Use a Blog for Profit
This Special Report was prepared to show you how to use your blog as the base for your business on the Internet. Your blog is your ‘home on the Internet’,This report will explain how to set up your blog,how to add relevant content,and how to monetize your blog to build a profitable online business. I have also added some links to resourses I use.
Setting Up Your WordPress Blog
I use WordPress as my blogging platform because of its superior search engine optimization (SEO) capabilities and free plug-ins. Workpress is now the industry standard for those wanting to do business on the Internet,and allows you to own your own blog. Free blogging platforms,such as wordpress.com and blogger,are not the best choice if you are working on the Internet to build your own business. These may be good choices if you want to post something to share with the family or projects like that,but if you want to make this an income,please treat it like a business. A business should look like a business,and using systems that appear to be less that professional do not build a good look to your business.
Chose a name for your blog
You will need to choose a name for your blog,and then purchase a domain name. There are several schools of thought on this. Since my fisrt web site in the mid 1990’s I have used most of them. I recommend using your name as the domain,such as I have done at http://normannielsen.com. I did not start out this way;at first my web site was a sub site within my hosting company’s site. I have use domain names that told about my products,domain names that were hard to spell and most every other mistake you can imagine. I still have domain names that are based on my keywords for my niche for that site. Some of my other domains are www.nielsenhosting.com
I do recommend that you own your domain name. This allows you to move the site to a different server as needed. Also keep in mind what you are selling or promoting and to who
Decide what is best for you,and then I recommend you purchase your domain from GoDaddy . I recommend that you only purchase the domain here,and do not purchase hosting,privacy,or anything else they will offer you.
Now you will need hosting. You will want to use c-panel hosting,which allows you to set up your sites in a specific way that is the easiest and most beneficial when you are running a business online. If you use hosting with me I can help you set up your blog. If you already have hosting then you more than likely have already set up a blog on one of your domains. Keep in mind that I am not a graphic designer,so what I will set up for you will not include a custom header or other graphics. It will include the plug-ins I mention here,as well as customized settings for your permalinks and categories.
If you want to do this yourself,then log in to your account and look for ‘Simple Scripts’ or fantastica. When you click this button you are taken to the page where you will choose ‘WordPress’. Then it is installed for you within about five minutes or less.
You will receive your username – admin – and a password that contains both letters and numbers. Log in to your blog and go over to settings,permalinks. Change to a custom structure,and type in /%postname%/. This is the best for search engine optimization (SEO) for your blog.
Now go over to plug-ins. My favorite free plug-ins are:
• All in one SEO
• Twitter Tools
• WP-Sticky
• Tweetmeme
and SEO Pressor
There are thousands of free plug-ins to choose from,but I recommend starting out with just these few to begin with. When you are ready for a membership site, I recommend the WishList Plug In .
WishList is a paid plug-in that turns your WordPress blog into a recurring membership site. I now have several of these,and add a new ones regular for ongoing residual income. I am also a certified developer for WishList and can help you set this system up.
Once you have set up your WordPress blog,or have had me set it up for you,it is time to start adding content.
Adding Content To Your Blog
Over the past few years I have observed many people setting up their blog,or having me set it up for them,and not moving forward with this next step. Your blog needs fresh content at least twice a week. The search engines love blogs because of this,so just start writing about your topic to get the process started. For the first year I was not sure what to write,but I just kept writing and soon it became much easier. I call this ‘finding your voice’,and it will happen if you are consistent and willing to persevere.
Think about the topics you will be writing about for your niche,and then add them as categories. To make sure these words and phrases are keyword-rich and will be good for your blog’s SEO appeal,go over to Google’s free Keyword Tool and type in the word or phrase you will be writing about. This will give you a better idea of what people are really looking for when they search for information on Google or one of the other search engines. You may be surprised when you find out what people type in when looking for information on what you have to offer.
Blogging is all about creating a community of people who are interested in what you have to say,so visit other blogs on your topic and leave comments. You can find them by going to www.Technorati.com. This site is the largest directory of blogs on the Internet,so you will be sure to find blogs with similar topics where you can leave a comment and connect with the blogger who owns the site. You will also want to encourage your readers to leave comments on your posts. I hold all comments for approval before I publish them,and then go in and add my own comments in response to what they have written. This also gives me ideas for what to include in future posts I will write.
Guest blogging is another excellent way to connect with other bloggers and to find an entirely new group of prospects who will be interested in your topic. Marketer Nicole Dean has created an information-packed,low cost training on exactly how to do this at www.GuestBloggingSecrets.com.
You will want to syndicate your content as quickly as possible. Syndication is the process of writing something once and then having it published everywhere on the Internet. Start by going over to Facebook and adding the Networked Blogs application. All you need is 20 followers and Facebook will make your content available to everyone using their site. The potential for reaching a mass audience is much greater when you use this free service.
Another service I love is a free one called StumbleUpon. You can ‘stumble’ blog posts to let the world know which ones may be useful and interesting to others,and people will do the same for you. I have found that forming a small group to stumble each other’s posts is the most effective,so find three or four people to do this with and agree to stumble one post each week for the others when they do the same for you. It only takes a few minutes,and will be well worth your time.
Get used to repurposing everything you do. I turn my blog posts into articles,short reports,teleseminars,videos,e-courses,auto responders,and more. This saves time and allows you to reach five or ten times as many new prospects every single day
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Monetizing Your Blog
Blogging is excellent when it comes to building your credibility and online visibility,but we are all in business to make money. I have found that people who visit my blog to read my posts are typically interested in what I am teaching and doing in my online business,so I give them the opportunity to sign up for my list. I do this by offering them a free report or teleseminar in exchange for their name and email address. Once they opt in they have given their permission to be on my list,and I am able to stay in contact with them in this way. In order to add an opt in box to your blog,go over to ‘Widgets’ and add a text box. Then you can drag and drop this in the upper right-hand corner of your sidebar,where it will be easily seen by your visitors. You create the code to add to this text box widget by going into your auto responder service to set it up. I have listed the two services I recommend,using my affiliate links,at the end of this report in the Resources section. Whichever service you decide to use will bill you monthly,and this will enable you to build a list of people who are interested in you and your topic.
Your free giveaway should be a simple one. It can be a short report on your topic,such as this one,or you may choose to give away an audio recording or short video. Keep it simple. You are just giving your new prospects a small sample of what you have to offer them in the future.
There is space in your sidebar,below your opt in box,to add affiliate links and banners. My recommendation is to add just two or three. You want to build your reputation as being a resource rather than a vendor,so provide useful information before you try to sell too much by advertising on your blog.
The real magic of monetizing your blog will come over time,when you learn more about marketing to your list to let them know what you recommend. These can be your own products and services,or affiliate links to the products and services you have used and benefitted from. The key is to stay in touch once or twice a week to build a solid relationship with those who have come to you for help with your topic.
Join our web sites and register as a member to receive our newsletters with more information such as this.
www.nielsenhosting.com
www.wealthyandwell.com
www.normannielsen.com
RESOURCES
Discount domain names from GoDaddy
An introduction to using Facebook –
Trafficwave – An Auto Responder
AWeber Auto Responder service only – $1 for the first month
WishList Membership site Plug In
Affiliate Disclaimer – The links contained within this report include my affiliate links. This means that I will receive a commission when you make a purchase. You will never pay more by going through an affiliate link,and in some cases I have even been able to negotiate a special deal for you. Everything I mention here is a product or service I use personally,so it has my highest recommendation and endorsement.
If you have signed up for hosting through my link and need to have me set up a WordPress blog for you,please forward your account information to me. Include the username and password for your hosting account,along with the name of your blog and the domain you wish to use,so that I will have everything I need to set you up quickly. I will add all of the free plug-ins I mention in this report and give you three themes to choose from. I want you to be successful online,and having your own WordPress blog ready to go is a huge part of this process. I look forward to serving you and being a part of helping you to build your own online empire.
To Your Massive Online Success!
Norman Nielsen
”If I can do this,YOU can do this.”
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