Be Creative and Profit From What You Have

Years and years and years ago, far before I had any glimmer of an idea about the possibility of making money online, my dad shared a story with me. I don’t think I was much older than maybe 6 or 7 at the time and I’m not even 100 percent certain the story is even true, but the underlying lesson is something that I’ve really taken to heart… even if it’s not directly applicable to my everyday life now.

The Making of a Businessman

One of the most famous entrepreneurs and “business magnates” that Vancouver has ever produced is Jim Pattison. He was born in Saskatchewan, but he grew up in East Vancouver, just like me and John (though we grew up in different neighborhoods and at different times).

If you’ve ever been to Vancouver, you may have noticed his name plastered all over the city as the owner of the Jim Pattison Group, Canada’s second largest privately held company. It’s got billboards, TV and radio stations, car dealerships, grocery store chains, real estate development, and more. These days, Jim Pattison has an estimated net worth of nearly $7 billion. That’s “billion” with a “B,” making him Canada’s fourth richest person.

He bought his first GM dealership way back in 1961 and has since amassed over 200 companies with diversified investments across multiple countries. “Jimmy” Pattison and his family have done very well for themselves.

A Humble Little Story

For whatever reason, this was one of my dad’s favorite stories. Maybe it’s partly what eventually led him down the path of being a small business owner himself and, by extension, what led me to my freelance writing career today.

So, the story goes that Jimmy Pattison came from a family of rather modest means, so he took it upon himself to make some extra money. As a kid, he’d do things like head out to the local fields and farms to pick berries and fruit during summer, for example. He also took on a newspaper delivery route, among several other gigs and jobs along the way. But he also set out with his own humble small business as a teenager too.

He made the astute observation that buying things in bulk is usually cheaper on a per-unit basis than it is buying smaller amounts. We see this is relatively obvious these days, but not many people actually take entrepreneurial action based on this knowledge. Pattison did. He would buy giant bulk bags of flower seeds and the like, dividing them into much smaller bags that he would then sell door-to-door.

I don’t have the actual numbers, of course, but let’s use today’s dollars to illustrate this using a hypothetical example. Let’s say a massive bag of seed costs $20. From that massive bag, you can make 200 individual portions that you can then sell for $1 each. And let’s say that you can bulk buy 200 little bags for $5. Given this, it means that for a total cost of $25 (the big bag of seed plus the cost of the small bags), you can bring in $200 in revenue, resulting in $175 in net profit. That’s a 700 percent return on investment!

The Real Take Home Lesson

I can never be completely certain why my dad enjoys telling that story so much. Maybe it’s because it’s so inspirational and it shows how a humble kid from East Vancouver can grow up to be a billionaire. Perhaps it’s because Jim Pattison demonstrates that your dreams can become reality if you’re savvy and willing to put in the work.

For me, the biggest lesson here is that you just need to come up with creative ways to work with what you have. As a teenager, there’s no way that Pattison could buy a car dealership. It would be impossible for him to open up any sort of real traditional business, but he saw an opportunity and he was able to capitalize on it. Splitting a big bag of seeds into several smaller bags is hardly a novel idea, but it proved to be profitable and it helped to sow a prosperous path for him to follow.

Oh, I can’t make it big on YouTube. I can’t afford to spend thousands of dollars on equipment or hire professionals to produce, direct and edit the videos. But you can start vlogging for $200 or less. So, start there. Just like starting a blog, getting into Internet marketing, publishing an ebook, or whatever other ambitions you may have, use what you have, put your unique spin on it, and go out there to sell some seeds.

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Writing Emails People Want to Open and Read

Email marketing is huge and you can double or even triple your growth with a solid follow-up campaign. Over the years, I have learned every top blogger encourages other bloggers to have a solid opt-in sequence that will increase user engagement. However, I’m surprised at the number of people who still don’t choose to implement email marketing on their blog. I think everyone should have a solid email marketing plan, especially because they are very cheap and easy to set up. For example, I’ve been using Aweber.com and had them set up on my blog within a few minutes. They offer free templates, a drag & drop interface, and autoresponders that can be sent out within minutes. With so much to be done easily, it’s important you start looking at how you can benefit with email marketing on your blog. After,

It’s time to test and tweak your email campaigns because it is truly about generating opens that convert into profit. They say each subscriber is worth $150-$200 to your company, but only if you are able to get them to open your messages. This is where things get tough, but you are NOT alone in this battle because case studies are around to help guide your open rate. For example, when I first got started, I located awesome case studies that helped generate an awesome open rate. Today, I’d like to discuss some of them so you can get started with creating a solid follow-up sequence.

Let’s jump right in and look writing emails people want to open and read.

1. Enticing Subject Line

This is the first thing your readers will see so it’s important you have a subject line that stands out compared to all other messages within their inbox. It’s no secret people get bombarded with emails, but with the right subject lines, you can definitely stand out compared to the rest. Here are a few ways to get converting:

Build Curiosity –

Whenever people have to question what’s inside the email, then you have a better chance of them opening. It’s like a box wrapped in beautiful paper because this can be very tempting…right? To build curiosity, use things like:

• This worked so well
• How we generated $354.00 in one day
• Why this won’t work in your business.

All of these questions or statements will build a heightened level of curiosity that will help increase open rates.

Use Numbers –

There is a simple reason numbers work so well and that’s because they tend to stand out from basic text script. As humans, we tend to scan things quickly because we are short for time, and numbers help catch the eye quickly.

Short and Right to the Point –

As mentioned above, people are skimming through their inbox because they get bombarded with emails. In this case, it’s important to always keep things short and to the point. It’ll help get the message across, increasing the likelihood of them clicking on your message. Remember, it’s NOT just about keeping it short because you’ll learn next that it’s about testing until you find a high CTR.

Always Test Your Subscribers –

It’s important to keep testing until you find something that works. This is the only way you’ll find out what resonates with your readers. Keep the subject line short as mentioned above, but try a combination of subject lines and track results. Email marketing is so easy that you can test with the click of a button, so implement the strategies above while tracking the results.

2. Always Provide Value

Just like writing content that provides value, it’s important to do the same when sending email messages, too. This is especially important when subscribers will open an email at least once, and if they don’t find value, might unsubscribe going forward. This is why I’m a true believer in NOT sending out too many follow-ups until you have something of value that you know your subscribers will love to read. If my subscribers open a message and are redirected to valuable content, then I’ve increased the chances of them doing the same again going forward. What is value?

First, understand why they joined your newsletter in the first place which MOST likely is they found value on your blog. Next, understand exactly where most of them opted because this will help guide your writing in the future. For example, you can create the same type of content going forward, and then send them a follow-up message with the link embedded within. Third, keep the message short, which you’ll learn later on as you continue to read this content.

Here are some quick content value tips:

• Answer a common problem
• Make it in-depth
• Make sure it’s structured correctly
• Include an introduction
• Include sub-headings that will help structure content correctly
• Include conclusion
• Always answer question and add value
• Skim through competitors and include elements they are missing like images, videos, infographics, etc.

3. Keeping It Personal

There’s a reason people spend time on your blog, and a major reason is because you have established your own voice. This means going forward, it’s important you continue to write content that builds your identity. Even though you will probably follow this philosophy as it applies to content writing, it’s important you do the same when sending out newsletters to your subscribers. They will want to feel the same passion in your follow-up messages that they did when reading your content.

The best way to personalize your voice is to keep it real from the beginning. The cool thing about blogging is you’re representing yourself, which can be very strong when done the right way. Start with writing content, and keep that personal tone going throughout your messages. You’ll see that people will resonate much better with your messages, knowing you’ve kept it real from the very start.

4. Keep an Eye on Length

I had mentioned previously how I’d explore this a bit more going forward. As mentioned, people are bombarded with emails daily, and they quickly skim through them. They will organize them and quickly SPAM the ones that seem to be poor quality. However, sometimes, the subscriber isn’t sure about an email, and will open to skim through, which is why you have very little time to get your point across. In short,

It’s very important to make sure your email follow-ups are concise and right to the point. However, don’t forget the fundamentals that I have discussed above, like:

• Subject lines
• Personal voice
• Using numbers
• Adding value

You need to ensure you catch the subscriber’s attention quickly, and in very little time. You have to know what they expect to read and give it to them in a way where they can engage right away.

5. Build Your Reputation

I have many blogging colleagues who have built a huge email following and are doing very well growing their blogs. However, there are some who have gone stagnant over the years, which tempted me to ask them what happen over the years. One of the main complaints they said was their inability to keep a solid follow-up sequence going, which caused many subscribers to forget they opted in to receive newsletters. Before continuing, let me summarize my main point…

If you want to keep subscribers engaged, it’s important you build your reputation through a solid follow-up sequence. What does this all mean?

First, it’s important you send messages consistently so you stay relevant when they check emails. I know many times, I’ve unsubscribed from email messages even though I actively subscribed month back. The reason was very simple, it’s because over time, I had forget about the blog because of slow correspondence over time.

Secondly, it’s even more important during the consistent follow-ups you continue to provide value, which I’ve already discussed above. Third, always test when sending email messages because you’ll notice throughout the day that certain time slots work better than others. However, you should also pay close attention to the days you message because open rates will fluctuate throughout the week. Here’s what I’ve learned over time about email timing and inbox:

• Monday is very slow because people start the work week and are quick to skim through. They only pay attention to very important email messages like work-related.
• Tuesday-Thursday tend to be the highest open rates because people have settled into the work week. They also have an organized email folder so they pay closer attention to other recreational messages.
• Friday begins to slow down because people are leaving office and want to avoid email messages. They decrease looking at their inbox because they don’t want to catch work-related messages.
• Weekends are great for shopping messages because people are off and searching for deals.

It’s also very important you pay close attention to timing when you send messages. You want to catch the subscriber at the right time, which will help increase open rates. Here’s what I learned about timing:

• 8AM – 4PM are the best times to send the first round of emails during the days mentioned above. People arrive at work and start by checking emails.
• Same weekdays but evenings around 6PM – 9PM is when you see another increase in open rates simply because people are at home, and having their downtime.
• Weekends are flexible simply because people skim through messages, depending on their objective. However, ultimately, open rates are MUCH slower on weekends for obvious reasons.

Final Thoughts

In the end, writing emails can definitely help increase engagement on your website, but it’s very important that you apply different strategies along the way. It’s is a complete waste of subscribers and efforts if you can’t re-engage your visitors after they have subscribed to your newsletter. Once they have, it’s time to really build that lasting loyalty, which can transform your business 10 fold. Going forward, it’s important you start implementing the strategies that have been discussed above to get a better understanding of how email marketing works. After you have utilized the strategies discussed above, you’ll begin to see improvements in your engagement. Once this happens, it will transform your entire blog, increasing traffic, loyalty, and engagement.

There are many examples I can give you on how people have managed to use email marketing to increase overall growth. For example, Neil Patel from QuickSprout.com has stated numerous times that it’s very difficult to get 100,000 visitors a month without having a huge list of subscribers. However, he has also mentioned that having the list is NOT the only thing that matters because you have to know how to get them to open emails and click on the engagement links.

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Are You Solving Problems or Just Avoiding Them?

Over the years, I’ve written for a number of different websites and publications. Some have been more formal or more specific about how they want their content formatted. They may have very specific instructions about the size and dimensions of images, for instance, or about how they want sources to be cited. This is all in addition to the more academic style writing I did during my university days, which is decidedly quite different from the more casual web content I largely write today.

Even though I’ve been doing this professionally for over a decade, it may surprise some of you to learn that I don’t really have much in terms of formal training. I never went to journalism school, I haven’t taken any creative writing courses (though I’d like to take a couple at some point), and I don’t have a diploma in marketing and communications. It’s all just stuff I’ve picked up along the way and my “writing voice” has evolved accordingly.

Why Do I Bring This Up?

A lot of people have this ill-conceived notion that “good writing” is defined as writing with perfect spelling, grammar and syntax. They believe that you must have these components absolutely correct and you should stick strictly to the guidelines outlined by the powers-that-be. But you’ll also find that much of the best writing breaks a lot of rules. Like how the preceding sentence is really just a sentence fragment, much like this one too. Is that bad?

If you’ve been following me and my blog for some time, particularly the Grammar 101 series, then you might also believe that I am a stickler for proper spelling and grammar. Many years ago, I wrote that poor grammar and spelling mistakes are like a chipped coffee mug at a restaurant. The chipped mug doesn’t matter too much; it’s more about what else it represents. If the cafe doesn’t care about the condition of its cups, where else are they throwing caution to the wind? Where else do you they let things slide?

To some extent, it’s true. I think spelling and grammar matter. On another level, I’m not really an authority in this space either, as I’ve never really been formally trained on the matter anyhow. There are many instances where I’m not entirely sure what is the “right” way to write something, so I usually just end up reworking the sentence to avoid the issue.

Pablo Picasso once said that you should “learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” The Dalai Lama echoes this sentiment, saying that you should “Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.” And there is definitely some weight to those statements… but what if you don’t know the rules or you’re unsure about them?

Just Fix It in Post

Sometimes, avoiding your problems is the simplest solution available. I could spend hours or even days pouring over how to format a sentence such that it adheres perfectly to the rules outlined in the Associated Press Stylebook, but even those rules can be ambiguous or incomplete. This could lead me down an incredibly deep and potentially bottomless rabbit hole, all to determine whether I should be calling it a six-quart pot or a 6-quart pot or a 6qt pot or a…. you get the idea.

Unless sticking perfectly to AP style is of critical importance for the publication and you don’t have a resident expert who can help you, wasting too much time on such a minuscule concern is indeed wasteful.

But, as you might have been able to guess from the title of this blog post, avoiding problems is oftentimes not the best approach to take. If you have a problem with debt, simply throwing your bills in the trash is not going to make that problem go away; it’s only going to make it worse. If you have relationship problems, avoiding your partner altogether is not going to make that problem go away; you need to talk about it to resolve it, one way or the other.

Sometimes, you might think that you are solving a problem in your life when all you’re really doing is trying to sweep it under the rug and make it go away for a little while. Just don’t be surprised when that little problem develops into a much larger and more pressing problem down the road. Solve it. Fix it. And then you can move on to the next thing.

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Is Content the Only Thing Needed to Increase Traffic?

A common question asked by many bloggers and many will have their own opinion. However, I currently have close to 4 blogs, and am in the process of starting my 5^th so I wanted to shed some light on what I learned over the years. We often think writing great content is the only element needed to grow our blog and generate traffic, however, you’ll be surprised to know that this is rarely the case. For example, social media, smart back-linking, and optimizing all play an important role once you publish content.

Today, I’ll be exploring this important question: Does Content Equal an Increase Traffic? And is this all that’s required to build a successful blog. I’ve learned a lot over the last few years and will like to share some of it right now. Let’s get started and your feedback will be greatly appreciated. Please leave your comments in the box below.

I write out my content, exploring some of the lessons I learned along the way.

Lesson 1: List Building is Important

You’ve heard this before and I’ll express the importance again that list building is very important to increase user retention. It’s one thing when you have a visitor to your blog but something completely different when they keep coming back. Whenever a client asks me what is the MOST important thing they should do when starting a blog, I encourage them to create a few opt-in forms that they can implement within their content. List building has been proven numerous times to increase engagement and allows for continued growth for a few important reasons.

First, it allows you to push new content in front of your readers that then helps build engagement going forward. For example, with each person visiting my blog, I’ve increased the likelihood of them sharing my content on social media platforms. Right away, I’ve increased traffic to my blog and increased the chances of having new people opt-in to my newsletter.

Secondly, it’s a great way to market my services, increasing the likelihood of profits. As a business, we have to understand what our bottom line is, which, in MOST cases, is “profit”. Some do it for passion butt I believe this ultimately leads to profits.

Third, people who have NOT been to your blog in a few weeks might forget about your blog or content. Having an email list and frequent follow-ups is a great way to keep readers in the loop, building your brand.

Lesson 2: Content Timing Matters

When referring to timing, I’m referring to “time-based” content. An example would be: How to Start a Blog in 2016. This works because people are always aiming to get the MOST up-to-date content, and adding a date to your title helps. Not to mention, people have shifted the way they search for content so use highly targeted search phrases. This led to the growth of LSI and long tail keywords because they catered to the user search pattern. Next,

Google recognized this change and has altered their search engines to equip for the change. You’ve noticed they reward content with long-tail keywords more compared to years back…right? Even though “targeted” searches are NOT obsolete, it’s important to add LSI and long-tail keywords to your content. With that said,

If you just started to write content, it’s important to focus on time-based content because psychologically, people are looking for fresh content.

Lesson 3: Great Content Doesn’t Equal Traffic

Even though in-depth content is important for blog growth, it’s NOT enough to get the ball rolling. Google does give preference to content that provides depth, but personally, I don’t think this is enough to really build momentum with your audience. This is why content isn’t enough to build your brand, and you’ll have to find creative ways to target your audience. The good news is research has shown what does work if you want to create a buzz quickly. For example,

Social media is an awesome platform to get your brand known. Facebook, Twitter, and others have changed the way people interact with content. I encourage all of you to join these networks and start marketing using the different channels you have available. Invest some money in Facebook ads or even purchase some Sponsored Tweets because this can go a very long way.

Before starting, it’s important you pay close attention to the following:

• Understand what social networks are the MOST popular.
• Set up a complete profile so people can read about your brand
• Make use of social media tools (marketing, #hashtags, groups, etc.)
• Follow others in the same niche and get followed in return.

Lesson 4: Diversity Matters

There are so many different types of content you can create to engage your readers. Here are just a few popular ones:

• Video content
• Infographics
• Text
• Images

With so much content available online, it’s important you tap into the reader’s mind quickly so they can extract the value out of it. This is why I’ve encouraged many of my clients to focus on different types of content every time they write. Keep in mind, social media platforms have all changed the way they display content, and no matter if it’s an image, infographic, or video, you’ll still get your point across. If you have been writing text content then maybe add some images, if you have included images then upgrade to video. If you have to create infographics, then this will be a great way to engage your readers and provide value at the same time. Whenever I write content, I think about my audience and how fast I can get the point across. Here’s another example,

If you’re creating how-to content, then why NOT create a video showing them the steps to complete the job? A video will be better than simple text content…right? Video content is more popular, can be displayed on social media, and is very easy to follow.

Before you can start to put your content format together, you have to answer a few very important questions:

Who is your audience? – This will help you understand what type of content they’ll enjoy reading. Your audience might be located in a place where English is NOT their first language so video or images will be better at getting your point across.

Where are they located? – For the obvious reason listed upon, but you can also create content targeting that region going forward.

What social platform do they use? – Knowing what social media platform they use will help you tweak the display and size of your content for better engagement.

How can you test what works? – Even though it’s a good idea to mix content up for optimal results, I encourage you to keep testing because this is the only way you’ll improve your CTR. The higher your click-through, the better chance you’ll have at converting your visitors.

Now that I have discussed content and how other elements play a crucial role in increasing exposure, I’d like to go over some website changes that you should keep an eye on. Here’s what I’ve learned about web design and layout:

Lesson 1: Menu and Navigation

You’d be surprised by how your site’s navigation influences browsing. I believe that for your content to get noticed, and shared, it’s important that it can be found with very little effort. This is why I encourage all of you to pay close attention to your navigation, making sure it’s organized into the right categories. For example, if you write about “making money online”, then it’s a good idea to have menu items representing the different sections you cover.

For example,

• Interviews
• Social media
• YouTube
• Content
• And others

This will ensure that when someone arrives on your website, they’ll be able to find exactly what they are looking for, which also increases the likelihood of them sharing content with others. With each share comes the potential of new visitors arriving on your site, which goes a long way to build brand recognition.

Next,

You have to know where to place your navigation for maximum exposure. Throughout the years, you’ve probably noticed menus on the left, top, and right of the layout. However, statistically, some have been proven to work better than others. For example, having the navigation towards the top works the best because it’s completely visible when the visitor first arrives on the site. It’s been proven to keep the MOST important elements of your website above the fold, which is why a navigational menu towards the top is so effective.

If you’re using WordPress, then you can add a plugin that keeps the menu at the top of the page as you scroll. However, with the recent upgrades in themes, I wouldn’t be surprised if a new theme you purchase comes with the pre-configured plugins to allow for this functionality.

Lesson 2: The Clutter

Here’s another quick tip for you to pay close attention to when writing content. Always make sure you have the right:

Spacing – This will help divide the content so it’s NOT cluttered and very easy to read. You want to make sure each paragraph has no more than 4-5 sentences.

Font size- Make sure the size is adequate enough so it’s easy to read. The harder the text is to read, the less time people will spend on your page.

Use Bold – Make sure you bold the important text or “target” keywords because this reiterates to the reader what your content is about. It’s a great way to ensure these readers know they will find the solution on your page.

Add images – Mix things up by adding images, especially if you have very lengthy content. Images will help illustrate your point more effectively.

In-depth – Make sure when writing content, you focusing on making it in-depth. There is a lot of content available online and you should be the all-in-one solution. This is what will help you stand out compared to your competition. Stay focused and take your time writing because it’s NOT about quantity, but quality.

Final Thoughts

Many people are under the assumption that content is the ONLY thing you need to grow your blog. Even though it is very important, you need to keep a few things in mind.

Social media is a great way to build momentum quickly because everyone else is promoting your content for you. One single “share” can lead to massive traction, which will help drive traffic and build your brand. Timing is important because people are online at different times so put some tests together, looking for a pattern of when sharing is the highest. Going forward, you should focus on the same time slots for maximum exposure. Next,

Don’t forget the importance of building an email list. This is a great way to build momentum, loyalty, and keep people coming back to your blog. Imagine having 10,000 people on your list and promoting a product through a follow-up sequence. This can generate enormous money for you, helping you meet your bottom line.

In the end, it’s about testing what works and what doesn’t. I believe everything has to do with testing so make sure you have the right tools available to test the different elements of your marketing. When you find what works, you can then keep building on it until you optimize your CTR.

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Best Tools for Connecting Businesses and Team Members in 2018

The typical workplace today doesn’t exist solely in a single physical space. You’ve got staff, consultants, freelancers, collaborators, and remote workers taking care of business on every corner of the globe, across a variety of different devices. It is neither effective or efficient to have everything housed in one physical location, requiring workers to access information and interact with one another in that one space.

As the old adage goes, it’s not about working harder; it’s about working smarter. And if you want your team members to get the most out of their hours and be as productive as possible, you need to arm them with the best tools for the job. And this means getting everyone on the same page at any given moment. You need that alignment and a number of online solutions can aid in achieving that goal.

For Sharing Files and Documents

Team members need to be able to access and collaborate on various files and documents on an ongoing and real-time basis. One of the most frustrating things that can happen in an office is to have multiple versions of the same document flying around with various revisions that don’t align with one another. No one wants to get caught in an infinite email string where it’s unclear which is the “current” or “final” version of a document or file.

That’s why when you are looking for a solution that enables you to share files and documents among team members, you need to look at a solution that is well managed with easy access. A great advantage of a solution like ContractZen is that it offers a metadata-driven service. What this means is that rather than utilize a more traditional hierarchical folder system, the documents can be saved in such a way that you can simply search and organize them via metadata.

Need to gather up all the documents of a particular type? You can do that. Need all the files associated with a certain client? You can do that too. No matter how robust a traditional file folder system can be, it can never be as flexible as one that’s based on metadata. The metadata-driven virtual data rooms from ContractZen tap directly into such a configuration, offering advanced rights management, smart tagging, audit logging, and high-level encryption for much-needed security too.

For Effective Communication

Sharing files and documents effectively is of critical importance to any organization, regardless of size. We live in a digital age where those digital assets are just as valuable, if not even more so, than any physical incarnation. Those vital contracts, for instance, and well worth their weight in gold. But it’s also important that team members are able to communicate with one another in a timely and efficient way too.

Email will always have its place. It’s the most suitable location for more long-form communication and for company-wide announcements. However, for more of the day-to-day chat that is necessary for collaborators to get the job done, a much better option is something like Slack. In their own words, Slack is “the collaboration hub that moves work forward.”

While getting caught up in the bottomless pit of “reply all” emails is a certifiable waste of time, team members can set up various “channels” in Slack based on whatever organization method they’d like. This is in addition to regular one-on-one discussions too. Slack “channels” can be based around departments, projects, teams and more, including the ability to invite outside workers to specific discussions. It’s all searchable and allows for a much more flexible arrangement.

Slack also integrates with a broad range of tools you may already be using in your business. These integrations come by way of the Slack App Directory, and notable items here range from Google Calendar and Salesforce to Github, Twitter, and Simple Poll.

For times when a mostly text-based chat isn’t enough and you need some face-to-face time, Bluejeans is one of the better options for online video conferencing. Video conferences are far more cost-effective than flying in everyone from all around the world, and you can just as easily invite outside analysts and consultants too. These video meetings allow for easy screen sharing and you get crystal clear Dolby Voice audio as well.

For Project Management

When it comes to project management, you’ve likely got a lot of balls in the air. You’ve got to deal with all the different components of the actual project itself, as well as all the team members who are working on each of these elements. Keeping track of deadlines and progress and sub-tasks can be overwhelming, and that’s why it’s so important to ensure everyone is on the same page, all the time.

A great option in this space is Asana. The projects can be set up using lists, boards, calendar and timeline, empowering team members to share the important details and delegate tasks in as quick and efficient a manner as possible. Asana follows the same fundamental principles as Kanban boards, where each column represents a “stage” in the project and the goal is to move everything over to the “complete” column on the far right.

This provides for a great visualization of the project from a bird’s eye view, including color-coding and clear task assignment among team members. You can then dive into the pertinent details for any given task. The timeline lets you plan projects from the beginning and identify the gaps and overlaps early. This allows for optimal efficiency.

You’ll find several similar features with a tool like Trello too, which also utilizes the same Kanban board mentality. Instead of getting caught up in back-and-forth emails to confirm the status of a project (or the various components within it), team members can simply reference what’s going on in the Trello or Asana board. That’s how you get the job done.

A Collaborative Ecosystem

The biggest key to being effective in the world of work is to minimize the amount of time you spend on less important tasks and maximize the amount of time you spend on the work that actually moves the needle. The less time your sales team spends digging through an email archive to find an old conversation about a lead, the less time they waste in sending an old version of a contract only to learn that a revised version should’ve been used instead, the more time they can spend nurturing leads and closing deals. The same can be said about just about any department or any other project.

Armed with the right tools for the job — for sharing documents, for communication, and for managing projects — team members can be in a much more advantageous position to work toward more successful outcomes in the most efficient and effective manner possible.

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Avoid a Google Penalty By Using These Tips

Over the last several years, Google has made some huge changes to their search algorithms. Their main objective was to make it difficult for people to manipulate the search results so searchers were able to find the right kind of results. This ultimately took enormous time, but Google was able to get the job done with some data collected over time. The end result was a search algorithm that did two things:

First, it took into account they (Google) had direct control over like how results were displayed, their philosophy, search updating, and others. Secondly, they tweaked their system to look at what people do when building a website. For example, they started to pay closer attention to link building, content, social signals, etc. In the end, Google was able to create a search engine that overpowered others to still be considered the best in the business. The only downside of all the upgrades that took place was many people started getting penalized, losing rankings, getting banned from search results, and even their advertising network. With that said,

Over the years, my research with other clients has been able to provide me with some valuable information. For example, it was able to give me better insight on how to avoid a Google penalty. Today, we will discuss some of the fundamental steps you can take to avoid getting penalized by Google. Let’s get started, and your feedback will be greatly appreciated as always.

Avoid Link Exchanges

This was a major practice used by bloggers several years back, and continues to be used by bloggers today. This used to be a strategic way to get links quickly from different types of websites, however, now, it can get you in some serious trouble with Google. Keep in mind these “3” very important reasons why you should avoid link exchanges at all costs.

First, this is bulk link building, which is unnatural and is considered SPAM link building. A majority of the time, you’ll attract low quality links from sites that have faced a penalty in the past. This shows Google you have NOT screened your link building efforts, and will lead to your site getting penalized, too.

Secondly, Google pays more attention than ever to relevance, and link farms DO NOT give priority to this area. You have to always make sure you focus on relevance because this ultimately adds value to your website. However, bloggers still continue to pay less attention to this factor, and more to bulk link building.

Third, content quality is very important and there is NO substitution when it comes to this factor. Through link exchanges, you’ll be attracting links from low quality sites with even lower quality content. You will truly get quality links when you make a conscious effort to attract solid links from high value sites.

Going forward, to avoid a Google penalty, it’s important that you avoid link exchanges and farms. This way, you’ll be able to attract quality links from sites with valuable content and a high domain authority.

Links within Duplicate Content

One of the worst ways to get hit with a Google penalty is by building links within duplicate content. First, Google hates duplicate content because it decreases the user experience. They want to bring fresh content to people, which ultimately ensures that Google is truly the best search engine. Google tries very hard to NOT index duplicate content so any links built on the page will not be indexed. Next, if the content is somehow indexed, it will NOT last a long time before being flagged by the bots. This means every link built on the page will be flagged at the same time, hurting your reputation, etc.

Another thing to keep in mind is “Google” has a system where people can report duplicate content. This can have more of an effect on your rankings than you think by flagging your site with Google. Going forward, every time a link is built on your site, it will take longer for it to be indexed. This can be very stressful especially when you are trying to promote time-sensitive content.

Keyword Stuffing

This is one of the oldest tricks in the book, and Google doesn’t like it because it was known as a form of manipulation. Before the search engines were sophisticated, “bloggers” were able to increase their search rank by over using a specific keyword. This was also a practice used by those who didn’t want to create any value online. Because this is a practice that is frowned upon, Google wants to ensure it’s completely eliminated online. You’ve probably noticed that one approach search engines have taken is to ask people to diversify their link profile. What does this mean? Let’s explore…

First, it means to incorporate target and LSI keywords within your content. They have also moved into a stricter percentage when it comes to keywords within your content, expecting anywhere from 2%-3%. This means you have to be even more careful when using keywords throughout your content. However, because it is calculated by percentage, it serves as a benefit for bloggers to write even longer content. The more you write, the more flexibility you have when using keywords.

Next,

Over the last several years, “long tail keywords” have come into predominance so Google definitely wants to see them embedded within your content. Long Tail Keywords are phrases that are relevant to your “target” keyword, but contain more than 2+ words. This has become very important to search engines because of the shift within user search patterns. If you notice, people are now using more direct and longer phrases when shopping online, etc. It’s important you keep all of these strategies in mind when writing content so you can improve the user experience while ensuring you have the right amount of keywords throughout your article.

Here are a few things discussed:

• Use LSI keywords
• Use “target” keywords
• Use long tail keywords
• Focus on the number 2%-3% of content length. There are many tools available which will help calculate keyword ratio within your article.

Avoid Using Automated Tools

With the popularly of online marketing came an abundance of bulk link building tools. Over the years, they continued to grow because Google had NO sure way of stopping them, especially those building links using them. However, changes in the algorithm now targets them with serious intensity, penalizing those who implement them in their link building strategy. How was Google able to put a stop to them?

Instead of targeting the software creators, they decided to target what the tools did by understanding the growing pattern. For example, the key strategies these tools use are the following:

• They spin content several times
• They duplicate content
• They bulk link build using the same anchor text
• They provide very little value within the content
• They use very few LSI keywords
• They use very few long tail keywords
• They fail to diversity anchor text

If you pay close attention to the changes made by Google over the years, you’ll notice they’ve target each of those things. First, they want a diversity of keywords to increase the user experience. Secondly, they expect high quality content to be published that is unique and in-depth. Third, they expect a mix of anchor text like URL, relevant, and exact. They refuse to accept duplicate content by only indexing the original content once.

From the above example, you can see how Google has tweaked their search algorithm to ensure they don’t accept sites in general that meet the above criteria. Instead of targeting the software creators, they have taken control of what they view as high quality, making it a norm for other search engines, too.

How to Avoid Getting Penalized…

There are several things you can do to avoid getting penalized by Google. Many of these strategies have been learned by researched conducted by bloggers, and insight provided by Google themselves. Let’s explore 2-3 things you can do right now to set yourself up for a successful SEO campaign.

First, always write exceptional content because Google has put enormous emphasis on quality. They are looking for valuable content because it increases the user experience, which is very important to them. The better experience searchers have, the longer they will continue to use their engine, increasing profits. Whenever you write content, it’s important to focus on depth, value, and always solving a common problem within your niche. Next,

If you’re a blogger, you’ll always take part in link building campaigns and you have to remember the fundamentals when building links. For example, one of the best ways to get penalized by Google is to move away from their quality control policies. This is a guaranteed way to get banned or even get a solid penalty on your site. The funny thing is, many people think this will be difficult but it is very easy if you understand the basics. For example, never bulk build links because it’s a clear sign of them being unnatural. No one can build 10-20 links per day because this is unheard of in SEO and history has proven this numerous times. Next, keep anchor text targeted, but don’t be afraid to build some that are closely related. Over the years, the user search pattern has changed and Google is trying to keep up, which is why they encourage everyone to mix anchor text. As a rule of thumb, make sure you build links using:

• Long tail keywords
• LST keywords
• EXACT match

Next,

Build strong networks with others within your niche because this is a great way to get authority links. Many times, we waste effort building poor quality links, however, “1” solid authority link is way better then 10 low quality links so stay focused during your link building. One of the best ways to conquer this is by building relationships with people who have been in the niche for years or even looking for guest posting opportunities. Guest blogging is a great way to build links on high authority blogs, especially those that can add enormous value later on down the line. Do a quick search in Google then skim through looking for authority blogs. You’ll know which ones have been around the longest by paying close attention to:

• Social followers
• Content written
• Comments
• Search engine rank

Finally,

It’s important to keep updating content because this shows your articles are fresh and NOT out of date. For Google to keep providing the best, it’s important that only the best is available. Make sure you continuously check your articles for freshness, and update those you feel are outdated. When you do this, you’ll ensure they all fall under the freshness update. What does this mean? You’ll essentially fall under the category of updated content so will jump in rankings. It also means you have more fresh and up-to-date content compared to your competitors, which will work in your favor going forward.

Click Here To Download John Chow’s New eBook, The Ultimate Online Profit Model!

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How Not to Go Crazy When Working From Home

I wasn’t always a professional blogger or freelance writer. There was a time that I knew practically nothing of Internet marketing and making money online, but I like to tell people that I fell into this space and this career “accidentally on purpose” way back in 2006. I met John Chow for the first time not long after getting started and we’ve been friends ever since. You might even remember that time I crashed at his guest house in Bellevue, Washington.

That experience, along with so many others like it, really illustrate how I was drawn into the “freelance lifestyle” (or the “dot com lifestyle,” as John likes to say) in the first place. I am in a position where I can largely set my own hours, choose my own projects, and determine my own fate, all while working from almost anywhere I have a reasonably reliable Internet connection and a laptop in tow. The time and location freedom are truly invaluable. They’re literally life changing.

While I can choose to work from almost anywhere, it probably won’t surprise very many of you to learn that I work from home the overwhelming majority of the time. I imagine the same is also largely true for John too when he’s not partying in Costa Rica and other exotic locations around the world. Working from home has its perks, but it naturally also has its pitfalls… like how you can go stark raving mad with the deafening silence and overwhelming isolation.

We don’t want to turn into Jack Nicholson’s iconic character from The Shining, do we? He does have a very valid point though, even though the movie is almost 40 years old at this point. All work and no play do make Jack a dull boy. And it’s not even about being dull… even if you never go on any sort of murderous rampage after getting a drink at an empty hotel bar from a bartender who is nothing more than a figment of your imagination. But I digress.

Yes, you can set your own hours. Yes, you are free of distractions of coworkers who just “stop by” for a meaningless chat (but you can still definitely distract yourself and procrastinate like there’s no tomorrow). But it can be a very isolating experience and that’s not good for your mental well being.

So, what are some of the steps you can take to overcome this situation and help to retain some semblance of sanity along the way? Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

• Get as much sun as you can. This will depend on where you live and the kind of climate you get, but getting outside for some sun and fresh air can work wonders on your mental wellness. Even positioning your computer next to a window so you can look outside can be very helpful.
• Have a hobby unrelated to work. Sometimes, you just need a mental break. The actual hobby itself doesn’t really matter as much as the fact that it gets you away from work and away from the computer. Your ideas will continue to simmer on the back burners while you hack at wood in your workshop or prune the flowers in the garden.
• Go social. While online interactions with Facebook groups and the like have their merit, there is no replacement for face-to-face time. That’s why Dot Com Pho is so important to me (and it’s where I met John). It’s the same with the Dot Com Meetup in the OC. Find your tribe. Talk to them in person.
• Allow fitness to be a priority. It’s really easy to hole yourself up and hunker down on an important project, because you want to make sure it’s a success and you’re really passionate about that new ebook or YouTube channel or affiliate network. I get it. I’m there all the time. But you need to convince yourself to get out there and move your body. The gym isn’t necessarily for everyone, but you do need to get into physical shape.
• Schedule your breaks. Like the previous tip, I perfectly understand what it’s like to get into a groove, but that’s also how you can work yourself into oblivion and burn yourself out. I like using the Pomodoro technique to give my mind a rest and I’ve been working on establishing a better end of day routine too.

These are just a few ideas to help you get started. What activities or tips do you have for other people who work primarily from home?

Click Here To Download John Chow’s New eBook, The Ultimate Online Profit Model!

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