Is This One Single Belief Stopping You from Earning More Money in Your Online Business?
“Tell me the niche you’re publishing in now, and I’ll show you someone who is selling the same basic content and likely making more money than you … That’s the simple solution to making money with content that has been around for centuries, and it’s still going strong. If you want to make money with content, charge for it.”
- Brian Clark, Copyblogger and Teaching Sells
One common obstacle to earning a steady income online is the belief that you don’t have anything valuable to offer in exchange for money. I know this, because I used to believe it myself. But I was dead wrong. You may be too.
What follows is a personal story that I hope will not only educate and inspire you, but will also help shatter this limiting belief so you can start earning more money from your efforts to make a difference in the world.
10 Brilliant Examples of How to Open Your Next Blog Post With a Bang
“The most important sentence in any article is the first one. If it doesn’t induce the reader to proceed to the second sentence, your article is dead. And if the second sentence doesn’t induce him to continue to the third sentence, it’s equally dead. Of such a progression of sentences, each tugging the reader forward until … safely hooked, a writer constructs that fateful unit: the lead.” – William Zinsser, On Writing Well
With respect, I must disagree with Mr. Zinsser. We all know the most important part of an article is the title. Without a compelling title, your reader won’t get to the first sentence. After the title, however, the first few sentences are certainly the most important part.
Journalists call this critical introductory section the “lede,” and when properly executed, it’s the bridge that carries your reader from an attention-grabbing headline into the body of your blog post.
If you want to get it right, try one of these 10 clever ways to open your next blog post with a bang.
Break Through Blogger’s Block With These 10 Creative Tactics to Generate Topics for Blog
This is a guest post from Laura Bell, a freelance writer and social media activist.
You got the memo about blogging loud and clear. You know that blogging can improve traffic to your site, build lasting relationships and help convert those relationships into sales. You even know that you should consistently create new content and use that SEO stuff.
But, what on earth do you write about each day? How can you consistently come up with new material that your readers will actually want to read?
Take a breath. You are not alone. With minimal effort on your part, you are probably sitting on a gold mine of really great topics and you don’t even know it. When the ideas are running dry, try these 10 tips for generating blog topics for your small business blog.
Why Choosing a Niche is Critical to Your Success in Blogging and Business
Regardless of the type of online business you operate (or want to start), there’s one “secret ingredient” that can make the difference between success and failure. Before I tell you what it is though, I’ll share a story from my past that helps illustrate the principle.
It was early 2006. I had just sold a blog called Small Business Branding, and I was moving on to a new business venture I’d named Solostream Global Media. Initially, Solostream was supposed to be a blog network focused on the needs of solo-entrepreneurs. I quickly realized, however, that operating a blog network was more than I could handle, so midway through 2006, I switched gears with Solostream.
I enjoyed web design and felt competent enough that I could do it professionally, so I decided to make Solostream a web design company. My problem, however, was there were hundreds of thousands of web designers out there, and I’d have a hard time making a name for myself with all the competition. So I knew I needed to be more specific about the type of web design services I would offer.
20 Questions for Zen Habits Super-Blogger Leo Babauta
Leo Babauta’s Rise to Fame
In January 2007, Leo Babauta launched his blog – ZenHabits – to share what he’d learned about simple living, changing habits and how to create an amazing life. With a full-time job, a part-time freelance writing career and a wife and six kids, he had no free time, no money to invest and little knowledge about blogging. But that didn’t stop him.
Fueled by his singular goal to liberate himself from his full-time job, Leo went to work writing great content day-after-day. He wrote 3-5 weekly blog posts for ZenHabits, as well as multiple guest posts and freelance posts for other major blogs in his niche.
How to Create a WordPress Blog in 30 Seconds With WordPress Auto Install
It used to take me about 30 minutes to install a new WordPress site. But now, thanks to my favorite new web host – Hostgator – with their wordpress auto install function, those days are over.
I can now install a new WordPress site in 30 seconds or less. Watch the short, 5-minute video below, and you’ll see how much easier and quicker it is to install WordPress (if you’d rather see the written tutorial, you can find it after the video).
After you watch the video, get yourself over to Hostgator and set up a new account. Use coupon code “biggerlife” for a discount of $9.94 off your hosting package.
Interview: How to Grow Your Blog Readership Fast with Barrie Davenport
I recently spoke with Barrie Davenport, a personal and career coach who writes Live Bold and Bloom, a blog about bold and fearless living.
Barrie launched her blog in September 2009, and within 4 months, she had attracted over 2000 readers. During our interview, we discuss how she built her readership so fast, as well as what she’s up to nowadays.
If you’re a blogger looking for some some valuable blogging tips and a little inspiration, I know you’ll find our discussion a worthwhile investment of 45 minutes.
Interview: Blogging and Making a Living Online With Ali Luke
I recently spoke with Ali Luke, who writes the Aliventures blog. She’s also a freelance writer and writing coach. In fact, she’s my writing coach.
The interview runs about 30 minutes, and we discussed a few key issues around blogging and making a living online.
11 Bites of Blogging Brilliance to Nourish the Blogger’s Soul
If you want to be great at something, it helps to study those who are already great it. I’ve read a lot of informative and inspiring stuff lately, and it only makes sense to share some of the it. May it be as inspiring and informative to you as it is to me.
Brian Clark: You Must Respect My Authority:
“Good blogging creates authority, plain and simple. Writing consistently about your area of expertise makes you an authority figure within your industry and niche. You will enjoy a definitive advantage over competitors who do not blog, and likely even over those who have been blogging for shorter time periods.”
How Content Marketing Helps You Make a Difference While You Make a Profit
“I believe Marketing with Meaning is less about ‘context’ – or finding the best time to get in front of a consumer’s eyeballs – and more about ‘content’ or creating something that people find valuable in itself.” – Bob Gilbreath, Marketing With Meaning
Over three years ago, when I still owned Solostream, I wrote and published a tutorial on how to install WordPress. I also did a video version of the tutorial for folks who learn better through video.
When I first published the tutorial, I did so mainly because I thought it would be a valuable resource for new WordPress users. I thought it would make it easier for them to get their WordPress site up and running with as little fuss as possible. Sure, I also hoped it would provide some value to Solostream in the form of backlinks and goodwill, but little did I know then just how much value it would actually provide.
Today, that one article alone attracts about 2500 visitors to the Solostream site each month, and that number is steadily increasing. Folks find the tutorial either via backlinks from other sites or – more often – through a simple Google search.
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