Everywhere I turn nowadays I hear more and more people talking about learning how to make money online, in particular, how to make money with blogs. Although the number of people using blogs to make money has skyrocketed over the past few years, the vast majority of them are failing miserably. If you’re one of them, here’s a way to make money with blogs in 7 easy steps:

1) Pick a niche market you are very much interested in, and is a “buyers” market, and start posting Search Engine Optimized (SEO) content to your blog that solves a problem for your reader in that market. Think of this blog as a “Theme” blog, with all that you do centered around this one theme. This helps you to focus and not get distracted by the “latest & greatest” money-making gadget or online opportunity.

2) Write SEO content articles about your topic and submit them to article directories, with a link back to your blog in your resource box. Be very mindful to follow the rules as outlined by the blog directories you are submitting articles to. No link baiting, flagrant promotion or hyper-links within the body of the articles. I personally use ezinearticles.com, goarticles.com and articlealley.com for my article submissions.

3) Pick one (1) quality forum that is related to your niche market and actively participate in that forum, both asking and answering questions. Again, no link baiting or flagrant promotion, etc. Focus on adding value to the conversation and what you can give versus just what you can take. You want to build your reputation as the “go to” person in your market and not the “run from” person

4) Place affiliate ads using anchor text links on your blog, paying close attention to the words in your anchor text. Be sure that they include the same keywords that you use in your blog posts, your article submissions and your forum posts. For example:

<a href=“http://yourdomain.com”>How To Save 50% Or More On Camera Supplies!</a> would create a link at your blog that looks like this:

How To Save 50% Or More On Camera Supplies! (with “camera supplies” being the obvious keyword here.)

With the right market, the right words and the right offer, you increase your chances of making a sale when they click-through.

5) Add a link to your newsletter at your blog, being sure that the name of your newsletter is closely related to your niche. For example: Jim’s Camera and Photography Tips: “How To Save Money While Taking More Photos!” – Whatever name you choose be sure that it reflects what you offer your readers, and that your message is congruent with your blog posts, the articles you submit to directories, as well as your forum posts.

6) Email your opt-in newsletter subscribers a weekly tip that is useful and solves a problem related to their needs. Also, once a month send a special offer with a link to your product or affiliate product. Don’t overdo it here and try to take advantage of your list by sending them a weekly offer, once a month is fine for a responsive list. Remember, your list is there for you to serve and not vice-versa.

7) Be consistent. Nothing works unless you work at it consistently. Even if it was the greatest, easiest and most incredible money-making business ever created, it will not work unless you work it consistently. Consistency, or the lack of, is the number 1 factor in all business failures. The same is true when  using blogs to make money.

Using blogs to make money doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it can be much easier once you establish the steps you need to take to make money with a blog, then be consistent in your efforts. Consistency, more than anything else you do online, is what will determine your success or failure at making money.

I hope you’ve received something of value from this post! As always, your comments and feedback let us know if we’re helping you make money with your online business.

Until next time,

Blessings to you and yours!

James

*Warning: This post may contain words or phrases offensive to some.*

I received this UCE (Unsolicited Commercial Email, aka Spam) message at my inbox this morning; one of several that periodically manage to get past my security software, it doesn’t happen very often but occasionally one will slip thru. What I’d like for you to take from this post today is how NOT to do business online, as well as a few pointers of how to do business online.

Let’s roll…

I’m sure by now you’ve received your share of crap like the following email below: (copied & pasted email as sent to me, edited to protect the goofballs that sent it!)

—————————————————————————-

“From: payments@easy…….biz.com - Subject: eCheck payment in progress”

“Notification of payment received floods in my inbox after using this Plug-n-Play Software that pulls instant profits! (Oh now I see, you mean the subject line was about you and not me. How clever – loud vomiting sound)

Hi (First clue, they don’t know my name!)

Do you need Instant Cash this week? (Uh, duh!)

URGENTLY Download this software that makes me $4793.65 in 24 Hours! (What they’re not telling you is, it took them years before they started making this - if they truly do at all!)

It’s Easy To Make Money Everyday From Home With This Software…Even If You’re Starting From Scratch With Zero Knowledge, Experience Or Budget! I’ll Show You Exactly How. (Is it me, or do you smell snake-oil too?)

Click Here for Instant Access!

These are just a few of the benefits: (Trust me, these are not benefits!)

NO Advertising required (BS!)

NO Affiliate Marketing (More BS!)

NO Selling required (Even more BS!)

NO Additional Costs involved (And lastly, more BS!)

So, How Does This Work? (Not like they’re telling you, I promise!)

It’s simple and takes just 15 minutes to complete. (And a lifetime to try and make money with!)

This program is hands free (only if you don’t have any) once you have it setup you never need to touch it again (see first parenthesis). Just wait for the checks to come every month and enjoy! (OMG, I can’t wait. Sign me up now!)

Click Here for Instant Access!

To your success, (LOL)

(Name removed to save them the embarrassment)

http://Instant………co.cc (another clue)

If, at any time, you wish to be deleted from our system, you may unsubscribe here.” (Link didn’t work)

- end of email, thank God! -

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So, what’s wrong with this, you may ask?

Well for starters, I can assure you beyond any reasonable doubt, I did not subscribe to this person’s list. In fact, once I traced the email back to its original source, note the ‘co.cc’ ending at the end of the URL, I saw who it was from… A spammer! But even more importantly, the subject line and the email address from which it is sent is misleading at best, not to mention false advertising.

Listen, if someone has to resort to using “payments” as a prefix to their email address, and then try to hook someone into opening their email by “informing” them that they have an eCheck payment in progress, then they are either inexperienced, stupid, desperate or all three! Anyone with any sense at all knows exactly what this type of email and, uh, “business” is about…

Get-Rich-Quick!

In other words, people who are too lazy to get off their butts and make it happen and build a legitimate online business that serves other people’s interests and solves a problem. Forgive me, please. I’m doing my best not to offend anyone, and if you’ve bought into this type of business model or system, then please, do you, me and everyone else online a favor and get out of it ASAP.

Listen, please. There is no such thing as getting rich quick, with little or no effort, and especially without having to invest in your business. Ain’t gonna happen, not now, not later, not ever! Now, do you want to know how to do business the right way online?

Okay, I thought you would

It’s as simple as this…

These three things are what you need to succeed with an online business:

1. You need a legitimate product and/or service to sell

2. You need a hungry crowd of people who want to know more about what you’ve got to sell, and

3. You need a place for these two to meet… A website and/or blog!

In other words: Product+Website+Traffic = Sales

And sales, done correctly, lead to even more sales, more profits and a better lifestyle. However, what you do not want to do is Spam people who did not ask about your business, and who will only get pissed-off by this and then tell all their friends. The end result, we all end up looking bad.

Doing business right also means…

When building your list, be sure to attract only those people with whom you have an interest in. Be specific in who you target as a market to service. Swap the shotgun approach with a sniper-rifle approach. Don’t get me wrong, you first want to pick a BIG market of people proven to spend money, such as: Golfers. Then you want to whittle it down to Golfers within a specific age range, lefties vs. righties, etc; etc.

Next, collect name and emails with minimal or no opt-in incentive. Listen, I know this sounds contradictory to what most everyone else online teaches. However, when you send out your first email, your first follow-up email after opt in, send them an unadvertised bonus along with that email.

Why is this important? Because it was unexpected, and it’s like a present delivered to their doorstep! When your brand new reader opens their very first email from you – not fully knowing whether to trust you or not - bam! (nod to Emeril) you just exceeded their expectations and helped to build trust and credibility with an unexpected free bonus. This is not rocket science, this is just good ‘ol fashioned business where you let your actions and your content speak for itself.

Lastly, always ensure that your products & services match your readers needs, and solves a problem they are facing. Let me ask you a question: “What business are you in?” Seriously, what business do you believe you’re in?

Affiliate Marketing?

Nope!

Internet Marketing?

Uh, uh…

Making money online?

No again!

So, what business are you in? You are in the problem solving business. That’s it!

Think about this. If what you are doing with your online business does not solve another person’s problem, and offer up a solution to that problem, then what are you doing? Nothing, that’s what! Sure you may feel good about what you’re doing with your blog, and we all enjoy the many friends and relationships we build online; and that’s okay if that’s the reason you’re online. But if you want to make money online, then you are in the business of solving other people’s problems.

The correct way to do business online, is: work only with those individuals with whom you wish to work with, and build trusting relationships by offering information, products and services that solve your readers problems. And, by sending only those emails and related materials to those who have asked for it, and have given you permission to do so. Anything less than this, and your doing you and your readers a disservice.

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post, until next time…

Blessings to you and yours!

James

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Writing and creating content for your website is perhaps the single most important marketing and business-building strategy available to online business owners. However, in addition to simply creating content, you want to have your articles read. Articles that are compelling pull the visitor into your website where they’ll continue to search for more valuable content. They will begin to not only remember your website as a source of good content but also as a reliable business.

Here are five top tips to get your articles read:

#1 Compelling headlines are a must. Your headline is the first thing that your visitor or reader will notice. It must grab their attention by appealing to their emotions, making a promise, offering a benefit, inciting controversy, arousing curiosity or stating something newsworthy.

#2 Your article’s layout is very important. How you present your content may very well be the next most important factor in getting your article read, right behind your headline. Articles that are heavy with long paragraphs are often skipped. Not because the reader isn’t interested in the content, they’re just not interested enough to spend the time reading the article for value.

In general, people tend to skim when they read online, and an article that is difficult or cumbersome to read won’t be read. Instead, use shorter paragraphs, short sentences and formatting like bold type, bullets or numbers, and subheadings to help your reader make a decision to read your article.

#3 Your intro paragraph is next in line in importance to getting your article read. It should be short and to the point, yet still compelling. Your intro paragraph is used to set the stage for the rest of the article. It’s where you let your potential reader know what you’re going to tell them.

#4 Photos, graphics and illustrations come next. For some reason we’re attracted to content with images. Maybe it’s because it breaks up the content or maybe it’s because a few good images can help you tell your story. If you can include relevant images in your content, it will draw the eye of readers.

#5 Credentials is the last tip. Sometimes a website visitor does two things: they read the headline and then they scan down to see who wrote the article and if they’re qualified to talk on the subject. This is particularly important if you’re publishing articles on websites, blogs and ezines that are not affiliated with your business website. Create a bio paragraph that puts you in a good light and boosts your credibility and authority.

Getting your content written is half the job, getting it read is the other half. And in addition to these top tips, it is of course essential that you market your content with a variety of marketing and traffic generation strategies.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to check back often for more updates. As always, we appreciate your feedback, comments and questions.

Until next time,

Godspeed

James
~+~

Sales copy has a single purpose, to motivate the reader to take action. That action could be to make a purchase, though it may also be to motivate an inquiry, to inspire a click-through or to generate a subscriber. Regardless of the ultimate goal, using emotions to motivate action is a great way to increase your conversion rate.

We buy for emotional reasons, plain and simple. We justify our purchase based on logic but the initial purchase is always triggered by emotions. We want to feel better, look better, be more respected, and a whole host of needs and desires. It’s your job when you’re writing your sales copy to tap into these needs and desires with emotional copy.

#1 Position emotion in the problem. What is your prospect’s problem, the one your product solves? Write down a list of problems your prospect is having and see how you can inject emotion into the problem.

For example, “Frustrated that your business isn’t making as much money as you want it to?” “Overwhelmed by technology and looking for a simply solution to making more sales?”

Frustrated and overwhelmed are emotional words.

#2 Position emotion in the possibility you present. For example, “How would you feel if your business were meeting or exceeding your profit goals?” “Imagine how easy your life would be if all you needed was one simple tool to increase sales by 10%.”

#3 Use emotional words in your body copy. For example:

* Afraid
* Overwhelmed
* Hopeless
* Triumphant
* Young
* Sexy
* Love
* Satisfying
* Secrets
* Trailblazing
* Urgent
* Exciting
* Lucky

#4 Understand the difference between rational words and emotional words. There’s actually a really useful tool available online. Simply search for “Paul Galloway Emotional words”. You’ll find a tool that lets you plug in your sales page and it will show you where you can replace rational words with more emotional words. Don’t just take the tool at its word, however, test and track the changes to see if your conversion rate increases.

#5 Make sure your headline or promise and your call to action are also tapping into emotions. Urgency, big promises and other headline and call to action tactics usually embrace the power of emotional words. For example, if you say “Buy now before the last copy is gone,” you’re tapping into the fear emotion. People will be afraid they’re not going to have access to a copy of your book and will click through to make a purchase now, which is what you want.

Remember when you’re writing your sales copy that we buy for emotional reasons. What emotions is your reader or prospect feeling? What emotions do they want to feel? How can you use emotion to make them purchase? Consider the emotions you have when you make a purchase and then put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Great sales copy speaks to these emotions to make it happen.

Until next time,

Godspeed

James
~+~

As an entrepreneur you may hear a lot about networking and wonder what all the hubbub is about. Networking, both online and off, is a wonderful way to build connections in your industry. It’s a great way to increase awareness for your business and to build your customer base and ultimately your profits. And you probably know that already. What you may not know is networking is also a great way to motivate yourself.

Networking exposes you to other business leaders, entrepreneurs and motivated individuals. Even if you don’t have a single competitive bone in your body, when you network online and offline, you’re going to be inspired by the energy, ideas and productivity you see in those around you. It’s actually a great reality check.

It gives you the unique ability to mingle with like-minded individuals who may have a different perspective, a different experience or a different story than you do and have achieved success.

Networking also forces you to stay on your game. If you’re putting forth the effort to network, and it’s recommended that you do, you’re going to have to be at your best. When you communicate with people, you want to put your best foot forward and make a positive impression. When people ask you what you do, you want to be ready, willing and able to give them an informational and inspirational elevator pitch.

Because you just never know when you’re going to meet your next great business partner, a superior customer or one of those coveted Paul Revere types of individuals who spreads news faster than CNN. Meet a Paul Revere type of individual, get them excited about your business, and you’ve just launched your business into a whole new game.

Networking is usually a scheduled event, so it accomplishes two things. It motivates you to be prepared before you head to the website or event. And it makes you put some serious thought into how you present yourself both online and off. Networking forces you to think about your business, where it’s going, what your future plans are, and how you want to be perceived.

For most people, networking with other successful people inspires their competitive spirit. We see other successful people and think, “If they can do that, so can I.” We hear great ideas, product launches, marketing tactics and business strategies and we think, “I can do that better than they did!” or “I wonder if I can achieve more sales and profits than that?” Competition is very motivating!

Finally, networking both online and off (though online networking can be done in your pajamas with unruly hair and unbrushed teeth) makes us feel and act more professionally. Though there are some people who forget that and behave badly online and off. For the most part, the simple act of being a professional makes us feel more professional. We start to feel less like a person who works at home in their pajamas and more like a business person, an entrepreneur, a CEO.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to check back often for more updates. As always, we appreciate your feedback, comments and questions.

Until next time,

Godspeed

James
~+~

When you go into business for yourself there are many challenges you prepare yourself for. You know that you need to be financially prepared. You know that you need to market your business and are ready to face those challenges. However, one challenge that is often overlooked is the simple but always present time management challenge. It’s so easy to become overwhelmed with the tasks and responsibilities of any given day that nothing gets accomplished.

Here are seven time management tips for the self-employed:

#1 Multi-tasking isn’t an option. Multi-tasking is one of the most ineffective ways to accomplish anything. Rather than focusing on completing one task, your attention is divided and it actually takes you longer to complete anything. And quite often the results aren’t as stellar as they would have been if you’d simply focused on the single task.

#2 Schedule everything. Schedule time to work, time to play, time to network, time to plan and time to check email or make phone calls. Sounds retentive, right? Scheduling your time forces you to focus on the task at hand. It also helps to prevent distraction.

#3 Make a to do list at the end of each day for the next day and prioritize it. Put the most important task at the top of the list. The reason to create the following day’s to do list at the end of each day is so that you are able to let the day go. It actually reduces your stress and you can go to bed knowing tomorrow is in order and you’ll be productive.

#4 Schedule your tasks around your body clock. This may sound strange because we’re taught to tackle our task list from the top down. However, that doesn’t always work for our personalities and habits.

For example, if you’re a night owl and getting up in the morning is rough, the last thing you want to do is schedule an important business call for first thing in the morning. Save that slow wake-up time to check email, do a little social networking and so on. Schedule that important business call for after you’ve had lunch and your brain and body are in prime working order.

#5 Make sure you’re firm with your friends and family. When people work from home, it’s easy for friends and family to get too comfortable. You can be buried in your office, your brow furrowed in concentration and your spouse will walk in and want to have a discussion about what to have for dinner next week when the Smiths come over. You have to set boundaries and stick to them. This focused working time, this uninterrupted working time, will help you be productive, leaving you time to spend with your family later.

#6 Use your resources. There are more time management tools available than you’ll ever have time to explore. You don’t have to use all of them, but certainly some of them will make you more productive. Whether it’s Outlook, Google calendar, your PDA, or a paper calendar and your favorite pencil, develop a system of staying organized and use it.

#7 Take time away. This may sound contradictory; however, in order to remain productive during your work time you have to play some too. If you don’t, burnout will certainly ensue and you’ll move at a slower pace than a two year old that’s been ordered to eat their vegetables. Take time to play and you’ll feel refreshed and energized, ready to go back to work!

Time management isn’t tricky but it does take a plan, some patience and certainly fortitude. You’re an entrepreneur so you definitely have what it takes to get it done. Create a plan, use your resources and make it happen.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to check back often for more updates. As always, we appreciate your feedback, comments and questions.

Until next time,

Godspeed

James
~+~

Have you heard about or seen the commercials for VoIP? It stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and is essentially just that. It’s a way to make phone calls over the internet. There are basically three ways to use it including:

* Computer to computer
* Computer to fixed network lines
* Telephone calls through IP-based internal networks

And there are three ways to connect to a VoIP network:

* A VoIP telephone
* A regular telephone with a VoIP adapter
* A computer with speakers and a microphone

VoIP is a great tool for businesses because it enables you to call anyone anywhere in the world at a very affordable price. Prices are much lower than either a landline or cell phone rates. In fact, you can choose your own area code so if all of your family is back home in Boulder, Colorado you can choose the 303 area code and save on long distance charges.

VoIP also offers the facility for business owners to integrate audio and video applications while you’re talking to someone. You can even access data applications like your email, documents or even surf the net while you’re on the phone. Imagine talking to a client and needing to bring up information quickly to back up a point you’re making, or to research the client while you’re on the phone. With VoIP you can do it quickly and easily without interrupting your phone call.

You can also web and video conference with clients and contractors while you’re on the phone.

Worried about being tethered to a computer? Not the case – you can take your VoIP adapter anywhere and use your number anywhere there’s an Internet connection.

Many VoIP providers also offer a number of beneficial features including:

* Voice Mail
* Call Forwarding
* Call Waiting
* Caller ID
* Caller Blocking
* Do Not Disturb

Speaking of providers, you may be wondering how you can get VoIP and who the top reliable providers are. Vonage may be the provider that comes to mind; however, they’re not at the top of the list. When comparing providers for your small business, check out:

* Vocalocity
* Nextiva
* Aptela
* Jive Communications

For your personal use check out:

* ViaTalk
* PhonePower
* ITP
* Nextiva

When comparing providers, be sure to check out reliability, customer service, compatibility, features, and of course price to make sure you’re choosing the right VoIP provider for you.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to check back often for more updates. As always, we appreciate your feedback, comments and questions.

Until next time,

Godspeed

James
~+~