Launch Your Blog Using Wordpress by Paula McKinney of

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1 Launch Your Blog Using Wordpress by Paula McKinney of Congratulations on your first step to building your online empire! Building a homebase using Wordpress is going to give you Internet real estate that will serve you for years to come. The Wordpress Blog is considered one of the most search engine friendly blogging platforms out there. Building and maintaining a blog is going to allow you to talk to your audience through articles, videos, and other content you share. I'm going to show you how to set up your blog, and then capture the information of your visitors who opt-in through an autoresponder. They will give you their in exchange for something of real value to them. These are highly targeted leads for your business! They will turn into business partners, and/or increase your product sales. By giving away a free report, how-to video series, or any other great content will build a list of your followers that can't wait to hear from you over and over. And we all know that the fortune is in the follow-up. Cherish your list and respect it. Whenever you are following up with another article, just remember, it's not about you. The unsubscribe button is just a click away for them. Driving traffic to your blog is easier than you think using Social Media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, or LinkedIn. So, let's get started! The next steps are technical. Go step-by-step and I promise, if I can do this so can you! I knew nothing about blogging when I started. With patience and persistence I learned how to use the power of blogging and the Internet to create fresh leads for my business everyday. You can do this, too! 6 Steps to Setting Up Your Wordpress Blog 1. Domain Name 2. Hosting 3. Linking Domain to Hosting Account 4. Upload Wordpress Blog Into Hosting Account 5. Install A Theme 6. Set Up Autoresponder

2 Buying Your Domain Name 1. Go to to buy a domain name. 2. Decide on a domain name. I recommend using your name if available. You are creating a brand for YOU. For example, You don't have to use a hyphen, someone just beat me to the unhyphenated one! 3. Make sure your domain name ends in a.com. This makes it easy for people to find you. 4. When purchasing your domain, avoid the other options by scrolling down the page and hit continue to registration and no thanks. 5. Skip adding hosting or s with GoDaddy, there are better options with Hostgator. 6. Complete the registration, then verify the information is complete and hit Continue. 7. Select the number of years you would like to keep your domain, from 1-10 years. 1 year is fine, but search engines feel you are a more serious business if you select at least 2 years. Once your site has been around a while that won't be an issue. GoDaddy will send you an to remind you to renew when the time is right, or you many select renew automatically under domain management once you are finished with the initial registration. 8. Hit Checkout. Review your shopping cart and verify all the information and select the payment option. 9. After reading the Registration Agreement and Terms of Service, click accept and Checkout Now. 10.Fill in your payment details and click to go back to GoDaddy. 11. Click on Continue with Checkout. 12. Fill in your personal information, fill in box 2, 3, and 4, and Continue with Checkout. 13. On the Secure Checkout page, type in the code, click Next. 14. Print your receipt. You will also receive this information in an . Next, hosting your new domain...

3 How to Purchase A Hosting Account I recommend you use HostGator. They are affordable, have good packages, and great support! You can also get a free account linked to your new site. 1. Go to 2. Go to Web Hosting and choose your plan. I recommend the Baby Plan. 3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and hit Order Now. 4. Type in your new domain name under Register a New Domain and click Continue. 5. Choose Baby package, and fill in billing information. 6. Create a username and password, then write it down! 7. Read the terms of service and verify your order. 8. Click on Create Account. Congratulations, you now have hosting! Link Your Domain to Your Web Hosting Account at Hostgator 1. You will be receiving an from Hostgator about Nameservers. (Just a technical word for how Hostgator will know that you want your domain name pointing to them so they can host it.) 2. Write down the Nameservers, they will look something like this: ns6074.hostgator.com and ns6075.hostgator.com. 3. Log back into GoDaddy (look for the GoDaddy that contains your customer account number, username, and password that you chose when setting up your account.) 4. Click on Domains, then My Accounts, then Domain Management 5. Click on your domain and hit the Set Nameservers. 6. Click I Have Specific Nameservers for My Domains. (If you are wondering why I don't suggest you just host with GoDaddy, is service. Hostgator has proven to be

4 better at hosting.) 7. Highlight the old Nameservers and delete them. 8. Enter the new Nameservers provided by Hostgator that you wrote down from their Click OK twice, log out of GoDaddy and close the browser. 10.It can take up to 48 hours for your DNS servers to move over to Hostgator. You are almost there, keep up the good work! Upload Your Wordpress Blog to Hostgator 1. Log into your Hostgator back office of your domain account. Type in in browser bar and hit enter. 2. Enter your username and password from Hostgator. 3. Scroll down and find smiley face Fantastico, click on it. 4. Scroll down and in the left hand panel find Blogs. 5. Click on Wordpress, then New Installation. 6. Your new domain name should appear in the box. (If you have more than one, there will be a drop down menu.) 7. Leave Install into Directory blank. Continue down the page and place blog on your root domain. 8. You will need to create a username and password for your blog. Write it down so you don't forget it. 9. There will be other information that need to be set up according to your preference. It can be changed later inside your new blog. A. Admin Nickname Will be the name appearing at the end of each post your write. Use your name if appropriate. B. Enter the site name you want people to see when they land on your blog.

5 C. Make up password for your and don't forget to write it down. 10. Click on Install Wordpress, and verify your information. 11. Click on Finish Installation. 12.The next screen gives you information on how your blog was completed. Check the URL for your admin area (this is the address of your back office for your new blog.) 13.Write down the URL or save it in your favorites. This information will also be ed to you. 14. Congratulations! Go to your domain name and see your new blog! Choosing Your Theme 1. Your theme is what your site looks like. Wordpress gives you a default theme that is pretty boring. 2. Log into the dashboard (admin page) of your new blog. The login information was sent to you in an . Once you are there, bookmark this page. 3. Scroll down on the left hand side to Appearance, then Themes. 4. When changing the theme of your blog, you have two options: free or custom. 5. Choose a theme that has 2 columns and a right sidebar. 6. Click on the Install Theme tab. You will then have an option to browse the free themes. I highly recommend you purchase a custom theme. This will give you a more professional look, flexibility, and support. (We all love support!) 7. I recommend the Lifestyle Theme. You can check it our here Once you have purchased your theme, you will download it to your computer. When you are ready to install it to your new blog theme, you will click Upload under the Install Themes tab. Now you have a new design! Setting Up Your Autoresponder This next step is one of the most important features on your blog. This is the box you will add so you can capture visitors information by giving something of value. This will create

6 the all important list or readership that will serve you for years to come. Aweber is the autoresponder of choice for Internet marketers. They have a high deliverability rate. That means your s get through! Here you will set up two lists. Your main list of blog readers and your business opportunity leads. You will create two lists and two forms. One will be your free offer in exchange for your reader's information. And one form for your visitors to get more information from you about your primary business opportunity or product. To see my opt-in forms go to As you can see there is an opportunity for my readers to get my free report on every page of my blog. The Work With Paula page has another form that can be filled in to receive more information about a partnership with me. This is where you turn readers into business leads. Your lists are your goldmine. You must respect them at all times and continue to offer value and always make it about them. As you know, the fortune is in the follow-up. Automated s that are prewritten in your Autoresponder will help you with this time consuming task. 1. Go to 2. Click on Order and choose the plan you want. (1 st month is only $1, with a 30 day money back guarantee. Can't beat that. You can upgrade at anytime.) 3. Fill in the information to set up your account. 4. Check your for username and password. 5. Login to Aweber at 6. Click on Add New then Create List. 7. Name your list and describe it, and complete any branding information that you choose. 8. Use address that will tell your readers where s are coming from. (Tip: Get a professional . Nothing like bigmama@aol.com. Your hosting service provider, Hostgator, will give you a free linked to your new domain. Log in to Hostgator and create an like paula@paula-mckinney.com. You can then direct it to your client software- like Outlook or Windows Mail. 9. If you would like to be notified when someone subscribes or unsubscribes, enter any that you prefer. This will not be seen by your subscribers. It's simply a notification. It will be fun to see all the s from your growing list! 10. Click Save.

7 Congratulations, you have accomplished so much! There is plenty more you can do to your new blog. Adding widgets, plug-ins, integrating social media, video, content, and comments is a fun and productive way to build your blog. I recommend the book Wordpress for Dummies. This will be very helpful teaching you a lot of this stuff. This will be a great addition to your bookshelf. This is not hard to learn, but you must have patience and persistence. Your new blog will not have thousands of readers overnight, but like a snowball rolling down a hill, you will see it getting bigger and better over time. In the beginning, focus on adding great content. This is the backbone of a great blog. Fancy banners or pictures is not going to get you readers without great content. At first, your blog is like a new baby that needs to be fed and nourished. But as it grows and you find your voice, you will be unstoppable! Bonus Insider Tips 1. Log into your Aweber account. Create an Opt-In Form using Aweber 2. Find the dropdown menu for Current Lists in the top left. 3. Select the list you want to create the form for. 4. Click on Web Forms at the top of the page. 5. Click on Create a New Webform. 6. Choose a design. 7. Make sure the type is Inline. You can create a Lightbox form that hovers over your site later, if you choose. 8. Click on Edit Header and enter your offer here. Tell your readers what they will get if they opt-in to your blog. Make them an offer they can't refuse. 9. Set up the form to capture Name and only. The more information required, the less opt-ins you will have. (Some forms on your site will require more information from your visitors. For example, if you have a lead capture page to partner with you.

8 If they are serious about it, they will provide more information. But, when you are creating your list for readership, less is better.) 10. If you mouse over the form, you will be able to edit each element as needed. 11. Change the Submit button to something more exciting like, Subscribe now, or Instant Access Now. 12. Click Save Web Form, and Go to Step In Basic Settings, name your form. 14. Under Thank You Page, use the drop down menu and click Custom Page. 15. Enter the URL (address) of your blog. 16. Click Save Web Form, and Go to Step 3 1. Click on I Will Install My Form. Adding Your New Aweber Form to Your Blog 2. In the box JavaScript Snippet you will see a long code below. 3. Click on the code, right click mouse and copy. 4. Log in to your admin panel of your blog in a new window. 5. Find the Widgets. May be under Presentation, or Appearance, depending on your theme. 6. Find the Text widget. You can click and drag to the sidebar or click Add. 7. You can leave the title blank or add one to your liking. In the text box, paste the code from Aweber. 8. Click Save. 9. Go to your blog and see your new form! Opt-in to your form to see if everything is working properly. Add a Welcome or Follow-Up Message to Your Autorepsonder 1. Log into your Aweber account. You may already be there in another window.

9 2. Make sure you choose the correct list you want to create a message for. 3. Mouse over Messages at the top of the screen, and hit Follow Up. 4. Click Create A New Follow Up Message. 5. In the Subject Line add your message. 6. To include the first name of your reader, click on Personalize. 7. Choose {!firstname_fix}. 8. Check the small box ABC next to Personalize and do a spell check. 9. There will be 2 blank text areas below. One for HTML and one for Plain Text. 10. You can create the same message in both areas. Each reader receives s in different formats. This will ensure they will be able to read your . Don't put HTML code in the plain text box, or it will look funny to some readers. 11. Choose an Interval at the bottom. If you want your readers to receive this message immediately after opting-in, choose immediately or enter Click Save. 13. Click Test and enter your to make sure the follow up message is working properly. 14. Check your You can set up a series of follow up messages for your readers that are delivered automatically after they opt-in. Give them great content and make it about them. Later, when you want to broadcast a new message to your entire list, then under Messages hit Broadcast. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) When you have a blog or website you want to feed the Search Engines (like Google) what they want to see. You want people to be able to find you when they are doing a search online for relevant keywords. To help your blog get high rankings it's important to optimize your blog title and tag line for search engines. You want your Weblog to have your keyword in it. For example, your company's name, your industry, or a particular product from your company. Whatever you are trying to promote on your blog.

10 The content of your blog will reinforce this keyword or keyword phrase, so you can be found by search engines and listed in the top search results. When you decide on your keywords for your blog make sure you are not cross-promoting. If your blog is all about how to use Social Media, then don't write about how to raise children or how to have a good relationship with your spouse. Keep it keyword relevant and know who your audience is. Give them great content about one subject. This won't confuse the search engines or your readers, and give you better SEO. How to Optimize Your Blog Title and Tag Line for the Search Engines 1. Log in to your blog's admin dashboard using the username and password that you created: 2. Click on Options or Settings depending on your theme. (Look for Weblog or Site Title) 3. Change your site title. Make sure your main keywords are at the beginning of your title. 4. Change your tagline or site description. It's better if your keyword phrase appears 1 st. 5. Click Save or Update. (Most themes have an option to use an image logo instead of text. You can create a header that has pictures and text using software on your computer and then changing the header image in Hostgator to your new header. This is technical but is not a priority now. Focus on great content the first few weeks, then give your blog header an update if you want. I will give you step-by-step instructions in another follow up .) Changing Links in the Default Blogroll Your blog has default links that you want to delete and add your personal links. What links do you add? This can be anything you want to direct your visitors to. It can be links to your opportunity, affiliate links, your social media links, whatever you choose. Any links that are relevant to your blog and readers. 1. Find the Blogroll in your admin panel. Look under Links. Highlight and delete all

11 default links. 2. To add new click on Add New or Add Links. Creating Your Pages Pages will be along the top of your blog. These are important pillars for your blog. Start out with an About page. Pillar pages or articles can be how-to articles, definition articles, or list articles like Top Ten.., or it can be a technical blueprint like this one you are reading. 1. Find Pages in your admin panel. Could be under Manage, depending on your theme. 2. In the title enter About (Your Name). 3. In the content box, upload a nice photo of yourself. 4. Tell your readers who you are. Be sincere and personable. This is a great place to connect with them. This will be one of the most visited places on your blog. Visitors want to know all about the blog author. 5. You can write your article in a word document first then cut and paste into the content box. 6. Use your blog's keyword. 7. Click Update or Save. Writing Your First Post 1. In your admin panel find Posts and Add New. You may need to click Manage first, depending on your theme. 2. Delete default post Hello World, and sample comment, too. 3. If you are not already in the new post, find the Write tab and click. 4. Enter the title of your post. Use a specific keyword that is relevant to the post, preferably at the beginning of the title. 5. Write the post in the blank below, or use a word processor and cut and paste if you like. 6. Optimize a keyword in every post. Make sure it is relevant to the post. Sprinkle it in,

12 making sure you use it in the first or second sentence. This is good for the search engines. If appropriate, put the keyword in the middle and more at the beginning and end of the post. Think of your keywords sprinkled like an hour glass through your article. Only do this if it reads naturally. Do not overuse the keyword just for SEO. Search engines, like Google, do NOT like that. 7. Use hyperlinks throughout your posts. Hyperlinking your keywords is good SEO. You can link your keywords to different articles on your blog, or to other relevant blogs. If there is not a hyperlink tab in your theme at the top of your post box, you can add the code manually that looks like this: <a href= >yourkeyword</a> 8. Don't forget to hit Save, or Publish. Protecting Your Blog from Spam Comments As you soon will see, you will get plenty of spam comments. You don't want these published on your blog. Using a Plug-In will protect you from these annoying little spam robots. 1. Log into your blog admin at If you haven't bookmarked this page do so now. Saves time later. 2. Click on Plug-ins. 3. Click on Activate next to the Akismet Plug-in. 4. The warning message above will read Akismet is not active. 5. Sign up for an Akismet API key. This will take you to the Akismet site. 6. Your new Akismet API key will be ed to you. Right click and copy. 7. Return to your admin plug-in area and enter the API key to activate Akismet. The non-spam comments on your blog from your readers is a great way to help move your blog forward. It creates activity and social proof. ALWAYS respond to your comments. Interact with your readers. You may want to go into your settings under Discussion or Comments and check the box that only allows comments to be posted after you approve them. If you do this you must check everyday to see if there are pending comments that need approval. If you don't approve right away, people will be trained to not comment. They like to see there comments approved quickly. You can empty the spam comments, too.

13 Track Your Blog Statistics and Traffic by Adding Google Analytics 1. Create a free account at 2. Check your account and click verify. 3. Sign into Google Analytics again. 4. Click Sign Up 5. Add your domain name as the website to track and continue to fill in the rest of the information. 6. You will end up on the page with the tracking code. Leave that page open and go to your blog's admin page in a new window. 7. Go to plug-ins and add new. 8. Type Analyticator in the search box. 9. Choose Google Analyticator and click Install. 10. Click Activate Plug-In. 11. Go back to the Plug-Ins and find the Google Analyticator plug-in under Active. 12. Click on Settings. 13. Make sure Google Analytics is Enabled. 14. Go back to the Google Analyitics site that you left open in another window and get the Web Property ID Code from the top box. 15. Paste it into the box that asks for Your Google Analytics UID 16. Click Save. It may take up to 24 hours for Google to show statistics for your site. To see your stats just log into Add a Banner to Your Site If you have a banner from your company, or an affiliate banner, you can add this to your sidebar using Widgets.

14 1. Log in to your blog's admin dashboard Click on Appearance then Widgets. 3. Click on a Text widget and decide where you want to place your banner in the sidebar. 4. Enter the html code for you banner. 5. Click Save and view your blog to see if the banner is in the proper place. Click on it to see if it is working and directing traffic to your desired destination. More Cool Plug-Ins to Add To Your Blog There are literally thousands of plug-ins that you can install to your blog. Here are a few to get you started. All-In-One SEO Pack great for Search Engine Optimization, imports SEO data. A must to help you get found on the Internet. Google XML Sitemaps will generate a special sitemap which will help search engines like Google, Yahoo, Ping, and Ask.com index your blog. SEO Slugs removes common words like a, the, and an from post slugs to improve SEO. Sociable - These are the share buttons at the bottom of each post so visitors can easily share your content. Social Media Widget another way to share your social media buttons on the sidebar of your blog. Comes in three sizes. Can also use Follow Me. Decide what you like. Tweetmeme Easily allows visitors to tweet your post. The little button at the top of each post. Tweet Old Post This is a great little plug-in that randomly tweets your old posts. Make sure you have at least 10 or more posts before activating this plug-in. If you don't, it will tweet the same few posts over and over. That doesn't look good on your Twitter page. Facebook Fan Page activate this plug-in when you have a good number of Fans on your Facebook page. Be patient you will! Google Friends or Networked Blogs again, only if you have built up a following.

15 Status Updater updates my status feeds at Facebook, Twitter, etc, every time I post a new blog entry. The next step is to continue to add great content to your site. This can be through videos, articles, how-tos, or even a guest author. A great way to get your writing juices flowing is to read and learn how to re-purpose content. What books are you reading now? Is it about business, leadership, social media, or blogging? Take a few pages and tell your readers, in your own words, what you are reading about. Teach them and inspire them. You can even take one article and turn it into a video for YouTube, or even start a discussion on Facebook or Twitter. Maybe you have a great product that you want to tell your readers about. Do you have a health and nutrition blog? Share with them how to eat healthier with kids, or the top five foods that fight cancer. If you are in the Network Marketing business, share with your readers how to be a better sponsor, or the top ten ways to improve your communication skills. You get the idea! Just remember, Rome wasn't built in a day. It may take months for your blog to really develop and attract a strong readership. That's OK! With patience and persistence you will build an online presence that will create more leads and sales for your business. As you build your blog, don't neglect the money making activities of your business. Call your leads and make those sales. Blogging at first will not produce a huge amount of money. But, in the future can feed your business more leads, and more money! Continue to balance your business, family, and personal life. And have FUN! Stay positive and it will come out to your readers. This is a great way to show your leadership and authority on any subject you choose! To Your Success! paula@paula-mckinney.com All Right Reserved. May Not Be Copied or Altered In Any Way. Please feel free to share.

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