Bringing in Blog Traffic With Micro Niches

Today I’d like to talk to you about a technique for generating more search engine traffic. This is something I stumbled on in my own blogging and I am shocked at how well it works. Obviously it isn’t fool-proof, but if it is done right, you will see a huge amount of supplemental traffic coming to your blog. For lack of a better term, I’m going to call it “blogging with micro niches.”

Most bloggers have identified at least one niche in their industry and have based their blog on it. For example, simply blogging about “Business” would be difficult to develop and focus in-depth content unless you further defined it as “Online Business” or “Home Based Business” or “Women Owned Business.” Each of these niches provides you with a substantial enough subject that you can write every day—yet it limits your topics and gives your blog clarity. Blog readers are often drawn to niche blogs that speak to them personally, and are more likely to subscribe to these blogs as well as recommend them to other people.

But in addition to your main blog subject, it is possible to dissect your blog further and add even more refined niches that create an even finer point to the subject matter. You don’t have to try to manage a huge number of these micro niches—even one or two can be effective.

The key is choosing a micro niche that is not covered extensively in the blogosphere but which still ties into the main theme of your blog. So, for example, if your blog is about your catering business, you could choose to write about the latest season of Top Chef—the Bravo Network reality show contest for professional chefs. Each week you might write a recap of the episode, or dish about who won and lost the challenge. What does this do? For one thing, it brings in traffic that has nothing to do with your catering business. Many people watch Top Chef and do online searches for information about the show regardless of their interest in catering. By writing about it every week, you’re building up a cache of keywords that will bump your blog up to the top of the search engines when people make specific searches about the show, the contestants, or the guests.

Another example: If you write a blog about entrepreneurship, you might regularly post book reviews by popular business gurus. Having their names and book titles on your blog will bring in traffic long after the post is archived as people do searches for these books and authors. You’re going to be reading them anyway for your own use—why not make the most of your reading by blogging about it, too? Or if you have a favorite business guru, you may choose to follow their career on your blog, writing about new book releases, speaking engagements, television appearances, etc. The more content you have about this particular person, the more likely your blog will come up in the top results when someone searches for them.

Micro niches are also a great way to keep yourself motivated. Writing about these topics can be fun and help you break out of the mold of the same old style of posting. You can have fun with these micro niches—use humor and a little sarcasm to make them entertaining. Investing a small amount of time each month into building up a micro niche or two on your blog will help your blog stay fresh, current, and give it a broader appeal.

Are you blogging on any micro niches? Leave a comment and let us know what has worked for you!

Interview With Seth Godin

I had the great pleasure and opportunity to interview Seth Godin.

SETH GODIN is a bestselling author, entrepreneur and agent of change.

Godin is author of ten books that have been bestsellers around the world and changed the way people think about marketing, change and work. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages, and his ebooks are among the most popular ever published. He is responsible for many words in the marketer’s vocabulary, including permission marketing, ideaviruses, purple cows, the dip and sneezers. His irrepressible speaking style and no-holds-barred blog have helped him create a large following around the world.

Seth’s latest book, Tribes, is a nationwide bestseller, appearing on the Amazon, New York Times, BusinessWeek and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. It’s about the most powerful form of marketing–leadership–and how anyone can now become a leader, creating movements that matter. The Miami Herald listed it among the best business books of 2008.

Unleashing the Ideavirus is the most popular ebook ever written. More than 1,000,000 people downloaded the digital version of this book about how ideas spread. Featured in USA Today, The New York Times, The Industry Standard and Wired Online, Ideavirus hit #4 on the Amazon Japan bestseller list, and #5 in the USA.

The Big Red Fez, Godin’s take on web design, was the #1 ebook (worldwide) on Amazon for almost a year before it was published in paperback in 2002. The Miami Herald called it one of the best business books of the year.

Survival is Not Enough has made bestseller lists in Germany, the UK and the United States. With a foreword by Charles Darwin, this breakthrough book redefines what change means to anyone who works for a living. Tom Peters called it a, “landmark.” The book was first excerpted in Fast Company, where Godin is a contributing editor.

His latest book, Purple Cow, was a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. It’s all about how companies can transform themselves by becoming remarkable.

Seth is a renowned speaker as well. He was recently chosen as one of 21 Speakers for the Next Century by Successful Meetings and is consistently rated among the very best speakers by the audiences he addresses.

Seth was founder and CEO of Yoyodyne, the industry’s leading interactive direct marketing company, which Yahoo! acquired in late 1998.

He holds an MBA from Stanford, and was called “the Ultimate Entrepreneur for the Information Age” by Business Week.

Now for the interview:

Name of Company: Squidoo.com
Industry: the internet
Type of company:  the #1 site where anyone can post information about what they are passionate about
Year founded: 2005
Location: 5 cities, including NY
Number of employees: 5

Adam: What is the start-up story behind your business venture?
Seth: Our goal is to raise millions of dollars for charity at the same time that we make it easy for people to share their ideas, build a following and arn money.

Adam: What is your definition of success and has your company achieved it?
Seth: I think success is being able to repeatedly do work you’re proud of. And yes, we’ve achieved it, from the first day, and three years later we get to keep doing it.

Adam: To what do you attribute your company’s recent achievements?
Seth: Understanding the Meatball Sundae, doing work that matters, working with great people and trusting our users.

Adam: What three pieces of advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Seth: Scale matters. Be the right size in everything you do. Persist through the Dip or don’t bother starting.

Adam: What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
Seth: I’ve posted many of them. Sometimes it has to do with misunderstanding a market. More often, it’s about getting stuck in the Dip, not having the resources or wherewithal to push through.

Adam: Describe/outline your typical day?
Seth: That’s the great thing. There isn’t one! Here’s what’s always true:

• 1. I work with only amazing people.
• 2. I don’t go to meetings.
• Because my scale is comfortable, I don’t have to sweat revenue on a daily basis. We are at a size we can afford.

Adam: Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it?
Seth: Self-funded based on low low overhead.

Adam: What stops you from throwing in the towel and giving up during those frustrating days of running your business?
Seth: Because the alternative was to get a job as a bank teller! This is what I was born to do, and I do it.

Adam: Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
Seth: All failures are the same, all successes sure seem different.

Adam: Who has influenced you most and been your greatest inspiration?
Seth: My mom and my dad. My readers. Jacqueline Novogratz at acumenfund.org

Adam: What book has inspired you the most?
Seth: This is a tough one. Probably, “The Republic of Tea”.

Adam: How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Seth: Deliver anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people that want to get them. Be remarkable. Earn permission.

Adam: In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Seth: Onomatapeia. Not because it is, but because I like that word a lot and get to use it rarely.

Adam: Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Seth: Ideo. They have a manifesto and they deliver.

Adam: How do you achieve balance in your life?
Seth: You only achieve balance if you make hard decisions. That means saying ‘no’ when ‘yes’ feels right. If you can’t do that, forget it.

Adam: Where do you see yourself and your business in 5 years? 10 years?
Seth: I have no idea! I love that I have no idea.

Adam: If we could introduce you to anyone, who would it be and why? (you never know who we know!)
Seth: I’d like to give Steve Jobs a hug. I hope he gets better soon.

Ten Great Photography Blogs

Photography is a wonderful freelance career for many talented photographers. I love looking at creative photography as many of the photos tell a such a unique story. The advent of the internet has spawned a never-ending line of image-hungry websites all vying for the best and brightest pictures to draw traffic. Even if you start as just a part time business, you can still make excellent money, and who knows? Maybe one day you’ll throw that corporate job to the wind and decide to become a full time photographer! Need some inspiration? I’ve got a list of ten fantastic photography blogs that will get you excited about pursuing the job of your dreams:

1. Chromasia: http://www.chromasia.com/

Based in the UK, this artist dabbled in photography for twenty years, but says that “it was only when I started posting images on the internet that I really began to take it seriously.” Since 2003 he has established his company chromasia, traveled around the world and won numerous awards. His portfolio ranges from portraits to the abstract.

2. Vanilla Days: http://www.vanilladays.com/

This photographer went to school to become a software engineer but after he bought his first digital camera, he started designing websites; then quit to be a photographer full time. He focuses on urban settings and ‘relaxed’ landscapes.

3. The Blackbird and the Moon Flower: http://travelstock.inebeerten.be/index.php

Freelance photographer travels around the world taking beautiful photographs which she sells on her blog. Not a bad way to make a living. There are some particularly beautiful shots of Asian art and architecture on this blog.

4. Photoschau: http://www.photoschau.de/index.php

A stunning photo blog that favors still life images in vivid color. The artist’s unique view of even the most common objects is a delight! Using organic and non-organic subjects, he provides a unique view of the world that hearkens back to childhood when everything is a brand new experience.

5. Deceptive Media: http://www.deceptivemedia.co.uk/

Texture and pattern are explored through intimate views of the subject matter often at extreme close up angles. Water and clouds feature predominately throughout this artists’ portfolio.

6. Accessible: http://www.accessible.de/pixelpost/index.php

Landscapes and natural images with an almost melancholy simplicity. The photographer uses various techniques to add an element of fantasy to the otherwise simple, everyday beauty of the subjects.

7. San Francisco Daily Photo: http://www.sanfranciscodailyphoto.com/

Proof that you don’t have to be a globe-trotter to capture amazing images; this photographer simply walks the streets of his city, snapping photos on a daily basis and posting them to his blog. If you’ve ever spent time in San Francisco, these photos will make your heart sing.

8. Made in Tokyo: http://www.fgautron.com/weblog/

Another great city blog featuring the great Japanese city of Tokyo featuring architecture, landscapes, and lots of human interest; this blog is a wonderful glimpse into a culture that fascinates millions around the world.

9. Isoticia Everyday: http://www.istoica.com/everyday/index.php

A pair of collaborating portrait photographers have combined their talents on this photoblog with stunning images of people and animals. Hip, stylish, and fun—these photos highlight the unique beauty in each and every person.

10. My Glass Eye: http://www.myglasseye.net/

A unique portfolio with portraits, stills and editorial shots that express the unique viewpoint of the artist; one that captures real world images in stark honesty.

Interview With Yanik Silver

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Yanik Silver and look forward to attending my first Maverick Business Adventure in March and I will update everyone on the much anticipated experience!

Yanik Silver is a serial Internet entrepreneur and self-made millionaire. He is recognized as one of the leading experts on web marketing even though he still considers himself a ‘techno dunce’. Starting from his one-bedroom apartment and with just a few hundred dollars, Yanik has personally sold over $13,000,000.00 online and counting (with zero employees except his wife, Missy).

He is the author, co-author or publisher of several best-selling marketing books and tools including Moonlighting on the Internet, Instant Sales Letters® & 33 Days To Online Profits. Yanik is a highly sought after speaker addressing groups ranging from the prestigious Wharton Business School to international audiences of 3,000+.

As a self-described “adventure junkie”, Yanik has found that his own life-changing experiences such as running with the bulls, bungee jumping, sky diving, exotic car road rallies and Zero-Gravity flights have not only brought a profound sense of accomplishment but also led to breakthroughs in ideas, focus and business thinking. That’s why he combined both his passions to found Maverick Business Adventures™ creating the kind of “club” he’d want to be part of.

Time For The Interview:

Yanik Silver, InternetLifestyle.com
Title: Head Muckity Muck
Industry: Internet
Type of company:  eCommerce
Year founded: 2000
Location:  Potomac, MD
Number of employees:1
Adam: What is the start-up story behind your business venture?
Yanik: Woke up at 3 o’clock in the morning and had an idea for a silly site. I tried to wake up my wife, but she told me to go back to sleep.
I jumped out of bed to get to work on what was to become my first million-dollar site, InstantSalesLetters.com

Adam: What is your definition of success and has your company achieved it?
Yanik: Definition of success is being to do what you want, when you want and with whom you want to (within reason). It’s about fun, freedom and financial independence. And it’s about taking an idea and turning into a profit center.

Adam: To what do you attribute your company’s recent achievements?
Yanik: Being genuine and authentic. I’ve never tried to “become” someone else or to put up some sort of false positioning. I think the Web is getting more and more transparent every day and the crappy products/services/providers will quickly get called out.

Adam: What three pieces of advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Yanik: Quit screwing around with ‘busy-work’ that you gives you the illusion of doing work. i.e. Instant Messenger, Facebook, Twitter. I love Twitter - but I’m not on it except for specific times.

Do just one proactive thing a day. That’s it. Do not go to bed until you’ve taken even one baby step forward in your business.

Take action (as simple and cliche as that sounds). Your ‘real success’ typically comes from moving towards what you think is your goal. But along the way - you’ll discover a detour to your true success.

Adam: What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
Yanik: Keep the dollar amount/exposure small. It’s great to have failures because you’re closer to a breakthrough but keep those failures manageable instead of  ‘do-or-die.’

Adam: Describe/outline your typical day?
Yanik: It’s changed over the years. Originally it was up til 3 or 4 am really cranking on my business. Now with a lot of things on autopilot - I spend my time focused on new projects and initiatives figuring which are going to pan out or not. Plus with 2 kids under four - it’s tough to do the 3 am nights too often since they get you up at 6:30 or 7:00 am

Right now I really do my best to get just 2 or 3 proactive things down before 12 noon. Because after that it seems like phone calls, emails or other crap work takes over.

Adam: Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it?
Yanik: Self-funded with a few hundred dollars. I don’t think you need money to figure out if it’s a good idea or not. Not having a lot of capital forces you to be more creative.

Adam: What stops you from throwing in the towel and giving up during those frustrating days of running your business?
Yanik: Knowing that others were successful and there was a plan or roadmap to follow. Plus my very first “real” job at a yogurt shop breaking down the yogurt machines really sucked so I knew I never wanted to do that again.

Adam: Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
Yanik: Not necessarily. I’ve worked with and been friends with all sorts (ultra anal to stoner types). Probably the biggest common denominator is the unyielding thirst for freedom!

Adam: Who has influenced you most and been your greatest inspiration?
Yanik: So many mentors it’s hard to list just one. I learned from Earl Nightingale that you could become an expert by reading one hour per day for 3 years on one subject. Or a world-class expert by reading for 1 hr/day for 5 years. I took that to heart and read approx 1 book/week still. In the early stages - I’d read/study several hours per day, in the car, at the gym, etc.

Adam: What book has inspired you the most?
Yanik: Once again - a really hard question because I have so many great books in my library but if I was to single out one it would be “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand. Just the notion of producers versus looters was a big distinction
in my thinking.

Adam: How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Yanik: One of our best ways is partnering up by using affiliates to sell our products or services. We only pay affiliates
once someone they referred to our site makes a sale - so there is almost zero downside.

Adam: In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Yanik: Adventure!

Adam: Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Yanik: I love Virgin. Sir Richard Branson is one of my all-time business heroes and I’ve been fortunate to spend time with him on Necker Island. I love the way they look at a marketplace and really over-deliver for customers while bringing a fun, “cheeky” element to it.

Adam: How do you achieve balance in your life?
Yanik: I truly think most entrepreneurs are spending way too much time in one quandrant of their lives - their business-side. To balance myself out by proactively schedule incredibley, fun activities (for me anyway) like Running with the Bulls, Baja Racing, Skydiving, etc. I realized that if you don’t have these activities scheduled - you never do them. Plus, I’ll come back renewed
and invigorated with more great ideas!

In fact, I’ve turned that love of adventure into a new project called Maverick Business Adventures which combines these unique adventures with business building and helping teach/empower young entrepreneurs.

Adam: Where do you see yourself and your business in 5 years? 10 years?
Yanik: I don’t really do long-term planning very well - but I have a 2020 mission to help:

• 1,000,000 entrepreneurs buy into the Maverick philosophy of “making more, having more fun and giving more back”
• 1,000,000 young entrepreneurs impacted to think beyond getting a job
• 1,000,000 cumulative “Big Life List” items get checked off

Adam: If we could introduce you to anyone, who would it be and why? (you never know who we know!)
Yanik: Hmm….would love to meet Mark Burnett

Thanks Adam for this opportunity.

How Effective is Your Small Business Website?

Even if your business is done primarily off the internet, you probably still have a website to help people find you.  After email, the second most common online activity is searching.  Millions of people are online 24/7 searching for information, comparing products, doing research.  That means that if someone in your community wants to find a local business, they are probably going to go to the internet first.  Handheld devices like Blackberries and iPhones allow people to do quick searches wherever they are.  For example, if their car breaks down—they can find a mechanic close by within seconds by accessing the internet on their smart phone.

All of this means that your company needs a website.  And you know that, right?  But what you may not know is that you can’t just have any website to be competitive online.  Your website needs to stand out among the millions of others that belong to the other small business owners in your industry.  So what makes an effective website?

1.     A memorable domain name.

The most successful websites are easy to recall even without a business card.  If you can get a domain that is the same as your business name, that is probably the best choice.  However, it is possible the domain you want is already taken.  If that is the case, you still want your domain to reflect your company’s product, service or mission.  Another important thing to consider is the length of the domain name.  If your company is called James Brothers Pool & Lawn Care, you probably want to shorten it to something like JamesBros.com or PoolandLawn.com.

2.    Good design.

Even if you don’t have the budged for a high-end Flash website, you should still have site that is easy to read and navigate.  It should have clear photos and descriptions of your products and services, and tell people about your company, pricing and other important policies. You should also make it easy for them to find your contact information.  Keep the site design professional and clean—avoid lots of garish colors and patterns, too many graphics, obnoxious music, or anything else that will remind people of a MySpace page.

3.    Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is the use of keywords to drive search engine traffic to your website.  These search engines list websites based on (among other things) the frequency of the search keywords on various websites.  So if someone searches for Lawn and Pool Care, the search engine will bring up the website that uses these terms most frequently.  That being said, if you attempt to get your website higher in the search engine by just listing the same word over and over again, you’ll be penalized.  Search engines have sophisticated programming which helps them look out for these ‘black hat’ techniques.  So when you use your key words, you want to make sure they are part of some substantial text on your site.

Your best bet is to have some well-written resource articles on your site which incorporate the top 50-100 keywords that pertain to your particular business or industry.  For example, if you have a Pool & Lawn Care business, consider writing some articles such as “Pool Safety for the Whole Family”, or “Keeping Your Lawn Green.”

4.     Get Listed

Just because you have a fantastic website and have worked on SEO doesn’t mean that it is easy to find.  Take advantage of the online directories that list business websites.  There are hundreds of free directories, and some which cost a small fee.  The fee may be worth it if you are a doctor or lawyer or have a lot of competition in your community.

5.     Bragging Rights

Letting people know who your happy clients are can be a great way to add an element of legitimacy to your website.  Of course, you want to ask permission before you use your clients’ names on your website, but if they are happy with your service, they’ll usually be happy to.  You can also provide space for clients to write their testimonials and let others know about how much they appreciate your service.

Another great idea is to sponsor a local non-profit organization or charity.  You can then use their name and logo on your site, and they will often reciprocate by placing your name and logo on theirs—as well as other promotional items they hand out in the community.

More than any other tool, your business website has the opportunity to generate business and represent you to prospective clients.  It is often their first impression of you, so make sure it is professional, inviting, and clearly expresses who you are and the quality of the work you do.

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