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Why Email Is Not on Its Deathbed

February 4, 2012 By Beth Leave a Comment

I found this really intriguing infographic that features some worldwide email statistics. Email marketing is one of the reasons that my business is successful, and when I embraced reaching my customers via email, I experienced a HUGE jump in business revenue, so I know I feel strongly that email is an incredibly important part of building an online marketing strategy.

Granted, we need to consider the source of this infographic – this project was put together by Visible Gains, an email marketing company that has everything to gain by claiming that email is alive and kicking. Nonetheless, it’s some compelling data.

The most interesting statistic to me was the number of email message sent every day, worldwide – 188 BILLION. That’s a whole lotta email!

What do you guys think – do you below email is less important than it used to be? Has email marketing been useful for you, or not? Give me your opinion in the comments below.

(click on the image below for a larger version)

Visiblegains Infographic - Email is Dead?

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The Fastest Way to Get Flat-Out Rejected for a Guest Blogging Gig

February 3, 2012 By Beth 2 Comments

Rubber Stamp that Says "Denied"Recently, a woman wrote to me and offered to do a guest post on my blog. She introduced herself and told me a little bit about what she was up to in the world. Her niche had nothing to do with blogging or social media, but that wasn’t necessarily a deal breaker for me, so I kept reading.

She told me she’d like to guest post on my site, and gave me a link to her website.  Then she asked, “Can you please send me some topics that you would like me to use for a guest post?”

Hmmmm.

A few days later, I got another request. This woman wrote a very similar short intro, then asked me if I would consider publishing her guest post on my blog. Then she gave me a great idea for a post topic, and even told me why she thought the post would be a good fit for my site. It was clear she had done her homework and really thought out the details of her request.

Which potential guest blogger do you think I said yes to?

That’s right – I said yes to the one who approached me with an idea.

If you want to do guest posts, don’t expect the host blogger do the work and give you topics to write about. Prepare a couple of great post ideas, and send those with your inquiry.  Make it clear that you know the blog really well, and that you know what will (and will NOT) be good material for the website.

The key to getting guest blogging gigs is having awesome ideas for blog posts.

Yes, I think it’s important to build relationships with the bloggers you’re trying to approach. I think it’s also incredibly important to practice writing as much as possible so that you become the best writer you can be.

But I also think that a popular blogger is going to be a lot more excited to consider your blog post if you have an awesome idea.

Here’s what I suggest:

  • Do your homework. Read the blog inside and out, so you have a really good grasp on the subject matter, the tone, and the kinds of posts that do well on the site (look for lots of retweets and comments for proof of popularity.)
  • Then make your pitch. Keep it really short.
  • Use your first paragraph to introduce yourself and tell them a LITTLE bit about you. Then say “I’d like to write a guest post for [your awesome, popular blog]. Here are some possible posts I could write…
  • Then list your possible topics. Give ‘em a maximum of five ideas – you don’t want to overwhelm the blogger.

Hopefully you’ll hear back from the host blogger quickly, and she’ll say “Yes! I’m totally interested in your post about Hamsters During the French Revolution. Please send me the post by X date, and if it’s a good fit for us, we’ll publish it.”

If not, well…then you need to go back to the drawing board. But if you keep reading that blog and keep sending in original, well-targeted post topics, sooner or later you are going to get a yes.

Need ideas for posts? Trying downloading the utterly awesome Copyblogger headline hacks report and pick through its foolproof headline formulas.  Start your list of post ideas, then keep adding to it.

Want to try it? Send a short guest post pitch to a blogger you’d love to write for. Make sure to keep your note short and sweet, and only pitch IDEAS. Don’t send a whole blog post. Make your ideas great, and make sure they fit the topic of the blog.

Then tell us about it in the comments, or share your story on the Blogging with Beth Facebook page.

Filed Under: Blogging Tips, Traffic Ideas
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Get Online Marketing Help from Dave Navarro – for only $20

February 1, 2012 By Beth Leave a Comment

I’ve learned *so* much from Dave Navarro (the Launch Coach) over the past few years. He’s taught me how to write a sales letter, how to build my mailing list, and how to get more done every day.

I’ve purchased a number of his products and have never been anything but completely blown away by the quality of his stuff and the caliber of the information he’s teaching. I can honestly say that at least two-thirds of what I’ve learned about online marketing in the last few years has come directly from Dave.

As of Monday, Dave will be working exclusively with Naomi Dunford of IttyBiz.com. Although I am disappointed that Dave won’t be sending his incredibly useful Launch Coach emails any more, I’m excited to see what he and Naomi cook up together. I think the two of them will be a really powerful combination.

To get ready to shut down his Launch Coach website, Dave has put all of his training programs on sale at a truly incredible rate. If you move quickly (you’ve only got until midnight this Friday night) you can get all eight of his incredible training programs for $20. Twenty bucks, folks. But after this Friday, these programs will be never be available for sale again!

His programs are like a masters degree in online marketing. Here’s what you’ll get in this toolbox:

  • Creating Products that Sell
  • Building a Responsive List
  • High-Coversion Sales Page
  • Mastering Your Sales Funnel
  • Optimizing Your Blog for Sales
  • Becoming Incredibly Productive
  • Becoming a Big Player in Your Niche
  • Getting Affiliates to Sell for You

I put the suggestions from Dave’s  “Building a Responsive List” course into action, and those changes are the main reason I have thousands of people on my email mailing list today. Dave’s stuff is like rocket fuel for your business.

I urge you to invest in your online business and buy these training programs before they disappear.

Please note that I’m not an affiliate for the Launch Coach, so I don’t make a dime if you buy these programs. I would just love to see all of you succeed, and I think Dave’s work can help you do that if you put his suggestions into action with your business.

Again, here’s that link to buy. Make sure you make your purchase before Friday at midnight.

Filed Under: Products, Traffic Ideas, Writing Content
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Guest Post on Art Camp for Women – Top 10 Reasons Every Artist Should Blog

January 16, 2012 By Beth 2 Comments

I’ve got a fun new guest post up over at Art Camp for Women today! ACFW is a fabulous organization – you should absolutely check them out if you’re looking for incredibly fun camps in gorgeous Colorado. The owners of Art Camp for Women were one of my very first Blogging with Beth clients, and it’s been wonderful seeing them expand and grow their offerings and their wonderful website and blog.

The guest post is called The Top Ten Reasons Every Artist Should Blog.

Also, a HUGE congratulations to Lorri Flint and Lori Wostl, the co-owners of Art Camp for Women, for their mention in the February issue of Oprah magazine. They were included in a wonderful article in the magazine about self-expression. Congrats, ladies!

Filed Under: Blogs I Love, Star Students
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How to Link to a PDF in a WordPress Post

January 15, 2012 By Beth 4 Comments

Want to learn how to upload a PDF to your site and then link to it in a WordPress page or post? Here’s a little tutorial that explains how to do it.

This process is great for things like order forms, client intake questionnaires or contracts – anything you want your readers to be able to open and download directly from your website. And it works not only for PDF documents, but Excel, Word, audio files – you name it!

You can click on the little “full screen” button in the lower right corner of this player to get a larger version of this video (you can see all the little details that way!)

Filed Under: Video tutorials, Wordpress
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The Biggest, Scariest Leap of My Life

December 10, 2011 By Beth 28 Comments

Some time in the next six months, I’m taking a HUGE leap. I’m going to quit my day job.

Many of my clients and followers don’t know this, but for the past four years I’ve been holding down a part-time  office job as an administrative assistant. I keep it for the benefits, particularly the amazing insurance I receive for an incredibly affordable rate. I will also admit that as a parent, I appreciate having a steady paycheck every month, especially when the nightly news is filled with such constant gloom and doom about the lousy economy.

But my business has now reached the point where it can’t grow any further until I can give it my full attention. I want the business to be much bigger, and I can’t grow it until I can throw my heart and soul into it, with nothing holding me back.

I’ve been saying for years that I’d like to make the leap, but I always have a ready excuse why I can’t let the job go – the bad economy, not enough cash in the bank, insurance woes, blah blah blah. Weeks turned into months and months turns into years, and still I punched the clock at the day job and wished for things to be different.

The idea of quitting my day job is terrifying. But something has shifted in me recently, and this time I know I’m going to act in spite of the fear – I’m going to quit the job anyway.

Want to know what my kick in the pants was? It was Betsy and Warren Talbot, the great minds behind the magical blog Married with Luggage. I recently finished their fabulous e-book “Dream Save Do: A No-Nonsense, Step-by-Step Blueprint for Amassing the Cash You Need to Live Your Dream.” In the book, Betsy and Warren spell out exactly how they socked away enough money to quit their corporate gigs, sell all their possessions, and go on an extended trip around the world. The book is not only practical but inspiring.

One of the coolest tips in the Talbots’ book is the idea of creating what they call “Dream Porn,” a large visual reminder of your dream. They advise you to put your Dream Porn in a really prominent place in your house, so you see it every day.

The day after I finished “Dream Save Do,” I created a giant collage of images that will move and inspire me to stick with my budget and keep doing everything in my power to live my dream. You can see my collage below – it’s hanging right above my kitchen table, and I get to eat my breakfast while I’m looking at it every morning. It moves me to take action so that I can make that huge leap.

Want to join the Live the Good Life Movement? Get $10 off “Dream Save Do” by entering the code “BETH” at checkout. Get the book. Create your Dream Porn. And get cracking.

Stay tuned here to find out more about my progress, and about some special offers I’ll be announcing between now and the end of the year in support of what I’m calling my “Free Bethy” project!

Thanks for your support!

(click on the image to get a larger version of the collage.)

Beth's Dream Collage

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How a Tomato Changed My Life

October 25, 2011 By Beth 18 Comments

For months, I had struggled with getting stuff done. I tried task lists, different systems for organizing my inbox, playing soothing music while I worked, and reading various books on productivity.

But the to-do list kept getting bigger and my desire to complete anything on the list kept getting smaller.

Then I discovered a little productivity tool that changed my life. It’s a little timer in the shape of a tomato.

I originally heard about working with the tomato timer by reading a post on the awesome travel blog Married with Luggage, written by Betsy and Warren Talbot. The post is called On Kitchen Timers, Writing, and Discipline. In her post, Betsy talks about how she started using a simple productivity solution called the Pomodoro Technique, and how this simple idea was helping her stay focused on her writing.

After doing a little reading on what this Pomodoro business was all about, I was curious to try it. Here are the basics:

1. Get yourself a kitchen timer. The man who originally coined the term “Pomodoro Technique” used a cool timer shaped like a tomato (thus the name – “Pomodoro” is the Italian word for tomato.) You can use any ordinary kitchen timer.

2. Pick one task on your to-do list. Best items to pick are the ones you’ve been putting off for a while.

3. Set the timer for 25 minutes.

4. Work on the task – and ONLY that task – until the timer goes off. If the phone rings, ignore it. If your cell phone dings with a new text message, don’t deviate from your work. Work until the timer goes off, no exceptions.

5. When the timer dings, take a short break (about 5 minutes) to do something else. Dance around the room, grab a drink, read a quick article.

6. After you complete four Pomodoros, take a longer break.

That’s it! The Pomodoro technique is a no-excuses way to plow through your to-do list and get a ton of work done. There’s something freeing about knowing that you only need to focus on the task at hand for 25 minutes. We can do anything for 25 minutes, right?

I’ve used this technique for:

  • Household chores
  • Writing blog posts
  • Processing my inbox
  • Internet research
  • Limiting (and maximizing) my social media time
  • Paying bills
  • Brainstorming of all kinds (guest blog post ideas, new products, presentations)

Apparently there’s a lot more to the technique if you really want to dive into it further. You can check out the Pomodoro technique website for more information. If you’d like to buy an adorable timer shaped like a tomato, you can get one from Amazon.

If you’re having trouble getting things done, and find yourself distracted by all the bells, whistles, ringing and alerts of our technological world, try a little tomato timer. It might just change your life.

Update: Don’t forget to check out the description of Betsy and Warren’s upcoming book, Dream.Save.Do! And thanks to Betsy for giving us a link to a cool online Pomodoro timer (see her comment below for link!)

This post is part of the October Word Carnival on productivity. Check it out for more great advice on being productive!

http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/
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My Guest Post at Problogger!

October 8, 2011 By Beth 7 Comments

I’m absolutely delighted to announce that my first Problogger guest post, 7 Reasons No One Reads Your Blog (Except Maybe Your Mom) was published this morning.

Progblogger.net is one of the biggest blogs in my niche, so this is HUGE! I’m over the moon.

Want to show your support? Here’s what you can do:

1. Please comment on the post. Thoughtful commentary and exuberant enthusiasm are both welcome.

2. If you’re on Twitter, please retweet this post for me. Remember, you can follow me at @bethjhayden.

Thanks so much, everyone!

Beth

Filed Under: Blogs I Love, Guest Posting
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Why WordPress?

September 9, 2011 By Beth 15 Comments

Recently I needed to create a document for a client that she could take to her organization’s board of directors, to sell them on the idea of using WordPress. The board members had never heard of WordPress and weren’t sold on the idea of moving the organization’s outdated, HTML-based site over to a WordPress platform.

I got done with the document and sent it, but then it occurred to me that there may be other folks in need of a “Why WordPress?” document for their supervisors or boards. So I’ve decided to give it to you!

I’ve put the text of the document here, but if you’d like a printer-friendly PDF to print out and give to your boss (or any other WordPress skeptic you’re trying to convince) you can get that here:

Why WordPress? (PDF Format)

Here’s the text of the document.

Why WordPress?

Are you considering creating a website in WordPress, or moving your current HTML site to a WordPress platform? If so, you may be wondering – what the heck is WordPress? Why is everyone talking about it? What’s the big deal? This document was created to give you some of the benefits of WordPress, and explain why the whole world seems to have gone WordPress crazy!

WordPress is an open-source content management platform that was initially developed in 2003 as a blogging tool. WordPress has grown and expanded over the last eight years, and has become the world’s most popular content management system. It is used for blogging as well as for both personal and business websites.1,

Because WordPress is open source, the software itself is completely free. Anyone who wants to use WordPress needs to buy hosting for their site, usually at less than $100 per year.

Here are the advantages of using WordPress:

1. WordPress allows site owners to have complete control over the content of their sites WITHOUT having to know HTML. It is an easy-to-use application that allows you to publish pages and blog posts, edit previous pages, upload images, embed videos and keep your site updated – all without knowing a lick of HTML. If you can use Microsoft Word, you can learn to use WordPress!

2. The fact that your site can be managed without knowing HTML or PHP eliminates the need to pay a webmaster or web developer every time you want to make a change to your site or publish new content. This can result in HUGE long-term savings over the life of your site.

3. WordPress works beautifully with search engines. WordPress software is beautifully optimized for the search engines, which means that your web pages get found more quickly and come up in searches more often. And because it’s easy to publish new content, you’ll be much more likely to update your site on a regular basis, which is the BEST thing you can do to be found regularly by Google. Some of my clients have published content on their WordPress sites that is indexed and found by Google by the same afternoon.

4. The WordPress platform comes with an entire library of plugins, which are powerful tools that work in conjunction with WordPress. Some common plugins can do things like:

  • Help you better optimize your site for the keywords you want to be found for
  • Link your site with Google Analytics, so you can easily track traffic to your site
  • Add Twitter and Facebook “Like” buttons to your pages, so your readers can easily share your content on social media sites.
  • And more! There are currently over 15,000 plugins in the WordPress plugin directory.

5. The WordPress platform will allow your site to grow with you. WordPress is a fast, powerful publishing platform that allows your site to grow and expand as your organization does. You won’t need to switch platforms in two years because you’ve outgrown your web tool – WordPress will allow you to grow as fast and as big as you want, and it will be your partner in web publishing!

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Google Analytics for Therapist and Coaches

August 2, 2011 By Beth Leave a Comment

Remember when I mentioned a few weeks back that Tamara Suttle and I have partnered up, and we’re currently teaching courses for therapists and coaches about marketing your businesses online? Well, we’ve got a new course now -  It’s called “Five Ways to Use Google Analytics (for FREE) to Track the Traffic to Your Website”. We’re going to go over everything you need to know to install Google Analytics on your site and then interpret the great data that the tool gathers for you.

Are you thinking, “I’d like to take that, but I’m not a therapist or coach?” Keep in mind that the term “coaches” can mean not only life coaches, but business coaches, tech coaches, writing coaches and other consultants who work one-on-one with clients to make their lives and businesses better.

Our class is set for August 16th at 6:00 PM Mountain, 7:00 PM Central, 8:00 PM Eastern.

Click here for details and registration/payment info.

Email me directly if you have any questions! I’m at beth@bloggingwithbeth.com

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