Is Lionbridge a Legitimate Company?

This should probably be the first question you ask about any work-from-home opportunity you’re considering. Let’s face it, there are a lot of scams on the internet and it can sometimes be hard to recognize the “real thing” when you see it. Here are a few things  you should look for when you’re checking into any work from home job:

• A legit company will more than likely have a professional internet presence, and a professional-looking website
• A legit company will have clear contact information on their website
• The company’s website should provide a pretty clear idea of who they are and what they do for their customers
• The hiring process should “feel” like a hiring process. In other words, be concerned if you see instructions to simply send an email containing your personal info and start working.
• Beware of hype. Most of the scams I’ve seen make some pretty outrageous claims of how much money you will make in “just 30 minutes each day” or some similar hype.
• A legitimate work-from-home opportunity will not cost you anything to apply. Think about it. If you went to a local brick-and-mortar employer to fill out an application, and they asked for a $150 fee up front, you’d grab your purse and run, right? Just because you’re looking online doesn’t mean you should abandon your common sense. Simply put, a legitimate employer will do things you would expect a legitimate employer to do.

With these things in mind, I encourage you to spend some time checking out the Lionbridge website, which should reassure you that you’re dealing with a legitimate company.

What Work-From-Home Jobs Does Lionbridge Have Available?

Lionbridge currently has nine work-from-home positions. I don’t know how many workers they’re hiring right now. However, I was recently in touch with a recruiter who informed me that the most in-demand jobs at the moment are for the Internet Assessor Program and the newly created role of Social Media Search Consultant. Those links will take you to the job description page for each of these positions. Here are a few quick facts about these 2 positions:

• These positions pay $14.50/hour
• Both are independent contractor positions, which means you will not be an employee of Lionbridge. They will not deduct taxes from your pay for you, and you are not eligible for employee benefits.
• Both positions require you to work a minimum of 10 hours/week, and a maximum of 20 hours/week, dependent on task availability. Since December, 2009 when I started working for Lionbridge, there have been three or four occasions when I logged into the system to work, and there was no work available at the time (several hours later there was work available again). There have also been numerous times when I have been notified that I could work more than 20 hours/week because of high volumes of work. At these times, there is often a monetary bonus offered for doing additional work. But typically, you should count on working between 10 and 20 hours per week.
• Both positions allow you to set your own schedule.

Qualifications and Skills Needed to Work for Lionbridge

Obviously, you need a computer to do these jobs since all your work will be done via internet.

Here are the requirements for the Internet Assessors Program, which are listed on the job description page.

The skill set for this job is not high-tech, candidates need to be familiar with browsing the internet, be able to read and write fluent English, and have high-speed access to internet. Specifically:

• Reading and writing in English is a mandatory requirement for program participation
• Proof of English competency in some locales will be requested, e.g. English Certificate
• For cultural and historical awareness purposes, you must be resident in the country for 5 consecutive years
• You should be familiar with using both Internet browsers and content, and have access to a computer with a high-speed internet connection
• You need to be motivated to apply your knowledge in a way that improves the browsing experience on the Web
• You must be a mature person capable of managing your time to spend 10-20 hours per week in rating various online services and software
• You can be a college student, teacher, retired person, on-line shopper, stay-at-home parent or professional from any field

For the Social Media Search Consultant role:

• Fluency in written and verbal English
• Preferred level of education/certification – Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent)
• Regular user of Twitter and Gmail with a Google Profile
• Familiarity with Google products is an advantage
• Access to and use of a broadband internet connection and associated computer and software to perform the work, all provided at your own expense
• Experience in use of web browsers to navigate and interact with a variety of content
• Time Management Skills
• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications
• A legal resident of the United States for the last 5 consecutive years

[source: Lionbridge Social Media Search Consultant page]

From my own experience, I can tell you that you’ll need to be familiar with tabbed browsing, searching the internet quickly and effectively, and a good dose of common sense wouldn’t hurt, either. You’ll also need to have knowledge of popular American culture. The tasks you’ll be performing aren’t rocket science, but Lionbridge does set quality standards and you will be expected to do quality work in a timely manner. They do provide training and guidelines, which you’ll get a taste of during the application process. So, you’re probably wondering exactly how the application process works, right?

How to Apply for a Job With Lionbridge

Like any other job application, you should be prepared to make a good first impression. You will need the typical information like your name, address, phone number, a five-year work history, and your education details. You will have the opportunity to provide a resume, but it’s not required. Here are the steps in the process:

1. Read the job descriptions and decide which position you’d like to apply for. Again, the most in-demand positions right now are for the Internet Assessors Program and the Social Media Search Consultant.
2. On each job description page, you’ll find instructions for applying along with a link which will take you to the Lionbridge recruitment application wizard. You will go through the application wizard, providing all the information you would typically furnish for a job application.
3. Once you submit your application, it will be reviewed by the Lionbridge team. If you’ve included everything in your application, and are approved for the next step, you’ll be notified via email that you can take the online assessment. You’ll receive specifics of the exam from Lionbridge once you’re considered suitable for the role you’ve applied for. Basically you’ll be given instructions and guidelines which you’ll need to become familiar with before taking the exam. The exam will have you doing tasks similar to those you would be doing if hired. You have five days to complete the exam. I highly recommend you give yourself plenty of time to study the guidelines and complete the exam. You must pass the exam in order to be hired.

That’s it. Once you’ve completed your exam, it will be reviewed and you’ll get an email letting you know whether or not you passed. If so, you’ll begin the “onboarding” process similar to training you’d receive as a new employee on a “9-to-5″ job.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’ve written posts about Lionbridge in the past, and there seem to be some questions that come up often. I’ll address the most common ones here. If you still have questions, please post them in the comments section.

• Can I apply for more than one position? Yes. You can apply for more than one position, however you will only be hired for one position. You can typically only work in one “role” or position.
• Can my husband, wife, poodle, goldfish, etc. also work for Lionbridge? Nope. Only one person per household can work for Lionbridge.
• What will my hours be? Make sure you read the job description of the position you’re interested in. As an independent contractor in the Internet Assessor Program, I set my own schedule. I am expected to work a minimum of 10 hours/week and I’m usually allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours/week. My daily schedule is up to me. I work whenever I want to work.
• Can I take time off? Yes. Once you’ve been hired, you’ll have access to a portal where you’ll log in when you work. From there, you’ll also be able to report periods of time when you won’t be available for work. This is not paid vacation; you only get paid for the time you work.
• How (and how often) will I get paid? You will report your time using an online “time-sheet” application. Once your time is reviewed and approved you’ll be paid via direct deposit once per month. I have never had any issues with payment.
• Are there any full-time positions available? Lionbridge does not have any full-time work from home positions at this time.
• Why is there a number “10″ in the word L10NBRIDGE? Well, look how observant you are! The numeronym “L10N” is used for the word “localization,” which is a service on which Lionbridge has based its success. You can read more about Localization Services on their website.

I’ve enjoyed working for Lionbridge for over a year now. Overall, it’s pretty much perfect for what I’m trying to accomplish. It gives me a steady income, allows me to work from home and set my own hours, and the work is usually pretty interesting and often even fun (imagine that…I just used “work” and “fun” in the same sentence!) Are there drawbacks? Of course, and this isn’t the right fit for everyone. If you absolutely have to have employer-provided insurance, for example, this may not work for you. If you’re looking for a way to transition from the “Rat Race” to a work-from-home lifestyle, then this may be exactly what you’re looking for.

Let us know if you apply for a position at Lionbridge, we’d love to hear how it goes for you!

So I’m here to give you a warning…and an invitation. It takes a special breed of person to start an online business and not succumb to blog-fade (where you slowly stop posting until your blog is just a memory…a bad memory).

First, the Warning

It’s hard enough to succeed in Internet business and work-at-home blog ventures even with discipline. So if you’re a casual reader here and you’re checking out your options for making money online, I suggest you really start knuckling down on your discipline now, before things get too overwhelming. Believe me, you’ll have moments when you think you’re in over your head. But if you can remain calm and not ‘what if’ it to death, you can get past those moments.

If, however, you are desperate to make money online and your place is a mess (by place I mean wherever you use your computer), and on top of that, you have absolutely zero discipline, I suggest you go play in a busy intersection instead…it takes no discipline to get anywhere. It’s like, >>BOOM!<< and you’re there. You’re unconscious, but, hey, look how far you’ve come.

Now, An Invitation

I am definitely going to improve my discipline this year. Not only that, but I’m going to ROCK the discipline like nobody’s business. I’ve started reading a couple books (I’ll talk more about this later), and I’m gathering my resources and starting to lay the groundwork for better discipline. I’m letting you in on this thing before I have it all figured out. So, if you want to rock your discipline, you should follow my progress and start working on your discipline along with me.

I’m going to be writing a lot about discipline on my Behavior and Motivation blog. So that’s the best place to follow my progress. Look for my current post, In Search of Discipline–A Personal Journey. Stop by, read the post, and tell me in the comments section that you’re working on your discipline too. Maybe we can learn from each other.

Having awesome discipline is probably one of the most important qualities you can have if you’re hoping to succeed in your Internet-based business. You’ve been forewarned, now fix it!

How long have you been thinking about starting a blog or even an Internet business empire? How long have you been reading all the blogs from all the gurus of Internet business? You’ve been devouring all the latest business podcasts and you’ve sunk quite a few dollars into books, online courses, and all the latest whiz-bang techno-gadgets designed to help you get your blog and Internet business going fast.

Yet, here you are, still consuming more information, still planning, still brainstorming…and still no business. Maybe you’ve even take a few small steps but now you’ve stalled. Look, I can’t do anything about how you spend your time. Next year, you’ll be another year older and unless you do something different, you will not be any closer to having your blog going with an income stream established.

Internet businesses are not created overnight…at least not your first baby. When everything is new to you, things tend to move along more slowly. I understand that you’re cautious. Some caution is good. But DO something already! You don’t have to quit your day job tomorrow, or even next month. And though you may be anxious to quit your sucky day job, you can start a business in your spare time (like I am) and at least not have to worry about where the money will come from to buy food and pay your next car insurance bill.

Starting an Internet business is practically RISK FREE! Buying a domain name is cheap, web hosting is cheap, your time is ultra-cheap. Once you have your domain name and web hosting, you can launch your blog, using WordPress, in a matter of minutes. In a single evening, you can have your blog roughed in. And since you don’t want to launch your blog without any blog posts, start writing and posting excellent content while you take a month or two to shape the look of your blog and any other Internet business-related tasks.

You don’t have to know everything there is to know about blogging or starting an Online business before you take these steps. You don’t need the “next big information thing” in Internet business. I’m not saying you won’t ever need it, I’m just saying, you’ve got to draw the line somewhere and I’m putting it down right here!

What good is all that  Internet business knowledge you’ve been consuming for months or even years if you’re never going to use it? Don’t be another pipe-dreamer and flush opportunity down the toilet! You’ll never get there if you never start!  So stop reading and START already!

My Current Work-From-Home Situation

I haven’t written anything for this blog for a couple of months. What’s my problem? Well, oddly enough, I found myself full-time back in the Rat Race for the last few months, in addition to my part-time work-from-home gig. But fortunately, I got that out of my system! Currently, I’m just working from home part-time for a company called Lionbridge. Not exactly self-employed, but it’s a step in the right direction. I’ve discovered that there are some great advantages to working from home, but there are also some disadvantages and hurdles. I love having the freedom to set my own hours. I also love not having a “boss” looking over my shoulder and telling me what to do and how to do it. And of course, being able to take time off whenever I want to is a definite advantage.

The advantages of working from home have been pretty much what I expected. More freedom and less stress sums it up pretty well. However, there are some disadvantages that I hadn’t really expected to be such stubborn obstacles. Most importantly, I’ve learned that self-discipline is not really my strength. The freedom to work when I want to also means I have the freedom to not work. It’s been a blessing, and a curse. One of my biggest hurdles has been time management. Fortunately, I have made some good progress with that thanks to a little planning and a program called Essential PIM.

Another thing I’ve discovered about working from home is that a lot of people interpret my situation to mean something like, “Since you’re not really busy, you won’t mind doing [fill in the blank with just about ANYthing] for me … would you?? Yeah. I’m amazed that the world was able to function when I had to go to work 8 hours every day.

I’ve been working for Lionbridge for over a year now. It’s been a great opportunity to help me transition from “Rat Race” to work-from-home. Unfortunately it’s only a part-time gig, which means I’m feeling the pressure of getting some cash flow from my online business.

My Current Online Business Situation

Unfortunately, I’m still struggling with the niche I chose for my blog. At the beginning of this journey, I wrote/ranted about the fact that I don’t have a “thing” or if I do, I haven’t recognized it yet. I eventually decided on EcoFriendlyBasics.com because it’s something I at least had some interest in learning about. The tough part is, since I’m not yet an “expert” on the topic of eco friendly living, most of the posts I write require research and fact-checking and I often feel like I’m back in school again writing a research paper or something. It’s a lot of time and effort to put into something I’m not particularly “passionate” about. Still looking for that thing… But in the meantime I’m going to also be looking into some ways to make some passive income online.

The Blog Launch

Last year on Independence Day (here in the US, that’s July 4th), I launched behaviorandmotivation.com. In case you’re wondering, yes, I did choose to launch on that day for symbolic purposes. Since I still have a day job and work 40 hours per week or more, I’ve learned a few things about the entire process of becoming an Internet Entrepreneur. I’ll share some of those lessons in a future post. For now, I want to bring you up to speed.

Aside from launching Behavior and Motivation, I started a related Twitter account (@ScottMilford) and a Facebook page for Behavior and Motivation. The Facebook community is great and I’m really enjoying interacting with everyone there. Stop by and check it out and click “Like” while you’re there.

One thing I’ve found particularly challenging since launching my blog has been keeping up with the updates here. I haven’t been writing as regularly and that’s due mainly to the fact that I have to prioritize my time and, logically, I’m spending more time on my new blog because that is where my passion is and it’s the vehicle I’m using to start earning some money while following my passion, which is helping people learn how to improve their lives.

Making Money

On the subject of making money, you might be wondering if I’m making money on my new blog yet. The answer is no. But that’s mainly due to having limited time and limited free resources to get things done sooner. But my plan is still on track. First quarter this year, I will be launching two ebooks about motivation. One ebook will be free and won’t require an email sign-up in order to get it. Yes, I know that I’m sounding crazy right now, but hear me out…

The free ebook will be a short version of the motivation ebook that I’ll charge for. The free version will be my advertising tool. Therefore, I want nothing to slow down its distribution. I want it to spread freely, and maybe even virally. There will, of course, be links back to my sales page, my blog, and perhaps even links to some affiliate’s blogs, but they will be carefully selected and used cautiously. I don’t want it to appear too spammy and I want to link to developed blogs that also don’t appear too be only motivated by sales, such as having Google ads between every paragraph on the page. I guess there could be some exceptions, but I know what I like and what would fit with my blog so I’ll lean heavily in favor of that.

The version of the motivation ebook that I’ll be selling will be an expanded edition and may include a Kindle version and audiobook version, possibly even an app version. The price is still to be determined. I actually have more ebooks slated for release this year, but for now, I’m trying to stay focused on one project at a time.

The Next Step

Currently, I have the free version about 90% complete and the expanded version is about 75% complete.  After they’re both written and ready to go, I’ll start sending it to specific people (early readers) and getting testimonials. I have a few high-profile people in mind as well that I will send it to. It’s been a while since I’ve contacted them, but they were on board a while back so I still expect them to be willing to give me a quote.

After I’ve  added the testimonials, or while I’m waiting for the returns, I’ll set up my e-junkie account (or whatever method I end up using to electronically deliver my ebooks). Then I’ll start arranging deals with various people to get them to participate in the launch(es). Last but now least, I will finally launch. It’s hard to know what to expect, but judging from the response I’ve already received about my ebook, I suspect it will sell fairly well on launch day.

So that’s it for now, I guess. 2010 was very busy but things are on track for a first-quarter launch of my motivation ebooks. Stay tuned!

If you’ve been thinking about setting up some websites and you need hosting, Host Gator is offering an awesome deal for Black Friday. I chose Host Gator over a year ago because with their standard pricing you get a lot of bang for your buck. But, with this Black Friday offer they’ve really made it a no-brainer. Check out these deals:

 

Don’t Miss Out! This Black Friday promotion starts at

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The discount will be applied to your first invoice (first term length you sign up for, whether that be 1 month or for 3 years).

This sale applies to ALL Accounts and ALL Term Lengths. So you have the opportunity to receive up to 80% off of up to 3 years worth of Hosting! That would come out to $35.64 for 3 FULL YEARS of hosting! That includes Shared Hosting, Reseller Hosting, VPS Hosting AND even Dedicated Servers!

Host Gator offers a variety of hosting options, and this sale applies to all of them. Here are a few examples of the deals you can get Friday:

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Reseller Hosting – $24.95/month AS LOW AS $4.99/month

VPS Hosting – $19.95/month AS LOW AS $3.99 First Month

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I’ve been using Host Gator for over a year now and have been very satisfied with their service and support. I chose Host Gator because they have a great reputation and because I get a lot of bang for my buck (host unlimited domains for one low price). I’ve stayed with them because their cPanel is easy to use and I’ve never had any problem with hosting or support.

If you’re planning to do any experimenting with different types of website businesses, it’s a huge savings to have a plan like this so you don’t have to keep buying a new hosting plan every time you want to try out something new. Get yourself a Host Gator account, and start hosting all of your domains through that one account, and get on with your life.

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To take advantage of Host Gator’s Black Friday sale, simply click on

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Happy Thanksgiving!

If you can relate, then read on. I may have (finally!) found a solution to help me get on track, stay on track, and get things done before the proverbial “hell freezes over” scenario. If you’re struggling with getting things done, maybe it’ll help you out too. No affiliate links here, just a really awesome program I found that I wanted to pass along to you in case you’re struggling with time management.

The Dilemma

Ok, don’t get me wrong. Working from home definitely has it’s benefits. But, if – like me – you’re used to punching the clock and having someone tell you what to do and when to do it, then suddenly having the “freedom” to screw off is deadly! I’m in a situation now where I’m working from home and my daily schedule is completely up to me. Remembering that I really suck at getting stuff done, you can see how this could be a problem, right?

I’ve always been a fan of having a to-do list. It has served me pretty well until recently. My problem now is that I have more than one list. I have a “personal” to-do list, and now a to-do list for each of my blogs. If you’re trying to start an online business, there’s a lot of things that have to get done in a timely manner and on a consistent basis if you want to succeed. The way I’ve been trying to manage the multiple to-do list thing hasn’t been working out for me. I always feel disorganized, like I’m forgetting something. And I usually am forgetting at least one something.

For a long time now, I’ve used my email program (Thunderbird) to keep track of stuff like birthdays, anniversaries, and appointments. That works pretty well. I can set up each event so that I’ll get a reminder ahead of time and be less likely to forget it. Most email programs have that capability.

What I’ve found myself really needing lately is a way to make an hour-by-hour schedule for each day. I tried doing this myself using Microsoft Word, but it was a big hassle juggling the schedule and several to-do lists, and there was nothing to remind me of the daily tasks. Bottom line: if it’s a pain in the ass, I’m not gonna do it.

I recently got really fed up with being so disorganized. I’m not getting things done that need to be done. I’m not being productive with my time. And I know if I want to continue working from home, “being my own boss,” then I’ve got to get better at this. That’s when I said to myself, “Self, it’s 2010. Surely some smarty-pants must have come up with a chunk of software that’ll help me get my butt in gear and keep it there.” Know what? I was right! I test drove several different programs designed to help productivity-challenged folks like me. And I finally found one that has all the features I wanted, and then some.

The Solution

It’s not very often that a single software program makes me wanna do my happy dance and then write a blog post all about it so that everyone else knows about it too. This is a rare occasion. Feel free to imagine me doing my happy dance now. Don’t be weird though. You don’t know me like that.

Like I said, I tried several programs before I found the one that suited all my needs. That program [drum-roll, please] is Essential PIM. The “PIM” stands for “Personal Information Manager.” There’s a free version and a “Pro” version. For the Pro version, there’s a 30-day free trial. The only limitation on the trial version is that you can only enter 500 tasks. By then, you’ll know if this is what you need. I was hooked in a couple of days, bought it, and haven’t looked back since. The cost is $40. You want screenshots? You got it! Here are my two favorite features:

Manage Multiple To-Do Lists: Essential PIM Pro lets me manage all my to-do lists in one place! In the screenshot above, you can see there are 4 tabbed to-do lists: Work, Sample, Travel Checklist, and List 4. Each list is fully customizable and you can color-code each one to your liking.

The to-do lists use a “tree structure” so you can have “parent” and “child” tasks. You can specify start date, due date, priority, and category for each task in each to-do list. Yes, I’m in heaven! It’s a list-lover’s dream come true.

You can also specify whether or not you want each task to be displayed in your calendar, which is a must for me since I need a daily planner. For example, I can set up a task to write a blog post, add it to my day planner and designate a specific block of time in that day’s schedule to get it done. Speaking of day planner, that’s my other favorite feature and is exactly what I was looking for to work alongside my to-do lists.

Daily Scheduler: This is the “day planner” feature that lets you plan out exactly what needs to be done each day, and when to do it. Absolutely essential for me. In the short time that I’ve been using this program, I’ve gotten in a habit of spending a few minutes each evening to schedule the next day. It’s the first thing I look at when I turn the computer on in the morning. I love the functionality of this thing. It keeps track of all my tasks from all my to-do lists. It also keeps all my recurring appointments, so it will replace my email calendar for remembering birthdays and appointments. You can also set up reminders for scheduled events. If something unexpected comes up and you need to rearrange your day, the program makes that really easy. In the screenshot above, any of the “blocks” representing tasks and appointments can be quickly rearranged and rescheduled with drag-and-drop. The user interface is really intuitive, and everything is all in one place. How’s that for convenient?

The combination of these two features: Multiple to-do list management, and integration with a daily planner, was enough to “sell” me on Essential PIM Pro. But, there are a lot of other features that may be important for your specific situation. So make sure you check out the website to see all the other tricks it does, and more screenshots: Essential PIM Features . You may also want to check out a comparison of the Free & Pro Version.

Sticky Notes

With Essential PIM, you can also keep notes and you can make any of your notes “sticky” notes that will sit on your desktop and stare at you until you don’t need it anymore. I have to say though, I’m not a big fan of this feature. When I need a sticky note I want to make it quick. For me, it takes too much navigating to use the sticky note feature in Essential PIM because you have to make the note from within the program.

For sticky notes, I prefer Stickies by Zhorn Software. It’s simple, quick, and free.

More Options…

If this program doesn’t make you do your happy dance, here is a list of some others that look promising:  PIM software comparison from Priacta (this website rates the programs according to their compatibility with David Allen’s popular “Getting Things Done” system).

Q: How do you get it done? Do you have a favorite system or program? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks for your patience.

Eco Friendly Basics

You can check out my new blog at EcoFriendlyBasics.com

The site will target people who are just starting to transition to a more eco-friendly lifestyle and want to make small, simple changes in their daily routines. It’s all about making eco friendly living EASY.

There’s still some work to be done on the layout and the opt-in. But I’m really excited to (finally!) see it there. And knowing that it’s now “live” is motivation in itself to work on it at a quicker pace!

What do you think? If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, I’d love to hear your feedback!

Behavior and Motivation

FROM SCOTT:

You can check out my new blog at BehaviorandMotivation.com

The blog will focus on helping people recognize their own behavior patterns and help them understand how these patterns shape their lives and affect their motivation.

For example, right now, I’m writing a series called, “Motivation to Lose Weight and Exercise” where I’ll share my observations on the obstacles people face when trying to lose weight. The good news is, I also write about how to get past them and how to get motivated to stick with it.

I’m still tweaking it, but right now, I’m pretty happy with the feedback I’ve been getting about my site. Here’s a recent comment I got on the site in the Guestbook: “Hello I just finished reading your blog and I’m in love with it!! I’ve never really read something so in depth that focused on something so important, motivation! I can’t wait to get my hands on the book! Thank you for all the advice, now I know I can reach my goal for my birthday!”

This kind of feedback really hits the spot. It’s confirmation that I’m on the right track. And the best part is, it’s what I love to do. This is where my passion is and I’m doing it and not just dreaming about doing it. The comment also hints at a book I’m working on. Yes, it’s true, I am working on an ebook about Motivation. But you’ll have to handle it carefully when you read it. Why? Because it’s so powerful, it could knock your eyeballs out. So use this power of motivation for good in your life, not for a trip to the eyeball factory where they replace fallen-out eyeballs.

Another cool thing that I’ve done that I’m pretty excited about is creating a Facebook page for Behavior and Motivation. You should check it out. All the popular kids are, so don’t be left behind… go there now and click “Like”.  http://www.facebook.com/behaviorandmotivation

Ultimately, the engine behind my site and all things connected to it (like Facebook, Twitter, etc.) is going to be the interaction that takes place between the people in the community I’m creating. So I hope you’ll visit and interact. Consider sharing any posts from my site that you really connect with. If you do, you might just win a bowl of soup… or, at least, my undying gratitude.

Okay, that’s it it for me. And now…back to Tammy!

WHAT’S NEXT?

Email Marketing:

We’ve both set up our opt-in newsletters through AWeber, and we’ve written all the necessary “welcome” emails and the first few newsletter issues.  The great part about the newsletters is that once the content is written, it’s a done deal. Whenever someone opts in to receive the newsletter, they’ll receive them in order automatically with the settings we have configured through AWeber. To stay ahead of the curve, we need to write more newsletter content so that when our subscribers come pouring in, we’ll be ready for ‘em! There are also some other features that AWeber offers that we need to dig into. For instance, in addition to scheduled mailings (called “follow-up” mailings), you can also use AWeber to send a “Broadcast” message to your email list. I tried this out for the first time this week and I like the feature. I only have a few subscribers so far, so I can’t really say how effective the marketing is, but it’s definitely something I’ll continue to use as my list grows. Here’s an example from my first attempt. I was promoting a sale at WeAddUp.com (which I’m an affiliate for, of course). And I sent out a “Broadcast” message to my list with some details, a coupon code, and my affiliate link. AWeber also gave me the option of integrating the broadcast with social media. So, I turned on that option and a message was automatically posted to my Twitter and Facebook accounts. The message looked like this (it’s the title of my email broadcast, and a shortened url to the full message):

Make an Eco-Friendly fashion statement & get 13% off with this code (’til Sunday) http://bit.ly/b9n7yD

You can click on the link to see what the full message looks like. It’s the content I wrote for the email broadcast, but AWeber took care of all the other design stuff, which I was pleasantly surprised to see! They added the Opt-in, Twitter, and RSS feed options to the sidebar, and my logo at the top. Cool, huh?

Social Networking

We’re both working on building up our social networks – mostly through Twitter and Facebook for now. Whether you’re interested in our niches, or just want to follow our progress, here are the details if you want to follow us:

Scott’s Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/behaviorandmotivation

Scott’s Twitter: @scottmilford

Tammy’s Twitter: @ecobasics

Tammy’s Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eco-Friendly-Basics/118649581518825? (once I get 25 “likes” I’ll be able to shorten this gawd-awful long URL!)

We’re also visiting other blogs in our niches and leaving comments on these established blogs to expand our reach.

Content

Of course, we’re both working on adding more content to our blogs on a regular basis. The timing is pretty good for this. As many of you know, we are members of Internet Business Mastery Academy, and the course we’re studying right now is all about creating compelling content. We’ve got plenty of work to do here. In addition to blog content and newsletter content, we’re also working on writing our own ebooks.

Plenty to keep us busy these days! Oh, and I’m also working on changing this site over to Headway Theme. There’s more news about Headway, but I’ll save that for another day!

So…What’s happening on your side of the screen? What are you up to lately?

If you stop by my new blog, there is a Guestbook where you can leave general comments. It’s like the “wall” in Facebook. Speaking of Facebook, I have a fan page for my blog too. Go here to check that out. Anyway, I’m happy to share this exciting news. Let me know what you think of it.