Blog Post Idea #1: Write a Product Review

Product reviews are a great way to generate money with your blog and to educate your audience about the products or services they can purchase that will aid them within your niche. A product review should be ethical; it’s important to fully understand the product which is why it’s recommended that you own the product rather than doing a summary about it using online information. Share your experiences and get people to imagine what their life would be like owning the product and you will increase your chances of earning a sale with the review.

Blog Post Idea #2: Create a Top List

People love to read list style posts because they’re easy to digest and there is a small underlying ‘competitive’ factor to the list (people are itching to see the #1 spot). A list can be created around any top from the top 10 people within your niche to the top 10 products. Top lists are easy to create and can be great to summarize a lot of information without digging too specific into each of the items within the list. Additionally, list posts are great for reference at later times.

Blog Post Idea #3: Share an Interview

There are dozens of experts within each niche that people love to hear from; there are even more people that are worthy of an interview that can lend great insights about information related to your niche. An interview style blog post are easy to create because you only need to hand over questions through email and you’ll get a full, detail post in return; of course, you could do audio or video interviews as well. In all, people love to hear and learn from others with makes this type of blog post highly engaging and fool-proof to create.

Blog Post Idea #4: Shoot a Video

Ever wonder why Youtube has over a billion video views each day? Video is highly engaging because people can sit back, learn or be entertained without needing to read through an expansive blog post. You can begin to create video blog posts by purchasing an inexpensive video camera online or use screen capture tools to create Screencasts. Once published, you can embed and share your video on your blog, social media networks and link to it within other blog posts.

Blog Post Idea #5: Develop a Series

People love to read novels because there is a story arch in which they may follow and become engaged; they fall in love with the characters and the journey. A blog post series follows the same mindset as a story because it leads the reader through a process where they are the main character and their ‘quest’ is to complete the task and gain the reward. A blog post series should be three or more posts but can be any length depending on how many posts you need to cover your topic.

Blog Post Idea #6: Share Something Deeply Personal

Blog readers visit blogs because they seek information but more importantly, they are visiting blogs because they enjoy the person behind it. A blog without personality is only pumping out information but there’s nothing really for readers to hang on to. One great way to engage your audience is to share something deeply personal within your life; the reader can associate with your struggles and triumphs and a greater bond is created between both parties.

Blog Post Idea #7: Write a Stellar How-To

Pick a topic that is rarely covered in your niche and write the most stellar how-to post on completing a task or project. People itch to learn a new skill or trade which makes blogging such a perfect platform to share information and connect with an audience. A detailed how-to post is greatly rewarding for those that follow the steps; it’s equally rewarding to the blogger because people will show thanks which may result in them commenting, sharing the post on social media or even purchasing a product you have for sale on your blog.

Blog Post Idea #8: Compile a Massive Collection of Tips

One of the easiest, fool-proof styles of blog posts are collections; these are like list style posts but have no sort of order to them. A collection of tips style post can be created by emailing experts in your field and asking them for a short answer to a single question. Other forms of collection posts may be a laundry list of tools and programs used by relevant bloggers, businesses in your area and so much more. People love to see large numbers so the larger you can compile a collection, the greater chances people will be instantly attracted to your blog post.

Blog Post Idea #9: Cover a Current Event

News is always a hot item because people are always seeking to be aware of the world around them. Pay attention to major shifts in your niche by following relevant blogs that cover news and then write your own explanation or summary of the event. Current event blog posts can cover anything from a new business launch, gossip from other bloggers or a product release on your end – the limitations to the blog post are truly endless and the nature of current events mean that you will always have a constant stream of new blog posts in the works.

Blog Post Idea #10: Hold a Contest

Finally, contests are a stellar, fool-proof way to get people interested in your blog and can also be used to generate new content by placing a few rules in which people must write blog posts to enter the contest. You can set whatever rules you want or need for your contest but the most important element is that you’re offering a great prize that many people would enjoy such as gift cards or the latest, hot gadget on the market. Once the word gets out, people will be flocking to your website and you can use the content as a series by updating it daily with the front-runners; there’s a lot of potential for many blog posts with a contest.

Conclusion

As mentioned in the beginning, there are plenty of options for you when creating content for your blog but the ideas mentioned in this article are fool-proof and have worked time and time again for building audiences on the web. If ever feeling in a pickle, use some of the ideas in this article to help get your creative juices flowing and then expand and cross-over them as time progresses.

Method 1: Get listed in directories

First thing, get your business listed in local business directories such as Google Places, Yahoo Local, Bing Local and Yelp. The business directories are a great way to easily be found when people, in your area, search for keywords relevant to your business. Your business will display within search results and map listings along with being able to collect reviews and feedback from your community.

Method 2: Optimize for local keywords

Use the Google Keyword Tool to find relevant keywords to your business by plugging in phrases that you know, for certain, describe your business, products and services. Use the keywords on your website along with local search modifiers such as your city on each of the pages. Change the URL and link structure of your website to reflect the keywords for each of the pages to ensure search engines can spider your website and apply search engine optimization factors that matter to each of the pages.

Method 3: Start up a local advertising campaign

Sign up for an online advertising platform like Google Adwords and begin advertising your business to the local market. Use your main keywords and geo location to show your ads only to the local towns and cities within the radius of your business; avoid wasting money from advertising to people half way around the world. Optimize your advertising, remove underperforming ads and dump more money into ones that are providing you a significant return on your investment.

Method 4: Create local business blog posts

Write blog posts for your business blog around the topics and questions customers have within your area. Cover local news and events. Create highly informational blog posts about the products and services you offer while applying your main keywords and local search phrases to optimize your content, in search engines, for local search results. Share your content to the web and build backlinks to each of your pages to increase your search engine rankings.

Method 5: Be active in local online discussions

Get active in online discussions on social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Yelp. Respond to people whenever they have questions about what your business offers. Shock and awe people by randomly giving away product or services to people; this creates a lot of great buzz and may lead to your business being highlighted in local news or blogs. Be as helpful as you can so your can build authority around your brand and stand out from the rest of your competition.

Method 6: Write for relevant websites in your area

Start creating content for relevant websites and blogs within your area and industry. Share your best information with outside communities which can lead to people discovering your business and potentially becoming customers. Write for the local paper, be active on local forums and talk about your customers and the products you offer whenever someone interviews you. Try to be everywhere at once by reaching out to your local community.

Conclusion

Much of local search engine optimization is simply building an online presence through proper keyword application to your website, getting listed in directories and being active within your local community. Take all that you know about your business and transplant it online; in time, you will spend less money on traditional advertising platforms in place of online channels. Work every day to raise awareness to your local business by tapping into the power of local search engine optimization.

“Keyword Rich URL’s” – Each web page should be assigned a unique URL which uses the main keyword which you’ll be using throughout the content and web page; this keyword is one of the most important elements of on-page optimization and should not be omitted at any interval during the creation of your website. The following is an example of how your website’s URL should look:

Bad: www.yourwebsite.com/?=1234

Good: www.yourwebsite.com/keyword-rich-title.html

“Main Keyword within the Title Tag” – The title tag is the on-page element which is displayed at the top of the web browser’s window and within search engine results. Place your main keyword within the first section of your title tag so search engines and its users are more readily to find it; this improves your overall rankings in SERP’s.

“Main (Relevant) Keyword in the H1 Tag” – The H1 tag is the highest value heading tag on a web page; it tells search engines the main focus of the content and is often considered just as valuable as the title tag of your page. Apply your main keyword to your H1 tag to ensure your on-page SEO is up to par with your competition; equally so, create a headline which entices users to click through and dig into your content.

“Content worth Sharing” – The most widely used adage is “Content is King!” but that’s not necessarily so; to gain the best benefit of content and on-page SEO, you’ll need to create content which people are likely to share with others and link back to on their own site. Content should be created for the end-user in mind by providing the best quality information on the topic.

“Proper Interlinking to Inner Pages” – Each web page should have links to sub-pages which use the destination page’s relevant keyword as the anchor link. Interlinking content on your website allows search engines to dig deep within your website to index pages and apply value to each page along with search engine optimization factors which come from the use of keywords in your anchor links. Instead of a “Click Here” for your interlinks, try using the page’s main keyword.

“Keyword within Image ALT Tags” – A search engine spider does not currently have the capability to “see” what image is placed on your web page; it looks for the image ALT tag. Each image which you place on your website, place an ALT tag within the image HTML text such as: <img src=”image.jpg” alt=”yourKeyword” />.

There are thousands of social networks available online today; trying to join each and interacting on them will stretch your efforts far too thin to the point that you’re not making any impact. It’s best to focus on just a few social networks at a time. Staying focused on a small group of social networks will allow you to devote time for market interaction, sharing content and building an online brand.

This article will explore the top three social networks you should be using. Each of the following will provide you with access to the largest segment of your market and give you the ability to try different marketing approaches when interacting with your community.

Facebook

Facebook is the essential social network that every business should be a part of due to the massive size of the platform. With Facebook, your business will be able to build a loyal fan base, take advantage of fan pages, share promotions and interact with your market in ways that may prove difficult on your business website.

Facebook is great for businesses as an outlet to share regular content and updates without requiring manual updates to the businesses’ website. The majority of web users have Facebook accounts; each message they respond to on your own fan page wall or message will show on their own which makes an opportunity for subtle word-of-mouth marketing. Likewise, Facebook has continued to expand their offerings with advertising options, marketplaces and event pages if your business chooses to take advantage of these options on the platform.

Twitter

Twitter is a micro blogging platform where users may interact, share content and build a strong personal brand using 140 characters or less. Even with the limitations on the size of a message your business can fully tap into this social network by providing a great experience to your market in a real-time environment.

Twitter has quickly shot to feverish heights as one of the most popular social media platforms on the web today. Each time your business has news to share to the world, do so on Twitter. Interact with your customers by finding their profiles and build a following by sharing widgets on your own website. Twitter also allow for easy sharing of your content across the platform which may drive customers through your website and increase your bottom line.

Blogging

Blogging is a traditional social media platform that has been around for years now. Blogging provides benefits over a static website because of its ability to readily share timely information, provide a platform for users to interact and integrate other social networks using widgets and plugins.

Search engines love timely information; blogging provides search engines with fuel to regularly indexing your site that directly results your overall organic traffic from new pages for search engine users to discover. Additionally, blogging allows your business to share great information to your community that adds value to what you have to sell such as tutorials, reviews, testimonials and more. Each new piece of content pushed on your business blog is another piece which conveys your brand, authority and helps drive traffic to your business (more sales!).

Conclusion

The top three social networks are those which are wildly popular. You can find benefit by chasing after niche markets but the top three listed within this article will be the locations where you’ll be able to make the largest impact within your market. Dedicate a section of your time during your business hours to tap into these social networks as they will provide a positive return on investment through branding, authority and great customer experience.

Ok it’s time for me to start bigging WordPress up. Believe it or not some people are still not convinced that a move from a static html site to a site based on WordPress is a good thing. I am going to start a series of blog posts that really gets into why such a move should be a no brainer.

So let’s start with WHY?

WordPress is one of the most widely used content management systems used for blogging on the web. The limits to WordPress are seemingly endless because it is open source (free) by nature which means that anyone may edit and update the platform; this has spawned an entire industry of freelance professionals and businesses that offer great plugins, themes and support for WordPress. More importantly, WordPress is one of the greatest options for setting up a website which is detailed in this article.

Limitless Flexibility

The first, most important element of WordPress is the flexibility of the platform. WordPress is not just a blogging platform but can also be used as an eCommerce portal or an entire website that looks no different than ones you frequent while on the web.

WordPress developers have created an endless amount of options for modifying and updating your WordPress website. There are plugins that speed up your website, plugins to automatically add share buttons for social media websites, plugins to expand the flexibility of your content creation and so much more. In all, WordPress gives you the greatest flexibility over a content management system with the ease-of-use that anyone without technical knowledge can understand.

WordPress for Blogging

WordPress gives a blogger many options for increasing their online presence through themes, plugins and the ability for the community to leave feedback through comments. Unlike a traditional static website, WordPress comes packaged with features that add a new layer of interactivity and flexibility that aid a blogger with getting their content found and building an online following.

Naturally, WordPress does an amazing job at search engine optimization through multiple plugins and the ability to ‘ping’ blog search engines; all of these additions help with getting the website found by search engines. Likewise, WordPress gives its users the ability to drag and drop widgets and modules (depending on the WordPress framework) which adds premium features like opt-in forms for lead capture, automatic feeds from other blogs, payment gateways for selling products and anything you think of that will fit onto your WordPress blog. In short, if you need a feature on your WordPress blog, you can bet that a developer has created it.

WordPress for Business

WordPress truly shines when it comes to business websites. In the past, business websites cost thousands of dollars because they were individually crafted by designers and developers; it also took a dedicated individual to keep the website updated that needed to understand HTML and CSS. Business owners were not in complete control of their website which turned to be a real hassle when something needed to be fixed or updated on-the-fly.

WordPress is a content management system which means that a single update can affect an entire website. You no longer need to access the website through an FTP program; WordPress lets you login through a dashboard to do unlimited edits and updates without needing to know complicated coding. For business owners, this means that they now had full control over their business website that cut out the ‘middleman’ of webmasters and gave businesses the flexibility they needed to launch campaigns on a whims notice.

Why WordPress Matters

The adoption of WordPress has taken the web over like a storm. There are millions of blogs using WordPress and even more added every day. The WordPress platform continues to evolve and give greater flexibility to their users with each new update and plugin released through the community.

WordPress is free which makes it a perfect option for website owners. The flexibility and control you gain, from using WordPress, makes it an ideal platform for operating a business website or a personal blog. In all, WordPress is the optimal choice when launching a website.

There are hundreds of website hosting companies advertising their services on the web; there are even more individuals that are also in the business. With so many options available on the web it can be hard to determine which web host will be reliable and fit your project needs. This article will take you through some of the factors to consider when you’re in the market for a reliable web hosting solution.

Determine your Website Needs

Find out what exactly you need from a web host before you make the purchase. List everything you need in your website and how you expect it to grow in time. The list you create can be presented to web hosting companies, using email or a phone call, so they can answer all of your questions and list off if their service handles what you’re looking for.

Look toward how large your website may grow so you can choose the proper web hosting solution that will allow for your website to expand without the growing pains. Align the software technologies your website will need such as the PHP or MySQL required to install backend software such as shopping cart solutions or blogging platforms. Knowing what you need will guide you toward a reliable web host that can grow with your website instead of restricting it.

Factor in a Flexible Budget

Keep a budget in mind when shopping for web hosting solutions. A small budget isn’t necessarily the best mode of thought because you must remember that your website will be completely reliant on a web host. Spending too little (or trying to find free options) could lead to buyer’s remorse because your web host does not fit your website needs.

Work with a budget that’s reasonable but don’t immediately dismiss hosting packages that are a little higher than what you’re willing to spend. Expensive web hosting packages come with many additional benefits that are extremely helpful in the event you need such as rapid customer service, regular backups and server expansions. It’s better to have a web host that’s more than enough to run your website than one too little that will ruin your success.

Listen to Existing Customers

There’s no better way to find a reliable web host than to listen to what existing customers have to say. For the most part, people will be honest to you in their review of a web host. There are people that have set up fake review websites so it’s important to go straight to the source by contacting website owners and asking for their recommendations.

Another alternative to finding existing customers is to search for tutorials around web hosting. The website or blog owner creating content will most likely recommend the web hosting they have their own sites on which can be great for finding something reliable; although take their review with a grain of salt in the event they are biased with the mentions. Collect all of the reviews and comments you’ve received about web hosting companies and make a logical decision based on the feedback.

Examine the Online Reviews

Do an online search for websites, magazines and organizations which provide reviews for website hosting. Don’t believe everything you read; be wary of a review that is glowing because it’s rare to find a web host that is going to satisfy every need in a customer. Instead, read reviews from trusted sources such as PC magazines, tech review companies, major forums and people that have websites online.

The best way to use online reviews is to create a spreadsheet of what people have to say. Combine all of your results and cross check them for inconsistencies. Use your list of needs in a web host compared to the overall reviews; this will be a great way to find a host that is not only reliable but guarantees to fit your personal needs.

Be Real with your Personal Tech Knowledge

It’s important to understand your personal knowledge of technology, especially with web hosting. There’s no sense to choose a web host that will require you to manage heavy amounts of technical scripts and backend if you are a beginner at web technologies. Likewise, don’t limit yourself to choosing a web host that doesn’t give you the amount of control you’re seeking if you’re extremely knowledgeable in technology. Find the right web hosting based on your personal tech level.

Look for web hosting that you feel comfortable working with behind-the-scenes with tools and services like scripts, nameservers, plugins, data charts and more. Don’t purchase a web host that’s beyond your technical knowledge else you could be facing many headaches in the future.

Conclusion

Web hosting is an integral element of building a website and setting up an online presence. The choice in website hosting will be at your discretion but it’s important to remember the tips included in this article to ensure you choose a host that is reliable and satisfies your needs.

Countless businesses have made the mistake of entering social network only to be rejected by the community because of their false interaction with others. Although there aren’t any set ‘rules’ to using social media there are a few best practices within this article that you should consider prior to and during your use of social media for your business.

1: Share Worthwhile Content

Share content that’s valuable to the community. Avoid content that’s overly promotional or has no benefit to the end user. Find what your community wants to consume and deliver it to them. You will find that much of the information people want to consume is related to what you have to offer. Sharing content related to your business will keep you in mind when others go to look at each piece of content.

2: Listen

Listen to what your community has to offer; talk to them about the content they’ve shared and how you can best help them in their own ventures. Forget business for a moment and think about what you can offer people other than a marketing message. Try to genuinely help people with what they’re working on. Helping others without the thought of gaining something in return eventually comes back to you and your business through positive interaction with your community.

3: Remember the WIIFM Factor

The ‘What’s In It For Me’ factor should always be on your mind whenever you publish a social media update. If your message does not provide value to the end user than it may be best to forgo sending out a message at this time. Always remember that the bottom line for your community is the value that you provide; it’s an equal exchange of information between business and its community.

4: Don’t Overdo It

Don’t force your community to follow you on hundreds of social networks; pick a few that work best for your business and stick to them. Likewise, keep your status updates to a minimum to avoid overloading your community with information. Keep your messages to only that which provides value whether it’s one publish a day or a dozen but never push it to hundreds every hour.

5: Engage

Always remember that the fundamental reason people use social media is to engage with others. Don’t be caught up with publishing new marketing messages with each push. Talk to your community directly in a casual manner asking them what’s new, if they need help or simply what they’re up to for the day. In short, treat your social media interaction like you would with a best friend; casual and transparent.

I think it is a good time to temporarily hand over the reigns of your web business to an expert who can update and optimise it ready for your return and the inevitable increase in visitors throughout September.

Now is the best time to make sure all the various working parts of your online business gel together to ensure your websites and blogs are operating at the top of their game. A great way to re ignite your business through out what we hope will be an Indian summer eh?

Maybe you just need a revamp to make the website fit your brand better

There are five main areas where I think we need to concentrate on:

1. The Look & Feel – Does it look professional?
2. Content Creation – Do people love to read & share your content?
3. Search Engine Optimisation – especially off page which gets neglected all the time.
4. Social Connectivity – Facebook and Twitter are you getting the best from them?
5. Membership, Squeeze & Sales pages – Really ramp it up now, it’s easy!

Design:

Is you site easy on the eye, is it looking professional? Or does it need a makeover? A premium theme such as Catalyst is SEO friendly right out the box and is highly customisable which makes rebranding a breeze.

Content:

Do you need help with content ideas and inspiration? Is you content being read and shared enough by your current followers? Is your content bringing in new readers?

SEO:

August is a great time to start an SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) overhaul. Is your sitemap up to date, are all your Meta tags, alt tags etc. in place. Or have they been neglected. Do you have a regular link building campaign in place to help hold your hard worked for rankings? Are you taking advantage of all the latest off page SEO tactics?

In my opinion this is the most neglected part of most online businesses. The guys who consistently see results are on this ALL the time!

Social Connectivity:

Are you taking advantage of all the social networks, do you have a plan to expand and
leverage your efforts? Facebook & Twitter just get bigger and bigger but the strategies for using them and getting the best out of them change on an almost monthly basis. A Facebook page for you business is essential and it is now easier than ever to create welcome pages with video for maximum impact.

Membership, Sales & Squeeze:

Or maybe you want to create a membership site or some squeeze and sales pages. It has never been easy to integrate all the tools necessary to set up a membership site with multiple paid levels. Sales & Squeeze page are now more or less point and click with Optimzepress.

Take advantage of the downtime in August to get your website ready for September.

Check out my services page or contact me here TODAY!

Behold The Power Of Catalyst Right Here >>

However if you are building your own sites and you are looking for a clean and minimalistic theme that is lightweight, fast and looks great look no further than Voosh Themes, clean & professional premium WordPress themes. And at just $35 a piece they are a bargain!

Whether you’re a blogger with little design experience or a web designer/developer who wants to save on development time, the templates at Voosh Themes will help you to create a clean and professional looking site in no time at all. Each of the themes can be easily customized and adapted to your requirements and new templates are released on a regular basis.

They look great right out of the box and I love them. My favourite is the Jenzoo theme and I have it earmarked for an up and coming project.

Take a peak at the demo and experience the smooth and sleek look and feel. I particularly like the portfolio page & the simplicity of the blog page.

You can purchase all 25 themes for just $125 which is a massive saving. You will also get free access to all future themes. And you know what there are no license restrictions! You can use the templates on as many sites as you like.

Clean, Professional & Minimalistic – That’s what floats my boat!

Go to the site now to see what I mean >>