Tips for Becoming a Better Entrepreneur

To be an entrepreneur is to wear many hats. There are many skills, traits, and lifestyle decisions that we all make universally. I've been running businesses for 6+ years, and have learned a lot along the way. And I don't mean just about marketing -- I mean myself included. These are what I believe to be some of the best tips to maximize your productivity, results, and happiness as an entrepreneur.

Get swole

Okay, maybe not literally. You don't have to be a world class bodybuilder, but you should exercise on a regular basis. It helps to improve your confidence, focus, and overall mood on a daily basis. This will allow you to get more work done, get distracted less, and even achieve higher quality sleep. I recommend beginning with cardio, like running or swimming, and bodyweight exercises. These don't require any equipment, besides a pool for swimming, of course.

Keep up your diet

When people hear "eat healthy" they think that they have to spend hundreds per week on organic food and the highest quality products. You don't. Eating clean is a lot simpler and cheaper than you think. For example, my diet consists of lean protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, supplements like a multivitamin and fishoil, and I snack on things like peanuts and fruit. It's not rocket science. I buy what's on sale at the grocery store, and I'm able to be in awesome shape while being healthy, too. Seriously, don't overthink it. Just eat better, remove what you know is bad(candy, pop, etc) and you'll see/feel the results. 

Hang around good people

This is a huge prerequisite for success. Hanging around negative and toxic people does absolutely no good for your life, business, and happiness. I don't know a single person that spends time with negative people and can say something good about it. You need to spend time with people that uplift you, relate to your hustle, and make you feel inspired to work harder. It takes time, but it's so worth it. Nowadays, my network consists of pure entrepreneurs, winners, and really hard working people. Yeah, not all of them are in the same space as me. Not all of them make 6 figures. Not all of them are grinding 24/7. But they are good people that encourage those around them. That's what matters.

My Opinion on Upwork and Similar Sites

Upwork and similar gig sites are the go-to for many freelancers and entrepreneurs. It makes sense. These platforms congregate clients and workers together to make finding clients/employees very easy. While it used to be better than it is today, I'm not a huge fan of them. Today, I'd like to talk a bit about why you shouldn't be using websites like Upwork to find freelance work, and what you can do instead.

It's a race to the bottom

The main issue with websites like Upwork is that it's a race to the bottom. What does that mean? Well, it means that a lot of freelancers are racing to the bottom in terms of rates and payment. They are charging less and less to increase their chances of landing projects. Undervalued work becomes the result. People expect you to do cheap projects, or for free, because it's a part of the culture on these websites. Don't get me wrong, there are people that make 6 figures and develop great relationships with clients, but it's exceedingly rare.

Time spent elsewhere is better

The time you spend perfecting your profile, completing tests, and pitching projects could be better spent elsewhere. For example, you could be collecting lists of leads through tools like LeadFerret, then pitching them your services. This would help you find higher paying and higher quality clients. You could also be creating your own website, building content, and have leads organically coming to you. The same goes with social media. The time you put into gig sites could be put into growing a following.

It doesn't develop relationships

Building relationships with your clients is a huge part of becoming successful as an entrepreneur. You don't just do the work and say goodbye. You find other ways to help each other, be yourself, and be a fun person to work with. I've had so many other opportunities flood my inbox because I went out of my way to help clients and did an excellent job. The problem with Upwork is you are expendable to most clients. You're just another drone. Yes, you can build long term relationships and move off of Upwork, but it doesn't happen often. People are looking for workers on Upwork and gig sites for a reason -- they're trying to keep it on the platform, not off.

So, what you should focus on?

Here's what you need to do instead. 

One. Focus on pitching leads outside of Upwork. You can use gig sites as a supplementary way to get work, but it shouldn't be the main strategy. LeadFerret, Zoominfo, and similar services will supply you with contact information to decision makers of any company. Find the VP of marketing, CMO, or other positions related to what you offer. Give them a genuine pitch about what you can do for them and you'll be surprised where it can go.

Two. Check out job board websites like ProBlogger. These have high quality listings posted on a daily basis. Apply to them as often as possible, and I'm certain that you will find consistent work from them.

Three. You need, need, need a website! Your own professional website helps your image, attracts clients naturally, and lets you grow a real brand. Don't work from a Google Drive portfolio(it's okay in the beginning). Write blog posts to show off your skills if you're a writer, create a portfolio page, and be proud of having a real business asset.

How to Make Money Freelance Blogging

Freelance blogging can make you tons of money. It's great for people that have a full time job and want to start a side hustle. Think about it. There's literally nothing you need besides some free time on your hands.

I've been freelance writing for several years now. I've had the pleasure to write for major brands and rake in plenty of cash. Along the way, I've messed up and made mistakes, though. It happens. It's business. But, that's why today I'm going to teach you how to make money writing online, and what to avoid so you can jump straight to the results. Let's get into it!

#1 - Define your niche

There's no such thing as being a freelance writer. You might be a freelance B2B writer, freelance copywriter, or freelance author, though. That's the first step. Define your niche and who you want to target. This both sets what you write about and the types of clients you pitch.

#2 - Stay active on job boards

In my experience, Indeed and those standard job boards aren't very good for landing freelance writing clients. There are some remote and contract jobs, but they are a needle in a haystack. Instead, you should focus on other job boards made for writers, like:

• Problogger.com
• Bloggingpro.com
• Angel.co
• Freelancewriting.com
• Freelancewritinggigs.com

There's dozens of these gig sites around. I recommend writing down a bunch of them and making it a habit to visit them a certain amount per week. Apply to the latest listings and you're sure to get some high paying clients this way.

#3 - Avoid Upwork and similar sites

Freelance platforms like Upwork are very popular, but they are a race to the bottom. What this means is that everyone is trying to lower their rates and do work for cheaper to appease clients. The result? Clients expect you to break your back for slave labor rates. There are very few people that make a reasonable living or 6 figures on sites like these. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

#4 - Stay organize and consistent

You're doing this for the long haul, right? That means you need to stay disciplined, focused, and organized. Like I mentioned with the job boards, you need to keep lists and documents for reference. It's a good idea to create a content process/template that you can use every time you write, and you can share it with clients to get an idea of your work process.

It's also effective to keep a tab or folder of your ongoing projects, due dates, and similar information. Client calls and meetings also need a place to be noted. 

Make sure to develop a good routine and schedule. Wake up, get your coffee, and start writing immediately if you want. Or, hit the gym and relax a bit before you dive into work.

Best Ways to Build Links to Your Website

Backlink building is 100% needed if you want to grow an online business, blog, or general website. When you first start, it can be very confusing, though. There are all of these strategies and angles to take, but which is the best? How do you scale it? Are there tools to help? That's just some of the things that I'll be covering in this post.

Guest blogging

Guest blogging, or guest posting, is a pretty simple concept and strategy to pull off. I recommend it for every internet marketer and there's nobody that can't benefit from it. Not only will you get valuable backlinks to your site, but it also allows you to network with other website owners, creating further opportunities in the future. I have people pitch me all of the time for guest posts, and I have grown websites to authority status through mostly this approach. So, let me tell you a few things.

Always read the guidelines

Websites that allow guest posts will have strict guidelines that you must follow. You also need to follow them when you give them a pitch. These rules include things like word count, topics, and rules about linking. They might allow you one link in the biography, or links within the body of content. Both are fine, and I wouldn't worry too much about one or the other.

How two find guest post opportunities

Take a trip to Google and use the following search parameters:

• A keyword followed by "guest post"
• A keyword followed by "guest post guidelines"
• A keyword followed by "become a contributor"

This will easily allow you to find tons of guest posting opportunities. You can replace the footprint at the end with other common phrases related to guest blogging. Pitch them one at a time, or even better, place them all into a spreadsheet to message in succession. 

Writing a guest post is the easy part, just take your time and follow all of the rules. Did you know that nearly 50% of all searches start from a search engine, too?

Blog commenting

So, here's the deal with blog commenting. It shouldn't be a main strategy for your linkbuilding campaigns, but it's a nice idea for supplementing links. It allows us to expand our link profile and it make it appear more natural. Just like with guest posting, you can look for similar parameters on Google:

• A keyword followed by "leave a reply"
• A keyword followed by "leave a comment"

The key is to be a productive and thoughtful commenter. Don't leave generic replies like "cool" and "nice post". Those will get deleted or marked as a spam faster than Buzz Lightyear.

Instead, leave a comment that touches upon what the article speaks about, and mention what you learned. Ask a question, and reply to other people if you'd like, as well.

What not to do

As great and effective as link building is, it's also wise to understand what you shouldn't be doing in terms of SEO. Here are some of such things:

1. Buying backlinks: Don't do it ever. Google tracks link farms and slaps all of the websites involved at certain points with one big swoop. It can be great in the short term, sure, but do you want your site years from now? If so, don't do it.
2. Impatience: Be patient! Rome wasn't built in a day, after all. Build links consistently through strategies that you refine and you will be rewarded over time. It doesn't matter if your competition is buying links or using a PBN, they will get penalized sooner or later, and you'll come out on top.
3. PBN: Private blog networks are websites owned by one individual or company, but disguised as separate entities. Owning many websites is not an issue, but when they are thin and irrelevant, and linking to one another; that's a big problem. Avoid doing this, but don't shy away from helping the internet become better by launching more useful websites.

How to Develop a Content Marketing Strategy

42% of B2B marketers are confident in their ability to market content, are you in this group? Whether or not, you need to have a solid plan for developing a content strategy. The roots create the fruits as they say, after all. That's what you'll be learning about today -- developing a content strategy for any industry.

Who is your ideal client?

The first step in developing a content strategy is considering who you're targeting to begin with. Is it SaaS companies? SME's? Construction companies? Get as niche as possible to make the best out of it and to make yourself into an authority about that market. Draft a buyers persona, which is a rough idea of the demographics and values of who you're looking to work with. Create posts around the questions and things they would be interested in, and you'll attract them to your business. Plain and simple.

Create a content calendar

Staying organized is the name of the game. If you don't know what your writing or when, imagine how disorganized you're going to be. To speed up your marketing results and to make the process more fun, create a calendar. It should have rows for:

1. Topics
2. Publishing dates
3. Resources and notes
4. Keywords to target

Feel free to add other rows like word count, tone, etc.

Pump out the content!

Start writing blog posts at least once per week. The more the better though. Three times per week is ideal, and everyday is incredible. It might take a team from Upwork or iWriter, but it's doable. The more content, the faster you rank and the more inbound clients you'll get. 

But don't stop there. Repurpose your content into YouTube videos, infographics, slideshows, and other formats. Get these onto platforms like Linkedin, Visually, and Pinterest. It allows you to generate more traffic easily.

Blog posts should have a high word count, as it's been proven to achieve higher rankings and pack more information. Include videos, images, and graphics when you can. Hiring a graphic designer can save you a lot of time here. 

Real Estate Agent Marketing Tips

Are you a real estate agent? Did you know that 33% of home buyers will purchase their home through an agent? That means your marketing needs to top notch to beat the competition and get more clients. Here are some marketing tips for real estate agents to just do that.

Get your social media in good shape

It's 2018, you need social media accounts. Everyone and their grandma is on Facebook, and you need to be, too. Create accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. All of these platforms are great for building a brand, growing an audience, and also showing off homes you are selling. Use relevant hashtags, especially on Instagram. You'll definitely get potential buyers reaching out to you once you get the ball rolling. Follow users in your city and many will follow you back, as well. Linkedin is another platform you should start using to grow your reputation in the industry.

Real estate SEO is a thing

Don't think just because you're into the real estate market that you can get away without any SEO. Obviously this means that you need a website first. Use services like Bluehost or Hostgator to get a WordPress site up in minutes. Buy a theme for around $50 and take the time to add photos and customize it. Then, add keywords like "Toronto real estate agent" for example. It should be around your city and exact services. You also need to be posting consistent blog posts for Google to recognize your website and to rank it higher. Reach out to other real estate bloggers and ask if you can post on their site. This typically gives you a link back to your site, helping further improve your SEO.

Get involved in events

Nothing beats good ole shaking hands and getting your face out there. Look for local networking events through Eventbrite or Meetup. Print out some business cards and start chatting up other real estate professionals. You never know what opportunities are awaiting and referrals you might get. If you have the chops, do presentations and talks. This makes you look like a true leader and can easily help you land more clients.

Why Small Businesses Need a Website

It doesn't matter what market you're in or what audience you serve, a website is necessary to succeed. It helps achieve so many things and will make your business goals a reality much sooner than if you didn't have a website. 51% of small businesses use a website as their main marketing tool, do you? Here are some reason why small businesses need a website in 2018 and beyond.

It helps generate leads

Finding new customers is the toughest task for 66% of small businesses.

Having a website allows you to passively get new customers, as it acts as a way to advertise your products/services. Ensure that you use tools like Google's keyword planner to find relevant keywords to optimize your SEO. Place these in the title tags and meta descriptions of your website. They should be related to your city and services to maximize the effectiveness. For example, you could do "Niagara Falls web design". Posting regular content will also help boost rankings, traffic, and ultimately get your small business more leads. Include a contact form and a lead magnet like an e-book to make your lead gen even stronger.

A boost in trust

Put yourself in the shoes of your customer. They'd like to get your service, but they can't find your website or any detailed information about you. You only have some contact information around and social media accounts. That's fine, but if you really want to be credible and build trust with users, you need a website. A professional looking site makes your brand look better and shows that you invest into your company. By increasing loyalty and retention, you're also going to earn more revenue.

It opens the door to more opportunities

A website is so much more than just a way to reach new customers and build trust, though. When you own a website, you can sell more products like courses and e-books for example. This means that you create extra income streams and easily pivot into new markets. Otherwise, this would be more difficult to pull off and you'd need to invest into different services. A website paired with something like Google Analytics also means that you can collect data to discover new target audiences, popular products, and similar things.