Tag: Win Your Brand

 
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The Most Popular Blog Platforms

 

         For the new blogger, choosing a blogging platform can be a challenging prospect. That’s because there are a wide variety of blogging sites available for you to use. Nearly all are free to use, but there also are some that require a fee. Even the free blog sites usually will offer to sell you extras, such as additional storage or paid themes.

         By far, the biggest and most popular blogging platform is WordPress, This is is an “open source” site, which means it’s free to use and people can upload and download new tools to the site as often as they please. The biggest benefit of WordPress – and the cause of its popularity, no doubt – is that it is very easy to use. It also comes with tons of instructional videos and guides to help you get your blog up and running and looking exactly the way you want.

         If are new to blogging or don’t have a lot of experience working with code and web page design, WordPress is a good choice because everything on the site is essentially point and click and drag and drop. You can choose from more than a thousand free “themes”, or pre-made templates that you can upload and simply use as your blog’s background. The site also offers paid themes or you can create your own theme, although this requires a little knowledge about CSS coding.

         WordPress allows you to add custom functions to your themes and create plug-ins, such as linking your blog to your Facebook and Twitter pages. It’s easy to add polls or contests to your blog. Plus you can use keywords and tags to make it easy for users to search through your blog postings.

         But perhaps the biggest benefit of WordPress is that it will host your blog for you for free. That means you don’t have to buy a domain name or rent space on a server, or even worry about blog maintenance because WordPress will take care of all that for you. Or, if you prefer, you can use the free tools on WordPress to get your blog set up and looking the way you want then migrate it to your own domain.

                 Another popular blogging platform is Tumblr. Like WordPress, it is free and is very easy to use, even if you are a beginner. But Tumblr is targeted more toward bloggers who want to share interesting things they find on the internet that they want to share with their followers, almost like a mixture of blogging and Tweeting.

         Other popular blogging platforms include Blogger, ViralNetworks, and Instant Blog Subscribers. While all of these platforms have their benefits, they don’t offer as many options and flexibility as WordPress, so we will be focusing on WordPress for the remainder of this course.

For more information, please join our Seminars/Webinars

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What Should You Blog About?

         You can blog about anything you want because there are no limitations on subject matter or content. Plus, you can create as many different blogs as you want for free, so if you prefer you can create multiple blogs on various subjects.

         Because you probably will be writing fresh blogs regularly, you probably ought to choose subjects that are of genuine interest to you. It may be difficult to produce blogs about topics that you don’t care about, or have only a passing or tangential interest in. A better idea is to identify a topic or a couple of different subjects that you are passionate about and focus on develop those subjects.

         For example, if you are mad about the movies, than a film blog may be the best option for you. Or if you are the world’s biggest fan of your local sports team, then you might consider producing a blog devoted to all the news, happenings and opinions of that team. Think about subjects that you could talk about all day: Those are the ones you will be most likely to be able to produce fresh, interesting and compelling content on a daily or weekly basis.

         Your enthusiasm for your subject matter will make your blogs more appealing for readers. They are going to want to share in your passion and interact with you, exchanging stories and ideas and participating in your topics blogging community.

         It’s a bad idea to select a blog topic just because you think it may be profitable, especially for your first blog. If you have no passion about a subject matter, that will shine through in your writing. For example, if you identify that blogs about Forex trading are among the most financially successful, but you know nothing about trading foreign currencies nor do you have any interest in the topic, then it’s probably not a good idea for you to launch a Forex blog.

         Follow your passion and you will have a greater chance of writing a popular, successful blog that hundreds or even thousands of people are going to want to read on a regular basis.

         You probably already have an idea about what you want to write about. But if you don’t, you can develop topics for your first blog or blogs by thinking about interests or hobbies you have had in the past. For example, if you favorite courses were in English literature, then you might consider producing a literary blog. Or if you were a passionate enthusiast of sewing and needlepoint, then those subjects probably would make a great blog topic for you.

         You don’t even need to have a blog topic if you don’t want one. There are many bloggers who simply write about their daily lives, or their families, or their struggles to lose weight or get in shape. Others share their opinions on whatever subject happens to appeal to them on any particular day. There really are no limitations on what you can write about.

         If you need inspiration, try visiting one of the big blog hosting sites, such as Blogger and WordPress. Both sites let you search for and browse blogs on any subject, or simply review the most recently published blogs. Once you find blogs that interest you, with the push of a button you can subscribe for free and each time a new post is published it will automatically be sent to your email inbox or RSS feed. Or if you prefer you can have blogs sent to your Facebook news feed or Twitter feed.

         Often, once you find a blog you like it will lead you to another on a separate topic. This in turn can lead to more and before you know it you have spent hours reading and enjoying other writers’ blogs while gathering ideas and inspiration for your own.

For more information, please join our Seminars/Webinars

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Benefits of Blogging

         The blogging community, sometimes referred to as the blogosphere, promotes the open and free interchange of thoughts and ideas. There are no editors or censorship. You are free to discuss any subject you like and offer even the most radical opinion without fear of being quashed or silenced.

         There also is no set schedule, so you can write as often or as infrequently as you choose. Some people like to write every day or even post multiple blog postings throughout the day, while other bloggers post only once a week, once or month or even less. It’s entirely up to you.

         When you produce a blog on a subject that interests you, it is easy to quickly establish yourself as an expert in your field. As your readership grows, people will begin to respect your opinions and perhaps even invite you to write a “guest blog” on their own blog. Many bloggers are now regularly used as panelists at conferences, interviewed on television news programs and even viewed as celebrities themselves.

         The blogging community is also a great place to learn new facts, encounter cutting-edge ideas and technologies, exchange gossip or rumor, and participate in a rewarding online social community where you can make new friends with people all over the globe, interact directly with experts, and make exciting new discoveries about topics that interest you.

         For some people, blogging also provides a revenue stream. There are plenty of ways to make money through blogging and we will be discussing many of them in detail later in this guide.

For more information, join our Seminars/Webinars

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5 Ways to Uplevel Your Credibility

If you want to earn top dollar for your coaching programs, it’s clear you’ll first have to become the go-to expert in your niche. You’re likely already working toward that goal, and probably have been for some time, but if you’re not quite there yet, here’s how to jumpstart your career.

Content Creation. This is by far the most important thing you can do to grow your audience and your credibility. Blog posts, podcasts, ebooks, and self-paced training programs—whether free or paid—are the building blocks of your empire, and if you want to earn top dollar, you first have to put in the work to create a solid foundation.

Video. This is where a lot of people struggle. Maybe you hate the sound of your voice or you hate how you look on video. You’ll need to get over it. Your potential clients need to get to know you better before they shell out $5,000 or $10,000 for that group-coaching program you’re putting together, and video is the easiest way for them to do that. So get a makeover, hire a video coach, and start sharing what you know on YouTube and other video channels.

Write a Book. The big daddy of content, a real, physical book can skyrocket your credibility and pave the way for the rest of your coaching career. Now, we’re not talking about Kindle books here (although they do have their place in your overall content plans). No, for this, you want to publish a printed book—and if you can attract the attention of a publishing house rather than going the self-publishing route, that lends more credibility.

Speaking. Nothing says “I’m an expert” quite like getting to take to the stage and speak in front of a group. Chances are your expert status has already attracted the attention of event organizers and you’ve been asked to speak. If you have, and have turned down the opportunity, now is the time to boost up your confidence and make the leap. If you haven’t, then go out and actively seek opportunities that are a good fit. Don’t be afraid to start small—at your local Chamber of Commerce or a recurring MeetUp group—but keep an eye on the big stage, too, and be open for the chance to wow a crowd with your expertise.

Host a Live Event. Want to really blow your audience away with your coaching and business skills? Plan and host a live event. It doesn’t have to be huge—in fact a small, intimate venue is often the best choice—but do start making plans. Live event hosts are often viewed as the real movers and shakers in their industries (because they are).

Remember, too, no matter which credibility-boosting method you’re using, it will only work if people know about it. So don’t just start a podcast, market it. Don’t step onto a stage of any size without shouting about it to the rooftops, and never ever write a book without a big launch. Credibility and visibility go hand in hand, so do everything you can to get the word out about your achievements.

To start – fill in the The The Complete Assessment for a free assessment

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The 5 Ways to Uplevel Your Credibility

If you want to earn top dollar for your coaching programs, it’s clear you’ll first have to become the go-to expert in your niche. You’re likely already working toward that goal, and probably have been for some time, but if you’re not quite there yet, here’s how to jumpstart your career.

Content Creation. This is by far the most important thing you can do to grow your audience and your credibility. Blog posts, podcasts, ebooks, and self-paced training programs—whether free or paid—are the building blocks of your empire, and if you want to earn top dollar, you first have to put in the work to create a solid foundation.

Video. This is where a lot of people struggle. Maybe you hate the sound of your voice or you hate how you look on video. You’ll need to get over it. Your potential clients need to get to know you better before they shell out $5,000 or $10,000 for that group-coaching program you’re putting together, and video is the easiest way for them to do that. So get a makeover, hire a video coach, and start sharing what you know on YouTube and other video channels.

Write a Book. The big daddy of content, a real, physical book can skyrocket your credibility and pave the way for the rest of your coaching career. Now, we’re not talking about Kindle books here (although they do have their place in your overall content plans). No, for this, you want to publish a printed book—and if you can attract the attention of a publishing house rather than going the self-publishing route, that lends more credibility.

Speaking. Nothing says “I’m an expert” quite like getting to take to the stage and speak in front of a group. Chances are your expert status has already attracted the attention of event organizers and you’ve been asked to speak. If you have, and have turned down the opportunity, now is the time to boost up your confidence and make the leap. If you haven’t, then go out and actively seek opportunities that are a good fit. Don’t be afraid to start small—at your local Chamber of Commerce or a recurring MeetUp group—but keep an eye on the big stage, too, and be open for the chance to wow a crowd with your expertise.

Host a Live Event. Want to really blow your audience away with your coaching and business skills? Plan and host a live event. It doesn’t have to be huge—in fact a small, intimate venue is often the best choice—but do start making plans. Live event hosts are often viewed as the real movers and shakers in their industries (because they are).

Remember, too, no matter which credibility-boosting method you’re using, it will only work if people know about it. So don’t just start a podcast, market it. Don’t step onto a stage of any size without shouting about it to the rooftops, and never ever write a book without a big launch. Credibility and visibility go hand in hand, so do everything you can to get the word out about your achievements.

To start – fill in The Complete Assessment for a free assessment

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Your First Live Event: Start Small, Think Big

Hands down, one of the best ways to boost your credibility as a coach is to host your own live events. They’re a chance for you to show off your expertise, provide social proof (your guest speakers will do that for you), and get your name in front of more potential clients and customers.

So what’s holding you back?

Well, if you’re like most people, it’s fear. Fear of not being able to attract speakers. Fear of not being able to sell enough tickets. Fear of just putting yourself out there and saying, “I’m hosting an event.”

Here’s the secret though. Your event does not have to be a 300-person affair. Sure, you can have aspirations of that (and you really should), but that’s not where you begin. You begin with a small, intimate venue that holds less than 50 people.

Think about it. If you only have to sell 50 tickets, there’s a lot less pressure to perform. You’ll have lower out-of-pocket expenses, fewer people to please, and less equipment to worry about.

But you still have all the benefits of being able to say, “I’m hosting an event.”

Plus, this live event will lay the groundwork for future events. Because you’ve got the experience, it will be much easier to add live group coaching or mastermind components to your top-dollar coaching programs. You’ll have a lot less worry over managing all the pieces and parts, simply because you’ve “been there, done that” on more than one occasion.

Live events can take many forms, too, so don’t think you have to commit yourself to a multi-day, multi-speaker conference. Your first event might be a local Meetup, or a half-day workshop held at your favorite conference center, or even a free mastermind session tacked on to a larger event you’re attending. The point is to get your feet wet and pave the way for bigger and better events down the road.

So while you’re planning your event, keep these points in mind:

  • Promote and talk up your event as if it’s the biggest thing in your industry. Don’t lie, of course, but do be energetic and positive about it.
  • Get testimonials from attendees, and do it while you’re at the event. Don’t wait until they get home, because we are forgetful creatures.
  • Take notes. What worked, what didn’t, what could have been improved?
  • Keep it simple. Don’t try to host a multi-day, multi-room event for your first time out. Put that on your “someday” list instead.

But the most important point about your first live event? Just do it. Step outside your comfort zone and enter the world of event hosts. Once you’re there, you’ll find that your coaching credibility increases exponentially.

To start – fill in the The Complete Assessment for a free assessment

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