Side Hustle Teachers

One of the great things about blogging is that it doesn’t require a huge up-front investment, so just about anyone can get started. Really, all you need is a computer with an internet connection. This makes this platform extremely accessible for everyone and a great way to get started in business.    I get asked all the time what equipment I use, so today I’m going to share some of my favorite gadgets, gizmos, and tools that live in my office. Remember, I’ve built my office over a number of years (and used more than a few Christmas and birthday gift certificates doing so), and it’s up to you to decide what’s going to be most useful for where you’re at. That said, here’s what’s in my office. Feel free to copy my setup as much as you’d like! Convertible Desk Riser Our house has enough desks in it, but I really wanted the ability to work standing up. When I get in a groove, it’s so helpful to be able to change positions quickly so I can keep working without the damage that hours of sitting can cause. So this Des

Every entrepreneur I know has a shelf full of business books, some better than others. So just in time for the holidays I’ve made a list of my favorite books that I recommend every edupreneur read. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz This is the first finance book I read that actually made sense and was easy to follow. Mike gives step by step instructions on how to set up your business accounts to prevent surprise taxes, cover your expenses, and keep your accounts straight without complicated systems or spreadsheets. Where Profit First really sets itself apart, however, is in its basic premise; Pay yourself first!  Most people define profit as: Income - Expenses = Profit. This makes sense on the surface, but there are some problems in practice.  Many businesses who use the traditional method of finance management never turn a profit because they take every penny they earn and reinvest it back into their business. This can breed resentment from business owners and their families because they work, and work, and w

I started blogging in 2013, I had no idea what I was doing.  I made a lot of mistakes. A lot. My mistakes cost me a lot of time and money, and slowed the growth of my business in ways I can’t even measure. Last week a client asked what I would do differently if I could go back and start over… and it got me thinking. So here are 8 things I suggest all new bloggers do to avoid my beginner mistakes. 1. Start Before You’re Ready No matter how long you wait, how much you learn, how many checklists or spreadsheets you make, you’ll never feel ready. The first time you hit publish is going to be scary. Do it anyway. Learning and growth moves much faster when you have a real, live blog. Instead of theorizing about what you need to do, you can put your ideas into practice, see what works and what doesn’t, and adapt as needed. When I started my first blog, I hesitated to put myself out there. Even when I finally published a post I wanted to keep it to myself. I was worried about what people would think… what they would

The internet is crowded and it can be hard for a new blogger to get noticed online.  And if you’re just starting out it seems like there’s so much to… how do you know where to put your time and energy so that your posts get found, read, shared, and engaged with? While it’s not enough to just write great posts, you also don’t have to do all the things to stand out. It’s all about using your time and energy on the right tasks - ones that will give you the best returns - and not overwhelming yourself with trying to do everything. Here are 5 things you need to do for each blog post that will help people find you and grow your business. 1. Graphics Social media where the majority of people get their information these days, which means our feeds are full. In order to stop people from scrolling, you need graphics that get their attention. The other benefit of graphics is that they take up more space in people’s feeds, so they have more time to see your post and stop scrolling. For each post I recommend you create 3

Every so often some new internet guru proclaims to the world that blogs are dead. (Spoiler alert: they’re not.) They (you know… “they”) have also tried to declare email, Facebook groups, and static images dead, so they don’t have a great track record here. The fact is that blogs are still an amazing way to make money, whether you use them as an income producer on their own or you use them to market products or services. And to prove it, here are some pretty mind blowing statistics provided by Optin Monster: Every month, 409 million people view more than 20 billion blog posts Blog readers post 77 million comments per month Companies who blog get 97% more links to their site Blogs have been rated as the 5th most trustworthy source for gathering online information. 77% of internet users read blogs. Businesses that blog experience twice as much email traffic as businesses who don’t. Marketers who prioritize blogging are 13x more likely to have a positive ROI on their efforts. But perhaps the most compelling evi

I recently had a conversation with a student I wanted to share. She had just finished the 5 Day Content Challenge and had a long list of blog post topics she wanted to write about. She was so excited about this list and was just about to enroll in Content Made Simple, but… She hesitated in enrolling because she was worried about signing up and making the official decision to start her blog because she had a sudden burst of anxiety about having to create tons and tons of content.  In the blink of an eye she had convinced herself that in order to be a “real blogger” she’d need to write a thousand blog posts, spend all day on social media, and be chained to her computer all day, every day. This is a common fear among people who want to start a content channel. When we look at the “big names” in our areas of expertise we find content going back years and a huge social media presence. Naturally, we feel that in order to “compete,” we have to match their volume of work, which would be, to say the least, intimidati

When you make the decision to start a blog, podcast, or video show, you do so with the understanding that you’re committing to regularly create new content to share with your readers, listeners, or viewers. But sometimes the best laid plans… you know. We all have busy lives, and creating content can easily get pushed aside if you don’t have a plan to make it happen. I shared about the importance of regularly updating your content, so I won’t spend too much time beating that drum.  Content is important. Plan, craft, and distribute it every. single. week.  There. I’m done with that now. However, I completely understand that it’s not always easy to set aside time to get it done. Teachers are busy. Families require our time, too. There’s that self-care thing people are always talking about and, what am I missing? Oh, right. Sleep. So, what’s a busy teacher with a blog, podcast, or video show to do? The common expression would be to find the time. Others say you have to make the time. But I like Jon Acuff’s way of

Let’s start this blogcast with an important statement: You are enough. Right now. Today. You are enough. I say this because there are a large number of side hustlin’ teachers who want to start a blog, podcast, or video show, but don’t because they feel they’re lacking… something. Whether it’s education, experience, age, or something else all together, let me reassure you that there is nothing you need to get started on the journey of content creation that you don’t already possess. But, I know that understanding that may not be enough, so today I’m sharing with you 3 reasons that you should start publishing your content now… even if you don’t feel ready. Action Begets Growth As teachers, we know that the best way to get better at something is to do it… over and over again. Imagine teaching a student how to write in cursive, but never asking them to practice. They’d never get better at cursive, right?! The same is true for your blog, podcast, or video show. When you put your content out to the world, that’s yo

One question that comes up all the time with my clients and members of the Side Hustle Teachers community is how I manage to consistently put out my blogcast week after week.  There are 2 things I rely on; systems and tools. I’ll address my systems in a future blogcast, but today let’s talk about tools. I’m going to walk you through my complete content creation process and tell you which tools I use for each step. Some are free, some have a modest fee, but all of them are indispensable in my business. Google Business Suite I use Google in a myriad of ways, but when it comes to content creation, I use it in 2 key ways. First I maintain a spreadsheet of blogcast topics. Every 6 months or so I draft a list of ideas to share, then organize it into a spreadsheet, organized by planned date of publication.  When it’s time to craft my content, I have created a Content Planning Worksheet that provides spaces for every aspect of my content, from title to the actual blogcast, to social media shares. (The Content Planni

Last week I suggested that you start creating and sharing your holiday content well before the holiday season actually begins, but what kind of content should you share? Oftentimes, the types of content you create at this time of year is going to mirror what you create throughout the year, but with a slightly different focus. Holiday content may also not have the evergreen nature of most of your posts, but remember that the holidays come every year, which means you can update and continue to promote this content year after year. So let’s dig into the types of posts and episodes you can share with your audience. Gift Guide Almost every side hustle can benefit from producing a list of gift ideas your audience might enjoy. This could be ideas your audience might want to give as gifts, or gifts your audience might want to receive from others. In your gift guide you can include both your own products and products for which you’re an affiliate, making every item on your list an earning opportunity. Here are some e

It’s Labor Day weekend, and that means, if you haven’t started thinking about your holiday content, you should! While it seems a bit early, this is the time you need to be preparing for the upcoming holiday season. So if you’re one who gets upset when Target sets up its Christmas section before Halloween, take a deep breath, and just go with me. Even if your business doesn’t seem like a good fit for holiday content, keep an open mind. Because while you may not be selling traditional gifts or services, it’s hard to ignore the fact that most people are in a spending frame of mind and have their credit cards at the ready during Q4. Why create holiday content now? There are lots of reasons to start prepping your holiday content well in advance. First, the holidays are a notoriously busy time of year for everyone, so it’s just good practice to get your content ready in advance. This way you have everything planned, crafted, and scheduled and have no excuse not to publish. Beyond that, however, you’re going to want

When you’re a side hustler, creating content to grow your business is essential, but there may be a piece you’re missing to really get the biggest return on your investment. What is that missing piece? Purpose. Creating content purposefully means that not only does it provide value to your audience, but it also deliberately helps build your authority, strengthens your relationships with your audience, or actively sells your product or service. Before we start digging into the 3 primary purposes of your content, let’s clarify what type of content we’re talking about. For today’s purposes, content refers to your weekly blog post, podcast, or video episode. Social media is a horse of a different color that we’ll talk about another day. Purpose #1: Build Your Authority Content that builds your authority is created to help your audience see you as an expert in your field. You want these posts or episodes to show off your wealth of knowledge and create the belief that you are the person that can help them solve the

There are many people who want to start using content to grow a business. It is the most efficient, cost effective way to build authority, strengthen relationships, and increase revenue… so it’s no wonder.  And while I strongly suggest that everyone own and maintain your own website, I understand that it’s not always possible when you’re just starting out. That, however, shouldn’t be a reason to not create content and share it with your audience. In Content Made Simple I provide you with my content planning worksheet that helps organize your content from title to social shares, even before you have a website of your own. If you’re not a student of mine, I recommend you set up a system that will allow you to craft your content to share now, and keep well organized so you can easily post it on your website when you get yours up and running. If your primary platform is YouTube, YouTube itself will provide you with a place to store your videos that you can direct people to. That makes it easy to get started witho

In the world of online marketing, a call to action is a common term that gets used in many different ways. But what is a call to action, and how can you use one (or more) to grow your side hustle? Let’s dig in! What is a Call to Action A call to action, often called a CTA, is a line of text or an image that directs your audience to do something. It helps your readers, listeners, viewers, followers, or website visitors know what to do next once they engage with your content. It can be simple text that is linked to another page or website, a button, or just plain text that is not linked (and simply gives instructions of what to do). Common calls to action include “Buy Now” or “Learn More,” but there are literally countless ways that you can prompt people to take action on your content. Where to Use CTAs Your website. On different pages throughout your website you should have various calls to action directing people to where they should go next. On the Side Hustle Teachers website I have different calls to actio

What is a niche? My favorite definition: A niche market is a subset of a larger market defined by its unique needs, preferences, and identity. - Kitty Shark Creative It’s the thing you do, in the way you do it, and for whom. There’s also some confusion about how to say niche. Some people say it in a way that rhymes with rich, others like it rhymes with sheesh, both are correct. So however you say it, you’re good. For example, in teaching, we’re all specialists. I teach music, that’s my specialization. Even though I’m certified to teach Pre-K through 12th grade, I teach middle school music. And to narrow that down even further, my passion is general music. There are lots of ways to narrow down your niche, but let’s focus on the big 3: Services offered Clients demographics Geographic area Services Offered. By choosing to focus on a specific set of services, you are narrowing your customer base and becoming known for a particular skill set. I was driving behind a tree removal company’s truck recently, and on t

Some people will say that asking how long your content should be is like asking, “How long is a piece of string?”  And while they’re not entirely wrong, they’re not entirely right either. So let’s start with the obvious question; Does size matter when it comes to content? Yes, it does. The length of your content is one of the major factors in how it is discovered and recommended by search engines, meaning it plays a big role in how you rank on sites like Google. Additionally, you want your audience to feel as though they’ve gotten their question answered, problem solved, or “how to” fully demonstrated when they come to you for support. On the other hand, you don’t want to make your content longer just for the sake of making it longer… Are you starting to see why this is a tricky question to answer? While there may not be a hard and fast rule, there are some things to consider when it comes to how long - or short - to make your blog posts, podcasts, or video episodes. Here are some things for you to think abou

Creating content for your blog, podcast, or video show takes time, energy, and mental bandwidth, but it’s totally worth it, right?  Yes! As long as your content is getting found and people are engaging with it. Oh. Yeah. About that. Getting discovered online is not as easy as it used to be. There are billions of websites up and running now - with more going live every day - and you can’t just hit publish and hope people stumble on it. Because they won’t. But don’t worry. If you are intentional about how you create and share your content your ideal customer group will find you. Before we get started let's clarify what we mean by engagement.  For today’s purposes engagement refers to how people interact with your content. If you write a blog post, people engage by reading it. For a podcast episode, by listening. And a video show, by watching.  But there are other types of engagement we can consider, too. If someone leaves a comment on your post, that’s engagement. If someone shares your content with another per

Ideal Customer Avatar (ICA) is a phrase that’s been used in marketing seemingly forever. Sometimes it’s replaced with buyer persona, marketing persona, or customer profile, but it all comes down to one essential idea; Who is your perfect customer? There are a number of reasons it’s worth taking the time to clearly define who your product or service is for.  A clear definition of who you’re trying to sell to:  Helps you create content that speaks to people who are actually interested in your expertise.  Increases your email open rate because your subscribers know it’s going to contain value. Assists in product development by helping you create products or services your audience truly wants and needs. Makes your paid marketing more productive by allowing you to more effectively target. Allows you to create a more user friendly experience for your followers. However, recently I’ve been rethinking the idea of an ideal customer avatar.  What’s wrong with having an ICA? A customer avatar, when conceived as a sing

When content marketing is part of your business strategy, it’s important that you stay focused on the ideas, resources, and processes that are going to be most relevant (and helpful) to your audience. That’s also what will be most helpful in growing your influence and your revenue. What Are Content Pillars? Content pillars are the large, overarching categories that ALL of your content falls into. That means that every blog post you write, and every podcast or video episode you record fits into one (or more) of your content pillars. If your content pillars are related to the care, health, breeding, and training of rabbits, your primary content must fit one (or more) of those categories. Posts about magic tricks involving rabbits in hats wouldn’t make the cut. A quick tip: You’re still welcome to share your magic tricks or bunnies dressed as people on social media, so don’t despair. Why Are Content Pillars Essential? Content pillars do a number of things for your business, but the most important is that they ke

Buzzwords abound in every profession – “rigor,” “differentiation,” or “backward design.” anyone? – and content creation is no different. You may have heard people say you need to have both “evergreen” and “seasonal” content on your blog, podcast, or video channel, but what does that mean? Seasonal Content Blog posts, or podcast or video episodes, that are related to a specific holiday, event, or season. This kind of content will typically see a large influx of traffic when you post it, and then again when that season or day comes around again (if it does). Some examples of seasonal content would be posts or episodes related to: Back to school, Summer, or Baseball season Mother’s Day, Christmas, or Teacher Appreciation Day World Series, Google algorithm update, or a Global pandemic Seasonal content is useful to your business in that it provides an immediate influx of traffic, and it demonstrates to your audience that you are striving to provide relevant and current events. This can generate buzz and allow yo