WordPress Training Expert

Blog

  • Blog Writing Tips

    If you are looking for blog writing tips, then look no further. The following five tips will help you transform your blog from boring to brilliant!

    1. Write Like You Talk: This is not advice that you will hear in Journalism 101, but when it comes to blogging it is an entirely different story. If you write like you talk you can engage readers quickly, because they will feel connected with you. It also helps for editing purposes, when you read over your blog post, do it out loud and you can hear if it flows naturally.

    2. Edit, Edit, Edit: This goes well with the above point – read over your blog post at least three times before you publish. Yes, spellchecking software is great, but it won’t catch all the mistakes. It will miss grammar mistakes, punctuation and words that are spelled properly but used wrong. If you value your readers then you will want to make sure you present your best possible work.

    3. Avoid Overkill: For the most part, I don’t think people are into 9000 word blog posts. A lot of people will scan a blog post without really reading it, if your post is short and simple it is more likely to grab their attention.

    4. Don’t Be A Wimp: Do not be a wimp – stand up for what you believe in. Take a controversial stand or two, yes some people might get angry, but they also might send the link around in their anger. Getting people talking and engaging you (even negatively) can help your blog’s exposure. For every person you anger, there will be someone who agrees with you. Stick to your guns in comments as well. I used to dread negative comments, but now I view it as a way to interact with my readers.

    5. Your Work Isn’t Over When You Hit Publish: You can write as much as you want but if people don’t read it, who cares? Market your posts every time you make one. The average person has a couple hundred friends on Facebook so share it on there. Share it on Twitter if you use it. Email it to your friends if you don’t use social media. You can also send it out to bookmarking sites like Digg, StumbleUpon and Reddit. None of these strategies cost you anything!

    Now that you have these five tips to work with you should be able to consistently create quality content. Remember to use each tip every time you write a post and you will undoubtedly notice your comments, traffic and opt-ins climb steadily!

  • Creating Targeted Facebook Advertisements

    In order to create the most compelling, responsive and profitable advertisements, you need to utilize Facebooks option to heavily target and tailor your advertisements based on your target market.

    With facebook, you can set your ads up so that they appear only to specific people, based on age, location, gender, interests, hobbies or even based on the groups they have joined within the Facebook community.

    You will want to conduct market research so that you can accurately define your target market and develop advertisements that target specific segments of your market.

    Facebook implores a quality control system to ensure that the advertisements that run throughout their community stay within their guidelines and do not offend or disrupt member activity or overall experience.  

    Use their quality control system to develop compelling advertisements that stand out in the marketplace, and capture the attention of potential buyers.

    Also keep in mind that Facebook advertising is based on display, rather than search. This means that your ads will be automatically triggered to appear based on your settings, rather than when a user conducts an on-site search.

    Users can also choose to rate advertisements, helping to retain quality throughout the community.

    Improve your Click Through Rate

    Your advertisements click through rate plays an integral role in saving you money while boosting exposure and reaching out to your target market.

    It’s important to keep a pulse on your click through rate so that you can correct any problems with your advertisement, or make adjustments to improve your overall CTR.

    If your advertisements CTR drops too low, it could be automatically paused or removed by Facebook, so you really want to pay attention to how well it’s converting.  

    Typically, your ads should never fall below a 2% conversion rate.

    One of the easiest ways of increasing your CTR is by creating a highly targeted advertisement.

    You want your ad to appear only to those who are within your target demographic, while making sure that your advertisements text or any images used speak directly to your customer base.

    Consider split testing various advertisements within the Facebook community to determine what works best, based on your industry or niche market.

    You should also pay attention to the times of day that your ads appear. You can choose to either run your ads consistently throughout the day, or have them only appear at specific times (or even specific dates).  

    Keep in mind the time zone of your target market, so that your ads are running based on the most active time of day or night.

    Stay Within Facebook Guidelines

    It’s important to understand how Facebook advertising channels work, and what is permitted as well as what is not allowed within the marketplace.  

    Facebook is very flexible with the types of advertisements that are allowed to be displayed within their community, however they do not allow images or text that may be considered offensive.

    Setting Your Maximum Daily Bid

    One of the most important aspects of setting up an effective Facebook advertisement is in the maximum daily bid that you are willing to pay.  The higher your daily bid, the more exposure your ad will receive.

    You want to start off with a lower bid if you are just getting used to advertising with Facebook, and increase your maximum daily bid as you fine-tune your advertisements for maximum results.  

    It’s important to always keep a pulse on how well your advertisement is converting, so that you can improve click through rates and overall response.

    When you create an advertisement with Facebook, they will suggest a maximum bid based on your advertisements focus and target market (based on your personal configuration and preferences).  

    You can start off by setting your maximum daily bid slightly lower than what’s suggested and increase it as you improve your advertisements conversion rates so that you are getting the most bang for your buck!

    CPC Versus Impression Based Ads

    With Facebook, you can develop advertisements where you either pay for impressions or based on the number of clicks your ad receives.

    If you are just getting started with Facebook advertising, I recommend choosing cost per click (CPC), so that you can accurately test your advertisements, while paying only for responses rather than just views.

    You can always change your advertisement format to ‘impression based’ later on in the event you wish to test out alternative options.

  • Writing Free Ebooks – Tips and Tricks

    Writing a free ebook is a great way to sell more affiliate products. The ebook can work for you in two different ways and I encourage you to use both methods in each free ebook you write.

    The first way is to promote affiliate links directly in your ebook where appropriate. You can casually mention a product in the body of a particular chapter, review a product as part of your ebook, or add an “Additional Resources” section to the end of the book.

    The second way is to link to your content site from your ebook. You can offer additional information on the site or link to a review page. By sending your readers to your website you get the chance to expose them to additional affiliate products and have the opportunity to get them on your newsletter list.

    Let’s take a look at how you can get started on your first ebook.

    Find a topic that you are fairly knowledgeable about and come up with an overall theme for the book. What are people looking for on the particular topic? For example, parents of infants will be interested in tips and strategies to get their baby to sleep through the night. A mom looking for a work at home job may be interested in how to spot a work at home scam and where to look for legitimate jobs.

    Come up with an outline, or group some related articles you have written on a particular topic. Now all you have to do is flesh it out a little bit and of course incorporate your affiliate links.

    An ebook typically consists of at least 25 pages. That may sound like a lot, but you should keep your font size fairly large to make it easier to read on a computer screen.

    Let’s talk about format for a moment. You can purchase software to create an ebook, or you can make it a PDF document. PDF documents will work on just about any computer and people are comfortable downloading them.

    I usually write my ebooks in Microsoft Word, format it in there, add any pictures or graphics and then turn it into a PFD. You can either do this with Microsoft Acrobat, or use one of the free PDF creation services on the web.

    Your next step will be to get the ebook circulating. After all you are not going to make any affiliate sales if no one reads your book. You can offer it as a free download on your site or give it away as a bonus for subscribing to your newsletter. I also like to add a note in the footer of each page that the reader is welcome to pass the book along to others who might be interested in the topic.

    Offer the ebook as a free giveaway to other website owners and post it on the free ebook directories. Then sit back and watch the book do the work for you. After a few weeks you should see the affiliate sales come in. Time to move on to another book.

  • How to Create a Profitable PPC Campaign Management

    Certain keywords or phrases that people type into a search engine lead to hundreds and hundreds of search results that pertain to that specific keyword. Businesses that want to advertise on the net using a PPC campaign have to come up with a plethora of keywords that is associated to the business that they are running; so when potential customers type in these keywords, it will lead them to their business site.

    This is pretty much the whole concept that operates behind PPC. This is how a PPC campaign brings in traffic to your site, with the selection of the right keywords that people can search through the net.

    Some keywords tend to be more expensive than others, especially popular ones. It is vital to select the right keywords, in order to get your money’s worth. This is why it is important to manage you PPC campaign wisely. Sometimes you are better off opting for the less popular keywords that are not so expensive, especially if you have a limited budget. Some businesses even hire the help of a consultant to manage their PPC campaigns.

    There are a lot of experts that specialize in PPC campaign management. They come with strategic plans, and assess the need of their clients. They then come up with a PPC campaign that caters to their client’s specification.

    This is why big online businesses seek the expertise of a professional to run their PPC ad campaign, because the right set of plans, can potentially bring in a large amount of profits. The more keywords you have, the more you increase the chances of customers clicking these keywords that would lead them to your website. There are also some software you can purchase, such as GoToast, or Bid Rank. These software programs track down your keywords listing.

    If you are running a business online, and are planning to run a PPC campaign, it is advisable to purchase keywords that are extremely related to the theme of your business. This way, people know what they are getting, and don’t get confused about the content of your website. The secret is to use keywords or phrases that are searched frequently, but cost very little.

    The chances are, the longer people stay in your site, the likelihood of these potential customers making a transaction.

    But first thing’s first: you must lure them into your turf.

    This is why a lot of entrepreneurs spend a large amount of their budget on advertising, because they know that the right advertising campaign can start the ball rolling.

    Also, you should do some research before you start your PPC campaign. There are a lot of PPC search engines to choose from. Those who are less renowned charge less for the same keywords that you’d find in the bigger PPC search engines.

    The great thing about PPC campaigns is that you can reach a worldwide audience. Advertising online means global marketing.

    Most PPC search engines require a monthly payment in exchange for their services. But if you fail to make payments, they will automatically take your listings out of their search engines. So make sure that you pay your monthly bills, so all the efforts that you put into your PPC campaign don’t go to waste.

    The potential earnings that can be generated by starting a pay per click campaign is significant. That’s why a lot of online businesses now are trying to get in on the act. Now, with the right set of keywords, and a smart PPC campaign management plan, more than ever, online businesses are bringing in the big bucks.

  • 3 Plans to Expand Your Business That You Don’t Want to Miss Out On!

    1. Find Your Niche

    Chances are, you already have a target audience that you are marketing your products to.

    Let’s face it, you’re probably looking for ways to increase your market audience and profit…or you probably wouldn’t be reading this article. Here’s the real facts… you don’t have to find a wider audience to increase you sales.

    Have you noticed similar characteristics that groups within your target audience have in common?

    Maybe you have a group of businessmen, a group of young mothers, and a group of retirees that frequently make purchases. That is just the set-up I’m talking about.

    Pay attention to the individual characteristics of each group, and divide your advertising into similar segments, or niches. Focus on the specific needs of the group in the advertising products you put out. General advertisements are not as effective as more specific ads. Hey, we all sit up and pay attention to someone who recognizes our specific needs and desires!

    2. Create A Unique Selling Point

    Why should someone buy from you and not your competitor?

    I hate to deal a blow to your ego, but it really has nothing to do with you , your product, or your service. Yeah, its a little self-centered, but customers are attracted by offers that point out the things that benefit THEM.

    If you want to stand out from the crowd, create a unique selling proposition that stresses the benefits the customers will receive from doing business with you. Will they get faster service? Go ahead and dramatize it, but keep the customer at the focus…”Get free overnight delivery!” Hey, it tells the customer…you get quick service and a discount on shipping. Two definite benefits in one statement.

    Don’t go out on a limb to create new products and services to get attention. Just, add a special benefit to the ones you already have… maybe it’s quicker service. The most effective things to emphasize are benefits that your competition cannot or is not willing to give.

    3. Offer Your Way To Greater Profits

    How many times have you began manhunting?

    Sure, as a marketer you scrounge and search for brand new or ancient methods of drawing brand new faces to your place of business. The fact of the matter is that you don’t have to find new customers for your sales to grow.

    No, in fact you can take the current business you have and send your profits to the moon with one easy technique… make an offer.

    Greet every sale with an offer of an item that is related to the purchase. The offered product doesn’t even have to be yours.

    The Internet is wonderful for affiliate marketers who can make great profits selling the material of others.

    Making your business grow doesn’t have to be a stressful, backbreaking or frantic process. Simply implement these three strategies, and watch it boom!

  • Working With Offline Companies: The Basics

    With the advent of the Internet over the past couple of decades, it seems as though everybody and their mother is on the Internet. Of course, the level of proficiency that individuals and companies have when working with the Internet is as varied as there are clouds in the sky. Some companies have really figured out how to use the Internet as a formidable marketing tool and are experts of the highest degree – others are still wondering what “www” happens to stand for.

    If you happen to be an online consulting company who works with businesses in order to help them better their online image, you’re likely familiar with working with clients who run the gamut when it comes to technical savvy and expertise. However, have you considered the vast untapped world of the offline business?

    It may seem as though everybody has a website, but the fact of the matter is that there are millions of businesses out there who don’t have an Internet footprint at all.

    This represents a significant portion of businesses in America and across the world. It can be more difficult to reach out to these companies since, well, if they don’t have an Internet presence and you’re an Internet consulting company, you need to be able to find an arena in which to promote your services and convince these offline businesses that it’s worth their time and money to go virtual.

    Of course, it shouldn’t be difficult to outline to a business why working on the Internet is a good idea. Remind an offline business about the huge amount of commerce that happens over the Internet and all of the potential clients who are looking over their business when they get on the Internet to search for companies to fit their needs and wants. Particularly with the younger generation, the first place that people look when they want to buy an item yet don’t know where to go is the Internet! Having a website is no guarantee that you’ll be able to get every single client that stops by, of course, but remind them that if they don’t have a presence on the Internet they’ll miss 100% of these potential leads!

    Remember that there are a great deal of businesses that are not on the Internet. If you’re a savvy consulting company, you’ll consider this untapped resource as a potential outlet for new business. After all, while the competition is zigging to keep up with the online crowd, you’ll be zagging and reaching out to a group of potential customers that are constantly overlooked.

    It may seem as though everybody is on the Internet, but there are millions who are not. Reach out to this group of people to both help their business while bettering yours at the same time!

  • Facebook for Individuals

    Video: Facebook for Individuals

  • The Offline SEO Approach: Step 1, Discovery

    One of the most important things that any offline business can do when it wants to enter the online realm of social medial marketing is research. Doubtless, no matter how obscure your store is or what kind of niche that you sell to, there is an online store doing exactly the same thing. With thousands (if not millions) of people doing their shopping online every day, it’s absolutely guaranteed that your offline store will have an online competitor. And it’s likely that the online competitor is doing quite well.

    While this may be exasperating to a certain degree, you can use this information to help propel your offline business into the fray and even put your offline business into a more favorable position. Be sure to look at your online competitors and see how they market their product and whom they are marketing to. Are they on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace? Do they have an RSS feed? Are they working with online directories? Do they have profiles on forums relating to the product being sold? What’s the tone of their website like, and how do they appear to interact with customers?

    One of the most important things to do for an offline business looking to work with the online world is creating an aura of discovery around their store. Since one of the major points for offline businesses when it comes to advertising is to entice the customer to visit the store, you need to foster a sense of discovery on the part of the potential customer. After all, you have to get them off of the computer and into the store.

    During the discovery part of your foray into the crazy world of social media marketing, you explore the groundwork that’s already been laid online for you. You look and see what your competitors are doing in terms of social media and figure out how you can do it better. Do they have out of date Twitter feeds? Does their Facebook profile look unprofessional? These are all things you can use to bolster the status of your own personal social media adventure and make yourself look better than your online competition.

    In addition, if you own a physical store you have the advantage of asking your customers what they would be interested in, regarding terms of social media advertising. Would they be interested in a Twitter feed, or a LinkedIn profile? Try asking some of your younger customers, should you have them. Most will probably be happy to talk your ear off in regards to social media platforms. After all, the younger group is the one most likely to be on Facebook constantly with their smartphones. Anybody older than thirty is likely to have a less informed opinion on it. At any rate, be sure to exploit the biggest advantage you have over online businesses – that is, the direct conversation with the customer!

  • Building Fan pages

    Video: Building Fanpages

  • Promoting Facebook

    Video: Promoting Facebook