And just like giving birth to a human baby is much more than a physical journey, birthing a website is way more than a technical journey.  It’s been a mental, emotional, and spiritual journey as well.  Oh and I’ve learned so much…

photo by websuccessdiva

1. I’ve learned that sticking to a projected timeline is less important than the quality of content.  You simply can’t make creativity flow on command.  It’s more about opening up to expressing your creativity.
2. I’ve learned that my energy level will tell me if I’m trying too hard or flowing with my inner source of inspiration.
3. I’ve learned that my website/blog is an opportunity for me to connect with people and not to convince them to like me.  I’ve known this for like ever.  And yet, it’s crazy how many times I found myself in that place of really wanting people to like me and hire me.
4. I’ve learned that having people to bounce ideas off of is uber important.
5. I’ve learned that you don’t have to have it perfect before you launch.  In fact, you never have to have it perfect.  You simply get to have it.  Every sentence is an opportunity to love and accept yourself, your business, and your clients.
6. I’ve learned that sometimes taking a day off is the best way to move forward.  No matter how much you want to accomplish something…if you aren’t in the right heart-space, then you won’t receive the results you desire.
7. I’ve learned that over-editing feels like crap.  There is a difference in between crafting your message and picking it apart.  Know when to pause.
8. I’ve also learned that at a certain point there is nothing left to do but launch!

Everyone benefits when you share:
What have you learned from writing your web copy?

Related posts:

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2. Writing Buddies Kick Ass!
3. Social Media Resources Plus Recording to the Latest Coaching Call

Cassandra Rae & Cherie Del Carlo

Hi there ~

I am at Chrystal Bougon’s Lunch & Learn on How to Bring More Bliss to Your Blog featuring the fabulous ladies of Gather Your Crowd.  Woohoo!

Congratulations to Carla who just welcomed her second baby into her family.  We miss you and totally understand that your place is at home for today.  That’s so cool how we got to Skype you in for the presentation.  You are one dedicated lady!

Here are my notes from the presentation:

Social media is word of mouth on steroids!

What’s in a brand?

1. Your name
2. Your identity
3. Engage with peeps

Cherie showed us her infographic, which is a really big picture that shows all of their on-line presences and how they tie together.  It’s really cool to see on one page with your entire on-line plan is.  Your overall social media plan can feel overwhelming, but to narrow it down to one page makes it feel so manageable.

Carry your brand across all profiles {i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc.} so graphically they look the same

Why should you blog?

• Share your passion – the web is dying for original content!
• Let yourself shine!
• Connect with people
• Marketing through relationships

You do not have to be an excellent writer.  As long as you’re funny, you can blog!

Your blog posts do not have to be long.  A good length for a blog post is 500 words.

You can also use your blog for:

• Microblogging like Twitter
• Share videos
• Post Photos

Search Engine Optimization tips:

1. Buy your domain for 2 years or more
2. Add privacy policy/terms of use
3. Use target key words in your title, url, filenames
4. Sprinkle in your key words in your articles {like 5 or 6}
5. Use good meta-tags {high level description of your blog that you drop in behind the scenes}
6. Post frequently
7. Hyperlink to other sites when you blog about them
8. Use tags
9. Use reputable host provider for fast page upload

Give people the incentive to take action.

To keep you organized create a graph that includes:

• All the places you exist on-line
• Schedule of publishing
• Takes on your topic

Think like your reader.  2 questions to answer:

1. Who do you want to read your blog?
2. Who’s reading your blog?

Set up an RSS feed reader and watch blogs you like.  Blog a response to someone else’s blog post and include a link to it to inspire the connection.

Acknowledge peeps who comment on your blog!

Create a mission statement for your blog.  What is your mantra? How does it tie in to your personality?

Schedule your blog post for high peak hours.  Don’t post on Friday night at 7pm!  Weekday mornings in between 7am and 9am are very popular hours – everyone’s checking email :~)  If you’re writing at a non-peak hour, then schedule it to publish during a high peak hour.

Your categories should show what your blog/business is about.

Syndicate your blog posts.  One wordpress plugin Gather Your Crowd likes is “links alpha”.  Keep in mind that every platform is different with different crowds.  Use them accordingly.  When posting on Twitter and deciding whether to push it through to Facebook, then ask yourself, “Does this make sense on Facebook?”  My favorite way to syndicate blog posts to Facebook is the app Networked Blogs.  *LOVE IT*

People want to connect, help out, and win stuff.  Woohoo!  Run a contest to encourage virality.  Virality is not a science.  It’s an art.

There’s a human side to your backlinks – create meaningful relationships through thoughtful comments :~)

Listen to your peeps.  What are they saying about you? Answer! Answer! Answer!

There’s no such thing as bad PR.

Clyde Learner with ITComputing just told me about WPTouch – a plugin that changes the view for peeps checking out your blog on an iPhone.  He also told me about bit.ly and how you can monitor how many peeps are clicking through your links.  You can also share your link straight to Twitter.  Suh-weet!

Gather Your Crowd can help you build a custom Facebook landing page.  Woohoo!  This is so important to do, folks.  And Facebook does not make it easy.  Hire Gather Your Crowd to do it for you.

Welp, that’s it from today’s presentation.  Leave me a comment to let me know your favorite tip or share a new one with all of us.

Rock it out, Peeps ~
Cassandra

Coach Cassandra Rae, founder & life coach
SimplyFearless.com
408.730.5546

Related posts:

1. Companion Challenge to Daily Blogging: get the most out of your comments
2. Daily Blogging Support for You
3. FREE Coaching Call: blogging, twitter & facebook

We just finished our free bonus call all about blogging for your business and it rocked!  Seriously, it was probably one of my all-time favorite connections.  The energy and information was off the hook!  Thank you so much to all of the Simply Fearless Fempreneurs who were on the call.  You brought out the best in me and I loved connecting with you.

Our next free Simply Fearless Coaching Call is on Monday, January 25, 2010 at 12noon Pacific where I will be introducing our brand new Fempreneur Group!

Here are all my notes from today’s call…

Opening quote:

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”

~ H. Jackson Brown Jr, author of Life’s Little Instruction Book, found on ThinkExist.com

One of my favorite mantras is, “I have plenty of time.”  The truth is, no matter how you look at it, you still have the same amount of time!  So you might as well choose a perspective that empowers you and provides a sense of calmness.

6 Questions Every Blogger Should Answer:

1. Why are you blogging?
   1. Set your intention
   2. Make your title match your intention
   3. Create a powerful tagline to share your intention
2. Who are you writing to?
   1. Create a clear picture of your reader
   2. Pick one person – real or fictional – and flesh her out
   3. What are her problems?
   4. Beliefs?
   5. Feelings?
   6. Experiences? Etc.
3. What do you want visitors to do?
   1. One very clear call to action
   2. Above the fold – no scrolling to find it
   3. You might know what you want them to do, but do they know?
   4. Give away valuable content you could sell to encourage sign-ups
4. Why should your readers listen to you?
   1. Let go of “I’m not educated enough,” or “I’m not experienced enough,” etc.
   2. This is about your mindset
   3. Write from a place of believing in yourself, which will attract more people
   4. Your experiences are valuable and it doesn’t matter how much education you have to share what you already know
5. How personal are you going to get?
   1. Others do what you do, but there is no other you
   2. Share your personal story – it will set you apart
   3. Being a one-person business is an asset!
   4. People want to connect with people
6. How often are you going to publish without getting overwhelmed?
   1. Be realistic!
   2. Make a promise to yourself & your readers
   3. Be consistent
   4. Release any judgment
   5. Make adjustments as you go

Closing Quote:

“There is only one you for all time. Fearlessly be yourself.” ~ Anthony Rapp, American film and stage actor, found on ThinkExist.com

Peeps who were on the call: please leave a comment letting others know what you gained from this call.  Be sure to include a link to your blog so that we can check you out!

Related posts:

1. FREE Coaching Call: blogging, twitter & facebook
2. Overwhelmed by Blogging? 6 Tips to Find Freedom!
3. Connect with Your Calling and Your Ideal Client

One of the best ways to introduce yourself, share your message, and invite people to become clients is through a blog.  Like most of the “best ways” it can also be one of the most challenging, which is why I am offering this free coaching call:

6 Questions Every Blogger Must Answer

These are the basic building blocks to creating a successful blog for your business.  I love blogging and I want to see you use it to build your business.  It’s so easy to beat yourself up with your blog because the truth is you could always blog more.  But, what good is that going to do you? None!

In this call we are going to jump right into the content.  My goal is to give you loads of helpful information that you can play with right now.  For each question we explore, I will give you coaching tools to help you articulate your unique answers.  Be sure to bring something to take lots of notes with.

There will also be space for callers to share their answers and their challenges.  My hope is that we can do some live laser coaching on the call.  So if you’ve been struggling to keep up with blogging or are even wondering why you are doing it, then please join us for this call.

What: Simply Fearless Free Coaching Call ~ 6 Questions Every Blogger Must Answer
When: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 9am Pacific
Where: Conference Call {long distant charges may apply}
How: Call (712) 432-0800 and enter access code 886293#
Who: Fempreneurs blogging for business development

No need to register.  Simply show up and share on:

Wednesday, 1/20/10, 9am Pacific (712) 432-0800  passcode 886293#

See you there!

Related posts:

1. FREE Coaching Call: blogging, twitter & facebook
2. Blogging for Your Business Basics
3. Social Media Resources Plus Recording to the Latest Coaching Call

What a fantastic call we just had!  My favorite part was connecting with all of you and helping you articulate your 2010 blogging promises.  It’s given me some fantastic ideas for our calls for next year.  So thank you for showing up and sharing.

**Recording**
Click here to listen to the 1 hour recording of our coaching call.  Remember that when you listen to this recording, you are agreeing to honor all participants (including yourself) with authentic, positive, and uplifting words.  You also agree to pass on judging, criticizing, or put-downs of any kind.  {Note: I did get dropped off the call for a minute right at the beginning.  But, no worries, because I jump right back on and share lots of yummy information.}

**Resources**
Here are all the resources I talked about on the call with a short description of how I use them:

SocialOomph.com
I use the free version of this tool to schedule the daily tweets for the Simply Fearless Twitter Stream

TweetDeck
I use this free tool to manage my Twitter accounts, see who’s tweeting about me, and update my Facebook status.

Networked Blogs Facebook Ap
I use this free tool to automatically import my blog posts to my Facebook profile & fan page.  In fact, I love it so much I blogged about it here.

Feedburner
I use the free version of this tool to offer free email updates for people who subscribe to my blogs.

Blackberry Phone
I have email & Facebook access through my phone and it makes it so easy to share on the go.

Google Analytics
I use this to watch the traffic on my blog, how people are finding me, and what keyword searches I come up in.

Wordpress.org
All of my blogs run off of wordpress.org.  It is free software to download and install.  It is for self-hosted blogs and is different than wordpress.com which is a free blogging platform that will host a blog for you.

Dreamhost
I use Dreamhost to host all of my websites.  It’s only dollars a month and I can host as many sites as I want for the same price.  I must tell you that recently we had some major unexpected outages as they moved servers.  But, other than that I am super happy hosting with them.  Disclosure: I am an affiliate with Dreamhost and I will earn money if you use the link above and sign up with them.

GoDaddy
This is for domain registration.  They also offer hosting too, but I found that Dreamhost is easier to use for installing blogs.

aWeber
This tool is for setting up autoresponders and email lists.  I use it for my eCourse and newsletter distribution.  Disclosure: I am an affiliate with aWeber and I will earn money if you use the link above and sign up with them.

NaBloPoMo
This on-line community is for those of you who are ready to take on daily blogging for a month at a time.

**Call Participants**
For those of you who were on the call, please leave a comment with a link to your website or blog so that we can check you out.

**Practice Assignment**
In your journal, answer the following questions:

What do you want people to do when they visit your website?
Do you have a clear, concise, and compelling invitation to do so?
What changes, if any, do you need to make to inspire your website visitors to take action?

Make a promise to yourself for your 2010 social media strategy.  Think about:

1. How often you will blog
2. How you will use Twitter
3. How you will use Facebook

Finish this sentence:

I am willing to promise to…

**My Promises**
On the call, I shared my promises and here they are:

I am willing to promise to:

1. Change CassandraRae.com into my professional speaker site
2. Launch the Simply Fearless Friday meme (AKA blog carnival) and blog once a week beginning 1/8/10
3. Launch the 7 Simple Ways to Connect with Your Ideal Client eCourse
4. Publish a video once a week beginning the week of 1/4/10

**Your Promises**
That would be so cool if you posted a comment below with your 2010 social media promise(s) especially those of you who created one on the call.

Related posts:

1. FREE Coaching Call: blogging, twitter & facebook
2. Free Call: 6 Questions Every Blogger Must Answer
3. The Best Way to Link Your Blog Posts to Facebook

Every 4th Monday of the month at 12noon Pacific I hold a free coaching call and I’m so excited to share with you that December’s call is all about:

BLOGGING, TWITTER & FACEBOOK!

Woohoo!  I can’t wait to share with you all of my strategies and best tips.  I’ll kick off the call with some content about how I use these super powerful tools in my coaching practice and then open it up for your questions.  So if you are new to social media or are wondering how to get the most out of it without going crazy, then you absolutely must join us for this call.   It’s so easy to participate.  All you have to do is call in:

What: FREE Simply Fearless Fempreneur Coaching Call
When: Monday, December 28, 2009 @ 12pm California time
Where: Over the phone {long distance charges may apply}
Led by: Coach Cassandra Rae

Our Promise to Each Other

This call will be recorded and available to listen to on SimplyFearless.com.  When you join us on the call or listen to the recording you promise to:

1. Make it a safe space to learn & grow in
2. Honor all participants with authentic, positive, and uplifting words
3. Pass on judging, criticizing, or put-downs of any kind
4. Hold yourself and others in compassionate honesty
5. Connect with an open heart and mind

Remember that you are also a participant and all of these promises apply to how you treat yourself.  This is a safe learning environment where we embrace one another right where we are, where it’s okay to not know, and where we see the beauty in each other.

Phone Guidelines

• When you share, begin by saying your name so that we know who is talking.
• Do not speak when someone else is speaking.
• Share your thoughts when you feel safe and inspired to do so.
• Silence is okay.  This is probably one of the most challenging aspects of a telephone coaching call for new participants.  Know that in our coaching space we get to be silent and still with one another. Remember to speak when there is something you’d like to share that contributes to our learning.

Related posts:

1. Social Media Resources Plus Recording to the Latest Coaching Call
2. Free Call: 6 Questions Every Blogger Must Answer
3. Audio: Fempreneur Coaching Call

But, the fear is a logical, rational fear.  How the heck do I move past it?

Oh! Another fear just popped up and said, “Shouldn’t the ‘Simply Fearless Coach’ know how to move past all fears?”  Oy!  That pesky voice of fear is filled with such disdain and it makes me feel so small.

But, it also triggers another part of me that responds with such loving kindness and understanding.  This voice says, “No, the Simply Fearless Coach shouldn’t know everything.  She is willing to expose, express, and explore all fears which is what makes her Simply Fearless.”

Oh yeah!  Just the fact that I’m typing out this dialogue is fearless!  I feel so much better now that I’ve listened to and responded to the fear.  It’s so liberating to be reminded who I am and what I stand for.  When that voice of fear comes up it’s like half my heart flies out the window!

Okay, this blog post has taken on a life of its own!  Back to the original topic of sharing too much.  Part of me is still afraid of giving away everything and making no money, but here is what my Soul told me this morning:

“You believe that if you share everything that you’ll make nothing.  But, it is the opposite.  The more you share of our powerful message, the more clients you’ll have.”

Oy!  Why?  Why?  Why does my Soul have to challenge and stretch me like this?

Here’s my commitment: I’m going to trust that if I allow the information to flow from within me that the clients will also flow.  I will write & share everything that comes up.  I will practice this for one week and see how it goes.  If I need to switch up my business practice, then I will.  But, one week is not going to ruin my business.  I’m so excited now to see what cool information unfolds this week!  Oh I feel so free now.  Aaahhh…back to that place of inner peace and trust.

Your Blogging Topic
How do you decide how much to share with your clients?

Related posts:

1. Fear can no longer stop me from sharing my message!
2. Are you afraid to be bold?
3. Fear gets the day off

JFK said, “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

♥

What an excellent reminder that we didn’t start our businesses because it was easy.  And we certainly don’t keep running our businesses because it’s easy.  Nope.  In fact, sometimes it can feel damn near impossible.

But, we started our business and we keep going because it speaks to:

• our hearts,
• our calling,
• our talents, and
• our skills.

I started my business because there simply wasn’t any way I couldn’t.   It was one of those things where I jumped right on in with excitement, enthusiasm, and energy having discovered something that totally transformed my life and I wanted to share it.  In fact, I wanted to tell everyone I knew about it and even coach them if they’d let me!

So here’s what I want you to do:

Invest 10 minutes right now writing down why you started your business.  Describe how you felt and what it meant to you to begin this journey.  Really remember what excited you about it and how it felt to come up with those first few business ideas.  Because the truth is…there will be days when it gets harder than hard and you will want to give up.  When that happens, you can simply turn to what you’ve written and be reminded how much this means to you, how good you are at it, and why it’s important to keep going.

–

Your Daily Blogging Topic

What inspired you to start your business?

Related posts:

1. FREE Coaching Call: blogging, twitter & facebook
2. Your Calling is Bigger Than Just You
3. Blogging for Your Business Basics

Today has been one of those days when I feel the stress & anxiety building so I thought I would share one of my best tips for staying grounded.  It’s so simple.  All I do is :

Pause.

Breathe.

Relax.

And receive.

I imagine that there is an endless amount of whatever I need such as patience, love, trust, etc.  and that as I breathe in I am bringing it in to my being.  Yes, I know, it’s a little woo-woo.  But, I have to say that this one really works.  It helps bring me back to that calm, centered place where I can think clearly and take one step at a time.  Ahhhh…

Why is it that The Hubs and the animal babies are so much better at chilaxing?!

–

Day 3 of NaBloPoMo Your Blogging Topic:

Okay, it would really help me out if you posted the answer to this question as a comment below or on your blog: What do you do when you get stressed out to bring you back to sanity?

Related posts:

1. Change Your Life 30 Minutes at a Time
2. Overwhelmed by Blogging? 6 Tips to Find Freedom!
3. Is Pressure Holding You Back?

So yesterday I talked about commenting on one new blog every day after you publish your own post. But how do you find new blogs to comment on? Well here are my top 5 tips:

1. Visit a blog you already know about it AND like. Find an interesting comment from a blogger you don’t know and click through to check out and comment on that blog. This is easier to do on a blog that has a lot of activity. A couple of my favorite blogs are SarcasticMom and Momisodes.
2. Check out the November NaBloPoMo blogroll and randomly click through a blog to see if there is anything interesting for you to comment on. Keep clicking through until you find a blog post that inspires you to say something worth posting. In other words don’t just comment for the sake of commenting.
3. Use blogcatalog to find a blog in a category that fits your targeted reader and have fun posting comments! Wait a minute, your blog is listed on blogcatalog, right? If not, add it today! You don’t have to spend time on the site if you don’t want to, but you should at least list your blog.
4. Not too long ago I posted about using NetworkedBlogs as the best way to automatically feed your blog posts into your Facebook profile.  Well, it’s also a great resource to find new blogs & bloggers on.  This is also a must use resource for your blog.
5. Technorati is another great place to find new blogs and list your own blog, but an even better idea is to visit the blogs of people who comment on your blog!  Don’t you just *LOVE* it when new people visit & comment on your blog?! I know I do.  Well, what a great way to connect by taking the time to visit & comment on their blog in return!

Okay Peeps.  There ya have it.  Now you have no excuse for not visiting some new blogs & connecting with new bloggers.

–

Your Daily Blogging Topic:

Did you know that I am also a photographer? Here is one of my recent photos of Gracie. Share about one {or more} of your hobbies on your blog.  Be sure to post a link in a comment below so that we can check it out!

Related posts:

1. Daily Blogging Support for You
2. Companion Challenge to Daily Blogging: get the most out of your comments
3. Social Media Resources Plus Recording to the Latest Coaching Call