I get a lot of e-mails asking me about the plugins I use here. After trying many WordPress plugins, I have settled on a handful that I rely on.

I’d recommend these to any blogger, especially the beginners out there. If you start with these, it will help get more traffic, more comments, more retweets, and build your community.

Remember, you don’t want to have too many plugins running because it will slow down your site. So be picky about what you use.

Here are a list of my most asked about and favorite plugins.

WPSubscribers

This plugin has really helped me increase subscribers to my e-mail list. The reason is because it makes it easy to add sign up options almost anywhere on your blog.

One easy place is in the comments. After the reader has entered their name and email address for a comment, they can just click a box to get your ebook or sign up to your list. So they leave a comment and sign up to your list at the same time. Makes it easier.

Also if you see the end of my posts, there is an opt-in box was added with WpSubscribers. You can add an opt-in box within your posts, at the footer, as a pop-up, or in the sidebar,

That’s just a tip of the features it has. It’s too many to list. If you want to read more and purchase it, visit the website.

(This is an affiliate product, so I’ll make comission if you buy through this link. However, this is a product I use personally and would recommend.)

Tweet@ Anywhere Plus

This is the tweet box you see at the end of every post. If you want more people to share you post, you have to make it so simple for them. Don’t make them search for the retweet button. Show them how easy it is.

You can set up the wording of the tweet to whatever you want. Your readers can edit it as well before tweeting it.

It wasn’t easy to setup the box at first, but I had it setup up in minutes when I found a video made by my friend Adrienne Smith.

This is my most asked about plugin. Install it on your blog today and get more retweets.

Continue Reading…

[The BIG Only 72 sale is now over. Sign up to get notified when the next one is. Don’t miss out.]

It’s the holiday season and it’s about buying gifts for friends, family, and the secret Santa gift for the co-worker that you don’t like. While it’s the season for giving, I’m giving you permission to be selfish for a moment.

I’m sure you’ve bought a lot of stuff this year for yourself. How much of it actually will benefit your personal growth in 2012 and beyond?

I’m going to guess many of you haven’t invested enough in yourself this year. You’ve bought things to enjoy and to be productive, but you haven’t educated yourself.

Why do you need to invest in yourself? The reason is YOU are the main factor whether you succeed the next 12 months or not.

It’s not a matter of luck. It’s not up to your boss. It’s not about others. It’s not waiting for miracles to happen.

It’s all up to you.

When you take action and bust your butt, you’re blazing your own path. You’re creating your own luck. You’re making miracles happen.

I know many of you want to succeed in the area of business.

You want to start your own business whether it’s to make some extra money, or quit your dreadful job and live life on your own terms.

What have you done this year towards those goals?

Just having a blog isn’t enough. Hoping for lots of traffic and making pennies with each click on Adsense is a terrible business model. If you want to become an entrepreneur, you have to start thinking and acting like one.

An eagle who hangs out with chickens will always believe it’s a chicken. It won’t even realize it can fly.

If you’re looking to launch a business, then the resources available for the Only 72 hour sale will benefit you. What exactly is Only72.com? It’s a package of guides put together and sold at one low price, for only 72 hours.

By the time you’re reading this, there will be less than 48 hours left.

Continue Reading…

First I wanted to say thank you to everyone who read, retweeted, comment on my post last week, 40 Rising Bloggers Who are Heating it Up This Summer. The reaction to it was unbelievable! I’m ecstatic so many people enjoyed it.

Today I wanted to do something different and that’s do a video post to say thanks. I’ve never talked into a camera so this was actually harder to do than write a post!

For those who record videos often, I have lots of respect for you.

Take a few minutes to watch the video and let me know how I did! Please…be gentle.

If you’re looking for new blogs to read and great up-and-coming bloggers to know, you’re going to enjoy my list I’ve put together.

We would all love for the A-list bloggers to RT our stuff, recognize us, answer our questions, and join our network but the fact is most of them are too busy. We are just a blip on their radar.

Instead a cue from my friend and co-founder of Blogcast FM, Srini Rao, who has spent the last 18 months studying how online relationships are formed.

As Srini wrote in his guide to Relationship Marketing, which I have had the pleasure of reading…

“the power of people at your same level is far greater than you probably realize now.”

I’ve been blogging seriously here for four months now. It’s not a huge accomplishment but it’s a good start.

While this isn’t going to be a long traditional recap post (typically after a year), I do want to say a quick sincere, heartfelt thanks.

At the beginning I didn’t know who would be reading my blog. Normally it’s family and a few friends but I’ve told none of them I have this blog.

I just wrote what I’ve wanted to write about for years. I started reading other blogs. I did the usual such as commenting but I also started learning Twitter.

Now I see my blog and myself growing every week and it’s truly amazing. It’s changing my life.

The best part is the people I have gotten to know in just four short months. People who have become friends, who inspire me, motivate me, and make me laugh. People I could truly see myself sharing a cup of coffee, a beer, or an awesome meal together.

Continue Reading…