Skills Top Writers Have – Follow and Grow Your Content Marketing

Blogging is all about writing the best content available because if you don’t, you’re going to have a hard time engaging your readers. I’m a true believer in that with content writing skills, you can add more value to your readers. How? You’ll be able to provide depth that would otherwise be impossible. Today, we are going to be talking about something very special, and it has to do with content writing. Even though we have discussed this topic several times before, it’s important to note we are going to be learning from the best. I have done some research and gathered information that I know you’ll find very useful. I’ll be going over content writing skills that some of the top writers have so you can implement them into your blog. I’ll discuss anywhere from 4-5 skills and then go through some action steps you can take to start using them in your writing almost immediately. Here’s some of the things we’ll be discussing…

Content writing skills that create a buzz through…

• Vocabulary
• Visitors feelings
• Length
• Experience
• Insight and open mind

These might not sound enticing, but I promise, if you stick around, you’ll be amazed at what you have learned. Let’s get started.

Writing Vocabulary

Many writers I know try to impress others by using big words, and this is the worse way to generate a buzz online. I believe writing using your own vocabulary is the best approach when building engagement for many reasons. Let me tell you why.

First, the Internet has allowed you to connect with people all over the world and this means some might NOT have a full comprehension of the English language. This means going out of your way to use big words will just confuse them, which is why I always say to forget writing content that isn’t your own voice. Many of us will agree that we often go out of our way to impress others by using big words, which is fine when you know the person or persons you are speaking to. However, with online content writing, you’ll have people from all over the world who are reading your content to solve a problem. They want to understand what you have written so keep things as simple as possible. Remember, eliminating big words doesn’t mean you can’t provide value, it just means writing in a language where people will be able to comprehend what you’ve written more quickly.

Next,

Not using big words doesn’t mean you don’t understand the fundamentals of grammar or punctuation. Many people think that writing with big words makes your content structure better, but it’s completely the opposite. I’ve noticed those using big words will usually fail to look at the smaller things like grammar, punctuation, and structure. I encourage all of you to focus on writing in-depth content, then focus on structure.

I’ll admit, before, I was the same way and it cost me several readers until I started to understand the demographics of my visitors. Many of them where coming from countries where English wasn’t the first language. It’s not that they didn’t speak English, but they just understood the fundamentals. For me to create some serious engagement on my blog, I had to be careful the way I would write content when adding value. It was important I write in a language where a majority of my visitors would understand.

Visitors’ Feelings

One of the best skills some of the top writers have is their ability to engage readers by tapping into their feelings. Many of you DON’T know that marketing experts are the best at tapping into sensitive feelings then promoting a product or service. However, this can work to promote your content so that it engages your readers, and I’m sure many of you would agree. For example,

Isn’t it true some of the best content available solves a major problem within your niche? Many people are having a problem and need help so when they find a blog that can provide them depth, it’s most likely going to cause a serious buzz online. However, for you to understand your visitor’s feelings, you first have to know what they are looking for and this is where the following coming into play.

Research – This is the best way to really find out about your readers, and understand what they are looking for. By doing research the right way, you can understand what problems they face and what you can do to make sure they find the right solution. Here are a few ways to ensure you get the right information:

• Research competitors
• Research forums (niche)
• Ask the right questions
• Email your existing email list or visitors
• Understand demographic information so you can cater content format to them

By answering all of the questions above, you’ll be able to pinpoint what your readers are looking for. This will help you write content based on their feelings, which will resonate better going forward. In short, when you can understand the reader’s feelings, you’ll be able to provide them value that resonates. It’s that simple!

Content Length

The discussion of content length has been around for years, and there is NO real answer to this question. I believe content should be as long as needed to ensure you get the point across to your readers. However, I also believe that you need to ensure it’s over 1,500 words because that’s the only way you can offer the depth you are looking for. Visitors come to your blog because they are looking for a complete solution and you need to make sure you provide it for one simple reason. There is NO shortage of information available online and if your readers can’t find what they need on your page, they’ll simply go somewhere else. It’s really that simple! So, what is an adequate length for your content?

Again, this question has been asked so many times that I’ll provide my true answer…

Personally, the more research you do, the better because you’ll be able to gather even more information before going forward. Whenever I write content, I ensure I go through a series of steps that will help me write even lengthier content going forward. The more depth I can provide will depend on the questions I’ll be answering. For example, when writing about strategies to “make money online”, I’ll make sure I cover everything so my visitor will be able to find everything they need on my page. I’ll cover such things like:

• Making money through content marketing
• Making money through product reviews
• Making money from guest posting
• How to convert readers through effective anchor text
• The niches in the MOST demand because that does equal profits going forward

If I write approx. 500 words on each topic, my content will be roughly 2,500 words, which is a lot of information. Right now, the longest content I have is approx. 10,000 words; however, it has generated a huge buzz online, which is obviously my bottom line.

Next,

Another way to add enormous depth is by reaching out to authority bloggers who’ll provide even more substance to your content. Authority bloggers have been around a long time and have a lot of value to provide so why NOT tap into their head about your topic? This will do two very important things for you…

First, it will add more content and value to your article. This will even increase the engagement and social shares because of the value it provides. Secondly, it will help build a relationship with the blogger, which will come in handy later on. Since my outreach program, I have been able to network with 10 authority bloggers within my niche, which has helped me build some serious momentum overtime.

In summary, it’s important to make your content as long as possible to provide value. From my experience, this usually means 2,000-2,500 words. However, you can always include images and videos instead of words because they’ll provide some serious value, too.

Experience

Many of the top content writers have enormous experience, which has allowed them to know what resonates with readers. In addition, with experience, your writing becomes much better, which is always important because it’ll help you get words down faster with very little errors. Anyway, we need to discuss what experience is important.

First, knowledge will allow you to provide more insight to your readers. With this, you’ll be able to translate your thoughts faster and in a way that it’ll be understood by visitors. Next, people will trust you more than others in the same niche because of your knowledge and experience. For example, think about the blogs you read and how long you have been reading them for. You’ve probably noticed many of the ones you read are those that you believe provide the best knowledge because their writers have years of experience. Their content is much easier to understand than others because they know how to put it down in a way that resonates with you as the reader.

For you to gain the experience you need, focus on the following in your niche. It’s very important to be active on the following:

• Other blogs
• Forums
• Magazines
• Case studies
• Watch videos
• See what’s trending

Insight and Open Mind

These are two of the most important things, and you’ll soon know why. These two combined create a strong mind, especially one that is full of creativity. What do I mean by writers having insight and an open mind?

For you to be an expert writer, you have to know how to put things together. You have to combine life’s challenges, and be very creative in all your adventures. Some of the best content I’ve ever written comes from being able to combine different elements together. I’ll write about “making money online” and use examples from businesses that has excelled using strategic marketing. I was able to do this because online marketing can be tied to offline business marketing. However, it takes knowledge and creativity to put all this together in a way your readers will understand.

If you want to write extraordinary content, then you have to write freely, bringing in life’s experiences. When writing, use examples that tie your content together and keep building from there. Soon, it’ll be a breeze to write content that resonates with your readers.

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed my content above and will implement what I’ve written into your content writing going forward. However, I always leave my readers with actions steps they can take to help them get started. Let’s go through a few…

First, I want you to go through the content again so you fully understand everything I have written throughout. I understand when people read content for the first time, they usually skim through, NOT fully grasping some of the important factors discussed. Go through and really understand the content.

Secondly, while going through, it’s important to create a list of the important factors in point form. This will serve as a guide that you can follow and will be very direct. For example, you want to make sure you can look at it and completely understand the content. The list should include some action steps that you’ll be able to apply quickly when needed.

Third, research some topic in your niche that you know will be special when you are done. For example, go through, finding a very important problem your readers are having. Then, go through finding answers, which you can present to them in a structured manner. This will help you write valuable content, and help you build brand awareness. When you provide value, you’ll be able to build loyalty much faster.

Forth, start writing your outline and keep the content writing skills in mind. However, here’s something else…

Valuable content is always structured and includes the following:

• Introduction
• Subheadings
• Body
• Conclusion
• Action steps

When you are done writing, then you can go back and look for the steps discussed in this article. Did you follow through and add the elements? The list should always serve as a guide, no matter what, so you can improve your content writing over time. Soon, you won’t even have to look at your guide because you’ll be able to write from experience.

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A Quick Guide to TubeBuddy Tag Explorer for YouTube

At this point, if you are the least bit interested in almost any kind of marketing on the Internet, you should be getting into video (if you’re not already doing it). And while platforms like Twitch, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have certainly made some headway in this space, YouTube is still the undisputed king of online video at this point. It pays to dedicate at least some of your time and energy into building an audience on YouTube.

I’ve written quick guides to features like the end screen and YouTube cards, and how you should be leveraging these features for maximum benefit. From a search engine optimization (SEO) perspective, you should also be paying very close attention to the tags you assign to each video, just as you should be mindful about the title and video description.

And just like any other SEO practice, taking blind shots in the dark is probably not the most effective strategy you can take. Instead, you might consider a tool like TubeBuddy. It’s YouTube certified and you can get started for free. Premium plans start at $9 per month for additional tools and features.

Even with just a free account, TubeBuddy can be very helpful in maximizing what you get out of your YouTube videos. One of my favorite features is the Tag Explorer. Let’s use my vlog on comparing the Rode VideoMic Pro shotgun microphone with the Boya BY-M1 lavalier microphone as our example.

When I was going through the process of uploading my video and writing the accompanying title and description, I also took a little time crafting together the collection of tags I wanted associated with the video. In the past, I would just type in what came to mind. Some people might use the AdWords keyword planner or other similar tools, but those aren’t necessarily 100% accurate or relevant for YouTube. The TubeBuddy Tag Explorer is.

When you get near the bottom of the screen, you’ll see something called Tag Tools. That box contains a number of buttons like the ability to copy the list of tags you’ve already added, clear the list of tags, import tags from a saved list and so forth. In this context, one button of interest is “Suggest.”

TubeBuddy looks through your content to suggest tags for both “search” and “related,” showing the views received from this search term, tags used by similar top ranking videos, and words used in the video’s title and description. Simply click the green “plus” symbol to add the tag to your video.

Back on the main “edit video” screen where you add your video tags, you’ll also find a very useful feature. As you start typing out any tag, a window will hover on top to provide related search terms that “autocomplete” what you’re typing. With the free account, they’ll show three results at a time. You can upgrade your license to a paid plan to unlock more.

But you don’t even need to be on your own “edit video” page to take advantage of Tag Explorer. Whether you’re watching your own video or someone else’s, you can see the tags associated with that video on the right side. Clicking on any of the tags brings up the Tag Explorer. The window offers a summary, including the most used tags from top ranking videos for that tag, as well as a keyword score based on search volume and competition. It’s just like a keyword planner, because that’s precisely what it is.

This is perfect if you want to “spy” on the “competition.” Research tags that are attached to high-performing videos in your niche, videos that you may want to emulate. You can see not only what tags they are using, but what related tags you might assign if you produce a similar video. The Tag Explorer can also show trending tags, auto-suggested tags, and the current search results for that tag. This is all great research material.

Considering that you can get into vlogging for $200 or less, getting your feet wet with YouTube is well worth the investment of time, money and effort. Leverage tools like TubeBuddy to maximize your shot at success and reduce the guesswork of YouTube SEO best practices.

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6 Best WordPress Contact Form Plugins for Your Blog

So you’ve designed your WordPress blog and it’s looking beautiful. You’ve got an awesome landing page, your about me is written to perfection and your first set of blog posts are all ready to go. But are you forgetting something? That’s right, you need a contact form.

A simple contact form is essential for your website. It’s how your visitors, subscribers and potential customers can reach you any time they have a quick question. There are a ton of contact form options for WordPress, so much so that it can be overwhelming to decide which one you should utilize and will work best for you. You want it to be simple to create, have the features you need and you want it to look snazzy too.

Don’t worry yourself over which contact form plugins are superior and which ones are duds. Here are the six best WordPress contact form plugins for your blog.

1. WPForms

WPForms is one of the most user-friendly contact form builder that offers a wide range of features, making it a great option for beginners and pros alike. They offer free and premium versions starting at only $49 per year and the drag-and-drop builder is super easy to use. The free version is perfect for smaller blogs but the premium version will offer you a number of valuable features including the ability to integrate your forms with email marketing services like MailChimp, AWeber and Campaign Monitor.

Another awesome feature is the ability to capture leads from abandoned forms with their Form Abandonment tool. That means when a user visits your site and fills out your contact form but changes their mind and doesn’t click send, you still get a notification with all their info so you won’t miss out on any leads.

2. Contact Form 7

Contact Form 7 is one of the most popular, completely free WordPress contact form plugin available. This is a contact form for minimalists; it’s a very simple contact form that’s reliable but it doesn’t feature a ton of bells and whistles. But it does offer several unique contact fields such as CAPTCHA, quizzes, file submissions, drop-down menus and more.

Though the interface can be confusing for some WordPress beginners, if free is a big selling point for you as a smaller blogger then this plugin is your best bet. On the other hand if you’re looking for a more robust contact form that will allow you to do more, another one of these plugins would be a better option.

3. Formidable

Formidable is another great contact form plugin with free and premium versions. You can start with a pre-built contact form or build your own customized form. You can also use their awesome style editor to change the colors of successful submissions for instance to match the theme of your blog.

With the premium version of Formidable starting at $49 per year, you get a bunch of extra features like email marketing integration, user tracking and user registration. But since Formidable is a newer company, they don’t offer as many features as some other plugins that’ve been around for longer.

4. Gravity Forms

This powerful plugin allows you to easily create all types of forms for your blog. With Gravity Forms you get access to more than 30 form fields and support for a wide range of add-ons and external integrations including Dropbox, Freshbooks and PayPal Pro and the pricing at $49 per year is great for all the features you get. It’s also awesome if you’re planning on accepting guest posts on your blog because the plugin allows for user content submissions.

This plugin also offers a ton of support including a full ticketing system, FAQs, language translation and documents you can browse on topics like configuring notifications, embedding a form, how to build save & continue forms and much more.

5. Wufoo

Wufoo is an awesome online contact form builder developed by SurveyMonkey. Wufoo offers all the features you love in a contact form including over 400 customizable templates, reporting, custom rules and the ability to accept payments too. They offer a free plan as well as plans that start at $14 per month.

Wufoo also offers a cloud storage database to its users who are on paid plans. The cloud is used to hold files uploaded through the file upload field in a contact form which would really come in handy if you’re accepting guest post submissions or allowing other types of file uploads on your form.

6. Pirate Forms

Pirate Forms, developed by ThemeIsle, is a great plugin to easily create engaging contact forms for your blog. Their free version is easy to use, fully customizable and offers features like reCAPTCHA, custom SMTP and more.

If you want access to premium features like MailChimp integration and custom form fields you’ll have to upgrade to the pro version starting at $39 per year.

Now that you have a number of amazing and powerful contact form plugin options for your WordPress blog, you should have no problem creating a beautiful form that’s inviting to your visitors and you don’t even have to know a thing about code. Get ready to be more engaged with your audience and have a busier inbox than ever before.

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Proven Ways to Get Your First 1,000 Email Subscribers

I believe a successful blog has to start building an email list because this is the only way to generate enormous traffic and loyalty. However, because of the vast competition available online, it’s important to understand the fundamentals of a successful email campaign and customer retention. For example, you have so much competition that there is NO shortage of options for visitors. Next, visitors have been online for so long that they don’t just opt into any email newsletter because you have to prove yourself before getting started. Over the years, I have worked with many people within my niche, and have learned a lot along the way. For example, I have learned:

• What makes a successful blog
• How to increase email subscribers
• How to build momentum quickly by offering value
• Landing page optimization skills
• Planning ahead
• And the bonus secret to your success

Today, I’d like to go over some proven methods of how to reach your first 1,000 subscribers quickly. These are proven ways that I use with my clients all the time. They work well because you are providing value by writing in-depth content, but also doing enormous testing a lot the way. This all translates into a solid blog that NOT only has loyal readers, but also a high conversion rate. Let’s get started by exploring the “4” MOST important factors of building your first 1,000 email subscribers quickly.

Let’s jump right in…

A Solid Piece of Content

This is the MOST important factor when building engagement and loyalty online. There is NO shortage of content available online so people have enormous options when they are skimming. You have to stand out compared to your competition, which is why I encourage everyone to write high value content all the time. Not to mention, after the recent Google update, you have to pay closer attention to quality because you’re going to have a hard time ranking if you can’t provide value to your readers. It’s funny because Google understands the user search pattern and they know that visitors are more likely to leave if they don’t find value right away. With that said, let’s look at what defines content as valuable.

Research

It all starts with research and I have always put emphasis on this part because it provides much more knowledge (you’ll learn this later). By doing appropriate research, you are finding out what your visitors are looking for within your niche. You can then cater content to their needs, which will resonate going forward. However, you have to know how to do research the right way so you find trending topics that are popular at that specific time. Keep in mind, technology changes quickly so there is NO point in writing about something that won’t resonate well with your readers. For example,

Forums are amazing because they provide in-depth resources in real-time. At any given time, you’ll have 1,000-2,000 people online who are all posting Q&A’s. This means you can find enormous information quickly, and can compile a solid list of keywords, questions, and even some answers to incorporate into your content. Social media is another cool place to find trending content because popular blogging sites are always sharing what’s new online. If you know how to search the right #hashtags, you can generate a solid list of popular content.

Structure: You have to make sure your content is structured because people don’t want to read words that are cluttered together. I would recommend keeping paragraphs no more than 5-6 sentences, making sure the line height is between 20-21px. It’s important to separate each paragraph with headings so things look well-spaced out, not to mention, many bloggers like to use images to help split things up when they feel their content is becoming way too cluttered.

Competition: One way to find out how to structure your content or get solid ideas is by visiting your competitor’s blogs. They have been around longer, which means they understand the industry more in-depth than you do. Head over to Google and type in “niche keyword + top blogs”, and start skimming through the top 4-5 because they can provide enormous tending content for you. It’s important to note what they are writing about and take some cool ideas from them. For example, if they have no images, videos, or even infographics then consider adding them within your content going forward.

Once you have done your research, you can start to put everything together. I recommend taking your time, and spreading out your content writing so you don’t get tired. I’ve noticed a tired writer will produce lower quality content, which will effect overall engagement.

Optimized Landing Page

Landing pages are awesome for immediate conversions if utilized the right way. For example, through your landing page, you can get opt-ins, conversions, earn a profit, and continue to remarket to your readers over several months. Each opt-in will increase the chance of you converting the subscriber into profits. Even though this should NOT be your main objective, it’s nice to know you do have options when you need them…right? The question now is: What makes a solid landing page?

There are a few things I suggest you use going forward to convert your reader. These are not hard to implement, but do take time to test until you reach your optimal conversion rate. Let’s take a look at some of them right now…

Provide a Relevant Offer: Sometimes, when you have valuable content, it might NOT be enough to convert the visitor so you can always offer a discount or special offer. This will entice the visitor to opt-into your form, which will increase overall conversion rates.

Colors: Always make colors attract, but NOT too bright because this can be tough on the visitor’s eyes. When they don’t like the look and feel of your page, they’ll simply leave. This means you’ll lose an opt-in opportunity and the visitor might NOT come back.

Relevancy: It’s important to make sure you have a landing page that is relevant to your content and/or website. I have been on so many sites where the landing page has nothing to do with the content. I have never opted into a form when this happens because the landing page doesn’t appeal to me. This is why I have always encouraged relevance throughout the content and on the website itself.

Always Split Test: I am surprised by the amount of people who refuse to split test their landing pages. Each visitor should be treated separately, which means if you don’t get them to opt-in, you should find out why. You should always split test until optimal conversion rates have been achieved. You never know how many people you are missing out on if you don’t keep track and optimize your landing pages. This might be hard in the beginning, but I promise will get easier as time goes on and you learn what’s important. Next,

We are in a time where you have so many new tools available to you so it’s important to make sure you use all the tools you can. This will help collect the data more quickly and allow you to implement the changes to your pages almost right away.

Find Solid Traffic Sources

I always encourage my clients to have 3-4 solid traffic sources so they can find out what’s working and what’s not. Generating leads and finding out how well your site is performing can only be accomplished when you have enough traffic flowing to your website. However, you have so many available options, you should have no problem as long as you have done your research beforehand. For example, I always recommend these 3-4 because they have high levels of engagement.

Forums: You can find relevant forums for almost every niche. Do a quick search in Google and start actively answering questions in a few of them. Add a link to your website within your signature so people can visit your site going forward.

Social Media: Amazing for niche relevant traffic, however, you need to know what #hashtags to use within your headlines. You also want to test what headlines and post types do well in attracting the right types of people. You’ll find images might perform better than others. Also, give other social media platforms a try because you never know where you’ll find an abundance of solid people who love your content and niche.

Competitor blogs: These are awesome because they are relevant and you have the ability to post comments. Many bloggers will allow you to add a link before submitting a comment, which can lead to some serious traffic. I recommend doing the following:

• Read the content
• Provide an in-depth comment
• Add a link before submitting to relevant content on your blog.

This will just help attract more people to your blog who will NOT only love your comment but also find your blog useful. It’s amazing how many people I have attracted to my blog using this strategy.

Knowledge is King

Every influential blogger will tell you the same thing. With knowledge, you can provide readers with the type of information they are looking for. This means people will rely on your knowledge to help them succeed and there is NO better way to build loyalty than this. When people trust you, they’ll be more than happy to follow your every word, which is important to build that on-going momentum and growth. Conversions also occur through trust and authority because every product you recommend will MOST likely be purchased by your readership. However, keep a few things in mind:

First, it’s important to always be genuine in your approach because trust is hard to gain, but very easy to lose. Secondly, only recommend the best products to your readers and I like to do this by writing reviews on the ones I’ve used personally to get where I am today. Third, always keep researching the new trends within your industry. For example, it’s hard to stay on top when the niche is changing around you. The good news is you have so many tools that will provide you with the MOST up-to-date information.

• Google Trends – Amazing to find trending keywords and phrases that are becoming popular overtime.
• Forums – Amazing because they are constantly in motion and new questions about your niche are popping up all the time. A great way to attract new readers and build momentum.
• Books and magazines – Some niches have magazines that will introduce new concepts to you, which you can use to increase your knowledge. You can then use the same knowledge to introduce new topics to your readership.
• Other blogs – The one thing great about online blogging is there is no shortage of information. Sometimes, when you need a boost of knowledge, you can always rely on your competition to provide you with what’s missing. Much of the information I get sometimes is from those who have been in the industry longer than I have, and this has truly turned out to be amazing.

Final Thoughts

It’s very important that you stay focused on the end goal, which is to increase email subscribers. I can guarantee you if you follow the information above, you will have an easier time converting visitors into loyal followers. It’s all about trial and error, and the above has been tested numerous times with amazing results. However, you have to be careful how you implement the strategy. From the beginning, you should pay close attention to quality because as mentioned, trust is hard to gain, but very easy to lose.

Here’s what I recommend you start doing almost immediately.

• Start by reading through the content, making sure you have noted down the MOST important points.
• Go through each one, writing out a game plan so it will be much easier for you to follow going forward.
• Start implement each of the strategies I have discussed above. For example, perform research the right way. Start visiting competitor blogs, writing down the content ideas that have been creating a buzz.
• Create your landing page, but also do some research, looking for tools that can help you create these pages more quickly. This will allow you to split test each of them, finding one that has been proven to convert well. It’s important you find the right CTR, which, in the end, will help you reach your bottom line quickly.
• Increase your knowledge by finding out where MOST of your niche’s information is available. You will be looking for the MOST up-to-date trending information. Visit:
  • Blogs
  • Magazines
  • Forums
  • Communities
• It’s time to rinse and recycle each time you are putting a new campaign into place. The first time might be tough because you are new to this strategy, but I promise it will become easier each time you go through the process.

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Tesla Model 3 Performance at Cars and Coffee

On this episode of the Dot Com Lifestyle vlog, I head to the San Clemente Outlets to check out the weekly South OC Cars and Coffee. The show featured the new Tesla Model 3 Performance Edition. This is the top of line Tesla Model 3 with dual motors and extra tweaks for the race track. Other cars that stood out included the new Corvette ZR1, a pair of Callaway Corvettes, a bunch of punch buggies, a Ferrari F12, an Aventador Roadster, a turbocharged brick, the world’s smallest minivan, and more. Enjoy!

You can see more Cars and Coffee coverage over at sally Chow’s Intagram channel. Go follow her!

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It’s Time To Reframe How You Think About Money

If you’re anything like me, for better or for worse, you probably think about money a lot. Maybe that’s part of the reason why you decided to follow this blog, because you want to learn about how you can make more money online and get out of the rat race for good. Or maybe you’re interested in how you can maximize your earnings from this blogging and Internet marketing “side hustle” while you hold on your day job for stability.

Regardless, you’ve got money on the mind. Maybe you’re saving up for a down payment so you can buy your first home. Or maybe you’ve already got a mortgage and 2.5 kids and now you’ve been sucked into the trap of keeping up with the Joneses. The comparisons on Facebook and Instagram are inevitable and you’re starting to feel like you’re coming up short. Maybe you are. Maybe you’re not.

But before you go any further, there are two key observations — and they are precisely that, because they’re not really lessons in the strictest sense — that you should take to heart as you reframe the way that you think about money.

You’re (Probably) Richer Than You Think

When you watch someone like John Chow bring in over $100,000 in affiliate earnings (not including income from other sources) in just one month, you can feel either incredibly inspired or remarkably defeated. Chances are that you aren’t bringing in over $1 million in annual income.

But if you’re doing modestly well and stop simply trying to guess how much your neighbors are making, you’ll soon discover that you may be ahead of the curve. According to data compiled by the Minnesota Population Center and depicted by Business Insider, the typical millennial in America only earns a little over $20,000 a year. And that includes high cost of living states like California and New York.

While it may not necessarily be appropriate to start patting yourself on the back for making more than $20,000 a year, this kind of statistic does put things in perspective. They do note that the figures could skew low, as it might include college students who only work part-time. Indeed, a more recent calculation based on the 2015 American Community Survey IPUMS shows that the median income for a 25-year-old in America is about $31,000 and for a 35-year-old is about $45,000.

If you fall somewhere in that range (and you’re in that age group), you’re doing about average. The interesting thing is that while the increase in median income from age 25 to 35 is about 50%, the increase in income for the top one percent of each age group grows by about 150% ($116k to $291k) over the same age range. What this means is that if you do manage to make (a lot) more money, your rate of growth will likely accelerate year over year.

It’s Not (Completely) About How Much You Make

Okay, so let’s say that you’re not making over $100,000 a year. Given the median income range, chances are that you are not breaking that threshold. Does that mean that you are a failure? Does this mean that you’re doomed? No, not necessarily. Not at all, even.

The second big observation that we need to make is that we need to stop fixating in income alone as the only measure. It is far more important to consider how long you can last if you suddenly lose your job or if all your income sources suddenly come up dry. In other words, it’s much more about the relationship between your savings and your spending habits, as well as how much you can expect to earn each year.

There’s a great article and chart up on The Simple Dollar that illustrates precisely this point. Let’s say “Kim” nets $80,000 a year and “Jessie” nets $40,000. If both of them are super diligent savers, spending only 50% of their income, they can both reach financial independence within the same time frame. This assumes a modest 5% return on investments and a 4% withdraw rate each year.

Basically, be careful of lifestyle inflation and how much you choose to save is just as important as how much you aspire to earn.

Be Rich or Look Rich?

Contrary to popular opinion, money can buy happiness, but only if you spend it the right way. It’s not about driving expensive sports cars, living in gorgeous mansions, and going on elaborate Instagram-worthy holidays on tropical islands. It’s about being rich rather than just playing the character online. Hopefully, at some point in the not too distant future, you’ll not only be able to be rich, but you’ll be able to afford to look the part too.

Click Here To Download John Chow’s New eBook, and Live The Dot Com Lifestyle!

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How to Generate More FB Likes and Shares Effectively

Social media marketing can never be under estimated, especially because it can generate enormous buzz quickly. You have to keep in mind that before social networks got started, it was much harder to generate the buzz you wanted to because everything has to be done manually. With that said, social media has changed the way in which people engage with content, often finding the MOST valuable quickly, and with very little effort. I believe that you have to always write the best content, however, you should always find ways for readers to find it quickly. This way, they get the value you are trying to provide, and you can build massive branding quickly.

Today, I’d like to discuss a few cool ways to build momentum on Facebook. This is a social network that pioneered social marketing and can do a lot for those looking to get started. However, you need to know what tools to use, and how to attract the right type of visitors. Let’s discuss some cool strategies to generate social “Likes” and “Shares” effectively. Your opinion will be great appreciated, and if you know any other ones, then please list them below.

Let’s get started…

Effective Call-To-Actions

One of the best ways to generate a buzz quickly is by having effective call to actions. What does this actually mean? People are NOT going to share your content if you don’t let them know how to or tell them to. If you offer value, then it’s important to ask them to “Please share the value”. This will help you define a clear call-to-action, especially for those who forget to share while going through your content the first time around. Next,

It’s also been said that if you scatter the word “Share” within your content, it can help embed the word in the reader’s mind. This will automatically force them to share when they are done reading the content. The next time you write content, it’s important you encourage your readers to share your content or even use creative words like “share” or “like” within your content.

Adding Value

I can’t believe how easy it is to get an enormous amount of “shares” or “likes” when you add value. As a matter of fact, by simply adding value, people will love to share your content because it helps solves a common problem. I know many of us are under the impression that others don’t like to share content because it creates competition, but I’ve been in the business long enough to know adding value means to simply help others. I’ve shared so many pieces of content online because I knew it would help grow my brand simply because I’m adding value to my readers. It doesn’t matter if I wrote the content or NOT because my readers will know they’ll find the best when visiting my blog.

So, what is valuable content?

If you’ve read my other posts, then you’ll know what my definition of value truly means.

First, it’s about researching your competition so you provide something better to your readers compared to your competition. It’s about solving a common problem within your niche that otherwise has been difficult. Secondly, it’s in-depth content without having a maximum word count in mind. Why? I believe your content has to be as long as possible to get your point across. Third, it’s structured content that is easy to read and skim through. Keep in mind, people don’t want to see cluttered content when they are reading content because they automatically feel finding value is going to be hard. Keep paragraphs short, include intros, include a conclusion, and pay close attention to grammar.

Finally, it’s providing this type of content for free because people these days don’t want to pay for content, especially when so much is available online. It’s just NOT going to happen if you decide to charge. I forgot to mention, it’s important you always add action steps toward the end of your content because many of your readers simply need help starting in their niche.

Narrow Down the Choice

I don’t understand why people give their readers so many choices when it comes to social networks. For example, why would you add 5-6 social share buttons when you should only be focusing on 3-4 major ones where most of the people hang out? This doesn’t make sense to me and to be honest…it’s decreasing your engagement.

In my opinion, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ have 75% of the audience. If you share images, then Pinterest should be used, too. You should only have these social share buttons embedded within your blog pages so your readers don’t have too many options, hence confusing them going forward. If you give them too many choices, then they’ll end up sharing on a networks that don’t have engagement, wasting a valuable sharing opportunity.  When you set up your blog, it’s important to think about these small things because it’ll be the difference between a successful online campaign, and one that has failed.

For those of you using WordPress, this doesn’t have to be hard. For example, plugins like AddThis.com and ShareThis.com have made it very easy to add code to your website. Install the plugin then configure the tool with the social share buttons you want. It’s so simple that you can play around and run some tests to find out which ones give you the highest engagement.

Here’s something else that has come to my attention. When you reduce choices, you’ll ultimately increase the overall number of shares from within your blog and externally. If you’ve written content that provides value, then popular social platforms will be push your content in front of other high impact people who’ll share it, too. Some of these people will have thousands of people, which could help create a viral buzz very quickly. Again, give it a try, and if some platforms don’t seem to work well, then you can switch them with the click of a mouse button.

Create Posts So People Feel Obligated

Many times, we stick to writing content we feel reflects our expertise. This is something I encourage because the best type of content is backed by credibility and experience. However, it always helps to write controversial content that you know people will agree with. I remember a few years back, someone had visited the Microsoft head office, and pretended like they were peeing on the entrance sign. I found it to be funny, however, the funny thing is that image alone was shared 10,000+ times in one day. All the Apple users were thrilled at the image, which is why it resonated so much. With that said,

I encourage all of you to write on a topic close to your heart that you think would be controversial. Why? You might find thousands of people who share similar insight on the very same topic.

This topic can be anything related to your niche that you feel very strong about. However, it’s important to write about something that will have several opinions so you can start a debate. This is the best way to get people to comment on your content, and even share your idea.

Use the Tools You Have

What’s awesome is you have so many tools available that you never had before. It’s so easy to find #hashtags and social keywords that you should be embedding into your content so you can encourage additional sharing. Here`s a quick example…

A few months back, I stumbled across http://hashtagify.me/ and this tool provides you with the MOST popular tags trending on Twitter. By understanding what tags are popular within your niche, you’ll be able to make use of the same ones going forward. This will allow you to reach out to even more people, tapping into popular areas within a social platform. Here’s a quick overview of the tool.

Head over to http://hashtagify.me/. Make sure you have 2-3 main keywords in mind so you can start searching right away. Next, type in your keyword within the search bar and start the process.

The tool will generate a list of hashtags relevant to your main keyword. At this point, you can start to narrow down your hashtags, sorting them by popularity. I like to do this by first going into table mode then clicking on popularity.

Make a list of the top 5-6 MOST popular #hahstags within your niche so you can add them to your headline when sharing on social platforms. When others type these tags into social media platforms, your content has a higher chance of being found because it’s in front of more people. This, combined with the fact that you have written awesome content, will increase the chance of others sharing, generating more traffic going forward.

Next,

You have other tools available that will allow you to write awesome content. For example,

Google Search –

This is one of the best FREE ways to find trending topics that you can then generate into valuable content. Once you have completed your content, you can use other tools to get it in front of the right type of people. Simply type in a “main keyword” then see what other ideas you can come up with. If you see a specific topic that has been mentioned several times, then combine it and write some awesome content.

Google Trends –

Amazing to find trending topics, and I have been using it for years to find what keywords are generating enormous buzz within my niche. This tool is a great way to find untapped keywords then write content that hasn’t been covered by your competitors. When you write untapped content, you’ll be able to attract readers more quickly because your article is unique. After,

Use the tools I’ve suggested to promote popular new content you’ve published. You can use these tools to find other popular hashtags to implement into your social sharing.

Forums –

Forums have been an awesome place to get started when looking for the right type of information. These have been around for years, and continue to build momentum each year. Why are they so popular? Simple…

They provide in-depth information quickly and with very little work going forward. You have thousands of people online, and they are all sharing in real-time. This means if you need information, you can find it within forums almost immediately. However, keep a few things in mind before you get started…

• Always provide in-depth information within forums so your account doesn’t get banned.
• Always look for niche targeted forums so you can keep information relevant and full of substance.
• The more value you provide, the higher “shares” and “likes”, so use forums to find high quality questions.
• Always create a list of popular threads so you can go online later, replying to each then providing a link to your content.

Final Thoughts

Getting the right amount of “shares” and “likes” is very important, especially with the expansion of social media. Getting your content in front of the right type of people is important to generate enormous traffic and buzz. Networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ understand this so have made their interface very easy to use, and have even provided valuable tools to help you get the job done quickly. For example, if you are building your blog using WordPress, then you have a handful of plugins that will automatically tweet your content to the right networks. This means you have automated the sharing process, hence increased the likelihood of someone finding your content.

Next,

It’s important to always test and tweet new things because you’ll find out what type of content is resonating with your readers. Some will outperform others so it’s important to try out new things. Again, you have tools available that will help streamline this process, allowing you to really find out what works and what doesn’t. It’s amazing.

What’s left?

It’s time to start putting your plan in action by starting with research. Create a list of lists where your niche people hang out, like forums, communities, others blogs, and social media networks. By doing this, you are organizing where and how to find people to reach out to once you have written your content. Get down to business right now by writing valuable content that people want to share. Make it in-depth, making sure it answers a common problem within your niche…It’s that simple. After, you can find ways to implement auto-sharing strategies to help you boost engagement. You have some of them listed above that you can pretty much start with right away.

Click Here To Download John Chow’s New eBook, and Live The Dot Com Lifestyle!

from John Chow dot Com https://ift.tt/2C2wXIB
via Daniel