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The next is a Blab recording I did with Gina Horkey. In it, we discuss a bit bit about digital helping and quite a bit about running a blog – particularly learn how to higher monetize and repurpose current content material. Watch the video or catch the transcript beneath.
https://youtu.be/dQezb2fsitw
Gina: Howdy, all people. My title is Gina Horkey of Horkey HandBook. At the moment, I’ve with me, Angie Nelson, from The Work at Residence Spouse. If in case you have by no means met me earlier than, I’m knowledgeable author and digital assistant, form of making my transition into the merchandise market as properly. I’ve a few programs, “30 Days or Much less to Freelance Writing Success” and one other one to “Digital Assistant Success” after which “The Course Course,” educating you learn how to write and launch your individual course. It comes out subsequent month, which is thrilling.
Angie, give us a bit background about your self.
Angie: Positive my title is Angie Nelson and I’ve been working at residence since 2007. I began out as a digital assistant and at present I personal thetheworkathomewife.com and that’s primarily at I spend my time doing and what brings me my earnings and I assist folks discover official work-at-home jobs and home based business concepts. I share a number of running a blog suggestions sometimes as properly. That’s how I spend my time.
Gina: Now, has that website been round since 2007, or when did you launch it?
Angie: I believe I began running a blog in 2008 as a solution to form of get enterprise for my digital assistant enterprise. I discovered that the general public that have been following my weblog have been individuals who wished to be taught extra about being a digital assistant. The Work At Residence Spouse was launched in 2010, I consider.
Gina: Okay. You dabbled in a number of totally different URLs or blogs earlier than then and you then’ve had a number of since too?
Angie: Proper. WordPress.com. Yeah.
Gina: Okay. Don’t begin there. Begin with self-hosted.
Angie: Yeah.
Gina: If anyone has any questions as we’re speaking at present, be happy to speak them in and we’ll try to tackle them. In any other case, we’re simply primarily going to speak about weblog monetization. That may go anyplace however particularly round re-purposing content material.
I’m curious. 2010 is when The Work At Residence Spouse was established. You will have been rising all of it of this time. Six years is a very long time for an internet site. That’s superior, to start with. What have been you doing then for promotion versus what are you doing now? I’m assuming it’s fairly drastically totally different?
Angie: Yeah. Once I began running a blog, Twitter and Fb have been actually simply getting began. There was no Pinterest. There wasn’t all of this social media. Blogs again then weren’t even on Fb. You have been counting on looking engine optimization and getting out into boards and issues like that. It’s completely totally different.
One of many issues that has been an enormous benefit to me is as a result of again then, you needed to depend on your electronic mail record. That’s what you had. You didn’t have folks following you on social media. If anyone was going to come back again to your weblog, it was as a result of they have been in your electronic mail record.
Gina: Now, have been they on an electronic mail record that they opted in or was it extra of like that RSS feed?
Angie: I’ve all the time had an electronic mail record. Even again then, I began on AWeber and had an electronic mail record from nearly day one.
Gina: I believe that’s actually good. I’ve to really feel like you’re a little distinctive in that space. I don’t really feel like once I was following blogs again then that that they had an electronic mail record. They’d the RSS factor and wasn’t it like feedly or one thing like that was actually in style, the place you might see the entire feeds and the blogs that you simply adopted?
Angie: Proper.
Gina: I didn’t get too many in my inbox again then.
Angie: Proper.
Gina: That’s thrilling. We do have one query to date and it’s, “Why is self-hosting so essential?” To which, we are able to completely deal with that proper now.
You had the expertise of going from a non-self-hosted website. I all the time get them confused. There’s WordPress.com and WordPress.org. Dot-org is self-hosted?
Angie: Proper. Dot-com is simply their free little factor over there and you might be so restricted in how one can even monetize that as a result of WordPress.com has strict guidelines about what you possibly can even do. That’s the reason once I determined that this was one thing I wished to do and earn cash, I instantly obtained off of there as a result of you possibly can’t … Once you begin entering into affiliate internet marketing, the vast majority of the affiliate applications aren’t going to approve you if you’re running a blog on … If in case you have a Blogger.com tackle or a WordPress.com tackle. They need you to be self-hosted as a result of it reveals a bit little bit of your … What do I wish to say? You might be truly in it for the long term. In case you are paying your $10 and $30 a 12 months is how a lot you will get self-hosted for to begin out. You might be actually limiting your self if you’re not getting self-hosted.
There may be all the time that chance that someone can come alongside and so they can take your weblog away. You don’t personal it.
Gina: Proper.
Angie: In case you discover you might have executed one thing incorrect, they’ll simply delete it and that’s it. You’re executed.
Gina: You might be restricted in the case of plugins and that sorts of stuff too, proper? You may’t use the total spectrum.
In case you are not tech-savvy, how do you’re employed with self-hosting? I don’t learn about you, I’ve a tutorial on Horkey Handbook on getting a branded web site arrange inside every week due to that query and since I used to be not tech savvy and I figured it out, which is nice. You must level stuff. There’s the entire of small nuances which can be arduous at first, however then when you get into WordPress, then the backend is definitely actually user-friendly for probably the most half. You may YouTube. In any other case …
Do you might have a tutorial on the Work At Residence Spouse too, on organising a website?
Angie: I believe there’s one on there, sure. It isn’t that tough. In case you are keen to get in there and begin pushing buttons, you’re advantageous. Your host goes that will help you. If one thing goes incorrect and also you do one thing terribly incorrect, they will assist get it again up. Don’t be afraid. It isn’t that tough. Most of them at present are only a one-click set up. You get arrange and click on the button and you’ve got your weblog, so you might be able to go.
Gina: Yep. I believe the most important tip that I realized after the truth that made it a bit bit extra difficult or difficult is I didn’t understand that most internet hosting firms will embody your URL at no cost. As a substitute of going out and shopping for your URL from Identify.com or HostGator, I don’t know, no matter. You’ll purchase it from the identical place as your internet hosting supplier and that saves you a step in addition to having to redirect these issues that I talked about.
Then, you are able to do a free theme. Simply choose one thing that’s primary and clear and it is possible for you to to make modifications and form of have it come into your individual over time. Don’t fear about it being good, day one.
Angie: Proper.
Gina: Horkey Handbook or The Work At Residence Spouse, neither certainly one of them appears to be like like they did, I think about.
Angie: You continue to change issues on a regular basis. I do know I do always.
Gina: Completely. What number of weblog posts do you might have from the final five-and-a-half years?
Angie: I’m going via them proper now and I wish to … There may be properly over 1,000.
Gina: Okay.
Angie: That’s one thing that I’m engaged on proper now.
Gina: What number of new weblog posts do you add per work or per thirty days?
Angie: Proper now, solely two or three every week is the place I’m at now. Issues are quite a bit totally different there than they was once. You wished as a lot content material as you might get and again then, 350-word posts was completely acceptable. Now, we’re taking a look at striving for these nice huge useful resource posts. We’re down to 2 or three every week now.
Gina: Okay. It is a private query. Be happy to fireplace again any questions that you’ve got for me too. Do you promote each with a publication when it goes out? What’s your promotion schedule like? You will have a brand new put up revealed after which what do you do?
Angie: I do a weekly publication. I don’t simply do an RSS feed for my publication. I spherical little issues as much as make it one thing that isn’t nearly me. I’ll discover issues that they’re involved in from different locations and embody them as soon as every week is what I often do.
Gina: Cool. I’m form of on this grey space or transitional interval with my very own as a result of I posted as soon as per work after which twice per week and proper now we’re at 3 times per week as a result of we’ll do a visitor put up. Then, I’ve my very own put up and within the center we’ve been doing these spotlights or interviews, which have been form of enjoyable. I’ve been selling with the publication on each Tuesdays and Thursdays after which mentioning the opposite one. Then, you’ll discuss different issues which can be happening or personalize it another way. It’s attention-grabbing to learn the way folks do issues in a different way.
Angie: Positive.
Gina: Like you recognize, in case you don’t inform folks to learn one thing, they don’t all the time keep in mind to come back and discover you and see what’s new on the weblog and that is without doubt one of the important causes.
Angie: Precisely. I’m fairly good about monitoring all of that stuff so you possibly can see an enormous leap on these days that the publication goes out of when these individuals are coming to your weblog. They won’t come all week. They’re ready for you. I’m responsible of that too since you don’t do … Then, oh, they obtained one thing happening. I higher go over there.
Gina: Yeah. If I don’t get sure issues in my inbox, there isn’t a manner that I might keep in mind to go learn it.
Angie: Proper. Precisely.
Gina: We’ve got a query from Brenda. She needs to know what sorts of issues that we do or have executed as a digital assistant to a blogger. I don’t know. Do you might have any digital assistants in your group? Do you might have folks working and serving to you along with your web site and weblog?
Angie: I don’t at this … I get assist often. I don’t have somebody that’s everlasting to me. I prefer to be in there and I prefer to know what’s going on. I’m form of Kind A that manner however I have to know what’s going on and the way it’s working and all of these issues.
Gina: Have you ever ever served in that capability as a VA to someone else, to a blogger?
Angie: Sure.
Gina: Okay. Are you able to inform us about your expertise and what you used to do for them?
Angie: Positive. It’s a enormous, enormous market proper now for that as a result of there are such a lot of bloggers on the market. It’s large the potential that you’ve got there. You will be doing issues so far as simply scheduling posts and moderating feedback or you possibly can go over to issues like social media administration and ensuring their pages are up to date and that individuals are getting their questions answered. I’ve executed emails, the weekly newsletters and optimizing older posts and doing every part. Every thing that I do is one thing that someone else can do. The potential is limitless there.
Gina: Completely. I believe that one of many nice methods to place your self if you’re a VA and also you need to get into that form of work can be optimizing these previous posts. Someone like your self, you might have 1,000 posts, you might be doing that by yourself. Perhaps you aren’t searching for assist proper now however there are most likely a pair different Angies on the market that perhaps don’t have the capability or are targeted on various things, and place your self as someone to undergo them. It may very well be for formatting and modifying as a result of that has modified quite a bit over time.
We wish to ensure that our posts are actually readable and that they’re utilizing header tags. There’s sure issues just like the Yoast web optimization plugin and so perhaps they didn’t have that optimized with a meta tag or for key phrases. Then, one other actually nice alternative is for affiliate hyperlinks. You most likely don’t have lots of affiliate hyperlinks in your previous posts though they could nonetheless be learn. You may refresh a put up, do an important new picture. Put in some affiliate hyperlinks. Optimize it for web optimization after which begin selling that nearly like new content material. That’s one thing that may be actually invaluable to, I believe, a blogger that has a bit little bit of a price range.
Angie: Completely. Even going again via these posts and simply one thing as small as making a Pinterest picture as a result of there was no Pinterest again then. That’s one thing that one of many issues that I’m going again via proper now could be getting these photographs on the market as a result of they’ve by no means been promoted on Pinterest. Pinterest is a large, enormous visitors supply proper now. In case you are not advertising your weblog on Pinterest, you might be loopy. That may be a enormous market proper now if you are able to do graphic design and it doesn’t must be something fancy. Simply getting photographs in there may be it.
Gina: Mickey is my digital assistant that does all of my photographs. I suck at graphic design. I do know what I like and I do know what appears to be like good however we began working with this gal, Kristen, and he or she does all of our Pinterest advertising utilizing Tailwind and he or she is incredible at it. She has obtained me on a bunch of collaborative boards. I get lots of visitors from it. She doesn’t cost that a lot. She ought to elevate her costs however Mickey then does the graphics for my blogs and he or she wrote a put up for Horkey Handbook that’s superior so far as getting began and optimizing your images with overlays and a few totally different tweaks. I’ll discover that after I ask Angie a query and put it within the chat part in case anyone is .
If in case you have every other questions, be happy to chime in.
In any other case, Angie, why don’t you discuss to us about re-purposing content material? You mentioned that you’ve got been doing {that a} ton proper now. We talked about going via and optimizing previous posts. How are you re-purposing?
Angie: You may re-purpose in lots of alternative ways. A technique, we talked a bit bit about electronic mail lists and that’s one thing that could be a enormous precedence for me regardless or whether or not it was six years in the past or at present. One factor that’s going like gangbusters proper now could be the content material improve.
Every particular person put up has one thing distinctive about it that perhaps you possibly can supply. I’ve a listing that’s like 101 methods to do one thing. There is no such thing as a manner that someone goes to hop on that put up and undergo and do 101 issues. One thing as simple as that as turning that right into a PDF and making that accessible that they’ll join my electronic mail record and they’re instantly going to get that record to take with them, has made an enormous distinction. It might not be an enormous distinction, a whole lot and hundreds of individuals signing up for my record, but when 5 extra individuals are getting on there a day, I’ll take it for one thing so simple as turning that record into one thing that they’ll take with them.
Gina: Completely. For those who don’t actually know, content material upgrades are particular sometimes to a put up, a weblog put up. One of the simplest ways that I’ve had it described to me that makes lots of sense is let’s say you’re a meals or a recipe blogger. The simplest manner that you might do one thing is take that recipe after which flip it into a fairly little PDF that someone can then print and it’s on one web page after which they’ll prepare dinner with it or regardless of the case could also be. To ensure that them to obtain that PDF, they must choose into your publication record. If they’re already in your publication record, it’s okay. They don’t get any extra electronic mail from you or something, which I believe folks don’t all the time perceive.
You’re looking at a particular put up and you might be saying, “Okay. What would someone need as they’re studying this? What would make it extra helpful to them?” If it’s a new reader in your web site, then they’re like, “Oh, I really like this previous. Oh, I can’t get this obtain.” An additional tip, an additional one thing. That’s the reason they put of their electronic mail and that’s how they get to be a follower of yours hopefully.
Angie: Proper. Let’s see. One other factor is video is large proper now, whether or not it’s Periscope or Fb Reside or YouTube or Blab, you will have an entire totally different set of individuals which can be watching on video than are perhaps studying your weblog posts. Something that’s good meaty content material is one thing that it’s best to take into account turning right into a video of some kind. That’s a good way to re-purpose.
Gina: On the video word, I’ve been experimenting with Fb Reside. It piqued my curiosity. I’ve executed Blab. Blab is the interview kind or the multiple particular person type of Periscope. Periscope is the place you might be filming your self dwell. Then, Fb Reside, I really feel like is the Periscope for Fb.
I did a bit experiment as a result of I used to be just below 1,000 Fb web page likes, proper? It isn’t enormous or something however you possibly can see now that your content material isn’t being promoted except you actually enhance posts or pay to play. I did my first Fb Reside one the opposite day and I used to be in entrance of just about half of my folks, which usually it’s like 10 to 50, so actually low share. That’s a good way, I believe, to combine it up. If in case you have a Fb web page and folks aren’t seeing lots of your content material is to do a Fb Reside put up. Plus, I believe it humanizes you. It’s most likely one or two minutes on the most and you might be simply having the ability to discuss to them about one thing particular, so I agree.
Angie: Proper. Persons are so sympathetic to how nervous you might be. It isn’t one thing that you have to be afraid of. Folks perceive that you’re scared to loss of life the primary couple occasions that you’re doing it. Plenty of these individuals are desirous to do it themselves, so don’t be fearful about how nervous you might be, it’ll be so scary and you will screw it up since you are most likely going to screw it up the primary couple occasions. They don’t care. They’re simply comfortable that you’re on there, speaking to them.
Gina: They don’t see you the way in which that you simply see your self. Like you will choose your self extra critically. I do know I’m an enormous large dork and now all people else is aware of it too however I determine that … That is the actual “Gina,” so there you go.
Re-purposing content material. We talked about content material upgrades for weblog posts. We’ve got talked a bit bit about video. You have been transferring onto one thing else after which I chimed in.
Angie: No, you’re all proper. Let me see right here. There are going to be issues that you simply discover that might simply be changed into one thing larger. I do know you might be entering into lots of product creation and stuff proper now. If there’s something that basically struck a nerve along with your viewers, take into account how one can flip that into one thing larger, whether or not it’s an e-book or a course or turning it into an even bigger free report which you can disclose to new subscribers. Something like that may re-purpose it or in case you did a collection. I do know I’ve taken some classes which can be on my weblog that may simply be run collectively and despatched these out in a manner. There’s a million alternative ways which you can get issues re-purposed and that’s a good way to get one other earnings stream going too is in case you can flip it into an e-book or a course or video tutorials or something like that which you can cost for, even when it’s a small quantity, it’s one other passive earnings potential.
Gina: Now, I haven’t executed it myself however I’ve seen a few different folks do it. I don’t understand how profitable it has been however they’ve executed like a paid content material improve. Have you ever tried that earlier than? Principally, doing the entire content material improve method however as an alternative of it attending to be a publication subscriber, you might be truly simply asking for cash.
Angie: I haven’t executed that. I do know there’s lots of these locations that do just like the 30-day problem issues. They could have all 30 posts on there however they may flip that into an e-book as properly and it’s massively profitable as a result of folks don’t wish to sit there in your weblog and browse 30 posts.
Gina: Proper.
Angie: Or like I mentioned, individuals are not going to sit down there and do 30 various things at one time. They’ll pay that $7 to take it with them and do it later.
Gina: Proper. That, I believe, and I believe individuals are beginning to worth paid content material a bit bit greater than free content material as a result of all people is giving every part away at no cost and attempting to present worth with a purpose to get readers and all of that great things.
Angie: Proper. That psychological swap too, the place in case you suppose it’s invaluable, they will see it as invaluable too. We do it, we don’t prefer to admit it nevertheless it’s true. You may learn that 10,000-word put up and never suppose it’s value something however when someone begins charging for it, it form of has extra worth to you.
Gina: Yeah. I simply tried to pin that put up. I don’t know in case you noticed that up there. Angie has a weblog web page. It’s a Weblog Success Equipment and once I scroll up, it all the time disappears. Thetheworkathomewife.com/gina. I attempted to pin that as a result of apparently it offers you that possibility right here within the chat roll after which one other field got here up and that’s what it’s however then it’s the incorrect hyperlink as a result of it’s giving me an error. I believe it’s as a result of there was a interval on the finish as a result of it was like a sentence. I don’t know what’s going on there. Anyway, that’s accessible for folks if you’re searching for some templates for earnings monitoring in addition to a pair different issues.
Angie: Proper. Monitoring your affiliate applications and earnings and a few stats, various things like that that you have to be monitoring. I’m a stat junkie, so I like these issues.
Gina: It’s good to be a numbers lady, I believe.
Can we dive into a bit little bit of discuss round affiliate applications? Is that okay?
Angie: Positive.
Gina: Okay. How lengthy you might have been doing affiliate internet marketing?
Angie: I might say that is without doubt one of the important causes that I began The Work At Residence Spouse is as a result of I wished to dive into that. I used to be fortunate within the first month that I had my weblog, I made $50 as a result of someone obtained my internet hosting. That was the massive factor that stored me going there. After all, it wasn’t all the time that constant and it gained’t be however you get fortunate generally.
Gina: Yep. Like being an Amazon affiliate and you set a hyperlink to an e-book and someone buys a bath?
Angie: Yeah. Precisely. Yeah. Someone purchased a diamond ring or one thing final Christmas and I used to be like, “Holy smokes.”
Gina: That’s superior. You’re an Amazon affiliate. You will have a internet hosting that you’re an affiliate for, these are each quite common issues. What different extra favorable internet hosting relationships do you might have?
Angie: The vast majority of my affiliate earnings comes from selling programs and e-books and issues like that. That’s what my viewers is searching for is info. For me, that’s the place lots of my earnings comes from is these issues. The place if you’re running a blog about issues, DIY and crafting and issues like that, you will be extra of a products-based affiliate. Mine is the data facet principally.
Gina: Okay. Acquired you. Then, one of many issues, I believe, that scenes that’s modified fairly a bit most likely from if you began your website too was promoting. Doing banner advertisements and that kind of factor. Did you ever tip your toe into that? In that case, what made you alter or is it a present technique you employ?
Angie: I’ve one other weblog that your entire earnings is simply promoting. Banner advertisements and textual content advertisements. That’s what that weblog, that’s the entire cash it makes is simply cash from promoting. For my weblog, personally, when someone involves me and says, “How can I get my stuff in your website?” I don’t say, “Let’s place a banner advert,” as a result of I simply don’t care and it’s not value it to them when there are higher choices.
Gina: You’re most likely like me and also you don’t like to go to websites which have an entire bunch of promoting as a result of it’s form of a turn-off however there are particular websites which can be niche-specific that [inaudible 00:24:11]
What’s your different website that you’ve got it on that it really works for? What sort of area of interest is it in?
Angie: It’s a direct gross sales website, so clearly that’s … One other factor with my important website is simply 25% of my individuals are coming in on desktop nowadays. 75% of my visitors is from cellular.
Gina: That’s loopy.
Angie: My cellular website doesn’t show facet bars. I can’t justify telling an advertiser to spend a whole lot of {dollars} to put a banner advert on my website that no person goes to see. I can’t be ok with doing that to an advertiser. I’ve a number of up there however they don’t make some huge cash and it’s not one thing that I actually … It doesn’t convert, so I don’t a lot put lots of time into that.
Gina: Completely. It is smart. Yeah. Cellular is loopy nowadays so far as how that’s altering.
Do you might have one or two objectives that you simply’re engaged on this 12 months? Is that one thing that you’d share so far as development for The Work At Residence Spouse?
Angie: Cash is all the time huge on my aim record. I wish to get that up considerably since you don’t know what it’ll be like 10 years down the street. I’m a kind of let’s make it now form of folks. Cash is an enormous one.
Simply ensuring that … Like I mentioned, I’m going again via all of my previous content material proper now simply to ensure that my website as clear and tight as it may be. There’s lots of stuff that’s simply junky previous stuff that doesn’t even make sense to at present’s readers.
Gina: Do you delete posts like that or conceal them or one thing?
Angie: I’ve been deleting if it’s not one thing that may be written-
Gina: Re-purposed.
Angie: To be related now, I delete, however that you simply’ve obtained to fret about redirects and all of that form of junk. That isn’t one thing you wish to simply do with out fascinated about it.
Gina: Brenda is asking about info on getting began at Amazon. I believe the best factor that you are able to do is Google “Amazon,” it’s not associates. It’s Amazon …
Angie: Associates.
Gina: Say it … Associates.
Angie: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Gina: Okay. Then, you must ensure that your state or nation is without doubt one of the gamers, I suppose, of their program. Minnesota is the place I’m. They have been and so they weren’t and now they’re once more. You’ll discover that occurs generally. It’s based mostly on each state at the least right here in the US may have their very own legal guidelines. That is step one is ensuring that your state qualifies. Then, you possibly can apply to their program and get arrange. Then, their backend will not be tremendous user-friendly in my view.
Angie: Proper.
Gina: Amazon Associates, Brenda, is what it would be best to Google. That’s form of low-hanging fruit to get began with. Being an affiliate for someone. Their payout isn’t enormous. What’s it, like 3? Perhaps.
Angie: It’s tiered. I believe to begin out it’s like 4.5 after which as you get to 25 gross sales, you bump as much as one thing. I’m not even positive how a lot it goes as much as. Perhaps 9% or one thing like that relying on what number of gross sales you go. Word: The usual promoting payment schedule is 4% to eight%.Â
Gina: The attention-grabbing factor is that someone can come via your Amazon hyperlink after which they don’t even purchase the product that you’re promoting or that you simply discuss in a put up and so they go and purchase one thing else and you’ll nonetheless get credit score for that, which is form of enjoyable.
So far as I all the time suppose the authorized or compliance a part of affiliate hyperlinks is form of attention-grabbing as a result of it’s ever-evolving. Are you aware what the present guidelines or rules are so far as disclosing affiliate hyperlinks? Do you might have a phrases and circumstances web page in your web site and that’s the place the entire info is so that you don’t must disclose each single affiliate hyperlink you set in, or do you? How does that work from you?
Angie: I’ve it on the high of each put up. It says, “This put up might comprise affiliate hyperlinks. In case you click on via my hyperlinks and make a purchase order, I’ll get a fee.” I simply have it there completely as a result of I do know that if I don’t put it within the affiliate hyperlink now, six months down the street, I would come again and do it then, so why not?
Gina: That’s good.
Angie: Folks don’t actually care. I don’t suppose anyone is like, “I’m not clicking any of your hyperlinks.” You recognize?
Gina: Yeah.
Angie: We’re nonetheless getting cash. That actually wasn’t there once I began and we’re nonetheless getting cash, so don’t fear about disclosing. It isn’t that huge of a deal. Folks will-
Gina: If someone does get offended, then they’re most likely not going to stay round in any case. Bloggers must earn cash if they’re treating it as a profession and that is without doubt one of the methods to monetize.
Angie: Proper.