"A lesson to learn"
Sly membership site owners who fail to STOP trying to take money when the membership was cancelled due to lack of quality!Yes you KNOW who you are...it seems that I NEVER went over a limit at the bank, this sly membership owner tried to take out money from my paypal AFTER I had cancelled it, the money I had paid in to cover the connection hadn't quite got there and this meant the bank bounced that payment the sly one tried to get...giving
ME a charge.
I am onto the bank for it and have emailed paypal.
I am tempted to name the person, but will refrain at the moment.
It's someone people seem to think is "a guru", to me they are just a sly greedy swine.
Hopefully I will be back online as soon as possible though I have to claim the charges back and have no idea how long that will take!
Talking of membership sites...
They can be a great "residual income" if done well...that is the key, it has to be worth sticking to.
Piss people off and they will leave your membership site in droves.
Overdeliver and you will have a great residual income that should continue for as long as you deliver...not only that, if done well you will ALWAYS have someone ready to fill a slot that someone leaves, should they leave that is. ;o)
If this interest you, you should check out what I would say is probably the easiest and best way to create a membership site of your own.
Why would you want one?
Well if you can imagine say 500 people paying you a fee of for example £20 a month...surely you would be happy with that? £10,000 a month?! :o)
More so if something you are passionate about and know you can create something that WILL be in demand in your niche.
Check out empro and see if it is suitable for you and your niche...even if it's not the site should spark some ideas for you. ;o)
Sounds good eh?
Well as long as you keep on top of things unlike the sly one who tried to rip me off! ;o)
Labels: general, membership, tips
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Rob Sellen @ 4:34 PM, , links to this post
"Stumbleupon stats"
Stumbleupon DOES work and works very well. Here is a snapshot I have done of this blogs traffic when it is stumbled. :o)I have not worked out how to cut the the white space from the bottom of this using the paint program which I did this in, so if anyone can advise me there I would be grateful. :o)
As you can see over 600 hits to one post in one day, thank you stumblers, but each post that is stumbled gives an average of well over 200 hits in a day, JUST from stumbleupon that is.
I am very happy using stumbleupon, there it is, I USE it, not just join and hope!
Maki...of dosh dosh makes a great post on stumbleupon which you should check out, it's explained better than I could do it. :o)
Another great bonus to being a stumbler is you get to find some great blogs and sites you would otherwise never see.
Stumbleupon is much better than people assume it to be.
It is not hard to use, it has a great community that is very diverse.
If you like to stumble this post, go ahead. ;o)
If you have yet to utilise stumbleupon get cracking as you will enjoy it as well as reap the benefit of traffic.
Check out my profile on stumbleupon.
It is I think the best and fastest way to drive traffic to a newer blog.
Labels: blog, newbies, people, stats, stumbleupon, tips, traffic
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Rob Sellen @ 3:01 PM, , links to this post
"Funny what you find under your nose"
Other than your mouth that is. ;o)A blueprint to "getting there" right on the sidebar. ;o)
And one that gains you 100% commission?!
Funny what we already know is where we look to get answers to what we want to know.
Making changes to your blog is all good and well as long as things are improving or improvable.
Making alot of changes at once is a bad thing...unless it is the only option.
You want to know what changes work and what don't so you always take them one at a time to get that basic truth you can act on.
Did that change improve? Yes, act and improve further, test, check results etc.
Then change another things, go through the process again.
One a time.
Little changes make the biggest difference quite often. :o)
Any thoughts?
Labels: general, ideas, stats, success, thoughts, tips
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Rob Sellen @ 5:28 PM, , links to this post
"It's still a journey"
We all start at the bottom when we start out blogging, we all take it one post at a time. Everyting takes time and blogging is no different...
You may start off humbly like above... ;o)
With dreams of climbing that success ladder in the hope of something better and bigger.
One step at a time, if we all walk the steps we all take the same amount of steps...but a tip for new bloggers, the faster you start taking the steps, the better and I mean post as much as twice a day for the first few weeks to really get the pace going...before you know it you are half way there. ;o)
Next thing you know, you are at the top, and you never know something like the above could be waiting! ;o)
One step a time... :o)
Labels: blogging, fun, general, goals., newbies, people, pictures, success, tips
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Rob Sellen @ 3:31 PM, , links to this post
"Social networking mastered"
Exciting times for you bloggers who actively use social networking, but only if you understand it and use it the right way.Web 2.0 was what I had been eagerly waiting for, being deaf you can probably understand why. ;o)
Being a blogger meant it never passed me by, as blogging was part of interactivity (web.2.0) before the phrase web 2.0 was even coined, yet now it is making a big difference to my blogs, as well as me. ;o)
Believe it or not there are still lots of people who don't know what web 2.0 even means, or have yet to even hear of it.
Web 2.0 = better interactivity. ;o)
Using web 2.0 (social sites, etc) is the best thing you can possibly start doing if you are a blogger or website owner, after all you are already a part of it. ;o)
In my eyes the best way to get traffic to your blog, more so if it's a new blog is using the power of social networking, bookmarking sites etc.
Maximise what you have before getting more traffic and you get to make the most of the new traffic too, yes?
That's what I have been doing, and it works for me well, so now I started to think of ways to increase my traffic.
So I had a great surprise when I grabbed this new report, book, pdf, whatever label you give it and this book just reinforced the fact what I am already doing is the right things in the right way, but I can still do better... ;o)
While I already knew a fair bit of what this shares, (being a blogger almost 4 years made sure of that), it gave me new angles to look at what I already do and plan to do.
These new angles I can promise you will make a big difference to what I had planned anyway...great to see your own plans and ideas from another angle...it expands it. ;o)
While some people will look at things from a "will this make me more money" angle, the key to everything online is traffic, and more traffic can mean more money, right? ;o)
To me the traffic increase is what most people need, even if no intention to monetise that traffic is there, people still want more readers, right?
Of course, so I recommend everyone grab this report, read it and master it. ;o)
The biggest thing I can say is I KNOW it works because I have had success with it and I KNOW web.2.0 is what you should learn more about, even if you have no blog yet.
You are online, you use web 2.0!
Grab it, share your thoughts in the comments. ;o)
Labels: $7 dollar, blogger, ebook, general, plans, report, success, thoughts, tips, traffic, web 2.0
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Rob Sellen @ 5:35 PM, , links to this post
"Normal(ish), untill christmas"
The summer end is approaching but we are having some nice weather here, the kids are back in school, the usual routine again, and mums and dads everywhere breathe a sigh to catch their breath again. :o)A chance to get a little time to themselves and plan ahead, prepare for the coming season changes, slowly. ;o)
A nice time to pop to the beach for a breather...
Spot the people?
And further around it goes...for 19 miles!!
Bring ya fishing rod and take your spot.
Plenty of room. ;o)
Beautiful eh?
Sept has hit us and now is the time to start planning what you have in store with your life, work, blogging.
You are planning to take advantage of seasonal things, aren't you? ;o)
Halloween comes up, Guy Fawkes, Christmas.
Do you add these to your plans?
Blog about what you can relating to you and your blogs topic, theme?
Planning early and planning well you can make the most of being seen when the time comes, being prepared with good articles, ideas, blog posts, contests and other angles can be a great boost, if you can keep the momentum going you have a great chance to improve the following ones, like Christmas. ;o)
While you take a breather, take time to also reflect on what you can add to the mix for the next few months. ;o)
Any thoughts?
Labels: blogging, chesil beach, general, ideas, life, pictures, plans, thoughts, tips
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Rob Sellen @ 2:45 PM, , links to this post
"You tell me, I'll listen"
It's been a real summer of reflection and change in some ways and they say people fear change, well I would like to embrace it for what it is, not least because the last 7 or 8 weeks has taught me a huge amount. ;o)
Learning things in ways I wouldn't have expected and yet learning things where I wouldn't have even looked....right under my nose! ;o)
The blogging side of it is no different on that score and what I have gained over that time I couldn't put a price on it in many ways but putting what I have learnt into practice is the key.
That's the aim and it is giving me two feelings, one of slight anticipation and one slight excitement and fear mixed.
One the one hand it's all "go for it" and yet on the other it's "what if goes wrong?"
So who better to ask than you, the reader. :o)
You see there seems quite a divide among bloggers and no-one will please everyone but at least pleasing your own readers is the main thing. :o)
What's this divide?
Monetisation and those who bleat about the so called "cause", which I guess is that blogs are "diary's, personal, not meant for making money with"...the brigade who in my eyes have no place telling others what they should and shouldn't do on their blogs.
If blogs weren't made for monetisation why did Google start AdSense?
But I digress, the fact is there is a divide and to me it's as daft as ya like. ;o)
Blogs are simply dynamic websites, no more no less. ;o)
The easy way to build an online presence...for anyone, and fast.
But it also got me thinking... ;o)
I got thinking about this blog and what I want from doing it as well as what other plans I would like to carry out elsewhere...which way am I going, and where to?
I got thinking about what I can do, now and further down the line.
Well I got some answers from asking...me, but I don't read this blog, I write it so the reader is as important as me in what can be done to improve things, after all that's the whole point and you benefit the most. ;o)
I did get some great tips from a readers view from a discussion board and it made me think too.
I will tell you why too...and I do think it matters.
We all market, we all not all marketers yet we are.
An oxymoron I know but what I mean is it's a mentality, a marketers mentality and it's more so with IM, (Internet marketing).
So while we all blog we need readers and in some way the blogs are marketed to them, even indirectly, if you blog...you market in some way yet you may not actively market.
You don't have a "marketing head on" all the time.
It's a real thing and it can also be an addictive thing but also being exciting, frustrating uplifting all rolled into one it can be a nightmare to stop, to turn that "marketing head" off.
IM is a myth, a mentality, yet a reality! ;o)
But here's the rub, without learning what I have through IM I wouldn't be where I am now. ;o)
But I digress, where was I?
Oh yeah...having stepped out of the IM circle a bit in the last month or so I have had my eyes really opened by stepping more into the blogosphere and the "social network" side of the net...which I always known of just not realised the scope and benefit of it.
The future is there, and we are a part of it already.
But I also now realise who diverse the wider picture is and feel more in line with where I am going and how, just need to act and act the best I can on what matters while also growing in the right direction.
This blog is a big part of that direction.
Lets be straight here and lets say...for instance, as it could be anyone of us bloggers and most of us will have asked themselves at some point, so for example...
It cost £30, or $30 to be online a month, so we can say...
The reality is £1, or $1 a day from this blog keeps this blog going easily, so that's free Internet...not much is it?
But...
Where does that come from?
If I don't get that how can I do that?
And every month?
(Sheesh my IM "marketing head" is partly back on... See... ;o) )
The basics people say are you usually get a 1% response rate, meaning 1 out of 100 will actually give, buy, act in what way gets you the £1 or $1 but...
Only if they have a way for you actually getting that £1 or $1.
It's the last one that's so pleasing to me and THAT is the one I like most. :o)
When I get a beer it does make me feel great and knowing someone gave freely is the icing on the cake. ;o) Maybe it's the supposedly "subliminal messages" here which I can't find! ;o)
But if you did all of above you make your chances better and worse, depending on how you do them...mix and match is what most people do.
So while I was asking myself these questions I realised making money from this blog was never really an intention but it has become a need for now because of that stepping out of the IM circle gave me a slight dip which I has risen above now...just hoping not too late. ;o)
I view the world online a little different to some being deaf it makes the world more communicative. ;o)
More accessible and for that I want to stay online for good.
Re-thinking plans and taking the lessons learnt I have to embrace changes and I will. ;o)
Well I got thinking about how this blog looks, what you get from it and how best to ensure of a £1 or $1 a day thrown in the mix.
Just for the simple reason of making the Internet pay for itself via at least one thing I do and if it's this blog than all the better...
Because I give all in this blog the best I can and want to improve, grow and write under no pressure of the content I put here, meaning it doesn't have to do more than I need it to do money wise, I enjoy writing on here and want to enjoy it more. ;o)
So in all honesty I only need to do ONE thing...for at least £1 or $1 a day I give content that's worth it ;o)
That's why a beer is better than a sell. ;o)
It means what I wrote was worth it to someone who is under no obligations.
I prefer to write longer and better posts if I can give something to someone in some way. :o)
So two or three ideas spring to mind...
Would any of you feel if all but the beer was removed that you would ever buy the beer?
Or would you get me drunk? ;o) ( Not that it goes on beer of course! )
Any thoughts, comments? Please comment.
Wanna share this post?, Please do.
Or even buy me a beer? ;o)
Learning things in ways I wouldn't have expected and yet learning things where I wouldn't have even looked....right under my nose! ;o)
The blogging side of it is no different on that score and what I have gained over that time I couldn't put a price on it in many ways but putting what I have learnt into practice is the key.
That's the aim and it is giving me two feelings, one of slight anticipation and one slight excitement and fear mixed.
One the one hand it's all "go for it" and yet on the other it's "what if goes wrong?"
So who better to ask than you, the reader. :o)
You see there seems quite a divide among bloggers and no-one will please everyone but at least pleasing your own readers is the main thing. :o)
What's this divide?
Monetisation and those who bleat about the so called "cause", which I guess is that blogs are "diary's, personal, not meant for making money with"...the brigade who in my eyes have no place telling others what they should and shouldn't do on their blogs.
If blogs weren't made for monetisation why did Google start AdSense?
But I digress, the fact is there is a divide and to me it's as daft as ya like. ;o)
Blogs are simply dynamic websites, no more no less. ;o)
The easy way to build an online presence...for anyone, and fast.
But it also got me thinking... ;o)
I got thinking about this blog and what I want from doing it as well as what other plans I would like to carry out elsewhere...which way am I going, and where to?
I got thinking about what I can do, now and further down the line.
Well I got some answers from asking...me, but I don't read this blog, I write it so the reader is as important as me in what can be done to improve things, after all that's the whole point and you benefit the most. ;o)
I did get some great tips from a readers view from a discussion board and it made me think too.
I will tell you why too...and I do think it matters.
We all market, we all not all marketers yet we are.
An oxymoron I know but what I mean is it's a mentality, a marketers mentality and it's more so with IM, (Internet marketing).
So while we all blog we need readers and in some way the blogs are marketed to them, even indirectly, if you blog...you market in some way yet you may not actively market.
You don't have a "marketing head on" all the time.
It's a real thing and it can also be an addictive thing but also being exciting, frustrating uplifting all rolled into one it can be a nightmare to stop, to turn that "marketing head" off.
IM is a myth, a mentality, yet a reality! ;o)
But here's the rub, without learning what I have through IM I wouldn't be where I am now. ;o)
But I digress, where was I?
Oh yeah...having stepped out of the IM circle a bit in the last month or so I have had my eyes really opened by stepping more into the blogosphere and the "social network" side of the net...which I always known of just not realised the scope and benefit of it.
The future is there, and we are a part of it already.
But I also now realise who diverse the wider picture is and feel more in line with where I am going and how, just need to act and act the best I can on what matters while also growing in the right direction.
This blog is a big part of that direction.
Lets be straight here and lets say...for instance, as it could be anyone of us bloggers and most of us will have asked themselves at some point, so for example...
It cost £30, or $30 to be online a month, so we can say...
The reality is £1, or $1 a day from this blog keeps this blog going easily, so that's free Internet...not much is it?
But...
Where does that come from?
If I don't get that how can I do that?
And every month?
(Sheesh my IM "marketing head" is partly back on... See... ;o) )
The basics people say are you usually get a 1% response rate, meaning 1 out of 100 will actually give, buy, act in what way gets you the £1 or $1 but...
Only if they have a way for you actually getting that £1 or $1.
- If you rely on Adsense or similar you need alot more than 100 visits to get the £1 or $1 a day.
- If you have good traffic to your blog you could do it with Adsense easy, if it's the action you want and lead them to take.
- If you have something to sell that your readers can buy you may well do it easy.
- If you sell adspace privately you may well do it easy.
- If you have a good readership and a good niche and you are an affiliate you may well do it easy.
- If you have a good following of fans whether due to controversy or other you may well get the traffic funnelled someway to earn indirectly.
- If you give great content freely and people donate to you.
It's the last one that's so pleasing to me and THAT is the one I like most. :o)
When I get a beer it does make me feel great and knowing someone gave freely is the icing on the cake. ;o) Maybe it's the supposedly "subliminal messages" here which I can't find! ;o)
But if you did all of above you make your chances better and worse, depending on how you do them...mix and match is what most people do.
So while I was asking myself these questions I realised making money from this blog was never really an intention but it has become a need for now because of that stepping out of the IM circle gave me a slight dip which I has risen above now...just hoping not too late. ;o)
I view the world online a little different to some being deaf it makes the world more communicative. ;o)
More accessible and for that I want to stay online for good.
Re-thinking plans and taking the lessons learnt I have to embrace changes and I will. ;o)
So where do you come in?
Well I got thinking about how this blog looks, what you get from it and how best to ensure of a £1 or $1 a day thrown in the mix.
Just for the simple reason of making the Internet pay for itself via at least one thing I do and if it's this blog than all the better...
Because I give all in this blog the best I can and want to improve, grow and write under no pressure of the content I put here, meaning it doesn't have to do more than I need it to do money wise, I enjoy writing on here and want to enjoy it more. ;o)
So in all honesty I only need to do ONE thing...for at least £1 or $1 a day I give content that's worth it ;o)
That's why a beer is better than a sell. ;o)
It means what I wrote was worth it to someone who is under no obligations.
I prefer to write longer and better posts if I can give something to someone in some way. :o)
So two or three ideas spring to mind...
- Keep blogging as I do, leaving the blog as is?
- Improve the overall blog layout keeping it clean and simple yet not too different?
- Streamline and clean up alot by reducing the adspace and similar?
- Have only MY income makers and not other peoples, of which is very little anyway?
- Remove all but the beer, keep on giving good content but relying on at least ONE of you a day buying a beer?
- Remove all but the beer and the only time I really share other peoples stuff is in a relevant post?
- A possible addition could be a forum, maybe as a place to also discuss this blogs post, ideas, share tips and more...free or even indirectly helping by a one off charge of a £1 beer? ;o) (It stops spammers! ;o) )
- Other ideas, or another mix?
Would any of you feel if all but the beer was removed that you would ever buy the beer?
Or would you get me drunk? ;o) ( Not that it goes on beer of course! )
Any thoughts, comments? Please comment.
Wanna share this post?, Please do.
Or even buy me a beer? ;o)
Labels: blogging, content, conversation, general, honesty, marketing, people, thoughts, tips, web 2.0
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Rob Sellen @ 12:44 AM, , links to this post
"Did you catch it?"
I hope the weekend was a good one for you.Maybe some of you worked hard over the weekend, did you catch it?
The opportunity?
Where?
Right here on the blog, taking action using article traffic and maybe a new blog, or at least your newish blog you have been hard at work on up to now.
Grabbing the one off one way link offer to link to your choice of a good article which also has the bio box of yours on it pointing back to your blog. ;o)
This article is on your blog anyway among others you have already done.
You could have also written an article on how you write your blogs articles on "topic" with your 100% commission "article easy" book link, on a post near the one I link to... (hint: a certain yet different page, so you have bigger exposure? **) ;o)
**Any guesses? (comment below) ;o)
Opportunities are everywhere!
If I was to mention that as this is the 198th post, there is a little time to still act! ;o)
If you new you should start (after this post) on "How you start blogging" and then read up on "creating the blog" and "promoting the blog" not to mention grabbing your "one way link" which will help your blog get found faster. :o)
Give it a go and you may well have some pleasant surprises!
And why the heck should you listen to me anyway? ;o)
Labels: articles, blogging, how do i, how to, linking, newbies, tips
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Rob Sellen @ 1:49 PM, , links to this post
"Article traffic"
Writing articles is yet great another great way to gain extra traffic with the added bonus of having a longer term effect if others use your articles.By far the best way is to use "long tail" keywords relating to your blog, site topic.
For an example lets say you have a "dog related" blog, you have tips for training, breeding and other general dog related topics.
Your general keywords may be...
Dog
Dogs
Dog training
Dog breeding
Breeding dogs
Training dogs
These are termed "short tail" in the sense they are broad search terms, these are the keywords every "dog related" site or blog will target, rightly so too. ;o)
But using longer tail keywords can gain a big advantage for you in the sense others may not target them, and you have less competition by targeting these terms.
For example...
Training dogs the right way
Dog training and breeding
Dog training for new owners
Training dogs for beginners
Training German shepherds < This could be changed for all other breeds. ;o)
Buying my first dog
Dog training at home
House training dogs
The new dog breeder
Etc... you see that these are longer terms, more in line with what people will search for too. ;o)
Writing articles that target these terms will bring in a "long tail traffic stream", meaning you get this traffic long after you do the article. ;o)
With less articles targeting the same keywords as you you have a better chance to capitalise on the traffic coming in.
You really should add articles to your plans for they are an "evergreen" form of traffic, use a good bio at the bottom of each pointing to your blog and watch the traffic build up.
Another twist for you is to capitalise on linking the articles together, so one could be linked using anchor linking as a better SEO plan for your blog traffic.
For example you do an article called "Dog training at home", which is a basic one for all dogs and dog owners, posting this to an article database, but you can have this linking to another blog post titled "Dog breeds and training" where a list of breeds of dog and training methods for each is laid out nicely for all traffic from the first article... ;o)
So your anchor link in the first article bio will be...
www. whateversitename.com/dog_breeds_and_training < that's the second articles title...
IE... an anchor link. ;o)
A post with a short blurb and a link to each breed and training article you have on the blog.
Do you think these people will click on the breed specific article you have for them?
What's more you can add affiliate links or AdSense on each post of the second articles list.
That's the way to do articles I think. :o)
If you think it's hard think again, it's made easy with the fantastic article ebook done by a friend, which is a crazy bargain and what's more, you can add a twist to the above method to gain buyers of this very book and make a profit. ;o)
How?
Do an article on how you write articles very easy on "dog training" and how other dog lovers can also start a blog on their new dog...
Have your anchor link to a post specifically teaching others how to start their "dog blog" with your ebook link at the bottom for them to get started with. ;o)
One sale and you got a great article book free!
Labels: articles, blog, how to, linking, newbies, tips, traffic
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Rob Sellen @ 12:47 PM, , links to this post
"A goal reached...I think"
Should have done enough on stay online now, while not certain, it's timing and everything as you know.Anyway, taking a look at things as they have happened and looking at the plans I had made to follow up on, I thought about things I have learned from it all.
What can I take forward with me and what can I lose in order to streamline?
Well I can't share all that obviously but what I do know is certain thing have opened my eyes, you learn alot when you have your back against the wall in any degree.
But I also learn of new opportunities I hadn't seen...
Missing the woods from the trees springs to mind here. ;o)
Interesting to realise I can improve this blog and the focus of it without ruining it in any way. :o)
The blog shouldn't and isn't the centre of things...
I can make it the centre of what I want it to be though. :o)
As for other things I now have an idea or two to capitalise on...see where it goes. ;o)
One bit of advice I can pass on that has got me thinking is the sheer activity in the web.2.0 side of things, social networks etc.
It works, and if you have a newish blog or need to widen your reach then you should become active within web 2.0 networking style sites.
Like bloglog, blogcatalogue and seen in the sidebar... ;o)
Nice people with great blogs, go look at them.
Take an active role with stumbleupon, it works well and return the favour on other blogs you like, add friends etc.
Be active and others are active.
Get involved with discussions etc, use forums.
One thing some may have noticed on blogcatalogue, alot will have missed it but one thing I have done is to change the "top neighbourhoods" say once a week, give everyone a chance for a bit of exposure. ;o)
Members rush to check my profile.... ;o)
It works...look at the "home" page and refresh, as peoples faces change in the widget it makes a difference to the "welcome feel" to it.
Neighbourhood owners will appreciate what I did.
Communicate, be active, touch people and it's returned. :o)
Any thoughts?
P.s I hope I get the connection sorted in time... :o)
Labels: bloggers, blogging, blogs, people, tips, web 2.0
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Rob Sellen @ 11:47 PM, , links to this post
"Almost there"
Funny thing life...Funny thing online life!
Anyway I digress.
A few things have happened and things look slightly up, not quite there, but the right direction, still here, with opportunities, time and effort to utilise.
One step at a time eh? ;o)
Thanks to those who have helped, wittingly or unwittingly. ;o)
So...arse in gear throttle down...away we go.. ;o)
Some good things I notice with traffic stats lately is people are keen and active out there in the wide blogosphere and social network side of the Internet, keen to read your blog and giving you the chance to see their blogs...interesting what you find out there, amazing pictures too. :o)
Funny things where you just know the feeling... ;o)
Ever the watchful (enhanced?) eye I notice something I have had to give thought, the focus of some blogs I see tend to have a theme and a narrowness, and on others they are a mish mash of thoughts, pictures, tips, others purely aim to make money, or give 100% freely, whatever.
Yet all have different expectations as you know, but do you take notice of the anticipation?
All different again? ;o)
Every time you go to certain blogs you have visited often you get a certain expectation and that influences the anticipation...in a big way.
What do you anticipate on a visit to each blog you do?
In most case is "more of the same", no? ;o)
So something not quite expected this time is to peak in some way your anticipation on the next visit?
Concentrate on your readers anticipation and watch their expectations change, hopefully for the better, every so often ;o)
If you have yet to grab the free book as seen on the sidebar here, it touches upon a key example in it's "pillars" which do this. (Every blogger should have that book!)
Problogger Darren does it with his "series" too.
But there are alsorts of ways this is done, and maybe it truly is each blog is as unique as the writer AND reader. Each visit for each person generates a unique reaction, spark, idea, view, inspiration, spark of anger...whatever...all unique.
We all take things uniquely every visit, every word.
So we can never be perfect in any way, why try? ;o)
Just do whatever you are but anticipate your readers anticipations every so often until it's an every time habit.
The truth to me is the focus of a blog is what the readers make it to themselves. ;o)
The writers focus should be purely intent, in whatever form, be it to share, teach, sell, give, spread, annoy, worship, gain as a fan, or a mix in any way.
The writers intent may be different for each post obviously, yet the anticipation and expectation can be the real deciding factor in the level of reaction gained from each post, the aim of the intent.
Do I think about your anticipation then? Of course.. ;o)
I anticipate that some of you are not even here, but saying "wow, great pics", or "yeah, I KNOW I've been close to doing that", some of them may be back.. ;o)
Some of you "older" readers will be here, and thinking, "jeeeesus Rob, your marketing cap has slipped, you lost readers already, some won't be back and not a money button in sight!" ;o)
Some of you "older" readers may be saying "The caps on tight enough for now" ;o)
Some will be saying "Get to the bloody point Rob".. ;o)
Some of you new readers will be saying... "Hang on, start thinking about MY readers expectations and anticipations...then how I influence it hhhhmmm.. that's new" :o)
Some will be saying..."what the heck?" "Is the man nuts?" :/
Some will say..."nothing new here, nothing to see people!, move on" ;o)
It's all good. ;o)
Understanding yourself is the first step to understanding others. ;o)
Any thoughts?
Labels: honesty, marketing, people, stats, thoughts, tips
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Rob Sellen @ 12:59 AM, , links to this post
"How to promote a blog"
Great work...you are blogging now you need to get "eyeballs" on your blog and in your mind..."the sooner the better!". ;o)
First...in a way I am sorry to keep you waiting...I say in a way because it's the school holidays and my youngest in bed in the other room...had i have had a great two days with him, still tomorrow to go till tea time so it's all great!...but I am not sorry too much...my boys come first. ;o)
Eldest here on Monday for a few days... ;o)
So, while I have a chance it's time to help you along with your blog promoting!
Getting the all important readers.
Simple quick methods are...
While you researched your topic or niche, expertise...you looked at blogs and sites, one of the fastest ways to start utilising that research in an extra way is to comment on the popular ones you liked and comment to the BEST of your ability in the sense of content, add to the "conversation" or topic or ask a great question to provoke a great response as your comment will most likely have a link back to your blog. ;o)
Do NOT spam blogS, emphasis on S because if you comment on 1 with good content, it's NEVER considered spamming, on the other hand... 5 different blogs with the same thing looks bad, if each blog has a different comment then you are ADDING great content and most likely all will be almost completely different comments (angles, questions etc) so it looks good overall.
Add your blog link in ALL your outgoing emails to friends, colleagues etc,
Simple to set up in your email and as it "auto adds" to each emails it's a once set up and forget effort.
Use Google to find good forums on your topic, niche, simply type into Google...
forums : topic or keyword
Join and use the popular forums you like with your link in the signature file wherever you are allowed to BUT ADD great content to the forum, help others and answer questions etc.
People WILL click your sig link but make your sig "blurb" as catchy to the eye as possible without offending etc.
You want people noticing it...
Maybe...If it was a "cake recipe forum" have...
Like Old English cakes?
20 recipes book free!
Visit "blog name" and get yours now.
As an example... BUT, people LIKE free! ;o)
Get them subscribing to your blog or newsletter, ezine, if you have one...if this is new to you, just ask. ;o)
Join community sites...web 2.0 remember... ;o)
Interact with others in your niche and build friendships etc.
Look at the "widgets" on the sidebar of this blog with pics, "my bloglog" blog catalogue" etc and join these sites and add your blog to it as well as create a profile.
A tip... BRANDING is something worth always keeping in mind.
You can use the same pics or avatars as they are known across all these sites which most do and this really does help brand you.
If you are unsure of putting a pic of you up use a related one or have a UNIQUE one created.
A unique one is what I recommend.
I have the pic of me on here and the same one is used everywhere else if I can...people will notice me and remember me. ;o)
But I also know some people are simply not happy posting a pic of themselves up...so another way is to get a pic "treated"...same but different... ;o)
Like...
Who the heck is that!!! ;o)
If you prefer this idea head over to Nathan who did a great job on this for me, snow him under with work and mention me, say I deserve a beer for that,... ;o)
He will do a great job for you...I KNOW that. ;o)
Having a unique picture or avatar will go a long way in branding your blog and shouldn't be underestimated.
Why web 2.0 though?
Widgets...pictures...profile pages...
Here's a truth, everyone likes to see their pic, avatar on other peoples blogs...admit it you bloggers... you do, we all do and another thing is we like to see other people on our blogs too!
Interactivity, did I mention that?... :o)
You may want to use facebook, myspace, whatever to spread your word, the key is to show some interest, read other blogs sites get to know people and people will get to know you.
Funnily enough, because I am deaf in one sense its easier to "get to know someone" online than offline although people offline will tell you I do communicate pretty "normal", but online there are NO barriers! . . . Nice!! :o)
You can do it...easy, I got faith in ya!
What else can we do to get you cracking and that ball rolling along?
Write a great article with a great sig link (the whole point of article writing) at the bottom and let others use it.
This is done with ezine article databases where 1000'2 of them are there for anyone to use.
The more that use yours the more one ways you have and it does work well.
For some it may be a bit confusing...if so, its simple and it is done best by writing a great 400 to 500 word article relating to your blog topic, (use a few keywords in the article too) which has a sig link at the bottom (sig must be included by others using article), a bit like the forum one you would use, you create great content that's ALMOST enough...but leading to more on your blog via the sig link. ;o)
Submit your article to the top ezine article directories in the related topic categories.
Ask in comments if wanting to know more.. ;o)
Utilise smaller channels to gain exposure to the bigger ones.
Lets take real fame for example...the first paper you want to get into is the local one, then hope it gets picked up by a national one. ;o) Make sense...?
Blogs can be the same way.
Give great content to your readers and they may share it with others by way of a link to you or blogging about your blog and you never know "who" is reading that blog where YOU are the content.
This can work well in several ways, your great content has provided someone else with great content to utilise and ADD to in their own blog as well as possibly sparking other smaller bloggers entering the same conversation on their own blogs.
But also you may have sparked a "fan" who is a blogger considered "above" the bloggers who blogged about you and you will made yourself noticed.
It could be a long while before it happens if it does but it could explode your traffic....overnight!
Think outside the box for your niche, stand out with something.
Lets say you are doing Old English cakes, as I has done here through this, you could find ONE cake which uses what is NOW a "superfood".
Create a great article on this specific cake and hows it's used this superfood for "whatevertime" without mentioning the actual cake in the content, and a teaser in the sig which lead to the blog post with THAT cake recipe on it.
So your actual article is about the superfood...not the cake. ;o)
Angle...it's about your angle, think about them in your niche topic and you can come up with some diverse angles to write about while still being "on topic".
BUT the quickest way to get a reader...
Post a comment here now and you will automatically have a link back to your profile where we can find your blog.
Any comments?? ;o)
Labels: blog, blogger, conversation, how do i, how to, marketing, newbies, promoting, tips
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Rob Sellen @ 11:53 PM, , links to this post
"Creating the blog"
A big welcome to all new readers, great to have you pop by.Following on from the last post I did, where I am just posting in the hope it helps some readers to start blogging, but for some of you new readers, I don't need to advise on starting...oh no some of you have some great blogs going and I will read more... ;o)
But you are very welcome to comment and add to anything. :o)
So... cracking on, now for those who did what was mentioned in the last post will have had some fun or possible frustration.
Either camp's good.. ;o) ...Means you are learning and that curve is already shorter.
So, what now?
First a couple of home truths...what the "big guys" don't tell you in the "ebooks" you see.
1, It's NOT easy, simple yes, not easy but very worth doing.
Anything is simple IF you follow a step by step plan of action and DO.
Nothing really complicated is even needed to take a BIG stride and keep that ball rolling.
Put it this way, it's alot harder to "give up" once you DO have a blog up with a few post and you see it!
The first hurdle...starting is the easiest time to give up!
2, NO ONE will read you blog for a while and it will frustrate you...for as long as you let it!
"Build it and they come" is the myth of which the dream chasers hope for when they buy the "next big thing ebook".
No one will even KNOW about your blog unless you actually DO something to share it...you HAVE to market it in some sense.
To some that's a dirty thing, snake oil sellers... "Internet marketing"...is simply promoting whatever on the web... a blog for instance?
But simply telling your online friends about your blog in IS in a sense "Internet marketing"!
So YES you will have to learn how some things work.
But don't let them discourage you. :o)
Because there is just an easier way now and that is because the web is now how it should be.
Let me explain...
Web 2.0 is simply to me a term for the "more interactive websites and systems"
The more interactive YOU are, the more you benefit...it's PEOPLE not websites... ;o)
But I am slightly ahead of myself here... I'll end that slight diversion on this... you have had by now had a good look around at blogs etc to research your "topic" as in the last post... so you were interactive with them, you were "traffic" ;o) See..you will get the "traffic" aka "people"
But they are PEOPLE first, traffic second yet inseparable.
So start with people in mind and continue with people in mind.
On with the post... ;o)
Before naming your blog you should give some thoughts to keywords or even using branded style if you have in some way a brand of sorts to use...name etc.
Your content will use whatever keywords suit your "topic" etc so a keyword is not essential in the blog name...in my opinion.
But it won't hurt... ;o)
Creating the blog, using blogger from your google account with the by now researched ideas on whatever your topic with bookmarkd sites and blogs to get inspiration from.
You want to use inspiration from what caught your eye, but keep it simple enough to keep on top of and build as you go. I used minima templates as my first one and learnt alot about the code behind html etc...with the new blogger layouts you don't need to know it, just choose wisely. ;o)
Now you should take heed of this... you want to ignore the fact people may not read your blog alot for a while as it will do after a while.
The most important thing is to simply get cracking so now create a post...300 words maybe to get you going if more happens, great.
Don't stare at the blank screen... heres what i want you do to help you out there, whatever the topic...
Imagine I am sitting there with you and you are telling me about your "topic"...
Look at my pic... then sit and write... imagine it.. "hey Rob, I got all these tips on how to maintain a harley davidson"
Me : Oh yeah.. tell me a bout it.. write a list of ten.. ;o)
"Rob... I got these great recipes to share"...
Me:... Great, are they cakes, main meals etc? What Origin...
Oh, just some old english recipes passed down... "
Me: I'll read and use them.... ;o)
Write...write more, don't edit just write write, this creative writing comes flowing from you and the edit mode is later! ;o)
When you run out things to say... (IF you do!), click SAVE NOW get up and go put the kettle on or coffee pot and take a break from it... ;o)
Pat yourself on the back too...not while sipping ya drink though! Doh! :x)
Now you go back and READ your words... dont edit.. just read... make sense of it.
DO NOT put yourself down for any of it.
You just want to capture what "I" would read... ;o) Unedited.
Now you can alter spelling stuff only!
I get amazed at I need to edit less and less as I blog nowadays.. it flows fluidly at times.
Practice makes a massive difference...repetition is a great learning process.
What you will have will most likely surprise you, maybe 440 words... maybe 600... ;o)
More... doing better than most.
Tidy it up some, slightly reword a few things you feel needs doing and PUBLISH !!
That's IT... you have started and you are now a blogger! Ok.. calm down!.. ;o)
Now this is important... try to post at least 3 post a week, more if possible daily being better!
The first week you may only get a few visitors, but now you have a blog up with 3 or more post and it's a ball rolling.
Next, some ideas on pushing that ball better. ;o)
If you like this and it helps... great, up to you what you do NEXT, stumble this,