blog for pleasure, purpose and profit · patricia morgan, light hearted concepts publishing...
TRANSCRIPT
For Pleasure, Purpose, and Profit ByPatriciaMorgan
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Copyright©2018PatriciaMorganAllrightsreserved,includingtherighttoreproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,withoutpriorwrittenpermissionoftheauthor.Itisagainstthelawtomakecopiesofthismaterialwithoutgettingspecificwrittenpermissioninadvancefromtheauthor,PatriciaMorgan.PublishedinCanadaPublishedbyLightHeartedConcepts
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Contents Introduction:………………………………………………………………………………………4
ChapterOne:DiscernWHYYouBlog:TenPossibleReasons:………….…5
ChapterTwo:FourBloggingBlocks:………………………………………………..…8
ChapterThree:PublishInspiringand/orInformativeContent:………….....10
ChapterFour:StructureYourBlog/ArticleContent:…………………………......13
ChapterFive:WriteVisitorandSEOFriendlyTitles:…………………………….15
ChapterSix:TenStepstoFormatwithSEOKnow-how:……………………...19
ChapterSeven:GiveYourBloganExtraLook:………………………….………24
ChapterEight:SendTraffictoYourBlogandWebsite:…….......................26
ChapterNine:MakeMoneybyBlogging:…………………………………….....28
ChapterTen:MeetRockStarBloggers: ……………………………………..……33
Conclusion:…………………………………………………………………………………….…36
Disclaimer:………………………………………………………………………………………..36
AboutPatriciaMorgan:……………………………………………………………….……37
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Introduction
Ablogisawebpagethatprovidesregularinspirationoreducation.Itisoftenformattedlikeanarticle.Bloggingisapassionformany.Alsoformany,ithasreplacedthedesiretowritearticlesfortraditionalnewspapersandmagazines.However,bloggingisnotanactivityforeveryone.Itrequiresdiscipline,consistency,andsomecreativejuice.Plus,itrequiresacomfortinwriting;thatis,ifyouchoosetraditionalblogging.Thereareotherblogformatssuchasvlogging(mostofthepostingsarevideo)orprimarilyusingimages.Ifyouarereadytoembraceblogging,keepreading.Note:TheenclosedinformationisbasedonmyexperienceonaWordpresswebsite.TheremaybeexceptionstomysuggestionsifyouuseBlogger,Wixorotherplatforms.
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Chapter One Discern WHY You Blog: Ten Possible
Reasons
Eitherwritesomethingworthreadingordosomethingworthwriting.BenjaminFranklin
Ifyouhavethereason,thepassion,andatleastsomebasicwritingskills,therearemanyreasonstoblog.Manybloggerswritetoestablishthemselvesasexperts.Otherswanttosharetheirpoliticalviewsorvalues.Othersareonamission.Newblogger,JessicaGirardwriteswithapassiontohelpothers.Inherblog,www.mamasperseverance.com,Jessicasharesherjourneywith,andtipsforlivingwith,CrohnsDisease.Manyauthorsstartedtheircareersbyblogging.Doyourememberthestoryandmovie,JulieandJulia?In2002,JuliePowellbegandailyblogging.Inherblog,Julie,andJulia:365Days,524Recipes,1TinyApartmentKitchen,shedescribedherpreparationofarecipefromJuliaChild’sbook,MasteringtheArtofFrenchCooking.Herblogsattractedsignificantcookingenthusiasts.Readerswantedtoknowhowtoday’srecipeturnedout,andthenextday,andthenext.By2003,Powellhadabookdealwithherpublishersexcitedaboutherlargefollowing.Then,in2009,themoviewasreleased.Howcoolis
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that?Irecommendyouwatchthemovie,JulieandJulia(www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l_We_yAakw)asitwillmotivateyoutostickwiththebloggingprocess.OfinterestisthatPowellwasbloggingbeforeWordpressexisted.Thereareblogsonadventure,art,beauty,Bitcoin,Christianity,education,family,fashion,feminism,food,finance,knitting,parenting,photography,SEO,spirituality,success,technology,travel,writingandmore.Younameit!Donotblogonthemall!AsJaneAtkinson,authorofTheWealthySpeaker(www.amazon.com/dp/0978005953),says,“Pickalane.”Shemeansdecide.Committoyourpassionforaprimarytopicorexpertiseand/oryourtargetmarket.Thatiswheretostart.Maybeyoubranchoutafterasignificantfollowing,butbeginwithfocusandknowingyourwhy.Thenconsiderthesebenefitsofblogging.1. Tohelppositionyourselfasanexpertinyourwork.Tobevisible!2. Toprovideapublishingplatformtoshareyourperspective,
knowledge,andexperience.3. Toinformandrallyothersaboutacauseyousupport.4. Toattractafollowingforyourpurposeand/orprofit.5. Toengageyourtargetmarketwithongoingvalue.6. Tonetworkwithotherswithasimilarinterest,causeorbusiness.7. TopromoteandSELLyourservicesandproducts.8. Toexpressyourcreativethoughtsanddevelopyourwritingskills.9. ToprovidecontentforfutureSpecialReports,eBooks,and/or
printbooks
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10. ToprovideSearchEngineOptimization(SEO)juicetoyourwebsitebyprovidingregularandfreshcontent.
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Chapter Two
Four Blogging Blocks
Iavoidwriter'sblockbywriting.Ipowerthroughwithabadversion,soIcanmoveon.AndersHolm
1. Fearofoffendingothers.Consequently,youdon’tshareyourimportant
message.Makingpublicourviews,perspectives,andbeliefscanfeelrisky.Indeed,wewanttoprotectourintegrity,credibility,andreputationbyavoidingpublishinganythingslanderous.TheGoodNews:Whenweownourpersonalknowingandshareitinserviceofothers,theworldbenefits.Itcanalsoleadtomakingmoneywhenyouhelpotherssolvetheirproblems.
2. Fearofcriticism.Sharingyouropinions,yourperspectiveorpreferenceswillprobablyattractcritics.TheoffensiveonesarecalledHaters.ThebigbloggersandYouTubestarsattractthem.TheGoodNews:Youarenotalone.Youareamongstgoodcompany.Beinintegritywithyourexpertise,knowledge,experience,andperspective.Behonestwithyourselfandyourreads.Letgoofpayingattentiontonegativeandunhelpfuldenigration.
3. Waitingtowriteperfectly.Youwillmakesomegrammar,spelling,andpunctuationerrors.Youknowyourknowledge,thinkingandconceptswillevolveandchange;maybeyoutellyourself,“Iandmyexpertisearenotyetgoodenough.”
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TheGoodNews:Evenifyoufeelnervousaboutyourwritingskills,youcanlearn.Therearemanybooks,suchasStephenKing’sOnWriting,tohelpyouimproveyourskill.Studyblogsyouadmire.Begin.Themoreyouwrite,thebetteryouwillwrite.Moregoodnewsis,withblogging,unliketraditionalwriting,youcangobackandeasilyeditorupdateyourwriting.Youcanevendeletetheblogsyoudon’tlikeorfeelembarrassedabout.
4. Thinkingyouneedtowriteprofoundliterature.Youtellyourselfthatyoudon’tknowenoughorhavenotexperiencedenough.TheGoodNews:Youcantakeyourpassion,continuallylearnaboutit,andplaywithit.Yes,readandexploreothers’work.Developandexpandonpointsyouagreeupon.Explainthepointsyoudisagree.Givecreditwhereitisdue.Providepersonalstoriesasillustrationsorexamples.Makeupyourownformulas.Beinservicetoyourreadersbyprovidingsolutionstotheirproblems,andhavesomecreativefun!
TwoToolstohelpyouwrite:www.hemingwayapp.comisaFREEonlineplatform.Itanalyzesyourcontent.Copyandpasteyourtextandwillgiveyouitsopinion!Itwilltellyouifyouuseapassivevoicetoooftenorhavehardtoreadsentences.www.grammarly.com isaFREEdownloadableprogramthathelpsdetectspellingandpunctuationmistakes.ItismorethoroughthanWord’sspellcheck.IthasversionsforbothMacandMS.Itworkswellifyoufirstwriteyourpostasadocumentonyourcomputer.Afteryou’vefinishedcheckingyourwritingwithGrammarlyandHemingway,saveit,andthencopyandpasteyourcontentsinyourblogplatform.
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Chapter Three
Publish Inspiring and/or Informative Content
Writingmeanssharing.It'spartofthehumanconditiontowanttosharethings-thoughts,ideas,opinions.PauloCoelho Evenifyoudon’tliketowrite,orstruggletowrite,youcanchoosetopublishblogsthatprimarilyconsistofimagesand/orvideos.Evensoyouwillneedtowritescripts.Hereareideastogeneratecontent.1. StartwithyourTargetMarket.Writetoandinserviceofthem.
2. GiveYourTargetMarketSOLUTIONS.YouprobablyGoogletofind
solutionstoyourproblems.Well,sodoesyourtargetmarket.Keepyourcontentrelevanttothemandtheirdailylives,challenges,goals,anddreams.Describethesituationandproblem;instoryformiseffective.Thenprovideyourbrilliantsolution.
3. ShowoffWHOYouAre.Shareyourpersonalityandbrand.Useyour
brandsoundbites,images,andcolors.Weaveinpersonalstories.Expressyourpassionornoticewhenyoufeelpassionateaboutanidea,incidentorissue.Thenwrite!
4. MakeYourFirstBlogaMUSTHAVEBlog.WriteaFoundationalBlog
thatgivesanoverviewofyourtopicandexpertise.Giveitatitlethat
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includesyourstrongestbrandortopickeywordorlongtailkeywords.Ifyouarefamousitmightbeyourname.
Thenreferto,andhyperlinkbackto,thatFoundationalBlogfrommanyofyourfutureblogs.Itwillhelpsearchenginesandthoseseekinghelpand/orinformation.Forexample,Ispeakandwriteaboutresilience.IhaveaFoundationalBlogonthatsubject,whichtendstoreceivethehighestvolumeofvisitors.
Herearefifteenmoresourcesforcontent.1. Trends,classicconceptsorstrategiesinyourareaofexpertise.2. Opinionsaboutcurrentaffairs.FortopsearchedCanadianblogsgoto
www.topblogs.ca(Canada’sBestBlogs)andhttp://canada.alltop.com.3. Casestudiesaboutclients’successesorprojects.4. Transcriptsofinterviewswithyoursuccessfulclientsorinfluencersinyour
field.Orhyperlinktoapodcastinterview.5. Videocontent.Thereisawholeseparateartaroundvlogging.6. Keystepstomasterskillsinyourtopicandexpertise.7. Bookreviewsorsummariesinyourtopicarea;theclassic,mostpopular,or
mostcontroversial.HyperlinkthosebookssoldonAmazon.com8. Spin-offideasfromsocialmediacomments(Twitter,Facebook,LinkedIn,etc.)
onyourtopic.Also,signupusingyourmaintopickeywordstoreceivealerts(www.google.ca/alerts)andemailsfromblogdirectoriessuchasFeedspot(www.blog.feedspot.com/influential_blogs).
9. Ideasthatpopintoyourhead.Immediatelygotoyourblogplatform.ClickNewBlogandsaveaDRAFTtitle.
10. Presentationcontent.UploadyourPowerPoint(orKeynote)presentationtoSlideshareandhyperlinktoitfromyourblog.
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11. Contestsorchallenges.Addprizes.Whatfun!12. Guestbloggers.Askinfluencersinyourtopicareatosubmit.13. Answerstoyourfollowers’questionsandconcerns.14. ListsofTop,BestorWorst10leadersorbooksinyourfield.15. How-toinformation,facts,mistakestoavoid,andresources.
Still Stuck? Here are two more ideas:
1. Lookatwww.buzzsumo.comwhichshowswhatblogarticlesreceivemajorshares.Considerhowyoucouldrewriteonetoreflectyourbrandperspective.
2. CreateaCalendarofBloggingThemes.Thenbreakthosethemesdownintosub-themes;asmanyasyouplantowriteandpublisheachmonth.ThesethemescanlaterbecomeBlogCategories.
Blog Calendar ExamplesfromSolutionsForResilienceBlogCategoriesMonth ResilienceThemesSub-themesJanuary CommunicationSkills 1.listening2.assertiveness3.hardconversationsFebruary EmotionalInsight 1.self-talk2.manageworry3.namingfeelingsMarch FamilyDynamics 1.bullying2.play3.unconditionallove
April PositivePsychology 1.optimism2.gratitude3.SeligmanMay RelationshipBuilding 1.friends2.forgiveness3.apology4.MothersDayJune ResilienceKnow-how 1.protectivefactors2.likearubberband3.gritJuly ResiliencyBooks 1.Flourish2.TheResiliencyAdvantage
3.Self-CompassionAugust SpecialOccasions SeespecificmonthsSeptember SpunkySenior 1.Agingbody2.Fibbingaboutage3.humorOctober StressManagement 1.burn-out2.carefatigue3.sleep,diet,exerciseNovember Women-Focused 1.feminism2.#METOO3.workingmomDecember WorkplaceIssues 1.conflict2.workoverload3.ChristmasStress
Note:ConsidercoordinatingyourcalendarthemeswithyourSocialMediaactivity.
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Chapter Four Structure Your Blog/Article Content
Theidealengthofablogpostis7minutes,1,600words.(Butitdepends.)It’sworthwritinghowevermuchyoureallyneed.Don’tfeelconstrainedbypresumedshortattentionspans.Medium
Itismoreimportanttoblogconsistentlythantowriteacertainwordcount.Themostfamousandrelentlessblogger,SethGodin,writes70to500-wordblogsatleastdaily. Blogs(Articles),justlikepresentations,needanengagingopening,asolidbodyormiddle,aclosingthatwrapsupyourthoughts,andaCalltoAction.Considerfollowingabloggeryoulike.Thenusehisorherstructureand/orstyletoinspireyou.Classic Structure
Firstparagraph(Open)Openwithanengaginglinethatsetsupyourmainpoint.Herearesomeideas:aquestion,anintriguingquotation,apersonalandpowerfulstory,adefinition,astartlingfactorstatistic,arhyme,ametaphor,orapoem.Body(Middle)Writeasifyouareaddressingoneperson,ideallyasifspeakingtosomeoneinyourtargetmarket.E.g.“Youmightbewondering...”
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Addsub-points,lists,stories,examples,andquotations.LastParagraph(Close)Wrapupyourthoughtsbyloopingbacktoyouropen.SmartOption:AttheendofyourmaincontentofyourbloglistRelatedBlogs/Articleswithhyperlinks.Thesehyper-linksareinternaltoyourwebsitetakingyourreaderstoyourtopicrelatedblogs.Calltoaction.AskyourvisitorstoleaveintheCommentBoxtheirthoughtsorwhattheywilldowithwhattheylearnedfromyourblog.YoucanalsoinvitethemtoconnectwithyouonSocialMediaorsignupforyoure-Newsletter.
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Chapter Five
Write Visitor and SEO Friendly Titles
Testshaveshownthatyoucanincreaseyourconversionrateonawebsiteoralinkby73%bytheuseofacompellingheadline.JeffBullasYourtitleneedstoappealtoyourtargetmarketanditneedstobefoundbysearchengines.Titlesneedtoengagevisitorsandenticethemtokeepreading.Atminimum,thetitleneedstoindicatetheblog’stopic.Powerfultitlespointtowardsolutionsforproblems.TheyalsoneedtobesearchenginefriendlywithSearchEngineOptimization(SEO).SAMPLE TITLES: ThesetitlestrategiesarefrommySolutionsforResiliencewebsiteandwillgiveyoutitleandcontentideas:1. Satisfyaneedinregardstorelationships,wealthorhealth,time,
happinessorlifestyle.Example:So!YouWanttoFindTrueHappiness!(www.solutionsforresilience.com/true-happiness)
2. Predictthefuturetogainsuccessorprotectfromdisaster.Example:RetirementGroove:FindingYours(www.solutionsforresilience.com/retirement-no-longer-means-good-bye) Note:Thisisaguestblog.
3. Addressfearsorissues.Example:HowtoMastertheFineArtofGivingCriticism(www.solutionsforresilience.com/giving-criticism)
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4. Buildonresearch,facts,truthsand/orinventories.Example:ProtectiveFactorstoBoostChildren’sResilience,YouNeedtoKnow(www.solutionsforresilience.com/childrens-resilience)
5. ProvideHowTo’s:Example:HowtoBeAMoreResilientAdult:ExploreYourChildhoodWounds!(www.solutionsforresilience.com/?s=Childhood+wounds)
6. ProvideLists.Example:ImproveYourGratefulnesswithaGratitudeList.(www.solutionsforresilience.com/gratitude-list)Note:Mega-listshave25ormoreitems.
Your Title
Onaverage,fivetimesasmanypeoplereadtheheadlinesasreadthebodycopy.DavidOgilvy
Alwayswriteyourblogcontentprimarilyforyourtargetmarket’sbenefit.Addvaluetotheirlives.Butwhenitistimetodecideonatitle,firstdoakeywordssearch.KeywordsandLongTailKeywords(shortphrases)arewhatyourpotentialreaderswillplaceinsearchenginestofindinformation.Itisimportanttoembedaprimarykeywordorlongtailkeywordsinyourtitle.CollectanumberofthemusingGoogle’sKeywordPlanner(www.adwords.google.com/ko/KeywordPlanner:aGoogleaccountisrequiredtoaccess)oruseKeywordTool(www.keywordtool.io)oranotheronlinetool.
Check √
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1. Thenchoosethebest-fitkeywordorlongtailkeywords(onephrase).Includeitinyourtitle(seenextpage).Youwillsprinkleyourcollectionofkeywordsandlongtailkeywordsthroughyourtextincludingsub-titles.Don’tgooverboardandpad.Searchengineswillpenalizepadding.Remember,youfirstwanttowriteforthebenefitofyourvisitors.
2. Checkouttheemotionalandintellectualappealofyourtitlebyaccessingatitleanalyzer.Thisonlineoneismyfavorite.Testyourtitleatwww.coschedule.com/headline-analyzer
Option:Beforepublishing,compareyourtitletootherblogtitles.Googleyourtitleandseewhatshowsuponthefirstpage.Examples of How Keywords Work in Titles
Whenweexaminethetitlesfromabovewecanseehowkeywordsareembeddedintheblog’sURLaddress.1. RetirementGroove:FindingYoursTheURLis
https://solutionsforresilience.com/retirementandthekeywordisretirement.
2. So!YouWanttoFindTrueHappiness!ItsURLishttps://solutionsforresilience.com/true-happinessThelongtailssaretruehappiness.Thatiswhatmanypeoplepopintotheirsearchengine,includingthepopularGoogle.
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3. HowtoMastertheFineArtofGivingCriticismTheURLishttps://solutionsforresilience.com/giving-criticismandthelongtailkeywordsaregivingcriticism.
4. HowtoBeAMoreResilientAdult:ExploreYourChildhoodWounds!TheURLishttps://solutionsforresilience.com/?s=Childhood+woundsandthelongtailkeywordsarechildhoodwounds.
5. ImproveYourGratefulnesswithaGratitudeList.TheURLishttps://solutionsforresilience.com/gratitude-listandthelongtailkeywordsaregratitudelist.
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Chapter Six
Ten Steps to Format with SEO Know-how
Althoughsearchengineshavebecomeincreasinglysophisticated,theystillcan'tseeandunderstandawebpagethesamewayahumancan.SEOhelpstheenginesfigureoutwhateachpageisabout,andhowitmaybeusefulforusers.MOZ
1. Considershorteningthepermalinkto3to5wordsincludingyourbest-fitkeywords.Unlessyoublogaboutcurrenteventsorsocialmediatopicsthatconstantlychangeorareaprolificwriter,removetheblogdate.Doingthiscanhelpyourbloglookfreshmonthsdowntheroad.Youcanalsorepublisholdblogs.
2. Chunkyourcontentbyusingbulletsandshortlists.Makeshorter
paragraphsandusesub-titles.Mostwebusersskim.Listsandbulletpointsarefasttoread.Also,usetextcallouts.
3. Reviewyourcontenttoensurekeywordsareinyourtitle,sub-titles,and
hereandthereintherestofyourcontent.Eventually,thiswillbecomemorenaturalinyourwriting.
4. Headlinetextisimportant.H1isusedforyourmaintitle.Forsub-titles
useH2,H3,andsoon.Usingthebuilt-inH1,H2featurehelpssearchenginesrecognizeimportantandrelevantcontent.
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5. Addhyperlinkstoyourotherblogs(internallink)withsimilarcontent.
Youcanaddatthebottomofyourblogasub-titlesuchasRelatedBlogs/ArticlesorRelatedPosts.Thenlistone,twoormorerelatedblogtitleswithahyperlinktothem.
Option:Addhyperlinkstootherpeople’sblogswithrelevantcontent(external).However,becarefulnottosendyourreadersawayfromyourplatformtoofrequentlyortoosoonintheirreadingprocess.
6. InsertVisuals.Theyincreasereaderengagementandshares.Makesuretheyarerelevanttotheblogtopic.TheyareIMPORTANT!
a) Photos.
Useone,twoorthreeimagesdependingonthelengthofyourblog.Photoscanberidiculouslylargefiles.Youwanttoavoidaweigheddownwebsite.Heavysitesareslowtoopen.Reducetheimagesizeinthemedialibrary.Keepyourimagestolessthan50KB.Naturallyembedthebest-fitkeywordsintheAttachmentDetailsoftheMedia
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Library.YouwillseeboxesforTitle,Caption,AltText,andDescription.Titleyourimageswithkeywords.TheAltTexthelpsthosewhocannotseeimagesontheircomputerscreens.CraftAltTexttodescribetheimageandincludeakeywordtohelpwithyourSEO.
Thebestimagesareoftenyourown.However,sometimestheydon’tsupportyourblogtopic.Freehigh-qualityimagescanbeaccessedathttps://pixabay.comandhttps://unsplash.com
b)Videoclips.Again,avoidmakingyourwebsitetooheavy.HouseyourvideoonYouTubeandprovideahyperlinkonyourblog.
c)Gifs.Thesefun,quick,andrepetitivevideoclipsareeasytomakeathttps://giphy.com.
d) AGraphorChart.
e) Info-graphics.
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f) Screenshots.
g)Memes(pictureswithaquotation).Tocreatethemandinfo-graphics,
Ilikewww.canva.com,theFREEonlinedesignprogram.
7. FillintheboxesforCategoriesandtags.Categorieshelpyourreaderschooseafocusfortheirreading.Tagshelpyourreadersconnecttomoreofyourblogsthatincluderelatedcontent.ThinkofCategoriesasthechaptersinabookandtagsasabook’sindex.Inbooks,there
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aremorewordsandphrasesintheindexthanthechaptertitles.Inblogs,therearemorewordsandphrasesinthetagsthaninCategories.
8. FillinAllinOneSEO,YoastSEOoranotherfreeSEOtoolonyourwebsite
withyourkeywords.ThesetoolsaddextrahelptoSEO.
9. ViewPreviewChanges.UsetheBlogChecklistbelowtolookitover.
10. Ifyoulikewhatyousee,clickPublish.Ifnot,edit.
Note:Bloggingplatformsgiveyoutheoptionofscheduling.Ifyouhaveadayoffull-blowninspiration,goforit!Scheduleyourpublishingsoitappearsinyourregularroutinepattern.Thatwayyouwon’tconfuseyourfollowers.Theyknowyoudeliveronyourpromiseanddeliverablogofinsightwithinanexpectedtimeframe.
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Chapter Seven Give Your Blog an Extra Look
Blog Check List Usethislisttoreviewyourblogbeforepublishing.Eventually,youwillnotneedit.Theprocesswillbelikegettingonabicycle.Yourbloggingmuscleswillbestrong!IsitTargetMarketFriendlywith:
1. contentdesignedtomaketheirlifeeasier?2. awell-definedsolutionorinspiringidea?3. atitlethattellsthem“Keepreading.”4. theirlanguage--wordsandphrasestheyuse?5. littlefluffandfewfillerwords?6. thetitlelistedinanappropriatecategory?7. tagshyperlinkedtoyourotherrelatedblogs?
IsitSEOFriendlywith:
1. keyword/sinthetitle?2. keyword/ssprinkled,notpaddedinthecontent?3. keyword/sinsubtitles?4. ampleandappropriatekeyword/sintheSEOtool?
IsitScannablewith:
1. shortersentencesandparagraphs.2. sub-headingsusingH2,H3,H4,H5and/orH6?
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3. lists,steps,andbulletpoints?4. visuals...worthathousandwords?
IsitEngagingwith
1. emotionsanddescriptivewords?2. astory,evenifbrief?3. conversationalstylewritinginyourvoice?4. oftenaddressthereaderbyusingthewordyou?
IsitSharablewith:
1. acatchy,repeatabletitle?2. hyper-linkedsocialmediaicons?3. aCalltoAction?
• Isitablogyoufeelexcitedtohavepotentialreadersfind?• Wouldyouwelcometheircomments?
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Chapter Eight
Send Traffic to Your Blog and Website
Ifyouwantmoretraffictoyourblog,don’tfocusonthetraffic.Focusonthepeople.JeffGoinsYouandyourmessageareup!Butnoorfewpeoplearevisiting,reading,orleavingcomments.Maybeyoufeelneglected,unappreciated,orrejected!Donotdespair.Herearesomeideastoincreaseyourwebsite/blogtraffic:1. BecomeadeptatSearchEngineOptimization.InstallGoogleAnalytics
Dashboardorsomeothertooltotrackyourresults.Analyticsshowdatasuchashowmanypeoplearereadingyourblogs,whichonestheyarereading,howfrequently,andfromwhere.Itwillhelpyouknowwhatcontentyourprimaryreaderslike.Thenyoucanproducemorecontentthatwillengagethem.
2. Providehyperlinkstoyourblogsfromyoure-Newsletter.SeehowthisisdoneinmyeNewsletter,YourUplift.ScrolldowntoBlogs/Articles.(www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1413383458)
3. Hyperlinktoyourblogsfromyoursocialmediaplatforms--Facebook,
Twitter,orwhereveryouandyourtargetmarkethangout.
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4. ProvideSocialMediasharebuttons,sothatyourreaderscaneasilyshareyourblogswiththeirconnections.
5. AddaRSSfeedtoyourblogtoenablevisitorstosubscribetoyourblog.Theywillreceiveitwheneveryoupublish.
6. Offertoguestpostonotherinfluentialbloggers’platforms.Aspartoftheagreementarrangeforahyperlinkbacktoyourblog.Thisiscalledaback-linkandgainssearchenginejuice.
7. Submitanapplicationtoonlineblogregistriessuchaswww.bloggersofcanada.com,www.topblogs.ca,www.feedspot.com,www.jayde.com,andwww.ontoplist.com.
8. Routinelyblog.Topbloggerspublishtheirwork5daysaweek.Ata
minimumpublishonceamonth.Otherwise,youlookcomatose!
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Chapter Nine Make Money by Blogging
Since2004,https://problogger.comhasbeenthehomeforbloggerswantingtocreateandgrowtheirblogs,andthengoprofessionaltomakemoneyblogging.We’vegotcloseto8,000postswithbloggingadvicetipsandin-depthtutorialsalongwiththelatestbloggingtrends.Asdescribedabove,manypeopleblogtomakethemselves,theirthoughts,andopinionsvisible.Somepeopleblogforacauseandsomemerely,forself-expression.Otherswanttomakemoney!Onekeyconceptistheideaofrepurposing.Createcontent.Thenuseitandsellitoverandoveragain.Thinkabouthowyoucanrepurposeyourintellectualproperty.Yes,bloggingisyoucreatingyourintellectualpropertyorbodyofwork.Beforeyouinvestsignificanttimeandmoney,knowyourtargetmarket’spreferenceforcontentdelivery.
• presentations(keynote,
workshop,onlinelearning)
• socialmediapost
• article
• blog(vlog)
• video
• podcast
• eNewsletter
• book
• eBook
• productssuchasposters,cards,
andT-shirtswithyourpithy
quotes.
Herearethetwoprimarywaysmyblogshelpedturnvisitorsintocustomersorclients.
1. SellingBooks:Iflikeme,youhaveabooktosell,youwillneedaSHOP(www.solutionsforresilience.com/product-category/books)orSTOREpageonyourwebsite.Butyoucansellanyproduct—games,T-shirts,make-up,whatever.Youwillalsoneedashoppingcartinstalled.Bytheway,ifyouhaveabook,sectionsofyourbookcanbecopiedandpastedintoblogs.Blogscanbecompiledandturnedintobooks.Cool,eh?Thecreatorofhttps://problogger.com,DarrenRowse,hasmadeasuccessfulonlinebusinesssellingeBooksonbloggingandphotography.
2. GettingSpeakingGigs:Blogshelpmakeprofessionalspeakersandtheirbodyofworkvisible. Bloggingkeepstheirexpertisefreshforsearchenginesaswellasformeetingplanners’review.Ifyouuseyourblogforthispurposeensurethatblogreaderscaneasilyseethatyouareaprofessionalspeaker.Also,makeyourcontactinformationvisible.Youwantthephonetoring!
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Other Ways to Monetize Your Blog:
1. GetSponsorship.Ifyouuseacertainproductorservicebecauseyouloveitanditfitswithyourtopic,offertosellitonyourwebsite.Thenblogabouthowthatproducthashelpedyou.However,avoidsell-overkill.Remember,firstbeinservicetoyourreaders.ConflictResolutionsandCommunicationsexpert,CharmaineHammondhasattractedthousandsofdollarsworthofsponsorshipforherwork.Bydoingsoshehasalsobecomeasponsorshipexpert.Ijustbetshestartedoutbloggingaboutthistopic.DownloadherFREEEbook,UncoverTheRevenueStreamYouHaven’tEvenThoughtof...Yet:A7-StepModetoBuildingRelationshipswithSponsorsandIncreasingRevenueThroughCollaborationandPartnership(www.raiseadream.com).
2. DevelopBloggingPartnerships.Thisissimilartoacquiringsponsorshipbutwithanemphasison‘partnership’.Youmightwanttohaveacontractinthissituation.
3. Affiliatemarket.Sellotherpeople’sservicesorproducts.Invite
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otherstosellyourproductsandservices.BrendonBurchardisamasteratthis.Takealookathisbook,TheMillionaireMessenger(www.amazon.com/dp/1451665997).YoucanbecomeanAmazonAffiliate.Beforewarnedthatyouneedtomakesalestomeettheircriteriatoavoidthemdiscontinuingyouraffiliatestatus.
Note:Affiliate,suchasanAmazon.comaffiliateprovidespublicityandalow-costwayforbigcompaniestoselltheirproducts.Yougetapercentageofthesale.WithPartnerships,youreceivefreeproductsormoney.WithSponsorship,youwillprobablygainmoreprestige,likearepresentativeofabrand.Compensationiseitherbyfreeproductsand/ormoney.Don’tworryaboutthesedefinitionsasthesethreetermsareoftenusedloosely.
Ibelievedyouneededlargenumbersoffollowerstoevenbeginmakingmoneybloggingusingtheabovethreestrategies.ButPetrenaSchell,travel&lifestylebloggertoldmedifferently.Herblog,www.apursuitoflife.com:Barefoot&HighHeeledbeganbringinginmoney,albeitasmallamount,whenshefirsthadabout1000followers.
4. Advertise.Pay-per-clickdoesrequirelargenumbersoftraffic.You
canbegintomakealittlebitofmoneyat10,000visitors.
5. EstablishaPaidMembershipSiteand/orcreateHigh-End
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Content.Authorofthemilliondollarseries,includingTheMillionDollarConsultant,AlanWeiss(www.alanweiss.com),sellssubscriptionstohiswritingandgroupmembershipsthataddtohiswealth.
6. Wordpressitselfhasablogcalled,25LegitWaystoMakeMoneyOnlineBloggingwithWordPress(www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/make-money-online)
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Chapter Ten
Meet Rock Star Bloggers Youwillnoticethattheseblogginginfluencerscouldbedescribedasbothgeniusandquirky.Forsuretheyareauthenticallythemselves,onlinewiththousands,ifnotmillions,offollowers.Theyarealsodeeplyknowledgeableandexperiencedintheirareasofexpertise.Wecanlearnmuchbyexaminingthosewhoareconsideredmasterbloggers. Seth Godin,authorofPurpleCow(www.amazon.com/dp/1591843170) andmanyotherbooksonmarketing,isfamousforhisprolificbloggingofshortposts.Hepostsadailyblogofbetween70and500pluswords.Theyareobviouslypithy,definitelyfullofopinionandsometimesfun.Hereisanexcerptfroma76-wordpost,GodinmadeonNovember21,2006: Howtowriteablogpost
Doitlikethis:JoelonSoftware.Anappropriateillustration,Ausefultopic,easilybroadenedtobeusefultoalargenumberofreaders,Simplelanguagewith…READMOREATwww.sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2006/11/how_to_write_a_.html
Gary Vaynerchuk,authorofCrushIt!WhyNowIstheTimetoCashInOnYourPassion(www.amazon.com/dp/0061914177),isacharming,sometimesswearingandunconventionalbusinessman.Heturnedhisfamily’swinebusinessintomulti-milliondollars.VaynerchukisakeenpodcasterandYouTuberwithover1,200,000subscribers.Hereisanexcerptfroma751-wordpost,Vaynerchukpublishedin2015: TheOneThingGurusAlwaysGetWrongAboutBloggingStartingabloghasneverbeeneasierandhereiswheretostartablog:
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Snapchat,Twitter,Facebook,Medium.Now,Iknowwhatyou’resaying...READMOREAT
www.garyvaynerchuk.com/the-one-thing-gurus-always-get-wrong-about-blogging
Bill Gates,co-founderofMicrosoftandphilanthropist,averagesfourpostsamonth.Atthistimeofwriting,Feedspot(www.blog.feedspot.com/technology_blogs)rankshimNumberOneintheirlistoftheTop100mostinfluentialbloggers.Ofcourse,hewouldattractalotoftraffic.
ItisinterestingthatwhenIwenttoGates’blogsitetherewerenopostsontechnology.Theyareallaboutdoinggoodintheworld.Thatisthismulti-billionaire’sfocus.Hereisanexcerptfroma780-wordpostGatesmadeonMarch7,2017: WhenBreathBecomesAir Thisbookleftmeintears Allliveshaveequalvalue.Butsomedeathsseemparticularlycruel. WhenPaulKalanithiwasdiagnosedwithterminalcancerin2013,hewas... READMORE:www.gatesnotes.com/Books/When-Breath-Becomes-Air
Brene´ BrownisaUniversityofHoustonprofessorandresearcheronthetopicsofcourage,vulnerability,shame,andempathy.HerTedTalk(www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o)onvulnerabilityhasreceivedseveralmillionviews!Hereisanexcerptfroma2236-wordpostBrownpublishedonMarch13,2018.Ilikethe“9-minuteread”indicator.Thisblogisanexampleofrepurposingintellectualproperty.
CourageOverComfort:RumbleswithShame,Accountability,andFailureatWorkAdaptedfromRisingStrong|9-minutereadIthinkthepeoplewhowadeintodiscomfortandvulnerabilityandtellthetruthabouttheirstoriesaretherealbadassesinthisworld.Thisisespeciallytrueofpeoplewhorumblewithfailure...READMORE:www.brenebrown.com/blog/2018/03/13/courage-comfort-rumbling-shame-accountability-failure-work
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AsIindicatedbefore,thereissomeonebloggingaboutjustaboutanythingfromPinteresttointernationaltradingtocrocheting.MoseyovertoFeedspot(www.blog.feedspot.com/influential_blogs)andlookfortheblogtypethatbestfitsyourgoals.AimtobeatthetopoftheTop100Listinyourtopicandyoutoowillbeaninfluentialblogger!
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Conclusion Theworldiswaitingforyourperspective,wisdom,andsolutions.Itisuptoyoutodecidehowyousharesomeorallofit.Ifyouchoosetodiveintoblogging,letmeknowhowitgoes.OK?ModelingaCalltoAction:Ifthisguidewashelpful,pleasegotowww.solutionsforresilience.com/blog.ThenfindablogalignedwithyourtopicandleaveacommentwithyournameandwebsiteURL.ThiswillhelpbothofusattractGoogle!IperiodicallyofferLivingRoomLabs(workshopsinourhome)ontopicsrelatedtothespeakingindustry.Youcanlearnmoreaboutthematwww.solutionsforresilience.com/presentation-skills.IfyouareinterestedinbeingontheCalgaryinvitationlistorwanttoarrangeforaworkshopinyourorganizationorcommunity,pleasecallmeat403-242-7796orsendanemailtopatricia@SolutionsForResilience.comHappyblogging,
Disclaimer: ThiseBookisaguideonly.Idonothaveformaltrainingoreducationinmarketing,socialmedia,orbusiness.Pleaseseekappropriatecounselforanysignificantinvestment.PleaseresearchbeforemakinganybusinessdecisionsbasedonsuggestionsandresourcesprovidedinthiseBook.
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Patricia Morgan ...isthePastPresidentoftheCanadianAssociationofProfessionalSpeakers(CAPS)Calgary.SheisthecreatorandmentoroftheFastTrackprogramforemergingprofessionalspeakers.Duetothatprogram,shehasmentoredover200aspiringandemergingprofessionalspeakers.
PatriciaisarecipientofTheSpiritofCAPSnationalawardforhercontributiontotheCanadianspeakingindustry.Patricia’sspeakingandauthorshipisfocusedonherexpertiseinpersonalresilienceatworkandhome.Shehasauthoredfourbooks,fourmicro-books,sevenSpecialReports,andhundredsofblogs/articles.AndnowaneBookonblogging!LearnmoreaboutPatriciaandherbodyofworkatwww.solutionsforresilience.com