self-promotion

8 Surprising Ways a Personal Website Can Improve Your Life

Dr Penny Pincher — Fri, 07 Apr 2017 08:30:15 +0000

The popular book The Martian became a best-seller in 2014, but started out as a series of blog posts by author Andy Weir on his personal website. Andy posted one chapter at a time, and got comments from readers as he posted new chapters. Eventually, he self-published an ebook which was later published in hardcover by Random House and became a big budget Hollywood movie starring Matt Damon. This example highlights some of the benefits you can get from having a personal website where you can publish anything you want in a way that anyone in the world can access.

I started writing on a personal website about four years ago and have discovered a number of ways that having a personal website can be beneficial. It's useful for storing, organizing, and sharing all kinds of creative work such as writing, a personal journal, photos, sound recordings, video clips, and other information that you want to share with the world. (See also: 8 Ways a Side Hustle Can Advance Your Career)

Here are some ways a personal website can improve your life.

1. It's a place to get creative

When I started my personal website, it had been years since I had done any creative writing. I realized that I could easily start a website and publish my writing immediately. That is both scary and exciting, but what did I have to lose?

2. It won't cost much (or anything at all)

It is possible to set up a professional website or blog at no cost at all. I set up a blog on the Blogger platform for free years ago and still use that today. If you want to spend a few dollars per month, you can get a custom domain name and add ecommerce features to support an online business.

3. It's an opportunity to make money

Once I started getting visitors to my website, I realized I could make money. I started selling advertising and placing affiliate marketing links on my site. Affiliate marketing links are links to products for sale that are related to the content on my website, and I get paid a commission if someone buys after clicking on that link. If you are willing and able to produce material that people are interested in reading, then you can make money on the side. (See also: Can You Really Make Money by Starting a Blog?)

4. It becomes a creative portfolio for you

My personal blog has provided a place to showcase my writing, and I have leveraged this to win some paid writing opportunities. Having your own website gives you a way to get those early publications of your work, which can lead to opportunities with other publishers. A portfolio of work is essential when you are seeking new assignments.

You can post almost any type of creative work on a personal website: digital photos, artwork, audio book narration, video clips, crafts, and even technical projects. You can also add a resume, and provide contact information for those who may be interested in working with you. This can help boost your career in almost any field.

5. It helps you learn and practice coding

Although there are lots of graphical tools to create Web pages, I sometimes edit the HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) code or CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) code to make the page work how I want. By understanding a few simple principles, you can gain a deep understanding of how websites really work.

I have also practiced coding on my website by making JavaScript calculators and publishing them on my blog. You can code the graphical interface with calculator buttons and write equations for the calculations with code that is embedded in a script on the page. This is a great way to practice and show off your coding skills in a way that people can use and appreciate.

6. You can get published today, no roadblocks

One of the best things about having your own website is that there are no rules. You can publish whatever you want with no censoring and no gatekeeper. You get to decide for yourself what can be published, even if no one else would publish it. This means that you can become a published writer immediately.

7. You get to perform for an audience

I remember how nervous I was to push the "publish" button the first few times when I was starting my website. I knew that anyone in the world would be able to read my posts and perhaps even comment or send me an email complaining about my content. Writing for an audience pushed me to do my best work, more so than writing in a notebook that no one else could see.

8. You learn how to become more visible on the internet

One of the fun parts about having your own website is looking at the stats to see how many people are visiting. Since you always want to have more visitors, it makes sense to learn how people are finding your website and try to boost your traffic. One strategy is to use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to get more traffic from search results. Understanding SEO can be a valuable skill, both for your own website and as a consultant for other sites. With your own website, you have the opportunity to do experiments to try ideas out and learn what works to boost traffic.

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This article is from Dr Penny Pincher of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Sing Your Own Praises at Work (Without Bragging)

POPSUGAR Smart Living — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 09:48:08 +0000

Confidence is key to getting ahead in your career, but how can you communicate your expertise without sounding boastful? To help you assert your talents in a polished, professional way, we've come up with some key suggestions that make tooting your own horn a cinch. Whether you're planning for an upcoming review or seeking out your next promotion, here are four smart, savvy tips to follow.

RELATED: How to Convey Authority

Be Prepared

In order to properly and thoughtfully sing your own praises, it's best to prepare for those moments year-round. First, keep an email folder where you can save all the positive feedback you receive, and then use specific quotes as a reference during your reviews. Next, make sure to monitor and note all the important statistics for your position, like major sales, new clients, and year-over-year improvements. Managers can't remember each and every assignment you've ever completed, either, so maintain a running list of your major projects and the goals that you achieved.

Be Humble

Modesty and positivity are crucial. There's a fine line between expressing your potential and conveying arrogance, so try to tread carefully. For one thing, you need to make sure that the accomplishments you're highlighting are your own. If others contributed to your success, then give your colleagues credit too. That won't take away from your efforts; in fact, it shows both leadership and intelligence. Likewise, it's best to acknowledge any mistakes or shortcomings that arise — just be sure to end on a positive note by calling attention to any lessons that followed.

Be Timely

You can toot your own horn all you want, but if you disrupt or annoy your manager, then she's not going to listen to your points. Don't ambush your manager when it's convenient for you. Instead, schedule a meeting dedicated to your review or wait until the appropriate time presents itself. Location is important too, so be sure to reserve a conference room or another private location for your appointment.

Be Professional

A good rule of thumb: to maintain healthy relationships and a favorable reputation, you should brag to your manager, not your coworkers. There's no reason to discuss your career status with anyone other than your supervisor or the HR department. That being said, you should work with your manager to refine your job description and professional goals during review sessions. Then, when tracking your accomplishments, you can refer to those specific, mutually defined responsibilities.

Workplace success can hinge on self-promotion...as long as you don't cross over into bragging. Here's how to walk that oh-so-fine line.

Guest Post Blurb:

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This article is from POPSUGAR Smart Living of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Why Everyone Needs a Portfolio of Work

Carlos Portocarrero — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:24:10 +0000

The job market is going through a major shift. Employers have a huge pool of prospects to pick from, and they're being especially picky about who they hire. So if you want to land the job of your dreams (or any job, really), you have to stand out. And I'm not talking about scented resumes. (See also: Stupid Things to Put in Your Cover Letter)

What Is a Portfolio?

You probably saw the word "portfolio" in the title of this post and thought to yourself:

I'm not a designer or a copywriter; I don't need a portfolio! I'm a lawyer for crying out loud...this doesn't apply to me! And how the hell am I supposed to pronounce this guy's last name anyway?

To you I say, "Whoa, Nelly!" Calm down. This is the kind of old-world thinking that will get you nowhere.

In order to stand out, you have to look at things a little differently. Instead of spending all that time on your resume (which is important, but only to a certain extent), you need to put together a package that showcases what you've done and what you can do.

That's the goal of having a portfolio — to showcase your skills and past accomplishments.

What About a Resume?

Your resume is a one-page summary of your past work experience....ZZZZZ. Pretty boring, isn't it? Even if you've done exciting work in the past, it's going to be really tough to get that across in a bullet or two.

Besides, all resumes pretty much look the same. Especially if you're sifting through 34 of them and it's 5:14 p.m.

Your portfolio, however, is your playground. Here's a list of things you should include:

Websites you worked on
Projects you were a part of
Events you had even a minor role in
Things you made (apps, catalogs, events, etc.)
People you worked with
A blog you started and write for (blogging got me a better job)
Skills you picked up or perfected

Think of the coolest, most exciting stories you can possibly think of and focus on one or two of those. Then make sure that you actually contributed or learned something, because otherwise you'll just look like a passive observer.

Go heavy on the pictures and on the links, so potential employers can go as deep as they want on this stuff.

After looking at it, employers should be thinking, "Wow, this person is pretty interesting and has some serious skills we could use here."

How to Build It

It doesn't have to be complicated, but this is your chance to show off, so don't hesitate to put some time and effort to make this look as good as it can be.

I know what you're thinking — "But Mr. P, I don't know anything about creating a website! I don't know how to use Photoshop! How am I supposed to put one of these together?"

Time to get creative. It doesn't matter how you come up with this nifty package of cool stuff you've done or great skills you have, what matters is that you get it across. That means you can use any of these:

PowerPoint
Word
Prezi
WordPress
Dreamweaver

It may sound lame to send in a file built in Word, but Word can do some cool stuff if you put the time in.

And the fact that you were able to create something visually interesting that's also effective is a much better way to say "Proficient in MS Word" on your boring old resume.

Now go out there and make something you're proud of that will showcase your talent and your skills.

Your next job may depend on it.

This article is from Carlos Portocarrero of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

7 Ways to Self-Promote without Selling Out

James Clear — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:47:16 +0000

Link:

http://www.openforum.com/articles/7-ways-to-self-promote-without-selling-out

We all have to sell ourselves at some point — whether it be as a corporate warrior, a small business owner, or an individual.

Of course, the rub is that it can be hard to do it well. You don't want to seem sleazy or self-serving...but you need to present your idea, product, or service in the best way possible. With that in mind, here are seven tips for self-promotion that allow to maintain your dignity and self-respect.

Know Your Values and You Can Choose Your Methods

Before you begin promoting something, decide what you will and won't do. Some people tell everyone they know about their new idea. Others prefer to keep their personal and business interests separate. There is no right or wrong answer, but you should decide what is right and wrong for you.

You may find yourself doing things you wouldn't normally do when you start promoting without setting clear boundaries first.

Be Ready to Own It

Entrepreneurs are starters and go-getters that are keen on action. Most of the time, that's a good thing. But the downfall is that every now and then, we find ourselves going all in on an idea before we really think everything out.

Before you start self-promoting something, make sure that it's an idea, product, or service that you really believe in — not something that you just find cool, exciting, or interesting.

Is this something that you're just interested in only this week, or are you ready to own it forever? Are you ready for your reputation to be attached to it?

Be certain in whatever you promote before you start singing its praises. If you start promoting half-baked ideas to your friends, family, and peers ... then people are going to stop listening to you when you pitch them something genuine.

If you're not ready to own your idea and believe in what you're promoting, then how can you expect anyone else to believe in it?

Start with Value

On a recent flight, upon arrival the stewardess came over the intercom and asked us to take a short online survey. She explained why the survey would be helpful to the airline and at the end of the speech she said, "... and you'll be entered to win 100,000 frequent flyer miles."

That pitch was totally backwards. By the time she got to the mileage offer, most passengers had stopped listening, put in their headphones, or started a cell phone call.

If you’re promoting to me, then start with the value. Tell me that you want to give me 100,000 free miles. Get me to buy in before telling me what I have to do. Show me what I get for my time. Then, tell me that I have to take the survey to enter the contest.

If you want to be a great self-promoter, then start by showing people how your product or service can provide value.

Listen for Problems Instead of Seeking Opportunities

Most self-promoters look for an opening. They search for opportunities to sell or a chance to fit their product into the conversation.

Instead of cramming in a pitch whenever possible, spend some time listening for people's problems instead. If you discover what they are struggling with, then you can determine how your product, service, or idea can solve that problem.

Nobody enjoys being promoted to, but everyone loves having a problem solved.

Don’t Try to be Someone You’re Not

If you’re not naturally outgoing outgoing and loud, then don’t try to be. You should always promote who you are and what you stand for. Most people see right through insincerity, and they recognize sincerity, too. How would you rather be perceived?

When you act like someone you aren't, you find yourself doing things that you wouldn't do. That's a recipe for being perceived as insincere and disrespectful.

Recognize That the World Doesn’t Owe You Anything

A surefire way for self-promotion to go south? Act like people owe you something.

If you think that your friends and family should love your idea, you're wrong. If you think that your business partners will promote your products because you promote their ideas, you're wrong. If you think that the world should enjoy your ideas because you put a lot of work into them, you're wrong.

You aren't entitled to anything. You’ll gain a lot of fans once you accept that attention and accolades must be earned.

Build a Better Product

One of the best ways to make self-promotion easier is to build something that is easy to promote.

Enhance the features of your current product line. Improve on the experience your customers have. Build a better portfolio to show your prospects.

It's so much easier to be a great self-promoter when you have a product, service, or idea that promotes itself.

This article is from James Clear of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: