Much of what bloggers do these days they do because they see everybody else doing it. It is a big game of "follow the leader"... or in this case, "follow the guru".

But, sometimes when everybody else is zigging, it is a good time to zag. And in this episode of The Blog Program, I ask the question...

Is the blog sidebar dead?

My readers have probably noticed that in the last few months, I have gone to a no-sidebar layout here on BMA. It started out with just my feature posts - all of which were published in full width. Then, toward the end of 2013, I went ahead and flipped the switch to ditch the sidebar throughout the entire site. I did bring back a mini floating sidebar just to make a few shortcut links more easily accessible, but the traditional sidebar definitely doesn't exist here at the Academy.

In episode 16, I talk about why exactly I made this switch. I talk about:

• What people usually put into the blog sidebar... and could it go anywhere else?
• Why I believe the sidebar might actually get in the way of your content marketing.
• Which elements of the traditional sidebar are worth keeping, and which are a waste of space.
• Why banner ads in your sidebar is practically a waste of time
• How removing the sidebar could change the way your audience views your landing pages.

Sometimes it is valuable to step back and look at the big picture. And in this episode of The Blog Program, that's exactly what we're doing when it comes to the state of blogging.

See, if you stay in a bubble, then you'll just keep on doing things the same old way. And if the world is changing around you, you won't keep up.

I know this more than most. Not only have I been doing this long enough to see just how much things have changed... but I also know what it is like to stay in a bubble and not adjust to change. I got sorta good at that last year. ;)

In this episode, we step back and look at the trends - and what they mean for us as content creators. I talk about:

• How Google's search changes have affected the world of blogging.
• Why old-school link building is dead.
• Why sticking to written blogging only is a loser's proposition.
• What its going to take to stand out in the noise.
• How we're moving into a "pay to play" environment, and what this means about building your OWN platform.
• Why email delivery rates have fallen, and what you need to do about it.

In this episode, David comes back from never, neverland with Episode 14 of The Blog Program.

'Bout. Damn. Time. :)

Actually, this was a decision I made while I was in Las Vegas recently, for the New Media Expo. While I can't remember exactly how many years I've been going there, it has to be at least my FIFTH time attending this conference. And I can tell you...

Never before have I seen so many podcasters.

Not only that, but many of my acquaintances in the business who were not podcasting are now... podcasting. Lewis Howes is now podcasting. Amy Porterfield is now podcasting. Pat Flynn is going to be starting a second DAILY podcast. Jason and Jeremy from Internet Business Mastery are flirting with the idea of a daily show (at least judging from a recent survey they ran).

Listening to Cliff Ravenscraft and John Lee Dumas talk about their podcasting and trends also has me convinced that I'd be an IDIOT not to get regular about my own show.

And, so it is. :)

And, we usher in 2014 with episode #14. A dose of irony, there.

In this episode, I talk about my biggest takeaway from the year 2013. In this one, I talk about:

• What its like having been in this business for 15 years.
• What went WRONG in 2013.
• The moment I had an "aha moment" which brought this lesson to mind.
• How business is like an art form
• How this lesson translates into ALL areas of our lives, including relationships, diets, and all of our goals.

I also start off this episode singing a little bit of Britney Spears. So, there's that. ;)

One of the biggest things which differentiate a successful content marketer from the usual (broke) blogger is that he/she strategically plans their content in advance.

When you plan your content in advance - even for as much as a quarter ahead of time - it allows you to ensure that your content serves a real purpose and isn't simply there to meet a quota self-imposed.

In the last few posts, I have been talking about planning your blog content in advance. But, today, I wanted to "recap" it in a brand new episode of The Blog Program.

In this episode, I talk about editorial calendars, and why you may want to consider pre-planning your blog content for as much as 3 months in advance. In this show, we talk about multiple reasons why strategic planning of your content is far better than "flying by the seat of your pants" (which is what most bloggers do.). We also go over a 6-step process to brainstorm and develop your editorial calendar.

In this episode, David talks about editorial calendars, and why you may want to consider pre-planning your blog content for as much as 3 months in advance. In this show, we talk about multiple reasons why strategic planning of your content is far better than "flying by the seat of your pants" (which is what most bloggers do.). We also go over a 6-step process to brainstorm and develop your editorial calendar.

It takes certain tools to run an online business, and there are choices that need to be made.

In this episode of The Blog Program, I get into some of the behind-the-scenes nitty-gritty details of what makes an online business tick.

Specifically, we'll be talking about email marketing, and why after YEARS of working with Aweber, I decided to switch away from it and make the move to Office AutoPilot (aka Ontraport).

This was a pretty big move for me, and one which isn't going to be applicable to everybody in my audience. However, this episode will be a good one for those of you who...

• Are running established online businesses and find yourself getting frustrated with some of the limitations of your current software, and feel you're leaving money on the table because of it. OR...
• You're still fairly new, but are still interested in some of the considerations that go into an online business as it grows.

This episode covers such topics as:

• Why I've been recommending Aweber over Mailchimp for my readers
• 8 different reasons why I decided to switch from Aweber to Office AutoPilot (aka Ontraport)
• What the #1 most important asset of your business is
• Some of the "holes" you may have in your business while using a traditional email marketing service like Mailchimp or Aweber.

In this episode, David gets into some of the behind-the-scenes nitty-gritty details of what makes an online business tick. Specifically, we'll be talking about email marketing, and why after YEARS of working with Aweber, he decided to switch away from it and make the move to Office AutoPilot (aka Ontraport).

I have been talking about Ten Minute Pages lately. It is no mystery that it is something I recommend to much of my readers and listeners.

But, aside from the solution itself, there is also a business behind it.

And around here, that topic interests me. We're all working to build and expand our businesses, and I find that there are usually certain common elements that entrepreneurs master before success comes.

So, I decided to invite Kyle Graham, the creator of Ten Minute Pages, to come on The Blog Program. As of this recording, he was in the middle of his official product launch - which is always a pretty CRAZY experience (anybody who has done one will attest).

In this interview, we go behind the scenes into the growth of a software business online.

This interview covers such topics as:

• What its like being in the middle of a product launch
• The "aha moment" which suddenly lead from years of mediocre performance and client work... to the creation of Ten Minute Pages and really rockin'
• How important picking the right target market really is
• Some of the growing pains of a rapidly growing business - and how Kyle dealt with it.
• The #1 most important skill that you MUST master before you'll achieve rapid growth

Definitely a good conversation.

In this episode, we talk with Kyle Graham, the creator of Ten Minute Pages. Ten Minute Pages is a robust drag&drop landing page creator, allowing you to create pain free landing pages in ten minutes or less. In this brief interview, we go behind the scenes into the growth of a software business online. This interview covers such topics as target market selection, the power of focus, some of the growing pains of a fast-growing business, and the #1 most important skill you MUST master before real growth can happen.

One thing all blog owners want is TRAFFIC.

It is one of those things that nobody thinks they have enough of. And, for brand new bloggers, it can seem like the hardest thing to get.

In order to get traffic, you have to PROMOTE. But, what exactly do you do?

What do you do to get the word out?

How do you let people know what you're doing?

How do you build leverage?

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• Why you need to stop tweaking your blog.
• What it really means to create "good content".
• Why content creation should represent a minority of your blogging schedule.
• How most bloggers are grossly under-utilizing social media.
• How to alleviate all doubt about what content you need to be writing right now.

... and more. :)