Danny Cox SEO Tips

Tuesday, 6 December 2016

The 4 Pillars Every Online Business Is Built On

Ever thought about launching an online course … or some other digital product or service?

Whether you’re starting out or you’re a digital commerce veteran, here are four pieces that need to be in play before you can profitably launch a new product or service.

Free webinar

Brian Clark’s free webinar on online courses will be held on December 12, 2016, at 3:00 PM Eastern Time. You can click here to get signed up.

In this 15-minute episode, I talk about:

Two ways to build your audience for your blog or podcast in the early days
The right time to get an email list in place
How to figure out what you’ll talk about
The profitable tension that will be with you for the length of your business
How to avoid making expensive mistakes
A cool free resource to help you plan a successful launch for your online course

Listen to this Episode Now

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On Making Choices and Finding New Solutions: Let It Be Easy

the solution is right before your eyes

I’ve been rinsing my mouth with salt water after every meal for the past two weeks. It’s part of the healing process after a wisdom tooth extraction.

Oral surgery: the gift that keeps on giving.

During the first week, I spilled salt all over my bathroom counter. My container of salt has a perforated opening similar to a salt shaker, and sometimes the salt got stuck in the holes. When I measured half a teaspoon, I had to shake the container a bit and the salt didn’t land seamlessly on my spoon or in my warm glass of water.

Now, I consider myself a reasonably capable human being, but after that first week, I realized that the container of salt also has a “full-pour” setting — without any holes — making it easier to pour without shaking the container and spilling the salt.

There was a much easier solution than what I had been doing right in front of me; I just didn’t take advantage of it right away.

No matter how far you’ve come, there’s always more to learn

Reflecting on that experience, I felt silly that I didn’t immediately notice the “full-pour” setting — but I did eventually discover it because I was open to a better, easier way.

When you repeat the same thing over and over again and get the same results, it’s beneficial to question your actions and explore new possibilities.

There are so many situations in life and business that aren’t easy. Accomplishments take hard work, dedication, and other words you’d find on cliché motivational posters that decorate taupe-colored office walls.

But sometimes we all get the sense that there could be something better out there, something more we could be doing.

And sometimes there are even easy opportunities to discover new methods that enrich your life and business.

“Easy” does exist

It’s often said that “simple” does not equal “easy,” but there are also purely easy solutions that lead to progress.

I would say:

“Easy” is not the same as a “quick fix.” I associate a quick fix with something unsustainable — something that may seem satisfying at first but has no long-term benefit. And what I’m talking about is easy action that leads to you optimizing your circumstances.

For example, when you’re stressed out and confused, overwhelmed or directionless, it’s often difficult to think straight.

If your head is spinning while you’re on top of Mount Freakout, consider easy options that can help you move forward.

Call a friend who will make you feel better
Watch a movie that will make you laugh and help you calm down
Listen and sing along to a song that helps you express your own emotions

You could ignore those easy options and stay upset. It’s your choice.

And you have similar choices to make whenever you’re ready for a change but you’re not quite sure which direction to go in or how to get started on a new path.

A two-step process for finding a new direction

Ready to set yourself in a new direction?

Here’s the two-step process:

Choose to become open to a new option
Don’t overcomplicate the solution — let it lead you forward

In regard to that wisdom tooth I mentioned earlier, I had been meaning to get it pulled for about 10 years. What can I say? Time goes by quickly and I kept putting it on the back burner.

But when it started causing problems I could no longer ignore, I followed that process above:

I was open to a new option: schedule an appointment to get the tooth pulled.
Instead of further postponing the surgery or fearing it, I let it simply be the solution to the pain in my mouth.

I decided that the way out of my discomfort was through the extraction and healing process.

What’s your next step?

Your writing skills play many different important roles in your business, and you might be looking for new ways to use them to expand your offerings.

You’re a communicator. You know how to get people to pay attention. You know how to synthesize ideas.

So, if creating an online training business has crossed your mind but it seems like a daunting task, there is an easy step you can take today.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 7, 2016, Rainmaker Digital founder and CEO Brian Clark is hosting a free webinar that will help you become well-positioned to start a profitable online training business.

See, we don’t want you to invest time creating the wrong type of product for the wrong market, so Brian starts at the beginning and will show you how to discover exactly what traits a market must possess in order for it to qualify as a “good opportunity.”

Brian will cover:

The business of e-learning design
How to create an effective learner profile
How to identify the benefits of knowledge your learner seeks
Three steps to writing learning objectives that work

Checking out Brian’s webinar is an unbelievably productive next step, and you can register for free right now by clicking the blue button below.

Free Webinar:
How to Develop an Irresistible Online Course People Will Line Up to Buy (and Then Actually Use)

Relief within reach

There are plenty of difficult choices to make in life and business. And plenty of hard work goes into accomplishing your goals.

But don’t overlook easy choices within reach that can help turn things around. Don’t disregard the power of something easy. Let it be easy — and take advantage of it.

The solution could be right in front of you, like turning the salt container to the “full-pour” position.

Join us tomorrow, Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time:

http://digitalcommerce.com/free-webinar-online-courses/

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Monday, 5 December 2016

Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should (Plus Other Life Lessons from Seth Spears)

This week’s guest specializes in helping small business owners and bloggers take their businesses to the next level. He wants to assist others in creating a strategy for long-term success. He is Seth Spears, and he is a Digital Entrepreneur.

In this 34-minute episode, Seth walks you through his journey as a digital entrepreneur:

How Seth used just-in-time learning and a strong work ethic to go from “miserable” to pursuing his life dreams
His advice on just because you can do something, doesn’t mean that you should
Why being a self-learner has helped him accomplish what he’s set out to do
The importance of focusing on what you’re good at (and where there is demand)

And more.

Plus, Seth answers my rapid-fire questions at the end. He reveals the productivity hack that you can implement into your routine to get more meaningful work done.

Listen to this Episode Now

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Pamela Wilson on Experts On The Wire

On this episode of Elsewhere, Pamela Wilson sits down with Dan Shure of Experts On The Wire to discuss good vs. great copywriting and how you can improve your own writing.

In this 62-minute episode, Pamela and Dan discuss:

How copywriting can be the difference between a sale and silence
Hands-on tips for improving your titles
Ways to make your first sentence more compelling

Listen to this Episode Now

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How to Set Up Google Analytics for Your Membership Site

Setting up Google Analytics for your membership site can be tricky … unless you know the right way to start.

Data analysis is at the core of all online marketing. But how do you get the right data, and more importantly, how do you make sense of it all?

On today’s show, we have the queen of data analysis for Rainmaker Digital as our guest to help you set up Google Analytics for your membership site.

In this 27-minute episode, Jessica Frick, Sean Jackson, and Loryn Thompson discuss the best way to set up Google Analytics, including:

The most important steps you need to do first
How to track actions that generate financial results
What data you should be looking for
And why all data analysis is really a trend analysis

Listen to this Episode Now

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Use This Content Marketing Checklist to Skyrocket Your Productivity

a simple way to boost your content output

I used to beat myself up and feel guilty for not getting more done in my business each year.

There were so many awesome content ideas burning in my brain for videos, books, and education I wanted to create. Yet, not much was really getting done.

Sure, I was busy as hell, but my content creation process wasn’t very productive. Then I started working with a mentor who shared her simple daily content creation checklist with me.

By following her version of the checklist, she’s able to create a video, a livestream, a podcast episode, a blog post, multiple social media posts, and additional free education on top of that — every single day.

And all of her content is really, really good.

I decided to give it a try. I created my version of her checklist and then spent a day working through it.

That day was a game-changer for my writing business, so make sure to grab your free copy of the editable PDF checklist I’m going to share at the end of this post.

It could be a game-changer for your content marketing productivity as well.

A system that produces substantial results

I was so blown away by how much I got done in that one day that I decided to keep the experiment going. By the end of the week, I had created 21 new pieces of content for my business, including:

5 blog posts
6 training sessions for my membership site
5 videos for my YouTube channel
5 videos for my Instagram account

So, what’s the secret to making a content marketing productivity checklist work?

Four very simple things:

1. Have a mindset practice

Your mind has to be clear and focused if you’re going to produce that much content.

When your mind is full of negative thoughts, limiting beliefs, or worries, it will make it much harder to stay inspired and keep taking action.

Mindset work will be different for every writer. The idea is to do something every day to improve the way you think, believe, and feel.

Here’s my daily practice:

Journaling: Every morning I write my intentions for my day, week, and life. I write out powerful statements declaring who I am and who I want to be, all written in the present or past tense. For example, “I am a great writer. All of my content attracts my ideal tribe, and I create content with ease and flow this week.”
Verbal intentions: Intention is powerful, so I have multiple practices that incorporate intentional ways of thinking. Right before I create a piece of content, I set an intention for it. For example, before I write a blog post, I might say, “This blog post turns out great. The words flow with ease, and when it’s published, my ideal tribe finds it and reads it.”

The most important thing about mindset work is how it transforms you. It builds confidence and gives you clarity. You’ll start thinking and talking differently, which will then cause you to take more productive actions in your business.

2. Get inspired

It can sometimes be tough to come up with ideas for new content. That’s why I brainstorm and keep lists of ideas, even if I never actually do anything with them.

I’m a believer in using lists and brainstorming as a way to clear out crappy ideas and make way for really good ones — or to let the really good ideas come through. Sometimes when you make that list, you automatically find a couple ideas that are a “Yes!”

Right before I’m going to write something — and especially when I don’t have an idea — I’ll read or watch something inspiring.

I have a go-to list of people I follow who always create inspirational content. Or I’ll pick up a book and read a chapter.

Read or watch until you feel a “spark” in your brain. Something will trigger a thought you want to expand on or a full topic idea — and then you’re off and writing.

3. Create your daily content marketing checklist

Like I said, I make a lot of lists. But one thing I’ve (almost) stopped doing is making “to-do” lists other than a weekly list of deadlines or other projects that need to be finished.

On a day-to-day basis, the checklist I follow is more for general activities that I want to accomplish rather than specific work.

Here’s what my list includes:

Write a daily blog post (25 minutes): I try to keep my blog posts short and to the point. They’re usually less than 1,500 words, but some days I write more.
Provide value in Facebook groups (15–20 minutes): I run a free group for writers and I’m also active in several groups. I try to mix it up so I’m not sharing the same content in each group on the same day, but I also don’t reinvent the wheel. I may post something valuable in my free group one day and then share a version of it in another group I’m in the next day.
Create free content for social media (15 minutes): Fill your social media channels with valuable content and occasional personal updates to remind people that you’re human. My rule is that one piece of content should be used in at least five places. After I write a blog post, I’ll create a teaser image with a link I can share on Instagram, Facebook, etc.
Write books (15–30 minutes): Writing more books is a priority for me, so I have daily time set aside to work on whatever book project I have going on at the moment. Doing this has helped me triple the book content I produce.
Visibility (10–15 minutes): If you want people to know who you are and eventually buy from you, you have to be visible. I aim to increase my visibility with content each day, whether it’s with a video, a Facebook livestream, or a blog post with a personal picture.
Create paid content (30 minutes): I run a membership site, so I’m always creating new content and trainings for my members. Having this as a daily task has helped me build engagement and increase the amount of time people remain members.
Create free content again (15 minutes): Yes, I repeat this activity. Why? Because free content is the bread-and-butter of any writing or content marketing business.

Now, you don’t need to do all of these things every day. You may devote a lot more time to writing your content, for example. Maybe for you, just focusing on two or three tasks on the checklist will allow you to start creating more content.

The point isn’t the number of activities — it’s how much valuable content you can create.

Here’s how to build your own daily content marketing checklist:

Make a list of your content marketing tasks. Focus on what you want to accomplish in a typical day, so that you stay on track for the entire week or month.
Designate an amount of time for each action. Experiment to see how long you need to complete each task. I used to create social media content for 10 minutes but found I was finishing somewhere around 12–13 minutes, so I changed that item to 15 minutes.

And if you don’t finish something you started, don’t worry. Just finish it during your next content creation session.

4. Use a timer

This is a super important step for me. Timing all of these content marketing activities forces me to become laser-focused and improves my ability to get more done.

I have an egg timer that I use, but you can also use the timer on your phone or, if you like gong sounds, this timer here.

Your free content marketing productivity checklist

Without this process, there’s no way I’d get as much content created each day and every week as I currently do.

Download your free, editable content marketing productivity PDF (57 KB) and incorporate the checklist into your routine to optimize your content creation sessions.

What would you add to your checklist? Share in the comments below.

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Thursday, 1 December 2016

The Keys to Launching a Successful Online Course

Copyblogger Weekly

Hey there — welcome back to the Copyblogger Weekly!

We’ve had a lot to say this week about online courses. On Monday, Pamela Wilson talked about some of the surprising ways you can profit from launching your course. On Tuesday, Henneke gave us some specifics on how to write a high-value lesson plan to make your course easier to sell.

And yesterday, I shared my story about my own road to teaching online — a road that definitely included some bumps and curves. (Spoiler alert: it has a happy ending!)

If you’ve been thinking about launching a course but weren’t sure how to get started, Brian Clark is offering a free webinar next week to walk you through some crucial steps.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016 beginning at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Brian’s going to cover:

Designing the learning experience for your course
How to craft your learner profile
Identifying the benefits of knowledge (these unlock so many doors)
A three-step process for crafting learning objectives

We use these ideas literally every week at Copyblogger and Rainmaker Digital. The webinar will cover very hands-on, practical material that you can start working with right away — to develop an online course that’s an amazing experience for your learners, and an amazing business to support your goals.

To register for the free webinar, simply click here and enter your email address.

Then you’ll receive the special link to register for the webinar. You have to register to attend, and space is limited … so don’t wait.

Hope to see you Wednesday at the webinar, and I’ll catch you next week!

— Sonia Simone
Chief Content Officer, Rainmaker Digital