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This is one tactic we don't use ourselves, we use Typepad as blog platform which accepts all AWeber webforms, no matter if you have Basic, Plus or Pro account. Self-hosted WordPress blogs and Blogger also accept the javascript of your webform, only WordPress blogs hosted on WordPress.com refuse every AWeber coding, even when you use the raw html code of the inline form.
But there's a solution.
Sounds confusing? It's not, as will become clear in the following steps. When I was writing the lesson on publishing a broadcast/newsletter online the solution for WordPress.com blog-owners suddenly seemed obvious.
When you have a WordPress.com blog it is hosted on WordPress.com server. These blogs are mostly used by those not able to host any web presence themselves (otherwise they would IMHO use the free self-hosted WordPress.org blog software which gives you plenty more options, but require more css and html knowledge).
The beauty of this solution is that you can have a webform of AWeber hosted by AWeber. All it takes is:
1) a template that resembles your blog design or your AWeber broadcasts
2) an AWeber broadcast - doesn't even have to be send out
3) an AWeber inline web form
4) a link on your WordPress.com blog
Note: this tactic also works when you use only the plain text message, but I think an html message in a template works better. I leave the decision with you.
In TACTIC S1-4 "The overall appearance of your messages" I discussed using a template for your messages (html message) and if you use this tactic you have a general template in one of your lists ready to use.
Copy the source from your template broadcast and paste this into the source of your new broadcast. The title of your broadcast can be anything you like, from "Sign up for my blog-alerts" to "Request your free guide".
Write a short message in the body of your message: explaining what's on offer etc.
Don't use any personalised fields though, they will not be filled with details but show like {!firstname}.
Have an inline webform ready (see TACTIC S2-3: the web forms) and copy the raw html code so you can change various items later, like the tracking code.
In your new broadcast, go to the source and paste the code in the position you want it to show. Save the broadcast, no need to write the plain text message this time (or you want to opt for plain text message only).
DON'T queue the broadcast, it is not the purpose to send it out.
Every broadcast created in AWeber has a Direct Link. So open the new broadcast again, tick the box Syndicate and click the hyper link behind Direct Link. This will show you (in a new window/tab) how your broadcast including the webform will look online.
If needed, edit text or lay-out and once you're happy copy the url of the Direct Link to place this in the sidebar of your WordPress.com blog (or in any post you like).
Follow the link to the example I've made: Direct Link
It is of course not the most ideal (or even elegant) solution, but it is the most simple solution for WordPress.com blog-owners without any other additional hosting available. Try it out and do test it for yourself to see how it truly works - it will follow the same opt-in process as any other AWeber webform.
This is just one of the many tried and tested Strategies and Tactics you will find in the (almost) complete E-training: The Best AWeber Strategies and Tactics for Small Businesses - created by 1 Plus 1 Makes 3. Why not pop-in your name and email address below and receive more inside information about the E-training
The first tool in The WebMarketing ToolBox for Small Businesses is available!
The Best AWeber Strategies and Tactics for Small Businesses - maximise Permission Marketing.
The E-training/E-book is based on our own experiences and successful implementation of AWeber's auto repsonder for our ethical email marketing. As independent specialised (rural) retailer we now reach prospects and clients in the whole of the UK and even beyond. Our success rate?
90% confirm their subscription, only a hand full ever unsubscribe and we convert many subscribers into clients.
The Strategies we use (trial and error discoveries) and which are now available to you too:
The Strategies and Tactics (tried and tested) are available in 3 purchase options for you:
Select your preferred option here - the following page will also tell you why this first Tool is a must for both new and existing AWeber account holders. No matter if your list/lists have 100 or 10.000 subscribers, The Best AWeber Strategies and Tactics for Small Businesses will improve and further automate your ethical email marketing immediately!
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Over at the 1 Plus 1 Makes 3 dynamic website (aka blog) you can request a free 5 page report with the "7 Key Reasons to use a blogplatform for your business website" (or fill in your details in the form below). This report is part of the Blogging and WebMarketing tips to grow your business.
"Blogs (short for weblog) are mostly know for their ability to 'produce' articles (also called blog posts). It is a misconception that blogs are only used by freelancers in the service business - mainly in the marketing or finance sector - geeks dissecting software packages, teens fantasizing about their 'heroes' in tv-series, movies or about boy-bands, social media pioneers about the latest social media communities.
Nothing could be further from the truth than this. Of course there are many of the above mentioned blogs around, but there is an increasing trend for small business to use a blog to increase 'brand-awareness', to give advice on various subjects and much more. Many multi-nationals use blogs to keep in contact with their clients/users all over the world. It's simple, straight-forward and effective. And not to mention: profitable.
Every business - small, medium or large - should consider creating a weblog. If done properly (and consistently) it has a tremendous positive effect on a business' turnover, nett profit and brand awareness."
Four very successful “introduction workshops” since August last year have resulted in the great total of 16 new blogs.
One of the main items we discussed during the workshops was: “making your blog work for your business” and the various ways to go about this. “Working on your blog” was an important one. We are sure you are as aware as we are that it is more a time-commitment than anything else in this matter. But it does work and does bring in the ROI. This can happen rather quickly too as some of our blog-studio students have noticed.
Don’t say: “but time is money” - of course it is - but sometimes you need to invest that time to make that money.
One of the most effective ways to invest time is to ‘not having to re-invent the wheel’. Learning from the experts (with of course a proven track-record) can do this. It is for that reason and from own experience of having successfully implemented various tips from this source we recommend the following excellent book:
The Ultimate Web Marketing Strategy by Ed Rivis
208 pages filled with easy to implement ideas and tips on how to make your blog (and/or website) work even harder for you, bringing in all those extra prospects, those extra converted clients and that money we all are hoping for. At Wood You Like we see the result of this daily: instead of only 1 website/blog visitor per week asking for information (a definite lead we can start a conversation with to convert into a client) we now covert 2 visitors per day into definite leads.
Ed’s book costs only £ 19.97 + p&p and comes with a 90 days 100% zero-risk money back guarantee. If that doesn’t convince you, perhaps a review of the book will? Or an article of how implementing only one simple idea from the book brought a 600% increase in prospects?
Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)
Time to play around. Create Your Blog Today TypePad
Typepad comes (at the moment) with 67 different templates and 10 different lay-outs - unlimited combinations - well almost of course, 'only' 670 to be precise.
In the Weblog tab in your account you find the design tab. This will bring you here:
The design choice starts with selecting one of the 67 pre-defined themes. Have a look at them all, try some out (by ticking the box underneath a theme you fancy and click pre-view - this will show you the template with your blog title in the banner). Every theme has its own (fixed) style in font type, font size, colour of links and titles.
Choose the one most suited to you, your unique blog, your personal style or interest by clicking the 'Save Changes' button. You decide. (And change the theme after a month, a year if you like; nothing is set in stone.)
Next up is the lay-out of your blog. Since most of you have had a look at several other blogs you have noticed that most (professional, serious) blogs have two columns or more. One wide column for the articles and one, or more smaller, columns filled with links, lists, pictures, web-tools etc that show up on every page, post. Some prefer to have the text - articles - left, others in the middle and some on the right hand side of the screen.
Again, play around, pre-view and 'Save Changes' once you have found the one most suited to you. You decide. (And change the lay-out after a month, a year if you like; nothing is set in stone.)
A bit more complex is the following step: select your content.
There are some fixed and some optional. First up are those items added to every post you will publish and how posts are archived. Most of them are self-explainable, like post title and post date header. The post footer you can configure yourself by selecting the options available (like 'author', category, time etc). What FeedBurner's FeedFlare means will be further explained during the workshops - is part of web marketing techniques, nothing to worry about now.
You can also 'organise' your sidebar modules here, but again we will delve deeper into this during the workshop. For the time being always select at least the following modules: Archive links, Categories, Recent Posts, Recent Comments, email link.
'Save Changes' will allow you the next step in finishing your design. (Once again, nothing set in stone.)
Last quick guide step in designing the look and feel of your blog: Order Content. Very simple: drag and drop the selected modules to the place you want them in your sidebar column or columns if you selected a three column lay-out. Pre-view to see if you're happy and 'Save Changes'.
(The Edit Custom CSS needs knowledge of Cascading Style Sheet coding, best left alone for now. In here you can change - among other items - the fixed font type and font size - however, code wrong and your blog might go haywire.)
All you have to do now is click on "Republish Weblog" to activate all design choices.
As promised in an earlier post: adding the sub-title, catch-phrase in the blog title banner.
In your Weblog tab select the tab Configure and if needed the weblog basics tab.
Your weblog name is shown in the first box, followed by another box: Weblog description/catchphrase.
In here you write your additional info. Adding a 'hard return' to show an empty line below the title and the subtitle is done by simple HTML-coding: <br> is the code for a 'hard return'.
'Save Changes' will activate your edited title banner immediately.
(For checking the result when you haven't published a test post yet: go back to the design tab and select pre-view - button can be found at the bottom of this page, next to 're-publish weblog)
Done, your blog is ready for its first (test) post.
(New online home-study program now available on the 1 plus 1 makes 3 blog-site: The Practical Typepad Guide on sale now! Learn how to grow your business in a simple and effective way using a blog platform)
You're almost there - you've decided on the root name of your blog(s), you've selected the account type most appropriate for you - now it's time to get serious about it: creating and designing a brand new weblog.
And we're back at choosing a suitable name again. When you log into your account click on the tab labelled WebLogs and then on Create a new Weblog: 
The first question will be: Enter the Weblog name (the name that'll show up on your title banner)
Followed by a second: Enter the Weblog Folder name (the extension behind the root name for this particular blog)
Example given:
Blog name: (Wood You Like Natural Wooden Flooring)
Folder (extension) name: (tips)
Think carefully about the second question, this will be your blog's 'domain name' and is awkward to change afterwards - specially when you've published a few posts.
The issue here is that everything you type in as Weblog name (Q1) appears automagically in the box for the folder name (Q2). In the above case it said: wood_you_like_natural_wooden_flooring - not the most simple name. If needed, make sure you change the folder name to a more simple and appropriate one.
Coming back to question one: your blog title. You're absolutely free to create the most elaborate name you like. You can name it after your company, after your most favourite past-time (Flying High and Dry), after your idol (My memories of Elvis-the-Pelvis), your family name (or nick-name: De PiPiKar) etc.
This name stands (out) in a large font on the title banner. It's also very easy to add a sub-title, catch-phrase or further description, which will show in the banner too, in a smaller font (see for the 'how to' in a later post - we like to stick to the very basics first).
What will you blog be about? We can't tell you how to name your blog, but it's common practice (can we even call it common sense) to let the title reflect the contents - and the subtitle or catch-phrase can be of great help.
Before you create your weblog there's another question to answer: Make this blog public?
Yes means Google and all other search-engine spiders will start indexing your blog immediately - a good thing if you like.
No means you can play around with the design and test posts first to get a feeling for it.
You decide.
Next step (and post): selecting your blog-design, the appearance of your blog, the way your blog is laid-out using one, two or even three columns. You decide.
Create Your Blog Today TypePad
(New online home-study program now available on the 1 plus 1 makes 3 blog-site: The Practical Typepad Guide on sale now! Learn how to grow your business in a simple and effective way using a blog platform)
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