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How To Establish Yourself as a Content Expert In Your Niche

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Content experts are literally just that; experts in their respective fields. Content is the most important thing on your site because that’s what helps people decide to become visitors, subscribers, customers or clients. Becoming an authority in your niche solidifies your expert opinion in your field. And while that field can be in any industry, the main factor is that the person is well-versed, full of passion and informative about his or her topic.

Becoming an authority in your niche solidifies your expert opinion in your field. And while that field can be in any industry, the main factor is that the person is well-versed, full of passion and informative about his or her topic.

Marketing content works ideally when you are an established authority or expert in your respective niche. People tend to believe in and follow authoritative content marketers more than general marketers, which is why it is important to tightly focus on the quality of the content that’s being published.

Quality, relatable content is sure to position you as an authority or expert. It helps to be passionate and informed about your topic as well as an ability to create content that matches with the audience that you’re trying to reach.

For good , quality content to reach its audience, it needs to be produced frequently and continuously. That means marketing content in some format on a routine basis. For example:

  • Write a short blog post on your topic and share it on different social media platforms.
  • Create a colorful infographic and include statistics.
  • Create a 15-minute podcast once weekly on your topic.

Once you get into the habit of producing content in some format, it will become easier to design a relatable content platform for your chosen topic. People will start sharing your content on social media sites and will begin to refer to your site for more information. Here are some ways to create shareable content that can establish you as an expert:

Share Different, but Valuable Content

Most content marketing campaigns will focus only on articles or blog posts as the main source of content. But to really stand out from your competitors, give readers something different than standard content if you want to make an impact.

Focus on providing readers with content or information that they will not normally find or see in blogs everywhere. Whether that information consists of reviews, opinions, images or podcasts, just strive to make it different than the usual business-as-usual content. Doing this will quickly establish you as a niche authority.

Prove that You Are an Expert

People have to know that YOU know what you’re talking about in order to establish trust and you as an authority. It’s important that you create trust with readers.

Do this by speaking about your experiences, your background and/or accomplishments. Only do this when and where it is appropriate and necessary.

Be Creative

Although the content that you deliver may be seen in other areas online, by being creative with your delivery, it starts working to establish you and your content as unique authority.

This is going to make your content stand out, simply because it’s different and unique and unlike anything else found on the web. There is an assortment of ways to write good content like blog posts or articles or publish podcasts. The task will be to find creative ways to share it without sounding repetitive or boring.

To become the go-to niche authority for your industry, focus on standing out and being different from your competitors. authority in your niche, you will simply need to stand out. This will be easier than you think because most marketers will often take the easy route and simply repeat what other marketers are saying and publishing.

Simply repeating content is not the best way to establish yourself as an expert authority. Work at developing good, quality content, being consistent, creative and thorough and you can and will make your expert presence known online.

How I Handle the Hard Work of Freelancing

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I’m not gonna lie to you; freelancing is hard work.

As much I enjoy writing, and as much as I enjoy being creative, it is a challenging task to be able to do what I love to do AND find and keep consistent writing work at the same time. That’s because I still have to market myself and bid on different jobs just to make sure that I keep myself busy all of the time and to keep my calendar filled with work. There are days/times when everything is D-R-Y…and then there are times when I’m burning the midnight oil at both ends trying to keep up with my deadlines and client satisfaction. (can you actually burn oil…and where are the ends??)

This past week for me has been one of those frustrating times when I don’t know if I’m going to get a client bid on a job, or if they’re going to offer me peanuts to write for one of their sites. Usually when it’s the latter, I get a foul attitude and I decide to never, ever, ever write for anymore private clients again. That is, until the middle of the month gets here and it’s time to get those bills paid.

Know Your Worth

I’ve come to realize after years of writing that as a writer, you have to know and value your own worth. And I know that I am a very good writer. A VERY good writer. How do I know that? Well, for the past 17 years I’ve stayed busy with my writing and have managed to keep a decent momentum going with steady work and a steady clientele.

I’ve also been told numerous times over the years how good my work is. Clients have retained me as their top writer, their top editor, the 1st choice for big accounts, etc. So why is it that sometimes I would be so frustrated??

Well, my frustration often came from trying to understand people. Sometimes it seemed that no matter how hard I work and how much heart I put into my work, I was often expected to either

1.) work for ridiculously low per word rates, or

2.) do more writing work than what was originally agreed upon before I start a project.

By that second one I mean that once the client discovers my writing caliber and my fast production output, they want more, and more, and more. And More. That wouldn’t be so bad to do but they will sometimes flip the script and want the same productivity level with no pay increase or they decide to pull the project once it gets to a certain level for them. This can come without warning to me, who has by this time determined the project to be long-term and have placed everything else (including other clients and my own blogs) on the back burner to focus on the clients needs.

Once I realized my worth, I stopped allowing that to happen to me. Now, I demand and stand firm on my rates, and I get them. Why? Because I let my work speak for itself.

My Freelancing Answer

Freelancing works great for some, I’m sure. And honestly, it works for me too. But for the things that aggravate me so much, I’ve come up with a different solution and a way to get what I need (income, consistency) without feeling like a computer slave.

I own several blog sites that I write on periodically. Periodically because I’m working on client work. Now I realize that those blogs will never grow if I don’t concentrate on growing them.

They will never get to a sizable traffic if I don’t market them and network them. Well, one of the reasons why I haven’t done so before was because I was always working on someone else’s stuff!

To answer that problem, I’ve decided to continue to write for private clients AND work at my own blogs and on getting them up to speed so that they can give me that income and consistency that I need from my own work. My own creative, professional, full-of-heart work. After all, if 17 years worth of clients think that it’s all that, shouldn’t I think so too??

Absolutely.

 

6 Tips on Growing Your Freelance Business

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I have been freelance writing for over 18 years, and there have been many times when I wondered how to get my next client. That’s a part of the life struggle of a freelance writer, but here are a few tips you can use that will keep you from (hopefully) getting frustrated and worried about where and when your next client is coming.

1. Love to Write

First off, you have to at least love writing and make it a daily practice if you really want to get something out of it. If writing is going to be your livelihood, then you need to make it a part of your lifestyle, at least. Right? One other thing to do is to start writing a little each day, then build from there. Go slowly from 200 words a day, to 400 words, then 900 and just keep building, depending on your goals. One phenomenal writing tool I’ve used to help me with this is Scrivener. You can also read this Scrivener software review I wrote about it if you’re seriously considering using it.

2. Business Growth

Realize that it takes time to grow a writing business. This is especially true if you want to get good-paying, long-lasting clients. So buckle in and get ready to work hard to grow your business and create endless streams of income.

3. Real Business

No matter what anyone else says about your “freelance lifestyle,” it is imperative that you treat your writing business like the real business that it is. Otherwise, you’re nursing a hobby, and while that’s fine too, it’s not accurate to call it a business if you’re not treating it like one.

4. Grow Slow

It might be smarter to start growing your business on the side (read: after hours) before you decide to go all in full-time. Slow growth ensures that you’re ready when the time comes and that you’ve gotten things to a level that requires your full-time attention.

5. Network, Network, Network

Network with other writers in your area of expertise. I’ve gotten and given a lot of writing gigs this way, especially when we’re all overloaded and need to meet deadlines. I have writer-friends that I’ve met online over 10 years ago and still talk to today. Real, genuine connections never fade away.

6. Writer’s Website or Page

Create a basic writer’s website. This can be something very simple with your Main Page (landing page), the About page and some samples of your work. This gives potential clients a “place” to find you and take a look at your work. It also helps you look very professional, which is what you want. Include links and clips you’ve done, no matter how small or (seemingly) insignificant they may be.

And finally, never stop learning! There’s always something different to learn in web writing. Different clients have different requirements, even the content mills, so it’s best to understand what each one wants so you’ll be successful.

Good Luck!

6 Real Facts About Passive Income Creation

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One of the reasons why I love the concept of passive income is having control of my time. When you trade dollars for time, someone else has control of your time, and that to me is just not ideal. As a super busy mom, I need to be able to have complete control over my schedule and manage things in a way that’s conducive for me. So that’s why I continuously tout the wonders of passive income.

But what I have seen online over the years concerning passive income is that there are a lot of “Get Rich Quick!” and “Make Money While You Sleep!” kind of nonsense rubbish that’s sweeping different work at home circles. There is NO SUCH THING as getting rich quick, or else someone would already be there AND I doubt if they’d share their tricks with us. Don’t believe the hype. Creating passive income is undoubtedly a lucrative business idea, but it does take work. A lot of work. An insane amount of work. But it’s far easier to promote hype and sell some new marketers that proverbial pie-in-the-sky rather than be honest.

I won’t do that to you. I’m going to be blunt and tell you, you’re going to have to work your tushy off to set up your business idea before you can start to reap the rewards from it. That’s just the truth. No matter what your passive income idea is, be prepared to put in work. A lot of work. But fret not. I do have good news.

When you settle on which idea you want to pursue to create a passive income stream, the next thing you must do is adopt a system or method for making that happen. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. That’s not necessary. Just find reputable, honest and experienced marketers who are doing what you want to do and follow their business setup patterns to the letter. If they’re accessible, ask questions. Subscribe to their blog posts. Follow them on social media. Do everything you can (short of stalking, cause that’s just creepy) to find out how they’re successful with their passive income business and do what they’re doing. The top reason why so many new (and experienced) internet marketers fail at passive income creation is because they go into thinking that things are going to be easy or not too hard to learn, so they bow out at the first sign of resistance. The reason why you want to find a working method is so that you can by-pass some of the learning curve you’ll meet and just get right to the nuts and bolts of getting your business set up and running. I’m going to short-list for you some of the things that I’ve encountered with setting up and running passive income business ideas:

1. Money, Money, Money

You will need to spend money. To make it you’ve got to spend it. No such thing as “free” when you’re an online entrepreneur. So even if you buy a $5 ebook, prepare to spend a few dollars. Or a lot of dollars.

2. Business Education

And speaking of purchasing ebooks, make it a priority to invest in your internet business education. The ‘net is constantly changing and there are always new things that you’ll need to learn. Don’t get distracted with the idea that you’re just going to set up a cash machine using an ebook you bought as a guide and think that’s all there is to it. No, you’re going to need a website, a domain name, hosting services, autoresponder services, web design services, content, etc. While some of these things can be outsourced for a decent fee, there is always learning involved for YOU as the business owner.

3. Adjust Your Schedule and Your Life

Everything that you’ll do with your business will depend solely on you. That’s one of the pros and cons about online marketing. With that said, understand that at 5:00 p.m., your day won’t necessarily be “over,” especially if you’re doing this on the side. Prepare to live, eat, breath your new business at all odd hours. If you don’t build it, they won’t come.

4. Manage Your Time

Again, since we’re talking about business building, you’ll need to adopt and practice essential time-management skills and productivity skills as well. This is critical for you if you have a family and other responsibilities, so be sure that you take care of your physical body through proper rest and exercise. And if you find that you need to wake up at 4:00 a.m. and work on your business a little bit, then do that and manage yourself as you need to so that you can achieve that success.

5. Avoid Information Overload

Don’t be like some people and buy up every ebook, course, tutorial you see or download every video that promises to “cut your time in half” and have “millions in your bank account in 90 days.” It’s a very real wake-up call when you find unopened material on your hard drive that you purchased 3, 5, or maybe even 7 years ago that you forgot you had, all in a quest to race to the top of the money-making pile as fast as you can. Now I can’t say that I know of anyone who has done that, but I’m just saying, don’t.

6. Check Them Out

And finally, vet everything and everybody you come across when you’re business building. There are a lot of sleazy people online who are more than happy to part you with your money in exchange for a great idea. Don’t do it. Research before you buy. Ask questions before you click the PayPal button. Have you read the person’s testimonials or checked to see if there were any negative reviews out on the web? How long have they been online and doing marketing? Do you trust their words, in your gut? Be careful of really well-written sales pages that make those promises that sound too good to be true, because it usually is. It’s up to you to protect yourself, your business AND your money.

8 Online Business Expenses

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What’s It Going to Cost to Do Business Online?

The cost of doing business online is about the same as doing business offline, except you typically don’t have the usual overhead expenses like office rent, insurance, payroll, etc. (I’m referencing businesses where the brunt of your business is done virtually with delivering a service or product without the need for storage or employees). Remember, there are expenses with ANY business, but many online marketers happen to prefer the online method because operating costs are significantly less and you can get started creating an income much quicker than with traditional offline methods.

I’m going to outline a few of the expenses you can expect to incur with most any online business. Everything you do to start your business online is going to cost you, whether it’s in money or with your time, or both. But, you have to decide for yourself what and where you want to spend your time and money, and if your actions get you closer to your overall business goals.

My blog setup posts series gives you a step-by-step guide in setting up your online business blog. The posts take you through the entire process of setting up your blog property yourself instead of paying someone else to do it for you. You’ll learn how to write effective blog posts, draw traffic to your site and make money in the process.

Some of the following expenses are optional but advantageous for any online business. Some of the costs are non-negotiable, meaning that you can’t effectively do business online without this particular tool. So, let’s get started and take a look at some of the things you’ll need when setting up your online business:

1. Purchasing a Domain Name

Your domain name is your online business name. Buying domain names vary in costs from one provider to another, but generally run between $10-12 per year. I’ve used Bluehost (since 2006) and GoDaddy (since 2010) for purchasing my domain names, but any site that you prefer to use is perfectly fine. I also use NameCheap and Bust-a-Name to brainstorm in finding suitable domain names and combinations.

Cost: $10/year

2. Web Hosting

Once you have a business domain name, you’ll need somewhere for that business to operate. It’s kind of like buying a shingle (domain name) and then finding a building (web host) to hang the shingle. The hosting provider keeps your blog up and running on the internet. This cost also varies, but you can expect to spend about $10-15 per month to host your blog, depending on your selection and what features they offer. If you ever decide to cease your hosting service at any point, most providers offer a 90-day money back guarantee. For me, yet again Bluehost is my web host of choice. I’ve been with them since 2006, have experienced very little down time or problems. But, for you to be totally comfortable in what will be a long-term relationship, be sure to shop around, ask questions and get what you’re looking for and what will match your needs.

Cost: ~ $14/month

3. The Content Management System (CMS)

You can use either a free CMS like Blogger where you set up your blog to run on the free site. Or, you can use the WordPress CMS (I’ve always used this). WordPress is free when you download to your site. (See my lengthier post on the free vs. the self-hosted blogs.)

Cost: $0/month

4. Purchasing or Using Free Themes

Many themes are free with WordPress downloads, but can be limiting. However, there are also premium WordPress themes available from an assortment of online vendors for different prices that you can use to enhance your site. A couple of sites to look at for premium themes is Elegant Themes (which have a wide assortment of themes that are compatible with WordPress) and Studiopress Themes, (which is what I use to build my own site and client sites). The right theme can do wonders for your site.

Cost: $0/month  (value: $300)

5. Free or Paid Plugins

There are several free and very few paid plugins that you’ll need. Most everything you need is free, and I’ll show you the most important ones that you’ll need to download to your WordPress site, including the best ones for security, backups and data tracking. There are other fee-based keyword trackers (Long Tail Pro, Market Samurai, etc.) that can significantly enhance your keywords and blog content, but you won’t have to be concerned with that if you’re just getting started and want to just get good content up. This is something to consider in the future, once your blog is more established.

Cost: $0/month

6. Automated Software

Depending on what you’re selling or offering, you’ll want to be sure to automate your process as much as possible. That means Ecommerce functions, email marketing software (Aweber, GetResponse) or having scheduled blog postings that need to be automated in order to keep you productive and things moving along.

Cost: Can vary ~$20/month

7. Payment Gateways

This is how you’ll get paid! There are an assortment of free portals with different user requirements, but most of them are all free of charge to use (PayPal, E-junkie, etc.). They usually charge a small percentage of each transaction or have a limited amount of monthly transactions per user. I’ll share with you each major one, how to set it up and how to automate it so you can focus on just doing business.

Cost: $0/month

8. Blog Coaching

If you’re new to blogging, you absolutely need guidance or at the very least some type of mentoring system in place. Whether you connect with a blogging group, hire a business trainer, ask a friend or other home-based entrepreneur, make sure you bounce your ideas off of a LIVE person so you can make sure you’re not just spinning your wheels. I’m also offering the option of my own blog coaching services as a part of my blog tutorial series and also as a fellow blogger. For the blog tutorial students, I’ll be offering assessment services free of charge for the entire 6 weeks that the course will be given. I’m going to be available to the students to give tips and answer their questions as they set up their blogs. My personal unlimited coaching services will include Skype (I’m on CST), Facebook and email coaching for any new online marketers who take this course. (Outside of the course, my blog coaching fees are competitive in the market at $35/hour).

Cost: $27/month

You are welcome to use this information as a guide as you set up any website or blog that you already have. Since these are general expenses, remember that as you’re shopping around and getting prices.