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Pasteurize Homogenize And Monetize

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Got Milk?

Cool.

Got Money?

Uh … maybe not yet.

What’s the blinking secret to monetizing your blog?  Will someone be kind enough to shout it out to me, please?!

I swear (on my dog’s nose freckles) I’ve read volumes on the subject and I still can’t fill in the big BLANK.

Is your blog generating an income?

Here’s even a better question:

When is the last time someone read one of your blog posts and a payment instantly appeared in your PayPal account?

That’s what I figured.

But if this IS happening for you, we need to talk.  You’ve found the buried treasure and you need to share the riches.  Mum says it’s not nice to be stingy.

I’ve come to the conclusion there is no ONE way to effectively monetize your blog.  Different strategies work for different people (Don’t you hate it when you hear that?).

Looking for a reality check on blogging for money?

Then sprint over to Problogger.net and read “Make Money Blogging” — Darren Rowse is an ace blogger, a really cool guy, and a trusted authority on blogging.

*  Do you think it’s possible to earn an income blogging?
*  What tools or techniques are you using to monetize your blog?
*  Would you say there are any perils or pitfalls to blog monetization?

photo credit: dreamstime

 


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Filed Under: Blogging, Making money on the internet Tagged With: , , , ,

Blogging Causes Insomnia

By 66 Comments

It’s true.  Blogging is the nasty culprit.  I can’t fall asleep at night because of blogging.

It’s not even MY blog that’s the problem — it’s everyone else’s!

And I’m going to name names because I’m DESPERATE for some sleep.

Alex Whalley kept me up till 3:00 A.M. on Tuesday (Well, by then, it was Wednesday).  He writes killer posts a mile long, he’s got a quick wit I admire, and he’s a genius at doing a play on words.  Just get your ‘ask’ over to his blog and you’ll know what I’m talking about!

I’m convinced.  Theresa Bradley-Banta of BigFishTopDogs never sleeps.  Never.  She cranks out so much content, I can’t keep up.  It’s all good and I want to read it ALL.  You know the Lay’s commercial that touts, “Bet ya can’t eat just one?”  Bet ya can’t make just ONE visit to Theresa’s blog!

Then there’s “Mr. Personality”, Keith Davis, of espeaking. He’s the guiltiest party of all.  He posts a comment on my blog.  I reply.  He comments back.  I reply again.  What’s wrong with that man?  What does he think a blog is?  A conversation?!

I.  Need.  Some.  Sleep.

And I can’t leave out Michelle Shaeffer.  I don’t know if her blogging engine gets revved up after the sun goes down or she gets a second wind after midnight — can’t figure it out.  But she ropes me in every time.  Michelle offers up (the likes of which you’ve never seen) loads of valuable resources and biz-building tips.  Her blog is a doggone magnet!

Ever heard of speedlinking?   Sheila Atwood is the quintessential pro!  But I’m warning you.  If you go over to her blog to see how she does it, you’ll be hooked.  You won’t want to miss those posts — even if you have to catch them in the middle of the night.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I could name about fifty more bloggers, but you get the picture.  These people are the reason I’m suffering from sleep deprivation.

I know what you’re thinking — it’s not their fault.  Yes it is!

*Note* to everyone whose blog I frequent and you know who you are (if you want to cure my insomnia) …

Can you lay low for a while?
Take a vacation, maybe?
Go out on your patio and read a book?
Try Vlogging for a change?
Loan your computer to a starving student?

NO?

Well, how about a compromise?

I’m begging you.
For a while (so I can catch up on my sleep), write SHORTER posts, would ya?!

Anyone else out there glued to your chair reading blog posts at the (butt) crack of dawn?

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Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Quietly Controversial

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No. Such. Animal.

Total oxymoron (you know, like “jumbo shrimp” or “loose tights”).

I dare you to write a post with the intention of being quietly controversial!

And good luck.

I tried it once.  IT DIDN’T WORK (that’s a story I promise I’ll share with you at a later date).  So hold that thought.

Today I want to encourage you to head over to Newbie Lifeline and check out the Headline Blog Challenge Sheila Atwood is hosting.  Yes!  There are cool prizes being offered.

(By the way, this is not a lengthy, ongoing type of challenge. You will need to submit ONE headline and post — that’s it!)

Headlines are powerful.

Did the headline of this post make you at least a little bit curious?  Were you thinking, “What the heck is Melanie going to say about this strange combination of words?”

I hope so.  Because that was my goal.

You can craft the most wonderful posts imaginable.  But if your headlines don’t grab people by the lapels and pull them in to read on, you’re sunk.  Headlines are where the engagement with your audience begins.

Got an idea for a compelling headline?  A HOT headline?

Then get over to Sheila’s blog and read about how you can participate in her headline-writing challenge.

I’ll see you there!

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Filed Under: Blogging, Creativity, Social Media Marketing, Writing effective headlines Tagged With: , , , ,

“Tug of War” For Entrepreneurs

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Website or Web Presence.

Which one is tugging harder?

You can have a website that resembles designer fashionwear — with all the latest trendy tools and trimmings.

Peachy.

I mean, after all, who doesn’t want to LOOK good, right?  And not only is form important, so is function.  You’ve got to have a website that’s working for you — easy to navigate, captivating content, and one that won’t have people clicking away in seconds.

Your work is cut out for you.

It’s not an onvernight accomplishment to design a website that educates, enriches, entertains, and engages your target audience.

Website is pulling pretty hard on that rope!

But what about web presence?

I’m sure you know this by now.  To have success on the internet, you’ve got to be seen everywhere.  You can’t hang around on your website all day and expect to create a presence online.  Ain’t gonna happen.

But being seen everywhere takes mounds of time.

Joining conversations on Twitter, answering questions on Quora and LinkedIn, participating in forum discussions, submitting articles to article directories, interacting on Facebook, recording audios, doing interviews, hosting teleseminars, publishing blog posts — WHEW!  And this is only a partial list.

Looks like web presence is pulling pretty hard on that rope, too!

So which one is going to win the entrepreneurial game of “Tug of War”?

Website?

Or Web Presence?

You tell me.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Brand yourself online, Building relationships online, Internet Marketing Tools, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

First Ever “No Questions Asked” Interview

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Solo Mompreneur exclusive!

Today I’m excited to post an extraordinary interview with Leanne Chesser and Cheryl Wilms of WAHM Solution — my first ever “No Questions Asked” interview.

How is it possible to interview someone without asking any questions?  Not one single question??

Click the WAHM Solution logo below and find out!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Balance work and life, Blogging, Brand yourself online, Building relationships online, Following Your Passion, Making money on the internet, Moms in Business, Small business owners, Social Media Marketing Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Light Yourself On Fire And People Will Come To See You Burn

By 58 Comments

Don’t know if I’d actually hold a match to myself, but I did set my hair on fire once in the kitchen!

And while I was teaching a class last night at a local hospital, an employee’s car burned up in the parking lot.  A large group of spectators started to gather (human nature at work) before the fire department reached the scene.

One thing is certain — Fire grabs and commands attention!

But this post isn’t about setting literal fires, it’s about setting yourself apart from the crowd — creating curiosity and commanding attention in ways that are uniquely yours.

So how do you uncover and use your authentic brilliance to create a powerful personal brand?

1. Know your top five core values.

2. Know your top five strengths (Go to “50 Free Online Tools to Discover Your Strengths, Weaknesses, and Hidden Talents”)

3. List three words that BEST describe you. Keep memory triggers everywhere – on your mirror, computer, the dashboard of your car, in your wallet, etc., as reminders. BE your Descriptors.

4. Clearly define your expertise niche. What is it that you know or do better than anyone else?

5. Remember, emotionally, people are buying YOU as well as your product or service – they’re buying your personality and the lifestyle you represent.  YOU are the brand.

6. Consider the total experience your brand offers – everything from your communications and logos to your customer service and the quality of your products or services.  Your brand is the intangible perception that exists in the mind of the consumer.

7. Select a signature color and use it whenever/wherever possible – tissue paper, note cards, labels, pens, gift boxes, etc.

8. Create a signature talk – a specific topic that you are an expert on and can give valuable information in a thirty-minute presentation.

9. Interview your top ten clients or customers to find out what THEY feel is truly unique about you.

To create a powerful personal brand and to make sure your business doesn’t go up in flames …

Light yourself on fire!

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Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , , , ,

Themed Content – Not A Grab Bag

By 36 Comments

There’s no telling what you’ll find on some people’s blogs on any given day.  Have you ever been to a proverbial “grab bag” blog?

Visit one day, and you’ll find a post about personal development.

Visit a few days later, and you’ll be reading a product review.

The following week, it’s a pictorial post of last summer’s family vacation photos.

Next visit, it’s a music video with editorial comment.

Following month, the author is asking you to take a survey about heartburn and indigestion.

Can anyone see the problem here?

Better question …

Can anyone tell me this blog’s “theme”? Can you guess the purpose of this blog?

I wouldn’t be able to figure it out.  There’s not even the slightest hint of consistency.

If you’re blogging for business, crafting a ‘grab bag’ of posts is going to confuse your target audience.

Remember …

A confused audience WON’T take action.

And chances are really good they’ll have no desire to come back and reach into your grab bag for more surprises.

“Mystery” and “Suspense” are great if you’re writing a book or screenplay or even a speech, but not if you’re working to brand yourself and your business.

Your target audience has questions, issues, concerns, and problems they want solved.  And they’re counting on your ‘themed content’ for support, inspiration, motivation, and answers.


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Filed Under: Authors, Blogging, Brand yourself online, Building relationships online, Inspiration, Making money on the internet, Social Media Marketing Tagged With: , ,

10 Minutes of Unscripted Honesty about Blogging for Money

By 19 Comments

Blogging for money is a topic we REALLY need to have a conversation about.

The majority of my readers are working hard to find ways to monetize their blogs and it’s a huge challenge.  Some online marketing experts make it sound like a walk in the park, but guess what?  It’s not.

Please watch this 10-minute video first and let’s get the conversation rolling into high gear!

I discovered this video on my friend’s blog and it really got me thinking.  Thank you, Danielle McGaw, for spending some time hanging around on YouTube.

We need to put on our thinking caps, pitch in, share our insights, and lend some solutions for how to make money through blogging.

Is creating your own products the answer?

Will affiliate marketing do the trick?

Are niche sites the holy grail?

Ana Hoffman of Traffic Generation Cafe produced this video.  Her blog is outstanding and she’s got thousands of readers.

If someone of Ana’s caliber and popularity considers blogging for money a formidable challenge, how difficult is it going to be for the rest of us?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Filed Under: Affiliate Marketing, Blogging, Brand yourself online, Info Product Creation, Making money on the internet, Money, Niche marketing, Service Business Owners, Small business owners, Social Media Marketing

Are You A Level 10 Procrastinator?

By 51 Comments

Level 10 is the highest level of procrastination — you’ve got it bad.

I’m pretty close to a Level 3.

Hate to admit it, but I can be a “Fence Sitter” sometimes.

I procrastinate over housework because it’s not fun.  I procrastinate over doing my income tax return because, well, it’s Not fun.

And I procrastinate over going to the dentist because they always lie and tell me it’s not going to be painful.  Yeah, right.

“Procrastination is my sin. It brings me nothing but sorrow. I know that I should stop it. In fact, I will –tomorrow!” ~ Gloria Pitzer

For those who put things off till the day after tomorrow when they could get them done tomorrow …

The Procrastinator’s Doctrine
(a.k.a. The Gospel of Procrastination According to Melanie)

1) I will always commence, embark on, dig right in, initiate and/or write the first word when the spirit moves me or when I get around to it — whichever comes first.

2) If I don’t succeed at first try, there is always next month or the next lunar eclipse.

3) I shall never rush into an important assignment, task, or project without a lifetime of scrutiny and careful consideration.

4) I believe tomorrow holds the strong possibility for amazing discoveries, technological breakthroughs, and a pardon from my commitments.

5) I firmly believe all deadlines are unreasonable no matter how much time is stipulated.

6) I will always keep in mind the possibility of a miracle (however miniscule) is still not exactly zero.

7) I will continually decide not to make a decision unless I decide to change my mind.

Now that you’ve read the doctrine …

Here’s the procrastination antidote:

  • Don’t talk yourself out of things.
  • Better yet, don’t talk to yourself at all.
  • Don’t look for trouble or make up stuff in your mind that hasn’t even happened yet and, most likely, never will.
  • Take a doggone risk and Just Do It.

What’s your personal level of procrastination?
C’mon – I know you procrastinate over something.  I can’t be the only fence sitter out there.

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Emotions And Business Make For Lousy Tango Partners

By 41 Comments

Some of my loyal readership is not going to take this information lying down.

Might make a few people pretty miffed.

I can see the feathers ruffling already.

However, I don’t envision any picket signs, flying daggers, or bad press on Twitter, just some ruffling feathers.

But I’m going to trust my readers know me well enough by now to graciously and respectfully grant me my own opinion, even if they don’t share it.

Okay, here goes …

How many times since you bravely crossed over that line to become an entrepreneur have you heard, “Dream BIG!”? “Ya gotta dream BIG!”

I’m the last person on earth who’d set out to squash anyone’s hopes, but …

Dreaming (or daydreaming) about great entrepreneurial success is not productive.

Becoming emotionally vested and all wrapped up in the thoughts of making a gazillion dollars, traveling around the world in your yacht, and having a garage full of luxury vehicles … uh, not productive.

Sorry if that statement comes across as harsh.  But spending time with your head in the clouds dreaming about having a successful business is not going to get you any closer to having one.

Taking time to throw some wishful thinking out into the universe is not productive (or lucrative).

If you want to be a successful business owner, you’ve got to leave your emotions out of it and simply do the work of building your business.

Emotions and business are a bad mix.

Any thoughts?

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