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18
Mar

Finding Followers on Twitter

 As you’ll see once you sign up, gaining followers is really not all that difficult–you’ll find that you get a lot of followers whose aim is to market to you.   Your challenge lies in the fact that Twitter is only useful as a marketing device if you are able to connect with your target market and keep them interested in what you have to offer.

Here are some ideas to help you get started:

  • First, tell all your current associates, prospects and customers about your new account!  Give them your twitter address and ask them to follow you.
  • Publish your url in your email and forum signatures.
  • Follow the leaders in your niche.  You can also follow their follows and followers.  Many of them will follow you back!

Be sure that you make it worthwhile to read your tweets.  Share useful links and resources, inspiring quotes, news of the day, items of interest from  your personal life (not too many “gearing up for a new day!” type tweets, though–please!!).

You can also easily retweet (repost someone else’s tweet) to add a lot of value to your account.  Twitter has made this one-click easy these days, as shown below:

Image of the retweet feature on twitter

Sharing useful, interesting information is a sure-fire way to keep your followers coming back for more!

Be careful that you don’t bombard your followers with too many sales pitches, though.  Use your tweets to build your brand and to establish relationships–sales will follow easily and naturally if you take the appropriate approach.

Again, feel free to post any questions or comments below.  Don’t forget to include your twitter url!

Susie

posted by ASJ in Twitter and have No Comments
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16
Feb

Use Twitter to Drive More Traffic to Your Blog

The Twitter sign-in page

The Twitter sign-in page

Twitter is another great option to promote your site.  In case you haven’t checked it out yet, Twitter is a constantly updated stream of short messages–called “tweets”–that each consist of only 140 characters or less.

You can use these to draw attention to new posts or features on your site in addition to using them to build relationships with your clients and customers.

You will choose which tweets you want to see in your feed, called a timeline, and others may choose to follow you yours, as well.

The site gives you an amazing opportunity to brand yourself online, as you network with others and promote your site in the process.

You can check it out and create your own account HERE.

Once your account is set up, you’ll want to set up your profile information. 

You’ll be asked to provide a short bio line.  This will form the first impression others will make of you, so work to make yours as descriptive and memorable as possible.

You may also add your photo, icon or avatar.  An actual photo will be the most effective at gaining the trust and goodwill of others, but, at any rate, don’t settle for the default icon.  You’ll find it much easier to gain a following and make connections with others when you take the time to personalize your image.  Keep your branding in mind as you choose.

A customized background will also contribute to others’ perceptions of  you and your business.  Editable templates are available if you prefer a DIY approach, or you may prefer to hire a professional designer.  Again, this step contributes to your overall efforts to brand (establish an identity for) your business.

Once these steps are completed, you can begin choosing whom you will follow with your new account, and will begin attracting your own following.  Our next few posts will deal with the how-to’s, as well as  explain a bit about the available technology for managing your account.

Please be sure to post your comments below, along with your new twitter address.

Happy tweeting!

Susie

PS You can follow me on twitter here: http://twitter.com/NewSite911

posted by ASJ in Business blogging,Twitter and have No Comments
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10
Feb

Four Ways to Get More Traffic to Your Blog

Four Simple Ways to Get More Traffic to Your Blog

Without traffic, even the best-written and well-planned blog will not bring you results in terms of list-building or earning potential.  We’ll look at four different strategies to bring readers to your blog.  While you may emphasize one way in preference to the others, for best results, you should employ a combination of  these approaches, which include article marketing, social bookmarking, SEO and posting to forums and other blogs.  

Article Marketing

Article marketing is a time-tested way to get your site–blog or otherwise–noticed.
You’ll need to compose several articles that are relevant to your site’s main topic and submit them to the most popular article compilation services.  Two of the most popular are  Ezine Articles  and  Go Articles .
Your article will be available for other site owners to use as content for their own sites, and will also appear in the search engines in return to search queries.  You’ll be allowed to include a link to your site as part of your author’s biography.  Be sure to include a blurb that piques your readers’ interest so they will want to check out  your site!
If you are not an experienced writer, you can hire someone to write your articles ( Elance is a popular site to find qualified prospects), or you may purchase Private Label Rights articles that you will be allowed to use as your own.  It’s always best to customize them so that they are unique to your site, though–a simple and quick process, if you invest in quality PLR products.  

Social Bookmarking

Sites such as Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon and del.icio.us allow you to share links to your articles and blog posts.  This will get your site in front of hundreds of potential site visitors.  You should sign up to these sites (all include simple instructions on how to do this) and regularly submit your best posts.  

SEO

SEO (search engine optimization) is achieved by including your main keywords in your posts.  By including these in your title, first paragraph and at a rate of about 2 uses per every 100 words, you will increase the probability  that your site ranks well within the search results. A higher ranking will achieve a lot more traffic, of course.  
Just be certain that you do not over work your key phrases–the text should flow naturally around them.  A good rule of thumb is that you must always write to appeal to human readers, not to try to attract the search engine spiders!  
For best results, don’t forget to include your keyword in the pages’ meta tags whenever possible.  (You’ll specify these behind-the-scenes, in your site administration panel.)

Forums and Other Blogs

You can (and should) also visit forums and blogs that are related to or compatible with your niche topic.  Join the conversations, get acquainted with other members, contribute your insights and opinions and offer help whenever possible.  As you grow relationships on these sites, it will help you grow your readership as you learn more about your topic and online enterprise in general.
Most forums and blogs will allow you to include your name and site URL (address) with each post.  This will give you a link back to your site that will help you increase your SEO efforts, even as it gets your site in front of the other members and visitors that read your comments.  HOWEVER:  rules vary from site to site–ALWAYS read the rules before you post!
Additionally, be certain that you add value to the conversation.  Never spam!  It will aggravate the other members and guests, and can get you banned from participation on the site.
To locate forums related to your niche, simply type in the word “forums” after your niche topic, such as “Blogging forums.”
An example is shown below: 

screenshot of google search

A general rule of thumb is to visit and post to 5 such sites daily.  Your site will be getting a lot of exposure, and you will learn a lot in the process.

Since this is a new site, I am going to be using these techniques and reporting back on the results.

Please leave your comments and questions below!

Susie

PS Don’t forget to check the resources page to see what’s new and exciting!

posted by ASJ in Business blogging and have No Comments
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02
Feb

How to Start Your Blog

There are a lot of good reasons to choose blogging over other types of websites!

Blogging is very popular right now, both with internet users and with the search engines.  It is also a popular form of expression–for fun or for profit, a lot of people enjoy blogging.

It is a simple way to establish your business presence online.  Many new bloggers are surprised at how easy it is to actually establish and maintain their blogs.

Here are a few of the simple steps to get up and running:

1.  Choose your topic.  Anything that interests you has blogging potential!  Consider your hobbies, passions and areas of expertise.  Any of these areas will likely prove to be great blog topics.

2.  Choose a platform.  You may choose a free, 3rd party host, such as Blogger.com.  It’s quite easy to set up and you can be blogging within minutes.  (Other posts on this blog include detailed instructions!)  Blogger also includes easy monetization methods.    Alternatively, you may prefer the freedom gained from hosting your blog on your own domain.  In that case, Word Press is one of the most preferred methods.  You can be up and running with a few clicks of your mouse.  You’ll find a great selection of free templates and plug-ins to choose from. 

3.  Now, it’s time to add posts!  It’s a great idea to post daily until you have several pages of quality content.  From that point, you may post a bit less often, but it is important to add content on a regular basis, so your site stays “fresh” for the search engines.

You’ll also need to find traffic for your blog.  Stay tuned to learn some free ways you can do that, as well as how to use your blog to earn an income.

Meanwhile, please post your comments and questions.  We’ll be happy to help you find the answers you need!

Susie

posted by ASJ in Business blogging,First Steps and have No Comments
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02
Feb

Moderating Comments in Blogger

One of the reasons that blogging has become such a popular format for websites is the opportunity to interact with your readers through their comments and observations.  For the most part, this is great–it adds interest and variety to your site.  But on the flip side, it also leaves you open to the spammers and those few others who may choose to leave material that you may find unsuitable for inclusion. 

Blogger allows you to moderate comments to your blog before they become visible to your visitors, allowing you to eliminate spam and other content that you don’t want included.

The comment moderation options are located in the SETTINGS tab, subheading COMMENTS.

Screenshot of Blogger Moderation Panel Options

Screenshot of Blogger Moderation Panel Options

As illustrated, you may choose to ALWAYS moderate comments, or to moderate only comments on posts that are older than a date range that you specify.

Once you’ve determined which of these you prefer, a drop down box will appear, giving you the option to send any comments to your preferred email account.  Comments may then be accessed and moderated from this account as well as directly from the Blogger interface.

Screen Shot of Additional Options for Blogger Comment Moderation

Screen Shot of Additional Options for Blogger Comment Moderation

When using the Blogger platform, you’ll find comments sorted into the MODERATE COMMENTS  page, found under the POSTING/MODERATE COMMENTS tab.

To publish or reject any comment, tick the box beside the comment(s) you intend to moderate, and click the appropriate button.  You may choose to sort comments individually or you may tick multiple boxes and handle them as a group.  Similar options will appear in any emails you receive.

Remember, though, proceed with caution!  Rejected comments will be deleted and you WILL NOT be able to recover them!

Moderation privileges extend to you and to any persons you designate as administrators for your blog.

Please leave your comments and questions below!

Have fun blogging,

Susie

posted by ASJ in Business blogging and have No Comments
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26
Jan

Adding AdSense to Blogger

 

AdSense is one popular and easy method you can use to monetize your site.  Once your account is set up, it only takes minutes to add it to your blog.  The steps below should have you set up easily and quickly.

Adding AdSense to Blogger 

You will earn commissions when visitors click the ads that appear on your blog. 

Please note: You will need to have an AdSense account set up. You can do this within blogger or by going to https://www.google.com/adsense/ 

If using a layouts-enabled format, choose “add new page element” and then select the Adsense option.

  STEP 1: Log in to your blogger account & select the blog where you want to add the AdSense  

  STEP 2: Add Adsense 

  • On your Dashboard, select the Template tab & click the AdSense link

 OR  If using a layouts-enabled format, choose “add new page element” and then select the Adsense option.

 You should see a preview of how your ad will appear 

  STEP 3: Select Ad Type   

  • Use the drop-down menu and select the size, shape and color of your ads
  • Mix and match, test several to find which one works best with your blog.
  •  Once pleased with your choices, click  Save

       Note: This will put AdSense at the top of your blog. If you prefer it in the sidebar, you will need to edit the template code. To do this (again using the classic template): 

  1. Log into your AdSense account and go to the AdSense settings
  2. Select the type of ad you want to use
  3. Generate and copy the code to notepad for safe keeping
  4. Sign into your Blogger account & select the blog you want to add Adsense to
  5. Go to your dashboard and select the Template tab
  6. Select Edit HTML
  7. Scroll through HTML until you find these tags:
    <!–Begin Sidebar–>
    <div id=”sidebar”><div”>
  8. Paste the AdSense code directly underneath those tags
  9. Save your changes then follow Step 4 below 

  STEP 4: Publish Blog 

  • Republish your blog so that the changes can take affect. 

Note: It may take some time for the Adsense bots to start showing targeted ads.   Meanwhile, you can be busy adding new content and sending traffic to your blog.

Next up, we’ll look at moderating comments from your followers.

Susie

PS  Speaking of comments, please feel free to leave yours below!

posted by ASJ in Business blogging and have No Comments
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25
Jan

Using Blogger for Your New Business Website

Blogs are one of the most effective tools to grow and increase your online business.  You may choose to buy a domain name and invest in a hosting account, which will, in the long-run, probably be your best solution.  But you might like to try a free account first, just to learn the ropes. 

One of the quickest ways to get started blogging is to sign up for an account at Blogger.com .  Signing up is very easy–basically, all you’ll need is your Google id and password.

You’ll then be asked to pick a name and url (address) for your blog.  Keep in mind that it will be best if you include your primary keyword for both of these whenever possible.

Adding your first post is equally easy.  The following steps will have you posting in no time:

How to Add a Post on Blogger: 

   STEP 1: Log In To Your Account  

  • Add your user name and password. Click on the Login button.  

   STEP 2: Click on New Post 

 STEP 3: Write your Post 

  • Add Title, Content, and Labels
  • Click the Publish Post button

 You’ll be able to preview and make changes as necessary, both before and after you’ve published your post.

  STEP 4: Log Off

 It’s important that you add posts quite frequently in order to build a blog that the search engines will find and rank for your key phrases.  Many experts recommend that you post the first 10 as quickly as you can, and add posts daily until you have 30 or more.  Then, add quaility content on a regular basis. 

Next, we’ll learn to monetize your blog with Adsense, moderate comments and bring in new authors to add authority and depth to your blog.

Keep on learning,

Susie

PS  Please leave your comments and questions!  The whole intent of new site 911 is to help you find the information you need to build a profitable website!

posted by ASJ in Business blogging and have No Comments
29
Oct

Setting Some Goals

Thinking through your goals before you start will get you focused, which will put you WAY ahead of most beginners online.  Too often, newbies dabble around, trying this and sampling that, and their efforts end up hopelessly scattered and ineffective (ask me how I know this?!).

Are you looking to quit your job and make the internet your full-time source of income?  Or are you looking to earn part-time, to pay for Christmas, or your next vacation, or maybe a new car?  How much are you looking to earn?

If you have decided to earn a full-time income online, when do you plan to leave your job?
How much time can you devote to your plan?

If you are looking to supplement your full-time income, what is your time-line to achieve your goal?

Once you have specified your timeline, break it down into yearly, monthly, weekly amounts.  This gives you a clear target to move toward!

Now, we can start to develop an action plan that will get you where you want to go!

Your first plan of attack is to decide on your website format.  Are you going to set up a blog?  A niche authority site?Do you have your own product for sale, or are you interested in locating affiliate products?    Do you want to use free marketing techniques (often called BUM marketing), or are you more interested in learning to use paid advertising methods?  Do you need to go look up these terms in the dictionary?  : )   (Okay, here’s the link, JIC: http://www.marketingterms.com/ )

There are plenty of resources to get you moving in the direction you choose.  Right now, the most important action you can take is to CHOOSE.  The truth is, no option is really any more likely to help you reach your goals than any other.  The real trick is to make your choice and stay focused until you see the result you are looking for!  

Please list your goals and dreams in the comments section.  We’ll all learn more when we start working together!

Susie

posted by ASJ in Goal Setting and have No Comments
28
Oct

First Steps

Okay, you’ve decided that you want to start an online business.   GREAT… Now what?  It can be really overwhelming when you are first trying to get established in your niche.  But a bit of planning will help you break everything down into manageable pieces.

To get started, you need to set some goals, define your business plan and start gathering the resources that will get your business up and running right away!

Among your first steps in establishing your business is determining just what you wish to bring to the market, and the purpose your website will serve.

Are you using your site to expand your offline business to a bigger audience?  Or, are you establishing an entirely new, online-only business presence?

Your answer to these questions will determine your next steps and the direction your website will take.

A sales or retail website is very different from an information-based marketing site. 

Each type of site will have its own demands:

A retail-based site will be based on image files, with just enough words to describe your products.  You will need a trusted shopping cart application, as well.  You will need to make the site easy to navigate.
These sites are more difficult to set up and to optimize for the search engines.  You may wish to develop an affiliate program to bring in enough traffic to make it profitable!

An information marketing website can be as simple as one sales page (probably with a related squeeze page), or it may involve a lot of information, as in a niche authority site.

These sites are more easily designed and maintained, are search-engine friendly and also lend themselves easily to set up as affiliate-promoted products.

Admittedly, this is a simplified picture of the many types of sites you might create.  These are simply two of the most common of the exclusive sites set up to produce an online income.

Soon, we’ll take a look at some of the options you have available as you get started.

Please leave comments or questions below.  We’ll all know more when we start working together!

Susie

Click here for a free dictionary of internet marketing terms

posted by ASJ in First Steps and have No Comments
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28
Oct

Hello world!

Hello, and welcome to New Site 911, where you can find the help you need to get your site online and making money!
My frustrations in learning how to build a webpage, get it set up and running on a domain, keep it updated and even learning to set up a basic business model have led me to establish a place where newbies can find the resources needed to help them do all these and more!
I’ve found so many great resources along the way!  Some are free, some are paid; all of them have proven to be very worthwhile as I am learning my way around the internet marketing business.
Many will be highlighted in posts, and all will be compiled  in the resources section.
Please use the comments section below to ask any questions you may have or any problems that you are currently facing.  We’ll all know more when we start working together!

Susie

PS.  Please also tell us of your favorite resources.  It’s fine to mention your affiliate products, but please be sure to tell us how they have helped you personally.

posted by ASJ in Welcome! and have No Comments
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