Hope Writes

The Same Old Same Old

Posted by Hope

I visit a lot of blogs and forums throughout the course of a week. I read a lot, both online and off. My weekend off did me some good, but now that I’m back and getting back into my routine, I’m finding myself somewhat irritated and disgruntled.

I think I’ve placed my finger on the source of my discontentment. I’m growing really tired of seeing the same old same old around town. In Internet Marketing circles, I see the same messages time and again. And the places I once visited for inspiration or ideas have now become places that I just don’t even bother visiting anymore because they depress me.

What has happened to us? Are we so full of ourselves that we can’t stop to help others? Have we lost sight of our own personal visions? Are we relying too much on having others tell us what we should or shouldn’t do to the point that we can’t just make a decision and go with it?

I know this is probably sounding pretty rant-y, and I didn’t intend for it to be that way. I’m just really tired of the same old same old. How about you? Let’s start by making a difference today. Let’s choose to do something positive, something uplifting, for ourselves and/or others today.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Twitter VS Pownce: Do You Pownce?

Posted by Hope

If you haven’t discovered it yet, Pownce is a social networking tool, similar to Twitter but a little more sleek. It is free to use. All you have to do is sign up for your account. You can upgrade to Pro for $20/year if you choose.

I’ve been using Twitter for a while, but have increasingly grown “out of like” with it. When I originally joined, I didn’t have a plan for using Twitter. I just signed up for an account and started adding folks at random.

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 35% [?]

Do You Sell Your Own Products?

Posted by Hope

Lots of writers create their own info products on the side. Some even create an entire business built around their own info products. I also know some writers who, in addition to writing, have online storefronts. They do pretty well with these, too. Most of them use ecommerce software to create a shopping cart so customers can stock up on the items they want.

If you are such a writer, you probably need some type of shopping cart software to sell your products with. There’s a ton of shopping cart software out there. I mean, all you have to do is Google terms like “shopping cart” or “shopping cart software” and you’ll end up with a lot more websites than you need.

I personally use one and love it. I have my email lists set up in it, as well as any products that I sell. There’s usually a learning curve at first, but once you play around with it, you’ll get the hang of it pretty fast.

Ashop has a ton of extra features with it that is just mind-boggling. They include things like user stats and sales reporting, SEO optimized links, 128bit SSL, email accounts, and even Quickbooks integration. If that isn’t enough, they even have live support. You don’t get that with every shopping cart program….trust me, I know!

Anyway, check it out if this is something you’re in the market for. It’s one of the best shopping cart programs I’ve seen so far.

Popularity: 69% [?]

Push Back The Chair & Walk Away From The Computer

Posted by Hope

*Edited and reposted from the Warrior Forum

Anyone who knows me knows that I *rarely* take breaks. I hate it. Breaks make me feel unproductive and lazy. But this break was of necessity. I knew I needed it, and as bad as I hated to walk away, I did. Yesterday I left the house altogether and stayed out all day with my little sister (Christmas shopping). I don’t like crowds and don’t really like shopping either, but I had the best day.

This evening I’m sitting here alone in the quiet (something VERY rare at my house!) and reflecting on the last couple of days. As much as I hate breaks, I realize that everybody NEEDS one every now and then. There’s no way to keep the candle burning at both ends forever. So I thought I’d share some reasons why you should push your chair away from the computer and walk away for a little while, too…

Your mind needs time to recharge. Despite what you think, you can run out of ideas and energy if you don’t take frequent breaks. Even people who work jobs in the “real” world are required to take a 10-15 minute break every couple of hours, plus a lunch break. Those of us who work at home should require the same of ourselves.

Taking a break, whether it’s a short 30-minute break three times daily, or a 2-day break away from the computer and work, can make a huge difference in your mental power. Giving your brain this “down” time actually helps to recharge your batteries.

Ideas abound in places other than the Internet. There have been many times when I felt so dry and low on ideas. But when I take a step back, get out, mingle among real-live people, ideas abound everywhere. Some of the best places to get great (and sometimes weird and funny!) ideas are: gas stations, small hometown cafes, Wal-Mart (God forbid!), magazine racks, grocery store, coffee shops…

More time with your family. I will be the first to admit that I don’t spend nearly enough time with my children. Even though I’m at home and I homeschool some days it feels like there just isn’t enough hours in the day to do what needs to be done. Stepping back from your work for a bit can truly open your eyes to what you’re missing out on, as well as help you to appreciate what you have even more.

I know that our business IS the Internet. But I just wanted to post a little reminder that our lives shouldn’t revolve around it.
Go take a break…

Popularity: 78% [?]

Mining Your Site Stats

Posted by Hope

This evening I sat down and took some time to go through my site stats. After yesterday’s post about planning ahead, I decided I needed to truly dig down deep into my site stats to see what I’d find.

Let me begin this by saying that I’m obsessive about my site stats. I check all my site stats quite frequently throughout the day, nearly every day. One of the biggest ways I’ve been using my stats is to see what search phrases people are finding me with. (This is very interesting info, by the way, and if you’re not checking your stats, you’re missing out on it!)

So, like I said, this evening I had some extra free time and I decided to use it by digging into my site stats here at Hope Writes. I’m going to give you a peek into what I discovered so you can see for yourself and hopefully use it for yourself.

Here’s the video….

Popularity: 34% [?]

Flying By The Seat Of Your Pants

Posted by Hope

This blog post at Performancing.com got my wheels to turning. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about doing more in-depth planning for a couple of my sites in particular.

I’m a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of gal. But that’s not always a good thing. I also tend to get lots of ideas. I’ve long since learned to keep a notebook handy to jot down these ideas. I’ve always had a tendancy to jump on every idea I had. Problem with that was they almost always flopped because rather than plan and think things through to the end, I just jumped on the idea and ran with it.

This post talks about doing things like researching up-and-coming trends. If you are a niche marketer, this is an excellent tip because you can get a leg up on the competition. It also recommends weaving in holiday-related stuff and writing ahead.

There’s one thing on this list that I’ve been doing for some time now, which is research your stats. This is by and far a terrific way to get into the minds of your readers. You can learn how they found you (search phrases) and where they come from (site referrals).

Something that recently caught my attention one day as I checked my stats was a graph that shows what day(s) of the week are best for traffic. This is something you should pay attention to. You can write more “meaty” posts on those day(s) of the week and do some linkbaiting in those posts as well, to attract even more traffic.

The key then, whether you’re a writer, blogger, or business-person, is to plan ahead. Don’t let unexpected surprises knock you off you’re feet. Believe it or not, these things do happen, and almost always at a time when you feel like you’re finally beginning to get somewhere.

Do you fly by the seat of your pants, or plan ahead? What are some of your tips?

Popularity: 37% [?]

4 Big NO-NOs of Online Networking for Business

Posted by Hope

If you run a freelance business or work totally online, you probably use networking quite often. Networking is a good thing, when done proper. But one wrong turn and it can all head south really fast.

I am learning all the time about networking etiquette. Just when I think I’ve got it conquered, I learn something else. This is a good thing though!

Here are the four most important business networking lessons I’ve learned. I call them the big NO-NOs of online networking for business.

NO-NO #1 - Be disrepectful to your peers. This is probably the quickest way to ex-communicate yourself from anyone who might have considered teaming up with you or offering you work. It’s also the fastest way to make a bad name for yourself. If you constantly put others down or are almost always negative in your responses, you will become known for it.

Respect is a two-way street. In order to get it, you have to give it. Be respectful of others’ opinions and thoughts. Remember the old saying: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

NO-NO #2 - Network only to find business. I have to be honest with you and tell you that in the beginning days of my getting started online, I did this way too much. I was so eager to get started earning money independently online that I neglected to nurture a lot of relationships. Instead, I spent a lot of time getting to know people then trying to find ways to get hired by them.

The problem with this is that you can become known as a leech. It is extremely important to remember that every contact you make could be a potential business prospect…but don’t treat them as such. Remember #1: Be respectful.

Over the last few years, I have met some amazing people who work from home and are experiencing great success in doing so. Some of them have turned into clients while others have become great friends. Best of all, I form mutual relationships from which there is a give-and-take action that happens on any given day.

One such colleague emailed me a couple of weeks ago, asking if I had a solid source of information for “x” topic that he was writing a short report about. I quickly returned his email, pointing him to a few good resources.

Networking online with other business owners is not just a form of advertising yourself or your services. It’s a way to interact with other business-minded individuals where you can learn from each other.

NO-NO #3 - Get on your soap box. I see this more often than I care to lately. Sometimes I get so irritated that I, quite frankly, have to step back for a week or so, just so I don’t get sucked into it myself.

The one thing that really crawls under my skin is watching a thread pop up on a networking forum from a fairly new, or maybe less experienced, member asking a question or for advice, only to get flamed by “advanced” members.This usually happens when someone with more experience attempts to offer well-meaning advice to the newbie, but somehow gets sidetracked. The advice usually turns into a rant about how newbies should know better than to ask dumb questions.

Now I’ll be the first to admit that I can get on my soap box sometimes, too. But when you are socializing in an online (read: open) forum with others, it is important to remember to keep your attitude in check. Ranting and spewing hateful or mean things at someone else, regardless of your social status, just looks plain bad. It’s usually how heated discussions get started. Don’t do it.

NO-NO #4 - Always take, but never give. (This is similar to #2, but a bit different so I’m adding it seperately.) One of the cornerstones of networking is giving back to your (online) community. It’s important to remember that your community will only be as good as you make it.

Some ways you can give back include, but aren’t limited to:

• Write a detailed article for free that offers solid, helpful information to others
• Offer your expert help to others who need it
• Make a donation to the website/forum owner as a show of support
• Reply to questions others have and give informative tips to help them out
• Share business resources that could be helpful to others

BONUS TIP: I just thought of this one, so I’ll throw it in for free. Don’t spread yourself too thin. I have found many networking communities online, and boy have I tried my best to be a part of all of them. It just doesn’t work that way, though. If you try to become involved in too many networks you’ll end up spending more time trying to fit in and be a part of them all, instead of building your business.

Networking is important, but so is your business. Find an equal balance that you can maintain safely without harming your work ethics.

Do you have another tip you’d like to add to this list?

Popularity: 35% [?]

Holiday Writing: Capitalizing on the Holiday Spirit

Posted by Hope

While lots of people in the United States are celebrating all sorts of holidays through the months of November and December, it is important to remember (if you work online) that these holidays do not necessarily apply to the entire world. I recently read a discussion about this on an internet marketing forum and learned that way too many of us have tunnel vision when it comes to the holidays.

What so many of us fail to remember is that even though some celebrate holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, there is a huge, ripe market out there who do not celebrate these holidays. Are you capitalizing on this market, or are you sitting at home twiddling your thumbs and telling yourself that you won’t make any sales because nobody’s online right now?

Ask yourself how you can promote your business or service right now. Brainstorm several unique ways to land those new clients or break your personal sales record. Don’t use the same old hum-drum Santa-and-the-reindeer tactics. Think out of the box.

Even in the U.S., I can guarantee you that after the turkey and stuffing is eaten, people will be on the Internet in droves will they nurse they full, aching tummies. What can you do to create targeted actions towards increasing your bottom line?

Technorati Tags: business, business tips, internet marketing, IM

Popularity: 38% [?]

Do You Leave Comments On Blogs?

Posted by Hope

If you use blogs for networking purposes, you probably leave quite a few comments in a week’s time, right? Have you given much thought to your comments, or do you just leave them on a whim after reading a nice post?

Darren, at ProBlogger.net, wrote a terrific post, offering great tips on how to get your comments noticed on a popular blog. I must admit that I am guilty of leaving hasty comments without thinking my process through good enough. I read something I like and leave a quick comment.

You might think that just by dropping a few random comments on several blogs will get your business (or name) noticed. You’re right about that, but you could become recognized as the serial blog commenter who has no etiquette, morals, or brains.

Darren’s post really woke me up to the realization that I need to be more thorough when commenting on other blogs. His suggestions cover everything from commenting etiquette to formatting. This one is truly a must-read: 11 Tips for Getting Your Comments Noticed on a Popular Blog

Popularity: 65% [?]

Offer A Solution

Posted by Hope

I just quickly skimmed an info product I downloaded, and boy do I already have something to chew on early this morning. You hear it all the time in the world of Internet Marketing: Offer a solution. But you know, sometimes it takes reading the same thing worded in a different way for me to “get” it.

When you are trying to build a new business, it can be difficult and challenging to land new clients. You can get so wrapped up in just trying to build your business and get new clients to come aboard that you forget the bottom line—offering a solution.

When you sell a solution, you are essentially reaching out your hand to potential clients or customers and saying, “Here, let me show you in three easy steps how you can stop snoring forever.” You are giving them the golden key to solving their huge problem.

The flip side of this is selling a product, which is not what you want to do. Yes, you read that right. You do NOT want to sell a product. Take a look at the difference, using the example just given…

Selling a solution: “I have 3 proven steps you can take right now that will stop your snoring forever–starting tonight. Your wife will never complain again about being kept awake by your obnoxious nasal noises.”

Selling a product: “My ebook will tell you how to stop snoring.”

Which would grab you immediately? The first, of course. It appeals to your emotions. Your snoring has kept your wife up for so long now that she gripes and complains all the time. You need help–NOW. I’m going to give you the easiest–and PROVEN–way to stop that awful snoring. It’s so simple that it can be done in 3 easy steps, PLUS if you put these steps into motion today, you won’t snore tonight.

You can easily see how selling a solution, and not a product, can make you more money. I’m getting excited about this, even as I type this blog post because I can see how I’ve been slacking and offering way too many products and not enough solutions. I think I’ll go now so I can jot down some notes and start revamping…

Technorati Tags: offer a solution, solution verses product, business, builder, selling, selling tips

P.S. Could your business use more articles like this one? Get your own profit-pulling articles and ebooks here.

Popularity: 9% [?]

« Previous Entries