Business

  • Using Images to Create Unique Blog Content

    Today’s web is far more visual than it was just 5, 7 or 10 years ago. These days, with faster Internet speeds and sophisticated mobile devices, it’s possible to use more images in your content. 

    In the past, you’d have to be worried about page load speeds and while you still need to aware of it today, more web users expect a more visual experience when consuming content. The good news is, not only do your readers expect it, using images also benefits you and your blog.

    Using images in your content has a number of benefits including:

    – They have visual appeal and grab attention.
    – Images can make people laugh, cry or bring out other emotions.
    – Personal pictures from your own life can create deeper connections with your readers.
    – Photos and screenshots can illustrate concepts and processes.
    – Your content is easier to absorb by visual learners.
    – Images break up your writing into easier to read written chunks.

    It’s easier than ever to make your own image and to find commercial-use images online…even for free…so there is no excuse not to start experimenting with them.

    A few ways to use images in your blogging:

    – Adding an image to the top of your posts can get attention, instantly provide clues as to what the content is and keep your readers interested.

    – If you’re creating how-to posts, you can use photos or screenshots to show each step or the critical steps in the process.

    – If you write reviews, add images of the product being used, the results of using the product, pictures of you with the product and more.

    – Upload a photo and have fun with it. Ask your readers to caption it.

    – Create eye-catching and thought-provoking images that you can use for social media and then link them to your content. Try adding quotations, funny sayings and giving them food for thought.

    – Get your readers to submit images. You can run photo contests, ask them to show them using your product and so forth.

    No one said you had to make or find all the images for your blog. 

    Of course, knowing how to quickly and easily find images is going to make this a lot easier.

    So here are a few ideas and resources for you: 

    Obviously, you can make your own. Sometimes an iPhone or mobile phone works, but it doesn’t hurt to invest in a good camera to produce top quality images.

    – Take screenshots. You can take a picture of anything you do on your computer and edit the screenshot with any graphics editing program.

    – Pay for stock photos at sites like iStockPhoto and BigStockPhoto. Some of the photos can be a bit on the expensive side, but the image quality is very good and they have a good selection.

    – There are also free stock photos sites that offer a pretty decent selection. Try sites like Stock.xchng, MorgueFile.com and Public-Domain-Photos.com.

    – If you use the advanced image search on Google Images, you can search by “usage rights” and look for images that are “labeled for commercial use”. Be aware that the search may not always be accurate and you should double check image licenses before using them. Attribution may be required and there may be other restrictions.

    – You can do a similar advanced search on Flickr for commercially available images. Just like with a Google Images search, make sure to double check all licenses.

    There are many uses for images and plenty of sources where you can find them for little to no cost, so there’s no excuse for not using them in your blogging. Test different types of images for different purposes and see what works well for you. You may find you have a more engaged and interested audience as a result.

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  • Beat Blogger’s Block: Fifteen Blog Topic Brainstorming Methods

    There’s nothing worse than sitting down at your computer and finding you have absolutely nothing to write about. And even though you might be a prolific blogger, it happens to all of us at one point or another. The great thing is that there are plenty of brainstorming methods we can use to hear the tap, tap, tap of our keyboards again.

    Here are 15 of those methods

    1. Be ready anytime. It’s funny how blogging ideas strike as at odd times. Sometimes, it’s when we’re watching a movie or standing in line at the bank. Other times, it might be when we’re exercising or watching our kid’s soccer game. While you can’t always take the time to blog the moment an idea strikes, you can certainly take note of those great ideas. Always keep a notebook with you or keep your mobile device handy. You can write down your ideas in the notes feature of your device or use the audio recorder for later review, if you prefer. It doesn’t matter how you record your ideas, just make sure you do.

    2. Expand. There is always so much more that can be said on just about any topic. If you’ve written a popular post about teaching children how to save money and it turns out to be very popular, do more with it. You can expand on each point you made in the original post, create budget spreadsheets for kids, recommend related products and so much more. Always leverage the work you’ve done in the past to create more of what your audience wants now.

    3. Fill your RSS reader. Other bloggers can be a great source of inspiration. Fill your RSS reader with blogs in your niche and scan them regularly to find the hot topics and latest news that you can incorporate into your own blog.

    4. Take or share a picture. There is so much truth to the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Pictures can evoke emotions, make people think and get them to pay attention. If you don’t feel like writing, take a picture or share one you already have. Let the picture tell your story.

    5. Ask questions. It’s one of the easiest types of posts to make and they often get the best response. Instead of lecturing to your audience, ask them a question instead. Think of something controversial or something they’ll be passionate about and ask them their opinion.

    6. Accept questions. Create a submission form so that your readers can submit questions to you. It’s an easy way to come up with ready-made topic ideas that you know that your audience is ALREADY interested in. Include your readers name and blog (if they have one) to give them a little recognition and exposure as well.

    7. Write a response to someone else’s post. Once again, the writing of other bloggers can be a great inspiration. If you read a post that you really resonate with or one you vehemently disagree with, you’ve got yourself a brand new topic idea. Of course, if you happen to disagree with a blogger and you don’t want to burn any bridges, always state your case logically and respectfully. Not only is it good content for your readers, but it could be the start of a mutually beneficial relationship with the other blogger.

    8. Have regular topic brainstorming sessions. Coming up with topics on the fly is hard. If you don’t already have that great idea before you sit in front of the screen, you may find yourself dumbfounded, distracted and the next thing you know, a few hours have gone by. Instead, set aside time each week or each month to brainstorm topic ideas. Once you get one idea, it’s easier to come up with more, so making brainstorming a focused activity is very beneficial.

    9. Reintroduce old topics and give a new reason to read it. When you’re super busy, you may not have time to write something new. But if you’ve been blogging for a while, certainly you have a nice library of great posts that much of your audience has probably never seen. Let’s say you’ve been talking to your readers about the importance of composting lately and your readers are really responding to this. Turns out, you wrote about 5 posts on the topic in the past 3 years. This is the perfect opportunity to point your readers to those posts. It’s likely new information for them, but even if they read it before, it’s a great refresher and extra exposure for your existing content.

    10. Interview someone. Instead of you answering the questions all the time, interview someone else. You can interview popular bloggers or experts in your niche, bringing your readers some new perspective and valuable content. You can even ask your readers to help you with the questions you’ll ask in the interview, so they can be part of the interview process as well.

    11. Conduct a case study. A case study allows you to showcase a clients or customers experience with your product, service or advice. It not only provides useful information to your audience, it’s also a source of social proof because your readers can see that you are actually helping real live people. Always keep track of your success stories so that you can showcase them in a case study.

    12. Let someone guest post on your blog. Be open to the idea of having guest bloggers on your blog. Many bloggers will write for free, in return for a byline and link back to their website. Just be selective in the guest posts you publish. It’s your blog and reputation on the line, so choose posts that understand your audience well and delivery exactly the kind of content your readers are looking for.

    13. Review a product. If you’ve recently tried a product that you think would be of interest to your readers, review it. Audiences appreciate detailed and honest reviews from someone they trust (you). Not only do reviews provide your readers with valuable consumer information, you can earn commissions through your recommendations as well.

    14. Search current news and relate it to your topic. In addition to adding bloggers to your RSS feed, you can also sign up for topic notifications from various news sites. For example, at Google News, you can customize their site, so they show more of the stories you’re interested in, you can sign up for RSS feeds in specific categories and more. Staying up-to-date in your niche is crucial and there are plenty of tools to make it quick and easy for you.

    15. Share content and add your commentary. For super easy content on the fly, all it takes is a trip to YouTube, SlideShare or EzineArticles and you can find useful content to share with your readers. Be sure to add your own commentary, so your readers know why you’re sharing it and so they get your unique perspective.

    Coming up with fresh and interesting content, is an important job for any blogger and it’s easy to get stuck sometimes.

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  • 10 Ways You Can Monetize Your Blog

    How do you make money from your blog?

    A lot of people start blogs without any monetization plan in mind. While that can be corrected, it’s always easier if you’re clear on how you will monetize from the beginning.

    To give you some ideas, here are 10 ways you can monetize your blog:

    1. Sell Advertising: Many bloggers capitalize on their traffic by selling advertising for their blog. This works well for high traffic blogs that can attract high paying advertisers. It is often the choice of bloggers who don’t want to do any selling on their blog and want to focus solely on content. Still, there is selling involved in attracting advertisers and there is plenty of work involved in serving advertising clients.

    2. Affiliate Marketing: A common choice for many is to go the affiliate marketing route by earning commissions through recommending products. Many bloggers place ads in their side bars, at the bottom of posts and so forth, but the affiliates who make the most money make product recommendations directly to their audience. They write about products, recommend relevant products in their posts and so forth.

    3. Product Sponsorship – Sponsorship is a similar concept to advertising, but in many cases, no money exchanges hands. Instead, bloggers are treated to free product in return for mentioning their product, running a giveaway and so forth. Many large and small companies are actively looking for the opportunity to reach their target audience through bloggers, so there is plenty of opportunity to enjoy a variety of perks.

    4. Sponsored Posts – Like successful bloggers, many companies understand that the most premium ad space on a blog is the blog post itself. Sure, you can put ad banners in your sidebar, but those are most likely to be ignored because people focus on your content. That’s why many companies are willing to pay for the opportunity to post on your blog. Sponsored posts are usually more commercial in nature, but as the blog owner, you ultimately decide which posts you will accept and which you won’t.

    5. Bolster Your Product Sales – If you already have an existing online business where you sell your own products, a blog can be the perfect complement to this. Engaging your audience, building a more loyal relationship and educating them on your product is a win-win for everyone.

    6. Ebooks and Info Products – If you’re into blogging, chances are you love writing. This is the perfect path to creating your own information products and ebooks. You can sell them on your website, through Kindle, Smashwords and more. If your blog readers love your content, they’ll love to get even more that they can add to their mobile device and take wherever they go.

    7. Contextual Advertising – You’ve probably heard of Google Adsense and Chitika. These are advertising networks that display content on your pages. The ads displayed are related to the topics of your specific blog posts…thus, the term “contextual”. Working with an ad network means you don’t have to find your own advertisers and you don’t have to deal with client service either. It’s all taken care of by the ad network and you get a percentage of the profits. Or you can maximize your revenue by displaying contextual ads and accepting advertisers on your blog as well.

    8. Blogging for Pay – One of the simplest ways to start earning money from blogging right away is to simply be a blogger for hire. It’s a guaranteed way to get paid for your work, but it doesn’t have the scalability that doing your own blogging does over time. After all, as a blogger for pay, you only get paid when you blog and most jobs don’t pay incredibly well. Still, it’s a great place to get started and start earning money almost right away.

    9. Feeding Traffic to a Mailing List – You may have heard the term, “the money is in list” and it’s absolutely true. Growing your own email subscribers list ensures that you have a growing audience of people that you can keep in touch with over and over again. Many bloggers keep their focus on content on their blog and simply funnel people into the mailing list, so they can make offers and sell products via email. Email marketing is an important topic, so we’ll definitely be talking about it in a later post.

    10. Speaking – While many bloggers prefer to communicate with their fingertips to the keyboard, many also have a very commanding presence and enjoy speaking to audiences. Speaking is definitely a good skill to cultivate as it can be very profitable. Whether you run your own webinars or speak at various live events, having an active blog following can help you bring more people to your speaking events and increase your income.

    Certainly, this isn’t an exhaustive list of the possible ways to profit from a blog because every blogger and business is different but hopefully these 10 ways to monetize your blog were helpful. You might just use one idea to start with, but most successful bloggers use a combination of a few or more ways to monetize their opportunities. The key is to start exploring ideas, testing them out and further developing those methods that work for you.

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  • Do you really know your “why” for blogging?

    Do You Know Why You Blog? I Mean Really Know…

    It seems kind of like a silly question, but I would guess that most bloggers don’t know the true reason why they blog. And because of that, they flounder and don’t earn as much as they’d hoped.

    I’m hoping that our discussion today will help you dig really deep and help you find the answers, so you can move even closer to the success you’ve always dreamed of.

    For many, the road to blogging starts with the thought, “Hey, I’d like to have my own blog.” They see another successful blogger and make all kinds of assumptions on how (and if) that blogger earns money and decides they’ll do it themselves too.

    But the problem is, there is no plan. 

    There is no plan to create a focused online presence. 

    There is no plan to grow a faithful audience. 

    And worst of all, there is no financial plan.

    Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been blogging for a while, it pays (literally) to take a step back and really examine WHY you’re blogging to ensure you’re on the right track to achieve your goals.

    While there are some examples of bloggers who blog their random daily thoughts and grow a large readership, it’s not the norm.

    The most successful blogs have a focus and something unique to deliver to their audience. So even if you are a mom who blogs about their adventures in motherhood or you’re a student who writes about student life, finding a key focus and unique perspective is what will help you grow a faithful audience.  

    Have an edge, have a point of view and deliver something unique to your audience. It’s your uniqueness that will draw people to you.

    Still, being unique isn’t going to magically make your audience grow. You can’t make a few blog posts this week and expect to be Dooce, Problogger or Techcrunch next week.

    Growing your audience takes time, hard work and even some money. We’re going to be talking about growing your following in a later post, so we’ll be visiting this topic again. If you’re satisfied with a few hundred readers on your blog, that’s perfectly fine, but if you want to have an audience of thousands or tens of thousands, you have to have a plan to get there.

    And finally, a lack of financial plan is the kiss of death when it comes to blogging for profit. Knowing your monetization plan before you start makes it easier to shape your blog around those plans.

    For example, if you plan to sell advertising, designing your blog with this in mind makes it easier to add advertisers when you’re ready. You also need large traffic numbers to earn good money through advertising, so a traffic plan needs to be in place too.

    In my next post, I’ll talk about monetization methods and this should help you carve out a financial plan for yourself. 

    If you’ve been blogging and you’re thinking to yourself that you haven’t really thought some or all of these things through below, don’t worry. All is not lost.

    While it’s easier to start with a concrete plan from the outset, everything can be corrected. That’s the beauty of the Internet…everything can be changed and it doesn’t have to cost much to do it. If this describes you, start brainstorming now.

    What makes you unique in your niche? Why do people come to read your stuff?

    How will you grow your audience?

    How will your blog make you money?

    Just write as many ideas you can for each and don’t worry if the ideas don’t flow quickly right now. Keep those brainstorming sheets as we talk about these topics in more depth in the coming posts. You’ll have plenty more ideas by the time I’m finished here. 🙂

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  • True Freedom: Make Your Summer Business Plan of Attack Your Year-Round Approach


    Over the last little while, I’ve shared a few tips on getting more done with less time and obviously, our focus has been on keeping things together through the many wonderful distractions of summer. But keep in mind, the approaches we’ve discussed can certainly apply all year round.

    Most of us started our businesses because we wanted freedom and really, we have it right here for ourselves when we need it. I’d like to do a little wrap up of my previous posts, so you can create the schedule for your business that you want.

    • Be Disciplined: It may seem contradictory to tell you to be disciplined when you’re actually seeking freedom, but the more disciplined you are, the more time you will have to do what you really want to be doing. Setting your work hours and planning your work days go a long way to ensuring you have time to do everything you set out to do.

    • Be Flexible: On the other hand, not everything has to be written in stone. Sometimes we take on more than we can chew. Other times, we focus on things that just don’t work and we need to make a change. Don’t be afraid to make changes that are good for you and your business.

    • Get Help: I can’t stress it enough, but don’t go it alone. If you’re doing everything, you’ll forever be chained to your computer. Hire an assistant, take on a business partner or even barter where you can.

    • Focus on What You’re Good At: When you have a team in place, it’s easy to focus on the stuff you like to do and do well. It’s much easier to stay disciplined and motivated when you get to do what you love.

    • Plant the Seeds Now: Whether you’re planning a vacation or something unexpected happens, having things in place will help you go far. That includes building your team, growing your mailing list, developing a steady stream of traffic and all the things that you need to keep your business moving along. So enjoy the rest of your summer and enjoy every moment of what you do.

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  • When Business is Slow in Summer: Think Seasonal

    A lot of people tell me that their business slows down in summer. And unless you sell vacation packages, swimming pools and water wings, I suppose it can happen. But here’s the thing…all you need to do is what those travel agents and swimming pool sellers do to get things revved up for summer. No, you don’t have to sell vacations and pools, but you do need to understand what your customers are thinking about in the summer months and cater your marketing to that.

    A few questions to ask yourself:

    What are your customers’ worries and concerns in summer?

    Are they concerned about the safety of their home while they’re away on vacation (perfect for home alarm and monitoring companies)? If you’re in the B2B market, are they worried about having time to get their work done in the summer? Grab a piece of paper and a pen to write down every worry you can think of and how it relates to your business.

    What are they busy doing?

    When you know what your customers are doing and what’s on their minds, you know how to speak to them. With a heat wave going on in a lot of places in North America right now, you know your customers are probably trying to find a way to beat that heat. How can you help them?

    What would they rather be doing?

    While we’d all love to be out lazing about on the beach, most of us probably aren’t. What do your customers really want to be doing, but can’t (but possibly could with the help of your product or services)? 

    Coming up with a summer marketing plan doesn’t require any magic or genius skills, but it does require some thought. Take the time to jot down your answers to the questions above and things become much clearer. When you know what’s on the mind of your customers, it’s much easier to deliver exactly what they want.

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  • Here’s Your Motivation to Keep Business Going This Summer

    Lost and Found: Here’s Your Motivation to Keep Business Going This Summer

    Just a short post for you today because I don’t want to keep you from getting your work done! 

    Summer should be about enjoying yourself, getting outside and hopefully getting away from it all.

    Of course, most of us don’t have the luxury of avoiding work all summer long. Sometimes, we’ve got to roll up our sleeves and get busy, but it’s not always easy if you work from home. I’m sure just about any home or Internet business owner can relate, so here are some tips to stay motivated this summer.

    Work hours are your friend: We talked about this in the avoiding distractions post, but it applies here too. When you know when you’re supposed to work, you’re more likely to do it. If you leave your days wide open and think you’ll squeeze work in somewhere, it’s less likely to happen.

    Focus on what you like doing: There’s nothing worse than dreading something on our to-do list. Not only do we procrastinate from getting that one thing done, but it can remove our motivation to do anything at all.

    Always focus on what you’re good at and enjoy. Hire others or take on a partner to do the things you despise, but they enjoy. I’ve never understood why some people love crunching numbers and doing the accounting, but I’m so glad that they do.

    Set summer goals: While you may not be working as hard in the summer as you do other times of the year, do set some goals for yourself. Set daily, weekly and monthly goals. Make them challenging, yet attainable and outline the steps you’re going to take to achieve them.

    Reward yourself: When you accomplish a goal, give yourself a reward. Whether it’s a camping trip, a weekend away or simply an iced tea on the patio, everyone likes to have their work appreciated.

    Appreciate yourself readily!

     Give yourself a break sometimes: As entrepreneurs, we can be pretty hard on ourselves. We try to pack so much in, create ridiculously long to-do lists, but it’s not really necessary.

    Always re-evaluate your work plan and adjust it to make sure you get the most important things done.

    I guess the real lesson here is to know where you want to go and how you’re going to get there.

    Always have a plan, but be prepared to adjust it where necessary.

    Of course, if your motivation has gone down because business has slowed down, we have another problem. We’re going to talk about reviving a slow business in the next post.

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  • How to Focus on Your Business When It’s Time to Focus

    Avoiding Summer Distractions:


    How to Focus on Your Business when it’s Time to Focus

    Summer should be about enjoying yourself, getting outside and hopefully getting away from it all. Of course, most of us don’t have the luxury of avoiding work all summer long. Sometimes, we’ve got to roll up our sleeves and get busy, but it’s not always easy if you work from home.

    I’m sure just about any home or Internet business owner can relate. 

    For me, the distractions are the nice weather, having the kids home from school and the desire to just be out camping or even sipping drinks with friends on a patio.

    One of my best friends is a teacher with summers off and she’s always trying to corrupt me! Even though summer can be great fun, I have learned to set my limits and turn off the distractions as needed.

    Here are some tips for you…


    Set your work hours: It’s business organization skills 101, but it’s an important aspect to staying focused. If you set your work hours, not only will you know what’s expected from you, but so will your friends and family. Take out the calendar and figure out what will work for you from week to week, so there is no confusion for anyone, including yourself.

    Reduce your work hours: If you work 5 days a week the rest of the year, you might consider whittling down to 3 or 4 in summer. Even if we have the best intentions, we’ll always find ourselves looking out at the beautiful sunshine, thinking about how we’re like to be out there too. Give yourself a break and just don’t work so much. You can achieve this by cutting down your schedule (for example, don’t blog as much), doing a lot of work ahead of time or hiring some help.

    Plan your work week, in detail: Now, don’t overload yourself with tasks, but make a list of items that absolutely need to get done and put them on your schedule. If you know what you need to do each time, you can motor through those items each day and perhaps you can even knock off early if you complete your list quickly.

    Plan your vacations: Just like you should plan your work hours, plan those vacations ahead of time. Knowing when you’ll be in town and out of town, will help you plan your work better and get all the necessary tasks done before you leave.

    Try multiple short trips away from home: While there shouldn’t be anything stopping you from taking an extended vacation, if it does cause you stress or you don’t have the help you need while you’re gone, try a few short trips. A few days away here and there can be a whole lot of fun and can reduce the overwhelm when you return to your computer.

    Limit social media to down time: While I see the value of social media for business, I think most of us waste a heck of a lot of time on Facebook, Twitter and the like. I’d challenge you to keep your social media usage outside of your work hours and leave it for any downtime you have. Perhaps, while you’re relaxing on the couch in the evening or just soaking up some sun by the pool. Reserve your work time for…well…work.

    If you have kids, get them busy: There’s no reason kids shouldn’t have fun all summer long. Get them involved in summer activities in your local area. Whether it’s summer camp or activities at the local library, there’s always plenty to do. And for goodness sakes, send them OUTSIDE to play often. If your kids are young and need supervision, consider organized activities or swapping babysitting favors with your neighbor. 

    Again, if you have kids, get them involved in the business or their own business: If you can’t always get the kids to entertain themselves, get them busy working with you or on their own business. There are plenty of business tasks that children can handle and what they do will certainly depend on their age and abilities. We’ll be talking more about summer business ideas for kids in a future post too.

    Turn the phone off: If you don’t have to answer calls from clients or customers, turn your phone off while you’re working. That means no text messages or personal emails too. If you do have a business line that you need to answer, don’t give that number to your friend who keeps trying to get you to head to the beach or a patio to sip margaritas.

    Outsource more: I’ll have plenty more tips in future posts, but you’ve got to get help for your business. It doesn’t mean you have to hire employees or people need to come to your house, but running everything yourself means being chained to your business all the time.

    At minimum, you should have a virtual assistant that can help you with administrative tasks, keep you organized and can handle most of your business communication. 

    Keep the fun in summer, but don’t sacrifice fun for productivity. If you’re organized and focused, you can most certainly have both.

    Now, I admit, being focused can’t come without a whole lot of motivation and that’s what we’ll be talking about next. Talk to you again soon.

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