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Tools to Help You Find Content That Will Engage Your Readers by @donnaamos

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Content that engages

by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

Successful content marketing involves producing quality content that your readers want to read. If the most well-written piece you could possibly produce doesn’t resonate with your audience, it’s useless. While simply writing on topics relevant to your business niche seems adequate, it is really like shooting in the dark. You need to be writing on topics that relate to your business, but they must also be topics that your audience currently finds interesting.

To discover this, you must listen to your audience and see what interests them at the present time. What current topic is all the rage? What current event relating to your business or industry is causing a stir? Sometimes called news hijacking, this practice of following trending news is a great way to cash in on trending topics to attract readers and connections.

What I am NOT advocating is simply writing what everyone else is writing. Your content must still be fresh, original, and useful to your readers. That doesn’t come from parroting the same lines as everyone else. But you can discover trending or popular topics and write about them from your viewpoint, or demonstrate how your business or product can impact the conversation.

There are some great tools available that can make harvesting topics much easier for you. I’ll briefly highlight each one and provide some simple suggestions for how to use them effectively.

Solopreneur Connect

Solopreneur Connect is a great social media listening tool. It can help you listen to conversations that relate to your business or industry niche. You can read conversations on what your target audience needs and their problems. Solopreneur Connect can show you what interests your audience by allowing you to search for relevant keywords in conversations on different social media platforms.

To set up Hootsuite for listening to conversations:

  • Sign in to your Solopreneur Connect account.
  • Click on ‘search.’ You will see an option to setup –  keyword search.
  • Click on ‘Keywords’ and type as many keywords as you want to use. Type in one at a time and click on add after each.
  • You can then add a location if you want to do so.

Solopreneur Connect’s comprehensive social listening tools empower marketers to execute brand monitoring and analyze social data for marketing insights. Gather introspective, contextual insights to topics, hashtags and influencers relative to your mentions to find new and incremental marketing opportunities.

Buzzsumo

Buzzsumo is another tool that allows you to know what your audience is currently sharing. For example, I typed “writing” into the tool. The free version only allows users to see what is most popular by shares over the past year. The result was a piece about whether or not to use only one space after sentences from the Washington Post. Since May 2018 it has had 349.9k shares across all platforms. Pretty popular.

The paid membership allows for much more versatility, including what is currently being shared about your chosen keywords, even on each social media platform. It would be worth the cost, considering the other features included, to use this one tool to analyze what is currently being discussed in your industry niche.

Google Alerts

Another tool you can use is the Google alert tool. It is very useful. You can set alerts for your keywords and when such keywords come up, you will receive notifications in your email inbox.

For example, if you are in the writing niche and you want to know what is trending, you can create an alert for it using Google alert like this:

  • Type http://www.google.com/alerts into your browser
  • Log in with your Google account
  • Enter the keywords you want to monitor separated by commas
  • Click on options
  • Select how often you want to receive the alert. (choosing “as it happens” keeps you constantly updated)
  • Select the sources i.e. news, video, blog, etc. (selecting automatic covers all the sources)
  • Select the language, choose the region, and choose the number of results
  • Select the email where your alerts will be delivered
  • Click on create

Pretty soon, you will start receiving alerts in your inbox.

Answer the Public

With Answer the Public you enter the keyword you are interested in and it will return the phrases that actual users are typing into Google and Bing. The how, what, where, when, can, are, etc. If you know exactly what is being searched for you can provide the solutions that are being searched for. It’s perhaps one of the best but most underutilized sources of research for content ideas. Until now…

Now that you have some great tools to help, you can harvest topics and set priorities for writing content that resonates with your audience. This content will drive users to your site, and to your business.

What other audience listening tools do you like to use? Share them in the comments below.

Do I Have What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur? By @JamieCheng

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Do I Have What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur?

“Fear leads to self-doubt which is the worst enemy of creativity.”

David Ogilvy

 

Has the thought of “am I truly made for this entrepreneurial journey” ever visited your mind?

 

Or maybe, you’re like me — you’re more optimistic, and your gut assures you that things will turn out well in the end.

 

You just know it. But…

 

Somehow, things seem to go awry… People whom you trusted to find support from, say things that snuff out your already flickering flame. Inside, you feel like you’ve been stabbed with their words that were blunt enough to cut like a sharp knife.

 

stressed face of a women

 

But here you are, my fellow survivor.

 

“What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

Friedrich Nietzsche (not Kanye West)

 

This piece is written with my heart in my hands. If you’re reading this, I promise you that this will change the trajectory that you’re heading for the better.

 

I’m just like you — you’d give up safety for adventure; you’d take risks for things that you see potential in. No matter what phase of an entrepreneur’s journey you’re at right now… Just keep on keeping on. And if need be, take a step back. Trust me, that step could be the very thing you had to do to propel you 10 steps forward.

 

Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

 

Listed below are 3 golden keys that successful WOMEN have.

 

1. Being Optimistic

Be Optimistic

Being optimistic might seem “ignorant” or “delusional” to a realist. But studies have shown that optimism is an essential trait to find success. What you believe in, or let yourself believe becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

Hoping to get a confidence boost? Try being a little more optimistic.

 

Sometimes you really just got to let go and jump into the deep.

 

You planned it all out, you’ve done your due diligence and researched what you could… You’re ready to take action!

 

At this moment, I guarantee you that flashes of what’s on the line, doubts on whether it’ll work or not, and a hundred more “what-ifs” are coming. But, just give yourself a second to be a child and let go of all the things that can’t be controlled.

 

2. Being Persistent

be persistent

As much as stepping the path less traveled forces you to grow exponentially, and learn things through painful and unforgettable trial-and-error, remember to still have faith like a child.

 

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without the loss of enthusiasm.”

Winston Churchill

 

Know that the lows of life or business are never forever as long as there’s action being taken. Life is that b*tch who is indifferent to how badly hurt you’re going to get from what she throws at you. You have to get up!

 

What does getting back up means?

 

It means having control over your emotions and reminding yourself to establish a growth mindset.

 

NEWS FLASH! Successful women do feel sad, get angry, and probably got lost more times than you and I have. No matter, they still find this drive to just try one more time. They let themselves learn from mistakes and failures instead of staying down on the ground, therefore they have this substance and grit that we all admire.

 

These successful women were persistent.

 

3. Being Confident

Being Confident

You know how we, as ladies, would appreciate a second opinion on whether our shoes match the outfit we’re wearing. Or if this particular top makes us look fat.

 

80% of the time as an entrepreneur, you’re not going to have this privilege. It is not the easiest thing to find someone who truly understands, or who is able to elevate you. Finding assurance within yourself is the key to being confident.

 

If you find that confidence is one thing that you’d like to get better at, I’ve got good news for you! It can be practiced. You don’t have to be naturally confident to be a confident person…

 

Confidence can be practiced.

 

Here are 3 confidence-boosting habits I make myself do:

 

#1: Talk to Yourself Aloud

Talk To Your Self Aloud - Self-talk

A form of introspection… When you become more self-aware and when you focus on your strengths, you’ll become someone whom you never thought you could be (in a good way).

Use a mirror, a spoon, or take a video recording of yourself. Speak out loud what’s troubling you and then, lay out the solutions you think could work. Choose your action plan and tell yourself what you’d tell someone else who’s facing the same situation as you.

Practicing speaking out loud in confidence solidifies positive thinking about yourself.

 

#2: Present to Others Like You Know What You’re Doing

Present to Others Like You Know What You're Doing

People trust confidence. It’s a given.

When you practice talking to your family, friends, or prospects, you’ll only get better and more comfortable at it. Whatever doubts that you have in mind, understand that only you are aware of it.

You don’t have to know everything, you just need to know what’s needed (for now).

Start presenting like you know what you’re doing.

 

#3: Let Your Yes be Yes and No be No

Aim to not be so easily swayed by someone else’s opinion. It might be from someone close and important to you, however, confidence comes from liberation from these fragments of several people’s opinions.

Ultimately, it comes back to what you think and what you’re going to do about it.

 

Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

With these 3 golden keys, as well as the 3 habits to grow your confidence…

I’ll give you my vote — I say yes, you do!

 

To be insanely honest, strategies that you’re seeking to find success are useless until you’ve mustered enough courage to JUST TRY.

UPDATE: When I first wrote this article on 13th Aug 2018, I was just a (struggling) freelance writer who doesn’t know if I’m billing invoices right. Today, on 6th May 2020, I’m running my own social media agency! Just wanted to share with you ladies (and gentlemen) to take every day as it is. You CAN do it 🙂

The Blog Features You Need to Have To Increase Traffic by @dailydream360

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by Sharon Mendelaoui | Featured Contributor 

I am amazed at how many bloggers and website owners have not set up simple things on their website which help with increasing site traffic and exposure. I’m not talking about doing an SEO overhaul here, but straightforward stuff like adding sharing buttons to your posts. If you have added a sharing button, have you ever clicked on it to see if it is working correctly? In this post, I take a look at some essential elements every website or blog should have to increase traffic.

Necessary Information and Ease of Navigation

The ease of getting around your website is the number one thing you should be analyzing. Remember people don’t always come to your site from your homepage. In fact, more often than not, people are searching for something particular and entering your site from a post they found in Google, a pin they saw on Pinterest or a social media post they read.

Look at your site homepage and one inside post and see if it has:

  • Links to your social media channels
  • Easy to find contact link to the contact page
  • Clear about you information or a link to your about page
  • Easy categories and menu navigation to get around your site

Putting these items in your main menus or in widgets on your sidebar are the best way to ensure that no matter which post or page people come to they can get around your site easily.

Social Media Sharing Buttons

Why You Need Them?

The number one reason is you want to encourage people to share your post on their social media channels. The more people that see the link to your post the more opportunities you have that they will click on that link and visit you.

Make Sure They Are Set Up Properly

It amazes me that when I go to share someone’s post on social media using one of their blog sharing buttons that they don’t have them set up properly. It is one thing to allow people to share your posts but if they don’t tag or mention you in that share well you lose the ability to show your reach on that social media channel.

The most common error I see is when I go to tweet something I read. It shares the tweet but it does not include a “via @yoursocialhandle” mention in the tweet. How will you know that someone tweeted your post? How will you engage that person on Twitter if you don’t get a notification they shared your post. This is a missed opportunity.

The second error is that the link does not shorten. Make sure that your social sharing buttons allow for using Bitly or another way to shorten your link. Otherwise, just your tweet e a long ugly URL to the post. Not something people will want to share.

If your social sharing plug-in or theme’s feature doesn’t allow you to add these two elements – find one that does so that you can ensure to act on a tweet or share if it happens.

Pin Images in Your Post

I have already talked about why you need to be using Pinterest for your blog or business in this post. Having a pinnable image in each post on your blog is paramount to using Pinterest to increase traffic. For one it will make you pin that image to your own boards and increase the chance that your Pin will be pinned by other people. The result is another opportunity to bring people back to your own website.

Adding a pin button to your horizontal images or a pin share button at the top and bottom of your post is not enough. You actually have to create a long vertical image with a 2:3 ratio or approximately 600 x 900 pixels. Don’t try to make them extra long as Pinterest is now cropping long images that go beyond the 2:3 ratio.

Ask Someone to Review Your Site

Sometimes we are blind to the most common things on our own websites. Ask a friend to take a look at your site, to share your posts and really dig deep into your site’s features. You can also hire people to do a detailed site review where they can help you see how a stranger interacts on your site. Site reviews don’t have to be expensive and can really help give your site a leg up on the competition. Contact me here if you are interested in a site review or audit for some graphic tips, feature suggestions or general feedback on your site.

Why You Need to Use Stories in Your Nonfiction Book by @JaneTabachnick

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Why You Need to Use Stories in Your Nonfiction Book

by Jane Tabachnick | Featured Contributor 

Our brains are wired for stories. They can create an emotional connection and are easier to remember than text or facts.

Your nonfiction book will be much richer if you include stories in it. You may have a compelling methodology, philosophy or message; the reader will benefit more and remember it longer if you include stories.  A rich, textured, multisensory experience with a beginning, middle and an end, is much more enjoyable and memorable than straight theory.

I don’t remember a lot of what I learned in history class, but the stories my teacher shared with us about a historical figure, have stuck with me long beyond any textbook learning. The same will be true for stories you include in your book.

It’s important to carefully select the story or stories you include in your book; choose a story that your ideal reader will identify with, as well as one that showcases your best client work and results.

Here is how a story can enhance your book:

Demonstrates how the rubber meets the road; your book outlines a message, concept or theory that you are telling the reader about it. Showing is more compelling than telling! Your story shows the reader your concept in a real-life situation, making it easier for them to relate to it.

Allows readers to see themselves in your story; a well-chosen story is relatable to the reader as it helps them walk in the shoes of your client/hero and see themselves working with you.

Provides social proof. Your story shows how you helped a client go from problem to solution easily and quickly, providing proof that serves like a testimonial. It shows that you have done it successfully for the client in your story, and your reader will now know you’re capable of doing it for them.

Demonstrates to the reader you can help them go from where they are, to where they want to be, as evidenced by your well-selected case study. A well-written story will be so real that the reader can taste the result. They will see you as the one who can help them get the same result for themselves.

A well-chosen story is relatable. It confirms for the reader that you understand them and their problem. It shows that you know the solution, and have helped others working with you, overcome their challenges and obstacles.

Remember, as the native American proverb says, ‘She who tells the best stories rules the world.’

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Jane TabachnickJane Tabachnick is a digital marketing and publicity consultant, and book publisher. She works with savvy entrepreneurs and enlightened professionals to help them tell their story, become published authors, and create greater visibility, buzz and profits.

Jane is eternally inquisitive and working on perfecting her gluten free baking. She has been named one of the top 100 people online by Fast Company. As an ambivert who has often been featured or quoted in the media, she sill prefers to help her clients get visibility.

Jane is the creator of a program on Sustainable Design Entrepreneurship at NYC’s Fashion Institute where she is also an adjunct professor. Her next book, Irresistible Influence will be published in Spring 2017.

Connect with Jane: Facebook | Twitter | Linkedin

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How To Create Interesting Content Ideas That Convert by @XLConsultingGro

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by Elaine Slatter | Featured Contributor

Marketing your business means developing lots of valuable content.  To create interesting content can be very time-consuming. There are lots of ways to create content and then repurpose the content into different formats.  You can re-engage your audience in multiple ways with a minimal amount of work.  Here are some ideas to help you.

10 Easy Ways To Create Interesting Content To Convert Fans

  1. Write posts that present a problem(s) and then offer solutions. Make it personal by using your own experience to expand on the problem or solution. Adding the personal touch helps with the “trust” factor and also brings you closer to your audience who now find you relatable.
  2. create a free e-book from your blog series that you give-away as a reward for signing up for your newsletter. If you have written a book, you can pick snippets to turn into an e-book.  The Designrr software can create your ebook in minutes with a minimum of effort.  On the flip side, you can turn your blog series into a book if the blogs follow a central theme.
  3. Start a facebook group around the subject of your business ie “Healthy Lifestyle”, “Everything Yoga”, “Biz Mastermind”, “Young Moms of xxxxx city”. You can do lots of things in your facebook group, ie advertise, hold a facebook live event, hold a facebook online party etc.
  4. Ask questions of your tribe in your blog or facebook group, because people want to have their say and know their opinions count. You can create a poll which adds variety.  If your questions result in lots of engagement, intuitively this is content people are interested in.  This can lead you into many different content directions.
  5. Take your blog content and create videos to repurpose the blog ideas. You can invite others to join you which switches up the point of view.
  6. Interview influencers in your area of business for their expertise, which will amplify you. You can find influencers on facebook, twitter and/or LinkedIn.  You will be surprised how helpful influencers can be even if you aren’t well known.
  7. Curate a weekly paper on a platform such as paper.li . The amount of work you have to do to create the fresh content and layout will be practically nil. All you will have to do is share it. All you do is plug in the topics to create the paper and the rest is done for you.
  8. Use fantastic free tools to create graphics to illustrate your content, whether it’s pictures, suggestions, infographics etc. Tools I can’t do without are Canva and PromoRepublic.  In less than 5 minutes, using pre-assembled graphics, you can visually ‘wow’ your readers.
  9. Create lists on a particular topic to help guide people through the content and make it easy to read and digest. Including outbound links for further reading makes it even more valuable.
  10. Podcasts are a great addition to videos as a marketing tool.  You can produce your own podcasts using the free version of the software, Zoom and then upload the podcasts to Soundcloud and then share the podcasts to your own blog. An easy way to create podcasts is to interview guests experts who have something to say on interesting topics that are relevant to your brand.

Do you have innovative content suggestions that could help women entrepreneurs? We would love to hear from you.

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Want to Start a Blog or Online Business? These Essential Tools Will Help by @TheLadyinRead

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by Meghan Bliss | Featured Contributor 

Starting a blog or online business can be one of the best, most sustainable ways to make a living. With so many potential avenues to follow, it can be easy to diversify your income as blogger or online business owner. This can mean a boost in your current income as well as your savings, making debt repayment and retirement a possibility.

But just because it’s a great option doesn’t mean it’ll be simple right off the bat. In fact, starting a blog or founding an online business can be confusing, especially if you have no idea where to start or how to succeed. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools available to new bloggers and online business owners that make work (and life!) much smoother and easier to handle.

You’ll want to start by choosing the right web hosting platform for your website or blog. While there are multiple options out there to suit professional and hobby bloggers alike, most professionals choose to use WordPress along with a reputable web hosting company. (Here’s what I used.)

Online business owners often go this route too, although there are other website-building options that are a little more user-friendly for those who don’t consider themselves technologically savvy. Of course, it’s best to research each option before deciding which one best suits your blog, business, and ultimate goal.

Once your website is live, you can develop the details, such as creating consistent branding, building an email list, and using social media to advertise your products or services.

Want to Start a Blog or Online Business? These Essential Tools Will Help

Here are a few essentials to help you along the way:

An ecommerce platform. If you’re selling goods online or in person, you’ll need a point of sale system for your transactions. For instance, Shopify POS is an excellent tool for business owners who don’t always operate out of a brick and mortar establishment. This tool allows you to accept credit card payments online and in person while keeping inventory centralized.

An email service provider. As soon as your blog or website is up and running, you’ll want to start collecting the email addresses of potential customers who want to know more about your products and services. MailChimp and Aweber are a couple of examples, but there are plenty of others to choose from, so do some research to find the right fit for you. Offer a free product, such as a digital download, to everyone who joins your mailing list. One of the most valuable aspects of building a mailing list is knowing that when you send emails, updates, and other information, you’re sending it to people who are interested in and will likely purchase what you have to offer.

Social media scheduling. Effective promotion is key for businesses, bloggers, and creatives who need to get eyes on their products. Though there are tons of ways to advertise, social media is one of the easiest and most affordable. Of course, it can also be one of the most time-consuming. That’s why social media scheduling apps are so important. They allow easy, affordable scheduling so you don’t have to spend hours a day pinning, tweeting, and posting.

Branding and graphics tools. Most marketing experts will tell you that branding is about so much more than visuals. It’s also about building a voice and garnering trust, among other things. However, consistent graphics benefit every blogger and business owner because it builds recognition, which is highly valuable. There are plenty of free stock photo websites (try Burst) and design tools (like PicMonkey and Canva) to help you build a recognizable brand.

Plenty of bloggers and business owners run online businesses on the side while working full-time jobs. Of course, building a highly successful website will take time, effort, and persistence. Fortunately, there are tons of great resources to help you get started, and tools like this make it simpler to do both.

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6 Reasons Blogging is an Important Business Strategy by @1BrilliantTrans

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by Melissa Drake

Blogs aren’t just for parents, or those traveling the world. Blogging can help nearly any business achieve greater success. An effective blogging strategy can help connect a business with their customers in several ways.

Through those connections, blogs help to:

1. Demonstrate areas of expertise and showcase your skills to existing and potential customers. If you’re a marketer and know the ins and outs of marketing and branding, present those skills on your blog to ensure your voice is prevalent and your skills are displayed well to your target market.

2. Provide a way for existing and potential customers to learn about your business. Use your blog to inform consumers of what’s happening in your industry, your community and specifically in your business.

Use your blog to tell the story of your business. What are your employees up to and what progress is your business making? Get customers interested in the happenings of your business so they want to stay connected.

3. Invite your customers to know your personal story. Get vulnerable. Tell your customers who you are as a person. Let them know your personal story and what you’re about. Show them the woman behind the curtain.

Why would consumers want to do business with you? What makes you different from every other business in your niche? Ultimately, the answer to this question is the main reason why your business will be chosen over all the others in the same category.

4. A blog post is a tangible way for customers and prospects to share your service and story with others. Social media platforms make it very easy for your customers to share blog posts that resonate with their friends and family members in just a few clicks. In moments, your business story can be shared with hundreds, if not thousands, or hundreds of thousands of a customer’s contacts.

The days of handing out business cards have now passed. Sharing social media links are the norm. Create compelling and relatable blog posts your customers will be proud to share.

5. Frequent blogging keeps your business top of mind with customers. By writing regular blog posts and/or sending newsletters via email—with weekly updates for example—you keep your business in front of your customers and prospects.

This gives you an opportunity to keep fans apprised of new product introductions, exclusive offers, and opportunities to stay in touch with your brand. Ultimately, this means more sales.

6. Updated content on your website improves SEO rankings. Search engines like Google look for fresh content when indexing search results. Having frequently updated blog posts (at least weekly) gives potential customers the best possible opportunity to find you.

Maximize every opportunity to connect with your customers and prospects to share your knowledge, keep them up-to-date, reveal who you are as a person (not just a business), provide them with an effective way to pass your business story on to others, and stay in touch on a regular basis.

Doing these things help build rapport with existing clients, draw in new prospects, and generate referrals for new business, which add up to profitability in the long run.

Effective communication is always worth the time and investment because of the dividends it returns.

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Melissa Drake is an intuitive editor, writer, and coach who helps others live their truth, write their story and empower others through publishing. Her truth has been featured in Women for One, elephant journal, Scary Mommy, The Good Men Project, Thought Catalog, and on The SHFT Blog.

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Small Business Owner? Here’s How You’ll Benefit from Blogging by @TheLadyinRead

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Small Business Owner? Here's How You'll Benefit from Blogging >> entrepreneurship, small business ownership, blogging tips, working at home, blogging for business

by Meghan Bliss | Featured Contributor 

Blogging. Just another buzzword, or legitimate way to promote your small business? Because it’s so easy to start a blog, the Internet is saturated with advice. Some of it is legitimate, and some? Not so much.

But wait. Don’t discount the value of blogs quite yet.

Starting your own blog, when done wisely, can be one of the most effective ways to boost your small business. Here are a few reasons why:

#1 – It positions you as an expert in your field

Successful bloggers are successful because they know what they’re talking about. They’re persistent, of course, but they have valuable information to offer their readers, who keep coming back for more. Whether you work in finance, graphic design, the wedding industry, or anything in between, you have information to offer about your field. Blogging consistently is a great way to position yourself as an expert in your field and gain trust with your potential customers.

#2 – It connects you with colleagues and potential customers

Speaking of gaining trust… Blogging gives you an opportunity to connect with more people ever. It can add new depth to your networking efforts by putting you in touch with others in your field, as well as people who need what you offer. The only downside? You can’t just publish a post and call it a day. You’ll also need to use social media to promote your post (while continuing to share others’ work, too). With plenty of scheduling programs available, promoting your blog or business via social media is simpler than ever. (Here’s how I schedule mine to free up extra writing time.)

#3 – It helps you build your email list

To boost your sales, build your email list. People who are genuinely interested in your ideas, products, or services will be more than happy to subscribe to your email list. An email list gives you a direct connection to the people who are most interested in what you offer. So when you’re running a promotion, selling a new product, or looking for new clients, you can start with your list and be sure you’re speaking right to the people who want to hear from you.

#4 – It’s a great way to get eyes on your products or services

Even if you don’t plan to monetize your blog (i.e. through affiliate marketing, advertising, sponsored posts, or anything similar), a single post can still bring more eyes to your website — and ultimately your products. If you design wedding invitations, for example, you could write a post about the top ten wedding destinations in the South. When you share that post on all of your social media platforms, interested brides will click on it. That will take them straight your website, where they’ll see the design services you provide. Though not everyone will buy, you will get more eyes on your services. And maybe a few happy customers.

#5 – It keeps your creative juices flowing

If you’re feeling stuck in your business for any reason, blogging could be the creative refresher you need to get out of your rut. Not only will it boost your exposure and potentially increase your sales, it could also force you to think outside the box about what you do. Consistently writing about your industry will require a little bit of continuing education, especially if you run out of article ideas. In addition to writing about your business or industry, reading about it is a great way to stay inspired and refreshed, too.

As if that wasn’t enough, blogging also gives you more content to share, which can really increase your exposure on the Internet. Of course, sharing quality content is key. The more quality content you have to contribute, the more your colleagues and potential customers will take you seriously.

The best part is that starting a blog isn’t difficult at all. I use Bluehost for all three of mine, and I couldn’t be happier. Trust me, if I can do it, you can, too. In fact, when done correctly, all it takes is a couple of hours and you’re good to go. Then you can have fun with it, sit back, and watch your reach expand more than ever.

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Meghan BlissMeghan Bliss is the owner and head writer at TheLadyinRead.com, a blog for women who read, write, and want to be read.

After almost four years in finance, Meghan quit her job to write full time. She spends her days blogging, writing novels, and trying to stay off of Pinterest. She also copyedits books, newsletters, manuals, and basically anything else you throw at her — including subtitles and restaurant menus. Her first novel will be released this year.

When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading, clumsily practicing the ukulele, or watching old sitcoms and superhero movies with her husband, cat, and baby-to-be.

And, as always, trying to find the perfect shade of red lipstick.

Connect with Meghan here: Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | Linkedin

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10 Simple Makeover Tips for Your Blog or Small Business by @TheLadyinRead

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by Meghan Bliss | Featured Contributor 

I was only a few months into running my brand new freelance writing business before I began to feel the familiar sting of burnout. It’s not that I disliked what I was doing; I was just a little bored. A little over it, to be honest.

One afternoon I was casually browsing salary rates for other careers (you know, the ones that offer health insurance and pension plans) when I realized I didn’t need to change careers. I just needed to redefine my goals and my vision for my writing business — which is still the career I actually want.

If you feel disillusioned by your current career, even though it’s the career you want, try some of these strategies to help you get back on track.

10 Simple Makeover Tips for Your Blog or Small Business on SheOwnsIt.com | written by @theladyinread

One: Focus on your blog or website’s content, not on your followers. I know, I know. Ignoring your readers may sound harsh and even counter-productive. But that’s not what I mean. You should never ignore your followers, customers, or whatever audience your platform brings, but focusing on quantity over quality can be stressful. When I became more concerned with how many followers my blog had than what I was actually posting, I got discouraged and wondered what I was doing wrong. I published content that was neither clear nor true to my goals, simply because I wanted to gain more readers. It didn’t work. Then I realized my interests and experiences were valid, so when I focused on offering the specific help I could offer, I started making more genuine connections with readers who actually valued what I had to offer.

Two:  Choose a new name. Maybe your blog or business needs a new name or mission statement. For a blog, determine your main focus. It could be healthy living, social media marketing, or raising peacocks, for instance. If you run a business, clarify your goal. Maybe you want to offer ghostwriting services for tech startups or proofreading services for indie authors. Just start with your primary topic and brainstorm from there. Make a list of your top ideas and ask for input from relatives, friends, and colleagues until you find the name that fits you and your business.

Three: Clarify your brand. With your new name ready to go, decide if you need a branding update to match. Maybe a simpler logo, header, or business card. Consistency, too, will make your business look and feel more put-together.

Four: Upgrade your website. When I upgraded my blog by purchasing my own domain name, I was able to customize my site and install the features I needed to make it look more polished. It made me feel like my blog had changed out of sweatpants and into a classy wrap dress with pearls and suede boots. Don’t get me wrong; I was still writing my posts in sweats. I was just more comfortable sharing my site with others overall.

Five: Get rid of physical and digital clutter. Let’s face it: The Internet is saturated with clever ideas, helpful suggestions, product reviews, to-do lists, and creative ways to do just about anything. When we’re constantly taking all of this in, our minds become saturated, too. I started feeling overwhelmed because I tried just about everything (or wanted to, at least), but not everything worked for me. In fact, some things just made my life more complicated. So I weighed what was important versus what was just a hassle or a gimmick, and I got rid of what was not life-giving to me, my blog, or my business. I gave myself permission to reject anything that wasn’t right for me.

Six: Limit your social media intake. As someone who relies heavily on social media for my work as a blogger and author, I say this cautiously. I wonder how many hours we’ve spent as a society browsing through blogs, status updates, tweets, pins, and posts. But while social media is indispensable for connecting with clients and customers, it also breeds distraction, dissatisfaction, and unhealthy comparison if we’re not careful. If your business is struggling, try simplifying your social media intake by focusing on the two platforms that are most helpful for you.

Seven: Read a book about your profession. Okay, so maybe you’re sick of reading. Or maybe you haven’t had time to read since your last English final in high school. Here’s the thing: Reading books about your chosen profession will actually refresh you. If you commit to reading a chapter a day (or even a week), you’ll gain inspiration and new ideas for your own business. What’s more, it’ll remind you that you’re not alone.

Eight: Step away. Take a deep breath. Read a novel, play with the cat, go for a jog, make some tacos, or pour a fresh cup of coffee and call a friend. Just step away from the laptop and take a break.

Nine:  Learn a new skill. If you feel like your business has buckled your creativity, try exploring something new. Is there something you’ve been meaning to learn to implement into your own business? (I’ve been meaning to learn how to self-publish my own books.) Or you could do something completely unrelated to your business, like learning calligraphy, joining a community sports league, or learning how to play the ukulele (another goal of mine). Whatever you do, make sure it interests and refreshes you.

Ten: Realize it’s never too late to start over. If you tried something and it didn’t work, revise your idea and edit your approach until it does. Still not working? Maybe it’s not the right idea for you. On a personal note, I’ve prayed that the doors I shouldn’t walk through will shut so the right ones can open. That helps me step out with confidence, knowing my identity and security don’t depend on my material success.

10 Simple Makeover Tips for Your Blog or Small Business on SheOwnsIt.com | @theladyinread

It’s okay to burn out, and it’s okay to need a break. We’re only human, and we only have so many hours in each day. (Even Beyonce.) If you feel like you’d rather crawl back under the covers than write one more post or file one more invoice, then just stop, take a breath, and try something new. It’s amazing what a little makeover can do.

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Meghan BlissMeghan Bliss is the owner and head writer at TheLadyinRead.com, a blog for women who read, write, and want to be read.

After almost four years in finance, Meghan quit her job to write full time. She spends her days blogging, writing novels, and trying to stay off of Pinterest. She also copyedits books, newsletters, manuals, and basically anything else you throw at her — including subtitles and restaurant menus. Her first novel will be released this year.

When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading, clumsily practicing the ukulele, or watching old sitcoms and superhero movies with her husband, cat, and baby-to-be.

And, as always, trying to find the perfect shade of red lipstick.

Connect with Meghan here: Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | Linkedin

5 Holiday-themed Content Ideas for Busy Entrepreneurs by @GroupXMich

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5 Holiday-themed Content Ideas for Busy Entrepreneurs

by Michelle Fav | Featured Contributor

For entrepreneurs, the holidays can be utter chaos. From fitting in extra holiday parties, family time and managing that end-of-year surge in sales and site visits, it can feel like there’s no way to avoid dropping at least one ball with so many in the air. When things start to get busy, I oftentimes see businesses start to neglect their content programs — I know I’ve been a culprit of this. Yet, having a steady stream of fresh content ideas and posts is mission critical in order for your business to rank on search engines.

Sometimes the hardest part about creating new content for your site is brainstorming the new topics, so I’ve gone ahead and done some of the dirty work for you. Here are five holiday-themed content ideas you can personalize and write about pretty quickly on your site.

  1. A gift guide catering to your target audience.

Gift guides are popping up all over the place, because they’re timely posts that allows you to promote products from partners and/or affiliate programs, and also showcase new products in your industry. Many consumers are online looking for holiday gifts right now, and this is a great way to authentically reach that population. For example, I posted this Black Friday sales roundup right before Thanksgiving this year.

  1. A round-up of your top-performing or favorite posts from 2016.

This is one of the easiest posts to do, and it’s a great link building strategy for SEO. Check out your analytics tools to identify your top-performing blog posts, then do a brief paragraph write-up on each post with a link back to each one. I love that this helps get extra legs out of your existing content.

  1. A predictions piece for 2017.

Are there any trends you’re looking forward to in 2017? It’s fun to think ahead and make some predictions about what will happen in the coming year in your industry. For example, in the fitness industry, will high-intensity intervals continue to dominate headlines, or will something else take its place in the spotlight?

  1. A customer spotlight.

The holidays are a great time for giving back, and one way to do that is show your customers your appreciation for them on your blog or content hub. Pull a screen grab of some of your favorite customer tweets and Facebook comments on your social profiles, showcasing the cool things your customers are doing with your products.

  1. Any extra FAQs for the holiday season.

Are you extending your returns policy? Have you been out of stock of one item that’s coming back in stock soon? Are you discounting your services now through Dec. 24? A blog post is a nice way to let your audience know what’s going on, and keep them in the loop as you get updates.

Quickie posts are totally acceptable when you need to get content out fast in the middle of your busy season. Once things start to slow, you’ll want to balance it out with some longer form content to please search engines. These content ideas will help to give your content program some much-needed TLC in the middle of the busiest time of year.

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Michelle Fav GroupXFitnessTips.comMichelle Fav, PR expert, group fitness instructor and blogger behind GroupXFitnessTips.com.

I have a wide range of interests, but what’s been keeping me up at night lately? My search to find the perfect song to pair with a group exercise routine. I feel on fire when the beat drops in my fitness class and the entire room is moving deafeningly in sync with the music.

My blog GroupXFitnessTips.com brings together fitness instructors from all walks of life to inspire, encourage and learn from each other. When I’m not at the gym, you can find me crafting corporate stories at my day job in public relations (PR).

Coupling my passion for fitness with my professional obsession with communications, I have an array of expertise to share with you, such as branding strategies, blogging 101 tips and healthy living advice for busy entrepreneurs.

Follow me on Twitter (@GroupXMich) and Facebook (GroupXMich).