Category: Feature

  • ROI of Content Marketing – Get Paid to write

    ROI of Content Marketing – Get Paid to write

    Get Paid to Write

    Get paid to write for any writing assignments and learn about the ROI of content marketing.

    ROI means Return on Investment. Every investment deserves a return. Your return would be a hefty pay day from quality writing.

    Writers want to be the best in creating content. They strive to create content that is authoritative, innovative, and actionable.

    As you write, you picture readers taking immediate action. Because the piece of content you provided is clear and concise.

    Given that businesses are aware of the importance of marketing, some experienced content writers are in a difficult situation.

    They are constantly trying to figure out how to get published in magazines and newspapers.

     

    Another key point to consider is that an increasing number of publishers are not paying writers much. Some don’t pay anything at all. The competition for paying jobs is tough.

    With content marketing there’s actually a shortage of writers. Content marketing writers make money with fewer headaches.

    Creating exceptional content will have a huge impact on how much money you make.

    You can get paid to write content marketing by:

    • improving your content writing skills,
    • level up your SEO game,
    • build a writing portfolio,
    • get your first paying client.

    Here’s a visual infographic to help explain ROI of content marketing.

    Companies that pay the highest rates are the ones who understand the importance of quality content.They pay professional writers and copywriters well.

    Companies know that if they want to overshadow their competitors, then they have to pay the cost to be the boss.

    For more information on copywriting, click the link below to learn how to make money writing.

    https://smartblogger.com/how-to-become-a-copywriter/

  • Keyword Research

    Keyword Research

    How to Do Keyword Research for Small Businesses (Step-by-Step Guide)

    Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy for small businesses. Without knowing what your customers are searching for, it’s nearly impossible to create content that ranks in search engines or drives qualified traffic to your site. Whether you’re new to SEO or looking for a more strategic process, this guide breaks down keyword research into simple steps that actually work for small business owners.

    What Is Keyword Research and Why It Matters

    Keyword research is the process of discovering the specific words and phrases people type into search engines when looking for information, products, or services. These “keywords” help you understand what your audience truly wants, so you can tailor your website content to match those needs.

    For small businesses, keyword research allows you to:

    • Focus content creation on topics your audience is actually searching for
    • Improve your chances of ranking in Google without paying for ads
    • Attract qualified traffic — people more likely to become customers

    This is especially important because competing for highly competitive, broad terms (like “plumber” or “jewelry store”) is often unrealistic for small sites without authority. Instead, you benefit by targeting specific, actionable search phrases with clear intent. (Chamber Of Commerce)

    Step 1: Start With Your Business Fundamentals

    Before you open any tools, begin with a simple brainstorming session.

    Ask yourself:

    • What services or products do you offer?
    • What problems do your customers have?
    • How would they describe your business in everyday language?

    These core phrases are known as seed keywords — the foundation of your research. For example, a yoga studio might start with terms like “yoga classes,” “beginner yoga poses,” or “yoga for flexibility.”

    Keyword results list

    Step 2: Expand Your List With Keyword Tools

    Once you have a list of seed ideas, it’s time to broaden it using keyword research tools. These tools show:

    • Related search terms
    • Search volume (how often people search a phrase)
    • Estimated competition or difficulty

    Free and beginner-friendly tools include:

    • Google Keyword Planner — Ideal for search volume estimates and keyword ideas
    • Ubersuggest — Provides search volume, competition, and content suggestions
    • AnswerThePublic — Reveals question-based search phrases
    • Google Autocomplete & Related Searches — Offers real user search queries directly from Google’s search box

    Use these tools to find long-tail keywords — longer, more specific phrases (e.g., “wedding florist in Chicago” rather than just “florist”) that are easier for small businesses to rank for and often signal stronger buying intent.

    Discover new keywords with Google Keyword Planner

    Step 3: Analyze Search Intent

    Not all keywords are equally valuable. Understanding search intent is critical.

    There are three common types:

    • Informational — People seeking information (e.g., “how to choose a yoga mat”)
    • Navigational — People searching for a specific brand or location
    • Transactional — People ready to take action (e.g., “yoga classes near me prices”)

    For small business SEO, transactional and local intent keywords are especially valuable because they attract visitors closer to conversion, ready to buy or book a service. (Chamber Of Commerce)

    Step 4: Check Search Volume and Competition

    Once you have a list of keywords, it’s time to prioritize. Look for terms that:

    • Have decent search volume — enough people are searching it
    • Have low to moderate competition — easier for your site to compete
    • Are relevant to your business and audience needs

    A small business might target keywords with search volumes in the range of 100–1,000 searches per month with manageable competition, especially when first starting.

    Always review who currently ranks on the first page. If big brands dominate a keyword with lots of authority, it may be better to target a more specific variation.

    Step 5: Organize and Cluster Your Keywords

    Now that you have a broad list, organize similar keywords into groups based on topic or intent. For example:

    • Service keywords: yoga classes near me, beginner yoga classes
    • Informational content: benefits of yoga for flexibility
    • Local keywords: best yoga studio in [city]

    Grouping helps you structure your content strategy — turning clusters into pillar pages and supporting articles that reinforce topic authority.

    Target keywords with search volumes for ROI

    Step 6: Map Keywords to Your Content Strategy

    With organized groups, assign keywords to specific pages or content types:

    • Homepage / Service pages: Focus on your most important service and location terms
    • Blog posts: Target informational and long-tail phrases
    • FAQ pages: Answer common question-style search queries

    This strategic placement ensures your website covers both high-intent commercial terms and helpful informational topics.

    Step 7: Monitor and Update Regularly

    Keyword research isn’t a one-and-done task. Markets evolve, search behavior changes, and competitors adjust. Revisit your keyword research every few months to:

    • Track which keywords are driving traffic
    • Identify opportunities for new, relevant terms
    • Update your content with fresh concepts and variations

    Google Search Console and analytics tools can show which keywords are already bringing people to your site — giving insights into where you can optimize and expand.

    Tips for Small Business Keyword Success

    Here are quick best practices to help your research go further:

    Start with customer language, not jargon. Think about how your customers describe their needs.
    Use long-tail and local modifiers. Phrases like “near me” or “[city]” help attract nearby customers.
    Avoid keyword stuffing. Write naturally and focus on user value first. (Chamber Of Commerce)
    Leverage internal linking. Use keywords in meaningful anchor text to guide users and search engines.

    Keyword research doesn’t have to be intimidating. By combining audience insight, free keyword tools, and smart organization, small businesses can uncover search terms that connect with real customers and drive sustainable organic traffic.

    At its core, keyword research helps you speak the language of your audience — so your business shows up when people are searching for exactly what you offer.

    Start with a few key phrases, build them into your content strategy, and keep refining as you learn more about your audience’s search behavior.

  • PASSION FOR TEACHING ONLINE

    PASSION FOR TEACHING ONLINE

    Teaching online

    Have you ever thought of teaching online to earn money? Demand for online courses is growing rapidly.
    Many universities now offer distance learning for graduate and doctoral programs. Traditional campus students prefer online courses to resolve schedule conflicts or take popular courses online when physical enrollment space is limited.

    When I was an undergrad student, many years ago, I would have benefitted from an online program due to childcare issues. Night classes saved me from dropping out, but even those classes created time conflicts.

    There is a growing population of post-grad learners welcoming online course delivery because the economy is growing and technology keeps changing.


    Life-long learners, such as myself, need just-in-time learning. That is, where people who have had two or more careers in their lifetime need to stay relevant to stay competitive.


    There are certain key decisions to consider when deciding to teach online.

    Before setting out to do so, ask the following questions.

    What are my motives for teaching online?

    Do these reasons justify my efforts?

    How should the course be packaged for delivery to learners?

    Question 1: motives for teaching online


    The primary reason for teaching online is to provide access, not just to earn money. Professionals who want professional development in their field, for example, may struggle going back to school or even taking night classes. Oil workers in Nigeria who need petroleum engineering courses, k­12 teachers who want additional certification in their subject, and ranchers in Arizona who want agribusiness courses—all need these courses in a setting other than a traditional physical environment.

    Good online courses offer a quality of instruction that cannot be matched by face-to-face instructor led instruction. Online instruction can integrate technology with course content combining a broader range of information and an abundance of resources. And teaching online allows for discussions and collaboration without fear of embarrassment.

    Question 2: justifying efforts


    Online courses present a few challenges.

    First, teaching online requires lots of technical support. It is essential to have a good web server and a webmaster and help from curriculum developers or instructional designers. Next, teaching online requires a good deal of time communicating with learners using e­mail and electronic discussions in community forums.

    Also, teaching online frequently require the instructor to re­think how to approach teaching, because online teaching does not readily support lecturing. Finally, teaching online has to be well marketed in order to be effective.

    There is a lot of competition among online courses. With technology fees, domain hosting, and learning management system (LMS) costs, online course development’s initial cost may be more than expected. It may take quite some time to recoup those costs.

    A few years ago, I created an online course in language acquisition, mainly because my career had been in that area. But since I failed to fully identify my target audience prior to launching, enrollments remained less than anticipated.
    I have since discovered that effective marketing requires the help of a professional. The online teacher needs to develop contacts and cultivate potential markets.

    Despite these challenges, the benefits of teaching online can outweigh the time consumed in creating an online course. The most important benefit, I feel, is that teaching online forces critical reflection on teaching philosophy, which improves the effectiveness of teaching. New opportunities for learning activities are presented and group learning is easier with the removal of space and distance barriers.

    Question 3: designing and delivering the course


    Initial considerations:


    How to create new learning activities or revise existing ones? Convert an existing course instead of creating a new one. Creating new subject matter while building the online course can be overwhelming
    How to handle electronic exchanges? Typical e­mail discussions generate too much mail and also lead to superficial opinion exchanges. Zoom is a robust low-cost video and audio conferencing service for class discussions.
    How to provide online tutorials and slide presentations and videos?  Storyboards offer a variety of free tools to sketch your next course.
    Camtasia is one of the best video editors on the market.

    What should be on the home page? The home page should contain a summary or overview of the course. Provide course objectives, course organization (what topics will be covered), Canva  allows you to make instant graphic designs.
    Contact information (the instructor’s e­mail and a link to a personal web site). You might also include a sitemap and a search field.

    Once these design issues are addressed, the next step is to decide how to deliver the course.

    The easiest way to get a course online is to use a commercial learning management system (LMS) or course authoring system, such as Blackboard, Teachable, or Thinkific. LMSs are very popular largely because they are template driven. The course author fills in the forms and web pages appear.

    Sharing online videos for discussion is a popular activity. Videos from faraway places can be integrated into course content.

    Teacher tube (www.teachertube.com) is an online community for sharing instructional videos.

    Google docs is a great place to foster teamwork .(http://docs.google.com)

    Teaching a good online course with great content should have learning aids with such features as automated self-study quizzes, case study programs, computer simulations, and great videos. Too many online courses are casually generated without such features. Teaching online to earn money is part of the ingredients to success.

    Get started. Get started early.

    Most of your time and effort will go into content development and learning activities.

    Reach out for help, if need be.

    Start teaching online.

  • Creating Your Action Plan and Online Business Timeline

    Creating Your Action Plan and Online Business Timeline

    Most businesses start out with a dream and an inspiration, but that is where it ends. Even the most innovative businesses can wind up closing their doors because a good action plan and a focused timeline were not in place at conception.

    There are many benefits to creating your action plan and online business timeline. When you have an action plan put into place and follow it regularly and continue to focus on your business timeline, things will run much more smoothly for your new business, your employees, and your customers.

    Tips to Create a Powerful Action Plan

    * Streamline Your Path – If you have a dream and a vision – excellent. Now, you must have knowledge of where your business is heading. It is important to focus on a streamlined path when you first start your business. Otherwise, you are likely to find that your business is “all over the place.” Be sure to be specific in where you expect your business to go in the first twelve months.

    * Put It in Writing – In the early stages of creating your business, it is important to create an action plan in writing. Without this piece of the puzzle, it can get messy quite quickly. Having an action plan in your head or verbalizing it with other team members is not nearly as efficient as putting it in writing.

    * Measure Your Goals Consistently – Make sure to check up on your goals often. By measuring your goals, you can measure your degree of success at the moment. If your goals are not in alignment with where they should be, then it is time to re-evaluate.

    * Break Down Bigger Projects into More Manageable Ones – When you create your action plan, make certain to break down bigger projects into more manageable ones. In this way, you will be able to get the whole job done without it feeling overwhelming.

    * Delegate – Do not be afraid to delegate some of your action plan. If you try to do everything all on your own, chances are all those balls you are juggling will come tumbling down sooner rather than later.

    Create an Online Business Timeline

    Veracity Networks Company Timeline

    * Create a Timeline for Every Task – You may think it is not necessary to create a timeline for each and every task, however, a timeline is essential for success. Creating a timeline will help you to manage your time and your business.

    * Keep It Real – A timeline should have manageable dates attached to each task. If you create a timeline goal too soon, then you may set yourself up for failure. By being realistic, you set yourself up for success.

    * Differentiate Your Tasks – Make certain to differentiate your short-term tasks from your long-term tasks. For example, a short-term task would be to hire employees and a long-term task would be to improve your social media status.

    * Stick to Your Timeline No Matter What – You have to have integrity in this area. You need to stick with your timeline no matter what, as this is the only way to achieve success.

    * Stay Focused – It is very easy to let a task go because other “stuff” gets in the way. Stay focused and stick to your timeline. Check your progress as you go along the way.