Ways to Drive Quick Traffic to Your Website

April 13th, 2009 Comments Off

I know, it is important to build up traffic over the long term. But sometimes I just want to send a quick surge of traffic to my posts to give things a jump start. This traffic doesn’t often return, but some of them may like my site, bookmark it, and return. But what are the best strategies? Here’s a few that I’ve come up with:

  • Use stumbleupon to get quick traffic. However, this site needs to be used responsibly. Make sure you’re stumbling more than just your site.
  • Do the same as above with other social bookmarking sites like Digg.
  • Announce new posts to your friends, family, and list members.
  • Do the same on sites like twitter, plurk, and on facebook’s “what are you doing now” feature.
  • Visit forums that are in your niche and make posts – as long as your contributions are meaningful and helpful people will click. Make sure you only put your link in your signature, never in the post itself.

In addition, I also did some research online. I found this article at about.com. It was very helpful and added additional strategies and suggestions. Just thought I’d share it with all of you!

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Top Tips for Increased Creativity and to Beat Writer’s Block

April 10th, 2009 Comments Off

Although writing is a highly creative pursuit, I find that when I write all the time without any interaction to the world and my hobbies, I simply dry up. When this happens, the last thing I want to do is write more. Some people call this “writer’s block”. Me? I see it as a sign that i need to get away from my computer and do something else. That is how I increase my creativity. By living!

Keep a small notebook with you. Yes, I go out and live my life. I go food shopping which is always a creative pursuit. As a food writer and someone who loves cooking, food shopping can give me a ton of ideas without even trying. So no matter what I do – whether it’s having a few drinks on the town, at the movies, food shopping, etc – I ALWAYS have a notebook and pen with me. You just never know.

Go outside of your comfort zone. Do you always go to the same restaurant when you and your husband go out? I say – why not try something different? There are so many things in our lives that have become routione that shouldn’t. Vary your route home from the store. Go to a different bar or restaurant. Instead of seeing a movie, go to a live play. Going outside of our comfort zones is something that can be very inspiring.

Learn a new language. I don’t know about you, but I love learning about other cultures. Right now I’ve been researching French gastronomy and food culture. So, I made the decision today to learn French. I found a wonderful tutorial online and right after I finished with today’s lesson, I felt more creative and inspired to do some writing in English.

Take up a hobby. Hobbies can provide excellent fodder for writers. I love to cook, for example, so food writing is a natural extension of that. Other things I enjoy are crochet, tae kwon do, and herbal medicine. All of these “hobbies” can be turned into projects for my writing. I even wrote a flash fiction piece once that centered around herbal medicine.

I love writing exercises to help get my mind into “writing” mode. But I don’t look at them as effective for getting rid of writer’s block. For that, I need to tear myself away from the computer and do something completely different. In fact, I am not sure the mythical “block” actually exists for me. Instead, it is a warning that my brain is overloaded with writing tasks and wants to do something else. I listen and my writing is richer because of it.

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Things You Can Do Right Now to Make Money With Writing

April 6th, 2009 Comments Off

So, you’re probably wondering – how do I do it? How do I make money writing? Well, there is no easy way to answer that. I do a little bit of everything. But since you may be a beginner, and you may feel frustrated in that you’ve been working hard and not saying any payout, I’ll share with you where my money comes from.

  • Associated Content – I’m averaging about $6 an article here. Not great, but I can write when I need to and not worry about deadlines.
  • Constant Content - Truth be told, I haven’t made a penny from them. But, I submit my articles every now and then. I only have a handful in the system. In order to make money here you, of course, have better odds if you submit a lot of articles. One of the people I’ve referred to the site has made around $30 so far.
  • Rentacoder - I’ve been making a lot of money with Rentacoder lately. Just don’t fall into the trap of accepting low paying work. The good stuff is there, you just need to find it.
  • Squidoo - What can I say? I love Squidoo. I make consistent money with Squidoo each month by promoting affiliate programs. Plus, I love finding topics and having fun putting together the information. It’s addicting!
  • ExquisiteWriting.com – One of the best things I could have done was join a writing team. When I need work, I just email and say “I can take on work” and they send something my way!
  • Ehow.com – I highly recommend eHow as being a great place to make some extra money. As mentioned in the comments, there are at least two of us with 100 + articles in the system that make at least $60 a month through the compensation program. I’ve been with them for over a year, too so the earnings really add up. I notice that my amount increases when I promote my articles.
  • Bukisa.com – I started posting articles on there a few months ago and it’s really been working out. Not sure what the pay details truly are, but it is a good way to make some extra cash each month. You can even build it up and make quite a bit of money.

Use this to get you started and you’ll be making a living as a writer in no time!

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Get Ongoing Writing Gigs for Increased Job Stability

April 3rd, 2009 Comments Off

When I was in the process of moving cross-country, it became clear that I needed more ongoing assignments. Pretty much the only thing I managed to keep up with was my monthly obligations as the Herbal Medicine Expert at eHow.com. Those tasks were already part of my routine so taking care of it on the road was a breeze.

But other than a small amount in commissions and advertising revenue, that was all I managed to bring in during our busy moving months. And that got me thinking about job stability as a freelance writer. My career is driven by the same process.

  1. Find work
  2. Do work
  3. Get paid for the work
  4. Repeat

It’s a cycle I don’t like and am working on breaking free of. That’s why I am transitioning in to affiliate and internet marketing. But I’ve realized that there are things I can do as a freelance writer that can help secure the income my husband and I need to pay our bills.

  1. Secure several more monthly gigs
  2. Utilize the writing team I am part of to bring in work when I need it
  3. Build up relationships with editors and clients so I can get work fairly easily

This is something I worked on this month and I am happy to report that I ended up with one new client who will give me ongoing work as well as becoming a regular contributor at two major websites with another one under negotiation. I am confident that I will be able to build up my income with these ongoing freelance jobs so I can do away with the writing jobs that don’t bring me joy.

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How to Get Freelance Writing Work After a Break

March 30th, 2009 Comments Off

I sometimes take time off from my writing. It happens to all of us – we often have something in our lives we need to do and working takes a back seat. I know I could find some time to do a little work when this happens. But my intentions don’t always translate to reality.

When I do have time to work, I need to find something ASAP. This is my plan to get going again. I focus completely on writing when this happens since it is easiest for me to get going.

  1. Keep up with any ongoing work.
  2. Find more clients through a combination of finding work at ExquisiteWriting.com, a writing team I belong to, Rentacoder.com, and oDesk.com.
  3. Get in touch with existing clients.
  4. Query publications with great article ideas and do some more creative writing.

So, where do I go to find markets? I have been using Writing for Dollars. But it isn’t where you get the markets or the job leads that matters, it’s the consistency.

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Update Your Lens Frequently for Squidoo Success

March 26th, 2009 Comments Off

I’ve known for a while that updating my squidoo lenses is an important part of driving traffic to them and making them worth my time. But I know how it is, you ignore your lenses because there’s just so much going on… well I learn this lesson over and over again – it really is worth it to pay attention to them a few times a week.

My most popular lens – Make Money Writing – was ranked at 8000 or so on the site a few days ago. I updated a few times over the next few days after I found out about the rank and it is now at 800 or so. When the lens is ranked higher, I get more traffic to it.

And an “update” doesn’t need to be dramatic. Change a sentence or two. Change the title, add a tag, etc. They can be quick or they can be more involved – it all seems to work the same. I think it is well worth the effort.

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Should You Outsource or Hire Employees?

March 23rd, 2009 Comments Off

There are certain businesses where hiring employees is unnecessary. If you operate a business at home, chances are you do pretty much everything yourself. If you have a small business such as a shop or a restaurant, however, you will find that you need some help. But there are some businesses that are not as clear cut. Some businesses feature a small shop that has limited hours. Or, some people who work at home may have so much to do that the feel strapped for time. What do you do if you feel as if you need some help?

Outsourcing versus Paid Employees There are two options when it comes to getting extra help. You can outsource certain tasks such as web design, graphic design, printing services, and you can even hire a virtual assistant. Paid employees that work for you have a specialized skill and are taken on because they are good at what they do. How do you know which is right for you? If your business is growing, you may consider hiring additional employees. For example, if you have a small boutique with limited hours but are looking to expand, you could hire extra help so there is someone there to take care of the store when you aren’t. Restaurants are another great example of a business that needs extra help. You will need people to cook, wait on the customers, and tend to the cash register. It is almost impossible to do everything yourself with certain businesses.

Decide What Kind of Help You Need The trick is to decide what kind of help you need. Certain tasks such as bookkeeping, graphic design, and legal services do not require paid employees. But you may find that you have a situation that you can’t avoid as is the case with a restaurant. Once you decide what you need, you can make an informed decision about whether or not to outsource, hire a contractor, or hire an employee. Contractors are employed by another company or they may have their own business. It is a form of outsourcing.

Seek Legal Advice You may want to contact a business lawyer to help you weigh your options. They will have information in terms of which licenses you need and will be able to work with you to figure out the best options for your business. And, when you do decide which option to take, they will also draw up the contracts and help you fill out the necessary paperwork. When it comes to getting help for your business, you can outsource, hire a contractor, or take on employees. You need to look at all of these options from a legal and financial perspective.

Resources for More Information American Writers and Artists, Inc is an association that offers training courses for copywriters and other artists. They have an excellent reputation and a job board. Former students have access to that board and you can find copywriters and other creative professionals here. Entrepreneur Magazine also has a lot of information about outsourcing and gives advice on how to do so, as well as the pros and cons. Use the search box on the site to find additional articles.

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Things to Consider When Monetizing Your Blog

March 19th, 2009 1 Comment

If you are like most people, you probably want to make some extra money by monetizing your blog. There are so many choices! Affiliate ads, Adsense and other Pay Per Click programs are only just a few of your choices. So are things like Text Link Ads, Kontera, asking for donations, and finding independent advertisers. These are all methods that have potential.

But, it isn’t enough to just choose a program and slap the ads on your blog. There needs to be some thought behind it. And, it’s taken me several years of blogging to learn some of these lessons so I hope it helps save you some frustration!

Determine Your Blog Audience

When you first start your blog, you should take the time to determine your audience. This helps you determine what kind of content to write and the methods you will use to promote your blog.

But, after your blog has been up for a month or so, you need to reevaluate. After all of the work you’ve put in, what is your audience really like? Is the blog attracting the people you expected? Through interacting with your readers in the comments, you should get an idea.

This information is helpful because it will determine how you monetize. When people leave comments, they often leave a URL. Spend some time on their blogs and websites to see what kinds of content and monetization strategies they use. Chances are, they’ll embrace your monetization if you do something similar.

Choose the Right Programs

Adsense, for example, is one of the most common blog and website monetization strategies out there. However, it is not for everyone. I was making a decent amount of money from it, for example. However, on my new theme, I can’t figure out how to include it without ruining the aesthetics. So, I’ve left it out. It’s okay if things change. It’s also okay if you choose not to do something. Running an ad program that is filled with products you don’t believe in or haven’t tried is not worth it.

Spend some time thinking about your blog and the monetization methods that will compliment what you are trying to achieve with it.

Reevaluate After a Few Months

Once you choose a strategy, it is a good idea to spend some time each month or every few months evaluating progress and seeing if things are working out. If not, something needs to change. Often, you’ll need more traffic in order to make more money. But sometimes it just isn’t enough. Sometimes, the program is just wrong for your blog.

As you can see, monetization requires a lot more thought than just choosing a program and letting the money roll in. After a while, you’ll find the monetization strategy that works for you but it does take some work.

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Work from Home Business Ideas

March 16th, 2009 1 Comment

So, you’ve decided to start a home based business. With the convenience of the internet, there are a lot of things that you can do. What’s even better is that you can do it from anywhere. Home business owners enjoy a level of flexibility that is unprecedented. To get started all you need is a computer and an internet connection. The following list gives some ideas that will help you get started.

Once you select an idea, remember that having an idea is only the first step. You will need to set up a website, promote your business, and write a business and marketing plan. If you need help with the elements of starting a successful business, visit the Small Business Association’s site – it has a comprehensive list of resources designed to help you succeed.

Start a Freelance Business Freelance writers, editors, graphic designers, and web designers are in demand. Writers can write for publications or for business. Editors help different places in getting manuscripts ready for publications. But editors can also help business edit their advertising copy and their web sites. You can find editing jobs on sites like rentacoder.com and guru.com, or you can search Craigslist.

Graphic designers and web designers are also in demand. Anyone from home based business owners to large companies needs people to design their websites and advertising and marketing documents. You can also find graphic design jobs through job sites like rentacoder.com, ifreelance.com, elance.com, etc.

Decide which freelance business you would like to pursue and get the training you need to get started. If you already have the skill needed, you are ready to start your business. You can find training online at places like the AWAI which has a very good reputation.

Virtual Assistants Virtual assistants provide the same function as an administrative or office assistant. They perform different office related tasks for their clients. The only difference between a virtual assistant and an assistant employed by a company is that a virtual assistant takes on as many clients as they want. You can enroll in a course to learn how to do it. There are plenty of training programs online. Visit the International Virtual Assistants Association for more information on the profession and for additional resources and advice.

Internet and Affiliate Marketing With internet marketing, you set up a website or a blog to sell your own information products online. With affiliate marketing, you sell other people’s products and services and earn a commission for doing so. You can find information on how to get into affiliate marketing and internet marketing located throughout the internet. You can either sign up for the programs individually, or go through a third party source such as Commission Junction or Clickbank. The great thing about finding programs from a third party is that they are responsible for making sure the affiliate pays.

Start a Craft Business Do you know how to do something creative such as make homemade chocolates, knit, or design beautiful gift baskets? Put your creative skills to use in the form of a home based business. You can sell your products online by starting a website or selling through online auction sites or other websites. If you are interested, this checklist put out by an expert at About.com lists exactly how to start your craft-based business.

Direct Sales There are a lot of direct sales companies that you can start with. There are companies that sell skin care and cosmetics, candles, kitchen goods, and even gourmet foods. Your best bet is to research the different companies and choose the one that fits with your interests and your lifestyle. You can operate any of these businesses from home.

Companies like Avon, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, and Tupperware are just a few examples. If you decide to sign up, make sure you are signing up under a person who is caring and helpful. You’ll learn a lot about the ins and outs of the business this way. To find your ideal home based business you can get ideas from this list, or create your own opportunities. There are a lot of possibilities, just be careful not to get involved with any scams.

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Do I really want to make $1,000,000?

March 14th, 2009 Comments Off

I posted a while ago about making $1,000,000 in five years. I am not quite sure that I actually WANT to make that much money. The concept of it seems cool but beyond that, it seems like a lot of work. I am not going to rule it out, but I am also not going to kill myself for now.

The truth is, I have my hands full with the five blogs I DO have. I wonder – is it better to keep a small amount of blogs and watch them grow, or should I take the “multiple blog” approach as I mentioned in that post? I am just not sure.

I really do think it’s best to have money coming in from multiple income streams. I may keep that original goal in place, just for kicks. But I plan on getting there by chipping away at the marble slowly instead of killing myself to create 10 blogs a month for 5 years. I don’t think I can sustain that kind of pace. So really, I will gladly make a lot less than that million if it means I won’t be killing myself.

Here is a quick brainstorm of the income streams I plan on utilizing:

  • Squidoo Lenses
  • 5 or so large blogs that I will let grow and flourish
  • 10 or so mini blogs
  • A handful of static sites
  • eHow and my other writing

Or something like that. I am currently focusing on the following three.

  • eHow and my writing
  • Squidoo
  • The larger blogs

And we’ll see where that takes me. So far, I see progress. I am making about one affiliate sale per week, primarily from the lenses and currently, I only have five that I’ve designed to be “money makers”. It looks good. I have a feeling I’ll meet my goal for the year without a problem.

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