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How to Make Your Own Blog – Introduction

John S. — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:23:04 +0000

Have you always wanted to make your own blog but never really knew how to? Do terms like file transfer protocol and self-hosting make you want to run the other way screaming? Technology for many people can be a scary thing as it requires a change from the norm in order to adapt.

The simple facts are that setting up your own online site is actually very easy and doesn’t cost a lot. If you want to learn these simple steps, keep reading.

Why Start Your Own Site?

You may be asking yourself why would you ever need to make your own blog? After all, you probably have a facebook or Twitter account that serves your online needs already. A blog can actually be used for many different things that social networking tools cannot.

Here are just a few reasons why you may want to make your own site -

Build a niche website and earn passive income.
Stay connected with friends and family.
Create an online presence for your small business.
Share your opinion with others by expressing your views and beliefs on a particular topic.
Help people learn about a subject where you may have expert knowledge.

The list of reasons could go on and on. Chances are you could probably find several reasons to establish your own piece of internet real estate. The question then becomes – What steps are needed to take action and build your own site?

Blogging Options

If you have a desire to make your own blog, there are several options to choose from. Blogging platforms range from FREE options like Blogger and WordPress.com to other platforms that may have associated costs. While free blogging platforms are easy to setup and don’t cost any money, you lose full control over your site which is important to many bloggers.

An alternative to using a free blogging tool is selecting a platform that offers total control and flexibility over your site. A very popular choice among bloggers is WordPress.org which can be quick and easy to setup. For less than $10 per month, you can have your own piece of internet real estate by using a blogging platform like this.

Selecting a Blogging Platform – WordPress

While there are plenty of viable options to use when you build your site, I prefer to use WordPress.org for it’s flexibility and ease of use. That is not to say that other similar platforms are any less effective. Over the next several weeks, I will detail just how simple it can be for the average user to setup a self-hosted blog of their own!

Don’t let technology and fear of the unknown stop you from setting up your own site. If you have a computer and are can perform basic online tasks like checking emails – then you will have no problem following the steps I will detail!

Low Cost Start-up

If you are convinced that you can get over the technology hurdle but are still concerned about the costs associated with running your own blog – don’t be! For just a few dollars per month, you can pay for a hosting account and domain name for your site. The trade off for these associated costs are tremendous when you think about the flexibility and control this option can provide.

Make Your Own Blog in 10 Steps

Over the course of the next several weeks, I will detail the technical steps required to make your own blog. Here is a preview -

Introduction – Today’s Post!
Choosing a Domain Name
Finding a Hosting Account
File Transfer Protocol
Installing WordPress
Selecting a WordPress Theme
Adding Plugins
Miscellaneous Blogging Tips
Backing Up Your Content
Wrap Up and Summary

Final Thoughts

The steps involved to make your own blog are actually very easy when you get down to it. If you can get over your fears of the unknown and using technology to start a blog, the steps involved are actually quite simple. Stay tuned for a step by step guide that will teach you how to setup a WordPress blog using just a few simple steps.

What other factors are holding you back from setting up your own self hosted online site? Does technology or costs have any impact?

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SMART Goal Setting – Recap 2010

John S. — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:47:16 +0000

Over the past several weeks I have been publishing my SMART Goals for the upcoming year. In order to take my passive income business to the next level, I decided to layout my goals which will serve as a guide. I plan to review each of the goals that I set at the end of every month at a minimum. As time goes by and things change (as they always do), I will adjust my goals accordingly.

2010 SMART Goals

As a recap, I set 4 SMART goals for next year which I believe will increase my monthly earnings income as well as take my business to the next level. If you missed my goals before, here they are again -

My Plan to Reach $3,000 in Monthly Income

After publishing my final goal (generate $3,000 in monthly alternative income), I was asked several questions by my readers for more specifics. In some regards, my SMART goal to earn $3,000 per month in alternative income may not have been as specific as it should have been. As a result, I am going to provide some additional details on my overall plan.

While every fine detail has not been documented below, here is a breakdown of how I plan to hit that $3,000 mark by December 31, 2010.

Projected Income Streams

I have identified 6 income streams that I plan to focus on during 2010. In order to reach my goal to earn $3,000 per month in alternative income by the end of next year, I have broken down the total into 6 different categories. I have set a goal to earn $500 per month in each of the categories below.

Niche Site #1 – My first niche site that I plan to expand and grow has been live for about 4 months. I will focus a lot of attention on this site in the first few months of 2010 and build on the content that I have already published. Of all the niche sites I plan to run, this will be the easiest and quickest opportunity to start earning income next year.
Niche Site #2 – The second niche site in my portfolio of income streams has been live for 11 months. This site has been seriously abandoned over the past 8 months as I had focused on other ventures. My plan is to really start adding content early on and begin to grow this niche as I believe it has real potential.
Niche Site #3 – The final niche site that I want to build is only in it’s planning stages at this point. The content of this site will be focused on local information in the area that I live in. While the potential number of customers is limited to the region that I live, I think the earnings potential is tremendous based on analysis that I have done. I am most excited about building content for this site compared to the other two mentioned above.
eHow – I already have a SMART goal set to increase my eHow earnings by over 100% by June 30, 2010. If I am successful, that means I will have built a $500 per month passive income stream.
Online Store – This is the wild card in the whole mix to be honest. Setting up an online store is completely new to me. However, it has the most potential of any other income source to really take off. As additional motivation, I joined the Build Your Business Competition last week. Lot’s more to come on this income stream in the future.
Miscellaneous – I have not defined every income source I plan to build over the coming year, which is why I have created the miscellaneous category. I am still working out a plan for what else I want to focus on. This category will probably include several smaller income streams like any money generated from Twitter, HubPages, Info Barrel, etc.

Helpful Tools

I have written a lot recently about focusing on building a passive income stream through Info Barrel. Nothing has really changed. I still plan to build solid income streams through a variety of third party sources including Info Barrel, HubPages, Squidoo, eHow, and more. I also recognize the fact that I don’t own these sources of income outright and could lose any of these income sources at any time.

I plan to leverage both the income potential of sites like Info Barrel, as well as use them to build traffic towards my niche sites and online store. The strategy is nothing new as many other bloggers have been using it for some time. I just wanted to stress that I am not abandoning these sites, just leveraging everything I can from them to grow the internet real estate that I own!

Final Thoughts

I believe that I have a good mix of income streams that I will be focusing on next year. Each one of the sources will focus on building internet real estate, which I believe is the quickest and most effective way to create alternative income. While I believe there is tremendous potential in setting up these online income streams, I will also be working to grow some traditional passive income sources like certificates of deposit and dividend paying stocks.

I look forward to the coming year and working to put into action the goals that I have laid out. While I fully anticipate several challenges that lay ahead, I believe I have a solid plan to work through any roadblocks that may come along.

Have you defined your SMART goals for next year? What are you waiting for?

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Increase Twitter Followers to 50,000 – SMART Goal Setting

John S. — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:07:06 +0000

In an effort to set some objectives for the upcoming year, I have decided to publish my SMART Goals that I am working to define. Using SMART goals will help me stay committed and focused on building solid and sustainable passive income streams over the next year. I think it is a good working exercise to define these goals here to help others understand the process. Maybe I can help pass along a few things to others looking to define some goals and hopefully I will learn some things along the way.

For those of us who have a career with an employer, chances are you are required to formerly state your goals and objectives each year. These goals are typically used to rate your overall performance and measure your value to the company. While the process may vary from company to company, any successful operation tracks the goals and objectives of their employees.

So what about those who are on their own? For those who create passive income streams or run their own business, one of the tasks that often is overlooked is setting good goals and objectives. That is not to say that goals are not set, just that they may not be clearly stated and manageable.

In an effort to take my passive income business to the next level, I will be defining several detailed and manageable goals as my objectives that I plan to meet. Keep reading to check out my first SMART goal definition for the upcoming year.

Tip – SMART Goals should have the following 5 attributes to be considered useful.
Specific + Measurable + Attainable + Relevant + Timely

Twitter Followers

I believe (and have shared my views many times) that Twitter can provide an excellent opportunity to create and build passive income streams. I can use use Twitter to drive more traffic to PFI or other niche websites I run, use it to help build credibility, or even earn some additional income through programs like Sponsored Tweets. Based on these beliefs, I plan to drastically increase my presence and following on Twitter which is the basis for my first goal defined below.

2010 SMART Goal #1
Increase my number of Twitter followers to 50,000 by December 31st, 2010. I will commit to adding at least 3,500 followers every month until I reach my target. New followers will be added by leveraging several FREE tools and Twitter apps as well as increasing my use of the site. Adding a significant number of followers will allow me to increase my monthly passive income earnings and meet additional goals for growing my business.

Is my Goal SMART?

The goal I defined to increase my number of Twitter followers contains a lot of details, but does it follow the SMART guidelines? Let’s take a look -

Is my goal Specific?
YES – The goal clearly uses some action statements like “Increase my number …” and “… commit to adding …. It also answers Why reaching this goal is important – to improve my monthly passive income earnings and grow my business. You may also notice that the goal answers How I plan to reach this goal – by leveraging FREE Twitter apps and increasing my use of the site.

Is my goal Measurable?
YES – I have quantified this goal by defining that I plan to have 50,000 Twitter followers and will add 3,500+ each month to reach that target.

Is my goal Attainable?
YES – I have set my goal so that it can be achieved in the amount of time I have set (over 13 months from today). You may also notice that I decided to include smaller attainable actions by stating I plan to add at least 3,500 new followers each month. I think this helps to break up the larger goal so that it is more easily attainable.

Is my goal Relevant?
YES – This goal is definitely relevant to building passive income. Since I will be leveraging several FREE Twitter apps there are no monetary costs involved. I am only out my time (which is still important) that I devote to this goal.

Is my goal Timely?
YES – I clearly have put a deadline to reach my goal – December 31st, 2010. It can’t be any more clear than that.

Final Thoughts

Even though this is a 2010 goal, I have decided to start it a little early. Starting today, I plan to put this goal into motion and have given myself about 13.5 months to reach my target. As time goes by, I will provide periodic updates (probably monthly) on my status and how I am doing. I will also be providing details on the tools and Twitter apps that I am leveraging to reach my goal. Finally, I have added the Twitter counter to this post so that I have an up to date count of my status when I check back in.

Tell me what you think – Is my Goal to attract 50,000 Twitter followers a SMART Goal?

For more information on SMART goal setting, check out – How to Create SMART Goals

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A Penny for Your Tweets?

John S. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:50:26 +0000

Would you pay someone to have them promote your company through their Twitter account? What about getting paid to tweet about products or services from advertisers through your account? There are plenty of services that offer these advertising opportunities today.

Sponsored Tweets is a new way to advertise your company using one of the fastest growing media outlets – Twitter. It is also a way for tweeters to earn income by tweeting advertisements out to their followers. I have been doing a lot of research lately on how Twitter can be used to build passive income. Getting paid for tweets seems like a potential opportunity to leverage the popularity of Twitter and one that I will be looking to capitalize on.

Is Sponsored Tweeting Legitimate?

As I investigate new opportunities to make money online, it is very easy to come across questionable practices that are not legitimate ways to make money. Let’s face it – there are a ton of scams out there just waiting to take your hard earned money.

So is Sponsored Tweets a legitimate money making opportunity? I believe it is for 2 reasons.

1. IZEA – IZEA is the parent company of Sponsored Tweets and is a legitimate operation. They also run SocialSpark (their social media marketing platform) as well as PayPerPost. I have used both of these services in the past and have been pleased with how they are run.

2. Pay Per Tweet Ethics – Sponsored Tweets requires 100% disclosure on any tweet that is sent through their service. Full disclosure has become very important to me, especially after the new FTC guidelines came out. Using the Disclosure Engine provided through this service helps tweeters easily add full disclosure to any tweet they may be receiving compensation for.

Building My Twitter Followers

I don’t know if getting paid to tweet will be a viable and sustainable passive income stream. What I do believe is that Twitter is around to stay and that I would be losing money if I did not try and take advantage of what it has to offer.

As a result, I plan to work to build my Twitter followers. There are a few things I have already done on this site like add the twit this button to the end of every post. I also have a few other updates that I plan to make as a way to attract more followers.

Outside of this site, I am working on several activities aimed at signing up more legitimate followers. As my followers grow, so will my opportunities to leverage Twitter as a passive income tool. I will be sure to keep everyone updated on my progress!

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8 Ways to Make Money Online Without a Website

John S. — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:33:17 +0000

The ultimate strategy of anyone trying to make money online should be to own your content. Normally this means purchasing and maintaining a website or blog. While the cost of running a website for a year can cost as little as $50, it takes an initial investment to get started. This cost may not always fit into your personal budget.

There are some alternatives to making money online that actually don’t require a your own website and are usually FREE to start. If you are looking to start earning some extra income and don’t have a budget to build your own content, I suggest you keep reading for some no cost alternatives.

8 Ideas to Make Money Online With No Website

The following list of ideas are legitimate ways to make money online without having your own website. I have actually made money using each of these strategies (some better than others).

Affiliate Marketing – Affiliate or internet marketing is one of the most lucrative opportunities to make money online. There are many experts in this field, but if you are interested in learning more, I would suggest checking out PotPieGirl’s One Week Marketing guide to learn more about this potential income stream.
eHow – To date, eHow is my most successful way to make money online. I currently earn over $200 each month in passive income earnings that continue to grow over time. Check out the following resource for more helpful information – Earn Passive Income on eHow.
HubPages – Writing Hubs on this revenue sharing site is another free opportunity to start earning some additional income. An author of the site can add money making advertisements like Google AdSense and Kontera to their published content.
eBook – Publishing an eBook does not necessarily require your own website. As long as you can market your product to other website and blog owners, you don’t need your own internet real estate. If you want to know more about the details of creating your own eBook, I suggest the following FREE resource to get started – How to Write and Publish an eBook. I am actually using this guide to publish my first ever eBook and would be lost without it!
Twitter – What can I say about Twitter that most people don’t already know? If you are creative enough, there are plenty of really cool ways to make money online using Twitter. There are no costs involved for creating a Twitter account, so there are little risks other than your time.
swagbucks – Using swagbucks as your search engine is another opportunity to earn a little extra cash for not really doing very much at all. While you won’t get rich from using swagbucks, you can generate enough money each month to make it worth it. There are no costs for using this service.
Xomba – Xomba is another site (similar to HubPages) that can be used to supplement your income just by publishing content.
RedGage – I have recently added RedGage to my list of ways to make money online. This site allows you to share pictures, videos, documents, links, etc. with others. Over time as your content grows and becomes more popular, RedGage will pay you based on page views.

Need Extra Income?

Each of the money making ideas listed above does not require your own website and are usually FREE to start.

All of these resources could be great tools to add to one’s income portfolio. Maybe you are out of work looking to make some extra money to get by until you can find full time employment? Why not look to start earning a little extra income from one of these sources?

Are you a stay at home parent or recent college grad? Each of the items listed above could be great ways to supplement your income in your spare time. Since there are no costs involved (except for the eBook), the only risks involved is your time.

Retire Early?

No, chances are if you use any of the identified ways to make money online without a website, you won’t be able to retire early. However, using several of these sources (and others not listed) can help you diversify your income. Each little bit of income can really add up and be worth your time and effort!

How do you make money online without using your own website?

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