Category: Blogging

What is the Wealthy Affiliate Black Friday Special About?

What is the Wealthy Affiliate Black Friday Special About? (Video)

Posted on by

This is the third year in a row that I’m purchasing Wealthy Affiliate’s Black Friday Special.  I save a big whack on Premium Membership fees at Wealthy Affiliate each year by purchasing on Black Friday.  Details are in the video below.

 

If you're looking to find legitimate ways to earn money online, you'll want to look into Wealthy Affiliate's Black Friday special. That's why I shot this quick video. #WealthyAffiliate #BlackFridaySpecial #NicheWebsites #EarnMoneyOnline #AffiliateMarketing #OnlineMarketingTraining #AffiliateMarketingTraining #WhatistheWealthyAffiliateBlackFridaySpecialAboutVery briefly, Wealthy Affiliate is the place where I got all my training, support and tools so that I could create niche websites and earn money online.

It’s a great place to learn about Content marketing, SEO, Affiliate Marketing and so much more –  everything you need to build a profitable online business.

And there’s also a supportive community to keep you motivated every step of the way.

You can read more in this post: How to Start a Blog Free

And this post:  Can You Really Make Money on Wealthy Affiliate

And this post: 23 Reasons to Take Wealthy Affiliate’s Black Friday Deal

Here’s where you can sign up for Wealthy Affiliate’s Black Friday Deal.  *This is an affiliate link.

  • Don’t pay $49 a month for Premium Membership at Wealthy Affiliate.
  • That works out to $588 a year.
  • Get Your Annual Membership on Black Friday and you’ll ONLY pay $299 for the entire year.
  • Saving you $289.
  • That works out to just under $25 a month.
  • It’s also a $60 saving on the usual Annual Membership rate.
  • On any other day of the year, Annual Membership will cost you $359.

Black Friday is coming.  And with it your chance to start a profitable online business for $0.82 a day.

If you’ve ever thought of making money online, this is the perfect place to start. Who’s in?

* If you purchase anything through a link in this article, you should assume that I have an affiliate relationship with the company providing the product or service that you purchase, and that I’ll be compensated in some small way at no extra cost to you.

What's Copywriting

What’s Copywriting in Digital Marketing? (Video)

Video

Once upon a time, I was a Junior Copywriter in a below-the-line advertising agency. Mostly I wrote “junk mail” letters (yes letters you send by post) and copy for book catalogues back in the day. Back then copywriting was a term used to define writing persuasive copy that sells – i.e. writing adverts of some sort or description.

Nowadays, the term copywriting is used for content writing as well and not all content writing is advertorial.

Find out more in this video.

What’s Copywriting in Digital Marketing? 

Want access to my keyword tool? Get 30 Free Searches here *This is an affiliate link.

If you enjoyed this video, you’ll enjoy this post:  How to Improve Your Writing Skills to Wow Your Readers! 

Meet the two brilliant YouTubers I recommend in today’s video.

Stephanie Stuart

Subscribe to her channel, Stephanie Stuart Sells    And don’t miss Skills to Make You Rich

Melanie Weber

Subscribe to her channel     And don’t miss 100 Videos in 100 Days | Challenge Complete!

Would you like to become a Digital Entrepreneur?

Join my inner circle and find out about the 15 Day Online Business Challenge here.

* If you purchase anything through a link in this video, you should assume that I have an affiliate relationship with the company providing the product or service that you purchase, and that I’ll be compensated in some small way at no extra cost to you.

Next up, What is Email Marketing About?

What's Affiliate Marketing About?

What’s Affiliate Marketing About?

Posted on by

Affiliate Marketing is touted as being your best shot at the laptop lifestyle. Affiliate Marketers who have made it are pictured on a magnificent beach, in some exotic destination, living the dream.

But what’s Affiliate Marketing About? Is it for You? And what does it take to be successful at it?

Let’s find out.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Here’s a handy diagram I found on Canva that illustrates the basic concept of Affiliate Marketing.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Image Credit: Free on Canva Pro

The simplest definition of Affiliate Marketing.: Merchants pay Affiliate Marketers a commission in return for sales.

How does Affiliate Marketing Work?

Here’s another Canva diagram that gives more detail.

How Affiliate Marketing Works

Image Credit: Free on Canva Pro

Here’s a breakdown:

  • Digital Marketers join a Merchant’s Affiliate Programs
  • Affiliates Promote Products or Services to their audience on their websites or social media channels
  • Some of their visitors click on a link in their post
  • This link leads to the Merchant’s website
  • Some of these visitors purchase a product or service from the Merchant
  • The Merchant pays their Affiliates commission for each sale

Affiliate Marketer in action

Image Credit: Free on Canva Pro

What Do Affiliate Marketers Do?

Their role is simply to promote products online.

Often they do this subtly, by just dropping a link to a Merchant into a post.

Here’s an example. Did you notice that I placed a link over the words, “Free on Canva Pro” in the captions below each image on this post?

Canva is the Merchant and I’m the Affiliate. I’ve been promoting Canva for ages because it’s a fantastic graphics tool and great source of free images. I was thrilled when they finally introduced an Affiliate program.

I only started adding their Affiliate link into my posts a few days ago (very subtly) and I was interested to see today that those links have already been receiving clicks (14 so far).

Now I don’t expect tons of conversions (people upgrading to Canva PRO), because the FREE version of Canva is so brilliant. I used it for years and only upgraded when my online business started making reasonable money.

But hey, if I’m crazy about something, I might as well promote it. And if I earn a commission for doing so, marvy!

What’s Affiliate Marketing About? from Lauren Kinghorn

Affiliate Marketers also Review Products and Services.

Here’s an example of a more detailed review I created on Canva when I had just upgraded to Canva for Work (now called Canva Pro).

Video Reviews are becoming extremely popular too.

Now, let’s answer the underlying question that’s probably on your mind.

Is Affiliate Marketing for Me?

Who me?

Image Credit: Free on Canva Pro

6 Top Benefits of Affiliate Marketing

1. Low Start-Up Costs

There’s no need to invent, design, create or manufacture your own product or service to become an affiliate marketer because affiliate marketers promote existing products or services.

Therefore, all Affiliate Marketers need to get set up in business is a website, landing page or sales funnel.  Some Affiliate Marketers don’t even bother to create their own website but instead, create video reviews and promote affiliate products on YouTube.  Others build an email list and promote their affiliate offers via email.

Many affiliate programs are free to join. You can find a product or service you’d like to promote, read reviews of existing users and craft your own review, without even trying out the product or service yourself.

2. Low Overheads

Affiliates don’t have to buy in or keep stock, which also means no warehousing or shipping costs.

Affiliates don’t need staff to help them run their Affiliate Marketing business, most work alone.

Affiliates get to work from home. All they need is a laptop and WiFi.

3. No Hassles

Affiliates don’t have to deal with Customers directly, nor handle complaints or refunds.

4. High Income Potential

Especially if you’re selling high ticket products and working for a merchant paying high commissions.

5. Do it Right Once, Get Paid for Life

It can take some time for Affiliate Marketers to gain authority online and start generating significant traffic to their posts and reviews. But once they do, they are set for life. Once one or two posts go viral, the sales start rolling in.

Here’s where it gets really exciting. This is how Affiliate Marketers earn passive or leveraged income because a well-crafted, evergreen post or sales funnel can continue to generate sales for years.

6. Work from Anywhere

Once sales are happening on autopilot, that dream of becoming a digital nomad can become a reality.

I’ll keep exploring the topic of Affiliate Marketing over the next few days. If you’re keen to learn more, look out for my future posts or read my review on Legendary Marketer.

* If you purchase anything through a link in this post, you should assume that I have an affiliate relationship with the company providing the product or service that you purchase, and that I’ll be compensated in some small way at no extra cost to you.

Next Up:  What’s An Affiliate Marketing Training Course?

How to for influencers

A How to Guide for Influencers

Posted on by

How-to for Influencers

So… you’ve decided to become an Influencer? Great decision. Influencer marketing is on the rise and growing exponentially. According to Adweek, Influencer Marketing, worth only $2 Billion in 2017, is expected to become a $10 billion industry in 2020.

An influencers main role is to subtly persuade people to buy products or services using their authority, position, knowledge or relationship with their audience.

But influencers also have the ability to shape minds, start movements and turn small ideas into multi-million dollar ventures (Behrman PR).

It’s virtually impossible to build a meaningful career these days without also building influence online.

But how do you do that if you’re not born into royalty or a celebrity? How do you do that if you’re virtually unknown?

Ready for a crash course?  Here’s a quick how-to for influencers (or aspiring influencers).

So... you want to become an influencer? Great decision! Influencer Marketing is a hot trend. Here's a quick crash course. #howtoforinfluencers #howtobecomeaninfluencer #influencermarketing1. Get Clear on Who You Are

Find your unique selling proposition. What’s special about you or your company?

  • Is there something you offer that no-one else does?
  • Or something you do better than nobody else does?
  • Or do you have a better solution to a problem many people face?
  • What are you passionate about?
  • What are your skills?

2. Get Clear on Who You Serve

Now consider who would most benefit from your gifts.

Create an avatar of your ideal client, someone you will speak to directly.

Tip: Usually it’s someone very much like you. Someone struggling with the same challenge that you’ve already overcome. Someone who is where you were until you had an epiphany or gained knowledge and experience to become who you are now.

3. Start Offering Value

Now it’s time to figure out and how best you can deliver on your promises.  And to spring into ACTION.

How will you present your solution? What will you create?  Blog posts? Instagram Posts? YouTube Videos? Books? Talks? Courses? Podcasts? Interviews? Masterminds?  Live Events? Music? Movies? Virtual Summits? Membership Sites?

You choose.

The trick here is to give, give, give of yourself and then give some more. People want to see you, they want to know your vision.  People want to follow leaders.

Tip: Sometimes it takes a while to find the platform works best for you.  You might launch yourself on one and then realise your skills are better suited to another. Or your audience hangs out on another platform. It’s okay to figure this all out while you’re building your authority.

4. Brand Yourself

Now it’s time to let your light shine. Brightly.

As your authority grows it becomes easier to pinpoint the exact point where your skills and passions meet.  That special thing you do that you don’t even know you do.  The innate magic that differentiates you from everyone else.

Your clients start telling you how you’ve helped them. Publications start citing your posts in theirs. Companies start approaching you requesting to work with you.

Suddenly you’re in demand. A hot commodity. Your posts start going viral.

This is when you become a brand. An Authority. An Influencer. A Thought Leader.

And now it’s time to let the world know who you are and who you serve. Now it’s time to tell your story.

5. Connect with other Influencers

Once you’re clear on your niche and you’ve started offering your clients or tribe solutions to their problems, you can start looking for other influencers in your niche.

Don’t be ashamed to reach out to them for support and mentorship, even if all this means is subscribing to their email list.

Start considering potential collaborations or joint venture partnerships with like-minded influencers who share your passion and serve the same audience.

One Last Note

Becoming an influencer is an evolutionary process. There’s no such thing as overnight success. Over time you become someone that people admire, that people want to follow. Be patient.  Allow the process to unfold. You’ve got this.

Best Software for Small Businesses Online

Best Software for Small Businesses Online

Posted on by

I’m building an online business, so it goes without saying that I’m using online tools, right?

Here are a few of my favourite online software solutions I use every day and some I aspire to use someday soon.

Software I Use Every Day in my Online Business

A quick list of software I use every day in my online business as well as some software I aim to use in the near future. #bestsoftwareforsmallbusinesses Here are the most important Software Programs I use on a daily basis to build my niche websites.

1. WordPress

I build all my websites using WordPress because they are simply the biggest and the best name in the industry.  As a result, they have a huge variety of Free Themes and Plugins available.  And I don’t have to learn code to build a WordPress site.

Looking for more reasons to use WordPress?  Check out these 28 Reasons Why It’s Perfect for Your Small Business Website on Digital.com.

2. Jaaxy

Another piece of handy software I use every day is a Keyword Research Tool called Jaaxy.   One of the most important aspects of Search Engine Optimisation is accurate Keyword Research.

I explain my Keyword Research process in detail in this post on Inspiring Mompreneurs but I’ll give you a quick summary here.

Very simply, what you’re looking for is a phrase that attracts as many searches online as possible with the least number of competitors for that exact keyword phrase.

Once you’ve chosen a suitable Keyword Phrase for your post, you’ll use it in your headlines, content and meta tags to increase your rankings in the search engines.

3. Canva

I use Canva many times a day to create all the images for my post.  All my featured images are created using the Blog Banner template on Canva. All my Pins are created using their Pinterest Graphic Templates.

I even use Canva to create my own logos and slide presentations.

Here’s an example of one of my presentations.

8 Digital Marketing Trends in 2019 from Lauren Kinghorn

Software Solutions in my Future

Here’s a list of the software I’ve just started using or aim to be making use of soon.

4. Email Marketing Software

I haven’t applied myself to building an email subscriber list yet but this is going to be a big focus for me in the next few months.

I started out using MailChimp for my email Marketing and then discovered they don’t approve Affiliate Marketers and sometimes shut down their accounts. So I shifted to GetResponse but I’m struggling with their design software.  So I’m looking to switch to either AWeber or ConvertKit at the moment.

5. ClickFunnels

I just signed up for ClickFunnels and built my very first Sales Funnel.  I’m not 100% happy with my video yet so I’m going to shoot another one next week.

As soon as it’s completely ready, I’ll add the link to my Sales Funnel on my home page. Watch this space. 🙂  So excited to finally be building Sales Funnels.

6. Chat Bots

I’m also looking at adding Chat Bots to my site and am testing some software at the moment.  Chat Bots are one of my favourite online trends for 2019 and I’d love to take advantage of this technology.

7. Customer Survey Software

As I start developing my email marketing and building my tribe, I’d like to start building customer profiles so the next logical step is to look into sophisticated Customer Survey Software so I can determine my Customer Satisfaction Scores (CSAT).

You’ll find more of the software I use daily, in this post.

I’m very interested to know which software you use in your online business.  Do you use any of these software solutions or have you gone a completely different route? 

How to Become a Digital Entrepreneur #HowToDigitalEntrepreneur

How To Digital Entrepreneur – Plus 5 Awesome Benefits

Posted on by

How To Digital Entrepreneur

This post is for anyone who is interested in Digital Entrepreneurship.  I originally wrote it for the lovely ladies who participated in our Twitter Chat. You can find it by logging into Twitter and typing the hashtag #XWBizChat in the search bar.

A million THANKS again to Gwen Serrotti and Erika Kruger of Xtraordinary Women for hosting a Twitter Chat and inviting me to be their guest Twitter Chatterer or Guest Twit? Hehe.

I learned so much from Gwen Serrotti, Founder of Xtraordinary Women through this amazing experience. Gwen is super organized and a fountain of helpful tips and advice.  She explained exactly how to participate in a Twitter Chat and which Free Online Tools to use to Schedule Chats and keep abreast of the Chats as they are happening.

It inspired me to make this video for my fellow members at Wealthy Affiliate:

Click the link below for my video Tutorial ↓

How to Schedule Tweets Free of Charge

How to Schedule Tweets FREE

Let’s get back on topic. You’re here to learn about Digital Entrepreneurship, right?

There’s only so much you can put in a Tweet, so I’ll flesh out a few of the concepts we chatted about today.

Today this is a post.  But that’s just the beginning.  I’m also planning to:

And that, in a nutshell, is the path to Digital World Domination. That’s how you become a Digital Entrepreneur.  Well, kinda.

Let’s get into a few more nitty-gritty details.

What is a Digital Entrepreneur?

What is a Digital Entrepreneur?

There are many, varied definitions of Digital Entrepreneurship but in my mind, it’s simply this:

A Digital Entrepreneur is anyone who’s making a living online.

This means you may already be a Digital Entrepreneur and just not know it yet.

  • Are you involved in E-commerce?  Do you buy and/or sell products or services online?
  • Are you a blogger or Influencer creating digital content like Sponsored Posts?
  • Do you create content online like Reviews to promote products or earn Affiliate Income?
  • Do you create your own Digital Products, such as eBooks or email Courses and eBooks?
  • Are you an Author selling books on Amazon Kindle or directly from your website?
  • Are you a Freelancer offering editing, website design, graphic design, logos, Virtual Assistance, etc?
  • Do you own a Digital Marketing Agency?
  • Are you a Digital Marketer?
  • Are you a YouTuber creating Videos and earning from Advertising or Sponsored Posts?
  • Do you sell your craft products on Etsy?
  • Do you buy and sell products on eBay?
  • Do you have an Events company and market your services online?
  • Are you a Social Media Manager?

If you said YES to any of these, you’re a Digital Entrepreneur. If you have any kind of internet business, if you’re transacting online, you’re a Digital Entrepreneur.What are the Benefits of Digital Entrepreneurship?

What are the Benefits of Digital Entrepreneurship?

There are endless benefits of being a Digital Entrepreneur. Here are my top 5.

1. Low Investment

For starters,  there are virtually no barriers to entry. Compared to starting a brick-and-mortar business, the startup costs are very low.  You also have very few overheads.

2. Work from Anywhere

You can work from home or work from anywhere, as many travel bloggers do. In the beginning, you’ll probably burn the midnight oil but once you’ve built some Authority online there’s a good chance you can earn Passive Income – where you do the work once and get paid for it over and over again. Like selling an eBook or Online Course or creating a brilliant Evergreen post that generates Affiliate Income or Ad Revenue for years to come.

3. Sweet Freedom!

In a nutshell, Digital Entrepreneurship is your best shot at Financial Freedom and Time Freedom. You get to fire your boss (not immediately, get yourself set up first please) and choose your own hours.  You get to write your own cheque every month.  Okay, not at first, but once the ball gets rolling. As a Mom, it affords me the opportunity to fetch my son from school every afternoon and enjoy free play with him.

4. Own Your Work

Authors now have the opportunity to own their work, whereas before, their Publishers did.  Oh, and their Publishers and Book Store Owners earned more profit from their books than the Authors did themselves – before the Internet. Now Authors can market their books from their own websites and social media pages.

5. Tax Benefits

As a Business Owner, you can write off all your business expenses as Tax deductions. Even though there aren’t as many expenses as in a traditional business, this is still a win. In short, you have the benefits of owning your own business, minus many of the frustrations and overheads.

What are the Drawbacks of Digital Entrepreneurship?

What are the Drawbacks of Digital Entrepreneurship?

Like all Entrepreneurship, when you start out, you need to learn every aspect of your business and BE everything. You’re the Owner, Marketer, Bookkeeper, PR, HR, etc.

It can be overwhelming, all-consuming, and lonely.

It’s terribly easy to fall into the trap of working all the time, especially as your business is literally at your fingertips – either on your smartphone or keyboard.

How Do You Get Started as a Digital Entrepreneur?

How Do You Get Started as a Digital Entrepreneur?

  • Find a Pain or Frustration in your life & the world. Solve it.
  • Then figure out how to get your message out to those in need.
  • Immerse yourself in your niche.
  • Get help and coaching from Authorities in your niche.
  • In time you become an expert.
  • You become the solution.

Wealthy Affiliate

This is where I got started on my journey to become a Digital Entrepreneur and I don’t think it’s a community I will ever leave Wealthy Affiliate. Kyle and Carson, the Owners are constantly enhancing and upgrading their Platform to be on Trend and give their members more bang for their buck.

They know Affiliate Marketing and the Online Industry better than many as they’ve been building businesses online for years.

You can read my full Wealthy Affiliate Review here.  And I’ll be adding a video soon.

Their Online Entrepreneur Certification Course is the perfect place to start your journey as a Digital Entrepreneur. And you can do Level 1 free of charge and then decide whether you want to go further with the Course.

How Do You Scale Your Business as a Digital Entrepreneur?

How to Scale Your Business as an Entrepreneur?

This is something that I always struggle to do when I set up a new business. When I built my massage practice in my 20’s, I never learned how to scale and burnt out as a result. I’m very mindful that I may be heading out for burnout soon if I don’t start outsourcing some of my work soon.

Here are some tips if you think you’re ready to start scaling your business.

  • Don’t try to scale too soon. Make sure you have a predictable income that covers all your expenses first.
  • Then create a system that allows you to scale by leveraging your time & efforts.
  • Think BIG.
  • Outsource to other Online Entrepreneurs who Freelance or work remotely.
  • Hire or Partner with people with opposite skills to yours.

There are so many ways to generate passive income when you become a Digital Entrepreneur. But most of them require quite a bit of set-up first.

First, you have to put in the work, to establish your business and to establish yourself as an authority online. It’s also important to understand where your strengths and weaknesses lie, so you know what you’re comfortable holding onto and what you’d like to outsource.

Over time, you put systems in place and create content or courses or digital products and marketing funnels that generate income while you sleep.  It’s a process.

Are you ready to begin this journey? Join me at Wealthy Affiliate and I’ll catch you in the membership forum, or leave a comment below.

Affiliate Disclaimer:  If you purchase anything through a link in this post, please assume that I have an affiliate relationship with the company providing the product or service that you purchase, and that I’ll be compensated in some small way at no extra cost to you.

How to Become a Video Blogger

How to Become a Video Blogger aka VLOGGER

Posted on by

I’ve known for ages that it’s time to start adding videos to my blogs.  If I never add videos to my blogs my audience will never to get to know and like me. You and I won’t connect and forge a friendship.

But when I’ve attempted to record videos of myself at home I’m wooden and boring. I know from past experience that I’m much better presenting in front of a live audience. I light up, I come alive and I connect in a deeper way.

This was one of the many reasons I’ve always felt my job as Head of Network Marketing at Nutrihealth as the best job I ever had.  I loved teaching, coaching, training and mentoring my sales team and sales staff.  Delivering Presentations on Health and Wellness and giving motivational talks was some of the best fun I’ve ever had in business.

So when an opportunity to present to a live audience cropped up this year, I grabbed it with both hands.  Thank You Thank You, Xtraordinary Women.

And it was such fun! I loved the preparation and I loved giving the talk itself. I felt I was back doing what I was born to do.

My good friend, Susanne Hobbach, kindly captured it on video for me – two videos, actually because her video camera went down during the talk and she had to reboot.

I uploaded them both to YouTube.

Does this instantly turn me into a video blogger? 

Probably not. I suspect I need to learn a lot more about vlogging and create a lot more videos before I’m seen as a video blogger.

But at least it’s a start.  And it’s given me an idea for this year.

My big plan for the year is to create online courses.  What if the video component of my courses were taken live, while I’m giving a workshop?

It’s not how the bloggers I follow are doing it.  Have a look at the amazing Gillian Perkins.

It’s not how the Pros are doing it either.  Have a look at what creative video companies like Diamond View are doing.

I’m open to the possibility that my idea might bom and I’ll be learning from their tried and tested ideas if it does.

Yet… I want to give it a shot.  Because I know my personality type (Sanguine Choleric, ENFJ, ultra extrovert) and I just know I’m better in front of a crowd.

But I digress. I promised you a post on…

Have you started creating videos for your blog posts yet? What's stopping you? Let's get started. #HowtoBecomeaVideoBlogger #Vlogging #YouTubeHow to Become a Video Blogger

So here’s my 2 cents worth, as a starter Video Blogger.  For more advanced help, follow top YouTubers, like Gillian Perkins.

Step 1:  Just Start. 

Get your first video up on YouTube.  Whether it’s slick and professional… or not.

Step 2: Add Tags and Keywords

Don’t know what tags and keywords to insert?  I use a great Keyword Tool called Jaaxy. You can find my Jaaxy review here.

Or you can just wing it. Think of what will draw people to your video and add those words or phrases.

Step 3: Embed your video in your posts

And share them on social media. Get them out there.

Step 4: Rinse and Repeat

Create loads of videos and upload all of them to YouTube.  Some YouTuber’s post daily, others weekly. The trick is to publish videos consistently so your viewers get to know you and connect with you.

Hmm…  this is why I need to learn how to do them on my own phone in the comfort of my own home like Gillian does. With no live audience.

Practice makes perfect, right?

Who’s game?  Are you going to join me on this video blogging journey?

Post Update (2021)

I really got the consistency down-pat when I published a lesson a day from A Course in Miracles for an entire year.

I started out publishing these lessons on YouTube and went on to create a podcast as well.

Here’s my most popular lesson to date.

How are you doing on your vlogging journey?

Blogging

Building Your Blogging Brand Through Marketing

Posted on by

Building Your Blogging Brand Through Marketing

Blogging is one of those things that draws attention from so many people. The reason for that is that there is a little something for everyone when it comes to writing a blog; you can build up an advice website or you can just be adding your voice to a topic you are passionate about. 

The trick is getting people to read your blog and that is easier said than done. There are a few ways that you can attempt to draw in new readers and we will take a look at those options here.

Blogging Brand_pin

Digital Marketing

You might not consider a marketing campaign to be something that is essential to you, especially if you’re happy having a relatively small blog. However, knowing how to promote your blog is the key to getting readers to your site in the first place and is critical to anyone considering making some cash from their work. 

Here are two examples of digital marketing and how you can utilize them.

SEO

    Search engine optimization (SEO) is the name given to the process of improving your website’s online visibility, primarily through the organic results of search engines. 

    What it means is that you will customize your website to the needs of the algorithms that search engines use to determine the rankings of their results. There are many ways that you can introduce SEO from applying keyword research to ensuring your content is of high-quality and encourages dwell time.

    Social Media

      Blogging itself is just another form of social media but we tend to think of it as separate from the likes of Facebook and Twitter. 

      However, in order to build up a readership you will need to make the most of social media channels. This will include finding where your potential readers are discussing the themes that your blog addresses and taking part in that conversation. 

      Build up followers on the social media sites and then convert them into readers of your blog.

      Personalization

      The final thing that we are going to recommend is to be certain that your website is personalized to what you want your brand to be. You might want to take inspiration from other bloggers and the expectations of their readers. If you think about the websites you use, you will quickly notice the patterns between the different genres. 

      For example, while Facebook and Twitter both have distinct brandings, they also have built their sites on very similar bases. That is because social media users have a general expectation of what sites should look like and anything outside of the area can be jarring.

      Branding is incredibly important to any blog that is looking to improve its outreach. The reason for this is that it will help you when it comes to using social media and other methods of promotions. 

      Once again, depending on the topic you are discussing you will have inspiration to draw from others; you can see this happening across every industry from law firms (https://www.templafy.com/blog/industry-branding-series-branding-law-firms/) to movie reviews.

      Photo by LUM3N from Pixabay        

      Are you using digital marketing and personalisation to build your blogging brand?

      How to Build a Successful Blogging Business

      How to Build a Successful Blogging Business

      Posted on by

      One of the highlights of my 3 years as a blogger was the moment Robyn Lambrick’s email popped into my inbox on 7th January inviting me to give a 30-minute talk for Xtraordinary Women on

      How to Build a Successful Blogging Business

      I have created this resource for you to accompany my Presentation just in case you missed the live talk.  My friend, Susanne Hobbach also videoed the talk live. You’ll find the videos at the end of the post.

      You can find the Powerpoint Presentation on Slideshare at the following link:

      Slideshare

      I have built 3 niche websites over the last 3 years and achieved some successes (and failures) along the way. I’ve had moments, glimpses into the future as a successful blogger and I’ve learned what it takes to succeed in this business.  (Hint: Inspiration. Work. Time.)

      Read on for all the nitty-gritty details.

      Affiliate Disclaimer: I make a commission for purchases made through links in this post.

      Let’s start with the advice I learned years ago in Dr Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Successful People.

      Are you keen to set up a blog and turn it into a business? Here's how. #HowtoBuildaSuccessfulBloggingBusiness #MakeMoneyBlogging #BloggingforBusinessStart with the end in mind 

      Okay, I did a quick fact check and I see he said Begin with the end in mind, but anyhoo.. you get the idea.

      If you can answer the question below, you’re ready to get cracking.

      Why do you want to start a blog?

      To get those grey cells working, sit down with a piece of paper and a pen and jot down the answers to the questions below:

      • What’s your ultimate goal? 
      • Are you blogging as a creative outlet or hobby?
      • Do you have an existing business you want to promote online?
      • Or do you want to start an online business by creating a blog?
      • Do you want to create an e-commerce site?
      • Sell your own products online?
      • Sell digital products?
      • Or sell other people’s products or services online?

      Set an Intention

      Getting clear on your goals upfront can really fast-track your success.

      But if you’re like most of us, you’ll probably flail around for the first 3 years, throwing everything at your proverbial blog wall and seeing what sticks.

      It can take a while to find your groove.  And that’s okay. Everything you learn along the way will serve you.

      Follow Your Passion

      As with any grand entrepreneurial endeavour, blogging starts with PASSION.

      For some, that’s really easy. They know what they’re into and can’t wait to get the words out.

      For others, there are so many things they’re interested in, they just don’t know what to choose.

      And for others, it takes a lot of thought to come up with an idea.

      It’s a good idea to come up with a narrow niche.

      • This is a b r o a d niche:  Moms
      • This a narrower niche:  Mom Bloggers
      • This is a very narrow niche:  Mom Bloggers who Homeschool their children

      Here are a few prompts to help you get some clarity.

      How to Find Your Niche

      Choose something that…

      • You can write about it for years to come
      • Makes your heart sing
      • You know a lot about
      • Or want to learn about

      A nice little technique to help get your creative juices flowing is to think back to when you were little.

      Cast your mind back to what you wanted to become when you grew up and then weave your lifelong passions into your blogging business. #HowtoBuildaSuccessfulBloggingBusiness #MakeMoneyBlogging #BloggingforBusinessWho did you want to be?

      I notice for my 5-year-old, it’s been different things at different stages of his life.

      A Ballerina at 2 (before he knew men are called ballet dancers), an Enduro Biker at 3, a Superhero or Ninja at 4 and a Scientist at 5. (Because they make cool explosions and stuff).

      As a little girl, I dreamt of fame and fortune as a movie star, balanced by my dream of becoming a Playschool Teacher and years later I settled on Bestselling Author (still working on that one).

      I secretly still hope some version of fame is in the picture. Oops, now the secret’s out.

      Which childhood dream would you like to fulfil in your blogging career? 

      This is your chance.

      You have a clean canvas.

      But don’t sweat it.  Don’t waste too much time over this step.

      Your first site probably won’t be your last.

      If you have no idea what your niche is and what you’re going to do with your website, I recommend you buy a domain in your own name and just

      GET STARTED

      And understand it will take time.

      How Do Bloggers Earn Money?

      So if you’re thinking about blogging as a BUSINESS, I’m sure you want to know where the money comes from.

      When most people ask me this question, they almost automatically end their sentence with, “through Advertising, right?”

      Well… yes and no.  That’s definitely not the only way and it’s not a way I choose to monetize my sites.

      To simplify, I’ve broken this down into 3 main earning categories and then listed 3 ideas below each. (Does this simplify things or confuse you?)

      1. Marketing

      If you’re into marketing and sales, you’ll probably be attracted to the marketing side of blogging.  Many moons ago I was a Copywriter and I find my copywriting, some would say salesy style often creeps into my posts.

      Advertising

      Let’s start with the elephant in the room, Adverts.  You need loads of traffic on your site before Ads generate any meaningful revenue and I find them annoying and distracting. Who’s with me?

      How it works:

      You set yourself up with an Advertising Network.  Initially, you can start out with Google Adsense but as your traffic grows, you can move to AdThrive, Mediavine, Media.Net, Viglink or Skimlinks etc. You then place ads wherever you’d like visitors to see them on your site and earn revenue per visitor or per click.

      The good thing about advertising is it’s pretty passive income. You set up your ads and carry on blogging as normal and money pops into your account each month. Or trickles if your audience is still small.

      Affiliate Marketing 

      If you’re googling to find a specific product or service or compare products and services, you’ll probably happen on an Affiliate Marketing site. Affiliate Marketers publish reviews for a living.

      How it works:

      Bloggers align themselves with companies that serve the same audience they do. These companies then pay them an affiliate commission for using or testing out their products or services and then writing a review, recommending their products or services.

      Affiliate Marketing can be hugely lucrative (some companies pay handsome commissions) and can also provide a form a passive income. Write a brilliant review once and get paid for it over and over.

      If you want to learn how to build niche websites and monetize them using Affiliate Marketing, I highly recommend Wealthy Affiliate.  I’ve taken their first Online Entrepreneur Certification Course and have started on their Affiliate Bootcamp.

      Those who have completed Affiliate Bootcamp are making the big bucks. Have a look at how Grace, aka Little Mama, is doing… 2018 Year in Review: $40K Thank You Wealthy Affiliate!

      Join us at Wealthy Affiliate.

      Starter Membership is FREE. 

      E-Commerce

      Anything that is sold on the internet is considered e-commerce (electronic commerce). So you could essentially be doing e-commerce if you’re selling on eBay.

      How it works:  

      There are many ways you can conduct e-commerce from your website, here are a couple of common examples.  You could set up a Shopify store on your site and market tons of different products. Or you could set up a WooCommerce store and sell your own products and services and Amazon products.

      2. Creation

      If you like creating new things. If you’re a good writer, speaker or come across well on audio, you’ll do very well by creating. Bloggers make their money mostly by creating.

      Content 

      Otherwise known as Blog Posts.  They can refine their skills by creating rich Content or SEO Content, which simply means they’ve done their keyword research and included keywords in their content writing and meta descriptions.

      Courses

      If you have something to teach, online courses are definitely a way to go.  The Course Creators I follow have made literally millions of Dollars selling their knowledge and experience.

      eBooks

      eBooks are another clever way of repackaging and repurposing your content. You can sell your books on Amazon Kindle or directly from your site or give them away free on your website to build your following or list of email subscribers.

      3. Influence

      Another way bloggers earn money is through Influencer Marketing.  Some of the ways, bloggers build their authority online is via:

      • Social Media
      • Link Building
      • Creating a membership site
      • Public Speaking (e.g. Ted Talk)
      • Creating Courses and Webinars
      • Publishing Books on Amazon Kindle
      • Vlogging

      How it works:

      As your authority grows online, companies start reaching out to you to offer you products or services to review and promote.

      Here are 3 common ways to earn as an Influencer.

      Sponsored Posts

      Lynne Huysamen of Kaboutjie is one of the best online influencers I know.

      If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that Lynne has been one of my mentors and I am eternally grateful to her for teaching me how to turn my blog into a business.  She has also given me incredible business referrals.

      Lynne and I met online at Wealthy Affiliate but she lives in Saldanha Bay, about 150kms from Cape Town. I was so honoured that she accepted the invitation to my talk and made the journey.

      Lynne and I make most of our blog income from Sponsored Posts, Lynne just makes a whole lot more than I do. 🙂

      Thanks to Sponsored Posts…

      • Lynne has a brand new LG washing machine and microwave.
      • She’s been flown up to Durban to spend a night on a cruise liner.
      • And so much more.

      Instagram Influencers

      If you’ve been on Instagram for any length of time, you’ll have seen Instagram Influencers posting pictures of themselves enjoying life.  It’s an amazing way to get famous online.

      Instagrammers sell amazing lifestyles. They are often beautiful or highly sophisticated and you’ll find them flitting around the world to exotic places. They have massive followings and huge clout.

      Instagram Influencers build themselves as a brand and in turn, brands sponsor them to do posts.

      (Lynne is also an Instagram Influencer by the way).

      YouTubers

      YouTubers are very similar to Instagrammers except their focus is on creating amazing videos.

      Lynne Huysamen is also a YouTuber by the way.

      That’s the thing, most successful bloggers don’t just choose one route to wealth. They choose many or even all of the above.

      Oh my goodness, I see my blog post is turning into an ebook…

      It’s showtime…

      Huge Thanks to Susanne Hobbach for taking these live videos:

      [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

      Successful Business Ideas Women laurenkinghorn.com

      4 Home Business Ideas For Women

      Posted on by

      Successful Business Ideas – Women

      Have you ever thought of starting your own business at home?  Katrina D. Keller highlights some excellent options for you in her guest post below.  I can vouch for the very first idea on Katrina’s list as that was the route I took- blogging.  Come to think of it, I can vouch for all 4 of these ideas as I have close friends running successful businesses in line with Katrina’s other 3 ideas. Which idea appeals to you?  #SuccessfulBusinessIdeasWomen

      4 Home Business Ideas For Women

      Guest Post – Katrina D. Keller

      Women have been engaged in trade in some form or otherwise since time immemorial.  Back in those days, women were predominantly involved in cooking, sewing, kneading, tapestry, and what have you.

      In present times, nothing has changed dramatically and by that, we aren’t saying women aren’t productive anymore or have gotten lazier. Instead, they’ve been advancing with more force than any time in history.

      Furthermore, women have ventured into businesses or jobs that are reputable as well as generate more income. What’s more important is that women have made their mark on ventures that used to be male-dominated, and in some cases, they’re outperforming their male counterparts in those areas.

      If you are looking to start a business or looking for a new way to make more money and if you’re a Stay at Home Mom or currently employed, there are a whole lot of business ideas to choose that you can start relatively quickly and easily.

      The good thing is that most of these businesses require little investment to get your feet wet. All you need is motivation, willingness to work hard and an immense desire to be financially successful.

      Below are four businesses that we think are ideal because they are practical for Work at Home Moms and Home-based Women Entrepreneurs. Let’s get started:Are you considering working from home? Need some great ideas that are easy to set up and profitable? Here you go. Special Thanks to Katrina D. Keller. #SuccessfulBusinessIdeasWomen #GuestPost

      1. Freelance Writing

      This is one of the easier and more profitable options for women who prefer working from the comfort of their homes.

      In the last few years, the number of blogs increased significantly with many women publishing and posting to blogs. Just to give you a context, according to a 2009 study by BlogHer.com, there are over 8 million women publishing blogs.

      The demand for freelance writing has increased in recent times due to the fact that many companies have realised the strategic importance of quality written contents for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and content marketing.

      Freelance writers can write articles on a variety of topics ranging from relationship advice to buying a car. The most common way to earn revenue from blogs is through advertising programs such as Google AdSense.  Start by writing about subjects in which you’re already an expert.

       2. Home Tutoring Services

      Providing freelance tuition services (sign up here to be a tutor) is another great and profitable way to earn for women.

      You can provide tutoring services to high school grad students for their upcoming SAT exams; give guitar or cello to young children, teach people how to make chocolate soufflé, or even teach Moms on how to make nice handcrafted gift baskets at home.

      However, if you’re thinking to set up this kind of services, make sure you’ve solid knowledge in a subject or field of study you’ll be tutoring. All you need to land your first gig is to place a sign out in front of your house and let everyone in your neighbourhood know about your business.

      3. Virtual Assistant Services

      In the age of the Internet, providing virtual assistant services is one of trendiest home-based businesses today. Virtual assistants combine the services provided by secretarial and administrative departments of an organisation.

      As a virtual assistant, you’ll be performing administrative support services such as emails, word processing, event planning, researching, rescheduling meetings, and other typical office chores. The only difference here is that you’re doing all of these things online in the comfort of your home, instead of in an office cubicle.

      Your boss may be working hundreds of miles away from you or in a different country, and you may never have the chance to meet him or her.  In this day age, this is not an issue as all the required tasks and communication is done through phone calls, email, secured websites, or instant messaging services.

      4. Daycare Centres

      Generally, most Childcare or Daycare Centres are run by Women Entrepreneurs from home.

      As more and more women are entering the workforce, the demand for reliable and reputable Daycare Centres for their kids has been growing more than ever.

      However, before you hop on to the daycare business bandwagon, you need to comply with the licensing regulations in state or area you’re living or willing to set up the business.

      Also, consult with your neighbours and make them aware that you’ll be running a Childcare Centre You don’t want your neighbours to file complaints against your business, which may compel the authorities to shut your business down.

      There you have it, four profit-making home businesses you can start you’re a full-time working Mum or Stay at Home Mom.

      About the Author

      Katrina D. Keller is a well-known blogger who has a wide variety of interests. She is a Writer, Editor & Blogger. She is currently a blogger for https://smiletutor.sg/blog in a genuine effort to provide the best quality content to her readers. She loves reading books. When she is not working you can find her travelling or hanging out.

      Which of these business ideas inspires you the most?  Or are you already running a business from home?  

      We invite you to share your experiences in the comments below.