Some things to consider before setting up a page. Do you have the time to devote to managing it? By this I mean at minimum one post a day (3-5 are ideal), interacting with those that take the time to comment on your page, and taking the time to find the ideal things to share, create images, write new content, etc.

The first step to set up a Facebook page for your business is to head over to Facebook’s Create a Page and get started. You will be met with these options:

Depending on what your business is, these options may make your choice easy. They each have different category options, so play around with them to see what the best fit is. The Local Business or Place option is good if you have an actual storefront or office. This also allows users to leave a review for your business, so keep that in mind when choosing.

As an example I’m setting up a Facebook page for Gluten Free Veggie, my personal project. It is mostly food based so I chose Brand or Product and then Food/Beverages from the category selection.

Click Get Started and you will be taken to the first set up page. You will have the option to put in a brief description, your website (or landing page), and a custom Facebook address. Try to get your brand name here. You can change the description and your website later, but the custom address can only be changed once. You may need to be slightly creative. My first choice was chosen so I added a word to mine.

The next step is adding your profile photo. This may just be a headshot of you, if you are your brand. If not, then head on over to Canva, my favorite image tool, and create one. You will upload it here.

The third option is to add your new page to your favorites. This will make it easier for you to find and manage, but isn’t necessary. I prefer to do so.

The last option is to set up your Preferred Page Audience. This can be a great way to get your posts in front of those people that you are targeting. The options include Location, Gender, Age, Interests and Language.

For my page I might not include a specific location, age or gender, but will add a focus on the keywords of gluten free, veganism, vegetarianism, vegan diet, etc. These options can all be changed later.

After you hit save, it shows you your brand new page along with some tips on how to set it up.

You can either like your page, as your personal profile right away, or wait until you finish setting it up before you do so. It is always pretty neat to be the first like on a brand new page, so click away. The only reason you may not want to do so is that sometimes Facebook will show that you liked it in the newsfeed, bringing your friends to the page before it is ready.

There are a number of things you want to work on right away. The first is a cover photo. Again, Canva is great for that. They have a number of preset templates to work with, it is very user friendly, it offers some free images and elements, and the rest start at $1.

The banner that I made only cost me $1 to make. You can certainly create a nice one with all of the free options. I find their prices to be very reasonable. After uploading my new cover photo, I am not sure the profile image works, but I can change that later.

The next thing to work on is the About section. You can get to it by clicking the About in the menu under the cover photo. You can add whatever you think is relevant information here. It is not necessary to fill them all in, as the ones you leave blank will not appear to visitors. You do want to fill in the Topics section, the short description, the long description, and perhaps your phone number and email address if you would like people to contact you that way.

The short description shows up on the main part of your Facebook page, so it is pretty important because all of your visitors will see it. It is limited to 150 characters, so you want to be concise. Add in a call to action to visit your website or newsletter signup landing page.

You have more room in the long description to talk about what your page is all about. You could add links to all of your other social media sites there, an opt-in offer, or other call to action.

You can also visit this section if you ever need to edit your category, name, website, etc in the future.

Back on the main page you will see an Add a Button option on the cover photo. Click on it.

This is a really important thing to set up. You can add a link to your storefront or opt in offer.

You have a number of options with this button including Call Now, Contact Us, Send Message, Shop Now, Sign Up, and Learn More. It is a good idea to test to see which option works best for you. Your Page analytics will tell you how many people have clicked on the button too.

Once you have completed all of these steps, then it is time to start posting. After you seed your page with a few posts (these can be links to blog posts you have written, images that you have created, links to relevant posts on other websites) then you should invite your friends and family to like your page. My Mom and Dad always like my pages (thanks guys!) and new visitors are much more likely to like your page the more likes you have.

Congrats, you have your first Facebook page set up! Give yourself a pat on the back.

Please ask any questions that you have about setting up a Facebook page in the comments. I’ll do my best to help you out!

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You want all of your social media accounts to speak with a consistent voice, be able to handle interactions with fans, post on a regular basis, keep up with trends, attract new customers, and have beautiful and enticing images.

It is also necessary to analyze all the data to see what is working, what is not, and where you should be focusing your efforts. Knowledge and success with advertising on some of the platforms is also necessary.

All of this takes time and expertise. It is a job for someone with experience and training. A great social media management agency will assign a dedicated social media expert to your account that has the time to devote to your social media, the expertise to help it grow and return great results. They will know how to craft content that is in your voice and that works.

MarketingElf is your social media management agency

We  can accomplish all of this for you. We have the training, the expertise and the time to take your social media to the next level. When you put your trust in us, you can years of knowledge of knowing what works (and what doesn’t).

Please take a look at the social media management packages that we have available. Whether you want us to handle one account or more, we can work with you.

Don’t see what you are looking for? We are more than happy to create a package that will work for you. Just drop us a note so that we can discuss your needs.

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An audit may seem like the last thing anyone wants to spend their time on. It is really helpful in looking at how well you are doing at social media and on the flip side what is really not being done well, what is being avoided, and what desperately needs improvement.

A social media audit is something that you can do yourself but it is a very helpful to have an experienced set of eyes really dig in and analyze your accounts with a fresh set of eyes.

Who benefits from a social media audit?

The answer is everyone! If you are a prolific social media user or someone just starting out. Or perhaps you created an account years ago, posted a few times, and have neglected it ever since. It is okay. We’ve all been there. Get things back on track.

A great social media audit will give you an in depth analysis of various points of your social media accounts (username, bio, frequency of posting, correct use of hashtags, interaction with commenters, etc.), a checklist of what needs improvement and what is being done well, as well as action steps that you need to take. It can take the form of a written report, a video walkthrough or a phone call to discuss the results.

It is really important to implement what you have learned after receiving the report! The information that you receive can be invaluable but is only helpful if you actually use what you have learned.

Once you have implemented the suggested improvements you will create a better image for your brand, a better user experience for your followers, and more visibility.

Interested in getting your social accounts in tip top shape with a social media audit? I would love to help you out. Check out my Social Media Audit page for more information and how to order one today.

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1. Your time is better spent in revenue generating activities.

   While social media is a great way to bring in new customers and engage with existing ones, it may not be the best use of your time. You value your time at a certain dollar amount an hour and it is more cost effective to hire someone experienced to handle your social media for you.

2. There is so much to learn.

   Social media is constantly changing by adding new platforms, new rules, and best practices. It can be difficult to keep up if it is something that is not your primary focus. Are you able to devote the time to learning, researching, networking with other social media professionals and attend professional conferences?

   A great social media manager invests the time to bring great results for you.

3. It is not a job for an intern or your receptionist.

   Your intern is a constantly posting things to Snapchat and your receptionist seems to be planning her entire wedding on Pinterest, so it may seem like a great idea to hand all of the social media responsibilities over to them. There is a complete difference between using social media personally and professionally though.

   Your social media accounts are an extension of your company and you want to make sure that your brand’s voice is used consistently across all platforms.

4. They are data ninjas.

   A large part of great social media is the ability to track the data, analyze it to determine what is working well (and what isn’t!), and determine what efforts are giving you the best ROI.

   A social media manager can be worth their weight in gold for the ability to read the data and implement improvements.

5. It isn’t about throwing posts everywhere.

   When you first get started with social media it can be very tempting to sign up for a bunch of accounts and throw posts up on them all. That can be a great plan for spreading yourself too thin with no results to show for it.

   It isn’t necessary for your company to be on every platform out there. It can be tricky to figure out which ones you should be on though. A great social media manager will help you figure out where your audience will be most receptive and engaged.

6. They know great content.

   You want your social media posts to be engaging, helpful, visually appealing, and funny. Maybe not all of those things together. It is really important to know what works when.

   Using a great image paired with the right words is very important in the social media world. You want someone that can bring that type of skill to your social media.

7. It is all about engagement.

   There are many ways to be engaged in social media. A fan could leave a review or comment and you need to respond to it. Posts need to be worded just right in order to gain a response. A social media post must be nurtured after it is put out there.

   Most business owners (and their employees) do not have time for this. Lighten the load and turn over these duties to a dedicated social media manager.

Ready to Hire a Social Media Manager now?

It is the right choice for your business and I am currently accepting new clients. You can learn more about the social media management packages that I offer by visiting my Social Media Management section.

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My advice is to start with why. Why do you want to work from home? Is it to spend more time with your family or get rid of a long commute? Do you dream of rolling out of bed and working in your pajamas all day? Spend some time really thinking about why you want to work at home and write it all down.

When I first wanted to work at home I had just left a very stressful job that was effecting my health. I really didn’t want to go back to the same type of situation and wanted to do something on my terms. Over the years my why has changed. I became a mom and really wanted to be home for her as much as possible and that became my why for working at home. Now that she is in school all day it is about being able to go on field trips and not needing to use before or after care at school.

There are so many whys and you might have more than one. Figuring out why is definitely your first step.

Now that you have figured out why, move on to what. What is your goal? Are you hoping to create a full time income for yourself? Are you currently earning money at an out of the home job and you will need to replace that? Or maybe you want your child to be able to take up an extracurricular activity such as soccer or dance (Holla, dance recital costumes!)?

Break down what you need to earn and want to earn. These are two different things. Need is filling a gap in your budget or something that you or your family needs. What you want to earn is the dream fulfiller. Is there a vacation that you want to take that you couldn’t afford without some extra income coming in? Perhaps it is a new car for the family or some debt that you want to go away.

Write all that down too. Figure out what you would like to earn each month and then divide it by four to figure out how much you would have to earn each week to make that. Then break it down by day. If you want to work five days a week, divide the weekly figure by five and so on. You can even break it down by hour.

For example if you want to earn $2,000 a month, that is $500 a week, $100 a day for a five day work week and $16.67 an hour for a six hour work day. Makes it a whole lot easier to figure out how to get to the monthly number when you start at the hourly one. A little less scary too!

Which leads u to the other big what. What to actually do to make the money. This is such a big topic and I will go into deeper depth on another post.

For you I have created a worksheet that you can work on in the meantime. Yep, a little bit of homework. I know that no one likes homework, but trust me that this whole process will be much easier if you work through this exercise first. Download it, print it off and get to work. Let me know how it is going and if there is anything you are struggling with. Or any lightbulb moments. I love hearing about those too!

Download Getting Started Work at Home worksheet right here.

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My name is Shannon Weidemann and I am a pro at working at home. I have answered phones and taken orders for a shopping channel, graded test papers, done legal transcription, copywriting and content writing, been a member of a multi-level marketing company (a couple of them), SEO, affiliate marketing, and probably a few others along the way.

I’m married, have one 10-year-old daughter, and a 7-month-old puppy. We live in a cozy bungalow in Michigan that is perfect for us, although I keep dreaming of a second bathroom and a mudroom. The puppy is totally keeping us on our toes. I had forgotten how much work it is, but it is all worthwhile.

I got my start working from home after leaving a pretty high stress job. I didn’t particularly want to go back to working for someone else after that and started researching the best ways to work at home or start my own business. At the time there was very little online other than some work at home mom websites offering advice on home party companies and a few companies that hired telecommuters. I wasn’t yet a mom, but they welcomed me in. This might be really dating myself, but the big talk at the time was of a company that would send you the supplies to make railroad nail crosses. Anyone else remember that one?

I ended up joining a multi-level marketing company that sold birthday party supplies because they told me that I could do everything from home and I didn’t have to do home parties. They set me up with their generic website, I let all my friends and family know about it and then I waited. And waited.

When that didn’t work I took the advice of a friend and learned some basic html, bought a domain name and build a very basic website that I could point to my company website. I started to get some traffic to that site and I waited some more.

The same friend then told me about affiliate marketing and told me that there was a birthday party supply company offering an affiliate program and that I should join up and direct my website visitors there instead of the multi-level marketing company. I set that all up and ended up traveling to Belgium for two weeks with my husband who had to go there for work. I would like to say that I patiently waited and checked my stats every few hours, but this was the age before smartphones and everyone had a laptop or tablet to travel with. I’m not even sure the hotel offered internet.

One day while I was out sightseeing I stopped into a cafe that had computers with internet that you could pay to use. I wanted to check my email, perhaps catch my parents and friends on IM, and see what was going on in the world. Kind of an afterthought I decided to check and see if I had made any sales. And there it was. My very first affiliate marketing sale. I was hooked.

I continue working in affiliate marketing today. What all my years of experience have taught me though is that what you do is not as important as how you do it. I believe that anyone can be successful at working at home, it is just finding the right fit for what works for you and following some tried and true knowledge.

I want to help you by sharing some of the knowledge that I have learned and what has worked for me. I will also be sharing some of the tools that I love and help me work smarter and easier.

Welcome back, dear reader. I can’t wait to hear from you!

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Having some very unexpected bills pile up lately got me to brainstorming all the ways that you can quickly make money. Here is my list of 50 Quick Ways to Make Money:

1. Garage Sale – everyone has unwanted items laying around. Clear the clutter and make some money doing so. For a bigger impact coordinate with family and neighbors.
2. Sell Gold and Silver – Clean out your jewelry box.
3. Sell unwanted items on Ebay – Have a bunch of collectibles just taking up space on a shelf somewhere?
4. Make something and have a craft sale – Turn that hobby people admire you for into a money maker.
5. Lemonade and Bake Sale – So this one may be more popular for your kids to do, but it is a great way to introduce them to the world of entrepreneurship.
6. Consulting – What do people ask you for help doing? Turn that into a service that you can sell.
7. Sell your product or service at a discount – Have an existing product or service? Consider offering a limited time discount in order to make money quickly.
8. Bundle your products or services for a greater value – People love to receive a great deal or value. Add-on a service or bonus to your existing offer.
9. Sign up with a temp agency – They are always looking for new people to help fill jobs and you can work around your current availability.
10. Sell a Service on Fiverr – Check out what other people are offering and see if you can come up with something that may be a popular seller.
11. Look for a freelance gig on Elance, FlexJobs, or Odesk.
12. Dog Walking – Make up some fliers and distribute around your neighborhood. Sign up at an online directory to offer your dog walking service.
13. Baby Sitting – Not just for teenagers anymore, babysitters can earn $15 or more an hour.
14. Write an ebook- It is easier than ever to write a book, especially a how to one, and publish it online.
15. Offer freelance writing services – Websites need new content all the time. Put on your writer’s cap and capitalize on it.
16. Teach a class – Create an online course and offer it on Udemy.
17. Scoop dog poop – Not much of a description needed here.
18. Sell Plasma – I’m not a big fan of needles, but I remember this being a very popular way to earn money in college. It still is. Find a place to donate plasma here.
19. Get a part-time job as a bartender or pizza delivery – With tips, these can be pretty high paying part time jobs.
20. Sell crafts online – Etsy is a great place to sell unique goods to people around the world.
21. Mechanical Turk – Perform HITs (Human Intelligence Tasks) and earn money.
22. Answer surveys online – There are many reputable survey companies out there that will allow you to earn money by answering surveys.
23. Sell items on Craigslist – This is a good option when you don’t want to have a garage sale and an item is too big to sell on eBay.
24. Recycle Scrap Metal – I’m definitely not suggesting you rip out all the copper plumbing in your home, but look around for any old bits and pieces around your home.
25. Sell Sperm or Eggs – There are health and age requirements with this one, as well as perhaps some moral issues but an option for some people.
26. Medical Test Volunteer – This is an interesting option and at the very least you get a free health check up. The National Institute of Health has a search for active medical studies. Some medical schools also pay volunteers to act as patients.
27. Return items to store – We all buy things and then never quite get around to using them. I can think of at least one thing in my house waiting for me to return it to the store. Spend a few hours gathering up the items that still have tags and you have the receipt for and return them.
28. Collect Returnables – In several states you are paid a deposit for returnable bottles and cans. In others you can earn money for metal cans with a scrap metal recycler. Spend a day walking your neighborhood (or visit a collect campus and dive into trash cans). Earn some money and clean up the environment at the same time!
29. Cut Lawns – Have a lawn mower and a good work ethic? Go door to door in your neighborhood and offer to cut grass at a discount from what the local lawn services charge.
30. Wash and Detail Cars – This is another task that you neighbors who are strapped for time will really appreciate.
31. Collect loose change -Upend those couch cushions and empty your piggy banks! My credit union even has a change counting machine making it really easy to get cash (or make a deposit) with all of our loose change.
32. Sell Old Electronics – Gazelle makes it really easy to earn cash for your old cell phones, tablets, and computers. You can earn an extra $5 for returning a device with a value of $25 or more during the month of April 2014.
33. Sell unused gift cards – Gift cards are a great gift to get, unless they are from a store or restaurant that you don’t like. Cardpool and GiftCards.com are two places to get you started.
34. Join a focus group – Companies are always looking for people to join their focus groups and give their opinion on things, in exchange for compensation for their time.
35. Pet sitting – People go on vacation year round these days and want someone to either stay in their home to watch their pets or check on them a few times a day. You can offer this service to people that you know to start, which is also a great way to gain references. Sign up to become a Pet Sitter and advertise your services on Care.com.
36. House sitting – There is a certain peace of mind knowing that someone is staying in your home while you are away, to take in the mail, water the plants, and give it an appearance of being lived in. This is also a great way to see different areas if you are able to be location independent for a time period.
37. Rent a spare room – If you don’t mind opening your home up to another person, this can be a great way to help with expenses.
38. Shovel Snow – This is most efficient if you have a snow blower, but a good old fashioned snow shovel will work too.
39. Clean Houses – Make up a flyer and pass it around your neighborhood. Offer weekly, biweekly, or monthly cleaning or help with one time clean up projects.
40. Clean Gutters – Most homeowners do not want to do this necessary task. Have a ladder and don’t mind heights? This messy job could be the perfect way to earn some extra money.
41. House Painting – I’m always surprised at how many people hire out this job as I think it is one of the easiest home improvement tasks there is. Disclosure though: I love to paint. Except bathrooms, those are never fun. Anyway if you love to paint too, this can be a great job.
42. Mystery Shopping – Love to shop and good at remembering details? There are a number of legitimate companies that will pay you to order a latte, go to the movies, or get the oil changed in your car, just to name a few.
43. Tutor students – Is everyone also raving about how well you explain polynomials or cell mitosis? Perhaps a job tutoring students struggling with your favorite subjects is your key to making some extra money each month.
44. Offer music lessons – Have an ear for music? Piano, drums, and violin lessons are some of in demand lessons needed. You definitely need some experience for this one.
45. Officiate Weddings – States vary with their requirements for this one. Check with your local and state officials to see if this is possible. Many couples are choosing untraditional wedding places these days, along with officiants.
46. Sell at a Consignment Shop – Don’t want to go through the hassle of selling your things on eBay or in a garage sale? Find a local consignment shop that will do all the hard work for you. They usually take a commission on the sale, but might have a more targeted audience for your items than a garage sale would draw in.
47. Sell for others on eBay or Craigslist – Let’s face it, selling on eBay and Craigslist can be a pain. The pictures, the listings, the shipping, etc. Earn a commission on the sales for other people by providing this service.
48. Become a mock juror – Some attorneys prepare for trials with a mock jury. You can sign up with eJury or Online Verdict.
49. Spring or Fall Yard Cleanup – Offer your services with leaf clean up in the fall and weed clean up in the spring. This is a labor intensive job that many people will gladly pay for.
50. Sell hair – I didn’t quite realize that there was a market for actual human hair but there are two online marketplaces where people are doing just that. Online Hair Affair and Hairwork are two of the places that I found where people are buying and selling hair.

Hopefully some of these ideas help you if you are looking for a quick way to make some money. Let me know if you have any suggestions in the comments below. Have you tried any of the ideas above? How did it work for you?

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WordPress is constantly being updated for both increased functionality and to close any security breaches. With each new update plugins and themes are also updated to work with the new version of WordPress. It can be a lot to keep up with. It is never fun to login into the admin of your site though and see this:

It is really important to update to a version of WordPress that is 3.7 or later. This update enabled auto updates for minor and security updates. Definitely nice to not have to worry about things. If WordPress is in need of an update, backup your site first and then click update now.

While in the Dashboard it is also a great idea to update any of the plugins or themes that you are using. When you update WordPress, they may not work with the new version perfectly. A good plugin developer will keep their plugins up to date.

I also like to do a mini site audit while this is all going on. Here are some of the questions that I ask myself. Is there something about the site that I don’t like? Is it time to update the theme? Move some things around? Are there any new plugins out there that may increase the functionality of my site? What is working really well? What are some of the most popular pages and posts? Can I build on those things?

Take a look at your site with a critical eye. Is the navigation easy to understand and follow? Will people know within a few minutes of visiting what your website it about? Look at the footer and make sure there are not any weird links. This can be common in free themes and you really don’t want to have a link to something you don’t approve of on every page of your site.

Do you have an about page, a privacy policy, and a disclosure page? Is there an easy way for your readers and visitors to contact you? Do any of these pages need an update? Read up on how to build a great contact page and about page for ideas and then implement them.

Are you collecting email addresses and building a list? This is so important. Out of every channel available to you, this is the one thing that you can own and control. Definitely pick an email provides such as Aweber, MailChimp, or Constant Contact. Create an opt-in offer to give your readers an incentive to sign up.

Doing some spring cleaning on your website is definitely not an easy task and it will take a bit of time, but it will be highly worth it. You will increase the number of visits to your website, as well as engagement.

Share some of the things that you like to do on a semi-regular basis to keep your website up to date in the comments below. I would love to hear from you!

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Here is a scan of the letter (I’ve removed any kind of contact information as I don’t want to give them a free advertisement).

Work at Home Scam Letter

I find it sad that these kind of scams still exist. If you are looking for a way to work at home legitimately the first rule is to never, ever pay someone to do so. This scam will most likely have you stuffing the same envelope and letter that I received and mailing it out to other people at your own expense. The return slip had a unique code written on it, that makes me think this.

So what is a legitimate work at home opportunity? I personally am a big fan of Affiliate Marketing, but there are a number of ways that you can make money while working at home.

• Find something that you are passionate about and blog about it. You can then recommend products and services to your readers with affiliate links and sponsored posts. You can also sell advertising space on your blog as well.
• Pick up jobs as a contractor on Elance, Odesk, or Fiverr. Everyone has a unique skill or something that they are good at. Translate that into a paying job. Are you a writer, programmer, graphic artist, good with videos? There is someone out there that needs you.
• Look at online job boards. Be careful out there as there are always scams listed (remember paying for the job is a red flag), but there are many legitimate opportunities as well. FlexJobs, WAHM, and Simply Hired are some of the places to start looking.
• Ask around. Network with your friends on Facebook and create a Linkedin account. You never know which of your friends will either have some work for you or know of someone that is hiring.

There are a number of other ways as well, the world has endless opportunities. I would love to know of other legitimate opportunities and ideas. Have one? Please share it in the comments.

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Image Courtesy Affiliate Summit

Slides from our panel

Image Courtesy Affiliate Summit

Here are some of the things that we shared:

• Working from home can be difficult if you are not accountable to someone else. Make sure that you have goals that can keep your motivated. Many of us have dream or goal boards. Use a cork board, pin a picture to your computer monitor, or create a Pinterest dream board.
• Sometimes you have to get out of the house. Find a good place to work out of the home and go there from time to time. It can be difficult to work in isolation for long periods of time. Coffee shops, libraries, and co-working spaces are all places to try.
• A to do list system that works for you is key. Pen and paper, an app, or something else. Try them out and see what works. This To-Do Productivity Lifehack that Karen uses is a great one. A to done list is also very helpful to keep a record of what you actually accomplished (or didn’t) in a day.
• Get some help. It is a big myth that someone can work from home and do it all, especially if you are a parent. Get a housekeeper, hire a mother’s helper or a babysitter, find a great daycare situation, swap childcare with another parent nearby.
• Work together with your partner. Just because you are one at home, doesn’t necessarily mean you should be the one to to the burden of housework, childcare, household management. The Cozi app is a great calendar, shopping list, to do list and more that you can share with multiple members of your family.
• Become part of Mastermind Group. Either form your own or find one to join. Having the support and accountability to others is super important. Eric Nagel, Tricia Meyer, and Todd Farmer explained how their successful group works in this Affiliate Summit video from 2012.
  
• Balance is super important. There is such thing as working too much. Make sure that you set office hours and keep to them. Take time to do things important to you. Find a hobby, exercise, spend time with friends.
• Learn how to say no. People may assume that you because you work from home you are free to get coffee, go shopping, run errands for them. While it is great to do these things from time to time, it can keep you from your work.
• Collaboration tools can be very helpful when you are working with others. Basecamp, Trello, and Shareist are all great options.

We shared a lot of information and I am sure that I have missed some. Here is your chance, what are your questions about working from home? Ask me in the comments below, I would love to help you out!

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