Guest post by Hajra Kahtoon

WHO?

Jane Sheeba  runs many blogs!!! That is probably the first thing you notice about her.

She blogs about blogging at Problogging Success.

She tells you all about the technological buzz going around at Tech Buzz.

She runs a relationship advice blog at Merry Relationships.

Besides this, she is a team member at We Blog Better, works as a scientist by day and don’t ask me how; but manages to run her family and raise a kid!

Now that you have done gasping; read on.

WHAT?

Jane has authored an amazing book called Pro Blogging Action Plan. The book is a 132 page of action packed blogging guide. It can very well be your blogging guru all in itself. Not only is the book explanatory, but it walks you through EACH AND EVERY step of the blogging process. From selecting your niche, to naming it, to hosting it, to writing posts, having schedules, SEO’s, links, plug – ins, to, hear hear…MAKING MONEY!

Not only is this book  a walk-through through your blogging journey; it tells you how to maximize benefits at each step.

WHY?

Why should I buy this book you ask? Here’s why:

• Everyone talks about making mistakes. Pro blogging action talks about improving on them. What you should NOT be doing and what you SHOULD be doing and HOW you should be doing it.
• There is absolutely nothing a newbie needs to know that hasn’t been covered. You name it and it is there in the book.
• Illustrations :  probably my best loved feature in the book! Not only does Jane walk you through; she illustrates how!
• DEFINITIONS! Yes, Jane’s book defines many terms that technology cripples might find hard to understand. Terms like content syndication, quality link building, do follow links are comprehensively described.
• Not only will you know what blogging goals are; you shall know how to identify them.
• It’s a tried and tested formula. Jane mentions how she went wrong and how she worked on it.
• Recommendations: The book lays out the resources available and compares them to each other. Also, Jane mentions what she uses herself and why.
• Wonderfully explained methods to increase traffic to your blog and also optimizing your blog for search engines.
• MONEY: Everyone is here to make money, at least some money. This book might help you get just that!

HOW MUCH?

Priced at 27 $ this book is probably the best bargain you get! Also, there is so much to learn that money really won’t be an issue. Also, letting you on a little secret; if you are a subscriber at Jane’s blog you might just get yourself a discount!  And it comes with a 100% 30 Day Money Back Guarantee. What more can you ask for?

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING?

Check out what others are saying about the book.

Brankica Underwood of Blog Like a Star: If you are searching for actionable steps to make your blog bigger and better, Jane has the solution for you. Her e-book is filled with great advice. She served all the things on a platter for you. Do you know how much time we would have all saved if this book had been published sooner? She tried and tested everything and handpicked the things that work the best. Can’t ask for more than that! ”

Ana of Traffic Generation Café: “Jane’s book is a goldmine for any aspiring blogger. It’s filled with the kind of thorough and practical advice on setting up and running a successful blog that others charge hundreds of dollars for. If you already have a blog up and running, don’t think this ebook is not for you though. Her chapters on content creation, SEO, and blog promotion are definitely something that can give your blog the push you’ve been looking for. In short, this ebook is definitely a winner in my book. ”

So, given all that you stand to benefit, go book shopping here!

For the Problogging Success’s Blogging Tips 101 Contest.

Book Review: ProBlogging Action Plan is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

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Ok – I’ll admit.  Money is definitely nice and it is part of the reason why I submitted a post for the JobMob blogging contest.  But I’m finding that there are some other benefits, too.

Exposure

Exposure is something that anyone who works online needs and freelance writers especially need exposure if they want to get more clients.  When you are in a blogging contest, more people read your work and become aware of your services.  Since my post went live yesterday on JobMob I’ve gotten lots of compliments on the quality of my writing.

Skills

Since people are going to be judging your writing skills on the basis of that post you really want to put your best into it.  I took several hours to compose that post and I think that it is one of the best pieces I have ever written.  It was a good exercise to find out what I am really capable of.

Social Media Skills

I’ve always wondered what kind of results I could get if I really put my full effort into it and I’m finding out that I can do even better than I thought.  I was hoping for 300-400 visits to that post before the contest rankings went up yesterday and ended up surpassing myself by almost hitting 500 (only 2 away!) visits.  I wasn’t sure what I was capable of.  Now I know.

Contacts

People comment on your posts in a blogging contest so take advantage of that.  Most of them have a site of their own so make sure that you visit their sites, comment on their blogs, and connect with them where ever they hangout.  When you connect with them, send them a message to let them  know who you are!

Money is great and if I do win I’ll be thrilled.  But I’ve already found that there is so much more to participating in a blogging contest!

Blogging Contests Have More Benefits Than Just Money is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

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As I mentioned earlier, I’m on a bit of a guest posting binge!  Since the last post I mentioned I’ve had two more guest posts go live:

10 Reasons Your Writing Blog Isn’t Helping You Get Jobs 

If you have a writing blog and you are using it to attract clients (on your resume, in job requests, on social media, etc.) you have to be careful what you post.  These 10 tips should help you make sure your blog is client worthy.  If you’re still not sure and would like some professional feedback, my services are available.  Contact me and I can give you a blog audit that will help you make your blog a place you are proud to direct clients to.  Prices are negotiable.

Writers – Are You Filling in Your Profiles?

How many times have you joined a site that lets you fill in your profile and you set it aside until later and then forget about it?  Or maybe you just don’t think it is worth your time?  This post will change your mind!

Don’t Forget To Check Out These Guest Posts is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

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Come and visit me at A Dynamic Life

Hi all!  :wave:

I’ve done something fabulous.  I’ve been given permission (by myself, because who else would give me permission for something like this) to take off as much time from blogging here as I need to.  Seriously.  Writing in this blog is becoming a job and that just defeats the purpose of why I quit my job.  I didn’t quit my job to do more stuff that I am not enjoying.  I quit to be able to do stuff that I like.

It’s not that I don’t like this blog. I do.  I’ve put a lot of work into it and I love what it has become.

But I need a break and I’ve got permission to take one.

So, The Social Freelance Writer is officially on hiatus.

But I will still be around.

In fact I’ll still be blogging.  If you really need your fix of me you can find me at A Dynamic Life and I do hope you’ll come and check it out.  It’s about kitties and pregnant teenagers and stupid people and all sorts of random stuff.  Yes, it is my personal blog.  It’s not the blog you want to read during “learning time” – it is the blog you want to read when laughing until you snort coffee out your nose sounds like an idea.

So you’ve got no reason to miss me.

And don’t worry – I’ll be back here eventually. And maybe randomly.

Cheers!  Have a good summer!

I Have Permission is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

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Do you feel like you are writing the same blog posts that everyone else is writing?  It is quite possible that you are.

“Nothing is new under the sun.”

Yes, that is a Biblical quote I believe.  Don’t ask me where from.  I don’t remember.  But it is really true, especially when it comes to writing.  Pretty much everything there is to say has already been said.  But that doesn’t mean that you can’t make it seem new.

If you want your blog posts to feel new and fresh but you’re writing about stuff that you know is already out there on the Internet, you have to give your blog posts your personal touch.  Don’t write like a machine.  Write like a person.  After all, you are one right (I hope!)?

Tell a Story

When you are writing about anything, tell a story with it.  Give it a personal touch by telling a story about someone you know or about something that has actually happened to you.

Sharing stories about your personal experiences gives people a way to related to what you are saying.  If you just tell people how to do something or where to get traffic or whatever you are writing about, it comes across as cold and impersonal.  Tell a story with it and it will become vastly more interesting.

Use Case Studies

Case studies explain how someone else did something or how you did something and then applies it to rules or guidelines.  When you use case studies, people can see how it can work, but in individual ways.  It helps them to relate the context of the material to their own lives.

Give Examples

When you are writing your blog posts, use examples to illustrate your point.  Tell your readers what worked for you.  Better yet, tell them about a time that something didn’t work for you

In My Experience

One of the things we bloggers love is…comments!  You got it!  Comments tell us that there are people reading our blog.  They validate our need to get out there and talk about ourselves.  They make us feel like what we have to say is worth reading.

When I write blog posts that are lighter and more personal, I always get more comments.  I’ve been trying to let my personality shine through more, share more of what I do, express myself in my blog posts – and guess what?  I’m getting more comments!

Excellent Examples

Here are a few excellent examples of bloggers that are talking from personal experience while writing great blog posts and getting great results:

• Dan Smith at Get Paid to Write Online
• Pat Flynn at Smart Passive Income
• Michelle Shaeffer at MichelleShaeffer.com
• Lizbeth Tanz at Your Words Your Voice

Who else do you think is good at using personal voice in their blog posts?  Leave me some suggestions in the comments!

Give Your Blog Posts a Personal Touch is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

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Have you been blogging for awhile but find that you’re not getting results? Seems like no one is reading? No one is commenting? You’ve got no subscribers?

People forget that blogging takes work and effort. Internet Marketers tell you all the time that you can easily make money online if you just start a blog and put some ads up on it. But it isn’t that easy is it? I struggled for years to figure out how to make a success of my blogs and I still work at it every day.

I have learned a few things along the road though. And one of the things I’ve learned is that if you want your readers to do something you have to tell them what you want. Ask for it!

Don’t Act Like You Actually Want Comments

And Lord forbid you actually ask for them. No one wants to come off as desperate. But the thing is that people often don’t know what to do after they have read your blog post. So, if comments are what you want, then ask for them. A request at the end of your post or arrows pointing to the comments section can get some good results.

Here are phrases you can use to encourage people to comment:

I’ve just given you a few ideas so leave your suggestions in the comments.

Tell me in the comments what works for you?

Leave a comment to share you experience in this matter.

And when you make a request, don’t forget to say “Please!”

So, what are you waiting for? Leave a comment and tell me what common blogging mistakes you’ve learned to avoid – please?

Don’t Forget to Say Please is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

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Adrienne Smith gives some great advice on finding ideas for writing content and finding ideas. One of her suggestions is to brows through EzineArticles and I’ve used that trick myself several times. There are lots of other places where you can find ideas online, too.

I use YouTube (the second biggest search engine!) often to find ideas for blog posts, for articles, and for other content that I need to write.

Pat Flynn from the Smart Passive Income blog suggested using Amazon for ideas of things to write about. I can’t remember if it was in a video, a blog post, or in his newsletter, but he suggested using the books that offer a preview to the table of content.

Where do you get ideas for writing content?

Find Ideas for Writing Content is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

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Staying motivated is one of the things that I think everyone has a hard time with at one point or another.  Sometimes we get frustrated with a project because it is not going the way we think it should.  Other times we lose motivation because we get tired of doing the same thing day after day.  When everything seems to be the same day after day motivation is often the first thing to go out the door.  But if we want the money to keep coming in we need to find ways to get fired up about what we are doing so that we can continue.

Here are some of the ways that I stay motivated (and trust me, since I’ve started working at home full-time I’ve had to use a few of these!):

• Read success stories.  Sometimes when you feel like you are just spinning your wheels reading the successes of others can help you get going again.  I find it especially helpful when I realize that other successful writers and online entrepreneurs have often gone through the same things as I do.  I love reading About pages and interviews.
• Write down your successes.  You haven’t gotten to where you are without successes.  You started from no where and now you’re…where are you?  Write down the things that you have succeeded at, the things you have taught yourself, and the challenges you have overcome to get where you are.
• Remember that this is your job.  Sometimes you have to remind yourself that doctors don’t get paid when they are not in the mood to operate and you won’t get paid if you are not in the mood to write.  If you want to pay the bills and eat and have money to go out and do fun things you need to write.  Some days are going to be more exciting than others but you still need to get down to business.
• Reward yourself.  Sometimes we need something a little bit extra to get the work done so give yourself rewards when you have completed a task.  It could be a trip to the coffee shop, a massage, or even just an hour to sit still and read a book that you like.
• Get a writing buddy.  When you need a lift up you can turn to each other.  Find someone with an upbeat attitude.  Don’t forget to be their cheer captain sometimes, too, though.
• Put the editor aside.  When you are writing, just write.  Don’t let the editor come in and tell you how much you suck.  Don’t let the editor stifle your creativity.  Let the editor come out only when you are done writing.  Then they can do their job.
• Find the ultimate inspiration.  What have you always wanted to do with your writing?  Write a book?  Then design a cover for the book and put in on your bulletin board.  Do you want to publish an article in the New Yorker?  Then keep a copy on your desk where you can see it.  Or maybe you’ve always wanted to go to Paris.  Put a beautiful Paris print on the wall.

We all need a little motivation to keep going at times so find out what kinds of things will motivate you.  Remember that no one gets promoted to the vice-president over night – you need to work your way up and you’ll need motivation to keep climbing that ladder.

Freelance Writers Can Stay Motivated with These 7 Tips is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

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It happens to everyone at some point in time.  I know it has happened to me and I’m willing to bet it has happened to you.  You know what I’m talking about right?  The dreaded writer’s block!

Turn off the Internet

It’s so easy to get distracted from what we’re supposed to be doing when there is a Facebook account with loads of interesting information to browse through.  This is my personal demon.  I’m addicted to info and I have lots of people on Facebook that share things like events and interesting blog posts on topics I need to know about (I just don’t need to know about it at that very moment!) and even the status updates are fun to me.

Other people might be addicted to checking their mail. Or to a forum.  I know a lot of webmasters and freelance professionals that get caught up in the drama of forums and just can’t resist checking to see if someone replied to their last post.

So try to get away from the Internet.  It could mean unplugging your router or turning off the wireless.  And if you really have no control it might mean installing an app or extension that will block certain sites for a period of time.  When I am at my worst and I really need to get the work done these apps have saved my life!

Take a Break

If you’re really just sitting there staring at a blank screen you aren’t getting much done are you?  So take a break and go do something else for at least 10-15 minutes.  I’ve had complete revelations while my hands are buried in soapy water.  Walking seems to help me clear my mind, too.

The very act of trying NOT to think about the thing we are thinking about seems to bring clarity.  So, find something that relaxes your mind and go and do it.  Crossword puzzles, answering emails, reading blog posts, cleaning, and exercises are all great things to do when your brain needs a break.

Call a friend

Call someone and talk about the article you are working on.  You can just vent but you might also get some valuable new insight as well.  After all, you’re not writing for you – you are writing for other people.

Sometimes you might even find it worthwhile to get on chat and talk to another writer.  They might have an entirely different outlook on the subject that you have completely overlooked.  Talking to other writers about a topic can really bring your topic into a new light.

Write Junk

Don’t write junk for your article but go to a journal or your personal blog and just write whatever comes to mind.  Maybe there is something on your mind that is distracting you and by giving yourself permission to write whatever comes to mind you might clear it out.

You could also do some freewriting about the topic that you are writing about.  By giving yourself permission to not think about being clear or thinking about spelling and grammar you can sometimes come up with fresh ideas that can get you past that writer’s block.

Ultimately, trying to force yourself through writer’s block will rarely help.  If you try to force it you usually just get more frustrated.  Stop writing and let your brain wander and the block will usually disappear.

4 Tips for Beating the Dreaded Writer’s Block is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

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Day 1 of the 31 Days Blog Challenge is to come up with an elevator pitch.  I remember doing this one before but I think I missed the point of it.

The point of an elevator pitch is to have a response to people question when they say, “Exactly what do you do?” (and you know if you tell them that you’re a freelance anything that is going to be the first question they ask!) – you need to have something short and sweet to tell them that explains what you do in simple words.

Now, if you look at the title of my blog I guess it isn’t exactly clear.  Text Media?  What’s that?  I guess that text media is my play on text writing and social media.  So Text Media is any type of social media that is based on words – like Facebook, Twitter, or blogging.  It can be other things as well – article marketing, bookmarking (although I’m not really big on that yet), LinkedIn…and some others that I haven’t really gotten into so we’ll leave it at that.

You should have a short version to give to those who are just asking to be polite and likely won’t sit through a 3 minute spiel but you should also have a longer version that you can use when they really do want to know what you do.

So, my short version elevator pitch:

I help people with written social media like blogging, Facebook, and Twitter.

And my longer version:

I help people with written social media like blogging, Facebook, and Twitter.  I write profiles for their social media accounts, I help set up their accounts or their blogs, and I write the content.  It can be as simple as writing a blog post for them a couple times a week or it can go as far as writing the blog post and then spreading it through their social networks.

Working on My Elevator Pitch is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

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