Superior blog content makes you money. Here's how to write it like a pro.

Superior blog content makes you money. Here's how to write it like a pro.


by Dr. Jeffrey Lant



Blogs have swept the Internet. EVERY smart person either has one or is working hard to create one asap. This means you!



I'm here to deliver the blog content you must have and are (right now) clueless about creating. Let's dig in and solve that problem right now.



A blog is not a soliloquy, a tirade, or a soap box.



A blog is a conversation started by you. And like all conversations it takes two to tango.



Sadly, most people are lousy conversationalists. They do not converse, back and forth. Rather, they talk at people, mistaking the fact that they are pumping out words to beat the band for a keenly felt desire to hear what the other person has to say. These are selfish communicators... and they can never produce the results you must have to make your blog worthwhile.



Blogs work because they are interactive... and this means creating content that gets results while always urging your readers to respond.



But let's be honest with each other. You're not at all sure how to write blog content that'll do what every blog must do: generate leads and make money. Isn't that about the size of it?



For make no mistake, there is ABSOLUTELY NO point in creating and publishing a blog that doesn't generate good leads and make you money, every single day.



To achieve this objective RSVP must become the 4 most important letters in your profit alphabet.



Repondez s'il vous plait.



1) Always talk to your readers in the second person; always speak to them directly with an implicit or explicit "you". Your reader must know you are talking to her, personally, directly.



2) Make it clear you want to hear from your readers. Readers of your blog need to be told, often and clearly, that you WANT to hear from them; that you are standing by to hear from them... and that hearing from them, now, is the one essential you must have to make your day.



3) Make it easy to respond to you. Include your land line phone number, cell, skype, email, etc. If you want responses, make it supremely easy to respond to you.



4) Keep the tone of your blog intimate, as if you were having a private conversation with your best friend. People always want to know secrets and revealing information, especially about you. Oblige them.



5) Publish reader comments in your blog. What's one tried and true feature that's sure to rivet the full and immediate attention of your readers? Put their name in your blog; their name and any interesting and constructive comments they have made.



Hint: if a blog reader criticizes you, print the criticism... and your (always) cool, calm and collected response. People love reading such exchanges... and your stature is sure to grow by showing your readers how well you handle them. Ole!



"Content is king," saith Bill Gates... and he surely knows.



Billionaire Bill said, many years ago, that online "content is king." Truer words have ne'er been spoke. The key is knowing how to get it.



Start with a pair of scissors.



Each day I sit down with the publications I receive, including the Boston Globe, New England's paper of record. Over my Cheerios I proceed to read... not just for immediate information but for topics of interest about which I can write blog content.



Such topics are easy to find, ranging as they to from current Congressional high jinx to the faux pas of kings and presidents; from economic prognostications to items of human interest and insight.



If you want to run an effective, useful blog, keep such publications -- and scissors -- near at hand.



The wire services are key.



All day, every day the essential, usually unsung heroes of international incident and instant communications -- the wire services of the Associated Press, Reuters, etc -- pump out the factual information every single commentator on earth relies on and must be grateful for. In short, they do the grunt work that enables you to appear at all times knowledgeable, intelligent, omniscient. Without them such poses would be fatuous, ridiculous., unsustainable.



Similarly, check places inhabited by news junkies like me; you know, the major search engines and, always, CNN, Fox News, etc. Remember, a blog is a place of commentary... and commentators (with you now amongst them) must ALWAYS have something on which to comment.



Another hint: you need to open an "idea" folder, into which you can file, on a regular, daily basis, all the good subjects (funny, tragic, infamous, informative) that come your way. Never rely upon memory. Remember your scissors (and for online information your printer.) Gather this information and put it away. For this is the pure gold of the commenting business, and of your so well informed blog.



Timely blog posts; timeless blog posts. You need both



All blog content falls into two main categories: timely and timeless.



Timely means things of the moment; actions, events that are breaking news. You must be on top of these stories with valuable content and timely comment. Your aim must always be to be in advance of the developing story... at the very least on top of the current news cycle. This can easily be done on the 'net... if you stay abreast of story developments, as reported in the spots inhabited by news junkies and blogsters like you.



But all your posts need not be timely; much invaluable content can and should be timeless -- meaning it can be used and reused... again and again -- either as is, or updated. Such "evergreen" content has always been the friend of folks like us with a deadline... and the need for immediate content... but not an idea to be had. We rely on such worthy content, as on a good friend. (By the way, this article goes firmly into that category... for it has legs and can be read -- and published -- with profit for years to come.)



Your blog is your future



Right now, yet again, the Internet is being reshuffled. Those with blogs of consequence are emerging as the very sovereigns of cyberspace. Believe me, you wish to be amongst them... for to them will fall all the loaves and fishes.



These remarks will help. Print them, save them, savour them, for they come from an old hand at this fast-moving business.





About The Author



Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is CEO of Worldprofit, Inc., where small and home-based businesses learn how to profit online. Dr. Lant is also a syndicated writer and author of 18 best-selling business books. Republished with author's permission by Vaurn James http://SuccessRoute.biz>.

Why your company must have a designated nudge

Why your company must have a designated nudge

Did you know your company has a open position which

needs to be filled at once? The absence of this person is

costing you money every single day. That's why

you cannot wait another minute to fill this vital post.

To help understand what this position is all about,

let's start at the dictionary:

Nudge (nuj) v. nudged, nudging. v. t. To touch or

push gently as with the elbow, in order to attract

attention, convey a meaning, etc. v.i. To give a

nudge. n. The act of nudging; a gentle push as with

the elbow. Norw. nugga, push.

Frankly, I think the original Norwegian ("nugga") has it

right: push. The nudge is your company's designated

representative to push employees and associates for

more and faster results.

Why you need a nudge

Let's face it, you're human. You try to set goals. You

try to reach them in the time provided. You try to do more

and better, right?

But somehow you fall behind, miss deadlines, bobble

opportunities, trip and crash when you should be sprinting

ahead. Isn't that about the size of it?

Which is why you need a designated nudge.

In a nutshell the job of the nudge is to

* check progress on existing projects and objectives

* ask how you are getting on with what needs to be done

* remind you what needs to be done and when

it must be done

* offer incentives for achievement

* make it clear what happens when achievement is

not forthcoming

And, in general, spur, motivate, challenge, chide

-- and push.

The nudge must be organized, efficient, focused,

indefatigable, with a thick skin

Only a person of the utmost efficiency, clarity and

organization can be a nudge. After all, a nudge who

falters and fails is hardly going to make a success of the

position, much less deliver the benefits you have

every right to expect.

Beyond such skills, the nudge must be a person

who, above all, has a thick skin and who doesn't take

things personally.

Nudges are often regarded as people butting in where

they are not wanted... perfectionists in an imperfect

world... annoying, interfering, pests; in short not the

most welcome of creatures.

That's why two things are absolutely necessary for

the successful nudge: a thick skin and immunity for

whatever they say.

The necessity for immunity

A nudge by definition pushes other employees...

and must therefore be protected from the comments

and reactions of all employees.

Consider this typical situation:

Nudge: Mary, as you know your monthly sales figures

are a little off. What are you planning to do to get back

on track?

I guarantee you that Mary is not likely to be very happy

when the nudge drops by with this message. However,

that is the nudge's job: to get Mary back on track ASAP,

to enable both Mary and the company to achieve their

clearly understood goals.

Mary may well be inclined to respond with a "get

out of here. I am fully capable of handling this matter

myself" comment.

But she cannot and must not.

The nudge's job is to remind Mary of what needs to be

done, when it needs to be done, what Mary is doing to

achieve the objective, and to give Mary all appropriate

help and directions, right up to and including warnings

and admonitions.

The nudge is constantly in motion and may appear

anywhere, at any time.

By definition, a nudge cannot be a stationary object;

the nudge must constantly be

* connecting with employees

* reviewing their progress

* making suggestions

* focusing employees

* recommending what must be done and

when it must be done.

The nudge must be supremely well organized

and must have a clear daily "to do" list.

This means

* knowing who must be contacted today

* calling and emailing such people (including

follow-up e-mails after all meetings).

* re-focusing employees, tweaking, adjusting,

reminding.

The nudge is a creature in constant motion...

* prodding Joe

* complimenting Neal

* chiding Sally

being clear on what each needs to achieve... and working

with each and all to achieve those objectives.

Start today

There isn't a company on this earth which wouldn't

be better off having a designated nudge on staff.

That's why you must start today.

* Review the nudge candidates you have. Who is

best equipped to contact each and every employee

and representative to improve results?

* The nudge must be in constant communication

with employees AND with management.

* The nudge's conduct and mode of operation

must be reviewed at regular intervals. Remember

your Lord Acton: "power corrupts. Absolute power

corrupts absolutely." You must ensure that your

nudge doesn't develop arrogance and "big head"

problems, which can easily occur without periodic

intervention and oversight.

Review the nudge's results

A nudge who understands and is good at this

job is a godsend to any company. After all, nudges are

clear on what is likely to deliver better results:

* allowing employees to go their own ways

without regular oversight and reminding, or

* having to report progress (or lack of same)

to a designated representative whose task is

to get people to produce more in a designated

period of time?

Obvious, isn't it?

And so we come back to the original Norwegian word

"nugga", meaning push. The nudge is your company's

secret weapon, who by simply showing up and pushing

and prodding employees will achieve better results day after

day.

Cherish nudges, for they are a source of endless

benefits to you and your organization. Far too many

employees are slow, slothful, disorganized, inefficient.

Apply the magic of the nudge to the solution of these

problems and deficiencies. The results will most

assuredly please you!

About The Author

Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is CEO of Worldprofit, Inc., where small and home-based businesses learn how to profit online through automation. Attend Dr. Lant's live webcast TODAY and receive 50,000 free guaranteed

visitors to the website of your choice! Republished with author's permission by Vaurn James http://SuccessRoute.biz

.

Affiliate Marketing Tips You Shouldn't Pass Up On

Affiliate Marketing Tips You Shouldn't Pass Up On

Many people enter into affiliate marketing with a great deal of enthusiasm, but lose steam when they don't instantly get results. Like many things, proper affiliate marketing takes time and hard work. In this article, you'll learn where you should be putting your effort in, and how you can get the results you've been hoping for.

Do not get lazy once you have things going well. Take the time to look into new products and trends. Check for updates with your affiliate programs and find out if they have any new tools and ads that will increase the visual appeal to your site and make it more tempting to click on.

If you're using multiple traffic sources to promote products, you need to make sure they all lead back to the same location. Although it sounds like common sense, you'd be surprised at just how many people are posting articles and e-zines that link to various other articles. The idea, one would guess, is to switch up the SEO results. But this is ultimately bad for traffic.

Recycle the emails that have made you the most money about once per year. This will ensure that new subscribers see that content, and should lead you to even more sales and commission. Old subscribers probably won't remember having received it the first time and might click through again for more sales.

Tier 2 commissions are a way to get more money out of your affiliate marketing deals. An affiliate partner pays you tier 2 money when you recruit another website owner into working with the partner. This can be a more challenging and profitable goal for the experienced marketer. Remember to investigate your partners' tier 2 benefits beforehand, and concentrate on the ones with the most potential profit.

Advertising your affiliate business as a legitimate business is a great way to get traffic and the best part is that it's the truth. Especially if you're selling electronics or other high-end products, you are a legitimate business if you're an affiliate. So take advantage of business listings to list your site.

For more affiliate sales, don't neglect 'cost per action' programs. In addition to making money when your visitors buy something, you can also get paid - when your visitors do things like downloading game software or filling out a form. 'Cost per action' or CPA programs usually pay less money, but it worth it. Because it is easier to get people to perform these actions than to get them to buy something!

A great tip for affiliate marketing is to pre-sell any offers that you would like your site visitors to purchase. Simply adding a link to your page is not going to generate all that much money. Rather, take the time and explain why your visitors should click on the links.

You can set up your affiliate marketing account through each company that you would like. Each company will have their own criteria for allowing you to be an affiliate, but most just appreciate the free publicity. Just make sure that the company you choose has products that you want to endorse.

Find out if the affiliate program that you are considering, offers test products to you so that you can write an honest review about the product on your site. Many affiliate programs will provide you with this service and it will really increase the honesty that you can use when providing information about the products you are promoting.

Don't give up on affiliate marketing before you really get started. While you may not be impressed by your affiliate marketing profits right now, that may change once you start applying this article's advice. If you stick with affiliate marketing and do the right things, you can achieve some great things.

Vaurn James is the Owner of http://SuccessRoute.biz

. Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.

Valuable Insight On Achieving Home-Business Success

Valuable Insight On Achieving Home-Business Success

Throughout your life, you will have ample opportunity to really do something special and stake your claim. Whether or not you decide to take advantage of the opportunities out there, is up to you. But if you want to start making something better for yourself, you should check out these home business tips and use them to build a solid career.

Make sure you groom and dress for work, no matter where you are working. Developing this habit will help get you into a productive frame of mind at the start of each work session. It also means, you will be ready to conduct business outside the house at a moment's notice.

If you want to market something and you are not sure what, make it something you use. Selecting a product that will be successful involves thinking about people's needs. If it would improve your life, it would probably improve the lives of many other people.

Offer your different customers special incentives for taking the time to refer friends to your services. This type of marketing is the best for any business type. Incentives tend to boost loyalty from existing clients.

Keep separate business checking accounts and business credit cards it makes it much easier to track money and you'll surely appreciate that at tax time. If you are on a shoestring budget, keep meticulous records and your needs are simple (i.e. sole proprietor), this may be optional. Get final advice from a trusted Certified Public Accountant.

Check with your city hall or the city planning office to learn if there are any zoning regulations that will inhibit you from starting your home business. You may find yourself being ordered to cease operations down the road if you are breaking any of the zoning laws in the area.

To make your business more visible, use the proven, successful methods of search engine optimization. SEO, or search engine optimization, can help you market your online business and build a better online presence. There are many professional guidelines for using SEO, and they can help you get started.

You are likely going to need to get a domain name for your home business then you will be required to get a hosting account that is going to be reliable for you. Shop around to learn as much as possible about the different hosts that are available to find the one that is going to work well.

Whenever possible, use your business credit card. When you travel, eat out, and have other minor expenses, using your business credit card will keep cash in your hands and defer the payment. Using a credit card also helps to build miles or points on your card which can later be redeemed.

Making a better life for you and the people you love, should be a top priority of anyone out there. A home business can help you to do just that, but it isn't something you can do without any help at all. Make sure that you use this advice to help build your overall business plan. Here's to your continued success in business!

Vaurn James is the Owner of http://SuccessRoute.biz

. Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.

Home Business Tips That Will Help You Make More Money

Home Business Tips That Will Help You Make More Money

A home business can be a great way to venture into the world of working for yourself. It gives you the chance to try new things and to see if you have what it takes to be your own boss and make your own way. This article can give you solid advice on the way to success in your own home business.

Make sure you groom and dress for work, no matter where you are working. Developing this habit will help get you into a productive frame of mind at the start of each work session. It also means, you will be ready to conduct business outside the house at a moment's notice.

Register your home business with your local chamber of commerce. Sometimes it's hard to advertise a home business inexpensively, but you can become well-known in your community by letting your chamber of commerce know where you are. People looking for your type of business can inquire and get helpful information, which will help you also. And it won't cost you anything!

Business cards are a great way to promote your home based business and get your name out to the community. Search for free business cards online and then distribute them wherever you go, including grocery stores, dentist offices and your children's schools.

Take great pictures to increase sales. Nothing is more disappointing to customers than cruising the Internet for something to buy and stumbling across a product that sounds great but has a bad or non-existent picture. Let customers see what they are buying by displaying quality photographs on your website of all the products that you offer. Take multiple pictures to show different views when necessary.

Think of every request for product information as a potential sale, and respond quickly. Customers will appreciate your prompt reply and keep coming back. If you have a website, this is a perfect place to refer people for information, assuming you have added all of the information to the site. Develop a flyer with information and pictures of your best-selling products and have it on hand to mail or hand out.

You can claim as a deduction the cost of meals for clients, but it is best if you can show that the clients you are entertaining are really paying customers of your business. Auditors understand that meals at restaurants can be a good way to attract clients, but they are more likely to feel the write-off is justified if the clients you take out also bring you substantial revenue. Keep all receipts.

A home businesses is special in that you make your own schedule and are your own boss. However, a good tip to consider is to employ a close friend as an adviser. Often times you can be seduced to be far too leisurely with it because it is from your own home. Having that friend as an adviser will help keep you honest about the business.

It has been said that a home business is a great way to become your own boss and to make your mark in the world. The benefits of a home business are endless and the rewards are infinite. By heeding the advice in this article, you can take that first big step and join those who have made it big from the comfort of their own home.

Vaurn James is the Owner of http://SuccessRoute.biz

. Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.

Home Business Has Never Been This Easy To Understand

Home Business Has Never Been This Easy To Understand

A lot of people think that operating a home business is something that is hard to do, but it's actually something easy if you apply yourself and learn the information. Look at this article with a careful eye and see what information you can take and use towards your home business goals.

Make a plan for your home business before you just go jumping in. If you know what you're going to do and when you're going to do it, you'll be much more likely to meet your goals. Starting a business without a plan is like trying to drive to an unknown location without a map - even if you know where you'd like to end up, you probably won't get there in any reasonable timeframe.

Update your website if your inventory has run out on individual products. Customers will respect your honesty, and will be more apt to do future business with you. Avoid selling products that are out of stock; if they are, inform your customers so that they are not left waiting while you restock.

Try to keep regular work hours when working from home. The freedom of a home business can be very convenient, but your body's clock can take a beating if you change your routine too frequently. Try to keep regular work hours and sleep routines in order to keep your mind and body working at its best!

Find inexpensive ways to advertise your home business. If you are a pet-sitter, drop some business cards off at local veterinarian offices. Stores, post offices, even community centers often have bulletin boards you can advertise on. Be creative and you will enjoy a larger demand for your services!

It's crucial that you put together an in-depth business plan. As situations change over time, your plan may need to be adjusted or even replaced entirely. But the initial importance of your smart business plan cannot be overstated; nor can the many benefits it will provide. Make sure your business plan is up to date.

Create a business plan before you open your home business. This will help you think through everything you need to do to achieve your goals. You can find examples and templates for a variety of business plan styles online. These documents also allow you to troubleshoot ahead of time as you consider the type of problems you may encounter.

Use programs that will present your company's ads on your website. Showing your ads to visitors on your site will result in a profit every time visitors click on them. Each click will evntually add up after a while, even if it seems slow when you first place the ads.

With all of the information you just learned you want to try to do the best of you ability to apply it towards your home business. The thing about being successful in home business is that you want to continue to expand your knowledge and apply it. You should see success in no time.

Vaurn James is the Owner of http://SuccessRoute.biz

. Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.

Easy Ways To Promote Your Business Online

Easy Ways To Promote Your Business Online

The internet is the future. If you have or will have a business, whether it be local or online, having a presence on the web is essential to survival. Marketing your website and business on the web is confusing and difficult for most average business owners. This article will give you some pointers on ways that you too can effectively promote your business online. When designing a website to market a product or service online, include a "resources" section. Adding a resources section attracts potential clients to your site by increasing your search engine ranking. It also means that viewers of your site are more likely to return to view those resources, and might end up buying your product later. A very good marketing tool is placing ads for your business on Craigslist. You have to be careful though because ads placed in separate cities that have the same info will not be accepted. Try saying the same thing, but wording it in a much different way that may be specific to each city you are targeting. Keep track of the load speed on every single page on your website. If it takes longer than 10 seconds to load, you need to fix this immediately. You can find page load testers online. People will not wait wait long for a page to load, and this will put them in your competitors hands. Make your internet marketing efforts distinctive and stand out from your competitors. The world of online marketing is not so big that someone out there is not selling a similar product using similar tactics to yours. Research these competitors carefully and see what you can do to differentiate your services from theirs. A potential customer presented with multiple similar pitches is going to select the one that stands out. Keep banner ads to a minimum on your own website; instead, increase the usage of buttons. Buttons are significantly smaller and take up only a small amount of space and bandwidth. You can also incorporate text links into the site design; the links are easy for users to find and can be configured so that the link opens in a new window. This will also make the site load faster, which is very important to the average consumer. Youtube is quickly becoming one of the fastest ways to provide ads to the public for your internet marketing. The user generated network allows for you to create your ad that is thrown onto a youtube video only if it has reached a certain demographic and level of popularity To make sure your internet marketing works well with search engines, minimize your use of site-wide links. These kinds of links are low on the totem pole of search algorithm rankings and can move your links to the end of the line in relevance. This means you fall off the first search page and get less traffic. If you are going to use other languages than English during Internet marketing, make sure you know what the word means. Just doing an online translation of an English word will produce poor results. Ask an expert, you may have to pay for services yet it will be worth it. Look at it this way: they speak a different form of Spanish in Spain and in Mexico. You want to target the right people with the right words. As stated in the beginning, having an active presence for your business online is essential in today's business economy and market. Consumers want to find you in search results and check you out online before they visit your physical location. Now that you have a better understanding of what you can do, your business should see the benefits in no time.

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Republished with author's permission.http://SuccessRoute.biz.