Small business owners don’t always have the luxury of having an exorbitant budget to spend on travel and lodging expenses related to client presentations.

Luckily, videoconferencing technology has brought the presentation to their front door step.

While videoconferencing has become a fairly standard practice, many small business owners still lack the basic knowledge of proper videoconferencing etiquette. I hope this post can help shed some light on the proper considerations when preparing and engaging in a web conference.

Test, Test, Test

As the old business adage goes, time is money. The last impression you need to be making to your client is that you don’t value their time and by simple deduction, don’t care that you are costing them money.

Significant time should be allocated to setup and testing of all systems prior to the start of the videoconference. Inattention to these details sends the wrong signal and can potentially ruin the possibility of a successful business relationship before it’s had a chance to blossom. Discovering all issues and resolving them in advance to the meeting ensures that the conference starts on the right foot.

Details to consider when setting up include:

• Camera placement – When placing the camera, try and fill the frame as much as possible with people, rather than extraneous room objects such as tables, chairs, etc.
• Camera and TV presets – Check and make sure that your TV’s brightness and contrast is optimally set. This ensures that you can see the client and more importantly, their gestures and reactions to your presentation. Additionally, make sure that your camera is optimally set to make certain that those on the other end of the meeting can properly see you.
• Lighting – Lighting is one of the few variable factors in a videoconference and needs to be considered when setting up. Sunlight from windows can throw off the camera’s exposure, making it difficult for the client to see you. Having drapes or shutters drawn will help mediate this problem.
• Microphone volume – Unless your client is accomplished at reading lips, problems with your microphone could render the videoconference meaningless. Not only should you check and see if the mic is working, but you should verify that the volume is at a sufficient volume.
• Computer Applications – Collaborate with your client’s IT specialist beforehand and make sure that all software applications such as PowerPoint or Word will work successfully.

Dress in Your Sunday’s Best

On the day of the presentation, set your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier than normal to make certain that you will allow an adequate amount of time to look your best.

Men should certainly shave/trim all facial hair. Dress attire should be professional, but busy patterns should be avoided.

Cameras seem to have difficulties interpreting these detailed patterns and may create unwanted artifacts in image quality. Believe it or not, pastel or muted colors tend to do best on screen.

Extend Greetings

Once the conference begins, treat it as any other meeting. Just because it’s broadcasted over an Ethernet cable does not mean that introductory formalities should be forgotten.

First, ask if they can hear you. Once sound is confirmed, introduce yourself. Speak in a normal voice and avoid shouting.

Microphones are fragile pieces of equipment and loud sounds can lead to uncomfortable feedback or echo for those on the other end of the call.

Try not to interrupt and/or “double talk”. Not only is it rude, but “double talking” is another source of unwanted feedback/echo. Lastly, when listening or passing the microphone, verify that it is muted.

Consider Learning Styles

All people learn differently. For every person who considers themselves an audible learner, there is another who considers themselves a visual learner.

Best practices would tell us to use both audible and visual sources in our messaging. In fact, studies have shown that hearing AND seeing a message has been shown to increase message recall and message understanding.

I can’t verifiably show that using these steps will help improve your web conference communication, but I’d like to extend it as a challenge. Follow these few tips in your next videoconference and I’ll let you come to your own conclusions. I think you’ll be surprised with the results.

Guest post by DBS>Interactive, a Full-Service Web Design and Internet Marketing company located in Louisville, KY. Pay them a visit at http://dbswebsite.com for more information on how DBS>Interactive can help you with your Internet marketing needs.

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Faced with a tough economy, many small biz owners and entrepreneurs are finding it necessary to be creative, flexible and strategic to keep their doors open. To stay “in the black” they must seek ways to both increase their income and reduce their cash output.

For this reason, bartering, the age-old practice of trading services or goods, is experiencing a rebirth.

The Case for Bartering

Many find that this method of doing business allows them to expand their network of associates and vendors, create “profitable alliances” and offer or receive valuable resources they or their peers would not otherwise be availed to, due to budgetary restrictions.

The practice of bartering is said to date back to 6000 B.C. with the tribes of Mesopotamia. Since then, everything imaginable has been exchanged in the form of fair trade—from cattle, to cars, to family heirlooms, to sitting services.

For writers and creative artists, these arrangements can provide a host of benefits and create win-win situations for all parties involved.

Real World Examples

Marcie Hill, President of the Write Design Company states that bartering practices have worked out well for her. She states that keeping the lines of communication open is crucial, and notes that restrictions should be put in place for harmonious relations and repeat business.

In 2009, my “bargaining dollars” allowed me to reap these rewards:

• I got my computer fixed (from virus invasion) and new gadgets installed (valued at a price of $200.00), in exchange for creating a Blog and web content for a computer repair guy.

• My upstairs washroom and kitchen cabinets received a painting “overhaul” for writing services I provided for an interior decorator.

• I got free music C.D.s and some photography work performed for editing a business plan.

I saved a bundle. And you can too.

But, as with any business transaction, there are drawbacks that can cause detriment to the novice negotiator.

Here are a few tips to maximize your “earnings” and your experience

1. Get everything in writing. No matter how long or the nature of your relationship, misunderstandings can occur. Putting the terms and conditions in writing helps to provide clarity and accountability.

2. Never enter into a bartering relationship with someone you wouldn’t otherwise do business. No matter how convenient this type of set up might be, if the performance is shabby, or the ethics are questionable, then you’ve still netted a loss.

3. Determine who is responsible for what deliverables, and set a deadline. I learned this lesson the hard way when a person with whom I entered into a bartering contract didn’t finish her end of the bargain until three months after I honored my end of the deal. Needless to say I won’t be working with her again soon.

4. Decide if the value of the services or goods will be assessed by the number of project hours and/or market value. Sometimes perception of what is considered “equal” can vary.

5. Agree on conflict resolution measures. In other words, what happens if one person is satisfied with the end product and the other isn’t? Who can terminate the arrangement and how? Will advance notice be required?

Addressing these five issues up front will insure greater odds for success and greater “net profits” in business bartering.

Author Bio: Jennifer Brown-Banks is a professional, veteran freelance writer and Blogger with over 500 publishing credits both online and in print publications. She authors several relationship columns and produce feature pieces on an array of topics. She is the former Senior Editor of Mahogany Magazine.

Photo Credit: Tomás Fano

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A question I get asked frequently, either on Twitter, or here at Small Biz Bee is “Where can I find some free help writing my business plan?” – and I keep replying to those questions with the same 4-5 websites and suggestions.

Which got me thinking – if there are that many people out there taking the time to ask me where they can find some help with their business plans, there must be 100’s more who just haven’t gotten around to emailing me yet. And then I said to myself “That sounds like a pretty helpful blog post”, so here we go…

Top 5 Online Sources for Free Business Plan Help

1. SCORE.org – Free Business Help

SCORE offers a plethora of small business help for free. Much of it can be found online, but if you prefer more personal interaction SCORE counselors are based all across the United States, have a variety of industry expertise, and can help you with your business plan for free.

2. SCORE.org – Templates

That’s right, I’m listing SCORE twice, this time for their wide variety of helpful business plan templates all available for free from there website. If you just need a little bit of a roadmap to get you started thinking about your own plan, these templates are perfect for you. SCORE Template Gallery

3. Bplans.com

Bplans offers expert business plan advice. They have over 500 sample business plans you can review, tips on how to write a business plan, outlines, suggestions, and much more. A great place to start if you ask me.

4. SBA – Business Basics

It seems to me that the SBA gets looked over as a solid online resource for business help. There website is chock full of good information to help you build your business and craft your plan. I’d suggest starting at their Small Business Planner section, you’ll be surprised at all the great stuff you’ll find.

5. Entrepreneur.com

Whether you’re just starting out, need funding or want to monitor the health of your business, creating a business plan is your first step on the path to success. Read the extensive how-to to get started on your plan.

Get Started!

There you have it, five great free resources to get your business plan started today. If I missed a great free business plan resource let me know about it in the comments below.

Photo Credit: xJasonRogersx

Small businesses are more mobile today than ever. No longer are we tied to physical locations, or limited by technology in communicating with partners all around the world.

This is extremely exciting on one hand – great freedom for the business owner, larger reach, and an opportunity to work with the best and the brightest from literally around the world.

On the other hand this freedom offers up a real challenge when it comes to collaboration.

Assembling Virtual Work Teams

What is the best way to put together a work team that may not be centrally located to where you do business?  How do we build teams, and transfer necessary information across work groups? 

These are questions I think many small businesses owners are asking themselves. And the good news is that many online collaboration tools are now available to help facilitate the new way in which we do business.

What to Look for In Online Collaboration Tools

There are many choices, and numerous advantages in using an online collaboration tool. Here are the five main things you need to look for when deciding which provider is right for you.

#1 Security

Got to put this at the top of the list. If you are going to be putting a lot of your work, confidential or proprietary information, onto the web in order to collaborate you need to be sure the provider you choose is secure. Do they auto backup data?  Do you have the option for enhanced security on your pages (https)? Don’t let a breech in their security become a breech in yours.

Do your homework – Online Security Safeguarding Your Business (via3.com white paper)

#2 Flexible and Reasonably Priced User and Storage Options

You want an online collaboration solution that offers enough storage for all the documents and files you expect to be sharing across your work teams.

Also you want to be sure you can add user accounts as your work teams grow. Most providers will offer graduated pricing based on the storage you need and the number of users. Look around until you find one that looks like it will allow you to grow as your business grows without any hidden upgrade fees, or sky high pricing.

#3 A Robust Suite of Tools

The basis of online collaboration is to collaborate, right?  You’ll want to be sure your provider offers a suite of collaboration tools to fit your needs.

The basics should include:

• Tasks management
• Contact management
• File sharing and storage
• Private messaging
• Chat
• To do lists
• Message boards
• Email integration
• Calendars

The sky is the limit when it comes to features, you’ll also find that some providers offer:

• Blogging
• Polls
• Photo sharing
• RSS feeds
• Wikis
• Social media tools

Pick the one that offers the right selection of tools you’ll actually use. All the bells and whistles sound nice, but if you’re not going to use them you could be paying more for these features just to have them sit there.

#4 Simplicity of Design and Function

Using online collaboration should make your life easier, not more stressful. Look for a simple to use tool that encourages users to, well, use it!  If it is too hard to understand, too cumbersome to work with, and more trouble than the end result, you’re going to have a hard time rallying the troops to make the switch to online work groups.

#5 Offers a No Obligation Free Trial

You really don’t know what you’ll be getting from any provider until you are in there using the software day in and day out. Do not sign up for something until you’vehad a chance to test drive the product and make sure it works for you and your business. Most will offer at least a 2 week trial so you can get the feel for how the system works before committing.

What are the Choices?

The choices are vast, and you will need to do your research. Early this year Business Pundit put out a great article, The 10 Best Collaborative Web Tools for Business , which should help you in your search.

They list their top 10 providers, as well as pros and cons of each, and a comprehensive overview of the software and service. OfficeMedium (latest sponsor of this blog) was rated as the #1 choice.

If online collaboration is something you’ve considered we recommend you head over there and check them out, see if what they offer is right for you.

Final Thoughts

The world is getting smaller, and we small businesses owners are able to do business in places we could only dream of a few short years ago. Online collaboration could mean a greater reach, with more efficiency to the small business. If you’re considering getting your teams together virtually, do your homework on the options out there and try out some of the solutions that look like they could work for you. 

Photo Credit: lumaxart

 The following is a guest post from Amanda Mitchell  a freelance writer who specializes in getting the most of technology for small businesses. You can reach Amanda at mitchell_amanda (at) ymail.com

You’ve started a small business and quit your day job. Good for you! But just because you’re working from home now doesn’t mean you won’t be interacting with others on a daily basis. If you run a service-based business, you need to communicate with your clients. While e-mail and instant messaging can be useful to convey quick messages, the time may come when you need to have a real conversation with your clients. If you’re in New York and they’re in California, meeting at the office is out of the question. This is where conference calls come in.

Be careful, though. Working from home can cause some people to get a little too comfortable. You might be sitting at a desk, working on a computer, but if your professional dress code entails flannel pajamas and fuzzy slippers, it can be very easy to forget you’re dealing with professionals who are expecting you to be professional too. A few simple tips will help you prepare for your conference calls, and keep your professional reputation intact.

Get dressed

There’s nothing wrong with working in pajamas, sweats, or even a muumuu, if that’s your thing. Part of the reason you wanted to work from home was that you knew you could be just as productive while you were comfortable as you were when you had to dress up in constrictive business attire. Maybe even more productive, right? But interacting with others via e-mail, instant message, or social media is very different from actually talking to them.

If it helps you maintain a professional demeanor during the conference call, get out of the pajamas and into some real clothes, even if it’s just jeans. It will remind you that it’s not an ordinary day where it’s just you, your computer, and your Twitter friends, and will help you stay focused.

Get the kids out of the room

A lot of people start businesses from home to spend more time with their kids, or simply to avoid paying nearly what they earn at a regular job on the daycare they’ll need while they’re at work. Setting up shop at home makes all the sense in the world, until you have to get on the phone with your clients and your kid is having a meltdown.

A crying child is not good background noise, and may cause your clients to wonder whether you’ll be able to get their project done while facing the demands of home. Your kids are important, but so is your business, and your clients deserve your full attention during a phone call. If your kids are school age, schedule the conference call during school hours. If they’re not, wait until nap time. If this doesn’t work for your client’s schedule, especially if they’re in a different time zone, ask a friend or family member to come over and keep the kids busy while you take the call.

Don’t eat

It may sound like common sense, but if you have to schedule a conference call during what would normally be your lunch time because it’s when your client is available, you may think there’s nothing wrong with having a sandwich while you talk. They can’t see you, right? No, but they can hear you, and the sound of chewing or lip smacking is not going to endear you to anyone. The last thing you want is a mouth full of tuna salad right when the client asks you to explain your project time line so they can approve your budget.

Sure, some meetings are held over meals, but this is a conference call. There are no visual cues or body language to enhance your communication, and it’s even worse if you’re the only one eating. All they have to go on is your voice, so don’t obscure it with food. This also goes for chewing gum, or hard candy. No, and no. Have a glass of water nearby, sure, but no eating. Period.

Turn off the TV

Some people need the ambient noise of the television, the radio, or their iTunes library to keep them on task. It may not distract you, but it will definitely distract whoever is on the other end of the line. They need to be able to clearly hear what you’re saying. Not to mention, hearing Oprah in the background may make them wonder whether you’re actually getting any work done.

Keep things quiet, behave professionally, and your clients don’t ever have to know you work in your pajamas.

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Photo Credit: Mike “Dakinewavamon” Kline

In this guest post Lena Morrish and Dima Nikolayenko share their tips to building a website that keeps your customers satisfied, and coming back for more!

It is fairly common knowledge that there is wider acceptance of the online mode of shopping today, than ever before.

More and more customers who never considered the online mode for making routine (as well as exotic!) purchases are starting to discover the absolute convenience of being able to carry out their shopping from the comfort of their homes or offices, make payments online, and have the merchandise delivered to where they would like it to – totally hassle free!

Online Shopping Challenges

That said, all online business store owners – small or big, need to make sure that their customers remain happy with their efforts and keep coming back to them often. This is particularly true in the face of significant competition online. 

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One of the major challenges that online stores face in particular is the lack of personalization and the human touch or element, which is often extremely important to many shoppers – they like to touch and feel the products that they are looking to buy. Another agonizing experience for online shoppers is the lack of instant nirvana or gratification – they actually have to wait out for the item that they have bought to arrive through the mail.

Advantages are Numerous

Yet, online stores proffer numerous advantages which actually outweigh the disadvantages by a huge margin. Customers can get exactly what they want, however exotic the item may be, something which a lot of offline, brick-and-mortar stores are loath to stock up on. Also, they never need to leave where they are, and can order, pay and expect delivery of the item they have shopped, from the comfort of their home or office.
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Online stores are great for the sellers as well – no major inventory to stock up on, neither any costs of sales personnel to incur. The only major costs are the marketing costs and ensuring that customers actually visit as well as buy things from the store. 

Not to Burst Your Bubble, But…

But that is where the catch is – the costs, or at least the efforts for marketing and promotion are reasonably significant. This is particularly true since barriers to entry for all other prospective sellers are reasonably low, and there is immense competition.

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Also, while you may be able to sell to the whole world, anyone in the entire world could be selling those items too, as against having a shop in a particular neighborhood, where, by and large, you are competing with shops only in the vicinity.

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So, how to build a good website that keeps your customers fully satisfied?

Find the Right Tools

This is where website building tools really come in handy; they guide you on ensuring that your efforts are channelized in the right direction so that you end up getting maximum bang for your buck (particularly when the bucks we are referring to here are essentially metaphorical, denoting the efforts that you put in more than the money).

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For instance, keyword research tools can save you a huge amount of time and effort by providing you with just the right keywords that users are likely to key in when searching for what you have on offer. Similarly, there are tools such as those for email marketing and promotion, affiliate marketing tools, web design and hosting tools and so on, which can together go a long way in ensuring that your efforts pay off to the maximum.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it would be wise to try out each tool one after another and see which one works best for you; you can then accordingly channelize your efforts and focus on those tools that work the best. The approach maybe is slow to begin with, but ultimately it bears maximum fruits. 

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Lena Morrish and Dima Nikolayenko, internet publishers, can show you how to  start up an internet business and use appropriate tools such as website building tools, keyword research tool, follow up autoresponder etc. to make your customers happier and create their desire to keep returning to your website.

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Photo Credit: katerha

We know a blog can be a great tool for businesses. If you’ve finally got your blog off the ground, the next step is to get some traffic to it. This guest post by Andrew Rondeau of Webuildyourblog.com offers up 6 tips to getting the traffic flowing in.

There’s a popular saying in business, that the hardest part of anything is simply showing up. While it holds true throughout many aspects of corporate culture and success, it’s certainly not true for the blogging world. If the blogosphere’s got anything, it’s millions of people who’ve shown up, some uninvited. Showing up simply isn’t enough to become a blogging success anymore.

You’ve got to generate traffic and promote yourself.

You’ve got to create timeless posts that circulate throughout social bookmarking services for years to come.

You’ve got to take an active presence in getting your blog out there.

It’s no longer about simply writing; promoting is the biggest part of blogging today.

Here are six tips for getting traffic to your new blog.

#1: Don’t just write for cash

It’s tempting to write solely for Adsense revenue, but doing so is a bit of a failed metric for success. There are ultimately two different kinds of blog content, made-for-revenue and organic. When you focus on revenue-generating content, you end up destroying your long-term financial potential. Focus on generating readers, not just cash, and start looking at monetizing your blog later on.

#2: Guest posts are great for generating traffic

There are always going to be bloggers out there with more traffic than you, regardless of what niche you write on or how often you write. There are millions of blogs around, and the spread of traffic between them all is truly stunning. Don’t think that you can get it all to yourself — cooperate and collaborate with other bloggers and expand your reach. Contact a big blogger about guest posting on their blog, and you could see some serious traffic come over to yours.

#3: Social bookmarking loves images

Got a post that could succeed on Digg or Reddit? Make sure you’ve included images in the post’s body copy. Most social bookmarking services seem to favor articles that have images and dynamic media included in the page, so ensure you’ve got something interesting for people to look at, as well as something interesting to read. Make sure you add tags to your images.

#4: Don’t sell out to promoters

Promotional posts are great, so long as they’re intelligently targeted and used sparingly. However, subscribers hate unnecessary promotional content, and using too much of it is a great way to see your readership dramatically decline. Focus on generating traffic, and leave promotional or sponsored posts out until you’ve reached a sustainable subscriber level.

#5: Experiment with different posting mediums

Video blogging is fun, and experimentation with it could generate more readers for your blog. Trying different post formats, topics, and styles is great for boosting traffic. When more people enjoy at least some aspect of your blog, more people talk about it, which means much more traffic.

#6: Use social media to compliment and sustain your blog

A Twitter account is great for promoting your top blog posts, generating buzz, and of course, increasing traffic. When you pair your blog up with social media services, you give yourself an avenue to drive traffic to your blog. A Facebook page might cost an hour of your time to set up, but it’s well worth the long-term promotional benefits.

What tips would you add? Share your views in the comments below.

Andrew Rondeau is the author of the free guide Income Blogging Guide. Click on the following link to grab your complimentary copy of Andrew’s Income Blogging Guide.

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The topic of increasing online sales through conversion rate optimization has been discussed in length recently and rightfully so. More and more online stores are looking at conversion rate optimization as a means to increase online sales, alongside traditional means such as increasing traffic volumes.

Four Smart Pricing Tips to Increase Online Sales

One area which is often overlooked, is using smart product pricing as part of the conversion rate optimization process.

1. Show The Customer How Much Can Be Saved

Whether or not your website has the newest features or hasn’t been updated for some time, at the end of the day customers are looking to save money. They will often compare your prices vs the prices of their local store, so some savings has to be reflected and visible shown. Products will often come with an RRP or suggested list prices. Visibly show this price and your price as it’s a very strong pricing message. My favorite way to display this message is RRP $$ Our price $$ (% of saving or you save $$).

2. Waver Shipping Costs

Excessive shipping costs will often result in negative customer reaction and basket abandonment. Free shipping on the other side of the scale, will cause the opposite and result in a more positive customer reaction. Now, of course wavering shipping is easier said than done, but there are couple of tricks you could try. The first is to offer free shipping over a certain order value which works, but is very limited in its effectiveness. The second is to include the basic cost (to you that is) of the shipping in the price of the product. You will still need to ensure the end price is competitive, however the behavioral effect on the customer will be worth the effort. 

3. Compare Your Prices To Others

If you excel in this area, don’t be shay from visibly showing your prices and your competitor prices (just don’t link to them ). Chances are your customers will first look around, research and compare prices anyway. By giving them all the information at once, this pricing strategy can help bring their buying decision forward. Pricing aside and looking at the overall conversion rate process, you could also compare availability and shipping costs next to each price.

4. Reward Customers Who Buy Multiple Items

A smart pricing strategy will reward customers who buy multiple items at one go. From the business perspective, more items means higher order value and more revenue. There are many types of rewards to consider from upgraded shipping (when the normal shipping is free), to discount off the total amount or even upgraded products. The principle is, if you want customers to spend more, you’ll need to work for it. 

Online shoppers often look for the web in order to save money. Pricing your products smartly will ensure you are still relevant.

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Guest post by specs sellers Glasses Direct. Offering a range of specs and sunglasses online. 

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Photo Credit: jlz

Most small business owners understand the importance of having a blog as part of their business. However, figuring out where to start and how to grow the blog is a daunting task – Today’s guest post from David Gurevich (who’s posted here before, sharing SEO tips for small business websites)  should help answer those questions you have about begining to blog.

David recently visited Israel and helped his 14 year old nephew start a blog on iPod hacks: the iPod Wizard.  With experience with more than 10 internet start-ups, David wrote this letter on the flight back to Boston to help teach his nephew how to blog.

A Letter to My Nephew

Dear Benjy,

      The road to a successful online blog may seem foggy to you, but I have learned with experience what the first few steps are.  As follows is everything about blogging that you need to know.  Because we can’t take walks together anymore as I’ve left for the States, I’ve written it down for you.

      Getting Initial Traffic/Subscribers

      First, always use keyword tools to find high volume/low competition search phrases and to see what people are thinking or are curious about.  Google Keywords is one useful one, as is Wordstream.  You can use Wordstream to find good options to plug into Google Keywords; other keyword tools are also useful, but sometimes not so accurate. 

      These tools will take a keyword phrase like “green bananas” and tell you how many people search for it monthly.  If 10,000 people monthly, for instance, want to learn about “green banana pies” and no other site is offering an article on that, it’s quite easy to get that traffic. 

      A strong initial move is to find a keyword that many people are searching for but doesn’t have significant competition.  A good initial target is a phrase that has 5-10,000 monthly searches.  Write an article on that keyword.  Then you can join forums and add links to your article – this is too much of a pain to do for all your articles, but can be a great way to rank well initially and get some good traffic.

      To get initial subscribers, people who sign up for your blog’s updates, this is one of the best strategies: write 5 AWESOME posts that are really useful or interesting.  Post them to your site.  Now keep posting awesome posts, at least 1 a week, but also post awesome posts on related blogs. 

      To do so, you have to find blogs in your niche and convince the owner to allow you to provide a guest post.  It isn’t so hard because everyone wants free, high-quality content.  This article, for instance, is a guest post.

      What is an “Awesome Post”?

      An awesome post is one that is typically long, interesting, either original or provides a new angle on an idea, and makes readers think “wow, this is awesome.”  Creating one can take several hours to research, write and edit.  Here is more on that strategy; this article, which discusses all the medications for treating a common condition, is one of my attempts to write an ‘awesome’ article.

      Sharing some of your best posts – at first – can attract attention and new subscribers from the people most interested in your writing.

      But while long, authoritative posts are a great strategy, I have seen many blogs that thrive on many short ones, especially when they are commenting or responding to news items.  The best idea, in my opinion, is to provide many awesome posts. 

      Since that may be too much work, consistently providing great posts mixed with many short ones is a common strategy.

      Remember, the title of each post is the single most important thing.  It will determine if people read your post, what they expect from it, and if search engines will send it traffic.  Make it your habit to use effective titles.

      Also remember that getting links that point to your site is the number one way to get traffic to the site from search engines.  Every link that points to your site is like a vote saying it is high quality.  That said, links from “bad” sites can be worthless. 

      Again, identify and befriend existing blogs in the same niche.  You can do this by searching for related phrases like, “iPod blog,” and so on.  They are your competition until you befriend them.  Then ‘a rising tide floats all boats.’ 

      Develop relationships with your readers.  Respond to their comments with an eye towards developing a long-term relationship.  You want to develop a base of subscribers who appreciate the posts you provide, and who will help spread the word for you. 

      Post and respond to news items.  For you, if Apple does something – cover it!  Show off your personality in your posts when possible because it is that which people are drawn to.  A blog is your personal brand so make sure to represent.

      How to Keep on Track

      You need to set a schedule for posting.  Make a schedule that you can stick to, then stick to it.  This is absolutely essential.  You have more free time than you think, and when you have to get something done by a certain time, you will.  Set goals and standards & meet them.  For myself, for instance, my goal is to write at least 2 articles a week, with one focused on a new or challenging medication. 

      Be creative, but train yourself to be creative in a way that leads to success.  Andy Warhol has no more talent than dozens of artists I know who are poor.  His genius was marketing his creativity. Remember those conversations we have about how bad modern hip-hop artists are?  Their poor quality doesn’t hold them back from making millions of dollars – being able to sell something can have little to do with how good the thing actually is. 

      Look at the top blogs and see what they do – best of all, figure out which of their posts are linked to or most commented.  Those posts can teach you much more than I about what a great post is.

      On that subject, occasionally check out Digg.com to find out what is popular.  The articles that make it to the front page there can also tell you a lot.

      When writing instructions, assume your reader knows the bare minimum and is not that smart.  Assume impatience – if things aren’t clear or make sense in a matter of seconds, the visitors go away.

      Always remember that people pay attention to something as long as they find it interesting.  People have horribly short attention spans but when you get their attention you can hold it as long as you are capable. 

      To improve your writing style, find the best writing that does something similar and learn from it.  Different situations call for different styles, but some writing, like that of The New York Times, is always a delight.

      General Advice

      Have a Google alert for your brand name.  This will let you quickly know whenever you are mentioned.

      If you run out of post ideas, use keyword tools to find things people are searching for.  That will almost always give you an idea or two.  Or make a list!  Some of the most popular posts are lists, like “50 ways to have more energy.” 

      Find a good monetization method. Remember, having 100 visitors daily and selling one $50 product makes as much money as having 5,000 and getting paid from advertising.  Guess which one is easier?

      Use ad placement that does not detract from your readers’ experience but that makes you good money.

      Keep up to date with the best practice security.  You do not want your site shut down because of a virus.  Respond to comments with an eye towards building a long term relationship.  Have a mission statement or goal and use it to guide all your decisions.

      When you employ someone, make sure they understand why they are needed.  They are making the website so…, they are running a PR campaign so… This will make their lives easier while ensuring the product you get is in line with your goals.

      Favor paying a little more to get a great job over paying little and getting something that reflects badly on you.  Your website design can easily cost in the thousands depending on complexity and quality, but remember that your design is an investment.  It controls how readers view your content and frames everything.  So it’s quite important.

      Be passionate about what you do.  This is made easier by choosing to do things that you are passionate about.  When you care about something, it will show in everything you do and will lead to you success and keep you going through the hard times.

      Have metrics for success.  You will be successful when you have this many visitors a month, and make this much revenue.  Set reasonable yet ambitious goals.  Choose a great domain name, possibly one that includes relevant keywords.  But you’ve done that already.

      Know what you do best and how valuable your time is.  If your work is worth $30 an hour, spending time on $15 an hour work is waste of your time.  Most importantly, doing the $30 work will improve the skills that take you to $45 an hour, while the less paid work typically leads nowhere that you aren’t already.

      As such. it makes sense to pay someone $15 an hour so you can do the $30 an hour work.

Now thinking like that only works if you are serious.  If you are worth $30 an hour but spend your time watching YouTube videos or wasting time, then such analysis doesn’t matter.

      Be very careful in hiring people.  It is a lot like starting a relationship or dating someone, which you will soon learn more about!  You will get burned by someone you hire sooner or later, this I can promise you, but you will at some point have to do it nonetheless.

      Get business cards with your site address to give to people.  When advertising, be very careful and know how to gauge success.  StumbleUpon advertising, for instance, can be fun if you get stumbled (which isn’t that hard), but after the thousands of people visit – how many new subscribers did you get?

      Numbers are one thing, cash in your bank account or loyal readers is another.

      In Conclusion…

      Planning is the key to success.  As mentioned, you can even plan creativity or inspiration.  That said, sometimes great ideas happen when you least expect them.  It is a common misconception, however, that this means not trying or working hard is OK if you have sudden breakthroughs.

      As many wise people have said, “the more I prepare, the luckier I find myself.”

      There is nothing like setting goals – and meeting them – to improve your performance, quality and achieve greatness. 

      Listen most carefully to criticism because it almost always has some truth in it that is something you can improve.  Praise, on the other hand, deafens you quite quickly.

      Realize that hard work means getting up earlier than your competition and going to sleep later.  But there are millions of people who work 12 hours a day and remain in horrible poverty.  If you ever feel too proud, remember that it is only luck that you do not have that fate.

      Still, it is no longer luck when you work intelligently and make the 8 hours you work worth a great deal.  That is why you must plan.  A planned move is silent but when you reach your destination will ring with obviousness.

      Realize that blogging is a learning process.  My first posts seem terrible to me now, but they were 100% needed.  Only after writing about 100 of them has my writing become somewhat better.  Still, with editing – and an eye towards meeting the needs of your readers – you will do quite well.

      I wrote all that to share some of the things your Uncle has learned the hard way but will end with the simple truth.

      If you can provide great quality posts consistently while building a relationship with your readers, you will succeed.  Do that, and I can promise results.  There are many nifty and fun diversions along the way like advertising and promotions, but everything else is just a detail. 

      To repeat: Provide great quality posts consistently while building a relationship with your readers.

      Make doing that your goal and you will succeed.

      I wrote these words and published them on a top blog to give your site a boost and show you how much I care.

      With love,

      Your uncle,

       David

David is happy because his blogging on medical topics has helped thousands of people understand their conditions and medications better.  Hopefully this post will help you better understand how to blog.  David occasionally tries his luck (fairly successfully) as an SEO consultant and recently wrote an adult add adhd book.

Want to be our next guest author? Here’s how you can…Click here  for details.

Photo Credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

I ran across an older video from 2008’s Blogworld Expo featuring Gary Vaynerchuk. It was a short interview, only about 6 minutes, but in it he summed up what it takes to build your personal brand, stay motivated, and ultimately succeed.

Gary Vaynerchuk is known for his popular videos on Wine Library TV. Regardless of what you think of Gary, you can’t debate his success and he will be the first to tell you it didn’t happen overnight.

Tips on Personal Brand and Motivation

1) Content

It all starts here, with what you are producing or what service you are providing. You have to be good – Your content  has to be good.

2) Community

Building your community is what will take you to the next level. Interact with those around you, bring them in to what you are doing and go to where they are to interact. 

3) Hard work for Big Goals

You need to be willing to work hard enough to achieve big goals. Putting out one video, or blog post, or one comment is not going to get you to where you want to be. As Gary puts it a lot of people are “half pregnant”. Not willing to do the big work to achieve the big things.

4) Only as Good as You

We’ve talked about this here many times. Most of the time in business people are buying you, not necessarily your product or service. If you believe in yourself you can sell anything. Customers will recognize your conviction, and that translates into trust.

5) Think Legacy

Think about your legacy. It’s not all about the money. Think about your great grandchildren watching what it is you are doing. What are they going to think of what you are doing?

6) Have Pride in What You Do

With legacy in mind -  do something you are proud of, you will believe in it and you’ll be able to monetize it. Being proud of yourself, what you are doing, and what you are leaving behind will be a key motivator in achieving your goals and becoming successful.

7) Do the Hustle

The hustle is the whole game, you have to be willing to work your A$$ off in order to win.

Photo Credit:melanie_hughes