Mommy Blogging: Beyond Influence & Onto Profits

There is a lot of talk these days about how Mommy Blogger exercise a great deal of influence – and it’s an undeniable fact. From last Autumn’s Motrin Moms battle to a more recent boycott of the Marriott (due to boneheaded statements made by the company when a mother was sexually assaulted in their parking lot), moms certainly have a voice in cyberspace. In fact, moms have long had a huge influence on buying decisions and what happens in the marketplace.

The new breed of mommy bloggers have a force to be reckoned with – they’re armed with a power and reach of the Internet and just can’t be stopped.

And while that influence can be used for worthwhile causes, many mommy bloggers hope to use their blogs as a profit center to support their family or to earn a little extra income. You might be one of these moms and if you are, this post is for you.

Let me you this one IMPORTANT thing before I begin. If you forget everything else, I say…please remember this. This will make all the difference in the world to you.

FACT: An influential or popular mommy blog is not necessarily a profitable blog.

WHAT THAT MEANS TO YOU: If you are looking to earn a nice steady income from your blog, modeling yourself after an influential blog is not likely going to get you where you want to be. Instead, model yourself after profitable blogs that have the same goal as you.

Now that we have that out of the way, here are some tips that will help you generate more profits from your blog:

• Sponsors Should Pay: Avoid the path of seeking sponsors who offer free product with little else in return. If you’re looking to monetize your blog with sponsors, sell advertising and ensure sponsors pay in CASH for time on your blog.
• Get Paid to Talk about Products: If you decide to do reviews or giveaways, at the very least, use an affiliate link to the product (i.e. you get paid for every sale that is generated from your review / giveaway). Depending on the reach of your blog, you may also decide to charge for reviews.
• You Don’t Have to Accept or Even Consider Every Offer: I’ve talked to a lot of moms who say they hate missing an opportunity to share a great product or resource with their readers. The result is a lot of writing and work for the mom – ending up in more burnout than payout. Be selective in what offers you accept and feel absolutely no guilt for responding to only a few select ones.
• Start Tracking: If you’re displaying advertising from an advertising network, test different ad positions and track how it’s working. Dump the ads that are using up valuable real estate and aren’t earning their keep.
• Sell Your Own Products: Consider creating some valuable digital tools for your target market. Whether it’s a special report, ebook, software or other handy downloadable, it’s a cost-effective way to break into selling your own products.

We all want to create a valuable resource from our blogs…and popularity is always great for an ego-boost, but what pays the bills is being more selective and focusing on profit-generating activities. Blend your valuable resource blog with smart business decisions and you’ll be well on your way to blogging for profit.

Resources:

• Internet Marketing Blogging Bootcamp: An intensive 4-week coaching program to help you generate profits with your blogging. Registration deadline is September 25, 2009.
• Contentrix: Free tips and strategies for better content marketing.

How to Write When Your Muse is on Vacation

It’s easy to believe writing is easy but if you’ve ever tried to create content on a consistent basis, you know sometimes that’s just not the case. Sometimes the words just don’t flow.

However, there’s a fairly easy way to get over just about any writing hurdle. Of course, you may not like it. The trick?

Outline.

Okay, so writing an outline isn’t the ideal for many people who feel the structure interrupts their creative flow but we??re talking about those times when the writing muse is on hiatus and she or he just isn’t helping. This is when an outline can be a writer’s favorite tool.

Now we’re not talking about a detailed or formal outline. We’re talking about a simple list of points or sentences you want to cover in your piece the goal is to find a point to your article and a direction for it to take.

For example, if you’re writing a report about how to host a successful garage sale and you just don’t know where to start, begin by listing the things you want to cover in your report. You may find you’ve come up with 19 tips and strategies. Now all of a sudden you have the title for your report. All you need to do is elaborate on each of the 19 points and create an introduction and conclusion and voila you’re on your way to a completed report.

So an outline does more than provide a workable structure for your content, it can actually step in and be your muse. It can inspire creativity and help you bust through those little bouts of writer’s block.

An outline also helps you stay on track. This is particularly important when you’re writing a longer piece. Articles and blog posts are generally concise and it’s fairly easy to stay on point. However when you’re writing a report or ebook maintaining your focus can be a trick. An outline will help you stay 100% on track. You can list each chapter topic and then list the points you want to cover under each topic and you’re good to go. Trying to write a larger content piece without one often means a lot of editing and restructuring.

Speaking of editing and restructuring, an outline saves you time and if you’re as busy as most internet marketers, your time is valuable. While writing a good outline may take ten to fifteen minutes but it will be time well-spent. By having a plan of attack, you’ll be able to whip through your content project quickly and easily and you won’t have to go back and do as much editing and restructuring.

Finally, having an outline will help you wrap it all up. Often beginning or ending a piece, whether it’s an article, report or book, are the most difficult portions to write. Your outline can help you easily summarize what you’ve covered in your material to form a comprehensive conclusion. Likewise it can help you, with a quick glance, identify the contents for your introduction.

While an outline may sound too structured or like redundant work, it is actually a very efficient and effective writing tool. Still not a believer? Next time you have a piece to write and your muse is in the Bahamas soaking up the sun without you, or even if she’s sitting on your shoulder, try creating a quick outline. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

When You’re All Out of Ideas

Trying to figure out what to do next is one of the biggest challenges to online business owners. Sometimes it’s a matter of choosing from the many options available…but more often than not, it’s being unsure what to post to our blog, what product to create, what to send out to our newsletter list and so forth.

In fact, I’d venture to guess if you run out of ideas, it can be one of the most time-consuming (read: time-wasting) things you do. Because when we run out of ideas, we get distracted, we tend to wander. We read other blogs, forum jump, Twitter under the guise of working, start checking web stats and aimlessly wandering…without a real plan to solve our dilemma. If you’ve done this – you are NOT alone.

I’ve talked to a lot of moms who say their online business is so time-consuming and they aren’t sure how they can handle it all. But when I ask them to break down their day, they spend a lot of it doing the precise things I mentioned above. Break out of this habit and suddenly you’ll see you have more time than you previously realized.

Next time you run out of ideas, arm yourself with a plan instead:

• Start by turning off the computer. Sure, the Internet can be a source of research, but when you’re completely drained, you’re in no condition to let yourself ride the wild waves of the world wide web.
• Get a notebook and paper and start writing stuff down. Write it all down, no matter how silly or dumb it might seem. You’ll probably end up with more ideas than you know what to do with. But good news, you have them written down and you come back to the others later.
• Give yourself another break and think about what you wrote down. Trust me, a break is more productive and rejuvenating than staring at a computer screen, clicking this way and that. Go watch a movie with the kids, take a walk, cook a gourmet meal – whatever you enjoy.
• When you’re ready, start making your plan. Whether it’s a plan for your next product or you just have to get your newsletter together…you can do it much better with a clear head.

Of course, once you have ideas to start taking action on, you probably have to get back on the Internet – but this time you’re ready. You have a plan and you can start taking those steps you need to.

More Resources:

• Content Writer’s Fatigue? Banish It With These Tips
• If They Aren’t Listening, Are You Listening Back?

Where to Hire the Best Content Ghostwriters

One of the most frequently outsourced tasks is the content writing task. Website owners, even if they love writing about their niche topic, sometimes outsource article, press release, ebook, blog, and report writing to keep their content fresh. Outsourcing the content writing task also saves you time so you can focus on other profit generating tasks. And ghostwriters can also be hired simply to polish content you’ve already written.

That being said, hiring a ghostwriter can be a time consuming and often frustrating experience. Not to worry! There are good ghostwriters out there here’s how to find them:

#1 Ask other business owners who they use. Many business owners are introduced to their ghostwriters from a job posting site like elance. Some of them have wonderful experiences while others have horror stories like you can’t imagine or maybe you can.

Save yourself this experience by simply asking for recommendations from people you like and respect and who have great content.

#2 Ask on social networking sites geared to internet marketers. For example the message boards right here at Internet Based Moms is a great place to speak with other business owners to find who they use and the success, or challenges, they’ve had.

#3 Try a team approach. Businesses like AllCustomContent.com offer a myriad of content related services. For example, transcription, editing and proofing, and content creation. They also have a team of writers so they can find the best writer for your niche topic. This is a great option because not only are you assured you’re going to get the best writer for the job but you only have to deal with the project manager rather than a team of contractors.

#4 Finally, you can post your project on one of the outsourcing job sites. Common sites are:

• AllFreelanceWork.com
• Authorlink.Monster.com
• FreelanceWriting.com
• MediaBistro.com
• ProBlogger.net – http://jobs.problogger.net/
• Elance.com
• Guru.com

Hiring a ghostwriter can be a liberating experience. It can help you take your business to the next level. Take your time, find a ghostwriter that’s right for you and your niche topic. Find someone who can work with you for the long haul. It pays to start small and test the working relationship before you ask your ghostwriter(s) to take on large projects. A few articles or blog posts is usually a good start to test the waters and make sure you and your ghostwriter are a winning team.

Watch Out For Those Keyloggers

I’m uncertain if this is getting more common across the board. From my personal experience it sure does feel like it. This morning, my phone rang at an unusually early hour. It was a long time friend. She said all her web sites have been hijacked, she cannot view any blogspot.com blogs, her gmail account has been hijacked and all security questions changed. She used a different email address and suspected that those accounts are at risk too. She felt like she’s ‘being followed’ and asked me to help.

Unfortunately for us, she lives a long ways from me. I do not have access to her computer to be sure. My suspicion is, she has a keylogger on her computer.

Keyloggers can be hardware or software that is attached or installed itself on your computer. When a keylogger is installed, every key stroke that you type is recorded and sent back to whoever is monitoring your computer. Every password, every security question, every email, every Tweet, every instant message, every document for work. Everything. It doesn’t do any good to change passwords on your websites, emails or anything because they are all logged.

How do you know you have one? If you do, the symptoms should be pretty obvious. These people don’t waste time. As soon as they get data back from the keylogger, they strike and that can be pretty quickly. If you have changed your passwords and still find your access to web sites or emails getting hacked, that is a pretty good sign. If you change it on someone else’s computer and nothing happens, that’s also another good sign though not entirely an acid test.

If you have a physical keylogger – then it is easy to find – check your computer inside and out. But these days, chances are higher for a software based keylogger and this can be bad news because there are many types of loggers. Some install themselves deep into the operating system files, making it a lot harder to detect. Some are less insidious and can be detected with some software. Here are a few you can try.

• Comodo BOClean
• a-squared
• SnoopFree

If I did find something like that, my next move would probably be to re-format my computer, wipe everything out and start anew.

Prioritizing Your Internet Based & Mom Life

An online business is an amazing blessing for moms…they get to earn an income, feel a sense of personal accomplishment and [insert a reason for running an online business] – all from the comfort of their own home.

Prior to the Internet, not many true home businesses existed. Think about it. The Tupperware lady had to go out and do home parties. The at-home accountant usually had to get out to try to find clients, visit client offices, etc. Now don’t get me wrong. It’s not a bad thing to get out and about, but with a family to care for, it isn’t always easy to get out for business purposes.

So in comes this great virtual universe called the Internet where all selling can be done online, new clients can be found, partnerships can be made and projects can be delivered. That means setting your own schedule and building your business – even if your home is a complete zoo. On the Internet…nobody cares or even knows. :-)

But there is a downside:

The Internet has so many opportunities, it can become overwhelming. Everything from business opportunities, to promotion and networking events. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and feel like you’re missing out something.

Well, get over it (I’ve been there…I know it’s tough to “get over it”, but you’ll get there). You are only one (GREAT) person and I assume that your family is THE reason you’re doing this online gig anyway. Make them the priority. Be sure in your decisions and always keep your priorities in mind.

That business opportunity can be explored at another time…focus on what you’re doing right now and do it well.

Passing up on that joint venture isn’t going to crush your business.

Missing that seminar or convention isn’t likely to hurt one tiny bit (if you can get past that longing feeling).

Of course, I’m not suggesting you let opportunities that you should take pass you by. I’m just saying we all need to stop worrying about how green the grass is on the other side. If we tend our own lawns and stay focused on our ultimate goals…we’ll find all the green (pun INTENDED) we’re looking for.

Here’s a very brief conversation I recently had with a Twitter friend (I just love the brevity of Twitter!). Melanie posted to all her followers:

To which I replied (yeah, butting my nose in…can’t help it. :-) ):

And then Melanie said:

I think she’ll be all right. It’s just like with everything in our busy mama lives. We’ve got to learn to say no…and we can’t feel guilty about it. We gotta do what’s right for us. Period.

10 Ways To Start Your Article – Part 2

Last time we took a look at the first five ways to start your article because, as you might have already experienced, starting your article is often the hardest part of writing about anything. In the previous post we discussed:

1. Asking a question
2. Providing a quote
3. Providing data
4. Telling a story
5. And telling your audience what you’re going to tell them

And that brings us to the next five ways to start your article, beginning with:

Reference something you’ve already written. This is a great way to promote internal linking, and optimize SEO, and it’s also a great way to lead into a new article. For example, you could mention a blog post you’ve published and then expand on the topic, change your viewpoint, or correct or update the post or take it in a new direction.

Reference something you’ve read. Many people are reluctant to reference other articles or blog posts outside their own because they’re afraid it will pull readers away from their site and send them to another. However, referencing content written by a fellow expert or a notable site simply adds to your credibility and authenticity. Everyone reads and expressing your thoughts as they relate to an article you read, particularly if it adds value to the article you’re writing.

Make an announcement. Now this won’t work for every article, however if you have a special promotion pending, your business has made the news, or you have some other thing to announce, you can most certainly begin your content with an announcement. For example, if you’re writing an article on the value of repurposing your content, you could begin the article with an announcement about a free report you’re offering on “21 Ways To Repurpose Content.”

Borrow a headline. Grab an industry publication and browse through it. Are their any articles that relate to your article? Often, you can borrow a headline from publications and use them to start your article.

For example, the headline on the August issue of The Writer offers the following headline, 10 Must Have Books on Grammar & Style. An article on how to write conversationally could begin with:

“This month’s issue of The Writer lists “10 Must Have Books on Grammar & Style,” however if you’re trying to write conversationally, you’ll probably throw half of these grammar rules right out the window.”

Make a bold statement. If your article is about something controversial then start stirring the pot right out of the gate. Get people’s attention right away by declaring something bold.
Have fun writing your first sentence and first paragraph. And always always remember that you can go back and rewrite it. If the hardest part of writing an article is getting started, use these tips and relax.