Let’s clear one thing right away: yes I am an affiliate for the coaching program I mentioning below, which means I’ll earn a commission if you end up purchasing it. But your trust is much more important to me than any commission I might earn, so rest assured I am only talking about this coaching program because a) I have actually used it b) I have achieved good results after applying what I learned there and c) I believe you and other people could do the same.

Now back to the central question: have you ever considered launching a membership site? If you have, I would recommend you to take a look at Membership Site Mastermind. Created by Yaro Starak, this is a 6-week program that you’ll give you all the information you need to launch a profitable membership site.

I was one of the first people to have access to Yaro’s course, and it helped me to launch the OnlineProfits.com training program. If you want to learn more about that story, check out this podcast interview I did with Yaro a while ago.

Membership Site Mastermind is structured around 6 modules. They are:

1. Topic Selection and Preeminence
2. Traffic Generation
3. Human Resources and Technology
4. Content and Pricing
5. The Launch Process
6. Post Launch Activities

Each module comes with 2 hours worth of video content, including transcripts and checklists to make sure you’ll act on the important steps. The program was closed for the past six months, and today it is opening again for new members, so check it out.

Go here to read the rest

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This is a guest post by Andreas Kambanis. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

I’ve always considered logo’s the realm of big multinational companies. Companies like AOL or Amazon who have thousands of dollars to throw at new designs.

Therefore, despite being constantly told about their importance and the value of branding for my blog I’ve ignored the advice. I’ve put it to the back of my mind and decided to focus on other things. After all logo’s are really expensive aren’t they?

Well, these days that isn’t really the case. Websites like 99designs can provide a new logo for as little as $150. The premise is that you run a competition and then designers from all over the world submit their entries. Within a week you can be up and running with a great new logo.

After avoiding the decision for ages, I took the plunge and launched my logo design contest on 99Designs. The result is a logo that gives a good first impression and was completed just in time to be used in my London Cycle Routes eBook. More importantly, as the eBook is likely to be featured in various big publications, the logo sends the important message of professionalism and this could make all the difference to the success of my site.

If this sounds pretty cool and you are considering it for your website, then here are five things you need to know before heading over to 99Designs.

1. Guarantee your prize

After you have had your first 10 entries on 99Designs you are able to “guarantee your prize�. This means that you have to choose a winner. This might sound scary at first especially if you only have 10 entries and you are not a big fan of them. However, guaranteeing the prize greatly increases the number of entries you have. This means there is a far better chance of finding the right logo. It also motivates you to get the most out of the designers and find the perfect design for your site. Don’t be scared, press the guarantee button!

2. Contact other designers

At the start of my competition I didn’t have enough entries and the entries I did have were not very high quality. I was at risk of having to pay for a logo I wasn’t entirely satisfied with. This was a massive worry for me. My solution was to look at other competitions and find designs I liked. I then contacted the designer behind them and invited them to join my competition. In total I think I contacted around 10 designers and 4 of those joined my competition. In the end the design I chose was off one of the designers who I invited.

3. Write a good description

Try as hard as you can to articulate what you want from the logo. Should it work on a dark background? Do you want to see simple designs? Should the logo be placed on the left of the text? For me it was “do I want to promote more the sporty side or the simple enjoyment of cycling?� I failed to mention this at first but it was easy to make the change later. A good idea is to look at some of the best performing competitions and take a look at their descriptions. It is best to just launch the competition and then make improvement as designs come in. Don’t delay indefinitely, launch now even if it isn’t perfect because you can always change it later.

4. Feedback, Feedback, Feedback and.. Feedback

It is a tough task providing new feedback every day. Especially in successful competitions with 100 or more entries. Sometimes you just think “bluh, can’t be bothered!� Or perhaps that is just me?

However, good feedback is essential. Think about how the logo makes you feel and what you do and don’t like. What would you like to see in the next version? Should the designer just scrap this one? You should also use many of 99Designs features. Rate other designs with stars so designers know what you want to see more and less of. Leave comments at the bottom about the direction of the competition.

Also don’t be afraid to ask friends. Talking it through with others is one of the best ways to argue about the merits of different designs. I was pretty much 100% set to go with one design when my friend told me it looked like a Ferris wheel. She was right!

5. Don’t neglect the last 24 hours

As I approached the last 24 hours I considered ending the competition early and going with a design I was fairly satisfied with. Luckily I decided to keep going and I’m glad I did. The last 24 hours tend to be very active with a lot of entries. This is the time when you should be focusing on the competition the most.

Bonus tip: Future proof your design. What happens if your name changes from DailyBlogTips to WeeklyBlogTips? Make sure the designer provides you with the editable Photoshop files and Adobe Illustrator files.

If you follow these tips in a week you could be proudly showing off your logo to your followers. Good luck to you!

About the Author: Andreas is one of the most successful cycling bloggers in the UK. You can read more from his on his blog, London Cyclist.

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As of today 11,969 people have already download the Make Money Blogging ebook. And what is more interesting, none of them ever asked for a refund!

Jokes apart, the feedback to my free ebook has been terrific. I receive emails pretty much daily from people who read the book, liked it and started applying the principles I explain there with good results. But I am biased on this subject right? That is why a couple of weeks ago I asked my newsletter subscribers what they thought about the ebook. I said I wanted their honest opinion (i.e., they could even say the ebook sucked!). Want to know what they said? Here is a compilation:

Mwiaom.wordpress.com: “So he leads by example, and follows his own advice. In my humble opinion, it’s one thing to give advice, but it is something else entirely to give advice you are willing to follow yourself.”

SharedServerHosting.me: “It is a free blogging ebook that leaves a lot of stuff I’ve paid for in the dust!”

WritersNetworking.ning.com: “It covers all the essential topics that both a newcomer and those who want to improve their blog need to know to succeed.”

MillionClues.com: “Make Money Blogging, in my opinion, is a good and comprehensive starting point for wannabe bloggers.”

Mrimomma.blogspot.com: “As a blogger with very little internet or marketing knowledge, the eBook was an easy read and really got my wheels turning.”

BobStovall.com: “This ebook is filled with no-nonsense advice for anyone starting out in blogging or just thinking about it.”

Bojan-Online.com: “I’ve read it myself couple of times already and I love how Daniel put everything together.”

ZParacha.com: “Overall this eBook is a good starting point for new and to-be bloggers. It is written in a simple, fluid fashion. Links to external websites are included as examples to different topics he discussed in this eBook.”

BillBolmeier.com: “The eBook is chock full of gold nuggets that span 5 different chapters.”

Moneygnet.com: “I would recommend everybody to sign up because the ebook is great and the newsletter messages give great value.”

BlogBriefing.com: “You should print the ebook out and use it as a reference!”

TimPaulino.com: “A fantastic resource for anyone with an online business whose looking to get started with blogs.”

UltimateLifestyleProject.com: “Mr Scocco explains in 54 very easy to read, clear and concise pages exactly what is involved, what is needed, what you need to focus on and where the real opportunities with blogging / websites exist.”

Jaydip.info: “This is book is really good, in the sense that it guides you from from the very basics until more advanced blogging stuff.”

86blogger.com: “It’s one of the best ones I’ve read so far. It says how to start blogging, what to use to blog, what kind of ads you use, how to get advertisers on your blog, all about monetizing your blog, and a lot of more stuff.”

DinheiroPT.com: “The book is easily digestible, and one can understand all the points.”

TheArtofStephenScott.blogspot.com: “The book is not a perfect fit for an art blog, but it’s been incredibly helpful in understanding the current personality of blogging and the internet.”

HouseWifesUtopia.com: “The book is excellently written in very easy and straight forward manner. The book has 54 pages and I read the whole book in half an hour.”

TechnoTip.org: “Much like his newsletter (which is kind of personal, valuable and to the point), the ebook doesn’t contain any fluff: you get the meat directly.”

SansMoneySecret.com: “The book is actually damn good, and even considering the price (your email address)”

CreatuBlog.com: “I liked the section where you explain how to get more search engine hits on our blog posts.”

GeekBookReviews.com: “I really enjoyed the book because it covered much more than just making money with blogs.”

WebTipsEveryday.cz.cc: “The book is well written with a good structure. Every chapter begin with an image, and they also contains links to related resources.”

FindAllAnswers.com: ” The book presents an excellent overview of how to choose the topic/niche to blog and how to write the content, give headlines, choose a layout and so on.”

TechWearz.com: “This ebook gives a lot of great advice and guidance on how to be a successful blogger. ”

JackNguyen.com: “Daniel does a great job explaining things for readers just starting to get into blogging, but he also has great tips and strategies for more experienced bloggers.”

Dimes2Vines.com: “It covers the basics of blogging from the importance of content, consistency in posting, blog design, networking to monetizing your blog.”

FreeBusinessTraining.org: “f you are new to blogging, or like me, have a blog or six and don’t know what to do with them, then you need to read this book.”

RastreadorDeNoticias.com: “Daniel is one of the few people online who can make you understand what he is talking about.”

AllThatCommunication.com: “Make Money Blogging is also an excellent example of a well-organized, well-written eBook.”

Phyllispianta.com: “Beginners will find this most useful and also find other up to date information from someone who is successful on his site.”

TheHalfLog.com: “I don’t think I will ever make money blogging, but I’d still like more people to read what I write.”

TheTimeFinder.com: “What first impressed me about “How to Make Money Bloggingâ€� was its absolutely realistic tone.”

OliverOsm.com: “For me personally it has been an aid and consultation tool which helped me to understand more about the great world of blogging.”

ContentPlusCode.com: “The ebook talks about authority posts, getting backlinks, guest posting and even a recommendation on how often to post.”

ThePicky.com: “t’s very well written and broken down into 5 main chapters (Content, Design & Usability, Networking, Promotion and Monetization) that anyone can follow and accomplish.”

Ysfirdaus.com: “What I like about this ebook is that is explains everything in detail, in a way that is easy to understand.”

StrictlyOnlineBiz.com: “Daniel’s report takes on the do’s and don’ts of blogging for money and monetization strategies for established blogs.”

TotallyUniqueLife.com: “You cannot go wrong in taking the advice of one of the preeminent bloggers of his time.”

LearnXpress.com: “Daniel examines several usability mistakes which web masters should look into while developing a blog.”

BloggerIn.ro: “You’ll discover the points that you need to consider to create a successful blog.”

MathewDay.com: “I was pleasantly surprised on how thorough and helpful the Make Money Blogging guide was to me.”

FreeBlogHelp.com: “I downloaded the ebook many moons ago and I still open it up for a quick read every now and then.”

TheCareerAdvisors.com: “I was a little skeptical, but read the book anyway assuming it was just another get rich quick scheme. The Internet is full of those these days. But this book is not that. It contains common sense tips on creating and managing a successful, money making blog.”

UphillWriting.org: “While his book is actually for helping writers make money with their blogs, his suggestions and insights surprised me with their clarity and immediate usefulness.”

JimPassmore.wordpress.com: “Make Money Blogging has advice on blog format, headlines, content selection, usability–all items that can bring people back or drive them away. ”

Lead-Manage-Learn.com: “Daniel’s ebook tells you what you need to know to get started, and is written in clear, concise language.”

Enviromum.wordpress.com: “It is surprisingly comprehensive and thorough and has been a useful reference document, with relevant links and information.”

Clara54.wordpress.com:”I’m lucky that it came across my desk at just the right time.”

DumbLittleBlogger.com: “This book talks clearly to beginners about starting a blog from scratch to promoting and monetizing it.”

BitRepository.com: “The content of this e-book is completely unique and the money making concepts offered by Daniel are added in a structural and logical way.”

RodneyPiper.tv: “It is really a helpful guide for anyone who is thinking of getting started as a Blogger/Internet Publisher.”

PhotographyAtWork.com: “It not only shows you how to make money with your blog it also gives you the basics on how to get people on to your blog.”

Kangnawar.com: “If you are an ebook collector, your collection is incomplete if you do not have this one.”

CreativeDivaLuisa.blogspot.com: “I am not a techy girl. Not at all! But the tips in the e-book are so easy to follow that I understood it all.”

VanceSova.com: “Reading the ebook for the first time I was pleasantly surprised by finding some things which were new to me.”

What about you? Will you join the 10,000 subscribers who already downloaded the ebook? You can do so on the form below (RSS and email subscribers will need to visit the site to sign-up for the newsletter).

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