic to your blog. You can find today’s show notes with some further listening at the end at problogger.com/podcast/201. Also, join our Facebook group at problogger.com/group. Just wanted to let you know, a bit of a reminder of our events that we’ve got coming up. If you are in Australia, we do have a limited number of tickets left for our events that are happening at the end of July and the start of August in Melbourne and Brisbane. You can get more information on those events at problogger.com/events. If you’re in America and can get to Dallas, Texas, in October, we’ve got a great event coming up there. You can find out more information on that event at problogger.com/success. All of those events, Pat Flynn will be joining me and we’ve got a raft of other amazing speakers happening at all of those events as well. I’ll link to each of those pages in our show notes as well. Let’s get into talking about traffic and profit and how to build those things into your blog. This morning, I had a conversation with a new blogger who asked me a question that I do get from time to time. They ask me, “How do you get viral traffic with a blog post?” It’s not the first time I’ve been asked it. I suspect it’s not going to be the last time that I’ll be asked it. Every time I am asked this question, I find myself wondering whether I should give the answer that the blogger wants to hear or whether I should give them the one that they need to hear. In this case, I told them the one they needed to hear. But the answer that they really want with that question is for me to reveal some secret to writing highly shareable content. Now, of course there are many techniques that you can use to increase the shareability of your content. I’m going to suggest some further listening on that topic at the end of this podcast. There’s nothing at all wrong with writing shareable content and hoping for it to get viral. I actually think you should write some of that type of content but it’s not the answer to building a sustainable full time blog with big traffic. In fact, when you become obsessed with writing just that type of content, it can hurt your blog. The answer that the blogger I talked to today needed to hear is that in most cases, the reason a blog grows into a sustainable business is that they don’t have viral content. It’s actually not the viral content that helps them to grow tha...

Lessons Learned in 200 Episodes of Podcasting Today’s episode is #200, and while it’s a podcast about blogging, today I want to talk about podcasting and share some of the big lessons I’ve learned about this medium since starting this podcast 2 years ago. I want to present with you my biggest lessons in podcasting, some tips on launching, recording, producing and promoting a podcast. I’ll share the tools that I use in putting this show together. I’ll tell you about our stats and share which episodes did best. And I’ll also share some of my frustrations and challenges and how I’ve been working to overcome them. So if you’re a podcaster or are curious about whether it might be a fit for you - this episode is for you. Links and Resources on What I've Learned About Podcasting in My First 200 Episodes Facebook group Podcast Motor Libsyn GarageBand Skype Call recorder Auphonic My Podcast Reviews PowerPress Plugin Rode Podcaster Pat Flynn’s Podcast Tutorials Top 10 ProBlogger Podcast Episodes 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Series (Episodes 1-32) Episode 48 - How to Make $30,000 a Year Blogging Episode 100 - 10 Things I wish I knew about blogging Episode 67 - Why You Should Create a Product to Sell on Your Blog (and Tips on How to Do It) Episode 53 - How I made over $500,000 with the Amazon Affiliate Program Episode 95 - What Do I Need to Have Ready before I Launch a Blog Episode 193 - How to Become a Prolific Content Creator (an interview with Kelly Exeter) Episode 51 - How to Make Money as a blogger Through Affiliate Marketing Episode 109 - 15 Reasons Why You Should Consider Having a Personal Blog Episode 120 - Should You Start a Blog? 22 Questions to Ask to Identify If Blogging is a Good Fit for You Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hi! Hey, it’s Darren Rowse from ProBlogger here. ProBlogger is a blog, podcast, event, job board, and a series of eBooks, all designed to help you as a blogger to grow an amazing blog and to build profit around that blog. You can learn more about ProBlogger over at problogger.com. Today is our 200th episode; it’s also our 2-year anniversary of blogging, so it’s a big celebration day. I was pondering to myself, “What shall we make number 200 about?” A few people in our Facebook group suggested that I do an episode on what I’ve learned about podcasting. It’s a milestone episode. Surely by now, I’ve learned a few things about podcasting, so I sat down today to list all the big lessons that I’ve learned about podcasting. That’s what I want to share with you today. I want to share with you my big lesson. I want to share some tips on launching, recording, producing, promoting a podcast, and I also want to share with you the tools that I use to put the show together. That’s changed a little bit over the years. I’m also going to share with you our stats, how many downloads we’ve had, which episodes did best; and I’m going to share with you some of my frustrations and challenges. Some of the challenges that I see other podcast is having as well and one of the things that I’ve been doing to work to overcome some of those things. If you’re a podcaster, maybe you are new to it, maybe you’re an experienced podcaster and just want to hear someone else talk about it, or maybe you’re someone, who’s thinking about whether podcasting might be a good fit for you, then this episode is one to listen to. You can find today’s show notes, where I’m going to share some links to the tools that we use, as well as a list of those top episodes for you to dig into a little bit more. You can find our show notes at problogger.com/podcast/200 and also join our Facebook group to connect with the other bloggers on the journey as well. We might do a bit of celebrating the 200th episode in the group this week ...

Creative Living with Jamie (episode 259): Interview with Zach Wolfson There's power in starting small. In this episode. filmmaker and educator Zach Wolfson encourages us to start small with vid and use what we already have. He explains why it's more important to be human than to be perfect and also shares the video challenge that made all the difference to his own performances!  I hope you'll take it on as creative homework! Zach is the founder/CEO of Infusion5 and helps bloggers, makers and creative entrepreneurs start small with making great videos that matter to their audiences online. He is based in Denver, CO with his wife Katie, their cat and two dogs. FREE Quick-Start Guide To get you started on video, Zach has created a Quick Start Guide to 10 Tech Tools to Create and Publish Videos for Your Blog and Online Courses. Access for Creative Living with Jamie listeners here.   Connect with Zach Website: Infusion5 Show: Start Small with Video Show: Beyond the Gallery Twitter: @zwfilm  Instagram: @zwfilm Connect with Jamie If you’ve been looking for a place to fill your creative well, to discover your creative self, to stretch your creative wings, Jamie Ridler Studios is here for you. Gain access to all sorts of inspiration and support for your creative heart when you join the studio. Website: Jamie Ridler Studios Classes: The Creative Living Academy Podcast: Creative Living with Jamie YouTube: Creative Living TV Facebook: @jamieridlerstudios Twitter: @starshyne Instagram: @starshyne Pinterest: @starshyne Shine a Light ~ Spread the Magic Whether this is the first episode that you've listened to or we've been hanging out for years, I am so glad that you're here.  I love knowing that we're hanging out in your studio, folding your laundry or that we're hanging out while you're walking your dog or going to work. Wherever you are and however you listen, I want you to know, I cherish you. And if you cherish this show, if it has been a blessing to your creative life, please spread the magic! Take a moment to leave a positive rating or review on iTunes. Share the podcast with your friends! You really can make a difference by shining a light on the show so that it can be found by other creative hearts just like you.  

If you’re looking for one of the fastest shortcuts to blogging success, adding video is your ticket. It can be overwhelming just developing solid blogging habits and throwing video production on top of it can feel like an immovable object. However, once you’re able to build the strength to do both you’ll never look back […] The post Why Adding Video to Your Blog is the Missing Secret Sauce appeared first on .

If you’re looking for one of the fastest shortcuts to blogging success, adding video is your ticket. It can be overwhelming just developing solid blogging habits and throwing video production on top of it can feel like an immovable object. However, once you’re able to build the strength to do both you’ll never look back […] The post Why Adding Video to Your Blog is the Missing Secret Sauce appeared first on .

Today’s question comes from Glen, who has a question about image use on his website. Can he use images from Google on his website? What are some good alternatives to iStock or other stock image websites? Are there free to use images on Google? What are the legal implications for using images from Google on his website? In this episode, I mention Flickr as good alternative to iStock. Check them out at Flickr.com. I also mention my Ultimate Guide to Finding and Using Images on Your Blog, which you can find at http://smartpassiveincome.com/how-to-find-images-blog-guide/. Find Google's Advanced Image Search at https://www.google.com/advanced_image_search. Do you have a question about image use for your website? Record it at http://askpat.com. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat.

Duplicate content is bad for SEO or is it? Content syndication, done properly, is not only safe but encouraged. There are 4 methods for syndicating content, two of which I endorse for a clean and effective content strategy. The post Content Syndication: Safe SEO Practices for Your Blog appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

In Episode #170, Eric and Neil discuss 7 advanced marketing automation tactics for your blog. Marketing automation allows you to know your subscribers better and respond to their behavior. Tune in to learn how advanced marketing automation can be very helpful for your blog and what to do with those unopened emails. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 - Today's topic: 7 Advanced Marketing Automation Tactics for Your Blog 00:36 – Marketing automation is how you market and send messages to people according to their behavior on your site 01:05 – First, on your thank you or intro email, add three different links for people to see what kind of people they are (ex. are you a beginner, intermediate, or advanced online marketer?) 01:52 – Neil shares what he learns through automation if people are opening your email, your open rate goes up 02:21 – If someone isn't opening for 5 times on a paid email, take the person off the list 02:55 – Third, make sure you have a list or campaign that specifically targets your customers 03:34 – Map out the life cycle of your customers 03:44 – Fourth, when someone joins your email list, try buying them in or signing them up 04:25 – Fifth is lead scoring 04:35 – You can do this with HubSpot, Drip, and InfusionSoft 05:33 – Sixth, make your opt-in relevant to your service 05:47 – An example with Kissmetrics 06:47 – Lastly, if you can survey your audience, do it to create a word cloud using a tool like TagCrowd 07:40 - That's it for today's episode! 3 Key Points: Marketing automation is how you market and send messages to people according to their behavior on your site Map out the life cycle of your subscribers. Make your opt-in relevant to your service to increase traffic and sales. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu

In Episode #170, Eric and Neil discuss 7 advanced marketing automation tactics for your blog. Marketing automation allows you to know your subscribers better and respond to their behavior. Tune in to learn how advanced marketing automation can be very helpful for your blog and what to do with those unopened emails. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 - Today’s topic: 7 Advanced Marketing Automation Tactics for Your Blog 00:36 – Marketing automation is how you market and send messages to people according to their behavior on your site 01:05 – First, on your thank you or intro email, add three different links for people to see what kind of people they are (ex. are you a beginner, intermediate, or advanced online marketer?) 01:52 – Neil shares what he learns through automation if people are opening your email, your open rate goes up 02:21 – If someone isn’t opening for 5 times on a paid email, take the person off the list 02:55 – Third, make sure you have a list or campaign that specifically targets your customers 03:34 – Map out the life cycle of your customers 03:44 – Fourth, when someone joins your email list, try buying them in or signing them up 04:25 – Fifth is lead scoring 04:35 – You can do this with HubSpot, Drip, and InfusionSoft 05:33 – Sixth, make your opt-in relevant to your service 05:47 – An example with Kissmetrics 06:47 – Lastly, if you can survey your audience, do it to create a word cloud using a tool like TagCrowd 07:40 - That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Marketing automation is how you market and send messages to people according to their behavior on your site Map out the life cycle of your subscribers. Make your opt-in relevant to your service to increase traffic and sales. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu

How to do SEO Yourself for your blog? SEO or, search engine optimization is a big thing. Or, so it looks! And videos and articles that talk about link building, Private blog networks, Google penalties etc. make it overwhelming for the average newbie. And we end up paying dollars to SEO experts who promise first ... Read more

In Episode #77 Eric and Neil talk about the 7 types of content you should be creating on your blog. Listen as they enumerate each type of content and how to utilize the types with key online tools. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:28 – Today's topic: 7 Types of Content You Should Be Creating on Your Blog 00:37 – #1 Have long-form well-researched content 01:14 – #2 Infographics 01:28 – Check out 99Designs or Dribbble or Upwork 01:45 – Use WP Embed Code Generator 02:18 – #3 Take an audio file and put it on your blog 02:27 – Use Rev to transcribe your content 02:51 – #4 Have animated content like click through, quizzes and gifographics 03:25 – #5 Put videos on your blog 04:10 – #6 Question based content 04:15 – Check Quora and search popular questions 04:50 – #7 Have specific case studies 05:39 – That's it for today's episode! 3 Key Points: Remember to put value into your content. A ton of tools are available–utilize them! Video and audio can still rank–transcribe them into your blog. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu

In Episode #77 Eric and Neil talk about the 7 types of content you should be creating on your blog. Listen as they enumerate each type of content and how to utilize the types with key online tools. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:28 – Today’s topic: 7 Types of Content You Should Be Creating on Your Blog 00:37 – #1 Have long-form well-researched content 01:14 – #2 Infographics 01:28 – Check out 99Designs or Dribbble or Upwork 01:45 – Use WP Embed Code Generator 02:18 – #3 Take an audio file and put it on your blog 02:27 – Use Rev to transcribe your content 02:51 – #4 Have animated content like click through, quizzes and gifographics 03:25 – #5 Put videos on your blog 04:10 – #6 Question based content 04:15 – Check Quora and search popular questions 04:50 – #7 Have specific case studies 05:39 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Remember to put value into your content. A ton of tools are available–utilize them! Video and audio can still rank–transcribe them into your blog. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu

Link Building Tip - Generate Hundreds of Links for Your Blog in 5 Minutes a Day In today’s lesson, you are going to learn a simple technique that has generated 100 new links for my blogs in the last month. This technique is fairly simple, and it only takes me about 5 to 10 minutes to do it. Yet, this technique is quite powerful. Incoming links to your blog are important because they drive traffic to your site from other parts of the web, and they also help you to rank higher in search engines like Google. Higher rankings also lead to more traffic. So, if you want more traffic and a bigger profile in the search engines this episode is for you. Further Resources on How to Generate Hundreds of Links for Your Blog in 5 Minutes a Day The Simple Tip That Gained Us Over 200 Backlinks WPBeginner Find Readers for Your Blog Through Commenting and Relationships 5 Mistakes Bloggers Make with SEO and What To Do About Them Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Welcome to episode 159 of the ProBlogger podcast. I’m your host, Darren Rowse, the founder of problogger.com, a blog, podcast, event, job board, and a series of ebooks all designed to help bloggers to grow their audience and make money from their blogs. If you want to know more about ProBlogger, you can check it out at problogger.com. In today’s lesson, you’re going to learn a simple technique that has generated 100 new links for my blogs in the last month. It only takes me about five to ten minutes a day to do it so it’s fairly simple and yet it’s quite powerful. Incoming links to your blog are important because they drive traffic to your site from other blogs, other parts of the web. They also help you to rank higher in search engines, Google in particular, which again leads to more traffic. If you want more traffic and a bigger profile in the search engines, this episode is for you. Let’s get into the tip for the day. Today’s tip is really quite simple. It’s not rocket science at all yet it’s incredibly effective as I mentioned in my introduction today. I first came across this one from our friends over at BuzzSumo. I’ll link to the blogpost because it is a few weeks old now, actually it’s probably a couple of months old now. They in turn got the idea from Syed Balkhi from WPBeginner. The tip is really simple and in essence it is to look for mentions of your blog or keywords that are relevant to your blog and articles on your blog on other people’s blogs and to reach out to those bloggers to see if there’s an opportunity for them to link to you. As I said, this is not rocket science but it really does work and I want to walk you through the little system that I’ve built, the workflow I guess that I’ve built to do it. This is something that I think many bloggers probably have done once or twice but what I want to suggest to you is that it’s useful to put aside five or ten minutes a day, longer if you’ve got it, to do this because it really is quite effective. I use a tool called BuzzSumo. I use the paid version but there’s a 14-day trial as well so you can see if it suits you. There are other tools around that do similar types of things. For example over at Mars, they also have a tool as well. I think there is this called Link Opportunities. It doesn’t really matter what tool you use, but I use BuzzSumo so that’s what I will refer to in this episode. I’ve got no affiliation with them whatsoever, it’s just a tool I like and it is a tool that has other features as well. What I do with BuzzSumo, they have a little monitoring tab and in that monitoring tab I plug in a few things. I’m monitoring a few different words. Firstly, I’m monitoring my brand names, ProBlogger and Digital Photography School. And then I’m also plugging in some keywords that are relevant to my niche. As I’ve said before,

As your blog grows, it’s going to attract the attention of more than just readers. Other bloggers will want to get a piece of the action and expose their talents to your audience. The question is: should you let them? There are pros and cons to doing so, and there’s a right and wrong way […] The post MBA675 Should You Accept Guest Posts on Your Blog? appeared first on The $100 MBA.

As your blog grows, it’s going to attract the attention of more than just readers. Other bloggers will want to get a piece of the action and expose their talents to your audience. The question is: should you let them? There are pros and cons to doing so, and there’s a right and wrong way […] The post MBA675 Should You Accept Guest Posts on Your Blog? appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Language is complicated, and in the context of shifting cultural norms, it gets even more complicated. So the question comes up: Is it OK to swear in our content marketing? We had a bit of a dust-up on Copyblogger a few years back, and every once in awhile the topic comes back up again. The […] The post Should You Swear on Your Blog? appeared first on Remarkable Communication.

How to Maximise How Many People See Your Posts and Deepen Reader Engagement If on publishing a blog post you immediately start thinking about the next - this episode is for you. Most of us spend a lot of time on the content we publish but if we don't take a few simple steps AFTER publishing much of that hard work will be wasted. This week I received a question from Susan - a long term listener of the podcast. She asked: Darren, thanks for your podcasts so far. I have a question that I hope you might have some insight on. I’ve been working hard on my blogging workflow after hearing your podcasts about bloggers block. I feel like my idea generation is going well and that the writing and completion phases are great but I can’t help but wonder if there is more that I should be doing after I hit publish and wonder if you could give me some tips into what I should be doing before I move on to writing the next post. This is a great question and one I wanted to dive into with a podcast. Before I do you might like to listen to the series on Beating Bloggers Block that Susan mentions where we discuss how to come up with post ideas, give some tips on getting into the writing flow and talk about how to get your posts polished and published. In This Episode In this new episode (which you can listen to above or on iTunes or Stitcher) I want to suggest 5 things that you should do AFTER you hit publish on your next blog post to help your post to get seen and read by more people and to help draw those readers into your blog and to start to engage with you. In this episode I share tips on: How to Socialise Your Blog Posts for Maximum Effect Optimising your Posts for SEO (I've got an episode digging more into this 2 episodes time) Repurposing Your Content (I spend quite a bit of time on this) Deepening Relationships with Your Readers Extending Your Ideas in Future Content Tools Mentioned In This Post I mentioned a few tools in this episode (also check out my 19 Blogging Tools Episode) CoSchedule Edgar Further Reading As promised - here are some articles we've published on the ProBlogger blog and a podcast that I previously recorded that go deeper into some of what I covered in this episode. How to Choose Which Social Networks to be Active On How to Build An Effective Social Media Strategy for Your Blog (podcast) How to Optimize Your Social Media to Drive Traffic to Your Blog (podcast and video of how I use Edgar) How to Socialize Your Posts for Maximum Effect Publish Your Blog Post Without SEO and 1000's of Visits Will Be Forever Lost SEO Best Practices: On Page Ranking How to Repurpose Your Content and Why You Should Do It (includes links to many of the tools and sites I mentioned) You've Got Readers to Your Blog: This is How to Keep Them There How to Turn Surfers into Blog Readers by Building a Sticky Blog (podcast) How to Extend Your Ideas with Future Blog Posts Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Darren: Hi there and welcome to episode 92 of the ProBlogger Podcast, where today, I want to talk about what to do after you hit publish on a blog post. I had a question this way from Susan, which reads, “Darren, thank you for the podcast so far. I have a question that I hope you might have some insight on. I've been working hard on my blogging workflow after hearing your podcast about blogger’s block. I feel like my ID generation is going well and that the writing completion phases are great, but I can't help but wonder if there's more that I should be doing after I hit publish, and I wonder if you could give me some tips into what I should be doing before moving on to writing the next blog post?” This is a great question from Susan and I've got five things that I would encourage you to consider doing as you hit publish on ever...

Note: you can listen to this episode above or load it up in iTunes. How to Beat Writer's Block: Part 2 - How to Come Up With Fresh Ideas to Write About Today's episode is about how to beat writer's block. It's the second in a mini-series of podcasts that looks at how to prevent writer's block holding you back from making your blog a success. Writer's block is very common. I get asked about all the time and suffer it too! In today's episode, I share tips about how you can come up with fresh ideas to write about and keep your blog exciting and useful for your readers.  In This Episode You can listen to today's episode above or in iTunes or Stitcher (where we'd also LOVE to get your reviews on those platforms if you have a moment). In today's episode: How to identify the ‘change’ you are trying to bring to readers Why identifying problems you can solve for your readers will give you fresh blog ideas 8 ways to identify problems you can write about to help your readers 4 ways to make solving reader problems and getting fresh ideas easier in future Further Reading and Resources for How to Beat Writer's Block: Part 2 - How to Come Up With Fresh Ideas to Write About Podcast Episode 83: How to Beat Writer’s Block: Part 1 – Working Out Why You’re Stuck Podcast Episode 11: How to Come Up with Hundreds of Blog Post Ideas for Your Blog Discover Hundreds of Post Ideas for Your Blog with Mind Mapping A Powerful Exercise inside Google Analytics to Set You Up for a Successful Year of Blogging Daily Exercise - Update an Old Post  A tool for mind mapping ideas - Mind Node Podcast Episode 81: 14 Types of Stories You Can Tell On Your Blog Podcast Episode 80: What to Write When You Feel Like You’ve Got Nothing Left to Say Battling Bloggers Block 11 Tips to Breaking Bloggers Block Through Solving Reader Problems 10 Ideas for Finding Blogging Inspiration Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hi, there. Welcome to episode 84 of the ProBlogger Podcast. My name's Darren Rowse and today, we're continuing our mini-series on tackling blogger's block.  In the last episode, episode 83, we talked about three different types of blogger's block. Those were coming up with ideas for your blog post, writing the blog post themselves, then completing your blog post. Three areas where I know bloggers do get stuck. Today, I want to tackle coming up with ideas to write about for your blog. You can find today's show notes with some further reading at problogger.com/podcast/84. This whole series is really about getting unstuck, battling that blogger's block that so many of us face. This particular area of coming up with ideas to write about is probably the most common area that I find bloggers are struggling with. After it happened about a year into your blog when you've been through many of those initial ideas that you had when you started out, you generally have a whole heap of ideas. Sometimes, too many ideas. Then, you run out. You feel like sometimes, you've written everything there is to say, you've written everything that you know to talk about, and everyone else has already written everything and you come out against, "What could I write that's fresh? What could I write that's going to have any impact upon my readers? What could I write that's going to stand out from everyone else?" This is something that many of us struggle with. It's actually one of the reasons a number of bloggers that I've come across over the last year or two have given up blogging. It’s actually like they have nothing left to say. I would really encourage you to push past this particular type of blogger's block. All of us do have all kinds of things to say. There are always new ways of saying things that perhaps we've said before as well, and that's a mind shift that you need to push thro...

Note: you can listen to this episode above or load it up in iTunes. 8 Ways to Make the Most of Your Blogging Time Today's episode is about how to make the most of the time you have. Juggling time to blog with other things in your life is one of the most common challenges that bloggers experience, including me. I recently got together with 5 other bloggers where we talked about this, and I've spent a lot of effort myself in trying to get better at managing my time. In today's episode, I share eight tips and strategies you can use to make fitting blogging into your life less stressful. In This Episode You can listen to today's episode above or in iTunes or Stitcher (where we'd also LOVE to get your reviews on those platforms if you have a moment). In today's episode: How to work out what your life priorities are How to work out how you're currently spending your time How to work out what your blogging priorities are (and the 4 priorities I focus on for my blogs) How to change your schedule to increase blogging effectiveness Why batching your tasks is so important How 'mental blogging' can save you time Why setting aside time for idea generation can save you time How to break down big jobs into small bites How to embrace slow blogging - why less can be more Why putting time into preparing for the next week can save you time Why setting aside time for rest, inspiration, and well being should be a regular part of your blog schedule Why NOW is the perfect time to review your priorities and redesign your blog and life schedule Further Reading and Resources for 8 Ways to Make the Most of Your Blogging Time Episode 40: 7 Productivity Tips For Bloggers (includes my ideal weekly blogging/life schedule) Blog Wise: How to Do More with Less (ebook) How Batch Processing Made Me 10 Times More Productive Discover Hundreds of Post Ideas for Your Blog with Mind Mapping Webinar Recording: 10 Things I Wish I Knew About Blogging Before I Started Kemi's blog  Tools I use to save time:  To track how I spend my time - Rescue Time Mind mapping ideas - MindNode (other bloggers also use Trello) To do list app – wunderlist Calendar I use from my phone, computer and watch – Fantastical 2 Writing and sorting content – Evernote Team communication – Slack Social media management – Meet Edgar, CoSchedule Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hi there. My name's Darren Rowse. Welcome to episode 82 of the ProBlogger Podcast. Today, I want to take a break from the shorter podcast that I've been doing over the last couple of weeks and talk about something that I think is particularly relevant for this time of the year. That is juggling the time that you have from blogging. I want to give you eight tips today for busy bloggers on how to make the most of the time that you have. You can find today's show notes at problogger.com/podcast/82.  I had a recent coffee with five other bloggers. It's kind of an end of year breakup of sorts for those of us who have small businesses and don't get a chance to have a big Christmas party. As we're having our coffee, we went around the circle, and we talked about our biggest successes over the last year but then talked about our biggest challenges for the year ahead. Every single one of us as we went around and talked about challenges for next year, mentioned that we were struggling with time in one way or another. Most of us had busy lives not just with our blogging but many of us had families, some of us had other commitments to churches, community groups, sporting groups, and other priorities. Most of us have friends as well. This juggle of how to fit blogging into the rest of our lives was a common thing that many of us faced as we went around. Our conversation then moved to what tips could we gi...

What about your theme do you like the most? If you answer was “look and feel”, then let me tell you that about 95% of the blog owners are with you. They also chose the theme for that exact same reason. But is that the only thing that you should look for in a theme? ... Read more

Note: you can listen to this episode above or load it up in iTunes. How to Get People to Comment on Your Blog Posts Today's episode is about how to get more comments on your blog. I share 11 tips you can use to get more attention and interaction. Today's podcast is a challenge to myself - to include as much high quality advice as I can in just 3 minutes! These are tips you can keep coming back to in future to keep improving your relationship with your readers. In This Episode You can listen to today's episode above or in iTunes or Stitcher (where we'd also LOVE to get your reviews on those platforms if you have a moment). In today's episode: How to invite comments How to write in a conversational tone, so people feel more comfortable to leave a comment How to ask a question at the end of your blog posts to increase your chances of getting comments How you can use your blog headline to get people excited about commenting The most powerful type of question you can ask for increasing comments An easy tactic you can use to get the ball rolling for comments How to respond to trolls and scammers How to respond to constructive comments to encourage those people to comment more in future How to use social media to increase blog comments Further Reading and Resources for How to Get People to Comment on Your Blog Posts 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog 19 Ways to Build Relationships with Blog Comments - Social Media Examiner 10 Blog Commenting Tips to Get Traffic from Other Blogs - Learn to Blog Leave Comments on Other Blogs [Day 20 of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog] - podcast Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hi there. My name is Darren Rowse and welcome to episode 79 of the ProBlogger Podcast. Today, I want to give you a three-minute podcast. It is another short one, but I hope it is helpful for you because it is a question I get asked all the time. How do I get more comments on my blog posts? You can find today’s show notes at problogger.com/podcast/79. So let us get into the tips. Number 1. Invite comments. You exponentially increase the chances of getting comments on your blog post simply by asking for one at the end of your post. Number 2. Write in a conversational tone. The more your readers feel like you are talking to them rather than just writing a post, the more likely you are to get comments, so write in a conversational kind of tone. Number 3. Ask questions at the end of your blog posts. Rather than just saying, “Leave a comment,” include a specific question. This gives your readers a starting point when they are thinking about what to comment on. Number 4 is building upon this idea of asking questions and it is to ask a question in the headline of your post. You would not want to do it in every single post, but when you ask a question in your blog post title, it invites your readers to start thinking about their response even before they read anything at all. It really works well. Number 5. Be open-ended with your blog posts. If you said everything there is to say on your topic in your blog post, there is much less chance that your readers are going to feel the need to comment at all. Number 6. Interact with the comments left. If you are not willing to interact in the comments why would your readers. This makes your comment section become a conversation section. Number 7. Kick off the comments with your own comment. If you are not getting many comments on a post or any at all, answer your own question or add a new point to your post by leaving a comment. This sometimes gets the ball rolling. Number 8. Deal with trolls and spanners. If comments on your post are going toxic, be willing to step in and get things back on track. An unmoderated comment section can be a real put-off to those who are n...

In this episode of Marketing Nerds, Kelsey Jones and Amanda DiSilvestro talks about how you can come up with tons of content idea for your blog.The post New #MarketingNerds Podcast: How to Come up With Content Ideas for Your Blog appeared first on Search Engine Journal.

She started a business that allows more time for her family. Smita Singh shares her story in blogging, podcasting and business building. How to Handle Negative Comments on Your Blog or Podcast Starting an Online Business through Podcasting Starting Over with Confidence What You Can Expect Running Your Own Biz Starting a Business that Gives You Family Time For Full Transcripts of this show and More Resources http://relaunchshow.com/391 972-885-8384

Note: you can listen to this episode above or load it up in iTunes. 7 Practical Strategies for Building Community With Your Blog Today's episode is about how to build relationships with the readers on your blog. Having a community around your blog gives your blog social proof and makes your blog more useful and satisfying to you and your readers. This is the second part of a two-part episode. Part one was an in depth look at why you should spend time and energy trying to build community. Today is all about practical strategies and tips for how to build community. In This Episode You can listen to today's episode above or in iTunes or Stitcher (where we'd also LOVE to get your reviews on those platforms if you have a moment). In today's episode: How to build a 'culture' of community How to map out what you want your blog community to look like How to write in a conversational voice instead of talking AT your readers 7 different ways to invite interaction from your readers How a dedicated community area or forum can help you build blog community How using interactive and accessible mediums like video and live streaming can build community How to use projects and challenges to give readers the chance to show off and to connect with each other How you can use real life events to strengthen your blog community 7 ways putting your readers in the spotlight can build blog community Further Reading and Resources for 7 Practical Strategies for Building Community With Your Blog Episode 60: Why You Should Make Building Community a Priority in Your Blogging Episode 5: Email One of Your Blog’s Readers [Day 5 Of 31 Days To Build A Better Blog] Episode 52: 10 Writing Tips to Help You Sound More Human Episode 19: Write an Opinion Post [Day 19 of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog] One of the 7 day challenges on my wife's blog, Style and Shenanigan Photo a Day challenges on the Fat Mum Slim blog Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hi there and welcome to the ProBlogger Podcast episode 61. My name is Darren Rowse and today, I want to talk about how to build community on your blog. In episode 60—the last episode—I talked about the benefits and some of the costs of building community on a blog, but today, I want to get a little bit more practical and give you seven practical strategies and tips on building community on your blog. You can find today’s show notes at problogger.com/podcast/61. Today we’re talking about building community on your blog. As I said in the last episode, this is so important. It has the potential to really build your blog, to build social proof, and make it easier to find new readers for your blog, but also to make your blog more useful and satisfying for you. Before I get into today’s seven strategies and practical tips. I want to talk a little bit about some overarching tips that I think are really important to acknowledge before we get into the practical stuff. Firstly, what I’m talking about today is not just about getting reader engagement. I see a lot of people talking about reader engagement. I like the idea of engagement, but for me, that’s not ultimately what I’m aiming for. What I’m aiming for is a culture of community on my blog. For me, an engagement from a reader is more about getting a comment, more about getting a like, more about getting a share, or a vote in a poll. All of those things are good, but in my mind, they’re just stepping stones to a real community. Engagement’s great, but most successful bloggers that I’ve come across go beyond getting those moments of engagement to something deeper with their readers where their readers not only interact with them or engage with them. But their readers actually have a sense of belonging, a sense of ownership. When the reader almost embodies and lives out the valu...

popsmoke.net/37 — For today's conversation, we feature Scott Warren who runs the Clickology Facebook group for veteran entrepreneurs and marketers. And in our Sponsored Seat we have Sam Meek, Co-founder of Sandboxx and sponsor for today's live show. Part 1 ~ Different Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Blog, Blab or Business -LinkedIn -Facebook -Instagram -Twitter -Google + -Text -Phone -Email -Niche Communities -Audio Podcasts -Video Podcasts -YouTube -Sharing Sites Full show notes here: http://popsmoke.net/frontline/drive-legit-traffic-to-your-blog-blab-or-business-ps037. Thanks again for checking out The PopSmoke Show. Make sure to subscribe to learn about the latest veterans on the go. Hey, do me a favor, after you check out the show please leave an honest iTunes Rating and Review. Your review will make my day and help the show get discovered by awesome, like-minded people like yourself. You can leave your name (and website if you have one) if you would like a shoutout during an episode. Please leave your review on iTunes at popsmoke.net/review.

This is a heated debate in the online world. Should you allow comments on your blog posts or should you not have comments at all? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having comments on your blog? We’ll give you our personal opinion on this so if you want to hear it, click play! SUBSCRIBE […] The post MBA354 Should You have Comments on Your Blog? appeared first on The $100 MBA.

This is a heated debate in the online world. Should you allow comments on your blog posts or should you not have comments at all? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having comments on your blog? We’ll give you our personal opinion on this so if you want to hear it, click play!   […] The post MBA354 Should You have Comments on Your Blog? appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Note: you can listen to this podcast above or load it up on your device on iTunes here. Is it Really Possible to Make Money From Your Blog? Today's episode is about whether it is really possible to make money from your blog. We take a close look at how many bloggers make money, the methods you can use, and the realities of earning money as a blogger. Money text on euro bills by Dani Rönneberg on 500px In this Episode You can listen to today's episode above or in iTunes or Stitcher (where we'd also LOVE to get your reviews on those platforms if you have a moment). Today we talk about: How much money bloggers make 37 different ways to make money blogging How I make money blogging 11 examples of bloggers who make money blogging The 4 things it takes to build a profitable blog Further Resources 37 Ways to Make Money Blogging How much money ProBlogger readers make from blogging Not all of our readers try to make money from blogging. This is how much money our readers who DO try to make money from blogging say they make (based on results from a survey we ran recently): 4% of bloggers who try to make money blogging make over $10,000 a month 9% of bloggers who try to make money blogging make $1,000 - $9,000 a month 7% of bloggers who try to make money blogging make $500 - $999 a month 17% of bloggers who try to make money blogging make $100 - $499 a month 25% of bloggers who try to make money blogging make $10 - $99 28% of bloggers who try to make money blogging make made under $10 a month 10% of bloggers who try to make money blogging say they don’t make anything Examples of bloggers making money blogging Nikki Parkinson - stylingyou.com (style and fashion) Tsh Oxenreider - theartofsimple.net (simple living) Chris Hunter - bikeexif.com (motorbikes) Christie Burnett - childhood101.com (parenting) Gavin Aung Than - zenpencils.com (cartoons) Lucy Feagins - thedesignfiles.net (design) Caz and Craig Makepeace - ytravelblog.com (travel) Brooke Schoenman - herpackinglist.com (packing/travel) Christina Butcher - hairromance.com (hair) Jadah Sellner - simplegreensmoothies.com (smoothies) Michaela Clark - tradiesva.com.au (tradies, va’s) Further Reading Can You Really Make Money Blogging? 7 Things I know about Making Money Online Ways to Make Money on Your Blog: The Money Map Theme Week: Make Money on Your Blog by Partnering with Brands Partnering with Brands: Advertising 101 Partnering with Brands: Ways to Collaborate and Earn an Income Partnering with Brands: The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Media Kit Partnering with Brands: Marketing Yourself Partnering with Brands: Putting it All Together and Getting Started The Full Blog Monetization Menu: 60+ Ways to Make Money with Your Blog Creating Product Week: How to Create and Sell Products on Your Blog Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hi there. It’s Darren Rowse from ProBlogger here. Welcome to episode 32 of the ProBlogger podcast. Today, we’re answering one of the most frequently asked questions that I get about blogging. The question, can you really make money blogging? It’s a question I get a lot and it’s one where there’s a lot of misinformation going around the blogosphere. I want to clear that up and give you a realistic answer to it. You can find today’s show notes at problogger.com/podcast/32. Hi. My name is Darren Rowse and today, we’re answering the question, can you really make money blogging? This is an important question and I want to answer right up front in this podcast series because there are a lot of misconceptions out there. I see a lot of bloggers coming into blogging with expectations that I just don’t think are realistic, so I want to give you a realistic answer to the question.

How to Develop a Plan to Grow Your Readership Today's episode is about developing a plan to drive new readers to your blog to grow your readership. Many bloggers I talk to think that if they write great content, readers will just show up. This simply isn’t the case. Almost every successful blogger I’ve met has spent significant time on proactive activities that will grow their readership. Coffee cups and drawings on napkins by Gable Denims on 500px In this Episode You can listen to today's episode above or in iTunes or Stitcher (where we'd also LOVE to get your reviews on those platforms if you have a moment). Today we talk about: How trying to grow your readership without a plan is hurting your blog How to work out who your ideal readers are How to find where your ideal readers are spending their time How to connect with your ideal readers What I learned from meeting Tim Ferris The secret magic of the 'servant heart' Further resources Further Reading: Finding Readers: Strategies for Building Your Audience in 2015 How to Find Readers for Your Blog 5 Ways to Attract More Readers to Your Blog: Social Media Examiner No Blog Traffic? Here's a Simple Strategy to Seduce Readers: Copyblogger How to Get the People to Your Blog: Fat Mum Slim Tim Ferris' podcast where he talks about growing an audience (the podcast is a Q&A but the part I refer to starts at about the 5 minute mark) Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Welcome to day 29 of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog and the 29th episode of the ProBlogger Podcast. Today, I'm issuing you the challenge of developing a plan to grow your readership. We've done a lot of writing challenges in this series of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. Writing is really important, but today, we're going to get off your blog and start to think about how we're going to drive some readers to it. I've included some tips on that in the episode. I've also got six really important questions to ask yourself as a blogger, to help you to tap into where your readers are gathering and how you can build a presence in those places, that will hopefully help you to build today's plane. There's a lot in today's episode so I've included some show notes with some further reading at problogger.com/podcast/29. Let's get into today's episode. Hi. This is Darren from ProBlogger and welcome to day 29 of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. As we're approaching the end of our 31-day challenge, I want us to switch our focus a little from creating content and the day-to-day of building community on our blogs, to do something a little bit more forward-thinking and strategic  On day 12, you created an editorial calendar for your blog to help you plan content creation. Today, I want you to create a plan in another really important area of blogging, that of growing your readership. Many bloggers I talk to have the expectation that if they build it, readers will come, i.e., build, write, and create great content, and people will just show up. This magical expectation certainly hasn't been my experience. Almost every successful blogger that I've met has focused at least some of their time on proactive activities that help to grow their readership. In fact, most successful bloggers that I know spend a fairly significant time on promoting themselves rather than just writing content. Today is really about developing a plan to be a little bit proactive about building your readership rather than just focusing on content. I want you to build a plan today to get off your blog and promote your blog in some way.  Many bloggers don't do this and that's one of the problems that I see in this area that bloggers have. Another problem that many bloggers have is that they just sort of drift along in this area.

How to Come Up with Hundreds of Blog Post Ideas for Your Blog Day 11 is one of my favourite days and one that is going to pay off over the next few days and weeks of blogging. It's all about answering that question 'what should I blog about today???' that may bloggers struggle a lot with each day when they sit down to blog. The idea today is to spend some time ahead of time answering that question so that next time you sit down to blog you can get straight into creating some great content. You can listen to todays episode above or in iTunes or Stitcher (where we'd also love to get your reviews). In todays Episode A trap that many bloggers face when it comes to coming up with ideas for their blog Two reasons why brainstorming ahead of time what to write about is so important A process I used on Digital Photography School to come up with hundreds of blog post ideas (enough for my first couple of years of blogging) A variety of other techniques and suggestions for coming up with blog post ideas - some which are based upon some of the previous episodes in this podcast series including setting up alerts and subscriptions you set up yesterday, emailing a reader, heading to the forum or group you've joined, social media accounts etc How to tap into your own problems, questions and challenges to get content ideas The challenge to set up an ideas collection system (I mention I use Evernote) A couple of visuals from the exercise I suggest today: 1. describe the change you want to take your blog readers through: 2. break down that change that you wish to bring: Your Challenge Today Brainstorm at least 10 blog post ideas that you could use in the days and weeks ahead. If you can come up with more - please keep going while they're flowing but do capture them! Don't get into writing the posts yet - just brainstorm. Tomorrow we'll take the ideas to do something with them so tune back in then with your ideas ready. Further Reading on Todays Challenge How to Consistently Come up With Great Content Ideas for Your Blog How to Build a Blog that Has Lasting Impact Upon Its Readers 5 Sources of Ideas for My Blog Posts Discover Hundreds of Post Ideas for Your Blog with Mind Mapping 27 Killer Strategies for Brainstorming Blog Post Ideas - JeffBullas.com Brainstorming: Generating Many Radical, Creative Ideas - MindTools.com Video: 6 Creative Ways to Brainstorm Ideas 7 Quick Ways to Brainstorm for Blog Post Topics - Random Little Faves And Sarah Schultz even has a free printable and great post at Why Brainstorming is Essential to Blogging. Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Welcome to the ProBlogger podcast, episode 11 and day 11 of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. Today, your challenge is to come up with at least 10 blog post ideas for future posts on your blog. In today's episode, I'm going to share with you one technique that I used to come up with hundreds of ideas for the first couple of years of my blog at Digital Photography School. I'll also share some alternative techniques that you might like to use to get some inspiration. Today's topic is so important. Many bloggers get stuck at this idea stage of creating content, so hopefully, it will give you a head start on that. Today's show notes, with some further reading and the tools mentioned in the show, are at problogger.com/podcast/11. There's also an opportunity on those show notes to connect with what others are doing in the challenge.  Before we get into it, a couple of answers to questions I've had over the last few days. One is around how frequently should you be doing these challenges. I know some of you are doing them on a daily basis as I'm publishing them. But if you don't have time, don't feel that you have to do them daily. I know some of you are doing them every second ...

120 Ten Ways to Make Money with Your Blog by Blogging with Leslie

For many bloggers, it's the number one topic of discussion: how to get more traffic to your blog.  Having a bigger number of visitors doesn't necessarily mean you have a more profitable business, but let's face it; we all want more traffic. In this episode, I'll explain how  to get more traffic to your blog. Announcements: Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: NAMS Conference, August 9-11 SCORRE Conference, October 14-17 Platform Conference, November 3-5 And if you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Tip Of The Week This week I share the value of inconveniently scheduled entertainment. Spiritual Foundations “But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” Luke 5:15-16 The more value you have to offer, the more demand others will place on you. The more value you place on serving, the more tempted you will be to supply what others demand. This seems good, but there is one problem… …you are a limited resource. Which means eventually the supply (you) will be exhausted by the demand (others). At that point, everyone ceases to be served. In order to serve at the highest level, for the longest possible time, you must preserve the resource. What this means: Not everyone who wants “just five minutes” from you can have it. Not everyone who wants to partner with you on a business or a project gets a “yes”. Not everyone who makes a request of you, or a demand on your time/money/energy, gets their request granted. You must preserve the resource (you) and learn to say “no” Most people will not be happy with your boundaries. That’s why most people fail to establish and enforce them. Be different than most people. Because you are a limited resource, and we need you. Feature Segment: How To  Get More Blog Traffic Success as a blogger cannot be measured by subscriber numbers alone. That doesn't mean we don't count the number of subscribers. How do you get more traffic to your blog? Here are seven tips… Write 3 to 5 “Pillar Posts”. Post Consistently And Frequently. Comment On High Traffic Blogs. Write Guest Posts For High-Traffic Blogs. See this post by Jeff Goins about guest posting. Link To Other Blogs in Your Posts. Encourage Commenting on Your Blog. Use Social Media to Promote Your Blog Posts. Question:   What tactics do you use to get more traffic to your blog? Click here to leave your comments.