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Episode 18 – How to Create An Optin For Your Blog Using Aweber

Tue, 03 Dec 2013 23:50:56 +0000

Episode 18 – How to Create An Optin For Your Blog Using Aweber

(intro and outro song is Sunnyside by Leftover Cuties)

In Episode 17 I spoke about the importance of building your email list. As promised in that episode, this week I am showing you step my step how to create an opt-in for your blog using Aweber.

If you are not using a video for your opt-in, you won’t have to create a new page like I show in this video, instead, you will follow most of the instructions in the video until a certain point. Instead of creating a new page to embed your video, you will do the following:

In your WordPress dashboard, click on ‘Media’, ‘add new’, ‘add new’.

Select your file….whether it is a PDF or another file…..after it uploads, click ‘edit’

copy and paste the URL code

Paste the URL code into Aweber…….the rest of the video is the same

It’s that easy! Thanks for watching and I hope you found this information useful. Now go and build your email list!

Episode 17 – Most Important Tip For Your Business

Wed, 20 Nov 2013 00:50:09 +0000

Episode 17 – Your Email List Is Most Important For Your Business

Even in the world of social media, email marketing is still the most powerful and important tool for your business. While it is important for you to relate to your audience via social media platforms, your top priority is to get their email address. The news feeds on social media are fast moving so not all your posts will get read by your audience, however, when you send an email blast to your list, you can rest assured that your audience will see it….but will they open it? That is up to you as well. Make sure you fill your monthly newsletter with helpful information. Here is a list of some things to consider putting in your newsletter:

personal photo
tell a little bit about a recent trip or vacation
share a joke (keep it professional, of course)
include inspiring quotes or share an inspiring story
tell a funny story that happened to you
share tips for helping them in their business
give advice to help solve a problem
share a family recipe
include links to the articles you wrote the past month
include links to any videos you’ve uploaded in the past month
share some exciting news….personal and/or business related

You can also send an email blast each time you write a new article or upload a video. Maybe you just have an amazing story or video you want to share only with the people on your list. Be careful not to bombard your audience with selling your products or useless information; that’s a sure way to lose them.

Watch this video for tips on collecting emails and building your list.

Comment below if you have any tips to include to help people build their lists. Thanks!

Episode 16 -Create a PDF Link Within Your WordPress Blog

Tue, 05 Nov 2013 18:13:27 +0000

music credit: Sunnyside by Leftover Cuties

Create a PDF Link Within Your WordPress Blog

There will be times when you want to link a PDF that you’ve created for your clients & followers to your blog. I searched and searched YouTube and Google for instructions on how to create a link for a PDF file on my blog….they all made it seem so complicated BUT It’s super easy to do….if you have a WordPress.org blog. Let me say (as I’ve said in the past) WordPress.org with the Thesis 1.8.5 theme will save you many grey hairs now and down the road. It is easy to use and there are many great plug-ins and layers to WordPress that will make blogging fun, easy and effective. If you don’t have a WordPress blog yet, you need to put it at the top of your "to do" list for 2014. I offer an step-by-step Ebook that will help you set up your WordPress.org blog in an afternoon. Check it out.

In this week’s episode, I will show you just how easy it is to create a PDF link within your WordPress blog. Once you see how easy it is, you will use this simple tool over and over with your clients & followers. Enjoy!

(Please excuse the mess behind me in this video. I’m working like crazy on classroom projects for the school’s auction/dinner and I have stuff everywhere!….I know you creatives can relate )

Was this video helpful to you? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Episode #5 – Create the Best Domain Name for Your Business

Tue, 09 Jul 2013 05:25:42 +0000

Episode #5 – Create the Best Domain Name for Your Business

If you are just starting your business or getting ready to launch your blog, you need to take careful consideration in choosing your domain name. There are millions of blogs and websites on the internet so you want to make sure you choose a domain name that will stand out.

In today’s video, I share nine tips for creating the best domain name for your business. If you are an artist or designer, this is a simple task because you will use your own name. But the majority of you will need to choose a name that relates to what you are offering people who visit your blog.

Take some time and do a google search in your niche and see what comes up. Go to those sites and see how well the domain name fits the blog. Does the name reflect what is being offered on the blog? Is the name unique, easy to spell and easy to remember?

Just yesterday, after video taping this episode, I helped my friend start her blog. Young Living Essential Oils is her niche. On the way to her house, I was brainstorming ideas for a domain name. The first one I thought of was "Nature’s Remedy" but figured that would already be taken (remember, I am in the truck and cannot confirm). I really love the word remedy….it’s easy to say and it’s the perfect explanation for the essential oils and what they can do. The next name that came to mind was "Creator’s Remedy". LOVE it! The first thing we did when I arrived at her house is research the name. Guess what? It was available!

Not all research and brainstorming will go that smoothly, we really got lucky. If you spend a few hours coming up with a name that is unique and fits the criteria mentioned in this video, it is worth the time. You will know when it’s the right name for you because you will smile big and become excited about it!

So grab your pen and paper and take good notes! I wish you luck in finding the best domain name for your business.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments. See you next week!

Episode #3 – Simple SEO Tips For Your Blog

Tue, 25 Jun 2013 19:32:55 +0000

Five Simple SEO Tips For Your Blog

Want to have your blog come up at the top of a Google search? These five simple SEO tips will help get you there.

In order to help you understand Search Engine Optimization (SEO), here’s a little background as to how a search engine works.

Google uses a special algorithm to generate search results. While Google shares general facts about its algorithm, the specifics are a company secret. This helps Google remain competitive with other search engines on the Web and reduces the chance of someone finding out how to abuse the system.

Google uses automated programs called spiders or crawlers, just like most search engines. Also like other search engines, Google has a large index of keywords and where those words can be found. What sets Google apart is how it ranks search results, which in turn determines the order Google displays results on its search engine results page (SERP). Google uses a trademarked algorithm called PageRank, which assigns each Web page a relevancy score.

A Web page’s PageRank depends on a few factors:

How long the Web page has existed: People create new Web pages every day, and not all of them stick around for long. Google places more value on pages with an established history.
The frequency and location of keywords within the Web page: If the keyword only appears once within the body of a page, it will receive a low score for that keyword.
The number of other Web pages that link to the page in question: Google looks at how many Web pages link to a particular site to determine its relevance.

Factor #1 – Basically means don’t get rid of a current blog to start a new one. If you do start a new blog, import your old blog so you have that history (unless you are starting a new blog that is entirely different). Also, it means, if you haven’t started a blog yet, you need to do so asap!

Factor #2 – The title of your blog post needs to have keywords that also appear in the content as well. Don’t keyword stack or Google could blacklist your blog, but it is important to use keywords as least times within the content. Again, do keyword research in Amazon as mentioned in the video.

Factor #3 – How do you get people to link to your blog? Write compelling content. Informative content that answers questions, solves a problem, or helps people in some way.

These are only a few factors Google uses to find the relevancy of your blog. How long you engage your audience and how many people comment on your blog will also help to increase your SEO.

I hope these five SEO tips and search engine explanation was helpful to you. Happy blogging!…..and if you haven’t started your blog yet, please do so! I recommend getting your domain name with GoDaddy and using HostGator to host your blog using Thesis 1.8.5 theme. Even if you don’t know HTML (because I don’t either), you can do this! I did it, so can you!

Sharing is caring! Share this video on your facebook page or tweet about it! Comment below if you have any questions or comments. Thanks for being here