If you’re anything like me, you have searched high and low for blogging tips and how-tos to improve your blog, only to read the same tips over and over again.

One blogging tip Probloggers fail to mention is providing transcripts of your audios or videos. Simply called podcast transcription.

What most probloggers writing about how to blog will tell you include -

Content is king.Content should be SEO-optimized.

Content is for your customers (not other bloggers)

You should repurpose your contents and multiply your contents because search engines love new contents.

You should post new contents regularly and consistently

Have your own product if making money online is a goal for you

etc etc

All these tips on how to blog can be addressed by providing transcripts of your audios or videos.


By utilizing the services of a podcast transcriptionist (hint! hint! me?) you can provide the much needed content (written text) for your blog.  Written text is search-engine friendly and easier to SEO-optimized than MP3s and videos.

photo credit: TarahDawdy

Related posts:

1. What is Podcast Transcription?
2. 11 Benefits of Podcast Transcription for Podcast Bloggers
3. Repurpose Your Videos or Podcasts For A Reading Audience

Do you remember your first time? (No, not what you are thinking.  Much, much better than that.  I’m talking about your first job as a freelance!)

I’ll never forget mine!  It was the 19th April 2010.

That day I sent through my first batch of work to my client.  I was elated and on cloud nine.  I was enveloped in the most amazing feelings of freedom, independence, immense hope and fulfilment – all at the same time.  I was filled with immense pride and self-worth.

Those feelings lasted more than 2 weeks as I completed the whole project.  (See? It lasted more than 2 weeks. Not 2 minutes.  It’s way better than that.)

As a freelance translation editor, this was my first work at home gig!  I’m over the moon!

Although money hasn’t changed hands, I’ll forever be grateful for this job.

Lately, I’ve been thinking over the experience and reliving it to reflect on the important lessons from that first freelance job.  And, also because I’ve had two more queries since then!  And, here, are the 3 vital lessons learned from my first time.

You’ll Never be Ready

It has been almost a year since I started this blog.  In terms of content and design, this blog is not anywhere near ready. Forget being ready, it’s still incomplete – without a services page or something similar.  But, the fact that I still get prospects and a client already, is testimony to that fact that it’s ok to be imperfect.  Everybody starts off somewhere.

Prospects and clients are human too.   They understand that. The fact that I don’t have the money for a design or copy does not bother my client.  The result she gets, matters most to her. The important thing is to establish your presence on the web – start a blog already – and start making connections. Let go of your excuses.  Writing does not come naturally to you?  Well, start writing everyday and follow blogs like WritetoDone, Copyblogger, ViperChill, SmartPassiveIncome, etc.  One area I’m struggling with is the business side of things. I know it will take months to figure out somethings, but I’m willing to do my time and sweat it out. Who ever said making money is easy, right?

Stop Waiting for the Elusive Big Break

After writing blogs for more than 4 years now, one thing is mightily clear to me – there is no such thing as a Big Break in making money online world.    My monthly income from these blogs? $40 – $50 in a good month!  So, why continue?  Because there has always been little breaks in between long spells of drought.  These may be in the form of a post going viral, an affiliate sales or a chat with one of my favorite bloggers, a comment from a reader, etc.  You do get my drift, right?  So, I’m being a realist, while hopeful and focussed on my goals of making real money online and generating passive income.

It’s the little breaks that will make a difference.  It’s the little breaks that perhaps will make it possible for you to break away from the 9-to-5 existence. Dave Navarro, who just quit his job yesterday, wrote a guest post on Ittibiz where he says “No magical single event is going to take you from obscurity to celebrity (well, not in a healthy, sustainable way that lets you sleep at night).”  And, that’s the naked, honest truth.

Your Journey will be Unique, so will your Story be

My first brush with making money from blogs is what Darren from ProBlogger calls an indirect method of making money from blogs.  My father’s book, Zo Chronicles, was published posthumously in 2008.  I announced the release on my then personal blog, quickly highlighting how I got it published, how I undertook the task of proofreading, without prior experience, the manuscript and how friends and family helped to make the publication possible, where and when it was being released and a discount for the release day.  On release day, all copies we got from the publisher were sold!

I know how I make money is unique, very different from how most A-List bloggers make theirs. My story is unique, so is my journey. Eventually my destiny.  We are like a bunch of school kids – today playing football together; 20 years later, we’ll be lucky to even play a game. Forget about being together in the same playground.

This blog is where I primarily want to help video or podcast bloggers by providing them transcripts for their audios and videos.  But somehow, the first job I got is for translations!  But, I’m not complaining.  It’s surprises like this that makes blogging worthwhile.  Do not ever overlook or ignore your prospects where you can help them with your unique set of talents (ever if you do not offer the help they ask for).  Always remember, at the end of the day, you are trying to help people.  Help them wherever, whenever and which ever way you can.  You are the diversifying your income stream, establishing your brand and your credibility in the process.  Be unique.  Stay unique.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

Please feel free to leave your comments and observations.  Do you remember your first time?  Please do share your first time stories.  Subscribe and stay connected.

Related posts:

1. I’m a Writer

Hi! My name is Carey Suante and I’m a writer.

There! I said it!

Yahooooooooo!!!!!!

Coming out of the Closet

Saying you’re a writer and believing it, takes a lot of guts and self-belief.

Like many bloggers, I struggled with the idea of being a writer.

But whatever the spectics may say (and there will always be skeptics, whether of the medium or of you), blogging is writing.

I do put my thoughts and experiences onto paper, in my case, blog posts.

I express my feelings and opinions online, rather than offline.

Come to think of it, I have always been a writer.  From my first poem on that loose sheet which I had since lost, to the mundane posts I write on my Blogspot blogs, I have always been writing.

It’s not how good your writing is but the fact that you write that matters most.

It’s not whether you earn your bread writing but that fact that you do write that matters.

I am a writer.

You’re a writer

You write words.  You write sentences.  You write paragarphs.  You write stories.  You write reviews.  You write experiences.  You write opinions and open eds.  You write poems. You are a writer.

Writing for the web or for search engines does not make you less of a writer.  Search engines and the web searches your words, your writings – not the design of your blog, not the blogging software you use to write on.

Content is King, remember!

Your words make you visible on the web.  You connect and interact with people who read your words, your thoughts and your insights.  You are a writer.

Links and back-links are but the physical connections of words and thoughts on the web.  Your words connect you to other writers.

Let go of the skeptic in you

And, to you who don’t have the guts to say you’re a writer: Say it.  You will mean it!

I’m a writer.  I will not have it otherwise!

photo credit: [JO]² – Immortal Lens -( Youssef Hanna )

Related posts:

1. One Blogging Tip Probloggers Did Not Tell You
2. 3 Reasons to Stand on the Shoulders of Giants

One effective way to repurpose your old videos and podcasts is to provide transcripts of these videos and podcasts.

Repurposing your videos and podcasts for a reading audience increases your reach and therefore, potential clients/followers/fans/buyers. It also means doubling the content on your blog. And, ultimately, the money you make online.

This is easily achieved by utilizing podcast transcription.

How to Really Know You Need to Provide Transcripts of Your Videos

• If you host your videos on Youtube check the demographics of your Youtube account. Are your videos watched by your target audience? You may go further and see age group, sex or country even. If your answer is no or maybe, then that’s a good reason to start targeting the non-video watching audience of your niche.
• Check your Google analytics or any other you may use, and confirm whether the bulk of your visitors are your target audience. If not, you may want to give providing transcripts a serious thought.

Benefits of Repurposing Contents using podcast transcription
Multiply your content: Lets say, you have a blog with 100 videos. By simply providing transcripts of these 100 videos you’ll now have 200 blog posts! Providing transcripts increases your chance of reaching a wider audience.

Gain more Time: Assuming you publish a post a day on your blog, you gain a 100 days! This is ample time for you to write the ebook that’s always on your mind but never got the time to start. Or, spend more time researching your next video and producing them.

Post more frequently: Or, you could simply go full steam and post twice a day – a video and an article (transcript). Rev up the frequency of your posts and reap the rewards in terms of more visits and page views.

Earn more: Having your videos in the written format means you have the means to link out to the products mentioned in the videos within the article. It also means you never run out of posts to publish on your blog.

Lets be real here, there are pockets in the world where the Internet connection speed is not viable for watching videos online. These oft-neglected regions will be well served with articles and blog posts.

AND THE BEST PART IS – you don’t have to do all the hard work of typing out the transcripts!

You don’t have to spend hundreds of hours typing up and readying these transcripts. Virtual assistants called podcast transcriptionists, who specialize in providing transcripts of audios, videos and podcasts, will be more than willing to provide you with ready to publish transcripts of your videos and podcasts. And the rates transcriptionist charge are always affordable, if not downright cheap!

Bonus Tip
With minimal cost your podcast transcriptionist can turn your transcripts into an ebook and make more money!

To Recap:

• Double your content by having transcripts of your videos/podcasts, interviews, etc
• You don’t have to waste any time in producing these transcripts.
• Transcriptionists are always affordable even for bloggers who are starting out and transitioning into probloggers.
• More chances of being linked to and quoted by other bloggers and websites.
• Your readership becomes wider
• Your online earnings increases many folds.
• Use the transcripts and turn them into an ebook – make more money!

Transcriptionist will free up your time, provide you more contents and even provide you with ready to sale products at a reasonable price.

Related posts:

1. 11 Benefits of Podcast Transcription for Podcast Bloggers
2. What is Podcast Transcription?
3. DIY: Podcast Transcription (Without Dragon Naturally Speaking)

Sprout an idea

Identify what people are looking for. Ask yourself if you can provide solutions to their needs. If they are looking for free know-how, can you quench their thirst for knowledge? Align this need with your capability.

Build your site

Buy yourself a domain name and web hosting to host your site/blog. This is your real estate online. This is your domain. Design your site to appeal to your potential customers. Or, simply start with a clean theme and build on it.

Build your community/fan/loyal subscribers

Value your community. They are your business. Ask them for directions when you falter. Never shy from admitting mistakes – you will make a few, too. Be genuine and caring. Provide value to your loyal customers.

Build your brand

Be unique. Differentiate your site design, content/products and your personality. Shout out your USP for all who care to listen. Spread your message everywhere (eg. Blogs, forums, twitter, etc).

Sell your goods

Remember to sell your goods. That’s the reason you are in business in the first place.

Related posts:

1. Why Podcast Transcription is Crucial for Your Online Business
2. 22 Reasons why People Go Online: Does Your Blog Cater to Their Needs?
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The diagram below is a result of ongoing research into why people go online and where and is a project called Rudd Finn Intent Index.

It basically classifies people’s reasons for going online into seven categories in descending percentage order:

1. Learn

2. Have Fun

3. Socialize

4.  Express yourself

5. Advocate

6. Do Business

7. Shop

According to Darren, you can also look at the results based upon gender and age. For example

• Men go online to do business, be informed of news and be entertained more than women
• Women are more likely to go online to socialize and express themselves than men)
• Youth go online more for socializing, advocating and self expression than seniors
• Both Youth and Seniors are going online to have fun

Other highly rated areas (80% of responses or more) included:

• Educate Self (96%)
• Connect with Others (92%)
• Research (89%)
• Share (86%)
• Be Entertained (82%)

Take some time to study this index, you may be able to pinpoint your next strategic move.  This could well answer the age old questions like:

Who is your target audience?

Where are they?

What do they expect?

How big/small is the market?

Go ahead and study now and improve your sales and readership!

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1. 5 easy steps to build a business online
2. 4 Steps to Increase Your Blog Traffic
3. 6 Reasons Why Bloggers Need Perfect Grammar for Success

Today Daniel post a killer article for bloggers at his blog Daily Blog Tips 4 Steps to Increase Your Blog Traffic Beyond 1,000 Daily Page Views. This is a post I’ve always needed!

First Step: Killer Articles (1 hour per day)

Second Step: Networking (30 minutes per day)

Third Step: Promotion (30 minutes per day)

Fourth Step: Normal Posts (30 minutes per day)

Daniel made his case so simple and yet so true. I’ll definitely take this as a guide and improve my blogging.

Related posts:

1. 5 easy steps to build a business online
2. Upto 90% Discount on WordPress Hosting: Start your Business Blog NOW!
3. 22 Reasons why People Go Online: Does Your Blog Cater to Their Needs?

Are you overwhelmed and confused with so many blogs about blogging doling out tips, tricks and advices for new bloggers and wannabe probloggers day in and day out?

It’s even more confusing and depressing when you fail, even after trying out their advices and tips on your blogs – whether you are trying to create digg-worthy posts, trying to involve your audience through polls, gifts for comments, free downloads for subscription, guest posting on a couple of blogs in your niche, submitting your blogs to blog directories, hosting blog carnivals, etc…well, you get the picture. Believe me it’s depressing, I have been there.

The Dead Poets Society is a 1989 film which tells the story of an English teacher (John Keating played by Robin Williams) at the prestigious Welton prep school, which is based on four principles – tradition, honor, discipline and excellence. Mr Keating inspires his students to change their lives of conformity. The movie is all about the awakening of the individual and that authority must always be just a guide in the process.

How To Break Free From The Bond Of Conformity And Be Different

Carpe diem (Latin for seize the day):

“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, old time is still a flying, and this same flower that smiles today, tomorrow will be dying.”

On the first day of the English class Mr Keating imparts the importance of the present to his students. Think about men before us, men who lived and died. Their only legacy seems to be one advice – carpe diem. Make the most of your life today, for you and I are just foods for worms tomorrow, he says. Like it or not we all die. Our days are numbered.

If blogging is where your heart is, then make the most of your present in blogging. Don’t waste your time in reading and following what the authorities in blogging are saying or writing. The only thing you will gain by that exercise is mediocrity or at best the curse of being common, for hundreds of equally misguided bloggers like you will be learning from the same blogging authority and practicing the same blogging techniques. And, that brings us to our second point.

Find your own Voice:

“Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Don’t be resigned to that. Break out!”

We must constantly look at things in a different way. Just when you think you know something, get something, deliberately try to see it in a different light. We must constantly try to improve and push the boundaries. Just when you think you know something, you have to look at it in another way. Even though it may seem silly or wrong, you must try! Now, when you read, don’t just consider what the author thinks. Consider what you think.

The problem is, the moment you imitate someone else you just gave away your creative self to being a duplicate. Successful people do not become successful by conforming. They consciously try to be different. They rebel against the accepted social norms. They create their own paths to glory. They try new things or ways to achieve their goals. In short, they take creative and challenging approaches to their goals. They chose to take the unbeaten path.

You cannot be the successful Problogger or Copyblogger. You can only be the successful you. You have to find your own success.

Immerse yourself in what you do, to find your self:

Todd out of self-consciousness fails to complete a creative writing assignment and is taken through an uncharacteristic self-expression realizing the creative potential he truly possesses.

Mr Keating is aware that Todd has it in him a creative but timid mind. He is always shy and scared to express himself and be the ridicule of his classmates. So, he forced Todd to express himself and confirms what he always suspects, that Todd indeed has the potential but was always too shy and self-conscious to even try.

Have you locked yourself in your own mind’s closet, afraid people will not take your seriously enough or scared you might become a joke. Let go of this low self-esteem. Immerse yourself in your blogging. Blog, blog and blog more. You will eventually “get it”. Practice makes one perfect, right?

In conclusion, the common theme running through these points above is this – define your own individual success. In the blogging world (especially in the make money online world), success is more often than not , wrongly defined by how much money the blogger earns. Blogging is more, as Mr Keating said, like a powerful play and it will go on that you may contribute a verse.

What will your verse be?

Related posts:

1. Why Successful Bloggers Have Blogging Buddies (and So Should You)
2. One Blogging Tip Probloggers Did Not Tell You
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