Askpat 2.0: A Weekly Coaching Call On Online Business, Blogging, Marketing, And Lifestyle Design

Today's question comes from Jon, who asks about using the site Medium (http://medium.com) like guest posting. Should he put in links back to his main site in his posts on Medium.com? Jon's site is http://www.moneysmartguides.com/. Do you have a question about writing on Medium? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Jason, who asks about interviewing. How should he determine which questions to ask his guests when interviewing? Jason's site is http://www.digitaltoolsofthetrade.com/. Do you have a question about interviewing? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Jason, who is looking to start a new niche site, but needs some advice on long-tail keyword searches. How can he find an under-used market? Jason's site is http://www.canonblogger.com/. For advice on market research, check out my book, Will It Fly?, at http://willitflybook.com. For advice on starting an email list, try my email challenge at http://100emails.com. The content search tool I discuss is BuzzSumo (http://buzzsumo.com/). Do you have a question about niche site selection? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from VK, who asks about selling seasonal items on Amazon. Does he need to set up a website to go along with his Amazon listings, or is it okay just to use Amazon and his email list? If you are just getting started, learn how to grow your email list at http://www.100emails.com. A good platform for setting up online stores is Shopify (https://www.shopify.com/). Do you have a question about getting started? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Brandi, who is feeling overwhelmed by the existing competition in her market. Is it even worth getting started? How can she get access to big name media properties for exposure? Also, how does she add the ability to ask audio questions, like I have for the AskPat Podcast? The tool that records questions is called Speakpipe, which allows you to embed an audio recorder on your webpage (http://askpat.com/speakpipe). Listen to Smart Passive Income Podcast Session #145 to learn how to get coverage from large media outlets (http://smartpassiveincome.com/session145). Another great tool is Help A Reporter Out (HARO), which will connect you with reporters who need sources for their stories (https://www.helpareporter.com/). Do you have a question about gaining exposure for your website? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from David, who has a question about dealing with one-star iTunes ratings and reviews for his podcast. How do you handle poor reviews? What happens if those one-star ratings come from spam or online trolls? How do you deal with that negativity against your podcast? David's website is at http://www.daviddifran.co/. Do you have a question about dealing with spammy one-star reviews for your podcast? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Jonathan, who has a question about podcast sponsors. Do you sign a contract with podcast sponsors, or is it a hand shake deal? What details should you consider when you sign on new sponsors for your podcast? What do you look for in a podcast sponsorship relationship? What should you include in the contract? Jonathan's website is at http://www.salespurpose.com/. Do you have a question about podcast sponsors? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Michelle, who has a question about follow links and no-follow links. What is the difference between follow links and no-follow links? When do you use follow links, and when do you use no-follow links? What is the their purpose? Michelle's website is at http://www.custardandbear.com/. Do you have a question about follow and no-follow links? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Jules, who has a question about helping her audience learn how to promote and sell their art online. Should you create an ebook for your audience? What about creating an online course, even if it is takes more time? What should come first? What are some other ways to create highly valuable and engaging content for your audience? Jules's website is at http://www.unlimitedcreative.com/. In this episode, I mention Smart From Scratch, my new online business course which will be open soon for another limited run at http://www.smartfromscratch.com/. I also mention Teachable, which is the platform I used for Smart From Scratch. It's easy to use and the team over there is super great. You can learn more at http://www.askpat.com/teachable/. Do you have a question about helping your audience through an online course or ebook? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Gordon, who has a question about the volume of blog content he should be creating. How often do you need to create new content for your audience? Is there a sweet spot for specific platforms, such as a podcast, website, and video? Does the amount of content depend on the audience? In this episode, we mention my book, Will It Fly?, which is about validating your business idea. Learn more at http://willitflybook.com. Do you have a question about content volume? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Chris, who has a podcast and wants to find new subscribers. What's the best way to bring in new listeners? Is Facebook advertising recommended? Chris's site is http://www.parentnormal.com/. If you're thinking about starting a podcast, check out my free podcasting tutorial at http://www.podcastingtutorial.com. The episodes of the Smart Passive Income Podcast I discuss are #227, where I interviewed 15 entrepreneurs (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/session227) and #97, where I focused on serving artists (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/session96). Do you have a question about podcasting? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Kris and Kit, who ask about recording audiobooks. What advice do you have for recording? Should you do it yourself or hire someone? Kris and Kit's site is http://gomousescouts.com/. I have used Upwork for finding a voiceover artist (http://askpat.com/upwork). I recorded Let Go (http://askpat.com/let-go) and Will It Fly? (http://www.askpat.com/willitfly) myself. For audiobooks, I love Audible (http://www.audible.com/). Do you have a question about recording audiobooks? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Mohamed, who is interested in starting an online business. English is not the primary language where he lives. Is there anything he should do differently? Do you have a question about starting a business? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Karyn, who is planning a podcast. How much writing does she need to do to support her podcast? Karyn's site is http://melbourneseast.com.au/. If you're starting a podcast, check out my free podcasting tutorial (http://www.podcastingtutorial.com). Do you have a question about getting your podcast started? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Jeff, who is planning to start a blog. Should he launch right away, or should he wait until he has a backlog of posts banked up? What is the right order, between writing, setting up email, and launching? Do you have a question about launching your website? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Joshua, who has a small budget. What can he do with $100 to start seeing some immediate returns? Joshua's site is http://creatingcomfortable.com/. Check out Ramit Sethi's course Earn $1K (http://askpat.com/earn1k). Do you have a question about getting started? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Sean, who has watched the bounce rate on his emails steadily increase. Should he be concerned about this? Sean's site is http://www.worldsfastesthypnotist.com/. In this episode, I talk about the book, The Power of Habit (https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/power-of-habit). Do you have a question about email marketing? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Ryan, who has a website and YouTube channel that focuses on DIY projects. How can he add value to his YouTube video's project posts? Ryan's site is http://doingwhatever.com/. You can find Corbett Barr's website at https://fizzle.co/. Check out the 30 day challenge over at Simple Green Smoothies (http://simplegreensmoothies.com/). Do you have a question about making your website more compelling? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Amine, who asks about building websites around specific date-based events, like the Olympics or holidays and monetizing them with affiliate offers and advertising. Is this a good niche site strategy? Benny Hsu's website is http://getbusylivingblog.com/. Do you have a question about building niche sites? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.

Today's question comes from Chris, who asks about selling through email automation. How does he properly tag subscribers so that they are offered increasing prices over time? Do you have a question about email automation? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/.