When the Australia Businesswoman’s Network invited me to share my blogging tips with them I jumped to it. I’m mad keen to help other business owners tap into the power of blogging so this was a great opportunity to share my blogging tips and speak to the lovely Australian Businesswomen’s Network chicks Cat Matson and Suzi Dafnis.

It’s an audio interview and you can listen to the whole thing on podcast here.

Blogging is a great way to establish your expertise if you’re a new business owner and get a foot in the market place. Blogging for business can help you:

1. Find new leads and convert them into clients.

2. Retain clients and get repeat business.

3. Get noticed by the print press or other media.

4. Improve your search engine ranking.

Here’s an overview of some of the tips we covered.

1. You can still blog well even if you think you’re “no good at writing”

You have to be passionate about your topic so if you’re just getting into blogging because you feel you should that probably won’t work well for you.

Blogging won’t get results in the short term you have to stick with it long term and you shouldn’t expect to see any results for the first six to twelve months.

But if that sounds like something that you’d be up for then I don’t see poor writing skills as being a deal breaker.

First blog writing skills are learnt. By writing a blog regularly your writing will improve.

Secondly the most popular blog posts tend to be how tos or blog posts teaching something. Numbered lists are hugely popular and these types of post such as 10 Ways to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills will always go down well and, assuming you know your topic, are easy to write.

Alternatively podcasting which is an audio blog post or video blog posts (vlogging) are popular too. If you don’t like writing you may find that some of your clients don’t like reading and would prefer to listen to you while they get on with other things or watch you on video.

Blogging does not have to be text based.

2. Comment on other blogs thoughtfully

Leaving links to your own blog posts in comments on other people’s blogs can break not forge relationships. It doesn’t come across well if you’re always pushing and promoting your own stuff in comments, especially with strangers who don’t know or trust you yet.

Commenting can be a great way to network by getting on other blogger’s radar and showing you’re a team player but I’d keep the comments useful and relevant.

Don’t add links to your own blog post but do share your own stories, experiences and add your own tips. This opens the conversation and if people find it interesting they will want to hop over to your blog to read more of your tips and find out more about you.

3. Social media apps save time

I’m not that tech savvy. Everyone assumes that because I’ve been working in Internet design for 16 years and have two blogs I’ll be this super geek. Sadly that’s not the case at all. I am just getting to grips with sending text messages on my husband’s mobile phone. Seriously!

But you don’t have to be a geek to succeed in social media. Anyone can do it if they set their mind to it.

Still I have managed to get to grips with a few social media apps. I love Hootsuite for Twitter but my favorite for time-saving, ease of use and usefulness because I speak with people all over the world is Easy Clock on the Chrome web browser.

You can set it up with clocks in the Paris, New York, Los Angeles or wherever your clients are then just whizz the bar along to change the time and find one what will work for both of you.

Listen to the full podcast here.

What are your best business blogging tips?

Blogging Tips A-Z is a new series which will run every Sunday (or Monday if you’re in Australia). It’s a quick start guide for new bloggers and a refresher course for bloggers who want to stay motivated and inspired.

So if you’re a new blogger, or if your blogging has plateaued and needs reviewing, subscribe now by email or RSS feed so you don’t miss out.

Please leave your comments and questions below – I’ll answer them there or in a separate blog post.

I know you have heaps of great blogging tips too so please leave them in the comments or write a post sharing them on your blog then send me the link by email or on Twitter. I’ll share the best of them here.

Blogging Tips A-Z: A is for Analytics

When you start blogging the statistics or analytics aren’t so important. You don’t want to become fixated on checking your blog ranking, Alexa ranking or statistics because it will probably be depressing. The analytics on your blog won’t tell you much anyway, especially in the early days, when you’ve only got a few readers.

However in the long-term blogging analytics are important and can be used to help you refine and improve your blog.

Make sure you install Google Analytics on your blog. This is a free blogging tool which will allow you see where your readers live, how they find your blog and what content interests them most and least.

7 Blog Analytics to Track

These are analytic and statistics you may like to track monthly using Google Analytics to show you that your blog is growing and your work is paying off:

1. The number of unique visitors to your blog.
2. The average time spent on your site.
3. Who your top referrers are. These are the sites that send traffic to your blog such as Google, Twitter, Facebook and other websites or blogs if you’ve been doing some guest blogging or people are linking to your posts.
4. The number of subscribers by email and RSS. Note that your subscribers may not visit your blog, they may just read it by email or in their RSS reader.
5. The percentage of your emails that get opened. A good email management system like Aweber or MailChimp will tell you this.
6. How many comments you get.
7. The number of followers on your Twitter and Facebook pages.

Blog Analytics and Blogging Goals Tip

Aim for slow growth and bear in mind that your blog will grow in fits and starts.

Remember that the number of visitors and all those analytics are less important than the progress you’re making towards achieving your personal and business blogging goals. That’s what is really important and is the best indication that your blogging is paying off.

Share your tips – How do you gauge if you’re achieving your blogging goals?

Subscribe now to get the whole Blogging Tips A-Z series free. Click here now for email updates or get the RSS feed.

Need more blogging help? Check out my workbook and audio book Successful Blogging in 12 Simple Steps.

When you buy it you’ll be helping yourself achieve your blogging goals as well as supporting this site and Kiva who get 10% of all proceeds from book sales. Sounds good? Click here to find out more.

That’s every blogger’s greatest fear isn’t it?

So often when you hit that publish button there’s a little voice in your head saying the post sucks.

So often when you go online you’re wondering if your post has been read, enjoyed and shared, or it’s been widely ignored because it was no good.

So often you worry that people will unsubscribe in droves because your latest blog post was so bad.

All that fear means you fall prey to perfectionism.

Just think about all the people who want to start a blog, write a book or create something but don’t. It’s perfectionism which stops them. Perfectionism or setting unattainable goals makes us worry that our writing, our blog posts or our work aren’t good enough.

Of course if you’re a blogger then you’ve overcome that fear to a certain extent. You do hit the publish button regularly don’t you?

But would you like to write more posts? Do you have ideas for posts that never get published? Is your blog cluttered with half written draft blog posts?

If you answered yes to any of those questions read on.

I heard Gideon Shalwick talk recently. He’s a video blogging and YouTube expert who’s brilliant for vlogging tips, but a lot of the tips he shared were great for all bloggers or even creativity in general.

One thing Gideon shared made me sit up and listen closely. Then I suddenly saw the light. I probably slumped back in my chair with relief when I heard because Gideon suddenly gave me permission to write average blog posts.

He didn’ t actually use those words and, of course, I won’t be aiming to write blog posts that are just average or good.

Like you, I’m always aiming to write something great but often I share what I think is a great post like this Andrew Warner interview and no one cares. Then other times I dash off something quickly like this about being a misfit and it gets a huge reaction.

The point is that you can never really tell what’s going to be a hit and what will bomb until you publish your post.

Secondly the more you publish the more chance there is of your blog being found by new readers and the more chance that you’ll write something great which does go viral.

So what’s the great idea?

I called Gideon’s idea the suck line but he calls it the threshold concept.

What is the suck line or threshold concept?

Here’s a little diagram to explain it:

Great blog posts
————————
Good blog posts
————————
Blog posts that suck

See that red line? That’s the suck line. Just make sure you don’t write any posts that suck.

But most of your posts don’t suck. Think about it – how often have you even read a blog post that sucks? Sure, there are plenty of them around but the vast majority of blog posts are actually okay. They’re good enough to make it over the suck line and most of your posts probably are too. If they’re not then don’t publish them.

The takeaway here is that it’s fine to write blog post that are good because you can’t expect greatness every single time.

As long as your posts don’t suck you should publish and share them. Every now and then you can will write a great post – maybe some pillar content, a new idea, or something controversial that everyone will bookmark or share and which goes viral.

Not convinced?

Then here’s another question for you:

What will happen if you do publish a blog post that sucks? What’s the worst thing that will happen?

Well, probably a few people will unsubscribe but that happens anyway, even when you write a great post there will be unsubscribers.

But if you really write a post that sucks most people won’t unsubscribe from your list. A few might but most people just won’t read the post and they’ll stick around to see what you come up with next because they subscribed for a reason. Once they read a post on your blog which was great, or good enough to make them subscribe, and they know you can do it again.

So there you go. I hope you feel as liberated as I do and will use this opportunity to write more, publish more and feel more confident in your blogging skills.

Successful Blogging News Flash

I’m going to use this tip to step up my output and I’ve already scheduled at least two blog posts per week for Successful Blogging right up until September 2012. Usually I only post once a week so I’ll be doubling my output thanks to Gideon Shalwick and his hot tip.

I’ll be sharing more tips on content strategy over the coming months and launching a new series called Blogging A-Z. Subscribe now by email or RSS feed so you don’t miss out.

I’m also off on a press junket to Japan for a week. Lucky me! And in case you’re wondering I was chosen because they wanted to take an Australian travel writer and they found me through my blog.

So keep blogging and never fear, I’ve got posts scheduled while I’m away and I’m also taking guest posts, especially for the Blogging Success stories section. So if you have a success story to share check out the submission guidelines and send it to me. I’d love to feature some of my loyal readers right here.

How to Take Your Blog Posts From Suck to Super

Now just take one last look at the suck line diagram above and remember:

Red means it sucks so stop, don’t publish.

But amber and green both mean GO.

So give fear the finger, stop worrying that your blog posts suck and go write a post now.

Chances are it’ll be a good one and, who knows, maybe this time it will even be great.

 Photo credit: Yenhoon

Uncertainty was published in September 2011 and when author Jonathan Fields emailed offering to send me a copy I nearly fell off my chair with joy.

But it never arrived so, since I am a big fan of Mr. Fields (here we are at BlogWorld in 2010), I picked myself up again and bought a kindle copy. But I really don’t like reading online so I finally got hold of a hard copy of Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt into Fuel for Brilliance late last year.

Despite wanting to read Uncertainty I really didn’t expect to get much out of it.

You see even though I adore Jonathan I didn’t feel fear was much of an issue for me. After all, I try to do something scary every day and I’m the adventurous type anyway.

Plus I am a recovering personal development book addict so I try to avoid reading them these days. I don’t feel as if I need advice on improving my modus operandi, I just need to take action.

But then I read the book and I loved it because it motivated me to do that.

Uncertainty made me realize the symptoms of fear aren’t just knocking knees, nausea and a sudden need to rush to the loo. Fear can manifest itself in strange ways and lead to procrastination, hundreds of hours wasted on Twitter or Facebook and a general feeling of frustration with life.

Fear can hold us back from achieving out business or creative dreams even when we don’t actually feel scared.

Uncertainty taught me a lot and has also inspired me to do many of the things I already knew I needed to do but had put off for years. Little things, like working smarter, focusing better and incorporating meditation into my daily life.

Little things that will make a big difference to my productivity and my creativity.

If there’s anything holding you  back in life, be it fear or something intangible you can’t quite put your finger on, Uncertainty will have some tips to set you straight.

Here’s a three minute video review to whet your appetite. I hope you can hear me speaking over the noise of the insects buzzing and the bamboo creaking.

Sounds interesting?

If you want to lay your sticky paws on Uncertainty you can pick up a print copy or kindle version on Amazon here.

Or subscribe to the Jonathan Fields blog for more tips and inspiration on everything from writing and blogging to business and life in general.

You might just end up loving Jonathan and his ideas as much as I do.

Happy reading and happy blogging!

Are you struggling to get to grips with all the new technology that seems to be part of the blogging experience? Heavens knows, there are enough options out there. So where do you start and how do you pick the good from the bad?

Here’s a round up of the many free tools I use daily or weekly. Rest assured that all those useless tools I’ve tried and wasted my time on are not included.

These tools will actually help, not hinder you, as you start your blogging journey. They will help take you from blogging newbie to confident, efficient and well-seasoned blogger.

21 Free Tools for Bloggers

1. WordPress

Yes, there are other blogging platforms and some of them may be easier for new computer users and non-techies to use. But none of them is better than WordPress. While WordPress may be slightly harder to get started with because it offers more options, it’s well worth the time investment. WordPress is still easy to use, yet powerful enough that it can adapt to do anything you want with your blog in the future.

Like many other bloggers I started with Blogspot and then changed to WordPress. Switching blogging platforms is a pain in the bum and will lose you readers so the quicker you change to WordPress the better.

If you haven’t started blogging yet then choose WordPress as your blogging platform from day one. You’ll thank me for it. If you already use WordPress then congratulations – you should be set for life.

2. Gmail

I have numerous email addresses which all automatically forward to my Gmail email account. That way I can check all my emails from anywhere, any time – even if I’m not at my computer since Gmail is web-based. I use the archive to store emails that have been replied to, labels to sort mail so, for example, all invoices are stored in one place and easily browsed, and stars to highlight important emails.

Best of all every single email is backed up free of charge and I’ll never need to change my email address when I change Internet Service Provider or move overseas.

3. Google Analytics

I use Google Analytics to see which of my blog posts are the most popular and check which websites send me the most readers. I also use it as a reliable source of reader demographics and site statistics which I share with advertisers and sponsors in my media kit.

4. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is an email management system that tracks your email subscribers. It’s currently free up for lists with up to 2,000 subscribers which should be enough for new bloggers, then there’s a monthly charge after that. Mailchimp has great statistics so you can check how many emails sent actually get opened.

5. Evernote

You can capture anything including Web pages, images, text, and voice notes with Evernote which is available as an app for your cell phone or iPad as well as web-based. Your notes can then be accessed later from just about anywhere via a computer or mobile device. You can also use Evernote search through all of your notes so you can find the information you need fast.

6. My Hours

My Hours is an online time-tracking tool to help you work out where all those hours in the day disappear to and see which tasks take more time than they should. I’ve just started using it to track how my time is spent in a bid to increase productivity. It seems easy to use and useful too.

7. Rapportive

Rapportive  is a free add on to your Gmail account which shows you your contacts’ LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook pages right inside your inbox. You can then connect with them on those social media sites without leaving Gmail. In other words you don’t have to zip off to Twitter to follow them, Facebook to friend them and LinkedIn to connect with them. It can all be done quickly and easily from one place making you look like a consummate professional with a real interest in garnering your connections.

8. Dropbox

There are no excuses for not backing up your work now. Dropbox offers free automatic storage of all your files for up to 2GB.

9. We Transfer

WeTransfer is handy free tool for sending big files like powerpoint presentations or videos which can’t be emailed.

10. Open Office

Open Office offers free word processing, spreadsheet and database management software so you don’t need to buy Microsoft Office.

11. Skype

Free phone calls all over the world, instant messaging, free video calls and free conference calls are all available once you download Skype. We live in an amazing world. Let’s take advantage of it.

12. Google Docs

Google docs is handy for sharing documents online but best of all you can use it to create free online surveys with the results all shown in pretty pie charts like this one.

13. Google Calendar

Google calendar is part of Gmail. The calendar sends me reminders of my appointments every morning and I can update it from my cell phone too when I’m out and about. I’ve also just given my hubby access to my calendar so he can see what I’m up to without having to ask me. Hmmm, there could be some drawbacks to that though.

14. Gravatar

Have you got a little image which displays when you leave a blog comment or are you stuck with the default grey man? If you’re a grey man hurry over to Gravatar (it stands for globally recognised avatars) and spend a few minutes uploading a fab photo of your dear self. This is such an important part of your online branding but one which many new bloggers overlook.

15. Google Reader

Once you have a Google email account you can use Google Reader to follow all your favourite blogs from one spot so you’ll be able to find out when they’re updated without actually visiting them.

16. Flickr

Search the Flickr’s creative commons for photos that will make your blog posts pop like the one up top. Just be sure to add a photo credit at the end of your post.

17. Paypal

Paypal drives me nuts. Their anti-money-laundering policies are so stringent that almost everyone who ever receives payment via Paypal seems to get their entire account frozen at some point. It took us months to get it sorted out when it happened to us. But it’s still the best way to send and receive money internationally which you’ll need to do if you want to buy blogging resources or earn money by selling products or services through your blog.

18. Easy Clock

This is a tool in the Chrome browser which is far and away the easiest way to compare time zones and work out a time that will suit you and your overseas clients when you want to book consultations or a Skype call. First you need to download and install Chrome then add the easy clock app to it.

19. Dragon Dictation App

I’ve just treated myself to Dragon Naturally Speaking Premium which is speak recognition software for your computer. Yes, no more typing. The free Dragon Dictaion app has limited capacity but you can use it on your cell phone or tablet to record short messages or conversations which is handy.

20. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social media management tool that let’s you manage Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn from one dashboard. I love it because it allows you to add RSS feeds so you can auto-tweet blog posts, both your own and on other blogs. The free version lets you add two RSS feeds and will give you an idea if it’s worth spending a small fee each month for the professional version.

21. Focus Booster

Focus Booster uses the Pomodoro technique to increase your productivity. It times you for 25 minutes then gives you five minutes off. Wash, rinse and repeat. Productivity magically increases and time-wasting is a thing of the past.

Now don’t just read this list and bookmark it, although you should do that too. Start downloading what you need so you have all the tools at your finger tips and can get blogging faster and more efficiently than ever before.

Then getting to grips with new technology won’t be such hard work, technology will be working for you.

What are your favourite blogging tools?

Are you a new blogger?

I guarantee that my blogging book will save you time and money as you start your blogging journey and help you develop a sound plan to take you from blogging zero to blogging hero.

I wrote Successful Blogging in 12 Simple Steps specifically to help writers and small business owners with limited technicals skill. If that sounds like you check it out here.

Like this post? Please share it using the buttons below. Thank you, I appreciate that.

Photo credit: S. Diddy

The road to blogging success is strewn with abandoned blogs. Most bloggers quit blogging after three months yet the benefits of blogging are rarely seen for the first six to twelve months of blogging.

So why do most bloggers quit too early? And what can be done to motivate or inspire bloggers to keep blogging long term until they see the rewards?

I’m motivated to keep blogging by my readers feedback and comments, by personal job satisfaction (yes, I really do love blogging) and by increased business and writing opportunities which come to me through blogging.

I’m inspired by all bloggers who don’t quit and stick with it to keep improving their writing, business and creativity.

What motivates or inspires you to keep blogging?

Photo credit: Flattop341

Do you want to make 2012 the year you write a book and become an author? Me too.

I’ve already self-published my blogging ebook which has been a brilliant way to help more people successfully market their writing or business through social media. Writing that first book has also helped me grow my business and diversify my income.

I love the writing process and I’ve experienced the benefits of writing a book so now I want to write more of them.

There’s no doubt that blogging and writing books are brilliant ways to establish your expertise, make strong connections and take your writing career to the next level.

Ironically I started blogging because I wanted to write a travel book and decided to first establish my readership through blogging. Blogging has taken me on a huge journey which has helped me develop myself personally and professionally but I did get side-tracked and that travel book is still languishing in my head. Now I have lots of gorgeous readers but no travel book hence my focus on getting my travel book completed before another year slips by.

That’s why I’m making 2012 the year of the book.

If you’d like to join me on my mission you should check out Chris Guillebeau’s new guide for writers, The Unconventional Guide to Publishing.

Chris Guillebeau is one of my favourite bloggers and last year his book The Art of Non-Conformity made him a best selling author too.

What is The Unconventional Guide to Publishing?

• It’s a complete solution for authors written by a veteran literary agent who has sold thousands of books to dozens of publishers.
• It’s a 45,000 word PDF guide with numerous audio interviews and transcripts to accompany the main guide.
• It’s available in three package options to suit every writer’s needs and budget.
• It’s the only plan you need to finally share your book with the world.

What Will The Unconventional Guide to Publishing Teach You?

• Everything you need to know about the publishing industry both new and old.
• How to write a book if you don’t know where to start.
• How to take your book from concept to publication.
• How to find and approach agents, editors, and publishers.
• How to write a book proposal.
• How to find more readers.
• If self-publishing or traditional publishing is best for you.

If The Unconventional Guide to Publishing sounds like it might help you get your book written and published I recommend you find our more about it here.

It can be done I know it. Stick with me and I’ll teach you how.

2012 is going to be another epic year for us bloggers and writers and I’m so glad to have you along with me for the ride.

I’ll be back soon with more blog writing tips so we can make sure we blog successfully and get our books written too.

Ahhh, the holiday season. Tales of drunken stupor and over-eating aside, it’s a time for giving, a time for sharing, a time for reflecting and a time for change.

Every Christmas and New Year brings to it an end, but more importantly it brings to it a new beginning, and let’s face it, there’s nothing more exciting than starting something new.

Whether you’re wanting to lose those extra kilos, kick that dirty habit, or launch that business you’ve always dreamt of, New Year’s resolutions are a great way to jump start your journey.

So what’s this got to do with your blog? Well, a lot, really. Whether it’s only 3 months old or 3 years old, there are things that we always want to start (or do), but keep putting off. So why not write some New Year’s resolutions for your blog? As odd as this is going to sound, some of your blog’s New Year’s Resolution might not be too far from your own. I know when I was writing out my 5 New Years resolutions, my blog’s equivalent were eerily identical. Let me show you.

1^st Resolution. Exercise more regularly (blog more regularly)

A happy body is a healthy body, and to get a healthy body, you need to exercise. And I’m not talking about doing it great for a week, I’m talking about doing it great for the rest of your life.

A happy blog is a healthy blog, and to get a healthy blog, you need to publish. And I’m not talking about doing it great for a week, I’m talking about doing it great for the rest of your life.

2^nd Resolution. Stop eating junk food (stop publishing junk)

The other step in getting a healthy body is to stop eating junk food. Junk food basically poison’s your body and the hard work you’re putting into your first resolution, will be put to waste if you keep eating junk food.

Your blog also, isn’t immune to the effects of junk, so stop publishing it! If it’s not your best stuff each and every time don’t hit publish, save it as a draft and come back to it later on. Reducing the amount of junk on your blog will keep it (your readers) happy and ensure it’s around for many years to come (just like you’re hoping for your body!).

3^rd Resolution. Buy a new wardrobe (get a new theme)

A change is as good as a holiday they say, and every so often, you’ll need to update your wardrobe. Nothing feels better than stepping out in clothes that are current, clothes that fit, and clothes that make you look and feel great!

And the same can be said for your blog. If you’ve been running the same theme for a while, maybe it’s time for a change? You may not know it but your blogs current look may have garnered all of the readers it can. A new blog design could attract new followers simply by looking new and fresh while still punching out that great content.

4^th Resolution. Learn something new (do something different with your blog)

Whether it’s to learn a new language, start a new hobby, or try that certain something that you needed an occasion to justify it to your friends, just do it. New Year’s Resolutions are a perfect excuse to do any of these things.

For your blog, try something new! Start podcasting or uploading videos. Write that brilliant guest post and send it to a famous blogger. Ask the people you’ve followed for an interview. What have you got to lose? Nothing. What do you stand to gain? Everything!

5^th resolution. Spend more time with the family (spend more time with the family)

If you’re working the 9 to 5 there aren’t many ways to “spend more time with the family”. Options are limited (work part-time) and don’t truly represent a good work/life balance (work full-time with family friendly hours). However, one stand out option deserves a lot of your attention.

Work for yourself.

Though this option may seem far-fetched for some, it really isn’t as difficult as you may think. Many people have turned hobbies into careers and it’s not unusual to hear of people giving up the corporate life all together, to live life by their means.

And if you’re an avid blogger or have just been reading blogs for a while, you know that this medium has helped many people fulfill their dreams of self-employment. Whether you use your blog for partial income (AdWords or Clickbank) or to advertise and drive traffic to your small business, it’s clear to see that blogging plays a special role in achieving your dream of running your own business, and at the same time “spending more time with the family”.

If there’s one thing we all know about New Years Resolution it’s that for many they never seem to last past the first couple of months. So this year make it different. This year, write them down and stick them up. Not just in one place, but everywhere. Keep a copy in your wallet / purse, stick the list up near your home PC, and also where you work. You want the list to “pop up” when you have those day-dream moments of a different life, a different job, a different you.

More importantly, tell those important to you of your resolutions and ask them to keep you accountable. Insist on regular meet ups to give them updates, and you know, I’m sure they could do with the same returned favour, and so offer them your services for any New Years Resolutions they may want seen through. The “buddy system” is a very powerful thing.

So, make next year your year of change, and don’t just keep it to yourself, but shout it from the rooftops. The universe works in strange ways and by not only telling yourself but others of your intentions, you might just attract the people you need to help you with your journey. Good luck.

Guest post by dExTeR – dExTeR runs gossip ink social media, a small Australian-based business focused on helping small businesses with their Social Media efforts. From setting up, to updating, coaching and advice, it’s the kick from behind that some business owners need to get their Social Media jumpin’! Happily married, his other interests include computers (he’s still a practicing IT geek), cars and getting up at 4am to lovingly write for his other blog, about his 2.5 kids.

The good people at Australia’s University of Newcastle are running an e-business marketing course which starts soon with a free webinar on January 19th so business people can get an idea what the course is all about.

The full six week course covers social media and marketing, search engine optimisation, email marketing and developing an effective business website.

It’s ideal for newer businesses or for business owners who aren’t sure how they could benefit from social media but want to find out more.

Learn more about the course or register for the free webinar here.

The Free Webinar

The free 15 minute webinar covers:

• Attracting website visitors and converting them into customers;
• Email marketing and 10 key guidelines to follow;
• Using Social Media to attract new business.

The E-Business Course

The six week online e-business marketing course has a flexible online delivery with weekly 90 minute webinars so it’s ideal for busy people who struggle to find time to attend
courses and training workshops.

Designed for small business owners looking to sell your products or services online the six week course will teach you how to cost effectively market your business in
the online space through a flexible and dynamic online learning environment.

Find out more about the course or register for the free webinar here.

Disclaimer: This is a featured blog post for Brand Meets Blog who are kindly supporting the Successful Blogging team. We’ll be back with more hot blogging tips soon.

Photo credit: SCA

At the end of April this year, I quit my job to work for myself.

Like so many others, I had set up my own website, written articles, and interviewed experts. Like so many others, I had built up a following, established an email list, and created premium products for those readers. Like so many others, I had followed the classic freemium path to blogging success.

With one exception: I didn’t have a blog.

Instead, unlike so many others, I had done all of the above with an online magazine.

All You Need to Know

I’ll keep the background brief: in June 2010, I published the first edition of In Treehouses under the supremely un-catchy tagline of “how to build valuable, profitable niche communities”. One month after launch, I had a mere 49 subscribers.

After a few evolutions and eighteen months of work, In Treehouses now boasts nearly 2,000 subscribers and a hefty list of well-known interviewees and contributors (including our gracious host, Annabel), all under the new tagline: a free online magazine that inspires lifestyle businesses.

What are the Results of Running a Magazine?

I’m fortunate to have enjoyed a decent amount of success with In Treehouses. Email open rates are consistently above 55% (against an industry average of closer to 20%) and the conversion rate of new site visitors to subscribers is a whopping 17.1% as I write this (when most bloggers are delighted with 5%). I’m hugely grateful for this support.

But it’s not all wine and roses.

Below, I’ve laid out the pitfalls of running In Treehouses as well as the benefits. Should you decide to take up the challenge and start your own magazine, you’ll be pleased to read that many of the downsides can actually be alleviated by running a blog alongside your magazine.

The Ups and Downs of an Online Magazine

1. You’re a Pioneer

Brilliant // Simply put, there aren’t too many online magazines around. Interviewees and subscribers are drawn to you because you’re different, you’re unique. You also get to be a pioneer and explore new territory because there’s no map, no list of rules to follow or expectations to uphold.

Not Brilliant // I’ll repeat myself: there’s no map. Unlike the blogosphere where you can gather dozens of articles about how to become a blogging star, there are few guideposts to help you with your magazine. Being unique means you stand alone; where there’s more opportunity, there’s also less certainty.

The Solution // By way of an entirely shameless plug, I run a blog about how to run a magazine. It’s an attempt to redress the balance, to show what I’ve done and experienced and learned along the way. Plenty of places will show you how to design, publish, and upload a magazine; far fewer will show you how to run one as a day-to-day solo business. That’s my aim.

2. You Control Your Design

Brilliant // Fed up with WordPress themes and screens filled with text? With a magazine, you get total control over how your work is published and enjoyed. Remember, it’s all online – there’s no need to worry about print or image sizes or any of that stuff – free your imagination and get visual. Be beautiful.

Not Brilliant // Not everyone is a designer, nor does everyone want to be. WordPress might be limiting, but at least it gives you a framework with which to work; going rogue might lead to a visual disaster if you’re not experienced. And then there’s the time it takes to learn InDesign, or how to design in PowerPoint. If you’re just interested in getting your work read quickly and simply, keeping it simple with a blog might be best.

The Solution // Looking back on old editions of In Treehouses, I see hideous design errors, things that just didn’t work, and the hours spent experimenting along the way.

I’ve learned to accept my limitations and follow one golden rule: keep it simple. The more minimal you can keep things, the less there is to go wrong; you can always step things up as you learn new skills.

3. You Can Take Breaks

Brilliant // With a monthly magazine, you have plenty of flexibility in your publishing schedule. One common complaint I hear from bloggers is of burnout, when the stresses of writing regular posts just grinds you down. With a magazine, you can take a two-week break should you so wish, then dive back in when you’re refreshed – and still have a couple of weeks before publication.

Not Brilliant // Working in batches also means publishing in batches. Your magazine only comes out every once in a while, unlike blog posts that bring in a constant stream of traffic. You might see hundreds of visitors on publication day, only to face a wasteland the next week. And remember, it’s easy for a two-week break from your magazine to become a two-month break. Stepping away makes staying away all the more tempting.

The Solution // If you haven’t already, go and read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and convince yourself of the value of turning up regularly to do the work. The best promotion and the best chance of success you can give yourself is to publish quality work on a regular basis, whether it’s with your blog or a magazine. As Pressfield says, “It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write”.

4. You’re Creating ‘Forever Content’

Brilliant // Like it or not, blog posts disappear quickly. Each day, readers are on to the next new thing. Creating a monthly magazine is more permanent, and provides a back catalogue that’s enticing to new readers. Magazines feel more collectible and offer a timelessness that’s often absent from blogging.

Not Brilliant // You’re going to miss out on some Google love – all your magazine content is tucked away in a PDF rather than on easily searchable web pages. Blog posts, on

the other hand, can be found easily enough by the search bots.

The Solution // I’ve never once worried about SEO with In Treehouses, beyond adding some simple metatags to the website. Why? Because I believe in people, not search engines. It’s people who’ll share my work, who’ll shout about the magazine, who’ll become fans and customers – so it’s them on whom I focus. Spend your time delighting your readers, rather than trying to delight Google.

5. You Learn to Publish

Brilliant // When you publish a magazine, you’re orchestrating something very similar to a product or a book release. You’re notifying readers, promoting, interviewing, being interviewed, and all the other publishing-side work that will stand you in good stead when the time comes to sell something for real.

Not Brilliant // Sometimes, people miss you. When only one or two emails are going out each month, announcing the magazine release, it’s easy for them to be gobbled up by spam filters and for readers to miss out on your work. The regularity of an RSS feed or blog posts dropping in readers’ inboxes every few days keeps you in constant contact with your audience.

The Solution // Take your publishing role seriously. Engaging with people on Google+, on Twitter, via email, through interviews and guest posts – it all adds up. You’re not just writing anymore, we’re all publishers now. And it’s the publishing part of you that has to ensure the writer part of you gets the attention she deserves.

Should You Start a Magazine?

Charles Dickens ran two magazines in his lifetime. Gustav Flaubert, Henry James, Tom Wolfe, Arthur Conan Doyle, Hemingway, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Kipling – they all had novels that were seralised in magazines before they were published as books. There are legends who go before you, should you choose to start a magazine. You’re walking in the footsteps of giants.

And the great thing is that you needn’t ditch your blog. You can run a magazine hand-in-hand with your blog, have one support the other, use as them as complementary publications, or keep them completely separate. You can publish a magazine weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually. Again, there are no rules – you get to be a pioneer.

So ask yourself, should you consider starting a magazine?

Guest post by Thom Chambers

Thom Chambers runs Mountain & Pacific, a micropublishing house that creates online magazines for the restless.

To discover more about In Treehouses or his blog on how to run a magazine, visit the Mountain & Pacific website.

You can also find Thom on Twitter and Google+.