4 Tools That Took My Business To The Next Level

Y’all, I seriously cannot even begin to explain the excitement I have with the momentum in my business right now.  And who do I have to thank for that?  Y’all!  Seriously, y’all have loved me and supported me and believed in me like no other, and I am forever grateful.  Because I love sharing, and I really believe in community over competition, I want to give back and share with y’all the four tools that took my business to the next level.  Before I share, however, I want to clarify something.  This is not a “how to blog” blog post, and that will never be the direction I take.  I feel like bloggers often feel like that’s the only way to make money, and therefore shift gears and neglect who they really are.  I will never sacrifice who I am or lose focus for the sake of money.  The four tools that took my business to the next level are tools that took me there within my niche. I believe these tools are fundamental and can take any blogger, within any niche, to the next level and bring a great deal of success.

Alright, so here we go.  I hope these tools carry you to the next level, whatever your niche or area of expertise may be!

Instabreakout

It’s no secret that Instagram is booming these days.  I always knew that Instagram was an important piece of the social media puzzle.  What I did not know is that for some bloggers and small business owners, it really can be your ticket to success.  Not only is insanely popular for everyday users, it is a huge platform for marketing, driving traffic to your site, and increasing sales. When I really started focusing on my rebranding strategies earlier this year, a good friend of mine mentioned in passing that I could take my business to the next level if I focused on growing my Instagram platform.  I was so completely out of the loop with social media that I didn’t even know where to start.  Luckily, I was able to take the UH-MAZE-ING Instagram course called ‘Instabreakout’ and y’all… It was one hundred percent the first, best, and craziest step I took to really amp it up with my platform.  I started the course with 600 followers in March, and my Instagram has grown by over 8,000 followers in the last seven months. Now, I am not one to care much about numbers, but what I have learned is that if you want to get sponsored for posts, or land amazing collaborations, those numbers are important!

A ton of people have asked me if Instabreakout “gets you followers by paying for them.”  Y’all, I didn’t even know that was a thing.  The short answer is NO! Absolutely not. The long answer is…. why the heck would anyone EVER do that?  Fake followers don’t convert to real traffic to your website, and they certainly don’t convert to sales!  Instabreakout teaches you all the tools necessary to optimize your Instagram platform for growth, keep it looking fly (what does that even mean), attract other businesses, bring in traffic and drive sales. It also keeps you up to date on all the CONSTANT changes within Instagram so that you don’t get in trouble for breaking a rule on accident (such as using a banned hashtag or breaking the rules of how often you can perform certain tasks).  Seriously, y’all, this was a game changer to me.  Head on over and take a look at Instabreakout! You can also use this code for $25 off: Laura25

Pinterest Ninja

Think Pinterest is a social media platform?  Think again!  Pinterest is absolutely, without doubt, a crazy search engine.  When you shift your focus and see Pinterest as more than a pretty board of random ideas, you will realize that Pinterest is where the LARGE majority of people go to search for ideas, how-to’s, recipes, DIY projects, business tips, and so much more!  If people are going to Pinterest for all of these things, then that’s where I want to be hanging out with my content!

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just throwing a bunch of pins up and hoping for the best!  Pinterest has it’s own unique SEO system for ranking, and if you don’t have it figured out, your pins won’t get you very far! Luckily, there are some pretty amazing  Pinterest courses out there to teach you everything you need to know.  My personal favorite and cannot-live-without Pinterest resource is Pinterest Ninja.  What I love most about Pinterest Ninja is that this is probably the single most accessible tool for bloggers at any stage.  So often, Pinterest courses have super high price points.  And most new bloggers simply don’t have that sort of money to toss around.  I love that Megan (the creator of the course) makes it easy for those with less money by keeping the price tag in a reasonable range. I also love that she is entirely unthreatened by others, and is willing to offer her knowledge and expertise to those who ask!  Seriously, do yourself a favor and get the course! It’s the best twenty-something dollars you’ll spend towards getting your business to the next level!

Making Sense Of Affiliate Marketing

Alright y’all, this one was a huge leap of faith for me and I have not been disappointed one bit.  Affiliate marketing is a whole can of worms and can be super tricky and overwhelming for beginners.  But here’s the deal… If you want to make it as a blogger but without selling courses, teaching about how to blog, or selling your soul, affiliate marketing is where it’s at! But how?  What the heck does it even mean?  This course, Making Sense Of Affiliate Marketing, shows you the ropes from top to bottom.  From the programs, to how to use the links, to the legal side of it, it is all covered.

I thought I knew everything about affiliate marketing until I took the leap and invested in this course.  The creator of the course says “if you aren’t utilizing affiliate marketing, you are leaving money on the table.”  That is so true.  Understanding REALLY how to utilize affiliate marketing has been a TOTAL game changer for me.  I have learned more from this course in the last three months than I learned in the entire year prior.

This course is seriously an investment worth making, and I can say with confidence that you can EASILY make this investment back in a week (and that’s being generous).

shareasale.com

Speaking of affiliate marketing, if you are not registered with shareasale.com, you are missing out big time. It’s absolutely my favorite affiliate marketing platform, and pretty much anyone with a reasonable platform can join. The really nice thing about shareasale.com is that you can apply for the program as a whole, and then there are a million programs within that program that you can also apply to.  I would say that Share-A-Sale is a tool that can take any blog, in any niche, and turn it into a money maker.  Do yourself a favor.  Do not pass go.  DO collect $200.  And do it by signing up for shareasale.com ASAP.

Seriously, trust me on this one.

Alright, those are my top 4 tools that took my business to the next level.  I have plenty more that I am more than happy to share, but these have been absolute game changers for me!

If you are looking for some more inspiration on just getting started and turning your dreams into reality, read this article!

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