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How To Set Up A Blog

A PERSONAL PRODUCT: WHY AN INJECTION OF “YOU” COULD KEEP YOUR BLOG ALIVE

June 27, 2017
blogging tips

Blogging is a dream. What better way to get your voice heard and make your living? The benefits are ten-fold. You get to work from home, and you achieve a platform without having to operate through a second-party. If you have a message you want to share with the world, this could be the perfect thing for you!

But, breaking into blogging isn’t as easy as some would have you believe. Hundreds of blogs fail to get off the ground each year. While the reasons for these failures vary, most have a few different things in common. Bloggers who don’t develop their designs past standard templates may fail to attract an audience. Equally, bloggers who stick to outdated topics could fail.

What do these two failures have in common? They rely on designs made by someone else, and ideas other people have already had. So, what can we learn from them? For the most part, the clear message is that you should inject your personality to unlock the potential of your blog. And, here are a few more reasons why it might be worth getting personal.

 

YOUR SATISFACTION WILL SKY ROCKET



Most people who choose to start a blog have a strong creative impulse. They’re individuals who think outside the box and have opted for a career which allows for self-expression. So, it makes no sense that you’d opt to do things in the most boring way possible. Failing to get personal on your blog could lead to dissatisfaction and boredom. You may as well be in an office, right?

But, if you get personal, your satisfaction will soar. You’ll be able to embrace your creative side in the design and the concept. You’ll even be able to get your camera out and take snaps to include in your posts. It’s a creative cacophony, ideal for anyone with artistic flair.

 

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TOP OF THE LISTINGS



A recent update from Google means boring blogs like the ones mentioned above have fallen in listings and suffered a significant drop in traffic. Why? Because Google’s realized that personality is the most important thing, too. Instead of backing outdated, lazy blogs, they’re now championing creative, quality content. And, your injection of personality will ensure you’re one of them.

 

If you want further assistance to get up the listings, you could also employ the help of an SEO services company. They’ll be able to help you develop what you’re doing, and ensure you reach the level of success you’re aiming for. You may be getting personal, but there’s no reason you need to do things alone!

 

READER LOYALTY

 

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At the end of the day, readers head to blogs because they’re looking for a personal connection. If there’s no personality in your posts, they aren’t going to stick around. But, if they get a sense of your life and your style, they’re more likely to invest in what you’re doing. They’ll keep returning to your page for the next installment, and they’ll care about what you say!

 

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THE DO’S & DON’TS OF FITNESS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

May 11, 2017

If you’ve been anywhere near social media lately, you’ll have noticed that there are a huge amount of people focusing their content on health and fitness. The industry is booming at the moment, and social media has a big role to play in that.

 

We all like to use social media to document the highlights of our lives – whether that is a career upgrade, a new hairdo or (you guessed it) our fitness progress. Many people also use social media as a source of inspiration and motivation, and this is especially apparent in online fitness communities.

 

Seeing someone’s amazing ‘before and after pictures’ can easily spur you into action even after a long afternoon of sitting on the couch, and posting your transformation photos can be a real confidence boost. So, if you’re a lover of fitness AND social media, why not combine the two? You never know, doing so could be the start of a great career. Here are some typical do’s and don’ts for building your online fitness brand.

Decide which platforms to focus on


Your fitness journey is important, and that’s why it requires a stunning platform on which to showcase it. If you want to go quite in depth with your topics and write lengthy articles and essays about things you’ve learned, an official blog is probably the way to go. You can easily create your own via a free hosting website like WordPress or Wix, although you may want to consider buying a domain name to make yours look more ‘professional.’ Additionally, Instagram is a good bet for people hoping to break into the fitness industry, as you can post pictures, videos, Boomerangs and stories to pull your portfolio together.

 

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Get credible


To have people take you seriously on your social media platforms, you will need to ensure that you are backed up in all the things you are saying. If you are unqualified to be spouting advice at your audience, you may soon find that many starts to question what you are offering. Plus, if everything you do is guesswork, you could potentially be putting your followers in danger by suggesting things to them that are neither tried nor tested.  Back up what you say by attending Gym Instructor courses, as this way you will be a fully qualified PT, and people will subsequently trust you more.

 

 

Consider brand deals


If you are in a position of influence on social media, you will probably find that you end up being approached by various brands offering you sponsorships and deals. This can be a great way to make cash out of your fitness profile, but it must also be said that you need to tread carefully here. Are you already familiar with the brand and would you genuinely use it? Online audiences are smart, and they will be able to easily spot a brand deal that’s been done simply for the money. Even if you are offered a lot of money, try and keep your integrity at the forefront of everything you do online – it will pay off in the long run.

 

 

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How To Set Up A Blog

IMAGES & GRAPHICS ARE THE KEYS TO UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF YOUR BLOG

May 2, 2017
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If you feel like your blog has still not reached its full potential, it might be because you are not using images and graphics in the right way. So, you should try to make sure that you are using them well if you want your blog to advance and fulfill its potential. But why is this the case? Why are images and graphics so important to you as a blogger? Read on to find out.

 

People Need to be Grabbed Visually

 

When someone visits your blog, they need to be grabbed by what they see. If they’re not, they might not stick around for very long, and that’s not what you want. So, it’s up to you to avoid letting visitors slip away just because you don’t have great images capable of grabbing them. You can learn how to spice up dull images via editing by taking a course with Training Connection. And you might also want to work with creative people who create interesting graphics and infographics as well. Before long, your visitors will be hooked within seconds.

 

Photos Offer Colour and Variation to a Blog

 

Blogs can become way too dull and boring without good photos. They add some life, colour and variety to the page, and that’s exactly what’s needed. You don’t want to bore people too much. If you do that, you will just lose visitors and readers slowly but steadily. A solid block of text is always a little boring to look at. So, don’t let your visitors be confronted by writing that looks too intimidating for them to confront. Instead, you should aim to break it up by using interesting images that look great and complement the content of the text.

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Great Images and Graphics and Legitimacy to Your Blog

 

Legitimacy is another thing that can be added to your blog by having some great images in place. Everyone wants their blog to be taken seriously. And if it’s not, people won’t take the words published on the blog seriously either. That’s clearly a big problem, and it’s something you should be working hard to avoid if you can. With the best graphics and images present on all of the important pages of your blog, it will instantly start to look more professional. And that will lead to it becoming a lot more respected as well.

 

Posts with Good Imagery Get Shared More Often

 

As a blogger, you will want your blog posts to be shared far and wide. This is the best way to get more eyes reading your work. But did you know that blog posts that feature photos and good imagery are more likely to be shared by people? This is a fact, and it’s something that you should keep in mind when you are creating and posting your content. All those shares could lead to more people visiting your blog for the first time. If those people are impressed, they could become long-term readers. That’s exactly what you want for your blog.

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DON’T LOSE MONEY DUE TO YOUR BLOG

April 19, 2017
blogging tips

A lot of people start a blog in the hope of raising some additional cash. After all, once you raise your profile, it can lead to advertising on your blog. Also, you might get companies asking for sponsored blog posts which is also an extra way to earn some money. However, while we might set up a blog to raise some money, it’s easy for it to do the opposite if you are not careful. In fact, here are some ways you can ensure your blog doesn’t end up losing you money.

 

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Be careful to ensure you use copyright free photos

It’s common to use pictures on your blog. After all, it gives it a more visually appealing look and can give a break from the writing. However, while it’s always good to add pictures, you need to ensure the images that you are using are copyright free. Otherwise, you could end up sued if you use them without the owner’s permission.

 

In fact, as it says on https://www.theguardian.com/law/, US blogger Perez Hilton ended up in a £1.6 million lawsuit after using photos on his blog that weren’t his. And unless you fancy losing money down to your blog, you don’t want to follow his lead. Therefore, only use copyright free photos which you can search for online.

 

In fact, there are a lot of free image sites which will ensure you have great quality pictures without breaking the law. And to be extra safe, always credit the site where you took the photo. That way, you can never end up in trouble with the original photographer. And remember the same goes for any wording or quotes you take from other sources. Always link back to the original site to ensure you don’t get in trouble!

 

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Don’t write defamatory claims about people

Of course, a blog is all about writing your opinion on things. But you need to be careful about what you are saying about people. After all, once it’s down in writing, it can be hard to take it back. And if the person in question sees the claims on your blog, they could end up getting you in trouble via the defamation law. After all, even if the comments are true, if you have managed to damage their reputation, they could still sue you.

 

In fact, if you do get into trouble with your blog, you will need to find a lawyer to help you with defamation claims. In fact, you can look online on the asb-law.com website and other similar sites for assistance. But to avoid this occurring, make sure you are careful about what you are writing about!

 

 Image from Pexels

 

Always answer any bad complaints

It’s easy to ignore any bad complaints which might appear on your blog or on your social media account for the site. But if you do ignore them, it could jeopardise your chances of securing advertising for your blog.

 

And not only this but you might lose people who are currently advertising. After all, they won’t want to be associated with bad press. Therefore, even if you pre-schedule your posts, constantly check your accounts for bad feedback. And respond quickly to ensure there is no further comeback!

 

And remember to always be honest and open if it’s an endorsed post to stay within the law.

 

Elf x

 

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5 TIPS FOR NEW BLOGGERS

March 3, 2017
Blogging Tips

 

This post, 5 Tips for New Bloggers is for you if you have decided to set up a blog and are not sure where to start, I also don’t want you to because below these tips are for any new bloggers starting out.  Starting a blog can be a scary process for any new blogger.  Have a read of my HOW TO SET UP A BLOG TO MAKE MONEY post and then read through the tips for new bloggers below.

 

While I haven’t been blogging that long at all however, on my journey I have made some great decisions, other times I have made some mistakes but above all I have learned a lot in a short space of time.  So below I have pulled together some tips which I believe as a new blogger it is important to consider.  This is by no means a definitive list but just a little guide to get you thinking.

 

TIP FOR NEW BLOGGERS 1: Be Friendly & Make Friends

Blogging can be a lonely at times, especially when you sit in front of your computer or your journal and plan your schedule.  It can also be overwhelming for new bloggers. This is more true when you are just starting out which is why it is important to consider your support networks and all social media platforms to make it easier to network with others on Facebook and Twitter.  A great way of making new friends is to reading and comment on other blogs.  The strength of blogging lies with the wonderful community that has built up over a common interest – invest part of your time in this.

 

TIP FOR NEW BLOGGERS 2: Social Media Linking

Having a blog is just awesome for new bloggers and established bloggers but you also need to link every post you write with other social media platforms to ensure your post gets out there to increase your readership.  So, at the end of each blog post ensure you have activated your social media icons so people can share your article but also make sure you promote it too – have a read of my blog post on promoting our blog posts on social media here – it will pay dividends.

 

TIP FOR NEW BLOGGERS 3: Build up your Subscribers

I will be writing a longer post on this over the next few weeks but in the meantime a great tip is to make it easy for your readers to subscribe when a post goes live, there is nothing worse than having to click through many pages to figure out how to subscribe!  Make it easy for your readers – you want them to come back time and time again.

 

TIP FOR NEW BLOGGERS 4: Reply to Comments

When people take time to read your post it is great, when people take time to read your post and comment – that is truly awesome!  Ensure you reply to comments in a timely fashion, it is a great way to make friends, gain new readers and interact with your audience.

 

TIP FOR NEW BLOGGERS 5: Be Yourself

You may think this is a strange thing to say but it is true.  Being yourself means you are offering your readers something unique – your insight in to what you are blogging about.  It also ensures your blog posts have some personality to them, they are being written by a real person!  Above all, be yourself and have fun!

 

WANT TO KNOW HOW TO SET UP A BLOG TO MAKE MONEY IN 3 EASY STEPS?  VIEW THE POST HERE.

INTERESTED IN KNOWING HOW TO MONETIZE YOUR BLOG?  READ MY BLOG POST HERE.

WANT STUFF FOR FREE TO REVIEW ON YOUR BLOG?  READ MY POST HERE.

WANT TO MAKE MONEY WITH YOUR OLD RECEIPTS?  READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE.

WANT TO EARN GIFT VOUCHERS?  READ MY REVIEW OF SWAGBUCKS.  

INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT DOES AND HOW YOU CAN MAKE MONEY?  READ MORE HERE.  

WANT TO GET PAID FOR COMPLETING SURVEYS?  READ MY POST ABOUT PROLIFIC ACADEMIC HERE.

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HOW TO PROMOTE AND SCHEDULE YOUR BLOG POSTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

December 13, 2016

 

Twitter

As a blogger I know the importance that social media plays in the promotion of your blog and blog posts.  I also know that blogging schedules can become quite hectic leaving little time for promotion.

 

There are multiple platforms for promoting your blog posts however there is one that can often be overlooked and that is Twitter.

 

Using Twitter is a fantastic way of promoting your blog posts and reaching new audiences.  However it can seem very daunting, especially since you have only 140 characters to write a post, nevertheless Twitter is a fantastic tool to promote your blog posts which is why I wanted to share with you the fantastic scheduling tool that is Hootsuite.

 

The importance of Scheduling your Tweets

There is little doubt there are a lot of people on social media and Twitter is no exception.  It is important then to ensure you market your blog posts not just once but continually to ensure your followers get the opportunity to see your tweet among an array of other tweets.

 

That’s why scheduling is so important, as it allows you to get your message across within a tweet several times a day.  It also allows you to schedule a week or longer in advance.

 

This has several benefits, you can fit the scheduling in with your own workload – freeing  you up during other times. It also means if you have an extra busy day or unfortunately if you are feeling poorly – you know your blog posts have been scheduled in advance giving you one less thing to worry about.

 

Scheduling also ensures that you are in contact with your audience on a regular basis whatever is going on in your life currently.  It also means you will have a lot more time in your day to concentrate on other things as well as giving you the space and time to focus on other areas of your blog that you want to work on.

 

Recommending Hootsuite

I highly recommend Hootsuite as a tweet scheduler.  In fact Hootsuite is more than a scheduler for Twitter, it also integrates your other social media platforms but I have mainly been using it for Twitter at the moment.

 

Hootsuite is what is referred to as a social media management tool.  It helps you track and manage all your social media platforms within one dashboard.

 

Scheduling is so easy:

  • First you click on “Compose Message”
  • You type the tweet you want to send and include your blog post link
  • Click to select a profile (your twitter account or other social media account you have linked at start up)
  • Click the calendar to select the date and time you want to send the message
  • You then click “Schedule” and hey presto your tweet is scheduled.

 

Another fantastic feature is the bulk scheduling tool where you can schedule up to 350 tweets at once!  Yes you read right 350 at once!

 

This is a fantastic feature that will allow you to save time.

 

Don’t take my word for it though, sign up to HootSuite now and take advantage of their FREE 30 day trial, you then pay just £7.99 per month which will give you back so much time to concentrate on other things while your blog posts are being promoted!

 

I can’t recommend Hootsuite highly enough.  Happy promoting!

 

Elf x

 

You may also be interested in the following posts

READ MY TIPS TO HELP YOU INCREASE YOUR BLOG INCOME HERE

WANT TO KNOW HOW TO SET UP A BLOG TO MAKE MONEY IN 3 EASY STEPS?  VIEW THE POST HERE.

INTERESTED IN KNOWING HOW TO MONETIZE YOUR BLOG?  READ MY BLOG POST HERE.

WANT STUFF FOR FREE TO REVIEW ON YOUR BLOG?  READ MY POST HERE.

WANT TO MAKE MONEY WITH YOUR OLD RECEIPTS?  READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE.

WANT TO EARN GIFT VOUCHERS?  READ MY REVIEW OF SWAGBUCKS.

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TIPS TO HELP YOU INCREASE YOUR BLOG INCOME

December 12, 2016

I have already written about how to monetize your blog through affiliate marketing here but I have been working through other strategies to increase my blog income and wanted to share these tips with you now.

I have broken them down in to five distinct approaches to make it easier to follow.

 

Monetizing your current content

If you already have content on your blog then the quickest and most effective method of increasing income is to work with your current content.

You can start by adding affiliate links to each post be that within the text or add in options for your readers to purchase items you are writing about.

Remember to join SkimLinks so that you can have access to over 20,000 affiliate links to companies, making it easier to add affiliate links to your content.

 

Sponsored posts

As a blogger it can be easy to underestimate the value of your posts.  It is also easy to forget that sponsored posts can be in the form of both cash or gifts.

There are many businesses out there that are trying to grow their customer base and often reach out to bloggers as a way of doing this.  You don’t have to wait for them to contact you though, be proactive.

I recommend you start with companies whose products you already use, contact the marketing department and offer to write a sponsored blog post.  Do not though email every company under the sun – be genuine about your love of the product and detail why their product or service would be a good fit for your blog.

Personally I believe bloggers offer fantastic opportunities to businesses in promoting their products so don’t sell yourself short!

 

Selling an E-book

If you have been blogging for a while, the chances are you have enough fantastic content to pull together in to an E-book to sell.  You really don’t need to reinvent the wheel, look through your content and start planning what kind of E-book you think your readers would love.

You can sell directly from your blog or you can upload to Amazon to sell, either way marketing will be key to getting your readers to purchase it.

If you don’t have enough content at the moment, plan ahead and start thinking about your options for an E-book, that way when the time is right to pull everything together you will have a plan in place.

 

Optimising your advert space

Many bloggers currently offer sponsored advertising on their blog.  If you are a new blogger consider offering advertising space by promotion through your social media channels.  However, if you already do offer adverting space you really should consider raising your prices.

It is extremely helpful that other bloggers are willing to feature small businesses with an advert for £10-£20 for the year but if a company is willing to pay £10-£20 chances are they are willing to pay £20-£40 for the full year.

This simple technique could double your ad revenue overnight and you would still be offering a fantastic deal.

 

Work as a Virtual Assistant to other Bloggers

It can take hard work and dedication to make money from blogging, it also requires you to build up traffic, increase page views as well as blogger outreach and networking.  These are fantastic skills you acquire which can be used to become a virtual assistant to help other new or established bloggers.

Read my post on how to make money as Virtual Assistant here and register with People Per Hour now to put those fantastic skills you have acquired to use in order to make some extra money.

 

I hope these ideas have helped you consider how you too can start to boost your blog income.  There are other ways you can increase your income too, have a read of my blog posts below to find out how.

 

WANT STUFF FOR FREE TO REVIEW ON YOUR BLOG?  READ MY POST HERE.

WANT TO MAKE MONEY WITH YOUR OLD RECEIPTS?  READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE.

WANT TO EARN GIFT VOUCHERS?  READ MY REVIEW OF SWAGBUCKS.  WANT TO

EARN EXTRA MONEY FROM SURVEYS?  READ MY POST HERE.

 

 

Happy Blogging!

 

Elf x

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How To Set Up A Blog, Make Money

HOW TO SET UP A BLOG TO MAKE MONEY IN 3 EASY STEPS

November 15, 2016

So you want to set up a blog to make money?

Blogging has allowed many people to share their ideas, thoughts and views with the world.  With it a whole new world has opened up of possible ways to make money.

I will discuss the opportunities of affiliate marketing in my next post.  I will touch upon how to register for affiliate marketing and Google AdSense.

It hasn’t been plain sailing for me, while I have over 30 blog posts on my other blog here I have been rejected by Google AdSense 3 times, it’s all to do with not having enough content but as I continue to write blog posts I will keep you posted about it if I decide to give  Google Adsense another go.

 

Should I go for a free hosting blog or paid one?

Ok, this part has been the most tricky and frustrating part for me personally – the setting up a blog.  At first I was of the opinion that I didn’t want to pay any money for setting the blog up since there are ways of having a blog for free.  However, when I researched it, the best and only option to be fully in control of my content and be able to monitise my blog was to go the paid route or self hosted as it is referred to.

Having a self hosted blog also allows you to have your own name (e.g. elfeelgoodsvintage.uk / elfeelgooddeals.uk), it does look more professional than others and you can also use an array of designs which are free or you can buy a more unique theme.

How much would it cost me?

Again it took me ages to find a host which I had confidence in.  I read a lot of reviews, gave up a few times as the reviews were conflicting, then settled on TSO Host.  I can highly recommend them for several reasons.

Firstly, I was able to purchase my domain name with them for £7.19 for the entire year, secondly their basic hosting package costs me £2.99 per month and their customer service is excellent.

Did I mention before how rubbish I am at technical stuff?  Well, when I purchased my domain name and hosting package with TSO Host I sent them an email saying I wanted my website to be WordPress and could they just do that and send me the login details. Honestly this is just how rubbish I am at the technical stuff but TSO Host were excellent, within an hour they emailed me back my details, I logged in and was able to start customising the WordPress theme!

Step 1

Register your domain with TSO Host here.   Of course this is the easy part but coming up with the name can be a bit tricky so make sure you are happy with your choice, try it out with family and friends first!  TSO Host also have .blog domains now, there is just so much choice from .com to .uk to even .wales!

Step 2

Buy the hosting package for your blog with TSO Host here. I highly recommend the standard package at £2.99 per month.

Step 3

Connect your domain and your hosting.  Very simple, just email TSO Host customer service and they will do all of it for you and send you the login details.  It really is that simple.  The customer service for TSO Host is second to none.

 

So what now?

I highly recommend you set up your blog as a first step to monitising it and once you have at least 10 blog posts start on your affiliate marketing plan.

I highly recommend you go with TSO Host as a service provider who has a very competitive price and has excellent customer service and who are particularly helpful for those of us who are not very tech savvy!

 

 

Interested in knowing how to monetize your blog?  Read my blog post here.

Want stuff for free to review on your blog?  Read my post here.

Want to make money with your old receipts?  Read all about it here.

Want to earn gift vouchers?  Read my review of SwagBucks.

 

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