A number of my clients and coaching colleagues offer special VIP programs and VIP coaching packages. These offers are only available to a few ideal clients. They offer a high level of support and come with a high investment cost.

Are you offering a VIP service, or thinking about it? If so, I invite you to keep reading and see how you can easily add value to your VIP programs, at a small cost to you and make your VIP service stand out from all the others. Sound good?

I suggest you create a dedicated online area for each of your VIP clients. This can be as easy as setting up a WordPress "page" for each one of your VIP clients. On this page add one or more of the following:

• A "How to get the most out of your VIP Program" report
• Recordings of all of your coaching calls
• Valuable resources like templates, checklists and special reports
• Links to any resources you shared on your calls
• Transcripts of your calls
• Links to discounted products and services
• A link reschedule calls with you (or instructions on how to reschedule your calls)
• Information on how to contact your assistant
• Your "Terms of Service" and policies

Original Article

Step 1: Get a Blogsite

Traditional html sites do not cut it in a competitive and dynamic world. Using a blogsite (blog + site) to promote your business is easiest, fastest and most effective
WordPress is the leader in blogsite software.

Step 2: Create Valuable Content

Create content that your clients and ideal clients need and want to read. The more valuable it is the more often they will come back and refer you!
Generate content ideas by:

• listening to the trending topics your clients talk about
• trends in the industry
• use Google Alerts http://alerts.google.com

Step 3: Leverage Your Content

• Don’t just create content, leverage it!
• Take a series of blog posts, polish them up and create an e-book or published book.
• Market your blog posts on social media sites.
• Update your Facebook and Twitter status’ with your blog posts’ titles and links to them.

Step 4: Attract Google and Get Smart About SEO

• Don’t be suckered into SEO packages that cost thousands of dollars!
• Use keywords in your blog post title, content and category names.
• Use the Google’s Keyword Tool to research new keywords.

Step 5: Build and Attract Community

Your communities are your clients, newsletter readers, twitter followers, facebook fans and potential clients.
Keeping your community happy, loved and feeling special is the way to continue building your community and in turn they will be loyal followers and buyers! How are you currently keeping your communities happy?

Step 6: Drive and Direct Traffic

I hear so much on the web about "driving traffic" to your site. Yes we want to drive people to our blogsites but what do they do when they get there? If you don't direct them within a few seconds then they will leave your site. Guide them. Let them know what they should read, click or do next.

This is one step that many people skip and then they wonder why they are not converting traffic/visitors into clients and customers.

Step 7: Monetize

Making money is the reason why we are in business. Otherwise wouldn't call ourselves "entrepreneurs" we'd call ourselves "hobbyists".
Make it obvious where clients can “insert their credit card”. How can they buy your products or purchase your coaching packages if they don't know where they are or what they are?

Step 8: Measure, Analyze, Optimize, Repeat.

Statistics are king! Add Google Analytics to your site asap so that you can see where your visitors are coming from, how they heard about you, what words they searched to find you, how long they stayed on your site and more!

Learn what you need to know, without all the unnecessary hype, fluff, and confusion. And when you do you'll:

• Avoid looking like a newbie on the web who has no idea what they are doing.
• Keep your reputation in tact online and offline.
• Get over your netophobia (fear or hate of the internet).
• Have an easy way to ongoingly create and publish content on your blog. Content that both Google and your potential clients will be attracted to and will keep coming back for more!
• Stop wasting time and leverage the content you already have that is hiding in secret places in your brain and on your computer!
• Let your competition think that SEO is still the way to attract Google, while you give Google what it really wants!
• Build a community of followers and fans!
• Drive traffic to your site and get them to do what you want them to do.
• Remove “scarcity” from your vocabulary and generate sexy hot profits. (No I’m not talking about Google AdSense here! Pa-lease!)
• Identify on your own, where tweaks need to be made on your site so that your visitors come back often, stay around for awhile and do what you want them to!

Original Article

Tired of running teleclasses and looking for a new way to build and engage with your community?

Would you like to convert more web visitors or tire kickers into customers and clients faster?

Isn't it time you were known as one of the leaders in your market?

It is a known fact that video has a higher conversion rate than any other media including audio. There’s something about seeing someone, their mannerisms, their facial expressions and body language that makes us feel like we "know" the person and we trust them faster than we would if we were listening to an audio of them or reading the content in their book. When people get to know, like and trust you they buy from you, when they are ready of course. So why not incorporate video into your marketing plan? Too hard? You don’t have the time?

How about if I told you that all you need is to follow these steps:

1. Get a web cam (some of you have them built into on your laptops)
2. Download LiveStream Procaster (a small piece of free software)
3. Create a free account with www.livestream.com
4. Create your first livestream channel
5. Create a registration page on your site. Example: http://wpblogsites.com/wpblogsitestv/registration/
6. Invite your community to register and let them know to meet you at the scheduled day and time on your livestream channel.
7. Start your livestream show with a few clicks. Your community can see you and ask questions in the live chat.
8. At the end of your show you can grab the html code to show off your video on a blog post, or simply direct your community to your livestream channel on www.livestream.com

Original Article

In this episode I covered the cool new ways to take the content you already have (even if it’s in your head) and transform it into a number of new revenue streams easily.

We highly recommend WishList Member to create any of the membership models we covered in this episode.

Original Article

When it comes to marketing and making money, size does matter. The size of your newsletter list, Facebook Fan list, Twitter follower list and connections on LinkedIn that is.

The Big Question

I am often asked "Sandra I know you are in favour of creating recurring monthly revenue and membership sites. However I have a small list. Should I create a membership site?"

I reply "Yes and no. Yes you should create a membership site but not a membership site that follows the traditional/publisher model."

The Problem

You see the traditional/publisher model promises fresh ongoing content on a monthly basis. The client pays for access to the content each month. The problem is the client never knows what they are paying for ahead of time. This "unknown" drives some people mad and they will instantly cancel their membership or never sign up in the first place.

As the owner of the membership site the stress is on you to create new and fresh content each month that your clients would enjoy and get great value out of it. This may not seem like a problem at the beginning but it will become a problem around the six month mark, trust me, I have been through it myself and I see clients and colleagues go through it too. Unfortunately you end up resenting your membership site and your members :(

If you have a small list chances are just a few people will sign up for your membership site. So you can imagine your frustration when you spent your valuable time and money to set up a membership site when only a handful of people enroll and less people show up to your live training sessions.

Two Solutions

Instead of following the Traditional/Publisher model consider the Micro Continuity Model or the Self-Study/Modular Course Model.

Micro Continuity Model

A micro continuity site is very similar to a traditional membership site, but unlike the traditional membership sites where there is no set "end date," micro continuity sites have a set "end date."

It's up to you how long you want your micro continuity site to be active. If you are offering a six-month training program you may want to offer a membership based site for six months. Members would be able to access training materials, training schedules, homework assignments, appointment booking calendars, bonus materials, and the list goes on and on.

When the program completes you have the option of closing the micro continuity site or leaving it open so that paid clients can continue to access materials.

Self-Study/Modular Course Model

If an ongoing membership site is not your thing, you can also offer self-study programs by using WishList Member's "sequential upgrade" feature.

Let's say you have a three-week course. Each week a new lesson will automatically be sent to anyone who has purchased your self-study program. At the end of the three weeks, you have the option of allowing clients to continue to have access to the materials or you can cancel their access.

What I love about setting up a self-study program like this is that you are giving your clients bits of information over a period of time and not overwhelming them with all of the course information at once. I also love that it does not have a scheduled start date. Anyone can buy access to your self-study program at any time or day, so you can promote it all year long.

Each paid client will gain access to Lesson One on the day they register and will receive Lesson Two the following week, and so on. So while some clients are on Lesson Three, others may be on Lesson Two. It's the perfect passive offering.

A tool to help you build your membership site

Traditional membership sites, micro continuity sites and self-study modular courses are just a few examples of how WishList Member can enhance your offerings and expand how you are using WordPress.

Believe me, I've created numerous membership sites with programs that were unintuitive, expensive, energy suckers. For $97 you can grab this WordPress plugin and create your own membership site with any of the above membership models.

Visit http://wpblogsites.com/wishlist for more details and to purchase the amazing plugin that has changed thousands of ways in which entrepreneurs are doing business.

Original Article

In this episode I covered the cool new ways to take the content you already have (even if it’s in your head) and transform it into a number of new revenue streams easily.

We highly recommend WishList Member to create any of the membership models we covered in this episode. Buy it by December 31st and get over $400 worth of bonuses like icons to use in your membership site, 3 top plugins to help your users navigate through your site easily and a 3 part training program to get your membership site started. http://wpblogsites.com/wishlist (Yes this is my affiliate link.)

Original Article

When it comes to marketing and making money, size does matter. The size of your newsletter list, Facebook Fan list, Twitter follower list and connections on LinkedIn that is.

The Big Question

I am often asked "Sandra I know you are in favour of creating recurring monthly revenue and membership sites. However I have a small list. Should I create a membership site?"

I reply "Yes and no. Yes you should create a membership site but not a membership site that follows the traditional/publisher model."

The Problem

You see the traditional/publisher model promises fresh ongoing content on a monthly basis. The client pays for access to the content each month. The problem is the client never knows what they are paying for ahead of time. This "unknown" drives some people mad and they will instantly cancel their membership or never sign up in the first place.

As the owner of the membership site the stress is on you to create new and fresh content each month that your clients would enjoy and get great value out of it. This may not seem like a problem at the beginning but it will become a problem around the six month mark, trust me, I have been through it myself and I see clients and colleagues go through it too. Unfortunately you end up resenting your membership site and your members :(

If you have a small list chances are just a few people will sign up for your membership site. So you can imagine your frustration when you spent your valuable time and money to set up a membership site when only a handful of people enroll and less people show up to your live training sessions.

Two Solutions

Instead of following the Traditional/Publisher model consider the Micro Continuity Model or the Self-Study/Modular Course Model.

Micro Continuity Model

A micro continuity site is very similar to a traditional membership site, but unlike the traditional membership sites where there is no set "end date," micro continuity sites have a set "end date."

It's up to you how long you want your micro continuity site to be active. If you are offering a six-month training program you may want to offer a membership based site for six months. Members would be able to access training materials, training schedules, homework assignments, appointment booking calendars, bonus materials, and the list goes on and on.

When the program completes you have the option of closing the micro continuity site or leaving it open so that paid clients can continue to access materials.

Self-Study/Modular Course Model

If an ongoing membership site is not your thing, you can also offer self-study programs by using WishList Member's "sequential upgrade" feature.

Let's say you have a three-week course. Each week a new lesson will automatically be sent to anyone who has purchased your self-study program. At the end of the three weeks, you have the option of allowing clients to continue to have access to the materials or you can cancel their access.

What I love about setting up a self-study program like this is that you are giving your clients bits of information over a period of time and not overwhelming them with all of the course information at once. I also love that it does not have a scheduled start date. Anyone can buy access to your self-study program at any time or day, so you can promote it all year long.

Each paid client will gain access to Lesson One on the day they register and will receive Lesson Two the following week, and so on. So while some clients are on Lesson Three, others may be on Lesson Two. It's the perfect passive offering.

A tool to help you build your membership site

Traditional membership sites, micro continuity sites and self-study modular courses are just a few examples of how WishList Member can enhance your offerings and expand how you are using WordPress.

Believe me, I've created numerous membership sites with programs that were unintuitive, expensive, energy suckers. For $97 you can grab this WordPress plugin and create your own membership site with any of the above membership models.

Visit http://wpblogsites.com/WishListChristmas for more details and to purchase the amazing plugin that has changed thousands of ways in which entrepreneurs are doing business.

The Bonus

For a limited time, the WishList team is giving away over $400+ in gifts to their customers. Get over 1000+ icons that you can use throughout your membership site to guide your members and help them navigate through your site. Get 3 of their top handy-dandy, kick butt WishList Plugins. Also get your hands on 3-Module Membership Site Basics Course (worth $197) which shows you how the WishList team sets up membership sites, the different "types" of membership site models and time tested membership site tips and tricks.

You must purchase WishList Member before December 31st 2011 to get your hands on these beautiful gifts.

Original Article

WordPress just released version 3.3 this week! You may be wondering what key pieces they added to WordPress and if you should upgrade now.

The key new pieces added to WordPress 3.3:

1. Fly Out Menus

This is my favourite of all of the updates in WordPress 3.3. I tend to work in a number of different menus within WordPress and after a while I have opened so many menus that I have to scroll and scroll to get to the bottom of the WordPress menu and access "Settings" and "WL Plugins".

Instead of opening and closing sections in the WordPress menu bar, you can just put your mouse over the menu and the sub menu will appear. It's quicker, easier and cleaner.

2. New Toolbar

A new toolbar will appear at the top of WordPress. You have some plugins or themes to update when you see the two arrows in a circular motion with a number beside it (you'll see number 2 in the graphic below and the two arrows in a circular motion beside it). The number represents how many updates are required.

If you have any comments to approve then you'll see a number beside the "comment" image. Simply click on it to manage your comments.

The "+ New" button gives you short cuts to create new posts, upload new media, create a new link, create a new page or create a new user.

3. Drag and Drop to Upload New Media

To upload new media (images, pdfs, mp3s or videos) simply drag and drop the new media from your computer (windows users use "Explorer" and Mac users use "Finder") to the window in the "Upload New Media" page. It will automatically load the new media for you. You can still click the "select files" button, search for the file on your computer and upload it the "old fashion" way! :)

Should you upgrade now?

I'd love to say yes. But I always say to wait a week to see if there are any other fixes that follow this upgrade. I also suggest you have your web person review your theme and all of your plugins to ensure they are compatible with the new version of WordPress. Considering this upgrade is mostly cosmetic fixes you should be okay, but just in case check with your web person. If you would like my team to review it for you fill in this form and we will connect with you asap.

Original Article

Tired of running teleclasses and looking for a new way to build and engage with your community?

Would you like to convert more web visitors or tire kickers into customers and clients faster?

Isn't it time you were known as one of the leaders in your market?

It is a known fact that video has a higher conversion rate than any other media including audio. There’s something about seeing someone, their mannerisms, their facial expressions and body language that makes us feel like we "know" the person and we trust them faster than we would if we were listening to an audio of them or reading the content in their book. When people get to know, like and trust you they buy from you, when they are ready of course. So why not incorporate video into your marketing plan? Too hard? You don’t have the time?

How about if I told you that all you need is to follow these steps:

1. Get a web cam (some of you have them built into on your laptops)
2. Download LiveStream Procaster (a small piece of free software)
3. Create a free account with www.livestream.com
4. Create your first livestream channel
5. Create a registration page on your site. Example: http://wpblogsites.com/wpblogsitestv/registration/
6. Invite your community to register and let them know to meet you at the scheduled day and time on your livestream channel.
7. Start your livestream show with a few clicks. Your community can see you and ask questions in the live chat.
8. At the end of your show you can grab the html code to show off your video on a blog post, or simply direct your community to your livestream channel on www.livestream.com

I'm doing my very first livestream on December 1st, at 4pm eastern. Come check it out and see if its something you want to do. Register here.

Step 1: Get a Blogsite

Traditional html sites do not cut it in a competitive and dynamic world. Using a blogsite (blog + site) to promote your business is easiest, fastest and most effective
WordPress is the leader in blogsite software.

Step 2: Create Valuable Content

Create content that your clients and ideal clients need and want to read. The more valuable it is the more often they will come back and refer you!
Generate content ideas by:

• listening to the trending topics your clients talk about
• trends in the industry
• use Google Alerts http://alerts.google.com

Step 3: Leverage Your Content

• Don’t just create content, leverage it!
• Take a series of blog posts, polish them up and create an e-book or published book.
• Market your blog posts on social media sites.
• Update your Facebook and Twitter status’ with your blog posts’ titles and links to them.

Step 4: Attract Google and Get Smart About SEO

• Don’t be suckered into SEO packages that cost thousands of dollars!
• Use keywords in your blog post title, content and category names.
• Use the Google’s Keyword Tool to research new keywords.

Step 5: Build and Attract Community

Your communities are your clients, newsletter readers, twitter followers, facebook fans and potential clients.
Keeping your community happy, loved and feeling special is the way to continue building your community and in turn they will be loyal followers and buyers! How are you currently keeping your communities happy?

Step 6: Drive and Direct Traffic

I hear so much on the web about "driving traffic" to your site. Yes we want to drive people to our blogsites but what do they do when they get there? If you don't direct them within a few seconds then they will leave your site. Guide them. Let them know what they should read, click or do next.

This is one step that many people skip and then they wonder why they are not converting traffic/visitors into clients and customers.

Step 7: Monetize

Making money is the reason why we are in business. Otherwise wouldn't call ourselves "entrepreneurs" we'd call ourselves "hobbyists".
Make it obvious where clients can “insert their credit card”. How can they buy your products or purchase your coaching packages if they don't know where they are or what they are?

Step 8: Measure, Analyze, Optimize, Repeat.

Statistics are king! Add Google Analytics to your site asap so that you can see where your visitors are coming from, how they heard about you, what words they searched to find you, how long they stayed on your site and more!

Learn what you need to know, without all the unnecessary hype, fluff, and confusion. And when you do you'll:

• Avoid looking like a newbie on the web who has no idea what they are doing.
• Keep your reputation in tact online and offline.
• Get over your netophobia (fear or hate of the internet).
• Have an easy way to ongoingly create and publish content on your blog. Content that both Google and your potential clients will be attracted to and will keep coming back for more!
• Stop wasting time and leverage the content you already have that is hiding in secret places in your brain and on your computer!
• Let your competition think that SEO is still the way to attract Google, while you give Google what it really wants!
• Build a community of followers and fans!
• Drive traffic to your site and get them to do what you want them to do.
• Remove “scarcity” from your vocabulary and generate sexy hot profits. (No I’m not talking about Google AdSense here! Pa-lease!)
• Identify on your own, where tweaks need to be made on your site so that your visitors come back often, stay around for awhile and do what you want them to!

The next Fat Blogsite Profits program begins Wednesday November 16th.

You can find out more at http://wpblogsites.com/fatprofits/