Jade Craven

1. Have a posterous blog

Michael recently created his own personal blog at Posterous. I have little experience with this platform, but have really enjoyed how its enabled me to connect with Michael. Its very informal and has helped me to connect with him as a person instead of a brand. I would recommend this if you are looking for a hassle free personal blog.

2. Feature testimonials in the sidebar

When people first reach your blog, they might not know who you are and that you offer services. Featuring testimonials in your sidebar serves as both social proof and an advertisement.

3. Record coaching sessions for your clients benefit

This is a very useful tip - one that many coaches don't consider. Some people go even further to provide a written report of the coaching session for an extra fee.

4. Feature the best valued ‘package’ at the top of the sales page

This means that they will see the other packages, and be automatically drawn back to the main one. It can be a way of  upselling a person without it seeming one.

5. Give justifications for follow friday recommendations.

Michael wrote about this further in a posterous post:

Instead of telling other people to follow your recommendations, say why you follow them. Allow your reader's choice to be whether they decide to follow, not whether they decide to do what you say.

I think this is a really useful tip. I rarely follow anyone when I see them amongst many other names. I follow them because one of my friends gave me a very good reason to.

6. Focus on the long haul.

Michael discussed this further in an interview on Rock Your Day.

That sticking with something for the long haul and planning for the long haul are vital for success. I don’t kick myself over it, but that’s a big shift in perspective from a few years ago. Also, I now know the power of giving to others and networking.

7.Be responsive.

Later in the post, he said

My process is well-defined and we just go through the steps I can’t tell you how many times people have written back to me saying things like “Wow, thanks for getting back to me so fast!” (so much for “batching” your email!).

http://www.twitip.com/3-ways-to-share-pictures-video-and-music-on-twitter/

3. share using 12 seconds 2seconds is a brilliantly simple idea: you record a video that is exactly 12 seconds long. It’s the video equivalent of Twitter’s 140-character limit. 12second videos can be embedded and they integrate with TweetDeck. Videos can be recorded using a separate webcam or your laptop’s built-in webcam. Videos can also be uploaded (but they cut off at 12 seconds… imagine that). You may be tempted to ask the same question people often ask about Twitter: what can you do in only 12 seconds (instead of 140 characters)? It turns out the answer is: quite a bit. For great examples, check out Julia Royand Blog Squad. Here’s me:

another twitip post:
4. Engage your followers directly: ask questions, throw a statement out there, do something to trigger a conversation. Directly addressing something someone else has tweeted with your own reply is a good way to do this, since the other person is almost sure to reply back to you. Often, tweeting a cool link will do this, but consider tweeting a great quote or an opinionated statement.
Successful blog – nlog content strategy.
5. Know the needs of your audience
The biggest mistake you’re probably making is that you think your audience is like you. If you are running a hobby blog or an internet marketing blog, they may be. But if you are running a business, they are not. This creates a huge blind spot for us. Here’s the secret: you define your audience by the content you create. This means you will get exactly the people you want. If you’re running a business (freelancing or small company or whatever) then you want qualified potential customers and existing customers reading your blog. By writing material that only appeals to that group and no other, you are guaranteed to get them. It may take a while, but eventually it will happen (especially through search).

http://somedaysyndrome.com/2009/01/goals-and-patience-michael-martine-interview/

6. Don’t work during every waking moment of the day. Spend some time with your family once in a while. You will have to work a lot, but in order to do that you have to recharge.
www.profitablemommyblogging.com/april-interviews-michael-martine-of-remarkablogger//topic:Weblogs
7. The most over-rated is advertising. Unless you’re managing ad sales directly with advertisers and have more than 1,000 visitors a day, advertising just doesn’t do much for you. Automated advertising, such as AdSense, is the worst.
8. Don’t worry about the profit at first. Build your audience by providing content they can’t live without. Become the best writer and content producer you can. Learn about copywriting and content marketing. But most importantly of all: build your personal network

9. Do case studies of past clients when they release a product

Michael did this when Glen Allsopp released Cloud Living. Not only was he able to earn some money because of the affiliate commission, he was able to advertise his services as a blog consultant. This type of social proof is beneficial to all parties.

10. Create an Editorial Calendar for Your Blog

Michael discussed this further in his post about how to get more time to blog.

A blog editorial calendar is when you plan out your post topics in advance, even specifying the dates your posts will be published. This gives you plenty of time to plan ahead and get good posts written on time. You won’t have to waste time just sitting there racking your brains for a post topic, because you already figured that out and all you have to do is write the post (or, better yet, finish writing it if you’ve already started).

You cannot create and work with an editorial calendar unless you regularly set aside time to work on it. By definition, you cannot “wing” a preplanned calendar. Preparing in advance, rather than hurriedly putting out flames which suddenly sprang up (ZOMG, I forgot to write a blog post today! Quick: what can I write about?) is much calmer and leads to far better content. Better content has incredibly better long-term benefits all-around for your business.

It can he hard work figuring out how to best use an editorial calender. I had troubles with this, but things are so much easier. I know now exactly what I need to research and can then do some work well in advance. This tip has really helped me.

11. Pick a blog theme that matches 'you'

Michael wrote about this in his post about how to set up a blog for the long run.

Pick something that matches your personality and branding, not something that follows the latest web design trend (ooh, boy! cut-out text is the new black!).

I have gone with a lot of themes that had the latest trends. I've wasted hundreds of dollars this. Instead, I focused on the theme that I felt matched my personality and my needs. I just wish I'd read this advice sooner.

12. Talk up your peers.

This was one of ten blog posts ideas Michael gave that you could use to write a post in 10 minutes.

Write something nice about the coolest new person you’ve met, recently. Link to their blog and “talk them up.” It’s good for you, good for the other person, and good for both your audiences.

I think its great to talk up your peers, but prefer to write longer posts. I've found that people get really pleased that you've taken the time to write such a glowing post about them.

13. Get over the fear that nobody will buy your stuff

Michael wrote about this in his post on creating sellable content. This fear is one that is really hard to get over. I've found you can transition into selling content by offering free content in return for testimonials or feedback.

14.Do not worry about traffic.

Michael discussed this in a post about commenting and building traffic.

While it is fantastic when a comment brings a surge in blog traffic, do not obsess over it. Not all blogs have the same types of readers. Some will take the time to browse over others’ comments, while others absorb the information quickly and leave. If you avoid posting on a blog just because it hasn’t given you traffic, you are missing the point of blog commenting.

I agree with this. I also think that you should expand on your blog comments by following up with the person on other social media platforms like twitter, as well as email.

15. Automate CAREFULLY.

This was one of 10 social media tips Michael gave

Automation is something done excessively by social media spammers, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use it. Automate to make posting less repetitive, but be extremely careful about artificially generating content. That turns people off, and turned-off people don’t buy from you. About all I do in this regard is have my blog posts automatically tweeted 2 times a day. That’s it. It’s just one small thing I do to save myself a little time.

I would argue that sending automatic DM's on twitter, and auto following, are two social media actions that people are starting to regret. I think that it is wise to look for any task that will save you time - but NOT at the expense at more of your time down the track.

16. Have Expertise

Michael included this as one of 7 factors of a successful and trusted blog.

This is one factor that can really get visitors to your blog to trust you. It’ll be a lot easier to create a successful blog with some sort of expertise. For example, I have been blogging for five years and have created two very successful blogs. It would make sense that more people would trust what I am writing since I have some sort of expertise. If you’re writing a blog about dogs then I hope you have dealt with dogs before. This is one thing you need to include in your about page because it is likely it will be one of your most visited pages on your blog. Of course you have to back it up by writing quality posts.

Just being able to demonstrate your expertise is a surefire way to rapidly build your online presence. It really helps if you have ways to demonstrate that expertise to your readers quickly.

17. Check out other bloggers who are writing for the same audience as you.

Michael expanded on this in his post about linking out.

Do a blog search on Google or just type the niche you’re in followed by the word “blog” (I know, ridiculously simple, right?). Another search you can do is “top blogs”. Focus on bloggers with more traffic and subscribers than you.
Choose bloggers who aren’t too far ahead of you. You can go straight for the top blogs, but they’re used to people trying to ride their coattails and get their notice. You can still bust through if your blogging is top-notch, but I think you’ll get better results if you set your sights a little closer to home.

I agree with this, but I haven't really used it myself. I have seen many bloggers have long term success with this technique.

18. Figure Out the One Thing You Want to Accomplish with the Post

Michael wrote about this in his post about getting more blog readers.

The post should be about or should accomplish one thing, and one thing only. Have you ever read (or written) a post that seemed to be about several topics at once? It really ended up not being about much of anything. If it seems like you want to say two or three things at once, figure out what they all are, and start draft posts for each one of them. By keeping your focus laser-sharp, your posts will be more coherent before you even begin writing them.

This has worked very well with me. Once I figure out the main idea, I then narrow it down to what I want to accomplish with each paragraph. It makes the process so much easier.

19. Write About Your Offerings

Michael discussed this further in his post about blogging when you don't know where to start.

Whatever it is that your business offers, chances are your customers don’t have all the information they need to make an educated decision about a purchase or investment. Bywriting a post about your services, you give them an opportunity to learn more about what it is that you do without the "hard-sell" feel of a sales page. Additionally, posts like these are a good way to draw in traffic from search engines.

There are two main ways I have seen this work:

• Write about something you have learned while offering your services
• Do a free case study for others to read.

20. Find ways to reward existing customer involvement.

Michael included this as one of his 10 e-commerce tips to skyrocket sales.

One thing that convinces new customers to buy is that they see happy existing customers. Testimonials are great, but let’s face it, the interwebs are interactive and we can do better. Contests, quizzes, essay or haiku contests, or even scavenger hunts are all possible ways to reward existing customers with discounts and freebies. It’s easier to sell to existing customers and like I said, happy customers attract (and refer) new customers.

I have seen a lot of people use this tip successfully. The only concern is that others don't view the hype surrounding such promotions as spam. I have seen this happen and its caused a slight backlash on growing blogs.

21. Take notes

Michael recommend this as one of his best tips for business blogging.

As you read online, listen to audio, watch video, or conduct client calls, take notes. Not only is there nothing wrong with asking a client for a brief pause so you can jot down a note, but it even makes a better impression on her because it shows you are really paying attention. As you consume online or offline media, take notes as things occur to you. Yes, it will take longer to get through material when you do this, but it will dramatically increase your retention and understanding of the material… which is why you’re consuming it in the first place.

I take notes from everything - online and offline articles, paid and free content. It can take a while, but I learn so much more and know the actions that I need to take. I often provide this material as case studies on my blog so others can benefit.

22. Introduce members of your network to each other.

Michael included this as one of his 5 killer blog networking tips for beginners.

Once you’ve added someone into your network, consider others in your network she should be introduced to. A real networker doesn’t just “collect people” for himself. He makes connections between others for everyone’s mutual benefit. It’s easy to send an email to both people at once in order to introduce two people to each other.

People really appreciate this. It can create a lot of positive buzz surrounding you and provide you with significantly more opportunities.

23. Link to your blog posts in the comments

Michael said that this was his knockout comment strategy.

Linking to your own previous posts to help a commentator is a powerful blog commenting strategy. It drives traffic deeper into your blog and strengthens your relationship with readers. We are often dashing off quick answers to comments and we forget something. Something very important.

If you leave your link in the text box, you better make sure its relevant. I find its best to choose a specific post to use as a landing page for those who clicked through from that particular comment.

24. Create a blog pack

Michael recommended this as a way to get blog traffic and increase subscriptions.

When you are just starting out, you want to network not only with established bloggers, but also with other new bloggers. Why? So you can form a pack and grow your blogs together much more effectively than you could if you were isolated.

This could also be a pack of people on other social networks, such as twitter. Not only do you accelerate your success but you get to have fun.

25. Focus on the future

Michael gave this tip in a post about long term blogging success.

The best long term blog plan is to treat every single thing you do like you are planting a seed for the future.

This is my favourite tip, and one that I recommend you implement immediately. Focusing on the future will make it so much easier to adjust things when you become really successful.

1. Repeat Topics and Cover Them In-Depth

Steven gave this advice in a guest post on Problogger

When you’re trying to develop your brand and position yourself as a leader or an expert on a certain subject, you need to be willing to go beyond the scope that any other bloggers are covering that particular subject. I’m not suggesting that you duplicate content or post the same thoughts repeatedly using different words, but make sure that you are covering every aspect of the subject as thoroughly as you can.

This is very useful for getting a focused audience, but is also brilliant for positioning yourself as an expert. This can lead to you being able to charge higher products for information products or any services you may offer. Many new bloggers try to focus on everything. Repeating topics can really help strengthen your brand.

2. Funnel traffic

Steven included this in his Problogger post about how it takes a gathering to build a crowd.

Most bloggers create posts from time-to-time that they expect to draw some attention from social media. When you have a post that you want to get some exposure, don’t just focus on getting Diggs or Stumbles. You can use smaller social media sites and niche social media sites to funnel traffic to the post. As visitors come from other social media sites they may also Digg or Stumble your post. If you have some other way to get traffic to these posts, such as getting a link from a friend or from a community website, do so. The more visitors you can get to the page, the better your chances will be of getting some votes.

Many people just focus on the one or two methods of traffic - especially Digg and Stumbleupon. I'm guilty of this. Since reading this, I have been researching other social media sites in order to get a cumulative affect.

3. Mention a post at the bottom of your feed

Steven discussed this idea in his post on how to turn a failed post into a success.

Another place to promote your post is at the end of your RSS feed. WordPress users can choose from several different plugins, including Sig2Feed and PostPost, that will allow you to include anything you want at the end of your feed. Consider leaving a link and a brief description of the post to try to generate some clicks.

This is a really useful tip and one that I wouldn't have considered. You could also include your most popular post or a paid resource, in order to give it an extra traffic boost.

4. Buy a domain name

This is a tip that Steven included on Daily Bits.

If you want your online business to be taken seriously, you need your own domain name. Many free hosting services, including blog platforms like WordPress, offer the option of having a website without needing to buy a domain name. Domain names are so inexpensive (can be less than $10 a year at GoDaddy.com) that there’s no reason to not buy a domain. Your domain name is crucial for being able to brand your website.

This tip is definitely worth implementing. Even if you don't want to use the domain name just yet, you should buy it to prevent other people from using it.

5. Outline Posts Before Writing Them

Steven included this as one of his steps to develop better blog post ideas.

If you are typing your posts with little or no direction you will have disjointed articles that are less productive than they could be. I find it to be very helpful to outline every post before I actually write the content. This may require some research, depending on the topic, but it will make the writing process easier. It also helps you to identify ideas that really don’t develop into quality posts. From the outline you should have a pretty good idea of how well you can develop the post, and you’ll know pretty quickly when an idea isn’t worth the time of trying to write the full post. This way you will be spending your writing time on ideas with better potential.

I agree with this and ALWAYS plan my posts before writing them. Not only do I do a post outline, but outline where it fits in my overall blog strategy

6. Don’t Blatantly Sell

Steven expanded on this topic on his guest post about promoting your website through a blog.

Blogging is different than most other types of marketing or promotion in that it is usually most effective when it is passive in nature. Blog readers will not be interested in your blog if it is just used as another way to push your products or services. Rather, provide genuine and valuable content and you will indirectly promote yourself and your company as being a leader in the field.
It’s ok to occasionally post something on your blog with the intent of selling something, but this should not be the majority of your content and it will typically be most effective when it is something special. For example, you could provide your blog readers with a special discount code that they can use to get a better deal on one of your products. This type of promotion will show that you value your blog readers and it gives them incentive to subscribe.

I agree with this. I've found that nothing alienates people more - especially on twitter - is people blatantly trying to sell them. This tip is especially worth remembering if you are promoting other peoples products via affiliate links.

7. Keep a resource file of sites that publish inspirational posts.

This was one of the many inspiring responses Steven gave on his interview on Line 25.

Delicious is a great resource for me. One of my most basic techniques though is just to keep a file in Blog Desk with a big list of sites to use in inspirational posts. As I come across sites that I want to feature, I’ll open up the file and paste a link under a section such as “minimal designs”. I may have 15 or so different categories in that file and then whenever one gets around 25 sites listed I’ll put together a post. I also surf through design galleries for the purpose of finding these sites, but I try to focus on a few different topics at one time. So I may be browsing through galleries looking for minimal websites, dark websites, e-commerce websites, etc. all at the same time. I’ve found that to help me in terms of productivity. I essentially do the same thing with Photoshop tutorials.

I highly recommend this. I also recommend creating an idea or quote bank, for when you need inspiration from a specific blogger.

8. Check to see if your guest post idea is original

Steven included this in his article about promoting your blog through guest posts.

Check to verify that the subject of your article is not too similar to anything that they have posted recently. You don’t want to submit an article that duplicates the thoughts of an article they just posted last week.

You can also expand this concept to see if the product you are launching is original. It may not matter to your crowd, but may limit the amount of people willing to promote it.

9. Network to get subscribers

This was one of the tips that Steven gave in an interview on Blueverse.com

Early on I got a decent number of subscribers by doing a lot of guest posts (I highly recommned this to any blogger) and by networking with other bloggers. Guest posting is actually a great way to get to know some influential people in your niche. Now I think most of my subscribers come through links and referrals from other blogs as well as through social media.

This has worked for me far better than I've thought. I've been contacted so many times during the prelaunch stage asking for a different way to offer my RSS feed. Its been a fascinating learning experience.

10. Write and Interesting and Enticing Bio

Steven expanded on this topic on his blog, Traffikd.

As a guest blogger (in almost every case) you’ll be allowed to write a brief bio (a few sentences) about yourself with a link back to your own blog. This paragraph should tell just enough about yourself to make people want to check out your blog, and it should help them to see why you’re worth their time. Writing bios is always something I struggled with, but I’ve seen the impacts of different approaches here. Simply stating your name and your blog’s name with a link is generally not enough to get the best results. Put some thought into what you want people to quickly know about you that will pique their curiosity. Consider also linking to a profile at a social networking site, such as Twitter, so people can connect with you there if they want to.

This is a very useful tip. You can also try to write enticing bios in your social media profiles, and on any social media landing pages.

11.Use an online editorial calender

This was one of 50 ideas Steven recommended to improve your productivity as a freelancer.

Tools like Google Calendar are a great way to keep track of your deadlines, appointments, and even just a list of tasks for the day. There are plenty of free online calendars that are easy to use and will help you to do a better job of managing your time.

I haven't implemented this yet, but I do agree that it will increase productivity. I struggle to get through the day because I don't have anyway to track my tasks. I plan to use google calender for this.

12. Go to Local Networking Events

Steven included this as one of his 10 tips of getting more personal interaction as a freelancer.

Most likely there are some networking events in your local area that are hosted by a chamber of commerce or some other organization. These are great events to attend if you’re interested in meeting other professionals in your area. Many freelancers don’t take advantage of these opportunities to find potential clients and make contacts with professionals in various fields.

I agree with this completely. I go to a number of local networking events and really look forward to them. I interact with the people, both online and offline, in between the meet ups and have gotten so many opportunities from it as a result. It also provides a way to have fun while still working.

13. Distinguish Your Separate Responsibilities

Steven expanded on this in another of his brilliant Freelance Switch posts.

The first step is to simply acknowledge the different aspects of business that you will need to manage. Of course this will include income-producing work (designing, developing, writing, or whatever else it is that you offer), tracking expenses, managing invoices, balancing bank accounts, marketing your services, continual learning and development, customer service, and more.

I've had some trouble distinguishing between my responsibilities. It got a lot easier once I did. I was then able to find an online service that could automate some tasks and free up my time to work on my projects.

14. Specialize in an Aspect that You’re Passionate About

Steven wrote about this in his article about how to enjoy freelancing more.

No doubt there are certain types of work that you just naturally enjoy more than others. Why not make this an area of focus or specialty that helps you to spend more of your time on these types of projects? In the case of web designers, maybe you enjoy creating WordPress themes. Or maybe you like building e-commerce sites. There may also be certain industries that you enjoy working in. You could specialize in building websites for open-source products, non-profit organizations, or any other industry that you choose.

This is what I'm doing with my consulting services. I get paid for doing what I love and it motivates me to work hard on the boring admin side.

15. Follow Your Moods When Appropriate

Steven discussed this in his post about effective prioritizing for freelancers

Sometimes you may have a few different projects with similar levels of importance and urgency. I’ve found that I work best when I choose to work on whatever appeals to me most at that moment. For example, I do some writing and some design. There are some times where I’ve planned on writing an article, but I just don’t feel like I can be as productive at that moment as I could be if I was working on a design (or vice versa). If the situation allows, I’ll change plans and take advantage of the productive time working on something else. This isn’t always possible, but I’ve found that it helps with my quality of work, the amount of time required to complete the work, and it also helps my mental outlook at that time.

I have often tried to write when uninspired, and the result is poor writing. This doesn't mean you have to procrastinate. It just means that you should have a flexible schedule so you can work on the task that will be of the highest quality.

16.Try to get repeat clients

This was one of the passive marketing tips Steven gave in a Freelance Switch post

If you have an ongoing relationship with a client you don’t have to spend time to find that work. The key for retaining clients, of course, is to provide great services that satisfy the client. Additionally, you’ll want to be sure that they are aware of all of the services that you are able to offer. Follow up with clients from time-to-time and see if they have a need for ongoing services or for additional work. Repeat clients are also a plus because they will tend to have more loyalty to you and you’ll be more familiar with them and what they need from you.

There are multiple ways to get repeat clients. Most of them revolve around providing incentives or continuing to stay in touch. I will be researching this topic further and will report my results.

17. Provide Superior Quality

Steven wrote about this further in his post about increasing referral business

The best thing you can do to improve your chances of getting referrals is to provide a quality of work that blows clients away. Clients that get these results will be your best advertisements as they have had a great experience and can share their story with others in need of great service.
Without high quality work, you’re unlikely to get many referrals, if any. People simply don’t want to refer a friend to someone who won’t live up to their expectations. If you’re focusing too much of your effort on the other methods of growing referrals, your quality of work can suffer and your other efforts will be wasted.

This point is very true and can also apply to blog posts. If you focus on getting traffic or referrals, you can lose money because other aspects will suffer. It can be hard to find a balance between the two and again, I will be researching this further.

18. Use twitter for sharing resources

Steven said this in his post detailing why he no longer hated twitter.

Most of the things I post to Twitter are either interesting links that I’ve come across or re-tweeting links from other users. I really like being able to quickly share links without the need to write a blog post or send emails to friends. And I love finding new things through the tweets of other users.

Twitter has fast become one of the best, and quickest, sites for sharing resources. This has significantly changed how I market my posts and is something you should focus on.

19. Don’t Hold Back

Steven wrote about this as being one of his tips for using a blog to promote your own services.

The natural inclination from most blogging service providers is to hold back the “good stuff” for paying customers. While there’s nothing wrong with the mindset, the fact is that it will be hard to produce a truly outstanding blog if you are holding back. Most likely there are other bloggers out there who are willing to share more information with readers, and so your watered-down blog will not stand out as a leader in the industry.
Sure, there may be some times where there are pieces of information that you don’t want to share publicly on your blog, but the main issue here is that you should have the mindset of creating a high-quality, exceptionally useful blog, even if it means sharing some valuable information for free.

There are so many bloggers I know who didn't hold back. They shared the information freely and provided paid alternatives if you wanted further information. People were very willing to pay it because they already knew that the author didn't hold back.

20. Stop Wasting Time on Too Many Social Media Sites

Steven included this as one of his methods to improve your results with social media.

Are you using a number of different social media sites consistently? It’s important to be able to build a presence or a profile at social media sites in order to help your chances of success, and this is impossible to do at too many sites. Rather than spreading yourself thin by voting and submitting at a lot of social media sites, pick a few that are well-suited towards you blog on focus on them.

I really like this tip. I used to jump upon every new social media site and try to see how I could best use it. Now, I try to focus on a select few and use them to their full potential. This has really paid off in terms of traffic and new contacts.

21. Focus on Solving Problems

Steven discussed this in his post on developing unique blog post ideas.

Rather than looking for ideas for blog posts, try to take a completely different approach and identify some common challenges or problems for your readers. At this point don’t worry about blog content, just focus on the readers and what issues they have. Once you have identified some, brainstorm as to ways that you could help them with these problems through your blog posts. Do some research if you need to, but solving problems is a tested and proven way to build a loyal audience.

It has also been said a post that solves a problem can be one of the biggest earners for your blog. People will appreciate them and refer to them often.

22. Have a business-like approach

Steven identified this as being on of 10 critical elements in creating a profitable blog.

A profitable blog should be treated like a business, not a hobby. Those who view their blog as a hobby are unlikely to ever reach the level of financial success with their blog that they could reach if they simply took a different approach. Treat your blog seriously and you’ll see the results of your work.

This doesn't mean that you have to be boring or completely change your attitude. It means that you should focus on being professional and treat your blog like a business if you want to create an income from it.

23. Have Realistic Expectations, but be Aggressive

Steven expanded on this in his blog post for building a blog part time.

If you start out by expecting to earn six figures by working part-time hours, you’re setting yourself up to be disappointed, even if others would consider your results successful. Those who have realistic expectations of what they’ll get out of their blog and what they’ll have to put in will usually be able to stick around long enough to see the fruits of their labor.
Although I think it’s important to realize how much work and time is involved in building a blog, I also think it’s important to be aggressive and to go after success. Those bloggers who I know personally that have done very well did not just put in some effort to see what would happen. Aggressively go after success and it is very achievable.

I have realistic expectations for this blog, but I still intend to be quite aggressive in achieving them. I know it will be hard to get to a reasonable level of income. I know it will be even harder to scale back my workload. However, I am increasing my chances of success just by putting in that effort.

24. Keep Pages Loading Quickly

Steven included this as one of his methods of increasing pageviews per visitor

If a blog’s pages load very slowly, visitors will eventually stop visiting more pages, sometimes sooner rather than later. A blog that has quick-loading pages is a pleasure to browse and it encourages more clicks.

Slow loading pages are one of the reasons I quickly leave the blog posts I discovered through either Twitter or Stumbleupon. I'll be investigating ways to speed up your blog in my upcoming e-course.

25.Use blog pages extensively

Steven listed this as one of 7 ways to extend a blog. He said that

Blog pages are one of the most overlooked opportunities by bloggers. Personally, I have a few pages on my blogs, but nearly as many as I probably should. When I check my stats for this blog, the categorized list of social media sites is consistently one of the most viewed pages/posts on the site. That page has been great for building links and getting noticed by readers.

I haven't done this, but I will be using pages as part of my long term traffic strategies.

1. Commenting is king.

Naomi spoke about commenting when she was featured as one of tomorrows star bloggers at North by East

Commenting. As a marketing consultant, and one whose client base consists of nearly 50% bloggers, I can say for a fact that there is no better activity when it comes to ROI. They say content is king? I’d say commenting is king.

I believe this has changed somewhat since twitter has grown in popularity, but commenting is still one of the best ways to get attention.  Like with all forms of communication, make sure to add value.

2. Follow up with emails

Later in the post, she said that

Contact is forged by the commenting, but relationships are forged by email, at least when it comes to blogging. Email. Get out there. Find out people’s kids names and dogs names and whether or not they hate their mother-in-law. Treat people like people, not just like bloggers. That gets you the loyalty. When you have the loyalty, you don’t need much else.

I have really learnt the power of this statement in the past month. All connections, and friendships, have been strengthened by the humble email. I've also been commended on how much I remember about people when I contact them. Naomi's advice of seeing people as, well, people is one definitely worth remembering.

3. Joint Venture with others for mutual success

In the past year, she has released products with Dave Navarro, Sonia Simone and Havi Brooks. This splits the workload but also exposes her brand to new audiences. I have seen this be really successful for multiple authors.

4. Make the leap before you’re totally ready.

Naomi talked about this in an interview on Yes To Me.

I read in a magazine once that you should never be 100% ready to have kids. If you think you’re 100% ready, you’re missing something. I think the same thing applies to business. If you wait until you’re 100% ready, you’ll be dead before you launch. Be 80% ready. Do the best you can and just go for it. If you wait too long, you lose your fire. If you lose your fire, your business will suck. If your business sucks, you’ll have to go back to your boring corporate job and prove your old boss right. You don’t want that, do you? Jump and the net will appear.

I don't think I'm ready for employment, or running a blog. Yet tomorrow I am going to meet a potential employer and will be launching this blog in 3 days. I am definitely not ready. But I am getting out there and pushing myself to see what I can really achieve.

5. Plan for overnight success

Later in the post, she said that

Growth came far, far faster than I was ready for. The small business books all tell you that 4 out of 5 businesses fail and to make contingency plans and blah blah blah. They don’t tell you that when you succeed, it’ll probably happen overnight and you’ll drown. Plan for that.

Naomi gave me this advice months before I launched this blog. I'm expecting growth to come faster - it always does - and am taking the action now in preparation. I am hoping this will make things a lot easier for me later in my career.

6. Segment your day

She also talked about segmenting her day

I didn’t segment my day. When you work online, there are so many things to do. Network. Fix your site. Respond to comments. Market yourself. Write guest posts. It was really overwhelming.

This is an issue that I am still struggling with, but I agree that its important. It gives my day more structure and allows me to get more done.

7. Start putting yourself in uncomfortable situations.

Naomi discussed this in an interview on Someday Syndrome

No matter what your cause is, start being aware of it. Start knowing exactly how bad the situation is. Read the books that make you want to close the cover. Watch the documentaries that tempt you to turn it off.
Find the courage to take big actions. And if you don’t have the courage, fake it. The courage will come.

I started putting myself in difficult situations early on. I went to tweetups when I secretly wanted to run home and cry. It was incredibly difficult and would make me freak out for days. But it got easier. I dealt with the fear. Certain tweetups have since become the social highlight of my month.

8. Only follow advice from people who have the life you want, not from people who have the life you have.

Naomi expanded on this in an interview on Work It Mom

They are not qualified to give you the advice you need.
Also, the advice that comes from loved ones is almost always antithetic to your goals. Because they know and love the old you, they give advice appropriate for the old you. You need advice for the new you.

I used to get into debates about what would work with blogging and my online business. Often, they weren't successful. I learned to accept their advice, but ignore it. You don't have to ditch people as friends - you just don't have to take everything they say as being relevant.

9. Surround yourserf with amazing people.

In this interview on Recession Proofing life, she mentioned the services of Charlie gilky and Dave Navarro

Charlie Gilkey is my creativity coach and I couldn't have put out one product without him -- I'd still be selling consulting for $75 an hour if it weren't for him. Dave Navarro is my launch coach and Online Business School wouldn't have been a tenth as successful as it was if he wasn't around.

I surrounded myself with amazing people early on. Some of these were top bloggers and some of these were people beginning their small business. each of them inspires me and I'd be honored to pay them for their help.

I definitely agree that Dave Navarro will make you a lot of money.

10. Don’t second guess yourself.

In an interview on Rock Your day, she said that

No effective decisions — especially not marketing decisions — were ever made by committee, even if the committee consists only of the two warring sides of your own brain.

I've stopped second guessing myself and have started to just take action. This has been difficult. Yet even when I failed, I still learned from the situation. This is more than what would have happened if I doubted myself and did nothing.

11. Keep redefining success until it becomes something you can achieve without outside influence.

Later in the interview, she said

Lots of people like to talk about goal setting, and that’s important. But it’s a tricky business, and it can become disheartening. The gurus of the world would have you think that if you just think or pray or work or network more, any goal can be achieved. That may be true, but it doesn’t take into consideration the casualties of that kind of an attitude. If you make success something less quantitative and more qualitative, you can’t fail. And if you know you can’t fail, you can be as confident as you want.

I'm fortunate to have achieved this before my blog had even launched. I know that outside influences can help, but I don't let goals continually rule my life. This is a fascinating interview and I highly recommend you read it.

12. Create a paid community for your regular buyers

Naomi did this with her speakeasy program. I joined immediately and have loved being part of it. It was an affordable way to learn from her and gave me the opportunity to purchase her products/services at a discount.

13. Provide some of the questions on the sales page (do this myself)

14. Have a section for recommendations for others in the industry

Naomi has a page on her blog called Ittybiz Approved Awesomeness. In this section, she recommends a number of web workers that can help people develop their business.

This is a useful way to support your community as it helps your readers find

15. Add a group of free guides

Naomi added 6 free marketing courses to her blog earlier this year. This is a fascinating idea. It means you can create mailing lists that are really targeted to a specific industry. I will now be doing this over the next couple of months.

16. Have a weekly guest posting slot/cast study

Naomi invited Johnny B Truant to guest post as a guinea pig for her Online Business School product. Johnny has gone on to earn a lot of money and become successful in high own right. This has benefited Naomi because she gets additional blog content as well as social proof for her consulting services.

17. Get personal when recommending affiliate products

Naomi did this in the post How To Make Your Blog Not Suck So Damn Much. It made me feel really connected to her on a personal level, and I wanted to choose her to be the person who gets the commission from my purchase. This can work against you if overused.

I also thought it was admirable that she donated double her commission to charity. It also helped to get extra attention to her post.

18. Take the Damn Tutorials

Naomi talked about this in her guest post on Remarkablogger

In Rock Band, in blogging, in business, and in pretty much every other facet of life, there are handy and free tutorials available to help you get started. Don't be a hero and say you'll figure it out on your own. You won't. OK, maybe you will, but you'll take about five years longer than you need to. Subscribe to Remarkablogger, Problogger, Copyblogger, Skelliewag, IttyBiz, and follow their — OK, our — advice. Honestly, we know what we're talking about. We wouldn't lie.

I took the damn tutorials and even bought several information products to save time. You can pick and choose what advice to apply to your own situation, but you should definitely research from the masters before starting a new project.

19. Always Remember Who Has the Power to Boo

Later in the post, she said that

The crowd is your boss. That's all there is to it. If you do not give the people what they want, they will leave. This doesn't make you a bad person or even a bad blogger, but it does mean you'll have a blog with no readers and a business with no, well, business.

This doesn't mean you have to change your entire business structure. You just have to ascertain whether its a select few who are booing, or your loyal readers.

20. Don’t get sidelined by fear.

In this post, Naomi talked about one of her old clients and her fear before launching her own ebook. She was scared of the following things:

• I’m scared that I don’t have a sales funnel. (
• I’m scared that people won’t pay for something they think they could get for free.
• I’m scared that I’m going to let my family down.

She has since been able to employ her family members, funnel her sales and earn a LOT of money each time she launches a product. I am so glad that she didn't listen to her fear. I've paid a lot of money to benefit from her experience.

21. Pay for a professional and consistent web design

Naomi wrote about this in her post about branding on a budget

The emphasis here is definitely on consistent. With the plethora of premium themes available, this can be had for less than $100. If you really suck at writing, get some copy written, but that’s not usually vital in every case.
Also, make sure that whatever image elements you have in place are stable across the board. Better to have the same shitty logo on every thing they see than something different here, there and everywhere.

I agree with this. I also think its worth spending $100 on a proven theme, rather than go for a $25 theme that has bad support.

22. Just work.

Naomi expanded this in her post where she answered the question of whether or not you really need a business coach.

When you’re first starting out, you don’t need creative. You need to get off your ass.
Unless you have a decent amount of start-up capital — and in “start-up capital” I include your own salary, as well as being able to pay service professionals and still have a marketing budget at the end — what you need is elbow grease. And I can’t give you that. No marketing coach can.

I learnt this after paying close to $1000 in information products. I realized that no product would give me the magic key to success and that I had to put the hard yards in myself. This was really difficult to accept but has definitely paid off.

23. Have a backup plan

Naomi wrote about this in her post on location independence.

First, figure out what you’ll do when any individual element of your great master plan goes wrong. What will you do if you drop your laptop in the pool? What will you do if someone breaks the internet? What about the phone? USB key gets crunched in a freak stiletto accident? All the Dora DVDs you brought for “child care” don’t work in a European machine? What’s your big plan, Einstein?

This is something I'd definitely recommend otherwise you'll be causing yourself and your clients a whole lot of stress. It is also important to have backup plans for your income streams and try to diversify.

24. Find your Passion.

Naomi talked about this in her post How To Become Rich and Famous On The Internet In 5 Easy Steps

Find something you’re so passionate about that people think you’re alarming and kind of creepy.

I'm like this with a couple of hobbies. Only one I blog about - hiking. It may not be over interested to most people, but us hikers spend a lot of money on quality gear. Tapping into that market could be quite profitable.

I know that people think I'm odd for wanting to do solo walks for 2 months straight. But there are others who would be really intrigued be such content, and willing to pay for it.

25. Just because they’re not shopping doesn’t mean they’re not buying.

Naomi discussed this in her post about how to market for free. This means that just because they aren't searching specifically to buy something, doesn't meant they don't want it. They mightn't have thought about purchasing that product until they saw it featured on your site. This is useful to know about assessing the design and usability of your site.