More Productivity Tips for WordPress Bloggers

It’s no secret that WordPress is the blogging platform choice for online marketing. WordPress is very easy to use and provides you with an all-in-one solution to get things up and running quickly. Once you purchase WordPress, you can install WordPress with a click of a button and start building your website. Head to the backend and use their easy interface to do the following:

• Install a theme
• Customize
• Install plug-ins
• Shift layouts

After, you can focus on promoting your blog while increasing your brand awareness. However, I believe your business is only as good as what you put in. If you put in 100% then you’re going to get 100% back. Anything less means you’re going to get the same in return, so stay productive and focused at all times. Many people will admit it’s very hard to stay focused and productive, especially when blogging is your full time business. You sometimes get side tracked with networking, marketing, and events. I want to take this time to discuss some WordPress productivity tips that I know will help you stay grounded and focused at all times. I have written extensively about it in the past and want to go through some of the basics again.

Let’s get started.

Always Schedule in Advance

As an online marketer and blogger you’re going to have to make sure your ready for the worst case scenario. Over the years, some things have become very clear to me and I’ll list them below.

First, your blog is ONLY as good as the content and value you write so it’s important you make sure you have a consistent publishing schedule. This means to make sure you have content ready and scheduled just in case the unfortunate happens. You want to make sure you have content that will be automatically published even if you are NOT around to do it yourself. WordPress has a built in interface that will allow you to upload posts and schedule when you want them to go live.

My point is this…

Make sure you are ready for the unfortunate so that you can keep publishing in a worst case scenario. If you are a sole blogger then take the right steps, but if you have a team, then it might NOT as difficult to maintain your content writing. The next step will help you make sure you have a solid posting schedule.

Write in Bulk

This is very important and with more content comes a better chance you have posts available when you need them. I’m not going to go deep into this factor but here are a few things you can do to make sure things go as smoothly as possible.

Dedicate a Day – Every day, I write about 3-4 posts and this is when I dedicate the entire day. It works great for me because other days, I’m busy with so many other things.

Hire Someone – If you have a budget, you can always hire someone who is an expert in your niche to write content for you. This doesn’t need to be every day, however, it can be on those weeks you know you have other commitments.

Ask Your Team – I’m a single blogger but I know some authority blogs have a team. These people all take turns writing content, which works out great because it takes the burden off one blogger to get the job done.

SEO Plug-ins

One of the hardest things before publishing content is SEO, however, you have cool plug-ins that’ll do MOST of the work for you. I use Yoast SEO and All-In-One SEO, which have proven to be very helpful right before I publish a post. For example, once I’m done writing, I can easily use the fields at the bottom to guide my SEO efforts. The plug-ins asks me for a focus keyword then ask me to base the following around the “target” keyword:

• Meta title
• Meta description
• Keywords

It’ll also check if I have the keywords in my title and URL, etc., which is perfect for indexing and rankings.

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South OC Cars and Coffee and A Cool Bagger

This week’s South Orange County Cars and Coffee was one of the biggest of the summer, with every parking spot filled. The main highlight was the Porsche club taking over exotic car role. However, the stood out item wasn’t a car. It was a bagger!

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4 Free Android Apps for Cool Smartphone Videos

Video has become a very big deal, particularly on social media. If you’re still only posting plain text tweets and status updates, you’ve fallen far behind the times. And yes, if you’re only posting static pictures, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do too. Plain text status updates and pictures definitely still have their place, but you definitely need to include video as part of your overall social media plan.

And this is true even if you have no interest in launching a YouTube channel or putting together a regular vlog. Video should be just as much a part of your strategy on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as the rest of your content. And while you certainly can invest in more expensive equipment, the smartphone you already own is already a remarkably powerful content creation tool.

But if you’ve only been using the default camera app on your phone, you’re still cutting yourself short. Stand out from the crowd with greater creativity and originality and leverage one or more of the free Android apps listed below.

Time Spirit

Depending on the smartphone that you own, the skinned version of Android may include a camera app that supports time lapse. Whether or not this is the case, Time Spirit by TimeLapse Studio is worth picking up. The app consists of two main functions.

You can record a regular video time lapse where a frame is captured every few seconds. You can define the interval (from as low as once every second) and the video resolution via the simple settings. The other option is what they call Photo Lapse, which is perfect for shooting changes over multiple days. You’ll want to keep your phone plugged in for that, of course. In both cases, though, your screen will automatically dim to reduce battery consumption and other concerns.

The app is completely free with no ads. The videos are automatically exported to your phone’s gallery and can also be reviewed within the app itself.

Microsoft Hyperlapse

As great as Time Spirit is for recording time lapses, it means that you need to plan ahead if you want to have the visual dynamic of a “sped-up” video. What if you already recorded a regular video and you want to adjust the speed after the fact?

An excellent tool for that is Microsoft Hyperlapse. Yes, it is completely free and what’s great is that while you can shoot new time-lapse videos from within the app, you can also import existing videos to transform them into hyperlapses themselves. Adjust the speed anywhere between 1x and 32x the normal speed, saving the resulting video in either 720p or 1080p if your device supports it.

Got a shaky video? Choose the 1x option and Hyperlapse will attempt to stabilize your video without creating a time-lapse, all while retaining the existing audio track too.

ADV Screen Recorder

I’ve written before about how you can easily record a screencast on your computer using a program called OBS, or Open Broadcaster Software. This is excellent for tutorial or walkthrough type content. And you can do exactly the same thing on your Android smartphone using an app called ADV Screen Recorder.

This app does exactly what it sounds like it does, all without intrusive menu options obscuring the screen while you record it. You don’t need to root your phone to use it and the app will easily record everything that you see on your Android smartphone. What’s cool is that you can even “draw on the fly with your favorite color.”

Once you’re done recording, you can export the video if you’d like to include it as part of your YouTube videos or for posting on whatever social network you’d like. You can trim the video from within the app too.

Quik by GoPro

Got a whole bunch of clips but don’t want to bother with compiling them together into something compelling and interesting yourself? Even if you don’t have a GoPro action camera, you can use the company’s Quik mobile app as a free video editor.

All you need to do is select the photos and videos on your phone that you wish to include, choosing between several different artistic styles and even choosing the music. The story can be further customized with text and the app will take care of adding transitions and effects, all synchronizing automatically with the music.

The app allows you to add up to 75 photos and videos to a project, including those saved on your phone, as well as what you have stored in Google Photos, Dropbox, GoPro Plus and GoPro Quik Key. You can let the app make its own smart cuts or you can add “highlights” to ensure certain moments are included.

Don’t feel limited just because you “only” have a smartphone for shooting video. With apps like these, creativity is a breeze.

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Eating a Pig Head at The Recess Room

In this episode of the Dot Com Lifestyle Vlog, we head to The Recess Room in Fountain Valley to try their famous deep fried pig head! It was a three hour gastronomic extravaganza that included doing shots with the co-owner. enjoy the video and try not to get too hungry!

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Some Motivational Words From “ME” to “YOU”

When starting an online business, having motivation is very important. This is what will keep you pushing in the right direction when you feel like there is nothing left in you. You are going to have days you want to simply give up because you don’t see the results you expected to see. However, I’m here to tell you I have been there and you shouldn’t ever give up. The difference between you and those who conquer their mission is they stay “motivated” to achieve what they set out to do. In the end, successful people are NOT smarter than you nor do they have a special talent, they simply have the motivation to go places where you refuse to. This can be physically or emotionally, but the end result is simple…

They achieve their dream while you’re left wondering why you haven’t been able to achieve the same thing – YOUR DREAM.

I recently had a question from a visitor who asked me why it is taking so long for them to achieve what they wanted to. I asked them a few questions and figured out that the main underlying problem is they simply want to give up. They don’t have the motivation to continue. They try something and when it doesn’t work out, they don’t want to continue. They don’t have the motivation to try different things that would make sure they find the solution that gets them closer to where they want to go.

I want to discuss some ways to keep your motivation abundant and why it’s important you stay motivation in your business. In short, this is the difference between success and failure!

Motivation = Success

Here is something I’m sure all of you have heard – Motivation Equals Success.

The reason, I believe, is because it’s your motivation that keeps pushing you when you feel like you can’t continue. However, what builds motivation? I’d like to go over a few things you can do to make sure you stay motivated. These are NOT things that are hard to implement, but are the foundation of your business. If you can think about these before implementing them, then you’ll have a better chance of staying motivated in the long run.

Let’s look at the following:

Passion –

Invest in a business you are passion about and where monetary value doesn’t matter. If you start a business simply for the money, then you’re going to have a problem staying focused. I understand a financial reward is very important, however, that should NOT be your #1 concern. Why? Simple…

To make money through your business is a lengthy process and you won’t see a return on your efforts right away. Starting because it’s your passion will allow you to push forward even when you are NOT rewarded in the beginning.

Take Your Time –

The good news is when you’re NOT in it for the money, you’ll take time and spread out your growth. You’ll put effort and enjoy the work you put in, which is very important to ensure you do a quality work. However, I’ve also found that taking your time doesn’t stress you out as much as rushing through a job. I usually get de-motivated when I have a lot of work I need to finish off, but when I take a step back, I’m able to stay focused and motivated.

The same applies to NOT giving yourself time to relax. When you constantly work, you burn yourself out and this leads to you feeling de-motivated, tired, and NOT focused on your end goal.

Exercise –

I know many of you are wondering why this is on the list and the answer is simple. Whenever I exercise, it gives me a great outlook on life and what I’m trying to achieve. It’s been proven exercise will release natural pain killers into your blood known as endorphins. These help lighten your mood and help with focus. I believe this is a great way to stay happy about your work and business. I’m not saying to spend hours in the gym, but something like I’ve listed below will help:

• 20-30 minutes per day
• 3-4 times per week
• Change things up so you don’t get bored

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How To Create a Money Making eBook

In this video I will you my step by step method to create a money making ebook that will help you to increase your affiliate marketing conversion. I also show you how I use ClickFunnels to deliver the eBook instantly.

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3 Ways Offline Businesses Need to Utilize the Power of the Internet

Running a business in the world today isn’t easy. Sure, the internet has changed the way businesses connect with different audiences and customers around the world, but there are still many local and offline businesses that are struggling to compete.

This is especially true in the world of ‘trade businesses’, where individual contractors and hands-on jobs need to compete with bigger businesses and brands that have much larger marketing budgets. A perfect example of this would be if someone went to Google and was looking for a plumber or electrician — would they find your brand or one of the big name brands that either hire insider employees or outsources the work?

Today we are going to highlight some of the best ways that local small businesses, contractors, and trade businesses can compete in the new world of online searches, reviews, and local marketing. It’s not just about getting new business and leads from local audiences, it’s also about perfecting your expertise and authority within your space, while also using the power of the internet to make it easy for potential customers to find and get in contact with your as well.

How to Rank a Local Business for Local Search Results

When you have a local business or your personal name is your business, people are going to search for these online first. With that in mind, you need to rank at the top of Google for optimal results. If you don’t already have a website or blog in place, this is a must!

A website will make it easy for potential customers to find you online, while a blog is ideal for creating new forms of content and ranking for local long tail keywords. With a site of your own, you can also showcase customer testimonials, services offered, and having a live form for free quotes and estimates.

Try to rank for both your personal name and your business name. To help with this process, we recommend setting up both personal accounts and business accounts on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The reason for this is that Google loves to rank these sites and by having profiles set up on each of them, it should be easier to rank for your name and business with each profile you set up.

Depending on your expertise and the type of business branding you want to focus on, registering and using your personal name as a domain name might be a good idea. In the world of blogging, make money online, and affiliate marketing, people are doing this all the time. Not only are they launching blogs with their name as their domain, they are also building powerful brands in the process.

The more focused you are on your brand name and ranking it on Google, the better the results you are going to see. An extra added bonus here is that you can often link back to your main site from each of these social profiles — which will also pass link juice back to your site. With enough of these in place (and promotion to your social profile), this will help your main website rank higher as well.

Time Management and Invoicing Solutions

When you run an offline business or are making money based on your hands or a specialized skill, you can only make as much money as there are hours in a day. With this in mind, it’s important to manage your time working as efficiently as possible, while also making sure you are getting paid for every minute worked.

While some business owners might not like how the internet has affected their businesses, they also need to take advantage of what has come out of it as well. A perfect example of this would be automated tools and solutions for better managing a business’ finances.

For example, imagine how useful invoicing software for plumbers would be in reference to keeping invoices in order, not having to write out and collect paper invoices, and also for creating easy to follow monthly revenue reports. At the end of the year, when it comes time to do the taxes, having all of this in order and through an online reporting tool could save hundreds of hours and dollars in itself.

According to U.S News, plumbers across the country can earn anywhere from $30k to almost $100k per year. The difference between the highest and lowest earners, isn’t likely just in reference to their work, but also their business and financial management as well. Through the use of online tools, better customer support and management, evert plumber and trade business owner should be able to increase their earnings.

The median salary for a plumber was $51,450 in 2016, the BLS reports. The best-paid pulled in about $90,530, while those in the bottom 10 percent earned $30,430 a year. Apprentices who are just starting out could make 30 to 50 percent less than a fully trained plumber.

Another great way to use the internet to better run an offline business is to look at your options with staying in contact with customers through the use of an online blog and customer email list. These are both pretty easy to set up, as there are many providers and solutions that were custom-built and catered towards small business owners. To learn more about other similar methods and solutions like the ones mentioned in this section, be sure to check out this article and infographic.

Using Social Media and Review Sites to Improve Presence

Another area that small and local business owners might not have been spending as much attention towards, is social media and how local directories and review sites could have an impact on their businesses. More often than not, sites like Yelp or HomeAdvisor will automatically create profiles for businesses through the world — thus allowing to rank higher and more often in the search results.

While this is great in theory, it also offers some problems for these smaller businesses. Such problems can be competitive on in the search results, more sites to claim as a business, and also more sites that need to be reviewed for complaints, ratings, and feedback.

To make the most of these platforms, it’s important to claim your business as soon as possible. This is especially the case with Google Local, as it’s going to be one of the most prominent sources for information appearing in Google. The benefit here is that many of these platforms also allow you to not just claim your business page, but also to update it with your business info, hours, contact info and sometimes even a link back to your site.

Offline or Online, the Internet is Your Friend

Improve the day-to-day operations and growth of your business by taking advantage of what the internet has to offer. Offline businesses that have ignored the internet have quickly found themselves in trouble and often out of business. Those who have adapted with time, not only found great success in the resources available, but have also moved past the competition in the process.

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