Evan Hoeflich, Author at

Internet Marketing Creates Options- Retire Early?

April 29, 2017 Evan Hoeflich Leave a comment

The wonderful world of Internet Marketing!

I remember when I first got hooked with the idea of making money online.

Around 8 or 9 years ago today I bought a $47 information product off of Warrior Forum and since then have been addicted to Internet Marketing ever since.

It was a product on how to make money with ClickBank using affiliate niche websites and video marketing.

I created my first website around an aircraft simulation game, grabbed my affiliate link from ClickBank and created a video to go along with the website (as you may already know, this method is way less effective today which is why I always reccomend starting a blog).

Around 3 weeks into my first niche website, I logged into my ClickBank account and saw a sale for $21.14!

Making your first sale online is unlike anything else…for the simple fact that it proves this type of lifestyle is possible with the right concentrated effort.

That lit the fire for me and eventually I started making 1 sale per week and then 1 sale per day and so on…

This encouraged me to get my feet wet in other online business models and expand my skill set and knowledge base…I wanted the lifestyle that the successful Internet marketers had.

Internet Marketing Can Feel Like Early Retirement- How So?

Let me be clear, I still work a full-time day job for the simple fact that I really enjoy what I do as an SEO strategist, but if you’re making enough money from Internet Marketing, you can essentially quit your job and have complete freedom.

I think that is everyone’s dream who gets into this business.

However, if you’re at this stage or close to it, it’s important that you read this before you quit your job.

When you’ve created enough passive income to the point where you do not need to work a 9-5, traffic fighting, soul crushing job…it’s truly like you have retired early.

But even better, since you’re still making income from your online business.

I think that should be everyone’s end goal (besides creating as much value in people’s lives as possible).

But the goal of having complete freedom to do what you want, where you want and when you want to.

1.) With no shackles!

2.) No rules!

3.) No punching in a clock!

4.) No office politics!

5.) No long hours!

6.) No restrictions!

Through Internet marketing you create your path, you destiny and your future.

Will this take hard work at first…HECK YES!

But you need to look at this as a longer-term approach rather than a sprint.

If this sounds like something you want to pursue, I would dedicate enough time to learn about the ins and outs of online marketing first.

There are so many many different tactics, strategies and business models so it’s important to get a little bit of knowledge first.

I reccomend hanging out over at the Warrior Forum to start.

Realize that there are always opportunities for you to compete in the online world, for the simple fact that it’s so damn big!

Let me know your thoughts on this topic…

Do you have dreams of retiring early through Internet Marketing?

Do you want the freedom to live the life you deserve?

Internet Marketing

Personal Money Management Tips – Create More Freedom In Life!

April 22, 2017 Evan Hoeflich Leave a comment

If you don’t already know, I am a big personal finance geek.

I’ve read dozens of books on the subject for the simple fact that I enjoy the idea of creating more freedom in my life through spending less and saving/investing more.

In fact, I think that personal money management is an extremely important topic that should become a central focus of everyone’s life.

If you’re unhappy with your current job or financial position and feel completely trapped in your situation, here are a few tips you can start implementing that will get you on the right path to creating more “space” in your life.

1.) Avoid & Pay Off Debt

It’s vital that you avoid debt at all costs (some may disagree), but the peace of mind that comes with being debt free is priceless.

If you are currently in debt, do NOT keep digging a deeper hole. Come up with a plan and be aggressive with paying it off.

Once I paid off the last of my student loans a few years ago, I couldn’t believe how much extra money was freed up for me to save, invest or put towards my Internet businesses.

I challenge you to set a realistic goal of when you can pay off your debt…

Do out the math, create a spreadsheet and stay hyper focused as it will be one off the wisest decisions you ever make.

2.) Limit Your Spending

You wouldn’t believe how much money we spend on unnecessary and irrelevant things in our lives.

Sometimes a few simple tweaks to our monthly habits can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more, in the long run.

Cut out any unnecessary spending that doesn’t enhance or add value to your life.

This could be eating out at unhealthy restaurants, avoiding happy hour and expensive bar tabs, buying loads of junk on Amazon, purchasing a coffee out every day, excessive driving, buying lunch out everyday at work….etc.

Pinpoint where the bulk of your extra income goes, and see how much better life becomes when you hang on to a certain portion of that hard earned cash.

3.) Indulge In Free Activities

Nice walk by my house along the ocean

The great thing about being more conscious of your spending, is that is forces you to realize that happiness doesn’t come from the things you buy…

But more from the experiences that don’t revolve around money.

For example, one of my favorite things to do (that doesn’t cost me anything besides a little bit in gas) is taking walks at different trails, hikes or really anything that has to do with the outdoors.

I love this type of activity for a few reasons…

1.) You are connected with nature which creates a natural euphoric feeling.

2.) You spend virtually ZERO money.

3.) It’s great to share the outdoor experience with people you care about.

4.) It’s a healthy way to spend time both physically and mentally.

Now we can reverse this for example to an activity like going out late-night drinking at a bar…

1.) You spend most likely anywhere from $20-100 on food/alcohol (maybe more).

2.) You feel groggy and unmotivated the next day.

3.) A consistent habit of this will make you broke and fat.

4.) You’re more likely to participate in other unhealthy habits, like late-night eating, smoking, buying a round of drinks for everyone etc..

Now I realize everyone’s situation is different but this is just for example purposes to make you think a bit.

I know I’m not normal But this is partially why I am never stressed about my financial situation.

4.) Save & Invest The Rest

Now that hopefully you are out of debt or are working aggressively to pay it off, you will want to start saving and investing!

This is when things get exciting and where much momentum starts to kick in (especially when you factor in compound interest).

Now I’m not going to get into detail about the specific investment vehicles you should park your money in, however it’s important that you do your research and find an approach and strategy that’s comfortable for you.

You should aim at the very least to save 20% of your income.

I invest over 40-50% of my money each and every month which is a bit extreme but not when you get used to living a simple lifestyle.

I think the problem here is that people shoot too low and only invest 5-10% of their income…which is better than nothing but not enough if you want to gain financial independence sooner rather than later.

Think of every time you put money away, you are that much closer to freedom in your life.

Look at this as a lifestyle more than anything…you are truly creating the limitless space and opportunity that you so badly deserve.

I want to recommend a few good blogs on personal finance that I suggest you take a look at.

These have also helped me along with some of the books I have read in the past.

Please feel free to check them out and let me know what you think:

(In no particular order)

1.) Mr. Money Mustache

2.) Frugal Woods

3.) jlcollinsnh.com

4.) My Money Wizard

If you enjoy articles on personal finance, money management, building wealth and would like me to post more on the subject…please let me know in the comments section below.

Personal Finance

How To Build A Thriving Blog…While Working Full-Time?

April 16, 2017 Evan Hoeflich 2 comments

So I still work a full-time job because of simple fact that I enjoy what I do.

However, I also run a solo ad business and this blog here all while working full-time.

All of this can be done if you set yourself up properly for success.

In this post, I will share with you how I am able to run and grow my blog , while working over 40 hours per week!

Let’s get to it…

1.) Stick To A Schedule

It’s vital that you stick to a fairly strict schedule especially when you are just starting out. Make sure at the very least that you are writing one post per week (if you can do more, even better).

For example, I normally write a blog post every Friday night when I am done with my work week. If I happen to miss Friday, I will try and do it that Saturday. The important thing here is that you’re consistent with your posts.

Stick to a schedule over a long period of time, and the results can really start compounding.

2.) Remain Patient

Was Rome built in a day? I know, that phrase is totally overused…However, it correlates directly when talking about blogging.

You must realize that some of the biggest blogs today took months and months and months to start generating significant traffic.

Let’s put some “long term” glasses on those eyes and be clear that this is a marathon and not a sprint.

3.) Track Your Wins

Following up on my point above, it’s important that you track your wins. This could mean marking down your first day of over 10 organic visits….making a commission from an affiliate banner…getting 1,000 subscribers on your email list…nailing a kick ass guest post opportunity etc.

Noting these wins are what psychologically keeps the momentum going. Step by step and win by win, you can really start to feel all of your hard work paying off.

Track ALL Wins!

4.) Stay Inspired

The great thing about blogging is that you can literally write anything that’s on your mind. You are not restricted to the type of content you can produce…Just make sure it’s valuable for the reader. Since it’s your blog, you’re in control.

Keep posts fresh and don’t be afraid to mix up your topics, language and try new things. Stay inspired by realizing that you have a voice and your blog is the platform to share your message.

I hope this post helped some of you full-time employees out there who are interested in starting a blog or maybe already have a blog but don’t know how to keep it going.

There is nothing wrong with blogging part-time and in fact, it’s how many of the top bloggers started.

Keep at it and never give up!

Blogging

4 YouTube Search Engine Optimization Techniques- YouTube SEO

April 7, 2017 Evan Hoeflich Leave a comment

YouTube marketing is quite possibly one of the most underrated ways to generate high quality traffic…plain and simple.

If you are not familiar with YouTube Search Engine Optimization…no problem!

In this post, I will sum up a few of the most important YouTube SEO techniques that you can start implementing as soon as today.

Let’s dive right into it…shall we?

1.) Video Title

As obvious as this sounds, many video marketers mess this step up.

You need to have a keyword rich video Title for the search engines to pick up.

Try to incorporate your 2 most relevant keyword phrases in the title but make sure it still reads naturally for visitors.

See screenshot below:

“Get More YouTube Marketing Subscribers” is my first keyword.

And “YouTube Marketing Technique” is my second keyword.

Yet, I still make it flow with the visitor in mind.

2.) Video Description

The next step is to make sure you have a keyword rich video description.

Generally I like to put my main keyword FIRST in my description…See screenshot below:

Follow that by a blog post or link to your website, any social media profile links, email address etc.

It’s also important you have enough content in your video description…

I recommend 2 paragraphs, maybe around 100 words each with about 3-4 of your most important keyword phrases in place.

Do not just stuff keywords in here.

Make it natural and valuable for your viewers to read.

3.) Off-Site Monetization

Now that your on-site SEO is complete, it’s important that you share your video on different platforms.

If you have a blog or website, that should be the first place you share your video.

Also, expose it on social media like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus etc…

The more engagement you get on your YouTube videos, the better it is for SEO.

It doesn’t hurt to reach out to other websites/blogs in your niche and see if you can strike a deal where they’d share your video on their website.

4.) Consistency

It’s important that you consistently upload videos to your YouTube channel to show YouTube and Google that you are relevant and are producing unique content.

This also gives you a better chance to rank for various videos, rather than just one or two.

Try to get on a schedule of posting 1 video per day, per week or per month…whatever your schedule allows.

The more video “assets” you have for the world to see, the quicker you will learn what works and what doesn’t.

YouTube videos are much easier to rank than individual blog posts or web pages.

Google generally places the 2-3 most relevant videos on the first page for any given search.

Imagine if you captured some of this traffic?

Please feel free to leave a comment below.

Quick Video Demonstrating the Main Points of This Article

YouTube

Do Not Quit Your Job- Stay Put For Now!

March 25, 2017 Evan Hoeflich Leave a comment

Attention!

Some of you may not like to hear this, but if you are an aspiring entrepreneur and still do not have a consistent income coming in from your business…Do Not Quit Your Job!

Yes that’s right, stay put at your current job as it is providing you with the necessary income you need to invest in your business.

Even though I make a full-time income with my online businesses, I still choose to work a day job…Why?

1.) I really enjoy my current line of work as an SEO specialist.

2.) It gives me extra money to invest in my business ventures.

3.) It allows me to invest more towards my retirement.

4.) It provides me with great benefits.

5.) It gives me options and flexibility, allowing me to take more educated risks.

Even though freedom is a major goal for many entrepreneurs, it’s important that you do not quit your job too prematurely.

Jobs Can Open Up Many Entrepreneurial Opportunities

Similar to some of the points I noted above, the right job can provide you with the skills you need to start up a business, or supplement your current business you are working on.

For example, the SEO (search engine optimization) skills I have learned at my current place of work will be a great resource I can utilize in my entrepreneurial endeavors going forward.

Believe it or not (even if you hate your job), every position teaches you valuable skills and lessons that you can use to improve your business.

Whether that’s sales skills, people skills, technical skills, management skills…you name it, you can use it to better your business.

Which gives you a much better chance of succeeding as an entrepreneur.

Use Your Job As Leverage For The Time Being

It’s important that you shift your mindset and not look at a job as something that is holding you back.

Think of this as a temporary phase in your life and use your job as leverage for your business.

This will allow you to sock away more money for emergencies, invest more in your business and invest more in your retirements accounts etc.

When you adopt this mindset for the time being, it can be really powerful.

Now I want to make clear that of course when you are making enough consistent money from you side projects/businesses/investments you have the option to quit your job and break free.

All I’m saying is, do not rush this process as you want to make sure you are as prepared as possible before you make the self-employment leap.

Looking back, you will be happy you saved more money and can now focus more of your attention on your business.

This may be more of a conservative approach for some, but I think it is a smart strategy rather than having nothing to fall back on and especially if your business is struggling.

Be methodical and make the decision that makes sense for you.

Entrepreneur

3 Tips To Stay Focused When You Work From Home

March 17, 2017 Evan Hoeflich Leave a comment

So for all you entrepreneurs or work from home employees or freelancers or anyone else who does the majority of work under their own roof, this post is for you.

I wanted to put together a quick list of tips that have helped me increase my focus, my work output and most importantly, my bottom line.

It’s way too easy to get distracted when working from home and you’d be surprised how a little bit of discipline can create substantial results.

Take a look at my top methods for getting the absolute most out of your day!

(Yes some of these are obvious…but just try them)

1.) Close Out of Unnecessary Tabs In Browser

This means Facebook, Twitter, YouTube (unless you’re using it for background music- see tip #3) etc…

You wouldn’t believe how much actual time is wasted surfing the web or scrolling through Facebook looking at unnecessary posts from irrelevant people.

It’s time to gain some of the power back.

Seriously though, close out of all unnecessary tabs and watch your productivity soar by at least 50%.

This simple step alone has put thousands of dollars in my pocket over time, no joke.

The only Internet tabs that should be open are the ones you need to get your work done.

It’s as easy as that.

2.) Flip Your Phone Upside Down or Put In Another Room

The average person checks their smartphone way too often throughout the day which leads to less productivity and more distraction.

I have increased my focus by at least 10 times since implementing this tip, plain and simple.

If you still find yourself checking your phone even when it’s flipped over, you might benefit more from putting it in another room entirely.

If you absolutely must check your phone throughout the day, try doing it once every hour at most.

You’d be surprised how much more work you get done day to day when you’re not glued to your “distraction device”!

3.) Listen To Stimulating Music On Headphones

I find that some of my best work comes from the inspiration of music.

As long as it is music that enhances your focus and creativity, I’m all for it.

Some examples of music that have helped me stay focused while working from home are: Classical, Ambient, Study Music, Instrumental or anything else that’s smooth and cool in the background.

I also find it’s more effective when you have a nice pair of headphones to listen to this music on rather than “ear buds” or straight out of your computer.

A quality set of headphones that covers your ears are really the way to go (but of course that’s just my opinion).

Experiment with different kinds of music and see which genres get you moving and groovin in the right direction if you know what I mean.

I realize this post was short and may seem like common sense but give some of these a shot and let me know what you think.

If you have any additional tips, please share them in the comments section below

Work From Home

The Freedom Running A Blog Brings!

March 12, 2017 Evan Hoeflich Leave a comment

If you look at your blog as an investment and long-term asset that will appreciate over-time with the right focused effort, you begin to see the power behind this.

This can bring immense freedom once you gain a following and become an expert in your niche.

Remember, a blog is up and running, 24/7, 365 days per year…Meaning, once optimized and built correctly, it’s a machine that will work ALL hours of the day for you!

The people who understand this, are the ones who take full advantage of the benefits that running a blog brings.

Freedom From Time Is Everything

Before we get any further, if you’re wondering how to start a blog, please check out my post here.

The best part about running a successful blog is the freedom it brings and especially freedom from time.

The average person works 40+ hours per week at a job they are unsatisfied with, or even worse…hate!

Now once you start gaining momentum with your blog, you really only need to put in a few hours per week (generally anywhere from 2-10 hours)…And also make much more than you ever would at a day job.

Can you say no brainer?

I’m trying to help you understand the sheer power of running a blog because it literally frees up so much time in your life to do what you want, when you want and where you want to.

People think the Internet Marketing fantasy doesn’t exist, but that’s because they haven’t gotten a taste of it yet.

This is real and blogging is a sustainable and long-term business model if done correctly.

If you currently do have a full-time job, I recommend working on your blog part-time every single week.

It’s okay to build this up slowly with valuable content over a period of time.

Remember this is not a sprint but more like a marathon.

You wouldn’t believe how many now full-time bloggers started out blogging part-time while working a full-time job…It’s called hustle!

So…You have two choices here…

Continue working a job that doesn’t bring you any satisfaction or freedom in your life.

Or…

Create a blog and slowly/methodically work on it over the months and years to come to create more freedom in your life.

Any questions, comments, thoughts?

Please leave them below!

Blogging

What Is Guest Posting? Powerful Link Building Tips

March 11, 2017 Evan Hoeflich 2 comments

By far one of the most powerful, yet underrated SEO strategies out there is guest posting.

In this blog article we will uncover exactly what guest posting is and what the overall process consists of.

However, I recommend implementing this strategy only after all of your initial on-site SEO is complete (Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, H1 Tags, Image ALT Tags, Copy Optimization/Internal Linking etc.).

Guest posting is a killer technique for generating high-quality backlinks, increasing your search engine rankings and driving more organic traffic to your website.

What Is Guest Posting?

Guest posting is essentially researching relevant websites/blogs in your niche and reaching out to them to see if they are accepting article submissions.

You would generally pitch these websites a few blog topic ideas in your first email.

If one of your topics gets the approval, you would then write up your guest post with your URL either within the article itself or in your author bio.

BOOM!

You just created yourself a powerful backlink.

Finding Guest Post Opportunities:

Now there are many different strategies to find websites/blogs that are accepting guest posts but for the purpose of this article I will highlight one in particular that I’ve seen a lot of success with.

1.) Use this search query in Google: “write for us” + “keyword”

You wouldn’t believe how many guest post articles I’ve gotten published using this simple technique.

So for example, if you’re in the weight loss niche you can simply try things like “write for us” + “fitness” or “write for us” + “weight loss” or “write for us” + “nutrition”.

Many websites that offer guest posting have a “write for us” page which is why this query works so well.

You can also try the following search queries:

“contribute” + “keyword”
“guest post” + “keyword”
“writers” + “keyword”

Domain Authority:

Now it’s important you target websites with a domain authority of at least 15 or higher (although this could vary depending on your website).

You can check a website’s domain authority with tools like MOZ or other free alternatives out there.

I recommend creating a list of about 20-40 potential link building opportunities at a time (preferably once a month if you are serious about this).

And then plugging it into an excel file to stay organized, like the one in the screenshot below:

You can add the URL, DA (domain authority), opportunity, contact name/email etc.

I then like to mark the websites I’ve already reached out to in yellow, so it’s easier to keep track going forward.

Guest Posting Email Outreach Template:

The outreach process is the easy part.

Really all you have to do is come up with a template that pitches a few topics.

Something like….

“Hey there,

I really enjoy the articles on your website. I’m reaching out to see if you’d be interested in a guest post on one of the topics below. I believe it would be of great interest to your readers.

Would you consider any of these topics for your blog?

Topic 1

(brief description)

Topic 2

(brief description)

Topic 3

(brief description)

Kind regards,

Your name”

It’s really that simple….once you start getting the hang of the link building/guest posting process, you really should start to see positive movement in search engine rankings and eventually organic traffic overtime.

If you liked this article, please let me know in the comments section.

Now get out there and start guest posting!

Get More Traffic To Your Website – Traffic Generation Strategies

March 5, 2017 Evan Hoeflich Leave a comment

Today’s topic is a fun one, especially since traffic is the lifeblood of any online business.

Now these are a few traffic generation strategies that I personally use, however there are a TON more out there to try for yourself.

Below are a handful of traffic methods that you can start experimenting with as soon as today.

Free Traffic Methods

1.) YouTube:
Perhaps one of the most underrated sources of traffic around is YouTube (video marketing). This is possibly the best way to get laser targeted traffic to your blog, website, squeeze page, affiliate offer, product page etc…especially since YouTube is continually gaining momentum every year and more and more people are using it as a search engine then ever before. Start building a YouTube presence by posting consistent and properly optimized videos every single week, and watch the traffic start rolling in.

2.) Facebook:

Another excellent source of traffic is through social media platforms like Facebook. Depending on what type of business or offer you promote, this could be as simple as building quality connections/relationships with people in your niche. Create a separate page around your business and encourage people to “like” it, share it and chat about it. Once you start to position yourself as an authority, people will start messaging you asking for your services. This happens in my solo ad business on a daily basis.

3.) SEO/Blogging:

Perhaps my favorite method of all is a combination of blogging and search engine optimization (SEO). This blog is a perfect example of how to generate natural, organic traffic from the search engines like Google and Bing. Once you learn the proper SEO techniques, the sky is the limit when it comes to blogging. If you’re confused on how to get a blog started, please see my post here.

Paid Methods

1.) Solo Ads:

Probably the fastest and simplest way to get traffic to your website, squeeze page or product offer is by using solo ads. With solo ads, you are simply leveraging someone else’s email list, by purchasing traffic by the “click”. As a solo ad provider myself, I can tell you that if done correctly, this could be one of your most effective traffic generation strategies.

2.) PPC (Pay Per Click):

Although tricky for many first timers, PPC is an excellent way to drive targeted traffic to your website. Make sure you have a daily budget planned out so you do not spend more than you can afford. As in all marketing, this will take some testing and tweaking before finding the winning campaign.

Whether you want to test the waters with free traffic methods or paid traffic methods, it’s important that you actually get your feet wet with whatever strategy you choose.

Too many people never even get started due to fear of failure.

I recommend sticking with one traffic generation strategy until you master it before moving onto the next.

Once you get more experience you can combine multiple traffic sources for maximum exposure!

I’d love to know…What is your favorite traffic strategy?

Blogging

How To Rank Your Website Higher On Google?

March 2, 2017 Evan Hoeflich 4 comments

So this is a question that comes up quite often in the world of online marketing…

If you’re wondering How To Rank Your Website Higher On Google, then you came to the right place.

Now before we get started, if you’re looking for more of an example type post on SEO, please check out my article here on simple search engine optimization for websites.

I’ll be the first to say that ranking websites higher on Google is not as difficult as some people think, HOWEVER, it does take patience and persistence to move the needle.

Search Engine Optimization For Beginners

When ranking your website or someone else’s website in the search engines you need to follow a few mandatory steps. Note: make sure you have some basic keyword research done before moving onto these steps.

1.) SEO Tag Optimization

First and foremost, you need to make sure all of your SEO tags are in place and optimized to their fullest potential.

This means adding in your most important target keywords to your Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, H1 Tags and Image ALT Tags.

The tags that hold the most SEO weight are the Title Tags and H1 Tags, however it is an SEO best practice to make sure ALL seo tags are optimized.

2.) Content Generation and Optimization

Your website must have a sufficient amount of content on it if you want any chance of ranking your website higher on Google.

And more importantly, this content should be consistent, possibly by using a blog or building out specific target pages related to your website each and every month.

Utilizing a blog is an extremely effective and simple way to ensure a healthy content ratio for your website from an SEO perspective.

Now with the content that you create, you must make sure it is optimized with your most important keywords in place (without keyword stuffing).

You will also want to add in a few internal links here and there throughout your copy which point to other pages of your website.

Internal linking helps visitors navigate your site more efficiently and helps spread link juice throughout your website.

3.) Link Building

One of the most important steps in a successful SEO campaign…

Now you need to build quality backlinks to your website to help increase your search rankings, website presence and organic traffic.

This can be as simple as reaching out to other blogs/websites relevant to your niche and see if they are accepting guest posts (which would contain your website link in the article).

This is one of the most effective link building strategies that many are not even paying attention to (better for us!).

This is a true and tested way to increase your Google ranking over time.

Please be patient when it comes to increasing your search rankings and make sure you commit to content generation and link building consistently going forward.

This should be an on-going process each and every month.

Any questions? Just ask!

« 1 … 20 21 22 23 24 »