Brian Basilico is an author, speaker, and social media expert. He lives in Aurora, Illinois, a town about thirty miles west of Chicago. His bestselling book, It’s Not About You, It’s About Bacon, describes and explains basic marketing principles and defines the ‘know, like, and trust’ factor into the equation. It also has a companion Workbook that is an innovative way to build credibility and visibility. The idea for the bacon theme came from a social media experiment he was involved in while speaking at a conference. You’ll love this story and how it connects social media with relationship marketing in a fun and memorable way. We discuss the power of storytelling and how stories are interwoven into every aspect of life and business.

He is a ‘self-professed geek’ and used to build elaborate toys for himself as a child. He worked as a video producer for AT & T, and has been involved in marketing since he was a teenager, and opened his current company about fifteen years ago. He now coaches people on how to use social media to build an online presence, as well as teaching a variety of other strategies to help people become successful. Brian shares some specific examples of how he helps people in this way, and we also discuss how he works with corporations to help them leverage the power of LinkedIn in their marketing. We agreed that working both with startups and small businesses, as well as within the corporate world allows us to stretch and expand our knowledge in a way that is beneficial to everyone involved.

I knew of Brian online for more than a year before we met in person at the NAMS event in Atlanta (we’d love to connect with you there next time) where we were both speaking on our topics of expertise. This is a perfect example of how building relationships is crucial to success in life and in business. This all led to me being a guest on his show and he finally being a guest on mine.

We are in alignment when it comes to acknowledging the value of having our own information products for sale, and Brian discusses some of what he has to offer in the areas of blogging and social media marketing. We then discuss the newer live stream applications and the power of video in our businesses. You will love this interview and I encourage you to share this with anyone who would benefit from these principles and strategies as they build an online business.

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List Building for Your Business

In this most recent podcast I discuss list building for your business, as well as the importance of becoming an author to build credibility, visibility, and profitability. I’ve written eleven books so far, as well as contributing to many other people’s books and compiling books of my own. Check out my published book titles here.

I take you on a virtual tour of this site, and how to promote each of your posts using SEO (search engine optimization), social media, and by emailing your current list of prospects and clients. You may also wish to write a book using your blog posts. I did this with my very first book, Huge Profits With A Tiny List, which was released in 2010. It consisted of fifty blog posts compiled into a book on how to use relationship marketing to increase your bottom line.

I also share how I got started as an affiliate marketer back in 2006, and how this topic is one I have expanded over the years to include a bestselling book on this topic, live presentations, online courses, and related information products. You can become an authority on most any topic by learning more about it on a continual basis, talking and writing about it, and actually doing it to show that what you know really works for you and for others.

Having the right tools to help you in your business is crucial, and I discuss the new CanvaKala plugin for WordPress that allows you to add images from dozens of sites, and even edit these images as a way to build engagement with your readers and for SEO benefits. Your blog will sparkle and attract more prospects when you have relevant images for every single post.

Finally, I share more about the changes to online marketing since I got started as an entrepreneur back in 2006. This includes changes in pricing of products, courses, training, and live events, as well as changes to the information that is actually shared with the online community. Social media accounts for some of these, but not all of, the changes I discuss. Getting started with your own product can be as simple as purchasing the PLR (private label rights) to someone else’s content. I did this from the very beginning and it worked out quite well for me. I also used to compile my best teleseminars and sell them in December as a ‘Best Of’ product. You could easily do that in 2015 by hosting your own call each week and then choosing the best ones to sell as an information product.

Are you already a part my list community and receiving my daily email updates? If not, please give me your first name and primary email address in the form on the right-hand side of this site. If you are brand new to my podcasts, you will be interested to know that this specific training call, as well as all of the calls in my podcast series is intended to teach you and other new online entrepreneurs how to take your business to the next level quickly and effectively, and as a way for me to share my exact methods, techniques, Case Studies, secrets, and advice on creating a profitable and lucrative online business using the ‘multiple income streams’ approach. People on six continents have now discovered that starting an Internet business is the very fastest way to achieve both time and financial freedom, as well as to great success in all areas of your life, and you need help to get there quickly. That’s why I started this online marketing tips podcast for my community.

You will see that each podcast session is first recorded live as a teleseminar, and then repurposed into a podcast to extend my reach to the world. Please join my list (opt in on the right) to be included on these calls, and be sure to introduce yourself and share your site for optimal exposure for years to come! Also, check out my Podcast Show Notes site to see how you can subscribe at no cost to both of my podcasts, and please leave me a review on one or both of them if you are so inclined.

You may now pick up my popular training on winning affiliate contests and other online marketing tips for only seven dollars at Affiliate Contest Secrets. Use the discount code CONTEST to bring the price down to $7. This training has been completely updated for 2015 with the latest information, strategies, and Case Studies for you to use in your own business.

Please be sure to leave your comments below so that I may get to know you better and to serve you as you continue your journey as an online entrepreneur. Getting started with an online business will change your life forever and your success is my reward!

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How To Drive Traffic To Your Blog

If you are taking the time and making an effort to post to your blog on a regular basis, then knowing how to drive traffic to your blog after each post is sure to be of importance to you.

The very first thing I do after publishing my post is to go back and make sure the post title is exactly as I wish it to be. Originally I am naming the post by using a keyword rich phrase, but that one may not be an attention grabbing title that will make readers want to know more. In this case, I originally named the post How To Drive Traffic To Your Blog, but then I changed it to what you see above.

Then I go through the two SEO plugins I use – the free one from Yoast called Yoast SEO, and the paid one called Measure My Seo. I want to be sure that the keyword phrase I am optimizing the post for is at its highest possible score. This involves naming my image with this phrase, and using it two or three times within the post.

Using Social Media To Drive Traffic To Your Blog

Then I move on to promoting my post to ensure the greatest amount of traffic and engagement to my blog. This involves visiting several sites, all of which can be accomplished very quickly and easily. The first one is called Just Retweet. This site is fairly self-explanatory and is based on a credit system. They start you out with one hundred credits and you may earn more by retweeting others or by purchasing additional credits. Connect to Just Retweet through your Twitter account.

My next stop is Facebook, where I say something about my post and share the link on my wall. It is estimated that you will have at least ten times as much engagement when you post manually than when it is automated, but don’t give up on the automated posts just yet. I find that having both makes you more visible and credible over time.

Now I go over to LinkedIn, where I share an update with the exact same info I just posted on Facebook. Be sure to click the link to share with ‘the public and Twitter’ so you won’t have to visit Twitter while you’re promoting your post. This saves you time, even if it’s just a few minutes.

My last stop on the social media tour is Pinterest. I like to pin each of my posts so that others can see them. If you use an image for each of your posts, and I highly recommend that you do so for best SEO (search engine optimization) results then you already have one to use on your Pinterest board.

Final Thoughts on How to Drive Traffic to Your Blog

The next step is to email your list with a link to your latest post. This assumes that you are making the effort to build a list, which is the cornerstone of any successful business. If you are serious about learning how to drive traffic to your blog and other sites, be sure to pick up Dennis Becker’s new training, called Honk! Honk! Web Traffic Guide. It’s a complete resource that will help you build your business quickly.

Please let me know how you found this post by leaving a comment below. Was it through social media, an email I sent out, or from a search you did on Google?

Sometimes life events can hit us like a sledgehammer to the solar plexus, but it’s important to move past them and get back on track as quickly as possible. This year has certainly been a challenging one for me on a personal level, but I found that once I got my bearings my life and business benefited in a huge way. On more than one occasion I was reminded of this quote from a great man…

‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at moments of challenge and controversy.’ ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

So what do I recommend when you encounter a situation that gets the best of you and leaves you feeling drained and like you can’t, or don’t want to go on? Here are some techniques that work well for me and for others.

• Step outside of the situation so that you can see it more objectively
• Make every effort to see the other person’s perspective on the issue
• Give yourself and the other person time to heal by giving the gift of time
• Get busy with other aspects of your life and business to clear your mind
• Revisit the situation at a later date to decide how you should proceed
• If and when you decide to move past whatever has happened, do it slowly, carefully, and respectfully
• Learn from what has happened so that you can make wiser choices and decisions in the future.

I have found that dealing with emotional issues can be physically draining, so make sure to eat well and get enough sleep. This allows your mind and body to heal and move you through the process more easily.

Lessons learned can be hugely beneficial to your growth as an entrepreneur. I have learned more about myself during the past seven months or so than I have during the past twenty years. When I found fault in the other person I realized it was a reflection of my own thoughts and actions. As I examined my behavior and traits  I began to make small changes that made a difference in my interactions with others as I went forward. Consistency of thought and action will propel you to deeper insights and awareness of what works most effectively in your life.

Even though I was hurt at what had transpired on a personal level, I have no regrets and choose to remember this experience forever. No matter what the final outcome, our life experiences are what make us feel alive. Choose wisely and know that we are the creators of our own reality. What seems like a sledgehammer to the solar plexus at the time can actually be the turning point of your life.