Author Archive
Solopreneurs Should Use Multimedia
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Multimedia encompasses any media that isn’t just text. This includes audio, video, slideshow presentations, teleseminars, webinars and more.
Using multiple media gives you another way to connect with your audience members. People like to consume their information in a range of different ways, and by providing your content in multiple media you give your subscribers a choice of how they want to interact with you.
Here are some of the most popular multimedia choices and why you should consider adding them to your online marketing arsenal.
Audio – Podcasting and Content Downloads
Audio content has really taken off in the age of the iPod, iPhone and Android. Just about everyone has a portable audio player now.
Having your content in audio format makes it easy for people to listen to while they’re on the go. It’s especially appealing for people who like to learn, but don’t want to set time aside to read a book.
Instead, they like to listen and learn while they’re on the bus, in their car or walking to lunch. Audio makes it easy for them to do that.
Video: Letting Them See the Real You
How you appear in video is much closer than in text to how you appear in real life.
In text, people often form images of you that just aren’t how you actually are. When you’re on video, however, that makes it a lot easier for people to get to know the real you.
This helps build connection with your market, which in turn results in more trust, sales, backlinks and partnership opportunities.
Webinars and Online Slideshow Presentations
Another common form of multimedia is webinars and online slideshow presentations.
Again, these can be used to build trust with your audience and offer another way for them to get the information that you’re providing.
Another benefit to using these media is that they offer you a stellar opportunity to sell products. Online presentations can build a lot of trust; and if you offer your product at the right time you can generate a whole lot of sales.
Different Ways to Deliver Multimedia
The most basic way to deliver multimedia is in an online format. Simply encode your audio content in MP3 format or upload your video content to YouTube or Vimeo and make it available online.
A more complex way of delivering your multimedia would be to charge for it. You can often charge more for video or audio content than written content.
In order to do this, you’ll need to have a fulfillment system of some sort. If you’re small, this could just be you burning and mailing CDs & DVDs in your basement. If your site gets significant traffic, you’ll probably need to work with a fulfillment house.
Using multimedia is one of the best ways to take your blog from average to beyond average. Let people interact with you in a variety of different ways.
Your Blog Is Important, So Protect It
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How many times over the past year have you heard about a business website getting hacked? It seems to happen on a daily basis. Getting hacked is not only a large pain, it’s also risky business. Your information and your customer information can be placed in the hands of untrustworthy strangers. The good news is that there are steps you can take right away to help protect your blog against hackers.
Update Everything
If you’re like many business owners than your WordPress site has an abundance of useful plug-ins that make running a WordPress based business easy and effective? Update those plug-ins Update your template, and update the version of WordPress you’re working with. The simple step of updating helps protect you from hackers who have an easier time accessing older versions.
Delete the Unnecessary
Delete unused accounts, plug-ins, templates and other unused items on your blog. Also delete the ability to access your log-in from the home page of your site. And delete the version of WordPress you’re working with from the footer of your blog.
Backup Automatically
Install a plugin that backs up your site automatically. These plugins allow you to set your backups hourly, daily, or weekly. They also email you a copy of the backup so you have it with you should hackers get into your site.
Double Authentication
Consider implementing two-step verification. Whether you’re logging into your blog or into your email, you’re at risk. This is absolutely important if you email yourself passwords to keep track of them. There are plug-ins that can initiate the two step verification process. You can also utilize Google’s system to protect your Gmail account. It is a simple and important step to take to protect yourself from hackers and identity thieves.
Install Security Plug-ins
WordPress security plug-ins accomplish several important things. There are plug-ins that lock down your site when someone tries to log in incorrectly more than three times. They are blocked from trying to log in again. This prevents brute force attacks. Some plugins monitor activity on your site and send reports. And others assess vulnerabilities and make changes to your site to protect you from hackers.
While there are many plug-ins that accomplish these tasks individually, there are also some plug-ins, like Better WP Security, that manage several of these tasks. They offer comprehensive protection.
Preventing your blog from being hacked is probably impossible, however taking these steps can help protect you. They’re quick and easy to take care of and a little protection can go a long way.
