I Teach Blogging: Blogging | WordPress

Hi guys this is Renee’ and today, I just thought that I would do a check in and talk about a few issues that I have been having lately. One of the things that I promised on this podcast is complete transparency.

I said that I would share my successes, my struggles and my failures.

Well lately, I have had a few struggles with my blog that I thought we could discuss.

This is are not major issues. They are actually fairly minor but they just add up to small pains in the butt.

#1: Social Media Icons
It seems that my pinterest button links to Liza Minneli’s Pinterest account. I don’t know why and it is currently still happening. Also, I can’t settle on where my social icons should display. It has been a weird thing but there ya go.

#2: My search stopped searching

#3: Pop Up Madness
This has been quite interesting to deal with.
1. One person complained. That is all but it still felt icky.
2. I didn’t have it set right for one of the popups and people weren’t getting their download.
3. It is a lot of working putting this all togeth er. I under estimated the amount of effort that goes into the process.

#4: Can’t change my css
#5: Mic Boom arm
It kept falling down.
#6 Re-recording all of my videos
My sound was terrible and I had to start over. I did 4 before I figured it out and started over. Ughh

#7: my hard drive got full

WOW

https://www.amazon.com/shop/iteachblogging

iTunes Review Link: http://apple.co/1dgFZzE

Blog Post Link: http://iteachblogging.com/need-blog-post-idea/

Hey reader, I hope that this blog post finds you well. Are you having trouble trying to figure out what to blog about next? Maybe you are just starting out and you just don’t quite know where to start. If this is you then this is a quick blog post idea challenge for you. By the end of this challenge, you should have a blog post written and ready to share with the world.

Grab your favorite writing device, Evernote and a Keyboard, a white board with a marker, a napkin and pen, whatever you feel most comfortable with at this moment.

Got it? Ready? Ok! Let’s get your blog post idea down!

Step 1: Write a Category

At the top of your space write out a Category that you are going to focus on today.

Step 2: Write down the first 10 things that come to mind about that category.

Note: This can be phrases, complete sentences, or working blog post titles. Do not write more than a sentence though.

Step 3: Scan your your list and pick one idea.

Great, now you have an idea and it is time to start the actual writing process. You will want to transition to your favorite word processor that you use to write your blog posts.

Step 4: Create a bullet point list of ideas about your chosen topic.

Step 5: Write at least 3–5 sentences about each bullet point.

Step 6: Read what you have written and delete content and add content as you see fit. At this point you are creating paragraphs.

Step 7: Re-read it again and edit your work.

Step 8: Write an intro telling the reader what this post is about.

In my opinion writing the intro is one of the most intimidating parts of writing. I have such admiration for talented writers, but the rest of us struggle with the words and getting them started. I do not want this to keep you from releasing blog posts on your blog.

Use this intro if you are stuck

Are you struggling to figure out ___? In this blog post I am going to share with you how to do ___.
I am not suggesting that this an award winning formula. However, if you have some great ideas or tips that can make a difference for your audience, I don’t want you to get hung up on the intro.

Note: The advice that I have heard over and over again, is that if you just start writing you will get better at it. Personally, I am not sure how true this really is but I am giving it my best and I hope that you will too.

Step 9: Write a close for your blog post.

Tips on blog post conclusions

Do not just end your blog post with your last point. This is your moment to summarize what you have shared.
Consider ending your blog post by summarizing your main point.
Consider challenging your reader to try what you have shared and report back.
Ask your readers a series of questions about your main points.
Step 10: Re-read your blog post for final edits.

Now, I hope that you will take these steps and implement them for your blog. If this helped you at all to write a blog post, please send me a link to the post.

What is your blog post writing process? Do you struggle with getting your content down? If you do, please let me know how you get your blog post done.

https://www.amazon.com/shop/iteachblogging

iTunes Review Link: http://apple.co/1dgFZzE
Blog Post: http://bit.ly/1CgRsLi

When I talk with clients about launching their blog it is my recommendation that they launch with 20 blog posts. The idea of this seems a bit daunting and frankly, that is partially the point. However, when people do this they see greater success. Here’s why:

#1 Get to writing!

Writing 20 blog posts really forces you to figure out if you can do the writing that it takes to be a blogger (or the curation). The first few blog posts are easy to write but by the time people get to blog post #11 some start to wonder if it’s worth the effort. “Is anyone paying attention?” But if you get 20 blog posts out under your chosen categories then you are probably headed in the right direction. If you can do 20 you can do 100 — remember that when you get to #57 and want to give up.

https://www.amazon.com/shop/iteachblogging

In this podcast we quickly cover 29 tips on blogging.

#1 use WordPress
#2 Write 20 blog posts before you launch
#3 Proofread your post the next day after you write it.
#4 Have someone else proofread your post for you.
#5 Editors rule the world.
#6 Use Feedburner

https://www.amazon.com/shop/iteachblogging

If you enjoyed this podcast please provide an iTunes review using this link: http://apple.co/1dgFZzE

Here is a link to the post: http://iteachblogging.com/summarize-rss-feed-summarize/

There is a great debate in the blogging world and that is “Should I summarize my blog rss feed or should I share the entire post?”

First let’s discuss what an rss feed is how it works:

RSS; originally RDF Site Summary; often dubbed Really Simple Syndication, uses a family of standard web feed formats to publish frequently updated information: blog entries, news headlines, audio, video. …
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_feed

So now that we have the official wiki definition let’s try a bit more simple of an explanation of why you care. If someone subscribes to your blog they are saying that they want to know when you release another blog post. If they fill out the subscribe information and “opt in” they will receive an email of your latest blog post.

At this point it is up to you as to what they receive. They can receive a summary of up to however many characters that you choose or you can allow for them to see the entire blog post in their email.

https://www.amazon.com/shop/iteachblogging

Quest: http://www.susanmarymalone.com/your-quest-matters/
Jeff Goins:  http://amzn.to/1G9cpmN

Today, I wanted to share a story about a new writer that I met at a conference. Recently, I was invited to speak at a Writer’s Conference in North East Texas. This was awesome on many levels:

a) I get to talk about blogging
b) I got to talk about blogging in a small town where I spent part of my youth
3) I invited each attendee to spend 20 minutes with me one on one and many of them did.

It was a long two days but it was awesome. One of the attendees was there to learn everything that he could about writing. He has a desire to write and a passion for life but he has not started the process yet. This guy is full of life and quite a character. I was immediately drawn to him because he just seems like someone who could be quite interesting to read.

We had a one on one and I explained to him what blogging is. He had never heard of it and had no idea. At first he was like “nope, I don’t wanna do that.” Then the next day he hunted me down and asked to talk again because he had an idea. His idea is to create a blog around his path to becoming a writer.

Now, let me just say right here and now that I opened my speech at this conference by telling authors to stop blogging about writing. Author after author creates blog after blog and 90% of the time, they are about the process of writing. Readers don’t care how much you slave over the words that entertain them, they just don’t. Once they love you a single blog post about your process may be novel but post after post, no way.

Now, with that said there are sometimes exceptions or variations to the rule. This guy I believe is a rare exception but do let me explain. He is going to take what Susan Mary Malone has taught me, is a Hero’s journey. This guy has a goal and he has no clue how to achieve it or what the path is going to look like. He is going on a journey to chase a dream and he will have many adventures along the way, I just know it. While we already know that his quest is to be an author, you could insert anything in this path such as being a craftsman or building a flying model planes.

See this concept is already not just about being a writer but rather shooting for a dream and the process of what that involves. He will deal with family issues, time issues, picking out tools, genre struggles and so much more than he can even imagine. If he does this well and sticks with his dream, people will care about him and really want to read his book. However, note that it could be that they want to buy that unusual bench that he made or that weird wooden speaker or whatever.

With that said, he asked me what he should do next and below is what I said to him.

Ok so here is what you wrote to me in your questionnaire:
I figure a couple hours of just blogging, but remember, the topic will be learning how to write.  I will spend much more time developing that skill which will provide fuel for the blogging.

So you have a dual path and one means nothing without the other. We should call these Author Path and Blogger Path.

My suggestion is that you do something towards Author Path right now, unless of course your wife wants you to unpack, the wife always comes first.

Author Path

Note: I am making these up and should just get your brain flowing but I would ask and answer a few questions:

#1: What is the first step to becoming a writer?

I just finished this book last night: http://amzn.to/1G9cpmN and you may want to read it. Do you have a Kindle?

#2: What am I going to write about?

Pick a first focus.

#3 How much time am I going to dedicate and when?

Make a commitment to yourself and then announce it to the world. Make sure that it fits with family time and is wife approved. It really helps to have your spouse on board, just listened to a podcast about this, which is why I bring it up.

Blogger Path

Write a blog post that is about those first 3 questions. Yes, you don't have a blog yet but do these things and then we will discuss that.

Blog on,
-Renee'

P.S. When are you going to do this?

So what do you think folks? Can you answer these questions for your what and your passion or goal?



Blog on,


https://www.amazon.com/shop/iteachblogging

Do you know what your competitors are doing online?

It is not that you want to become a spy but you do want to spend some time spying around. You need to know what your competitors are doing online. This will help you understand the scope of your blogging business, gain new ideas and make sure that you are actually competing.
As a blogger we are super focused on creating content or we should be. Sometimes we are just obsessing about it or is that just me? It is important to take a step back and see what others are doing, figure out what we could improve upon and make sure that we are in line and on track.
I did this recently and I realized that I am missing the boat a bit by not providing great downloads. I should be creating give-aways for the readers and creating check lists. Now, I am working on that and will be creating some to accompany my post popular posts. That was my big take away from this exercise, what will be yours?
You are going to want to set aside about two hours for this task but I do believe it will be well worth your time.
Here is a quick digital checklist for you:
. Make a list of 5 of your competitors
.Find each of their websites.
.Is their blog mobile responsive?
.Does their blog look current and attractive?
.How many post have they released?
.What is their frequency? (Look for a sitemap)
.When did the post their latest blog post?
.Do they have Social Media connected to their blog?
.Are they using Social Media?
Of course, you should do the same type of audit on your blog as well. It is important to take stock of where you are and where you should go with your digital marketing efforts.

https://www.amazon.com/shop/iteachblogging

I personally believe that the gap between and website is quickly fading but it sure isn’t completely gone.

A blog shows a list of the latest post usually in chronological order. I say usually because if you are running a magazine style blog, the order may be shifted around based upon category.

A blog usually has a feed associated to it so that readers can subscribe to it and get the latest post delivered in their email.

A blog is focused on providing content over time vs a website that is often launched with pages and pages of content at once.

About websites

Websites are focused on static content. Static content is essentially content that stays in place. Imagine a website nav bar such as my friend’s site Aladdin Rentals and Events.com It has a home, event hall, linens, contact us etc. This site is focused on provided people with information about their services and their event hall. The primary purpose is for people see what they offer and then contact them.

This is different than a blog when the primary purpose is keep them on the site, provide information and perhaps take then thru a sales funnel towards a product.

Now, with all that said, let’s talk about a popular question that I get often: Can WordPress be for websites or is it just for blogs. The answer is YES. Every single website that I have ever built was built on WordPress. Heck, I just finished a website that is launching soon for a Bull Riders association. This is pure website and a massive one at that.

WordPress is a content management system. While it was built as a blogging platform it doesn’t care what you put on the front page. You can quickly and easily set your front page to either be latest post or a specific page.

The advantage to using WordPress as the bones of your website is all of the great plugins that you will have access to and the great themes that give you a jump start on style.

So go ahead and build your website on WordPress and make your life easier.

https://www.amazon.com/shop/iteachblogging

Starting a Podcast. Growing Your Audience. Without Google, Social Media or Paid Traffic. 15 Experts Show How http://bit.ly/1IhfXaA

Podcasting is by far my favorite medium for sharing all that I have learned and all that I know about blogging. However, when I launched my show I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. One Sunday afternoon I grabbed a laptop, opened up Garage Band and just started recording on a whim. I did not have a special microphone. I did not worry about background noises. I just started recording. If you are thinking about starting a podcast, here is a list of a few things that you should consider.

1. Have a plan.

The only difference between podcasting and blogging is the medium. In my blogging course, I always teach to have a set of categories and blog post titles before you launch. The same is true with podcasting. To be successful with podcasting you need to provide your audience with a steady stream of content on a reliable schedule and planning is the best way to do that.

2. Sound quality matters.

Put away the dogs, the kids and buy a decent mic. That first day when I recorded you could hear my dogs in the background and if you listened closely you could actually hear me. The internal mic provided on a laptop is not good enough, not even close. Now I use a Blue Yeti and I love it. Isolate yourself in a quiet room, sit close to your mic and speak up.

3. Have a backlog.

When I recorded that first episode, I released it out of excitement. Podcasting can quickly become a chore if you are not prepared. You should decide on a frequency in advance of launching your podcast and then I recommend that you have a backlog of 5 times that frequency before you launch.


4. Don’t hold back.

Podcasting is an extremely intimate medium and that allows you the opportunity to truly connect with people in a way that words on a screen can never do. This is why you should allow your personality to shine thru and let people learn to know, like and trust you. If you spend all of your time behind the mic sounding stiff and buttoned up people will not relate to you and they will be less likely to share your podcast.


5. Make an offer.

Make an offer in the podcast that you don’t make anywhere else. When I launched my podcast, I told people that if they emailed me their phone number, we could jump on the phone and talk about blogging. At that time, that offer was no where else. When you provide people with that kind of offer and then follow thru, they are far more likely to spread the word.

6. Reach out.

Don’t launch your podcast in a vacuum and hope that people will just find it. Tell the world about your podcast. Consider the following:

A. Announce it to your mailing list.
B. Email your friends and family. Ask them to listen and to review.
C. Announce it on your blog.
D. Join Podcasting Groups.
E. Go to forums and connect with people.
F. Join a group in your Niche on Reddit.
G. Email other podcasters and introduce yourself.

The best way to grow a podcast is to not stop podcasting. Just like growing any online presence, it takes time, dedication and a touch of luck.

https://www.amazon.com/shop/iteachblogging

A popular question that all of us bloggers tend to explore at some point is “How can I make money with this?” At a recent conference people were asking this question. The go to answer that I see a lot of people lean towards is making money with Google AdSense or something other ad service. There is nothing wrong with this answer. As a matter of fact, it is a perfectly fine answer. There are other options that may actually be a better answer for most bloggers.

Now before I get into the other options, I want to share with you a formula. Just the other day, I released a tutorial how-to blog post about how to create a Google AdSense ad and how to place it in your WordPress sidebar. In that post, I also shared an article that someone wrote about how to make money with AdSense.

The breakdown of the formula is this: You can theoretically make $380 bucks a day with AdSense but to do that you will need around 40,000 page views per day.

If you are listening and are making that or more on just a few hundred a day, then please contact me and let me know how because that is awesome.

The point of this formula is that you need a lot of visitors on your site to get enough folks clicking on those ads. It can take a long time and a great deal of effort to get that many readers and this is why I wanted to talk about another way.

A while back, I read an article about how to make a living with a blog that has 100 readers a day. For the life of me, I can’t remember where I read that, so I can’t credit the author. I don’t recall all of the article but basically he said to consider other methods besides ads.

So with that said, I thought that I would tell you a story.

Story about Fred.

Started DGC speaking
Stopped doing that and did other things.
Kept the blog going about custody though.
Now, he has a steady but low readership.
People reach out to him weekly, if not daily at times and ask him questions.
He can only help so many people one on one.
He realized, hey I know a lot about this topic.
Now he is making a course.

So let’s go back to methods on making money with a blog:

Coaching
Books
Courses
Teaching / Speaking
Other Products
Affiliates

These are a few solid methods, so let me ask you.
What do you know?

What do people constantly ask your advice on?

What services can you offer that are related to your blog?

Can you envision other methods of making money with your topic beyond ads?

https://www.amazon.com/shop/iteachblogging