In a recent podcast episode, my colleague Mary Motz & I discussed computer data backup options.

I employ both an external hard drive (This Western Digital My Book Essential is under $90), as well as an online backup solution called Mozy, in my data protection plan.   Both resources are a breeze to use.   My external hard drive holds my precious digital media files (which are usually large file sizes).  I can simply drag-and-drop any files to it, as a backup for my project files.  Mozy is super simple as well.  After some initial settings, it runs automatically twice per day whenever my computer is idle.  It doesn’t slow me down, and I’m confident that my data is safe.

I’m writing this post because I assist entrepreneurs and small business owners – and I like to share the resources that I use to make me more productive in my business.  However, data backup plans would be just as important for home use.  So, don’t forget to backup all your photos, music and videos.  These tools would be a great solution for home use.

What are you using for a backup solution.  Are you relying on an external hard drive, an online tool, or a combination of both?

After years of working and producing products together, it is with great pleasure that I announce that Mary Motz (also known as @provirtual) of ProVirtual Solutions and I have launched a new podcast called Online Biz Insiders!

The Online Biz Insiders podcast is in response to the many questions that Mary and I receive from clients, colleagues and friends.   With our consulting backgrounds in website/blogsite design and customization, as well as digital media and content/internet marketing, we felt we had plenty of expertise to share with our audience.

We host our podcasts weekly, and each episode is 10-30 minutes in length.  There is no cost to download our podcast episodes, we simply want to share our “secrets” with our listeners.  We love to share new technologies, resources and tips and tricks for small business owners to help them run their businesses more efficiently.

What is a podcast?  According to Wikipedia, a podcast can be described as, ” a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication.”   I like to explain a podcast in this manner.  A podcast is like an “audio blog”.  Like a blog, whenever we add a new episode (or post) to our podcast feed (or via iTunes), subscribers to our podcast are updated automatically.

In addition to our podcast feed, we have created a separate blog to post images and links discussed during our shows.  Some of our show topics include Task Management, using Google Alerts for reputation management (and other research), and Data Backup Options.

So navigate over to Online Biz Insiders and subscribe to our feed or blog.  You can even get updates via iTunes or email (see the “Get Updates by Email” box on our home page).  We tweet at @onlinebizinsidr!   Our podcast is produced by Wilson Media Services, the company I run with my husband, David.  Our podcast theme music was composed by none other than my son, Ben.

Are you considering starting a podcast?  I’d love to talk with you about it.  Contact me now to discuss further.

But that does not mean that all blogging is done without reward. Over the seven years that blogging has been a mainstream occurrence, a growing number of bloggers have worked out how to draw something more than enjoyment and improvement from their blogs: income.

To follow are four methods that can help you do the same. From affiliate-based sales programs to blogger advertising, there are hundreds of ways to monetize your personal or business blog. We have found the four most effective forms of blog income, and pulled them together for you to select from. If you are tired of blogging without any measurable returns, give these recommendations a try.

1.  Use Amazon’s Affiliates Program to promote new products and books.

Amazon’s commission sales program is one of the most popular on the internet, and for good reason. While the online retail giant offers little in the way of income, it makes things as simple as possible for bloggers by creating a huge selection of books, movies, and high quality products to select from. If you are worried about conversion rates with other products – perhaps you are considering designing your own but want to build base income first – Amazon Affiliates is the way to go.   This was the first method I tried on my own blog.  You’ll see that I recommend a some business books and use Amazon affiliate links.

2.  Create your own product.

A growing number of bloggers are looking beyond Amazon’s affiliate program for their blog income.  EBooks, audio programs, video courses, and even tangible goods and services, have become a popular option for bloggers, especially those invested in a particular niche or industry.

I am a big proponent of re-purposing content that you already have so you aren’t creating from scratch.   You are a skilled professional, with unique expertise, and probably have enough information to offer some type of eProduct to your audience.  People love checklists and how-to products – products that help save them time or make them feel more productive.  What complimentary offer can you create?  (hint: if you need help launching a digital product, check out eProduct Flight Plan – a product Mary Motz and I designed and now sell on our blogs).

3.  Use Google Adsense to cash in on your clicks.

Google Adsense won’t be the top-paying network out there, and it is unlikely to help you turn your blog into an advertising powerhouse. However, it is one of the most reliable advertising networks on the web, helping bloggers and webmasters generate billions of dollars annually without having to constantly monitor their websites and advertising statistics. For low-maintenance income, it is certainly worth a dedicated effort.

4.  Partner with media buyers and direct marketers.

If you have got a really high-traffic blog, the best way to monetize it effectively is to partner with media buyers and direct marketing organizations. From Coca-Cola to small family businesses, a surprising amount of online and offline businesses will be interested in buying traffic from you.

If you are uncertain about jumping in on your own, it is worth working through a media buying agency at first. Search around using Google, or look through local advertisers yourself – you could end up building a long-term partnership with businesses, and even open yourself up to additional opportunities.

I have friends that are huge blog followers.  They love to read, but don’t like to listen.

Then there are the video watchers.  Watchers prefer the video tutorials, video blog posts, and entertainment value of video.  From a business standpoint, what a great medium for building rapport with your audience!  Not only will watchers learn about your area of expertise, but they get to see AND hear you while learning.

Understanding these preferences is a must to your Content Marketing.

What do I mean by Content Marketing?   For me, content marketing is using the many methods of digital media – eBooks, audio, video and blogs – in your marketing mix.   I don’t mean creating new content from scratch everytime you want touch for your audience with marketing.  My point is to re-purpose your content into other medium.

For instance, say you wrote a special report or eBook on a subject in your area of expertise.  You could use your eBook as a script and record an audio version of it.   That audio could become an audio book, or be separated in to audio posts for your blog, or become a 5-part audio series you offer as a product on your website.   Because these files are digital, you can post them in several different places – like your blog, your social nets, your eNewsletter – to gain even more exposure.

This month, I published an eBook titled, “4 Steps to EASY Content Marketing” which is available at my website.   I wanted to share some of my expertise so that entrepreneurs would understand content marketing and how easy it is to re-purpose your content.  I’d love to send you a free copy.  Simply sign up for my mailing list.

Do you love downloading eBooks?   Or, downloading audio or video to your iPod and then hitting the treadmill?  Or, do you keep it simple and read a few blogs everyday?  I’d love to hear about your preferences if you comment below.

If you have an online business, you have much to gain from creating a YouTube channel and launching a video marketing campaign. Once a YouTube channel has been created, the following steps should be followed in order to improve your brand awareness and visibility not only in video-sharing communities but also among search engine users:

Select a Topic That Makes Sense To You

Choosing a topic for video marketing doesn’t need to be a difficult task.  Your video marketing could be focused on a better or unconventional way to use a product for best results or simply demonstrate the your expertise.  It could also include testimonials from loyal customers or even be made just for pure entertainment. When it comes to selecting video marketing topics, entrepreneurs are only limited by their creativity.

Furthermore, online entrepreneurs and marketers need not limit themselves to developing just one video. In most cases, publishing a video marketing series works best and increases the potential of a brand to gain loyal viewership.

Record Your Video

Upon selecting a topic and planning out important communication points, you are ready to record!   The technology used for this is not as important as the concept of the video as there are folks who have shot videos with mobile phone cameras have seen the same success as those who have recorded in HD or other more sophisticated devices.

Recorded videos should be focused, direct to the point, and kept below 2 minutes. Upon recording, simple editing software can be used to fix the transition between scenes, remove unnecessary takes, and finalize the video for public viewing.

Implement Video Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tactics

When a video is ready for the public, it should be uploaded to your YouTube channel and optimized for proper video SEO.  To do this, you should include pertinent keywords when entering the title, description, and tags.   Furthermore, a link to your website should be added towards the end of the video and in its description. Doing so does not only generate backlinks for a site but also directs viewers to a place where they can learn more about the brand featured in the video.

Generate More Video Views

Apart from making a video available in a YouTube channel, look for other videos with related content and post your videos as replies. Doing so increases the potential of views and enhances a video’s relevance to certain keywords.  More views and backlinks can also be generated by promoting videos on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Once a video has gained enough views and backlinks, it starts appearing in Google search results for targeted keywords and phrases.

Video marketing is a bit more difficult to pursue than other content marketing strategies like article writing or audio marketing.  However, the results you can gain from this strategy makes it worthwhile.  With the assistance of an internet marketing team (like WilsonVA!), a proper video marketing campaign can easily improve the online brand awareness, visibility, and SEO for your business.

If you happen to have a podcast without a blog as its counterpart, you’re missing out on an easy-to-grab opportunity to increase your listeners!

One Benefits the Other
By having both a podcast and a blog, you have more opportunities to generate followers. For example, adding your podcast to various promotion directories and lists will not only accomplish the main goal of getting exposure for your podcast, but will also result in more readers for your blog. This is an excellent way of creating a stable stream of content for your audience to enjoy – you may not have a new podcast out until later in the week, but your followers still have a reason to visit your blog site today.

More Opportunities for Collaboration
Similar to having a guest host on your podcast, you can invite other bloggers or podcasters to write a guest post on your blog site. You even have the option to do interviews with your guests on your actual podcast, resulting in maximum exposure (and thus incentive) for the guest blogger. This situation can also be reversed, with you being the guest poster and potentially an interviewee as well. The goal is that your audience will be introduced to the guest, and vice versa. For you, the obvious benefit is the opportunity to reach out to more audiences.

More Traffic
When adding a blog to your existing podcast website, you have the extra benefit of potentially gaining a significant increase in traffic. Ultimately, this would lead to more listeners, making your podcast more attractive to advertisers. Blogging, over time, will inevitably land your site in good search engine rankings. And, whether or not you are focusing on getting ranked for particular keyword combinations, your traffic will naturally increase. As long as you have a search engine optimized blog to support your podcast, you will undoubtedly have an easier time gathering a targeted listener base than your competitors.

More Options for Your Audience
Adding a blog component to your existing podcast will give your listeners another platform to connect with you or your brand. Some listeners might not be inclined to contact you directly or call into your show (if you have that as a feature), but may feel more comfortable posting a comment directly on your blog when you post about something that interests them.

Your blog can tie-in many features with your podcast to positively increase your audience’s overall experience. Great things to post could include show overviews, which might contain images, videos or other information referenced during the podcast. You could even go the extra step and include full show transcripts (which will have a positive effect on your organic search engine traffic as well).

These are just a few of the reasons why you should support your podcast with a blog. Just ask yourself what other features you could provide your listeners. When you have their best interests at heart, success will always follow.

Listen to the audio version of this post here: Podcasting and Blogging – Nov 2010

Denise has launched a brand new *complimentary* minicourse that I think you’re going to love!

She has created a simple, step by step, 7-day minicourse with tips you can implement immediately to boost your visibility on the web so it’s easy for your ideal clients to find you.

Here’s what you’ll learn…

• Exactly what it takes to boost your visibility.
• A simple way to find your target audience.
• Where to find potential JV partners.
• An important blogging tactic that will boost your visibility.
• How to share your expertise so you dominate your niche.
• How to get more leverage from your videos.

…and much more!

There’s no charge for the minicourse so you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Want to know more?  Get the details here

Like Denise often says, “Visibility = Opportunity.” If you’re not visible on the web, your target client, the media and potential partners CANNOT find you. That’s the bottom
line.

Click here to get your tips now

If you have a traditional HTML website – or have a website that’s run on a content management system, you definitely want to check out my new teleclass next week, Top Ten Reasons to Switch to WordPress.  If your website is more than a few years old, or if you want something that is easier to maintain, it may be time to rebuild your site in WordPress.

As you may already know, WordPress is a blog platform. It’s been around for ages, but over the past few years it blossomed into a flexible and stable content manager that can help you increase your Internet visibility.

Why switch your website to WordPress?  Here are Mary’s top reasons to make the jump…

1. WordPress has built-in blogging.  Yes, you need this!
2. A site built in WordPress has search engine optimization (SEO) baked in
3. You can make your own content additions and edits, with no webmaster needed.
4. There are thousands of beautiful layout themes available (no cookie-cutter sites!)
5. WordPress is a free open-source system that is constantly improved and upgraded, and there are no licensing fees.

And, did I mention that I’ll be emceeing the event?  Why don’t you join us on Wednesday, November 3 at 2pm for the “Lunch -n- Learn?”  REGISTER HERE

According to the FAQ page on their site, the purpose of PodCamp Philly is to:

• Share information
• Build & develop relationships
• Grow the new media community

My main interest in PodCamp was to learn more about podcasting.  My colleague, Mary Motz, and I will be starting a podcast called Online Biz Insiders this month, and I wanted to get a best practices view for managing it.  Plus, my husband and I have enough audio equipment in our home to fill the basement, so why not pull stuff out of storage and use it on a daily basis?

The first session we attended was called, “Recording Podcasts with Skype,” by a DC-based podcaster named Charley Hays (@charleyhays).    Charley does a lot of interviewing  for his Cross Driven Radio podcast, and doesn’t use a ton of equipment to do so.   For the simplest podcasts he suggests using a Skype headset, or a mic and headphones; Skype to bring in the audio from the folks he’s interviewing; and Windows-based Pamela digital recorder to record.   His typical set-up however, uses an audio mixer, so that he can bring in intro music from his iPod, his mic, the interviewee on Skype, and have control over the audio levels.  Then he takes an effects send out of the mixer into his portable digital recorder.  With this method, he usually does do some post-production work to the edit the recording to his liking.

“Digesting Food Culture Podcasts,” by Nicole Taylor (@foodculturist).  Nicole lives in Brooklyn and hosts her Hot Grease podcast via the Heritage Radio Network, that talks about food culture and sustainable living.  She reviewed the Top Food Podcasts, and the 2010 Food Trends (Southern Food or Niche Food, Food Trucks, Urban Agriculture, Recession Meals and Food Politics), as well as the Hot Five – the 5 Things on Fire in Food.  The Hot Five were 5 foodie podcasters – some audio only, some video only – to follow.  My husband and I love food and found Nicole’s presentation interesting, but boy, did it make us hungry!

I knew that PodCamp Philly was the unConference for me, when my husband, who is usually skeptical of new media, starting brainstorming podcast ideas with me at lunch.  (Awesome! ;-))

The first afternoon session we attended was presented by Ray Ortega (@podcasthelper and @producepicker), called, “Live Podcast to Hard Drive Recording.”  Ray demonstrated how he produces the SpyderCricket podcast with Jay and Kate (@spydercricket).  It was great to see Jay and Kate in action, and they were excited to have a live studio audience at PodCamp Philly.  As Jay and Kate spoke, Ray would walk out to the audience and describe how he setup the equipment and sends the recording directly to his digital recorder, and does no post-production editing.  The SpyderCricket podcast episode lasted about 15 minutes – ending with Jay and Kate playing a song by The 88.  Ray was adamant to explain that they had followed the proper protocols in getting permission to play the music for the podcasts.  As I look at my notes from this session, I see about 10 resources I need to research.

For the 2pm session, I attended the “SEO for your blog or website,” by Bill Rowland (@billrowland) and Bill Sebold from True Action Media.  This was one session for which I had the least amount of knowledge (or at least I thought I did) and knew it was one of the most important for me to attend.  Here are the 5 points from the preso:

1. Use keywords from Analytics to optimize your site.

2. Use keyword-rich title tags.

3. Google <hearts> content.

4. You don’t *need* to blog for SEO.

5. Use Google AdWords keyword tools.

Finally, the last presentation I attended was called, “Podcast Promo Workshop,” with Alan Chaess (@chaess).   While I thought the presentation would discuss marketing efforts for promoting your podcast, I was pleasantly surprised to learn about *how* to record the promo recordings for a podcast.  Alan talked about the process he uses for requesting podcast promos or show ID promos from others.  And, the highlight of the presentation for me?  *I* got to record a promo for PodCamp Philly!  Wahoo!   Alan was patient to coach me in my script and pacing for the recording.  It took me a few takes to get it just right, then Alan showed off his Audacity editing prowess to mix in some promo music, adjusting the levels until he was satisfied.

My take-aways from PodCamp Philly?  I felt completely welcomed and it wasn’t all “geek-speak.”    With the love my husband and I have for audio production, we are setting up a podcasting studio in our home (hey, I said we have the equipment – why now use it?).  I was bummed we were only able to attend one day of #pcphilly2010.  Thank you to the organizers and volunteers – you did an amazing job and we’ll be sure to return next year!

This September is no exception. It was my return meeting back at my local mastermind group – Business Women’s Advisory Council (BWAC) – after a summer break.  We are a group of 7 business women who meet monthly to discuss successes and challenges in our businesses.  Typically, even though we are 7 ladies with seven different businesses, a challenge that one person is having is usually also being felt by another.

I don’t want to create the impression that this is a gripe fest once a month.  We are business people with business concerns, and have a safe confidential environment to present our issues and ask for help.  We also have a lot of fun sharing news about new connections, new clients and increased revenue!    There is a lot of positive energy surrounding our group – which extends past the time we adjourn our meetings.  I always feel very “jazzed” after a BWAC meeting, and want to be able to report more good news and progress at the following month’s meeting.

This is a local group to me (in Malvern, PA), but we are hosting an Open House in early October hoping to bring more awareness to the organization and create more groups.  Rose Russell, our awesome facilitator, is hoping to add groups in northern Montgomery County as well as Allegheny County.  Please join us at Sisters Boutique in Exton on October 4, from 4-8pm to learn more!

I am also a part of President’s Circle – a mastermind group formed by my trade association, International Virtual Assistants Association.   The format of President’s Circle is similar – we meet once per month to discuss our business challenges – but for me this group provides a different perspective because the members are all virtual professionals and consultants, so our similarities overlap.  Our meetings are conducted via webinar with a strict outline.  I can already feel the changes coming on.  When you share challenges, and are given suggested solutions, it helps you to focus and make real progress in your business.  I can’t wait for the October meeting, when I can report the changes that have already happened in my business.

How do you feel about mastermind groups?  I’d love to hear your feedback, so please comment below: