Category: Social Media For Biz

Video: Brad explains what RSS feeds are and how to generate traffic using RSS.

Another social media outlet that is often looked over in terms of the biggies of Facebook and LinkedIn fame is the humble blog. While the word “blog” might make you think of a teenager with an axe to grind and Comic Sans font or a geek writing about the latest coding language, blogs can also be used by responsible adults in order to connect with others and promote their offline – or online – businesses.

Undoubtedly there are blogs in your area that follow local events. Simply do a Google search on blogs in your area to see what pops up. As a local business with an actual physical storefront, you’ll be able to network with these blogs and maybe even get a link to your site. If, for example, you own a car dealership and you can find a local blog that’s dedicated toward cars, see if you can arrange to get an entry on that blog featuring your place of business. That way, every person who frequents that blog will look at – or even read – an article dedicated to who you are and what you do. Even better, many of these local blogs operate free, so you won’t even have to pay for this kind of exposure!

In return for the cooperation of local bloggers, don’t forget to keep your networking constant. Comment on their blog posts and reference them on your own blog – because you do have your own blog for your business, right? – in order to keep the networking relationship fresh.

Another great place to look for blog connections are the more traditional sources of media – namely, television, radio, and newspapers. Many journalists are asked to keep a blog as part of their job, particularly when it comes to local publications. Making contact with these journalists and establishing blog relationships with them is not only a great way to increase the social media standing of your business as a whole, but also a great way to make connections with people in your area. Journalists are valuable people to keep in contact with, as they’ll often know about big events where you can advertise, and if you start making friends they can even put in a good word for your in a potential customer’s ear.

Remember to keep in mind that you have a powerful advantage over an online business by having a physical storefront. Use this advantage to win over local social media contacts through mediums like blogs and then you’ll be able to fight the social media war on both fronts. Even better, if you can make face to face contact with the people who write the blogs and the people who publish the news, you can even get some of that personal interaction that’s so crucial while publicizing yourself. Not only can journalists write a blog about your business, they can refer a friend, as well!

While blogs may have got the most news a few years ago, they are still as popular as ever. When they first started, they were mostly used as a kind of online diary. However, it didn’t take long for people to start blogging for profit. And, once more and more people realized there was money to be made with blogs, they took off to a whole new level. Today, it’s a safe assumption that most blogs are started in the hopes that they will make money. With that in mind, here some tips to help you make more money with your blog.

1. Treat it like a business. The purpose of every business is to make money. Therefore, if you want your blog to be profitable, then you have to run it like a business. That doesn’t mean you have to hire employees, or anything like that, but rather that you need to take it seriously, and be willing to invest some time, money and resources to make it successful.

2. Have a plan. You may as well start off on the right foot. The vast majority of successful businesses began with a written business plan. Try to be as specific as you can. How will you generate income? Who are your visitors? What percentage are likely to click on ads or buy something? How will you get traffic to your blog? What is your marketing plan? These are only a few of the questions you should answer.

3. Free isn’t always best. Blogger.com and WordPress.com have made it easy for anybody to start a blog for free. There is nothing wrong with using free blog services to learn about blogging. However, you will have less control over your blog if you host it on those sites. Yes, it’s free, but they can also remove your blog without any warning, and that’s not good for blogging for profit.

4. Invest a little. Okay, so going the free routine isn’t good for business, but what’s the other option? The good news is that you don’t have to pay anything to Blogger or WordPress to use their blogging platforms. However, you should set them up on your own domain name and hosting. You should be able to get a new domain name for under $10 per year, and decent hosting can be found for as little as $10 per month. That’s almost nothing when compared to starting a traditional business.

5. Monetize it. There are two main ways people use to generate income from their blogs. The first is by selling affiliate products. This is where you get a percentage of each sale for selling someone else’s product. You will get a special link that identifies you as the seller, so they know you made the sale. The second way of monetization is Google AdSense. You sign up for their program, then add a snippet of code to your blog. They will then add targeted ads, and you get money every time one of your visitors clicks on an ad.

So, you have been thinking about creating a blog, but aren’t sure where to start. That’s okay, this article will fill you in on what you need to know before you get started. The good news is that blogs are very easy to set up, and you can put up a basic blog in a fairly short amount of time. Here some basic tips to get you on the path to blogging success.

1. Decide what type of blog you want to have. Will it be a personal blog that is meant to be read by your family and friends? Will it be blog about one of your favorite hobbies? Or will the purpose of it be to make money? Know the kind of blog you’ll have will determine a lot of the other things you need to do.

2. Pick a topic. Once you know what type of blog you’ll have, you need to narrow it down to a more specific topic. Now, if this is just for family and friends, then it doesn’t matter all that much as you won’t be as concerned with how much traffic you get to your blog. If it’s a blog about a hobby, then you can keep it more general, or you can blog about a specific aspect of the hobby. However, if you will be creating a blog to make money, then you need to be more careful about the topic you choose.

3. Research. Assuming you are interested in making money with your blog, you need to start with research. First, you need to research who your target audience is; how many people are part of your target audience, what their problems are, what solutions they’re looking for, and how much they are willing to pay to solve their problems. Second, you need to research the best keywords for your blog. There are a few free keyword tools that should give you enough information to get started. However, it may be a good idea to find some paid keyword tools if you want to see even better results.

4. Keep your visitors in mind. This can be hard to do when you’re the one who’s creating a blog, but you have to do your best. Picture what your visitor sees when they first come to your blog. Are the colors to strong? Too dull? How are the graphics? Is everything laid out in a logical and intuitive manner? Are the posts easy to read? All of these things, and more, will make a big difference to your visitors. Needless to say, if they don’t like what they see, they will go to someone else’s blog. Therefore, it makes more sense to try to look at your blog through the eyes of your visitors.

5. Be yourself. What really keeps people coming back to a blog? In a word: personality. So, go ahead and let yourself come through in your posts. Some people may not like, but the ones that do could become some of your biggest fans, and will start recommending your blog to other people.

Earn Money With A Social Networking Script

Social networking sites are big business so imagine the money you could earn if you had your own social network site. To create your own site you could use a script designed for social networking sites like Phpfox. Let’s take a closer look at how you can benefit from Phpfox.

Phpfox is an amazing social network script that will allow any website owner to create their own social networking website in any niche they choose. There are new social networking sites coming up all over the internet thanks to the amazing popularity of sites like Facebook and Twitter. The income potential to having your own social network site is extremely high so now many webmasters are creating their own sites.

Look at the benefits that come with having your own social networking website:

* You don’t have to constantly add new content to your site because it is continually being added by your members,

* As your members invite friends and colleagues to join they are promoting your site for you,

* When new members fill in their profiles they are supplying you will all your marketing research and demographic information.

With the Phpfox script you can create your social networking site with all the necessary functions and so much more. Of course when researching the different scripts available you should read reviews from other webmasters, programmers and developers so you can learn from others whether the script gives you everything you are looking for.

The Phpfox also offers a forum of members who are also using the scripts so you can get a lot of help and advice if needed. With scripts and setting up websites like social networking websites, a member’s forum can be extremely helpful. With forums like this you often find information you just don’t get anywhere else and even any modifications or tips that can help you to use the script better and get the most out of it.

Many social network scripts can be difficult to install and implement the many options but the phpfox script is one of the simplest scripts available. The installation process is done in three basic steps that are quite easy.

1. Create a database,

2. Upload the script files and then chmod them according to the directories,

3. Go to the installation page and enter your information. The information required is the database name, your username and your password. That is it, you then just run it and the installation file does the rest.

If you are not comfortable installing the script yourself you can have the Phpfox Company install it for you for a small fee. When the script is installed you can then log yourself into the admin area and choose the template you want for your social networking website. There are a number of templates to choose from with the phpfox script.

If you are considering creating your own social networking website then Phpfox is certainly one of the best scripts to do it with. Of course you should explore all your options and decide which is best for you.

There was a time when blogs were the “latest and greatest” thing online. While they may not get as much media attention as social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, blogs are still as popular as ever. The reasons for starting a blog may vary, but everybody can benefit from good blogging advice, regardless of how new or experienced they may be. The good news is that blogging is fairly easy to learn, but at the same time, there are always ways to improve. With that in mind, here some things that will help you get the most from your blogging efforts.

1. Get started for free. Yes, it is true that you can start blogging for no cost at all. WordPress and Blogger are just two of the more popular blogging platforms that you can use for free. This is a great way to start learning what blogging is all about. You can select various themes, customize it, and add plug-ins to give your blog added functionality. These are all things you should eventually know how to do. But…

2. Free is an option, but not the best option. You shouldn’t stick with the free option forever, especially if you are going to use you blog to make money. The problem with the no cost option is that you will be hosting your blog on their server. And that means they can close down your blog at any time for any reason. If you follow the rules, they probably won’t, but you should be aware that it can and does happen. You can take your chances if you will just be sharing your blog with family and friends, but it is essential to get your own domain name and hosting if you plan on using it for business purposes.

3. Choosing a topic is important. This bit of blogging advice is the most important for money-making sites. You need to take time researching a topic and finding out about your target audience. Keyword research is the bare minimum you need to do. But the more time you invest up front, the more your potential return will be. Consider every aspect of your blog and how your visitors are likely to respond. This step will be much easier if you are building a personal blog as you can write about almost anything; your thoughts, experiences, rants and raves are all fair game.

4. Post frequently. It’s a safe assumption that you want to start a blog so other people will read it. And if people don’t see new content when they check in, they will eventually stop coming back. Posting once every day or two should keep things fresh enough for most of your visitors. If you post less often than once a week, then you will have a very hard time getting people interested in coming back. So, the best blogging advice for this tip is to post as often as you can, but to not wait too long between posts.

There is no end to the methods you can use for the purpose of marketing your own business online. It doesn’t matter how big or small it is, the internet can be a great tool to help you increase your revenue. The internet advertising business is going gangbusters, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Perhaps this is because the return on the investment of your advertising dollars goes further online than just about anywhere else. Not only that, it’s very easy to track your results when you advertise on the internet. And the tracking can be much more specific when compared to offline ads. For example, you can find out exactly where each visitor is from, information about their computer, what time they visited your website, how long they stayed, and the list goes on. It would be virtually impossible to do this with any of the traditional marketing methods.

If you have been thinking about advertising on the internet, then you have probably heard about using social networking as a free marketing option. The good news is that it can, and does work. However, the general rule of thumb is that the less you invest in online advertising, the longer it will take to see results. That doesn’t mean you should skip social sites for marketing, far from it, but be prepared for it to take a while to see an increase in your profits.

Continuing with social networking sites as an example. They are free to use, but you will have to post to them regularly. This takes time. You then need to work on positioning your business as a top resource for whatever it is that you’re selling. You can do this by becoming a noted expert in the field, which also takes time. But, once you start gaining traction, your followers will start recommending you to their friends, and you can experience exponential growth before you know it.

On the end of internet advertising business are the paid options. We’ll use pay per click (commonly referred to as PPC) for an example. This is where you pay for each click somebody makes on your ad on a search engine. However, a lot of the search engine’s visitors won’t even know it’s an ad. Let’s say you’re selling table lamps, you would select keywords (the terms people enter into the search engines for information) that best match your business. You will then pay the search engine you have a PPC arrangement with each time somebody clicks on your paid ad. How much you pay per click will largely depend on how competitive the keyword is.

PPC can be somewhat risky if you don’t know what you’re doing, but most places will allow you to set a daily cap on your pay per click spending. This will help you keep your budget under control as you learn how to do it better, and until you start seeing solid results; at which point you can invest more in your internet advertising business choices.

Blogs have been around for a while. And even though they have gone through some changes, they are still as popular as ever, if not more so. This may because it’s so simple to get started with blogging, because there are some good blogging platforms, or because people have figure out ways to make money with blogs. Whatever the reason for their continuing popularity, there is still a strong need for good blogging advice.

The first bit of blogging advice is to just do it. Yep, that’s it! Okay, what that really means is that there is no reason not to get started. There are several ways you can test the blogging waters for free; namely Blogger and WordPress. Both of these platforms give you plenty of options for customizing the appearance of your blog, and they make it easy to get up and running. Blogger allows some commercial content (such as AdSense), while WordPress doesn’t allow it if you host your blog using a free website address through their hosting. Which leads to the next bit of advice…

Get a domain name and paid hosting as soon as you can. If you already have them, then you don’t have to use the free address and hosting, and can set up your blog directly on your own domain name. Now, don’t freak out. You can get good hosting for around $10 a month, and a domain name usually costs around $10 per year. However, you can often find deals that bring the cost down by quite a bit. That being said, you also need to look at what you get for your money. For example, be sure your hosting package has everything you need.

You will also need to think about the topic of your blog. If you just want it to be for friends and family, then you blog about the events of your day, without giving it much thought. However if you are interested in making money with your blog, then you need to have a more narrow focus.

Whichever type of blog you decide to have, it will require you to update on a regular basis. The more often you post to it, the stronger your following will be; whether it’s family and friends, or potential customers. Posting every day or two is best, but once a week should be okay in most cases. Because you will have to update it often, it’s a good idea to select a topic that interests you. Otherwise it will become too much of a chore, and you will soon stop updating.

So, how do you make money with a blog? The two main ways are through Google AdSense and selling affiliate products. The best bit of blogging advice for making money with a blog is to treat it like a business. This means you need to invest some time and a little money to get it to start producing serious income for you. The good news is that blogging is pretty low maintenance and the costs for running it are very low.

One of the biggest things that business owners of both online and offline enterprises struggle with is the issue of getting followers for their Twitter feeds and Facebook accounts. It’s easy enough to sign up for these sites and get your profile set up – it’s even easy to get somebody to design a profile for you so that it looks as sharp as can be.

But once it’s set up and once it’s ready to go, even once you have all your content planned out… then what?

This is where many people get stonewalled. They either end up trying to friend too many people or not enough, or can’t seem to get their social media profiles off the ground and get those customers into the business.

Don’t despair. There is a way to work social media platforms in order to ensure that you will get traffic to your website should you have it, or if nothing else be sure that your social media site gets the attention it deserves. The key? Moderation.

One of the biggest mistakes that business owners make when they are starting a social media profile is to friend four hundred people at once. If thousands of people end up getting the same invite, they may assume that you are fishing for friends and delete your profile off the bat without giving it any heed. The better solution is to friend no more than twenty people at one time. Once you’ve cultivated a “friendship” with those twenty people – or however many of the twenty deign to respond to your invitation – you can move on to the next batch.

Another great way to get interest to your profile is to friend other businesses as well. It helps if you can network with fellow businesses or groups that have the same interests and products as you do, as not only will it give you more information, it also makes your profile look more “well-rounded.”

Don’t forget to advertise the fact that you’re on social media sites at your physical store, too. A sign asking customers to follow you on Twitter might be better received than you originally think. It’s also good to start with your local base, because the more followers you have, the easier it gets to recruit other people to friend your profile or follow your feed.

Also, don’t forget to keep your content interesting and fresh. Don’t update every day if you don’t have something to say. While updating Twitter feeds constantly might be the thing among the preteen sect, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best idea for your business. Only update when you have something to say – and if that “something” is an offer or a sale, that’s all the better!

There is no doubt that online marketing sounds like a great way to advertise your business. While it’s true that it odes have a lot of advantages over traditional marketing methods, it can be confusing and take a lot of time; especially for those who are new to it. The good news is that there is a solution to those problems, and that solution is internet advertising software. But don’t think that such software is only made for, or useful to, new marketers. It can also be beneficial to those who have been involved in internet marketing for a long time.

It would be next to impossible to make a blanket statement that describes all internet advertising software, but generally speaking, it should be able to streamline and automate a lot of your marketing efforts. You should also expect it to be easy enough to use, and to come with clear instructions for its use. Some software is quite self-explanatory, while some has a steeper learning curve. Even if it takes longer to get the hang of, it should come with a good usage guide, or even videos that walk you through how to use it.

As long as you are interested in internet advertising software, you should look into what kind of support is offered. At the very least, you should sign up for updates so you will be aware of any new versions or security patches. You can get some idea of how good a company’s support is by contacting them before you buy. Then take note of how quickly they respond, and how professional they are. If you don’t hear from them, or they are rude, before you become a customer, then you can assume you will be treated the same after becoming a customer. In other words, you may want to look at another piece of software.

Other than that, you should have a good idea of what areas you want the internet advertising software to help you with. For example, if you are interested in robust ad tracking, then getting a piece of software that helps you keep tabs on your inventory doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Don’t just buy something because it sounds good and you think you may use it “some day”. Get what you need, or what you are sure you will need in the immediate future.

Before you buy anything, go online and search for reviews. Keep in mind that not all reviewers are being honest, good or bad. So, you will need to consider the source, and then look at the totality of all the comments before using them to help you make your decision. For the most part, you can trust reviews that are made by featured reviewers in well-established outlets.

There is a lot of good internet advertising software out there. Software that can save you time, money and hassle. Using it can make things that much easier for you, and that means spending less time on the “boring stuff” and spending more on the fun part…which is collecting your profits.