Tag: Help

15 Useful Clubhouse Tools to Help Your Marketing

Clubhouse is an interesting app that acts as a combination of podcasting, Facebook Messenger, and Snapchat mixed into one. 

This audio-based platform is growing dramatically. In fact, the app has more than 228,000 reviews and a 4.9-star rating on the App Store. 

If you’re looking for a unique way to reach a highly targeted audience through the use of audio, this could be your avenue. In this article, I’m covering the most useful Clubhouse tools to make your marketing efforts simpler and more effective. 

Why Should You Use the Clubhouse App for Marketing? 

The Clubhouse app puts a unique spin on social networking by restricting communication to nothing more than audio. You also need to know how to get a Clubhouse invite, which essentially requires you to reach out on social media and get your name out there. 

It creates a bit of exclusivity that makes it all the more rewarding when you finally make it onto the platform. If you receive a Clubhouse app invite, you’ll be able to join chat rooms covering a wide variety of topics ranging from SEO to commercial plumbing. 

Once you join a room, you’ll be able to sit back and listen or raise your hand and try to get into the conversation. As you get more and more involved in the community, you’ll have the opportunity to become a moderator or even create your own room and invite your followers in to listen to what you have to say. 

As you can probably tell, there’s marketing potential here. Like Twitch and Snapchat, the conversations you have on the platform are gone once the chat ends. This presents a unique opportunity for you to bring people in and potentially operate the social network like a live webinar. 

One big plus is that a camera isn’t a feature of the platform, so you don’t have to worry about being seen on screen. The platform is similar to podcasting, which has grown by 29.5 percent in the last three years. Clubhouse is more engaging than podcasting, though, because it allows listeners to comment and get involved in real-time, whereas most people listen to recordings of podcasts. 

15 Marketing Clubhouse Tools 

In this section, we will discuss some of the specific Clubhouse tools you can use to create a memorable experience on the platform. As marketers, our goal is to draw attention to ourselves and as much of it as possible. These tools make listening more enjoyable for your followers and keeps them coming back. 

1. Humans on Clubhouse 

If you’re coming to the platform with a specific goal in mind, you might want to use Humans on Clubhouse. This tool offers 1:1 connections to anyone within a particular niche. Whether you’re trying to network, build a following, or find an influencer, this Clubhouse tool can help you. 

Once you’ve identified someone you’d like to connect with, you can reach out to them and hopefully determine how a networking relationship could be mutually beneficial. From there, you can host events together, piggyback on each other’s audience, and more. 

2. Clubhype 

A big downside to the Clubhouse platform, in general, is how challenging it can be to get the word out. Since the platform is kept relatively exclusive, there are extra steps you’ll want to take to ensure everyone knows you’re hosting an event. 

Clubhype makes this easy. This Clubhouse tool allows you to enter your Clubhouse link, and it generates a sleek and attractive preview image you can share to social media. The image contains the date and time of the event, the title, and all the important members included in the event. 

Let’s say you secured a great guest in your event. You’ll want to share it with your social media to get as many people into the event as possible to hear what the VIP has to say.

3. ClubLink

The goal of all Clubhouse tools is to make lives easier for you and anyone you want to join your event. ClubLink is another tool that helps create an attractive preview you can share on social media to get people to join. One unique feature is that it optimizes the time zone based on the host, so you won’t have to convert anything or worry about missing a session. 

Clublink also has multiple sharing options based on the platform you’re sharing it on. No matter if you’re using Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, the tool makes it simple for you to create an attention-grabbing preview to get more viewers to join your event. 

Marketing Clubhouse Tools - Clubhype

4. Find Clubhouse 

This tool is similar to Humans on Clubhouse, but instead, it helps you find specific clubs based on topics you’re interested in. From a marketing standpoint, it would be good to use this in the beginning so you can find groups that relate to your business and could help you find listeners who may want to join your club as well. 

Marketing Clubhouse Tools - Find Clubhouse

There are tons of different ways to search, and they even promote clubs based on how much they’re trending. All you need to do is go over to the Find Clubhouse site and search based on your interests. From there, you can join clubs, see what the moderators are doing, and get ideas for how you’ll start to create your own audience. 

5. Ask Clubhouse 

Next on the list of Clubhouse tools is something that makes it easier for you to engage with your audience. If you’ve ever hosted a live event, you know how challenging it is to address all the questions as they’re pouring in. 

Ask Clubhouse helps you do this by creating a board where people can ask their questions, and you can address them later on in the event or even at a later date. Best of all, you’ll answer the questions so everyone else can hear, which reduces the need to answer the same question over and over again. 

6. Clubpad

Marketing Clubhouse Tools - Clubpad

A huge part of creating an inviting and fun environment in Clubhouse is being able to engage and entertain your audience. When there isn’t any video, people rely strictly on your audio to keep them engaged. Adding little sound effects to make things funnier and more interesting could help keep people aware and awake. 

While these types of Clubhouse tools might not seem like a big deal, it’s the little things that make a difference. If you’re using Clubpad and have a competitor in the same niche who isn’t, maybe that’ll be your advantage. 

7. Clubhouse Glow

clubhouse tools clubhouse glow

This is a simple tool that allows you to create a color ring or filter over your Clubhouse avatar. Why would you want to do that? Why not? Generating attention and being able to stand out in a room is an important aspect of marketing. 

Clubhouse Glow can help differentiate you from the rest of the crowd by adding a nice visual effect to your avatar.

8. Clubhouse Bio Builder 

Clubhouse Bio Builder is an iOS app that helps you format text, choose the font, and create the most enticing bio possible. People are going to read your bio before joining your club, so you’ll want to make sure you’ve written the best bio possible as well. (Another tool coming on this later!)

Using the bio builder, you can use bold, italic, and emojis in your bio to draw more eyeballs to the text and help your profile stand out. It’s simple, easy to use, and a great way to get more people to notice you. 

9. Clubhouse Avatar Maker 

The avatar maker is another tool that helps you put a ring around your profile photo. With this one, you can choose from a variety of different templates based on where you’re promoting yourself, your personality, your niche, and your personal preferences. It makes setting up your profile easier so you can spend more time focusing on your content. 

10. Crofile

Crofile is similar to a couple of the previous Clubhouse tools, but it has a unique spin. 

You select your photo, choose from preset customization options, and add a status to your photo as well. You can put on there that you’re working on something, you’re away, or that you’re busy. Once you’ve customized your photo to your liking, you can save it and upload it to Clubhouse. 

11. Comet Events 

Marketing Clubhouse Tools - Comet Events

This is a powerful event management tool that helps you measure the results of your rooms in Clubhouse. You can start with a free account by simply entering your email address. From there, you’ll be able to take the link of all your events in Clubhouse and create a new Comet link where you can track all the data. 

The only catch here is that you need to share the link specifically within Comet Events so it can keep track of everyone who RSVPs for the event. If you share the original Clubhouse link and people sign up, that data won’t be tracked, and you’ll have an inaccurate number. 

This tool is helpful especially if you’re planning based on the total audience or doing a giveaway, and you need to know exactly how many people are planning to join the event. 

12. Host Notes 

Host Notes is another event management system to make it easier for people to RSVP and join your events. One important key to remember in marketing is that you need to make it as easy as possible for people.

If you create too many hoops to jump through, most people will simply back out and never move onto the next step. Host Notes allows you to create sharable links and attach resources from the conversation during the event. 

13. Clubhouse DB 

This Clubhouse analytics tool lets you get a bird’s eye view of the most popular users and clubs based on how many followers they have and when they registered.

If you’re trying to find ways to grow your club, this tool may help you because you can join other clubs, identify what they’re doing differently, and then start implementing that yourself. 

14. CH Bio Generator

Marketing Clubhouse Tools - CH Bio Generator

Even if you’re a writer or content marketer, writing bios is not something anyone likes to do. Many of us don’t like to talk about ourselves or tell everyone what we do, what we’ve accomplished, or why they should listen to us. Why not have someone else write it for you or use a tool that generates a personalized bio?

CH Bio Generator takes a lot of the thinking out of the process by using templates to make it easier for you to write your bio. Keep in mind that the bio is one of the most important ways to get discovered on the platform, so you’ll want to make sure you have a good one. This Clubhouse tool can help you. 

15. Rooms of Clubhouse 

Rooms of Clubhouse is similar to Humans of Clubhouse. The tool helps you search based on topics and keywords to find rooms with events scheduled or currently happening. The database is somewhat limited, but it will probably progress over time.

While this tool is especially helpful for users trying to find information, it can also help you as a marketer find similar groups and people to reach out to for collaborations. 

15 Clubhouse Tools to Test

If you’re looking to reach a unique audience, these Clubhouse tools can help.

  1. Humans on Clubhouse

    Make 1:1 connections with people in your niche.

  2. Clubhype

    Enter your Clubhouse link, and it generates a sleek and attractive preview image you can share to social media.

  3. Clublink

    Create an attractive preview you can share on social media to get people to join.

  4. Find Clubhouse

    Search for clubs related to your interests, see what moderators are doing, and more.

  5. Ask Clubhouse

    Engage with your audience by creating a board where people can easily ask questions.

  6. Clubpad

    Add reaction sounds to your clubhouse rooms to increase engagement.

  7. Clubhouse Glow

    Create a color ring or filter over your Clubhouse avatar to grab attention.

  8. Clubhouse Bio Builder

    Add bold, italic, and emojis in your bio to draw more eyeballs to the text and help your profile stand out.

  9. Clubhouse Avatar Maker

    Choose from a variety of different templates to add personality to your avatar.

  10. Crofile

    Select your photo, choose from preset customization options, and add a status to your photo as well

  11. Comet Events

    Track Clubhouse event metrics and create beautiful event landing pages.

  12. Host Notes

    An event management tool that creates sharable links and attaches resources from the conversation during the event.

  13. Clubhouse DB

    Get a bird’s eye view of the most popular users and clubs based on how many followers they have and when they registered

  14. CH Bio Generator

    Easily create top-notch bios with this template-based bio generator.

  15. Rooms of Clubhouse

    Search by topics and keywords to find rooms with events scheduled or currently happening

Conclusion

Social media marketing still has plenty of potential. With new platforms like Clubhouse emerging every day, it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down. If you’re trying to reach a highly targeted audience, the platform makes it easy to narrow down and find exactly that. 

You can use some of these Clubhouse tools to make your life even easier. 

Are you on Clubhouse? What tools have you used to help your marketing on the platform?

15 Useful Clubhouse Tools to Help Your Marketing

Clubhouse is an interesting app that acts as a combination of podcasting, Facebook Messenger, and Snapchat mixed into one.  This audio-based platform is growing dramatically. In fact, the app has more than 228,000 reviews and a 4.9-star rating on the App Store.  If you’re looking for a unique way to reach a highly targeted audience … Continue reading 15 Useful Clubhouse Tools to Help Your Marketing

5 Coding Bootcamps to Help You Snag a Job In Digital Marketing

When you think of coding, your next thought probably isn’t digital marketing. It’s more likely to be UX design or software development.

Coding skills can be instrumental in digital marketing, and coding bootcamps can help set you up for a successful career.

What Are Coding Bootcamps?

Coding bootcamps are designed to give students the programming skills employers look for. Generally, between 12 and 40 weeks long, these courses aim to get students into the tech field without spending years in undergraduate school.

With the internet and software playing such an essential part in our lives, more and more skilled programmers are needed to develop and maintain the tools we need to thrive.

For the past several years, many employers have said they’ve seen skills gaps in recent graduates—that is, students are often graduating with skills that are a bit out of date.

Coding bootcamps have moved to fill that gap, designing intensive courses designed to get people ready for the current workforce in a short amount of time. In true modern fashion, many of these courses are remote, but there are also options for in-person teaching.

How Much Do Coding Bootcamps Cost?

Coding bootcamps are significantly cheaper than most undergraduate educations.

When you commit to a four-year university degree, you can expect to pay about $10,000 per year at a public school in your state—approximately $40,000 total. If you attend a private or out-of-state college, the cost rises exponentially.

Meanwhile, the average tuition for a coding boot camp is just under $14,000 for the entire program.

Bootcamps may also allow you to pay your tuition over time, and some, like Flockjay, waive your tuition if you don’t land a well-paying job after completing the program.

How Can Coding Bootcamp Help You Get a Job in Digital Marketing?

When it comes to digital marketing, you don’t have to have incredible coding skills—but they can make a big difference. The more knowledge you have about how the technology your brand runs on works, the better.

Think of it like the “required” and “preferred” skills sections on job postings. Chances are, most applicants will have nearly all of the “required” skills, but having some of the more unique “preferred” skills could help you stand out.

If you have coding as one of your skills, a potential employer knows you should be able to speak the same language as the UX and development teams. This could make things smoother for everyone, as it means at least one member of the marketing team understands what’s possible given budgets, deadlines, and other restrictions and can create marketing campaigns accordingly.

Additionally, if you’re working at a small business or start-up, it may need someone to wear multiple hats.

Regardless of your company’s size, your coding skills could help you as a marketer in various ways.

Interacting with Websites

It’s become much easier to build and run websites in recent years. With platforms such as WordPress, Shopify, Wix, and SquareSpace, you don’t need coding skills to create a functional site.

But, if you’re reliant on the in-built tools of these platforms, you don’t have the same level of flexibility. When something doesn’t work, you need external support to fix it, and any downtime is money lost.

We talk a lot in marketing about owning the medium (one of the main reasons you should have a website). When you’ve got coding skills, it’s like you’ve got greater ownership of your assets.

Working With Data

Data is essential to digital marketing. We’re constantly learning about our audience and tweaking our strategies to improve performance, which isn’t possible without understanding how to use data.

Coding and data science go hand in hand, and bootcamps courses could teach you to detect patterns in large data sets using artificial intelligence and machine learning. This way of thinking is extremely useful in digital marketing, and we already see a shift towards these technologies in the industry.

Working with data is a vital part of digital marketing, and coding skills, particularly those offered in a data science course, can be valuable.

Decisions About the Future

Digital marketing advances closely align with advances in technology. If you’re not keeping up with the latest trends in marketing, you risk falling behind. This is why businesses need innovators in their marketing departments.

When you have high-level coding skills, it not only makes you more adaptable but also means you could help shape the future of digital marketing by designing your own application and bringing new ideas to life.

Looking at the impact marketing software has on the industry, it’s clear we need people who can understand these applications on a deep level and get the most out of them.

Managing Projects

If you find yourself managing an extensive digital marketing project, you need to bring lots of people together. Some of these folks will likely be developers.

A frequent challenge in these situations is that the marketing manager doesn’t know what the developers do, making both communication and hiring challenging. How do you know you’ve got the right person for the job if you don’t know what coding or web development entail?

A coding bootcamp can mean having informed, direct input on the project management and hiring processes, giving you greater control over what’s happening.

5 Coding Bootcamps for Digital Marketers

Online education has taken off in recent years, and there are lots of great programs that could help you find a job in digital marketing. With more than six million Americans studying online, online learning of all stripes is becoming more accepted by employers than ever before.

Here are some examples of coding bootcamps that could help you land a job or expand your skills in digital marketing.

Springboard

Springboard offers a variety of online courses in analytics, design, coding, and cybersecurity. Its Software Engineering Bootcamp says you’ll be able to “become a software engineer, guaranteed.”

This is an 800-hour program, so with 20 hours of study a week, it should take you around nine months to complete. Springboard offers flexible ways of paying, starting at $8,500 if you pay upfront. There are also options to pay monthly, defer payments (paying monthly once you land a software engineering job; if you don’t get a job in six months, you don’t pay), or obtain a low-interest loan.

While Springboard focuses on software engineering, these skills are transferable to digital marketing. A big part of this program is the opportunity to work one on one with a mentor and a career coach to help guide you through your career path.

Springboard doesn’t offer success rates, but their similar Data Science Bootcamp resulted in 97% of their graduates finding jobs in their field within six months. They also gained an average salary increase of $25,800.

Key Info

  • courses in analytics, design, coding, and cybersecurity
  • $8,500 for software engineering course
  • option to pay when you land a job (nothing to pay if you don’t find a job within six months)
  • 800-hour program (nine months studying 20 hours a week)
  • average salary increase for graduates of $25,800

Alchemy Code Lab

On average, graduates of the Alchemy Code Lab bootcamp found a related job in just 11 weeks, with a median salary of $80,000. Not bad for a 25-week program!

This full-time program is designed to get you ready for jobs in the real world. Teaching you skills in modern programming languages and development methods, Alchemy Code Lab takes six cohorts per year, with total program tuition costing $24,000.

Just as with Springboard, there are lots of different ways to pay. Choose from self-funding, Income Share Agreement (don’t pay until you get a job), and financing through partner lenders. There are also diversity-based tuition scholarships and GI Bill benefits available.

Alchemy Code Lab is based in Portland, but with a focus on the remote jobs of the future, it’s all accessible online. With solid results and 87 percent of graduates going on to work in tech, it’s been a good investment for many people.

Key Info

  • $24,000
  • flexible payment options including income share agreement
  • full-time study
  • 25-week course

Flatiron School

In Career Karma’s 2020 awards, Flatiron School was named the best coding bootcamp and best online bootcamp. The school claims to launch your career, and the stats back this up: 82% of grads land a job with an average starting salary of $69,000 a year.

Flatiron offers both in-person classes in New York City and an online program. They offer programs specializing in software engineering, data science, cybersecurity analytics, and cybersecurity engineering, each of which teaches you skills that can help in digital marketing.

The online software engineering course offers three different ways to study: full-time, part-time, and self-paced, giving students great flexibility with how they learn. The program costs $16,900 with options to pay upfront, in installments, or through a loan.

Courses begin every month, meaning you can quickly get started.

Key Info

  • courses in software engineering, data science, cybersecurity analytics, cybersecurity engineering
  • $16,900 for software engineering course
  • flexible payment options
  • full-time study, part-time study, and self-paced learning options available
  • 82% of grads land a job, the average starting salary of $69,000 per year

Thinkful

Thinkful is a platform that prides itself on allowing you to pay only when you land a job in your career. It offers a range of tech-related subjects, including a specialist digital marketing bootcamp.

Coding Bootcamps for Digital Marketers - Thinkful

Each option has a slightly different timeframe (the full-time digital marketing course allows you to graduate in just six weeks), with the software engineering course offered as both full-time and part-time programs. The full-time option will require 50-60 hours a week and allow you to graduate in five months, with the part-time version requiring 25-30 hours a week over six months.

The courses vary in price, with the digital marketing one costing $7,500 while the software engineering bootcamp is $16,000. You also have lots of different payment options, some of which guarantee you don’t pay anything until you land a job.

Graduates have noted how Thinkful is focused on your career, which seems to translate into real-life results. Eighty-seven percent of software engineering students were offered a job within 180-days of graduating, with 27% reporting an annual base salary between $70,000 and $90,000 and 50% reporting a yearly base salary between $50,000 and $70,000.

Key Info:

  • courses in software engineering, data science, data analytics, UX/UI design, digital marketing, product management, technical project management
  • $16,000 for software engineering course
  • flexible payment options
  • full-time and part-time options
  • 87% of grads land jobs within 180-days

Flockjay

Flockjay isn’t strictly a coding bootcamp, but it teaches similar ideas as a tech sale program. It’s more focused on the sales aspect of technology, which could be a helpful combination in digital marketing.

Coding Bootcamps for Digital Marketers - Flockjay

This ten-week program costs $6,000 for most US residents ($7,650 for California) and aims to give you “future proof” skills that are in demand now. Again, you have the option to pay zero tuition until you get a job paying at least $40,000, potentially making it an attractive investment for your career.

Flockjay provides instruction in the sales essentials and, importantly, has a strong emphasis on technology. While it’s not quite coding, it could satisfy many students interested in tech and equip them with important skills in digital marketing.

Key Info:

  • tech sales course
  • $6,000
  • flexible payment options
  • 10-week program
  • average full-time job offer of $75,000 a year

Conclusion

Coding bootcamps could be a great alternative to four-year college degrees for students interested in technology. With payment options that allow you to pay nothing until you secure a job and courses that can be completed in less than a year, they’re a great way to propel yourself into the tech workforce.

As digital marketing is closely aligned with technology, these courses can also be an excellent way to snag a job in digital marketing. These skills are in demand in so many industries, so the main point is that you’re opening all kinds of doors for yourself.

You may not go into a coding bootcamp to become a digital marketer, but you may find digital marketing is a career you’re perfectly suited for.

Have you tried a coding bootcamp?

Compound (YC S19) is hiring to help startup founders and employees

Article URL: https://jobs.lever.co/compound Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26974128 Points: 1 # Comments: 0

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Should I Outsource My Blog? 5 Questions to Help You Decide

Running a blog is a lot of work. You have to continually feed it new content, keep up with WordPress updates, maintain your hosting account, moderate comments, respond to readers…dozens, maybe even hundreds, of little tasks. On top of all that, there’s promoting and monetizing your blog, which is even more work. It’s hard for …

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Should I Outsource My Blog? 5 Questions to Help You Decide

Running a blog is a lot of work.

You have to continually feed it new content, keep up with WordPress updates, maintain your hosting account, moderate comments, respond to readers…dozens, maybe even hundreds, of little tasks. On top of all that, there’s promoting and monetizing your blog, which is even more work.

It’s hard for anyone to manage, and the larger your blog grows, the worse the situation becomes. That’s why it’s good to prepare in advance for blogging eventualities you might face.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, one of the questions you should ask yourself is “should I outsource my blog?”

If so, there’s a few ways to do this.

You could split up the work with guest posts, staff bloggers, or outsource your blog completely. The method you select will depend on a couple of things.

1. Your Relationship With Your Readers

When you blog, you need to build trust, bonds, and relationships with your readers. They grow to know you and like you, and they can’t wait to read your next post.

There’s a downfall to this though: your readership may want content only from you. They may be turned off if you step back and start outsourcing your blog posts.

What will happen to your blog if you outsource your blogging? It depends.

If a blogger like Dooce or Naomi Dunford decided to outsource their blog, their readers would probably revolt. Their personalities are such a large part of the blog that it would be hard to get their readers to accept anyone else.

Should I outsource my blog? Woman blogging

If your blog is already big and established, and you have thousands of loyal readers, it could be tough to outsource your blog. There’s a good chance you’ll lose some readers if you hire staff or start adding guest posters.

Fans will read their work politely, but it’s really you they want. It will take time, a good plan, and weathering rumbles from readers until they accept it.

No one likes change, but eventually, things will settle down. They’ll hang in there, especially if you’re still publishing quality content, are active with posting now and again, and if you hire a blogger whose style and tone match your brand personality. Make sure the blogger also provides similar-quality advice, info, or entertainment as you’ve been giving.

Of course, all of that only matters if you have an audience. What if you’re just getting started?

The truth is it’s a lot easier. You can build your blog around posting awesome content, rather than one particular personality. It won’t matter where the content comes from; as long as it’s awesome, your readers will be happy. That leaves the door open for you to hire other writers.

2. What Type of Content Writer Do You Need?

You can’t hire just anyone to write for your blog. You need to find a writer who fits with your business brand, its mission, and the level of knowledge your blog provides. Of course, this writer also has to be able to fit in with your goals and get results.

Here are some questions to think about before bringing someone on:

  • Does the writer have the knowledge for the job?
  • What’s the person’s writing style and personality like?
  • Does that style fit with your business and brand?
  • How long have they been writing online content?
  • Do they have proven results?
  • How experienced and skilled are they?
  • Can they help you achieve your goals?

(Note that I didn’t mention, “How much do they cost?” We’ll get to that in a bit.)

First, though, recognize that outsourcing writing comes down to basically trusting someone with your business reputation. You’re not just shoving off a task; you’re giving someone permission to represent you and your business.

This means the person you hired needs to be able to maintain your credibility (or enhance it), please your readers and get them talking, and generally make your life better and easier by freeing up your time and becoming an asset to your blog.

Tips for Finding Outsource Writers

  • Connect with freelance writers using tools like UpWork or Fiverr
  • Join social media groups dedicated to writers, like Facebook’s Binders (this group is only for women but there are similar ones for writers of all genders)
  • If subject matter expertise is a requirement for you, search for influencers in your field; look at the speakers and participants at conferences in your field; target members of professional associations; check out trade journals
  • Search for writers with particular subject matter experience on LinkedIn
should I outsource my blog - Binders facebook group

3. How Will You Compensate Them?

Good writers don’t work for free, but they don’t always want just money, either.

Some ask for marketing exposure. Others want a link to their blog, republication rights, or a barter arrangement.

should i outsource my blog - bartering

Before hiring someone, decide what you bring to the table. Can you send them traffic? Build their credibility? Improve their search engine rankings? Recommend their products and services to your readers?

You need to have something to offer in exchange for a writer’s work (and you’ll need more than $10 and a link), so figure out what you’re prepared to give in return for what the blogger brings to you.

In general, the more you give, the more you get.

Pay $10 for a blog post without offering anything else in exchange, and you’ll probably get a bad headline, sloppy grammar, and ordinary ideas, none of which would do much to build your blog.

At the other end of the spectrum, some bloggers will do everything for you, including editing, polishing, getting photos, and promoting your post to generate traffic. You’ll pay a lot more, anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per post, but you’ll be getting a lot more for the money, too.

4. Should You Hire a Ghostwriter?

Ghostwriters write on your behalf and you present the work as your own. The President uses ghostwriters for his speeches; nothing wrong with that.

should i outsource my blog - ghostwriter

It’s controversial, however, especially when it comes to blogging. Some feel it’s dishonest.

Others feel that there’s nothing wrong with hiring someone to help write and share your knowledge with your audience. There’s no rule that says you must slave over writing posts if you absolutely can’t stand it, don’t have the time, or just don’t want to.

Here’s another argument: if your writing skills aren’t up to snuff, you might be potentially damaging your credibility and sales.

People with average writing skills often hire ghostwriters who turn their notes, audio files, thoughts, and outlines into great posts. You’re using the same knowledge; someone else is just doing the writing. Often, it’s the knowledge that your readers care about, not who puts it into words.

Ghostwriting may be a great option for you if you don’t like to spend time writing, can’t write well, aren’t seeing the results you want, or want time to develop other areas of your business.

5. What If It Doesn’t Work Out?

Every time you make a change in your business, there’s always the risk it might not have been the best decision.

Let’s say you hire a writer, work with a few guest posters, or decide to hire a ghostwriter. After a couple of months, you realize that you’re not getting the results you wanted; maybe traffic is down or your audience has shifted or sales have dropped.

Don’t freak out. It happens. All you need to do is adjust. Unless you’ve completely trashed your business reputation, you can always change your content and blogging strategy.

You can go back to blogging yourself, hire a new writer with a different personality, get a ghostwriter to write more posts for you; whatever works.

Conclusion

As we’ve demonstrated in this article, if you’re wondering “should I outsource my blog,” the answer is: it depends.

No matter what you decide about outsourcing your blogging, you’re never stuck and committed forever. A blog is just a marketing tool that you can play with and test, adapt to your needs, and measure for effectiveness as you go along, just like any other form of marketing.

If you’re nervous to start or shift your blogging strategy, reach out to us for a consultation. We are here to help you find success with your blog and content marketing in general.

The post Should I Outsource My Blog? 5 Questions to Help You Decide appeared first on Neil Patel.

How to Recognize Predatory Practices in Business Loan Companies, and How to Get Help

The world of business loan companies is full of predatory lenders.  If you are desperate for business funding, it can be easy to take the bait and fall into their trap. You need to know how to tell predators from legit creditors, especially if you need to veer away from traditional financing.  You may think you know what to look for, but there are some predatory secrets that a lot of business owners are not privy to. 

How to Avoid Predatory Lenders When Looking for Business Loan Companies

It can be helpful to work with a business credit expert. Not only can they steer you toward responsible lenders, but they can also help you choose the type of funding that will work best for your needs.  A good one will help you build business credit at the same time.

Still, you need to know the signs of a predatory lender for yourself.  If you do not, you will not even be able to tell if you are working with a good business credit expert, or not.  

Signs of a Predatory Lender

Can you tell the difference between legit creditors and predatory lenders? 

According to Investopedia:

“Predatory lending benefits the lender and ignores or hinders the borrower’s ability to repay a debt. These lending tactics often try to take advantage of a borrower’s lack of understanding concerning loans, terms, or financial literacy.”

Predatory lending when it comes to business loans is becoming an increasingly prevalent problem

How do you keep yourself from wading off into shark infested waters?

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Find out why so many companies use our proven methods to get business loans. 

Avoid Business Loan Companies That Focus on Monthly Payment Rather Than Actual Loan Amount

They may insist on one large payment at the end of the term with only interest payments being made each month until that point. This is known as a balloon payment. In business lending, this can be useful if you are waiting on large sums of money at the end of the contract to repay the loan, so it isn’t necessarily a deal breaker. However, you do need to know that your payments are only paying interest and not reducing principal.

Recognize if this is really the type of loan that you need. Lenders should always be willing to disclose your total loan amount and terms. You should not have to beg for this or search for it. Lenders that focus only on the payment may be sketchy.

There are many things they can do to make a monthly payment lower, like extending the loan period, adding a large payment at the end (a balloon payment), or making adjustments to loan terms. All of these things can make your monthly payments look low, while in reality you are getting stuck with a bad loan. 

Note that while a balloon payment should be an automatic deal breaker, insistence on a balloon payment is an extra red flag. 

Good Business Loan Companies Will Not Add Unnecessary Extras Without Your Knowledge

Another common practice of predatory lenders is adding extras onto the loan. These are usually things the borrower does not need. Furthermore, the borrower will not even know they are there. The most common “extra” seems to be insurance products that do not offer any benefit.

Business Loan Companies and Confessions of Judgement

New York plays a unique role in the world of predatory lending. Understanding this can help you understand if you are about to become the prey. It all comes down to a confession of judgement. If a borrower signs a confession of judgement, they are basically agreeing to lose in a court battle if there is a dispute about repayment.  Many cash-advance companies, which make up a large faction of predatory lenders, have their borrowers sign one of these.

New York state law is friendly to this type of contract. Regardless of where a loan takes place, it may include a “New York confession of judgement.” 

This could also mean you are agreeing that any lawsuits will be handled in New York state. That could greatly increase expenses if you do not live near there.  If you see one of these in your loan documents, do not sign it.  It is of no benefit to you. It only benefits the lender.

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Find out why so many companies use our proven methods to get business loans. 

Don’t Accept Punishment for Early Payment

Prepayment penalties should definitely be a red flag.  Early payment is good, period.  Even though the lender may lose some interest, they should not be too opposed to early repayment. By itself, it should not be the reason you do not take a loan. But it should make you continue with caution and look for other red flags. 

Good Business Loan Companies Do Not Have to Seek the Weak 

Business loan companies that specifically seek out underserved populations, such as minorities and immigrants, and those with bad credit should be considered carefully. This may include contacting business owners that fit into these types of categories directly, or targeting them with marketing campaigns designed for them specifically.  If the focus is meant to make them think they are getting a great deal because they are in an underserved market, it could be sketchy.  While there are programs designed to help serve underserved populations, if something seems too good to be true, it likely is.

In fact, those that fall into these categories are more likely than others to fall prey, according to a 2015 Center for Responsible Lending Report.

A Good Business Loan Company Will Not Start With a Bad Deal

Some predatory lenders will try to earn trust by admitting they are offering a bad deal, then promising to fix it in the future. They claim they will allow for a refinance that will be a better option. Don’t fall for it. A bad deal is a bad deal.  Just walk away. 

Loan Flipping is a Classic Move for Predatory Business Loan Companies

This  is not the same as house flipping. Flipping a house can be very profitable. Loan flipping is actually a classic predatory lending tactic. When a predatory lender sees that you are struggling, they will offer a refinance. However, you end up paying points and fees again.  As a result, before it is over, you end up owing more than your original loan. Sometimes you may end up owing even more than your collateral is worth. It is a vicious cycle, and it can bury you quickly.

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Find out why so many companies use our proven methods to get business loans. 

The Responsible Business Lending Coalition

This is a network of nonprofit and for-profit lenders, investors, and small business advocates. They have a common commitment to innovation in the small business lending industry. They also have serious concerns about the increase of irresponsible small business lending. 

In 2015 they drafted the Small Business Owners Bill of Rights.  When searching for a small business lender, look for those that have signed this.  There are many members of the Small Business Lending Coalition.

Here are a few examples: 

What is the Easiest Way to Avoid Predatory Business Loan Companies? 

Look for help when you can find it. Working with a company that specializes in helping small businesses find the funds they need can help you avoid predatory lenders. For example, Credit Suite works only with reputable lenders. With our Credit Line Hybrid and many other products, we connect businesses with lenders that we know to be safe to work with.  Not only that, but we help you assess your fundablity at the same time, and work with you to figure out how to best fill in your business’s fundability weaknesses. If business credit is an issue, we can help you build that too!  The time to take action is now, before you look for business loan companies. Don’t take the chance of falling prey.

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