Create If Writing

Can I ask a favor? I'd love to know more about my listeners! Take this quick (I really DO mean quick) listener survey! Click to take the survey!

It's the year of video! And has been for the last five years, apparently. But live video stormed onto the scene in 2015, offering more ample and unique opportunities to use video. In this interview with Chef Mareya from Eat Cleaner, she shares how to use Facebook Live to build an audience.

This posts contains affiliate links! At no extra cost to you, any purchases made by clicking through may result in a commission. 

Want to connect with Mareya? 

Find her Facebook page (where you can watch weekly live cooking shows) and the Eat Cleaner  site.

How Mareya Got Started on Facebook Live

Mareya had a following already on Facebook, so she used the live aspect once it became available to leverage who she already had. Facebook is still favoring the live platform, so you can get tremendous reach by using live video within the platform. You are able to reach people in a dynamic way. There is no smoke and mirrors-- no editing. The watchers have started to become their own tribe with a name for themselves and interact with each other online.

The Benefits of Facebook Live

• You will have the favor of Facebook
• If you are a regular, you will start getting regulars
• This allows people to really see you as you are without the polish and the fakery of more produced videos
• People become lifers through this kind of platform because of the personal nature
• Facebook might start to pay attention to YOU
• Because it's a new platform, you can really plant your flag there and GROW because it's so new
• You will garner a group of more connected fans than you might through another platform
• Higher-watched content helps prime your page and grow your organic reach

  Why You Should Stop Being Nervous about Live

What's the worst that could happen? People know they aren't getting a polished, professional video. Your people have more faith in what you're doing when things are so stripped down. Being unedited means you build trust with people. There may be surprises, but there are no secrets!

Tech Setup for Facebook Live

The nice thing is that you don't need to have a lot of the things that you might need for more edited and polished videos. Here's what you DO need, based on Mareya's suggestions and my own.

• Your phone (supposedly it will be rolling out to desktop soon), held vertically
• Tripod
• Ring light
• Microphone (I use this one for video)

Can You Monetize Your Videos?

You can actually use your own products or cross-promote your products in the videos. If you are talking about something paid in the video, you can have a more authentic integration that's NOT an ad.

Tips for Upping Engagement on Facebook Live

• Take questions
• Say people's names
• Respond later to comments
• Show up regularly with VALUE

How Can You Launch a Physical (Not Digital) Product

• BE BRAVE
• Do the pre-work
• Know your audience and the market
• What makes your heart leap out of your chest with excitement
• Research who else is doing it and how you might bring your own angle to the space
• Know the business metrics you need to achieve to make it work
• Get a coach to help you put the numbers to it and walk you through the process
• If you want to patent, find someone to help you through the patent & trademark process
• Buy related urls so you have them before you launch
• Use people around you as a sounding board

 

My big takeaway: TELL YOUR STORY.

People don't just buy products. They buy people. They come to like you and want to do business with you and support you. They see you telling the truth and it builds trust. Live video is a phenomenal way to tell your story in an authentic way.

So if you're wondering how to use Facebook live to build your audience, the best way is to USE FACEBOOK LIVE TO GROW YOUR AUDIENCE.

Got it? Okay. Perfect.

Hey, listeners! Let me know who you are by taking 60 seconds to fill out a quick demographic survey. Find it HERE:

 https://survey.libsyn.com/createifwriting 

 

In this episode I'm talking with Christine Pittman, a food blogger who runs Cook the Story (her personal food blog) and Cookful (a contributor food site). I was blown away by her levels of organization and how starting Cookful with intentional organization brought the site to over 200k pageviews a month after just a year. How did she do it? By starting out blogging as a business.

Listen to Episode 67 - Blogging as a Business

 

To connect with Christine, find her at Cook the Story, Cookful, or on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Cook the Story on Pinterest, or Cookful on Pinterest. 

Highlights from the Interview

• When starting a blog, take the time to plan and map things out ahead of time. Being intentional from the start can mean faster success. 
• At Cookful, there are themes, which means multiple posts on a particular topic (like Candy Apples, which are being featured right now). These posts cover different aspects of a topic, incorporate keywords and link to one another. As a result, they rank really well for SEO (search engine optimization). 
• Tiny details can go a long way! For their featured topics, even the sidebars will show related post to that topic, rather than just a standard sidebar.

Tips (Especially for a Contributor Site)

• Have a consistent voice. Pull writing samples so that you (or your contributors) can get a feel for the style. 
• Be specific with your audience, even to the point of having a photo of the 
• Make sure everyone knows the goal and what the site is about. 
• Consider making a file or document with the voice style guide as well as image standards and the details about fonts and color palette. 

Christine's Favorite Tools for Organizing Your Blog

• Coschedule - a paid plugin for wordpress that can act as an editorial calendar, allow contributors to talk, and also schedules social media
• Basecamp - this tool is where the style guides live and is also a place for the people on her team to talk 
• Board Booster - a Pinterest scheduling tool (this is my affiliate link!)

How do you know when you should invest?

If you are blogging as a business, invest in it as though it's a business. (Don't go TOO crazy; definitely consider your current financial status. But you may take more risks.) It may sometimes be a bit of a gamble, because you don't know the end result. Thinking of it as a business changes things. It IS often an investment to make money. (Read my post on how to know if you should use free or paid tools!)

You should also consider how things free you up or will make money BACK for your site. If you are investing in tools or people or apps, think about how the money will or can come back to you. Ask if you NEED it or what it will bring back into the blog. 

How do you know that you should say yes to a paid opportunity? 

You may start out taking money or jobs that are not the idea or things you really WANT to do, but the goal may be to work toward saying NO a lot more and only saying yes to the opportunities that you LOVE. Consider your dream job and then work toward that. 

Final Thoughts about Blogging as a Business

Getting organized starts with having a plan, writing it down, and working step-by-step to accomplish the steps along the way. A mastermind group or small tribe of people doing similar work can really help as you try to articulate your ideas and get feedback from other people. 

 

What are the systems and tools that help YOU accomplish your goals? Have you seen a mindset shift make a big difference in your decisions, large & small? Leave a comment. Let's chat.

Monetization of your podcast, book, blog, or platform is not without pitfalls. Whether that's getting caught in the traffic-chasing circle or turning off your audience talking about too many affiliate products, you will have roadblocks and issues. It can even stifle or choke your creativity. 

But in this episode I hope to help you see some of the pitfalls and avoid them. We should sell confidently, without apologizing, and realizing that we won't see eye to eye with everyone about what is smarmy. 

If you can figure out what monetizing your passion looks like in real life, you are living the dream. For many of us, it STAYS a dream. But for Lindsay Ostrom, her love of food and sharing recipes turned into a full-time job for her and her husband Bjork (remember episodes 61 & 62?) through Pinch of Yum and Food Blogger Pro. In this episode she shares the story of how she was able to monetize her passion through blogging.

Listen to Episode 65 - Monetizing Your Passion

 

Want to connect with Lindsay? You can find her blogging at Pinch of Yum, sharing amazing recipes (like this Tikki Masala that is in our kitchen rotation) or follow her on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook.

 

The Highlights

Monetization Started Through Experimentation.

When Lindsay and Bjork started out with ads on Pinch of Yum, it was a scary change. They started by asking what was working for other people, then implemented ads and began watching and tracking metrics to see what was working. The mindset was: if you can make $20, you can make $40. And if you can make $40, you can make $80.

Growth Isn't Always Fast, But a Slow Upward Trend.

They started small, just using ads on the blog to monetize. Then Lindsay paid attention to what people were interested in and started with ONE product, an ebook. She utilized affiliates to sell the book and saw a steady increase in traffic and sales through word of mouth and the affiliate program.

It Is Possible to Monetize, Even without Huge Masses of Traffic. 

Find a value that you can provide to the readers you do have and to potential readers. You don't have to have masses of traffic or depend on ads. Find what your readers want and how you can provide that for them, whether through information or a product.

Follow What Is Naturally Happening and Makes It SCALABLE.

Pinch of Yum's training counterpart is Food Blogger Pro, where Lindsay and Bjork run a membership site to train food bloggers. This formed organically when they realized that people were constantly coming to them for help and answering emails one on one was simply not scalable. If you have people constantly coming to you for help, find ways

Working with Your Spouse as a Business Partner May or MAY NOT Work for You.

Every couple may not work well together on a business. (It's hard enough sometimes to work with people you aren't married to sometimes!) For Lindsay and Bjork, this looked like working in separate spaces. If you are trying to partner with your spouse on developing a business, there are the great benefits, but those same benefits can be a real struggle. You need to be intentional in taking care of and protecting your relationship.

Food Blogging as a Business Looks Different Than Food Blogging as a Hobby.

Lindsay started out just trying things and posting her thoughts. Now that the blog has a more serious following, it works better in systems. She makes every recipe twice, once at a normal time, and then one day when she makes all the recipes and takes all the photos in one day. Working in batches is a way to get more done systematically.

Your Skills Will Continue to Develop Through Use and Experimentation.

Pinch of Yum is a site known for food photography and Linday's book, Tasty Food Photography, has helped countless bloggers get better. She found with each new lens, she learned new things about photography. With her writing, she tried to write the kind of blog she wanted to read. It's important to read other blogs and works similar to yours, but to keep your own voice and perspective so you are inspired by someone else, but aren't emulating anyone else. Just start and keep showing up, trying new things along the way.

Should You Do It for a Business? Or for the Love? 

Lindsay is in the camp where you start with what you love and see where it goes. If you aren't rewarded by the process itself, you will struggle to sustain that. There MUST be an intrinsic reward in the work itself. That will keep you going. Success doesn't happen right away. You should ask, "Would I do it even if I weren't being paid?" Think long term. It's not getting rich quick. There is no magic formula to blogging or anything else, no matter what other people tell you. Keep showing up and posting content. The love will be the fuel behind what you do.

This episode is all about Pinterest for podcasters. Why podcasters? I keep hearing the conversations and questions from podcasters who don't use or simply dismiss Pinterest. If you aren't a podcaster, never fear! You'll still get some great tips and takeaways for how this platform can work for you. But podcasters, I'm writing this with YOU in mind!

Many people are under the impression that Pinterest is the kind of site where you hang out to learn about DIY, tasty recipes, or home decor. I rarely (if ever) read or hear of people talking about Pinterest for podcasters. Twitter and Facebook tend to be the more favored social platforms.

But those who use Pinterest for promotion know that Pinterest is perhaps THE most powerful platform for promotion. 

Why? Unlike both Twitter and Facebook where links have a shelf life of a few minutes to a few hours, Pinterest has legs. Long ones.

I am constantly getting traffic from Pinterest. EVEN FROM THINGS I PINNED A YEAR AGO. Yes, you read that right: Posts I shared one time a year ago bring daily traffic to my blog from Pinterest. LOTS of traffic.

Pinterest is a marathon, not a sprint. It is not really a social network so much as a search engine. Contrary to popular belief, it is NOT just for moms hanging out at home wanting to cook great meals and redecorate their homes.

No matter what your podcast niche, there ARE people pinning and sharing that kind of content on Pinterest. With the potential for mad traffic that keeps on going (and going and going), you have the potential to broaden the reach of your podcast.

You ready? Let's get to it!

 

Pinterest for Podcasters Set Up Your Account

This seems pretty basic as you basically need an email and password to set up your Pinterest account. BUT there are a few important parts to setting up an effective account! (I'm moving really quickly through the setup process here, but have a much more in-depth post about Pinterest on Jane Friedman's blog.)

Set up a business account. Nope, this isn't scary and it changes NOTHING if you already have a personal account. It looks the same and feels the same with the added bonus of getting all the analytics your heart could desire. Learn to set up your Pinterest Business account. 

Get rich pins. You'll know rich pins when you see them. They look more official with all the info from the site itself right on the pin. People pin these more frequently because they know they are actually validated. Follow this tutorial to set up rich pins with Yoast. On blogger? Try this setup for rich pins.

Write great keyword descriptions. Pinterest is less social and more search. This means that you'll want to use effective and relevant keywords in your descriptions. This means your profile, your boards, and your pins themselves. This doesn't mean keyword stuffing (repeating the same words again and again) but rather using the words that people might search for NATURALLY within your descriptions.

Have a board for your site & podcast. Create boards that are for your target audience. If you want to have other, less relevant to your podcast or business boards, you can always make them secret boards or (if you want more to manage) have a separate personal account. I just keep my board secret. Your first board or boards should be YOUR content. This means name one after your podcast or your website, use the correct label for the kind of board it is, and a description with great keywords. Every time you do a new post or episode, pin to that board or boards.

Set Up Your Site

On your site side, you will want to do a few things to be Pinterest-friendly. These things make it more likely that people will share your images on Pinterest.

Have your site verified. This basically means your site fully connects to Pinterest. It will make sure you're getting the correct analytics. Use this simple tutorial to verify your site in a few minutes.

Install the Save It Button for Pinterest. Most people have social shares on their site, typically at the top or bottom of each post or floating along the side. The Save It (formerly Pin It) button will hover over each image, encouraging your readers to keep the juice going by pinning your images. Learn how to install the hovering button in this post.

Creating Pinnable Images

Create Pinterest-styled images. It takes a few more minutes, but I create several images for each set of show notes. I have my normal thumbnail for the podcast, a horizontal image standard for each episode with my guest for that week, and then an image that is geared toward Pinterest. Take a few minutes to search around Pinterest for keywords related to your podcast topic. What catches your eye? I'm dealing with writing, social media, and online platform, so I tend to grab pictures from Pixabay or use my own stock photos. The typical podcast image may not perform as well on Pinterest as it would on other platforms. It's worth the time to consider how you might make images that would be more suited. Here you can see a few images that I used for the same set of show notes.

Size images for Pinterest. Social media platforms love to mess with us by having different optimal sizes. On Facebook and Twitter, this is often a horizontal image. On Pinterest, you need a long and lovely image. The optimal sizing is 735 x 1102 pixels. I typically use more like 800 x 1200 because it suits the width of my blog better, and really longer is better. (Once you pass around 1400, Pinterest will clip the image and it won't all be visible. Play around with the size that goes best with your blog.) I use Picmonkey or Canva (both have free or paid versions) to create my vertical images.

Label images with keywords. Every image has metadata that you may not know about. You can find this in blogger or wordpress by clicking on the image. You'll see the file name (which typically starts as something like IMG3002) and the alt tag field. Those are the two you really need to worry about. Rename the file with keywords, which will help you in Google search and in Pinterest.

Replace IMG 3002 with how-to-grow-your-email-list as the name. Then in the alt tag field, you will want to write out a description that will help you get pinned on Pinterest. When people click to pin an image, the alt tag automatically fills in the description on Pinterest. That may be something like: "This interview with Kirsten Oliphant will teach you how to grow your email list without breaking your budget." See how the phrase is the same? That's called a long-tail keyword and will help your image appear in search. Do this with every image on your blog. Starting NOW.

Hide images if you need to. For some people, a giant image disrupts the feel of the post. You can always hide the long images in your post. (Read how to hide vertical Pinterest images in a post!)

Writing Killer Show Notes

This is the place where I feel like podcasters really can learn to shine. Since I was a blogger before I was a podcaster, I write posts that are full of great content, images, and keywords. If you are dialing in your show notes, you will not find much success on Pinterest. Instead, try to beef them up and make the show notes content that will stand on their own rather than a supplemental afterthought.

Don't rely solely on transcriptions. Transcriptions are great for some people and for enrichening your post with SEO juice from long-form content and keywords, but most people don't want to read them. Pinterest users especially are not going to be thrilled to click over and find a simple transcript. If you want to use a transcript, consider writing out content before the transcript so that the post has some value in and of itself.

Don't be afraid to repeat yourself. I have a lot of listeners to my podcast who don't read show notes. I also have a lot of followers who read and almost never listen to the podcast. Why? They just aren't podcast listeners. I'd love to convert them, each and every one, but some people just don't get it. So I write out show notes that follow the arc and the details of the show fully.

By creating rich show notes that resemble more of a blog post than traditional show notes, you may be able to reach a new audienc. Maybe you can convert them to listeners and maybe not. You can for SURE work on getting them both kinds of audience members (listeners and readers) on your email list. If they love you, they will follow what you're doing using the medium they prefer. Don't turn off non-listeners.

Make listening easy in the post. I love the custom player from Libsyn (which you can see at the top of this post). It's pretty and effective. Some people listen to my podcast solely in the posts themselves. Libsyn also has the ability to push your podcast to YouTube, where it will be a sort of static video showing your cover art and playing the audio. You could embed this YouTube video in your post for a bigger, more noticeable way to listen. Give people options and make it EASY. Don't make them leave your site to listen. You are more likely to hook new listeners and maybe even first time podcast newbies this way.

Make subscribing easy in the post. Definitely make listening possible right in the post, but don't forget to link out where you want people to subscribe or leave a review.

Have a call to action. Want subscribers to the podcast? Reviews? Comments? People who will sign up for your email list? Make sure you have one strong call to action at the end of every post.

Utilizing Video

Pinterest (like most platforms) is pushing video. Video currently looks weird on Pinterest because it doesn't appear like the other long pins, but because Pinterest is focusing on it and promoting its use, this is a great feature to use. People can view videos right in Pinterest, which means that people have a chance to hear your voice and get hooked right then and there, even if you aren't doing video podcasts.

If you are using Libsyn, you can make YouTube a destination. This creates a video with a static thumbnail image from your show in YouTube. (As with any video, you could go change the thumbnail image to an image of you and your guest if you have one!) and then pin each video to Pinterest. These could go on your main podcast or blog board, or their own separate board that's all video.

This is my next step and I'm excited to see how this might impact listens and discovery!

 

I hope that this posts has helped you consider Pinterest for podcasters. (And if you're not a podcaster, it should still give you some best practices for the platform!) If you are not using Pinterest, you are missing out on a massive and lasting traffic source.

 

To celebrate speaking at BlogHer Food in October, I'm sending you some interviews with food bloggers for the next few weeks! This week I'm chatting with Rachel Matthews of A Southern Fairytale about how she got started food blogging and how she has come to work with brands. 

 

Connect with Rachel from A Southern Fairytale

You can find delicious recipes at A Southern Fairytale or follow Rachel on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or Twitter. 

Her first relationship with a brand came from leaving a comment on another blog. 

Comments are not what they were a few years back, but connecting with other people in your niche and being social, public, and putting yourself out there can lead to any number of collaborations. When you are a writer or blogger, the danger can be staying in your own little space and comfort zone, waiting for people to come to you, rather than giving back, going back, and connecting with other people in their spaces. 

The key to long term success is forming relationships, not just one-offs. 

While there is nothing wrong working with someone one time, forming a more lasting relationship with a brand (or collaborator) helps your own brand and enriches your content. It establishes authenticity when you stick with one brand rather than hopping around from brand to brand, relationship to relationship. (Especially if they are competing!) 

Want to connect with brands? Rachel breaks down how this works today. 

You can use connecting companies like Collective Bias (aka Social Fabric), SITS Girls, Izea, Influence Central, or many other companies that help bloggers partner with brands. This can sometimes introduce you to a brand and save you the work of having to go out and make pitches directly to the company. They also don't allow for the type of relationship that Rachel mentions as so key to her success. They might be a good place to start OR, if it makes more sense for you, where you want to stay. 

Rachel's Top Tips for Getting Started with a Brand Ambassadorship

• Make sure you are trying to establish a relationship with a brand or product you already authentically use. 
• Get to know the brand, talk and interact on social media long before you reach out. (Check out my post on connecting with influencers for more!) Create the relationship and then when you do reach out for a pitch or asking to start a conversation, you are on their radar.
• Consider coming with your own ideas already in the pitch.
• Make sure your voice in sponsored content or working with a brand is the same voice you use consistently through the brand. 
• Meet sponsors at a conference or local event and then actually follow up. (The conference itself is probably not the best place to pitch!) This shows them that you are a professional and are taking this seriously. 

 

Rachel rocks her elevator pitch on the spot and explains how she developed it. 

When it comes to crafting an elevator pitch, it should be something that flows naturally off your tongue using your own words and style. You can practice it and hone it, but make sure that it feels authentic and natural and conversational. Consider recording it and listening back on your phone or computer. Whatever it takes to make it completely ingrained so that when someone asks, it comes across professionally, clearly, but in your unique voice. Get feedback from a friend or reader that is familiar with your blog and brand. Crafting your elevator pitch can also help you firm up your sense of self and who you are. 

 

Food bloggers have learned how to write recipes better and have become better at photography & styling. 

When you go back and look at the early posts from most food bloggers that have been around for a while, you will see big changes in how recipes are written and how photography has evolved. 

Food bloggers love food, love each other, and love to talk about it. -Rachel Matthews

 

 

As a bonus to Episode 61 [listen HERE!], Bjork Ostrom from Food Blogger Pro & Pinch of Yum shares what he is geeking out about. Spoiler alert: He MIGHT be looking through your windows. 

The Automated Home

• Nest 
• Amazon Echo

 

The Quantified Self 

• Heartrate Tracking
• Scales That Sync to Your Phone 

 

Bjork is fascinated with the idea that we are becoming more and more connected, but through the internet in tiny particles sent through files and time and space. Technology is such a huge part of our lives, but has become more than just consuming, but creating and connecting. Bjork thinks that we are always moving forward and making things better. There is a potential for increased quality of life, even if there is some shadow. 

He's an optimist. 

Meanwhile, I'm a little scared thinking about how fragile this world of technology is that we have built so much upon. That's my pessi-realism for you. 

Do you ever feel like you're stuck on a plateau? Or the opposite-- you are so busy with ideas and tasks that you are completely overwhelmed? Neither of these is a best-case scenario. But when you are biz planning for the long haul, you can move past either of these obstacles.

How? You'll have to listen to what Bjork Ostrom has to say about it. 

 

Connect with Bjork Ostrom

Food Blogger Pro - membership is closed, but you can still get great info on the blog and listen to the podcast

You can also find him on Twitter or hanging out on Pinch of Yum. 

 

Podcasting is a fantastic medium for building connections, trust, & intimacy. (1:18)

While blogging and written media is not going anywhere, audio has some unique properties that may allow you to reach new audiences, or your same audience in a new way. Your audience can listen to your podcast while running at the beach, driving their car, or while washing dishes. Something about audio triggers a deeper connection with your audience that is more intimate that simply reading the written word. It also allows you to form connections with other influencers if you are doing interviews or being interviewed. 

The best growth happens as you get a little bit better every day forever. (5:15)

Bjork coined the phrase and concept of One Percent Infinity, which simply means that you can improve a little each day over a longer period of time. Rather than thinking of it as going from 0 to 1000, the One Percent Infinity concept means small wins along the way that add up over time. (Read more about this idea at Pro Blog School.) Bjork and his wife Lindsay run Pinch of Yum and Food Blogger Pro and he shares what this one percent infinity looked like for their journey. (9:23) Some of this looked like making intentional business decisions to scale this day by day. 

When you have something at 80%, leave it to work on the thing at 10%. (13:05)

I loved this concept of not perfecting the things that are already working really well, but letting those stand while you then try to bring up another element to that same 80%. Start working bit by bit, day by day on the areas of your blog and business that really need the help. Don't spend time tweaking when you could be making a bigger, more important change. (Raise your hand if you ever spent like two hours messing with your sidebar??) We steal from progress when we focus on those little things that aren't moving you forward. Move forward on something matters. You will steal joy from yourself if you focus on things that aren't really accomplishing a larger goal. 

"There is so much opportunity to perfect things that don't need to be perfected." (15:20)

When you hit a plateau or get stuck in overwhelm, you need to be able to get out. (19:10)

Consider the things that are not actually impacting your bottom line, whether that is traffic or downloads or sales. Figure out the things you're doing that don't need YOU in them. Pass those off to someone else. (Which reminds me a lot of my episode on free vs paid tools!) Or, if they aren't moving you forward, stop doing them altogether. Drop off the things that don't matter to focus on the things that DO. Experiment with giving this to someone for a month. 

Need tips for a membership site? Here are Bjork's tips. (34:18)

Try a presale to validate the idea and prove the concept. Consider a course vs a membership. With a membership you need to offer something of value every single month. Consider how you can niche down and focus on a specific audience rather than a generic audience. 

Many businesses lose money the first few years, but online that may not be the case. (43:18)

Adjust the revenue and expense categories so that you might be profitable from the beginning. How can you become profitable right from the start or as quickly as possible? Find what point it takes to spend money that will save your time. You have to consider the time value of your projects and the things that you are doing. When you start, use the free things that make sense for you rather than diving into paying for all the bells and whistles. You need the things that are worth your time. 

 

Links we mention: 

Meron Bareket (his session helped me learn sound editing for podcast editing!)

Maritza Parra & the superniche 

Ramen Profitability

 

 

I've made my fair share of money mistakes. (Remember my $1300 mistakes of 2015??) Today I'm talking all about tools and how to decide between free and paid tools.

Listen to Episode 60 - How to Decide Between Free and Paid Tools

 

When it comes to investing in your blog, brand, or small business, there is no shortage of options. You can pay designers or developers for your blog, pay for better blog hosting, pay for advertisements, pay for courses and education, pay virtual assistants, pay for memberships, pay for coaching, or pay for tools. I'm sure I missed some things in there.

I'm shocked at how the little potential costs add up on a monthly basis. But what do we really NEED to pay for?

I'm going to speak specifically about how to decide between free and paid tools in this post, but may revisit the conversation with thoughts on how we decide to pay for courses, services, or more.

The thing about tools is that you have to first know your goals to determine what you NEED. What you need and what someone else needs will not be the same. I will always start conversations by making sure you know your why. If you need help with this, consider my mini-course, the Foundation Series, which helps build your foundation for your blog, social media, email list, and images on your WHY.

Your goals will help you understand what tools you need, but you also need to have an understanding of your budget before you move on. If you are bootstrapping your beginnings, you may not have any money or have a tiny budget at the beginning to pay for tools. Know your why and your budget and then consider these helpful questions.

Questions to Help You Decide Between Free and Paid Tools

Will It Save You Time?

Will this particular tool save you enough time that it actually DOES equal money? This is a really great question to ask, especially as you are getting started. For me, unless it saves me hours, this is not enough of a reason to pay.

Will It Propel You Forward?

Some tools have the ability to really move your business forward. An example for me has been ConvertKit. It's an email tool that I pay for that absolutely helps move me forward and grow my email list in ways that Mailchimp and Mad Mimi just couldn't. My list growth saw huge surges from the advanced features of using this tool. But for one of my sites I still use Mailchimp because my needs are simpler. 

Is There a Learning Curve?

Do you need to learn how to use the tool? I recently bought Camtasia. I know I will use it for my business. But so far I haven't used it because I don't know how to use it and haven't had time to sit down with the program. You may need to consider if now is the right time for a tool with a learning curve. If you don't have time to learn it, then you probably don't need it right this second.

Do You Need It NOW? 

Sometimes we get that itchy trigger finger. We want our goose that lays the golden egg and we want it NOW. (Little Willy Wonka reference for you.) But do you NEED it now? Like, right now? If you are trying to stick to your budget, make a list of things you want to buy and then try to buy them in order of immediate need. 

Is There a Unique Deal? 

You may not need it now, but sometimes you find that amazing deal that happens to be ONLY now. Taking my previous Camtasia example, I don't have time this month to figure it out. But I also know that in the long run I need it and I found a sweet deal that I couldn't pass up. Sometimes you may see a great deal on a tool you don't need this second that you know you WILL need. This might be the only time I'd suggest getting a tool you don't need now so you don't stockpile and forget to ever use it.

Will It Have Direct Impact on Reaching Your Goals? 

This is similar to the question about propelling you forward, but it helps distinguish between tools that are fun and tools that really ACCOMPLISH something. My example here is Pat Flynn's Smart Podcast Player. I got a good deal on this tool, which allows you to neatly embed your podcast into your posts and pages. It looked like it would help with shares and make listening easier. Also, it was pretty and on sale. But in reality, it looked pretty but didn't increase any activity for me, so I cut this out of my budget. We all love pretty things, but if you are on a budget or need to cut back, look for tools that may be neat, but not actually DO anything.

Is It a Necessary Tool for Your Goals?

I recently was on the fence about paying for some scheduling tools. I know a lot of people pay for Edgar (a cool $50/month) or an advanced version of Hootsuite or Buffer. While these tools are helpful, I don't see tons of traffic from Twitter, which is a platform more about connections. Paying for scheduling there won't increase connections or enhance relationships. I also prefer to do Facebook scheduling natively, because I see the best results that way. On the other hand, I DO pay for Tailwind, an app for Pinterest scheduling. Why? Because Pinterest is my top traffic referrer and I need to be intentional. There are also great analytics that help me continue to be strategic. This tool helps me with my goals, but a Twitter scheduler would not.

Does It Take on a Job That YOU Don't Have to Do?

One example might be hiring a ghostwriter or contributors for your blog. I personally want to be THE writer and voice. But if it's not important that YOU write the posts as long as SOMONE does, this could be a good tool. (Though I'm talking about people in terms of ghostwriters or contributors here.)

Does It Fall Under Shiny Object Syndrome?

Often the other questions will rule this out, but sometimes for reasons I can't explain, I really WANT something. It may not meet a need or really affect the bottom line, but I get obsessed and keep thinking about it. That's when it becomes a shiny object. I'm not saying you shouldn't invest in something you obsess over, but do ask some of the other questions first before you invest. And realize that you may feel totally happy once you've got your special thing, OR you may be disappointed because you buy it and then realize that you should have gone with your rational senses that it didn't actually accomplish something you need.

Do You NEED It or Do You WANT it? 

Similar to shiny object, it's important to think about whether you really need it. I need an email service provider or I can't send email. I need a media host for my podcast or no one can listen to my podcast.

Will It Save (or Make) You Money?

Some tools might cost something, but bring in a return. Many people attribute a tool like Leadpages or ClickFunnels to helping them make sales through sales pages that convert. (Personally, I can't directly attribute any sales to Leadpages, though I've used it a lot this year.)

Is There a Cheaper Version That Works Just As Well? 

One alternative to Leadpages is Thrive Pages, which has several features that are similar to Leadpages. People can argue til they are blue about which is better (and you have to really decide which is best for you), but if one is cheaper and you don't have the budget to go above, then go with that one!

Is There a Recurring Fee? 

Some tools have a hidden yearly fee if you want support. Or just a recurring yearly fee, rather than a one-time fee. Don't miss this when you buy! It makes a big difference if something is $50 once or $50 every year. That doesn't mean you should only buy the one-time cost tool, but simply know what you're getting into. 

Does the Tool Do the Work of SEVERAL Tools? 

This year SumoMe made some big changes. I used to recommend it for pop-ups, welcome mats, or smart bars (all email list tools on your site), but I found that my emails were NOT actually getting to my email service provider. Hundreds of emails were trapped in a spreadsheet within the tool on my blog and never made it to my email service provider. I left at that point. Since then, SumoMe also changed its plans so you have to pay WAY more. I wouldn't give them my money after seeing how it failed on the free level, but looking into other options for pop-ups, I kept finding that some tools did one or two things, but I would need another tool for another job. Some were free and some were different prices, so I was toggling between all of these window. 

Enter: Popup Ally. It has a HUGE functionality, plays nice with ConvertKit, lets me have like 9 different kinds of signup forms and allows me to easily design them with custom looks and fonts. You can do exit intent pop-ups, block pop-ups on certain pages or on mobile, and even get a little fancy and make it so people already subscribed won't see the pop-ups at all. (I'm still working to get that bit down.) This was a one-time fee while many of the others were monthly, but it did the work of many tools and email is giant piece of my platform. 

Want to learn more? You can check out details by clicking through my affiliate link (which gives me a commission if you decide to upgrade!) to get the PopupAlly Pro details. 

What Do Other People Say about It?

Ask around, read reviews, and see what you can dig up. Ask people what they use and what good and bad experiences they have had. You will find a mix of good and bad for most tools, so this likely won't give you a definitive answer, but may help you make your decision. 

What Is the Return Policy?

This seems basic, but I don't always think about it, especially with things like courses or tools. I recently paid for a tool that just didn't work on my blog, but it had a refund policy so I got my money back. I didn't check ahead of time, but I should have. Always know the policy. Set an alarm on your phone if there is an expiration. Always read the fine print. I've seen some courses where the refund policy includes a piece where you have to do all the worksheets and proved you actually did the entire course and tried things AND DIDN'T SEE RESULTS to get your money back. 

 

I hope that these questions can help you work through the decision to buy (or not buy) a particular tool! I have to really think about it every time and make sure I'm not caught up in shiny object syndrome and that the tool meets a need that is worth paying for rather than bootstrapping to do it myself. 

 

You haven't been online long if you haven't had to learn how to deal with critics, haters, and trolls. They are everywhere. Your Facebook page, the comments section of newspaper articles, and even your blog comments. The more traffic you get, the more critics you'll have. 

I’m sure I’m not the only one with a distinct memory for those mean-spirited or otherwise critical comments on Facebook, Twitter, or my blog. In this episode I talk with Kami Huyse from Zoetica Media about her experience with online critics. She spent two years with a critic who followed her to every online space she frequented, calling her names and publicly attacking her. Yowza!

Kami offers advice on how to deal with criticism and even when we should consider criticism a GOOD thing.

You can find Kami at the Zoetica Media, on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Check out her SlideShare for more great content! This year, she was able to launch the CiviliNation Harassment Barometer, a quarterly report that monitors online harassment in the US. You can sign up to receive that report for free!

 

Highlights from the Episode

• You will not be able to avoid conflict online, but you can minimize it by the type of content you post and the ways you interact.
• Many times conflict in the comments deals with character of the commenter, not the issue at hand. (Make sure you don’t fall into this trap!)
• Deleting your Facebook account is pretty drastic, but it is not a bad idea to evaluate whether online interaction is something you can handle.
• Don’t react. RESPOND.
• Criticism stings, but can also sometimes help you see where you have room to grow. Take some time to think about whether the criticism has any truth before you dismiss it.

 

Easy Traps to Fall into with Criticism

• Defending yourself TOO much
• Taking things too personally
• Unleashing your fans on the offending commenter
• Responding in the moment without taking time to think about it

 

How to Handle Critics & Trolls

• Prepare yourself from them and know that they WILL come.
• When you receive a negative or nasty comment, pause.
• Type out a response in another program that is not online so you won’t be tempted to hit send. Come back and read it later to see if you REALLY want to send it.
• Remember that you are not likely to change someone’s mind about you.
• Keep some amount of separation between your online world and your real world.

 

Questions to Ask before Diving into the Fray

• Is there any truth to the criticism or comment that you might grow from?
• Do you really NEED to respond?
• Are you adding value to the conversation?
• How will the readers watching perceive your handling of the situation?
• Does a response to the critic fit with the brand or persona you have built online?
• What will you gain from engaging? What will you lose if you don’t?
  
  

Helpful links:

• CiviliNation
• Civility in the Digital Age
• How to Deal with Social Media Trolls
• Should You Turn Off Comments on Your Blog?

 

Have you experienced criticism online? How did you deal with it?