Have you ever heard of the term Karoshi before? You might even be a victim of this and not even realize it!…
Translated literally from Japanese as ‘Death from Overwork’, it’s sadly taking the lives of more and more people everyday.
People even in their 20’s having literal heart-attacks from being Overworked and Overstressed.
It comes from this high paced world with demanding schedules, bosses, and an attitude that most of us carry such as:
I gotta get it done…
I need to burn the midnight oil tonight…
The deadline must be met…
Working overtime will get me ahead…
You can sleep when you’re dead…
And it’s that last one that might just come true if you’re working too much! 🙁
In fact, just a few months ago I remember a copy writer that worked for a well known marketing agency. She was constantly posting on Twitter that she was…
Taking Redbull to “get the job done”…
And then she tweeted out, “another all-nighter!”…
Then… she died.
All from over work. Over stress.
And for what?
That’s Karoshi.
I get it, we need to work hard, we’ve got lot’s on our schedules to take care of, but does it have to be so hard?
Do we have to work so much and neglect our health, our family, and our life in the process?…
Isn’t there a better way?
I think if you step back from all of the hustle and noise, that you’ll find there most certainly is a better way.
And that’s where Lifestyle ‘DESIGN’ comes in. You design your life the way you want to live it. You totally can do that and should!
Now…
There are a lot of things you can think of here to probably consider where, how, and why you should get control of your time and life.
One of these will inevitably be your J-O-B, or the type of work you do.
So let’s say that you’ve put yourself through some questions such as:
What do I really want?
How much would that cost me monthly? (Often it’s not NEAR as much as we think.)
What type of lifestyle do I want to live DAILY?
After you consider these questions, let’s say you conclude on the
money side of things that you need to be earning about $8,000
a month on average.
And when you consider the lifestyle, where you’re completely wanting to steer clear of the Hiroshi way of life, you decide you want to work no more than 20 hrs a week. (Smart feller you are!)
Basically that’s working 4 hours a day, Mon.-Fri.
The next question is HOW?
That’s where the power of leverage and working from the internet comes in.
However, you need to consider things even deeper than that… (In fact, maybe that’s where you’re at right now. You’ve seen the power of an online business, now you’re trying to figure out the next step.)
Without a doubt, most people find affiliate marketing to be the cheapest, and easiest way to start a profitable online business up fast.
So likely you start to research different systems and companies to work with.
Sadly, most are flawed as they just don’t offer you enough profits.
That’s why most smart and savvy folk end up working with High Ticket, or Top Tier offers…
It’s simple math and ‘labor required’ thinking to work this out really…
Make a few bucks per sale to get to $8k…
Or make less than 5 sales to get to $8k…
That’s how you get to the income level and lifestyle that you desire.
High Ticket baby…
And it’s not hard AT ALL, ‘IF’ you have the right system and plan
to follow…
So, if I struck a chord with you today, and I hope I did, I’d like to
invite you to check out one of my profit centers that literally can help
you transform your income in 2015.
You get capture pages, automated follow-up, and a sales team working FOR YOU around the clock, closing high ticket programs which you will get a commission on.
There’s literally no other opportunity out there like this! It also allows me to continue cranking in my core real estate business while outsourcing this but that’s a topic for a live call together.
These commissions range from $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 and up…
So literally ONE CUSTOMER per month could potentially put you over $8,000.
It’s the best way I know of to live an incredible life, ON YOUR TERMS, and to still earn an amazing income.
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
After 55 years of life, and getting kicked in the teeth all too many times, I have learned that free will is a myth, an Illusion, a lie, something we like to convince ourselves that we have so that we don’t have to admit that we have virtually no control over what happens to us throughout our lives. My old teacher would often say to me, free will is for amateurs. What he meant was that I needed to get over my ego’s need to feel in control, let go of the tiller of my boat of life, and learn to work with life rather than trying to dominate and control life.
And so I have learned the phrase “Erleichda” which means “loosen up” or “let it go” in the book Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins. Rather than determining what to do, I spend more time looking for the cues and subtle shifts that indicate for me or point me towards a specific direction. Life is very simple and clear if we can but silence the inner chatter, get in touch with our intuition, and trust that something far more magnificent and glorious than us is running the show.
Let’s be clear here. There are many things we can do to make our life amazing. Discipline, meditation, visualization, working hard, measuring our results, all of these things I do. This blog is about the big decisions, the ones that point our life in one direction or another. This is not about a way to live every moment of our lives. This is about creating the capacity to hear our inner voice when it speaks, and value the wisdom and guidance therein.
“Among the maxims on Lord Naoshige’s wall, there was this one: “Matters of great concern should be treated lightly.” Master Ittei commented, “Matters of small concern should be treated seriously.” – Ghost Dog (from the movie Ghost Dog)
Often this divine guidance shows up as subtle feelings. Feeling these subtle messages takes discipline and practice, and if you can find someone who knows what they are doing, a teacher can speed up the process. I remember doing an exercise back in England fifteen years ago, in which we would pair up with another person. We would look at each other, left eye to left eye, and one by one, we would intentionally pushes a thought into the other’s head. Our task was to notice when the thought entered and confirm it with our partner. My partner could not believe how accurate I was. Each time he thought, I caught it. That kind of sensitivity and awareness and openness is what is required. The trick is to be able to catch the thoughts of god.
For the past few weeks, I have been planning to go to Vietnam. However, as I started to look at flights, hotels, and transportation, I felt a longing for Chiang Mai. And just like that, for I am not one to question the universe, I decided to go to Vientiane, Laos for one week to renew my visa, and then return for two months to Chiang Mai. What about Vietnam? I don’t know. I don’t need to know. All I know for sure is I will be in Chiang Mai for a while. Something is happening here for me, and something else will be happening during my extended visit. This much seems clear.
As I look at this picture, I think of life. There is so much beauty. Each scarf, like every human being, or every experience, or every country, brings with it a unique color and texture and sensation. Each is radiant in its own way. How do you choose? This blog suggests that you don’t. Something else chooses for you, if you can listen and respond. I have made myself crazy in the past, evaluating colors and costs and projections and net net values, and in the end, something much bigger is at play. That is the game I want to understand and respect. It is the only real game in town.
I have people ask me; “Jay, why do you talk so much about meditation?” This is why. Meditation slows everything down, so that I can see and hear and feel so much more of life. If you don’t know how your mind works at its most fundamental level, it is tough to progress beyond a life of tasks and duties, the status quo, survival and a fearful death. But when you start to dissect who you really are, and who you really are not, magic starts to emerge. You can see the unseen, and feel the virtually unfelt. Life is a glorious dance with more and more to explore and discover. Go with the flow. Life is flowing slower than you think, and it is waiting for us to show up.
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
Last night I was privileged to participate in the Loi Krathong annual festival celebrated in major Thailand cities. The event is held in November on the nights of the full moon. The festival centers around water, and placing your dreams, wishes and prayers on a flower bouquet alight with a candle flame sent floating down river. In Chiang Mai we have the Ping River flowing through the center of town.
I arrived at my friend’s home, and he and some friends were preparing food for the feast. While the curry and rice was being prepared, the tables were all being outlined in flame, with tea light candles placed in a beautiful design. There was a group of twenty, and we drank beer, ate the food, watched as fireworks exploded above our head, and reveled in the high energy of a group ritual. Everyone in town was participating tonight.
After our meal, we ventured over to the local temple. Here sat Buddha. We all lit a candle and placed it on the altar. This was a wonderfully solemn time, a moment of introspection and honoring of a master being that walked the earth. At first I did not even see Buddha, however once I backed up, I saw the 30 foot tall Buddha watching over the proceedings. That is a good analogy for Buddhism here in Thailand. The Buddha is all around, but not one person has tried to talk to me about becoming a Buddhist. Even me neighbor monks who chant every morning, they just smile at me and go about their business. Seems they are more concerned about their own inner life than about anything I say or do.
Next we headed to the river. Our host had reserved a small wooden shack that sat just over the edge of the river. Men fished from this exact spot each and every day, catching dinner and some extra to sell at the market. I began to think about the conversations I and my male friends would have, sitting by the river’s edge, throwing our fishing line out into the water, drinking a few Singha beers, and espousing on work, women, and the dire state of our souls. Note to Jay: Organize a men’s event in Thailand. Include a day of fishing and drinking. My oh my, that would be a blast. So while everyone was running around, lighting fireworks and lanterns, I sat still and looked out at the water. I feel a profound peace around water. The sound of water soothes my soul, dire as it may be!
I was the first of our group to light the candle and incense in the center of a flower bouquet and set it free to float down the river with my most sincere desires intact. I watch as it floated out and then downstream, soon joining the most sincere desires of so many others. While others were in a more playful mood, shocking one another with loud firecrackers, I found myself contemplative, blissful, and grateful to be in that little fishing shack on the Ping River in Chiang Mai, Thailand, watching the river flow.
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
Sitting in my Phuket home, I was looking at agoda.com , a travel website which lists hotels for Chiang Mai. Each hotel has a ranking. The highest ranking is “Superb” which indicates that virtually everyone who has visited the hotel has given it the highest ranking possible. I spent half an hour looking at about one hundred hotel options in the Night Bazaar section of Chiang Mai. I wanted a hotel that was budget friendly at $20 or less per night, and was also highly ranked. But how high can a $20 a night hotel really be ranked?
I came across a hotel called ZZ House. At $15 per night, the price was right. With a top rating of Superb, this seemed a perfect match for me, a great hotel to spend my first week in Chiang Mai while I explored and discovered the area I would like to spend most of the time during my 3 month stay. I paid my money and booked my room. Good-bye Phuket, and hello Chiang Mai.
Meet Boyd. Boyd is the proprietor of the ZZ House. Boyd is 40 years old, a true professional, and as nice as a guy can be. He doesn’t see his patrons as dollar signs, but rather as human beings who just want to have a great time while visiting his hotel and beautiful Thai city. The second night I was there in Chiang Mai, Boyd took all his patrons to a Buddhist Lantern Festival. He drove us one hour out of town to the venue, pointed us in the right direction, met us afterwards for the drive back, and insured that we had the time of our lives. That night was as glorious as an experience as I have had. Most any other hotels may have told me about the event, but how would I know how to get there, where to park, what to bring, etc. I am, after all, an American who is visiting Thailand. With Boyd going well above and beyond the call of duty, I had an evening I will never forget.
Doing anything with excellence has its own rewards. The pride of creating a product or service that powerfully rings of excellence is profound. Seeing others experience excellence is equally empowering. Knowing that you did the best you could, to create something that potently and positively impacts others, allows you to sleep better at night. I did my best. That is all I can do. I did not take any shortcuts. I did not cheat anyone. I did not make a few extra bucks by omitting this or that. No, I went for it 100% and let the chips fall where they may.
Here is another way this paid off for Boyd. I submitted this review to Agoda and Trip Advisor:
“ZZ House: Great Location. Great Value. Great Host 10
I arrived at the ZZ House and was met by Boyd. I was very early, so I took an hour to look around while the room was prepared. The small room was clean, cool, had very hot water, a good sized bed and a refrigerator with water and drinks. Great location. Not far from Loi Kroh Road, the Night Bazaar, really nice supermarket, loads of restaurants, massages, coffee shops, everything I need. The best part of the experience is Boyd, the host. On my second day, he took all of us to a Buddhist Lantern Festival. It was amazing and ranks as one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. Boyd drove us there, hung out with us, and brought us back. It is rare to have a host who really cares about his patrons. Boyd was there to help in any way he could, with recommendations, connections, and quick response to requests. What a great stay. ZZ House gets an A+.”
When I think about taking a short cut, or doing it the easy way, or settling for good enough rather than great, I will remember my Thai friend Boyd and his approach to life and work. Always give them more than they expect. And expect nothing in return. That sounds like a fantastic recipe for life. It is simple and profound and surprisingly uncommon.
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
“This is a snakeskin jacket! And for me it’s a symbol of my individuality, and my belief… in personal freedom.”
Sailor Ripley (Wild At Heart)
On Friday and Saturday nights here in Chiang Mai, there is a big ritual they call the Night Bazaar. Several streets are turned into a spacious open air market, with food, clothes, scarves, Buddhas, Ganeshas, little wooden frogs, which when rubbed with a stick, sound exactly like frogs. I have not purchased a frog yet, but every time I hear it, I start looking for a real frog. Duh!
About a week ago, I was looking around the market, in need of some new shorts. Thailand apparently agrees with my waistline, as I have gone from a 38” waist to a 36”. I thought it would be great to have a pair of shorts that I didn’t need to cinch up with my belt. As I walked the stalls, not finding any shorts, I came upon a stall that sold t-shirts. There was Bob Dylan on a blue t-shirt. When I hear Bob Dylan’s music, I marvel at the talent, the consistency, the lyrics, the brilliance, the genius (repetitive adjective I know, but he does deserve it), and the prodigious nature of his entire body of work. But more than any of that, Bob represents freedom. He made a life on his own terms. Much like Mohammed Ali lived life on his own terms, Bob Dylan went against the crowd and did his life his way. While Ali rejected the Vietnam War, Bob embraced his electric guitar when no one wanted to hear it. Damned the critics.
I bought the t-shirt for a negotiated price of 200 Bhat ($6 USD). I put it on and it felt good. The shirt, no kidding, felt like freedom. I have a few other items that feel like freedom. My silver and jade ring which I purchased in Bali has been on my finger for the past 10 years, and it represents my vagabond spirit. I also purchased a leather bracelet during my first week in Thailand from a local artisan on Surin Beach. It reminds me of the power of having a vision and taking action to make it happen. I believe items carry energy and we can use that energy to empower us in our lives. I encourage you to think about and feel into what you have, or what you might want to purchase, which will serve as a constant reminder, and powerful motivator as you pursue a life of more and more personal freedom.
Another cool thing I like to do is imbue energy into my “power” objects. During my many personal development retreat weekends, there is usually an altar of some type, a place where we can place objects and pictures and honor and bless our loved ones. I put certain items on the altar with the intention that the power of the weekend flows into those objects. For years I had stone from the cave of Mary Magdalena in France. That stone attended every weekend event I attended. Most people could feel the energy of that stone as I placed it in their palm. These items also serve as powerful gifts to others who may need a bit of energetic nudging to get through a challenging impasse. My stone isn’t my stone any longer. It is now serving another.
My blue Bob Dylan shirt is a symbol of my belief in personal freedom. It represents Thailand, a new life, a powerful spirit and a newfound joy recently discovered. I will wear my shirt, with my jade ring and leather bracelet, and walk around Chiang Mai, feeling free. I will think of things to write about, and images to capture in a video, and create a life full of stories to share with my friends and family. For it is true what Bob says, I know what it feels like to be on my own, with no direction home, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone.
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
I admit it. I am hung-over. Sunday night, which is my Saturday night in terms of my Thai workweek, is a good night for me to drink a bit and let the young man rumble. Rumble young man rumble. It is not as crazy around here on a Sunday night, as say a Friday or Saturday night. It is still festive, and there is a very big open-air market nearby on Sunday night. We are now in high season, which officially started on November 1st, so everyday is festive around here for the next 6 months. If there is any form of entertainment you desire, you can find it here.
I started off my night with a tuk tuk (open air motorized cart) ride to the north side of the Old City for a dinner of stewed pork leg. I then walked back, about 2 miles, to work off the meal and see the sights. Upon returning to my neighborhood, I went to my first bar in Chiang Mai. For the first two weeks here, I had not sat down at a drinking establishment (too busy working, eating and getting massages!). I sat down at a place called Wayne’s World Bar, named after Australian Wayne who bought the place some four months ago. I spent 3 hours on that bar stool, drinking beers, playing a game called Get Four and flirting with the bartender Mon. I was pretty chill after that, and wandered down the street to my favorite massage shop just a block from my hotel where I got a relaxing massage from a tiny bit of a Thai girl name Cathy while I slipped in and out of consciousness, in that kind of wonderful place between being asleep and being awake. Afterwards, I put on my shorts and shirt, grabbed my shoes and walked home barefoot to crash hard on my bed. I laughed all the way home.
I got up early today. I always get up early. My body is wired that way. I took some Advil, drank lots of water and coffee, and starting doing some work while watching the San Francisco 49er game on my computer. My day has been one of work, shopping, and catching up on some Sunday evening TV programs. Before heading out for dinner, I wanted to watch the most recent episode of Homeland. I would have to say it was one of the best episodes of what has turned out to be one of the best programs of the past few years. Wow. What an episode! It left me quite shaken as I headed out for my evening meal.
I ended up at a food cart. I am not sure why I stopped other than I was tired and did not walk to far. I also had a certain curiosity about the type of food this older Thai woman prepares. As you walk the streets here, you see lots of food carts. Some make food I recognize, and others cater completely to local Thai people. This cart was one of the latter, and I suppose I wanted to know what I was missing. As it turns out, I have been missing quite a bit. I approached the cart with a childlike curiosity. Imagine looking at your Grandma, and wondering what she is cooking up in the kitchen.
“Kun chi ari?” That is how you say, “what is your name?” “Nit.” Her name was Nit. “Pom chu Jay.” That is how I say, “I am Jay.” She wanted to know what I wanted to eat. I had no idea. I pointed at a bit piece of pork and said “same same.” She then said something, and I gave her the thumbs up. I had no idea what I ordered. It did not matter. Nit would take care of me. That much was clear. I also used my fingers to indicate very little spice. If I get too much spice, the pain ruins the meal for me, and I suffer terribly the next day. I learned that lesson eating a papaya salad last week. I saw that Nit has a mat placed on the curb of the street for patrons who wanted to eat there near the cart. I thought, how perfect, and sat down while Nit became a whirling dervish of activity. Within 15 minutes, Nit presented me with a bowl of fresh soup and sticky rice on a platter to place on my lap.
If you look up perfection in the dictionary, this soup would be in there. The brown broth was multi layered, with just enough spice to tantalize my palate without punishing it. In the soup I found cabbage, tomato, basil leaves, pork and quite a few mushrooms, which were chewier than most, and very tasty. I began to realize Nit is a wise old Yoda in the kitchen, especially in the way she knew how to mix all these ingredients into a powerfully enticing bowl of soup without even thinking. The force is with her all the way.
From the street, Nit’s stand is non descript, and most people walked by me on the ground there eating my soup, not giving Nit and her particular brand of genius a second thought. This experience reminds me of what a judgmental self-righteous jackass I can be at times. How many Nits do I walk by and miss out on their genius, on their gifts? How much do I miss because I often think I know it all? How much richer can my life be if I remain open to life, rather than closed down? Tonight, being hung-over and a bit slow and lethargic, I was not inclined to travel far for a meal, and felt like sitting on the ground, and there was Nit. The universe resplendently provides: grace, synchronicity, divine guidance and utter joy.
I am humble and grateful once again. Thank you Nit.
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
Traveling through Southeast Asia has completely shifted my thinking about retirement. My plan has always been to be in a position to retire at the age of 65. I have a plan to have so much money tucked away at that time so that if I wanted to stop working, I could. I don’t think I will ever want to stop doing what I am doing, but at 65, I will have the choice.
One thing I have noticed here in Thailand is a growing number of retired men hailing from other countries (Japan, China, Europe, Australia, not many Americans), who have chosen Thailand as the place where they want to spend their final days. During my last week in Phuket, while I was eating lunch, a man named Peter approached me and sat down at my table. Peter asked me if I played Backgammon. I told him No.
Well, Peter is 55 and had the good fortune to retire at the age of 38. Peter has traveled the world unlike anyone I have ever met. He was born in Germany, and has lived in France, Argentina, America, China, and about a dozen other places across the globe. And after all that traveling, he had determined that Phuket, Thailand was the place for him to settle down. Now 17 years later, he has a Thai wife, a 13-year-old son, and a relaxed lifestyle revolving around his family, backgammon, meals and napping.
After Peter was through asking me about my life, where had I traveled, how many kids, number of wives, Internet Marketing ( “you really make money doing that?”), and my diet, I had a few questions for him. First I asked, Why Phuket? He said there were many factors: weather, beaches, personal freedoms, beauty of the women, friendliness of the people, and the cost of living. I told him I agreed with him on all counts.
Peter went on to observe how many freedoms have been taken away in other cultures, and in particular, in America. As he lit a cigarette from his $2 USD pack, he exclaimed “You can’t even smoke there any more!” I told him that when I told people I was heading out for a long-term trip to Southeast Asia, most people thought it sounded pretty crazy. Who would leave America to live in Thailand? Well as it turns out, quite a few people from all over the globe do exactly that for the exact reasons expressed by Peter.
There are options. I suppose that is the lesson from my chat with Peter. In my role as an Internet marketing coach, I speak to many men and women who are reaching their retirement years and are not able to retire. Statistics show that only 4% of Americans can retire and maintain their current lifestyle. Those are alarming figures. So what do you do? You can find some line of work to pursue to make some extra money. Many people are investing in Internet marketing for this reason. You can also reduce your financial demands aka live on less. And we have all seen the elderly greeters at Walmart who serve as an example of retirement gone wrong. Then there is the Thailand option. If you do have some money coming in through an IRA and/or social security, why not live in another country where the cost of living is low and you can live like a king in the best year around climate on the globe?
I have done a little bit of research to get the lay of the land here in Thailand. The average person earns 13237.76 THB per month, which translates to $427 USD per month. I prepared a video showing how I have been able to live very comfortably on $1,500 per month. You don’t need much. Again, it is always good to have options.
I have only been here in Thailand for a few months. I will be venturing to Vietnam and Cambodia and then coming back to Thailand before returning to California in the spring. I need some time to let the newness wear off. My time here to date has been glorious. Running across guys like Peter, who have seen even more of the world than me, always opens my eyes a little bit further, and expands my horizons. Hopefully sharing these experiences on the blog opens your eyes a bit more too. Options. Not being stuck. The freedom to chose. It feels good, doesn’t it?
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
I’ve received a few requests to write a blog post on how to increase the number of RSS subscribers. Here are some tips on how to rocket that FeedBurner RSS counter.
Why Do You Want A Big RSS Subscription?
Before you try to increase the number of subscribers to your blog, you need to decide if this is what you want to do. A RSS feed is much harder to monetize than a blog. Income from RSS accounted for only $99.80 of the blog’s $7011.05 August income. That’s really bad when you consider over 3,000 people read this blog from RSS everyday.
Despite the low income, there are many valid reasons to increase RSS subscriptions. The main one being RSS represents a loyal reader base and as such, anything you can do to increase it helps your blog in the long run. Another reason to increase RSS is because some ad networks, like ReviewMe, take RSS subscribers into account when determining your price – the higher the RSS number, the more stars you get.
Offer A Full Feed
If you really want to increase your RSS base, then you must offer a full feed. Many RSS users won’t subscribe to your feed if it’s not full. I have over 30 feeds in my Google reader. Everyone single one of them is a full feed. If you don’t have a full feed, I’m not subscribing.
I use my RSS feed to give my readers a mostly ad free version of this blog. Do not use RSS as a teaser in the hopes that the reader will click to the blog in order to read the full post. Unless your blog is updated 20+ times per day, reader won’t sign up to the RSS in the first place.
Don’t Show Your RSS Count When It’s Small
FeedBurner offers a nice chicklet that displays the number of RSS readers on your blog. Right now, it shows 3,812 for this blog. The number represents the amount of people who access the blog via RSS yesterday. I don’t recommend a blog shows this chicklet until the subscriber counted reaches at least 50.
This is human psychology at work. People in general are like sheeps. They’re scare to step outside their comfort zone and won’t do it until they see others do it. When they see a blog with a chicklet showing six readers, their tendency is not to subscribe. It’s best to hide your RSS number until you have enough subscribers to display a decent number. Big RSS numbers makes people subscribe. Small RSS numbers turns them away. It’s not fair, but that’s how it work.
If you want to be evil, you can fake a RSS feed count by displaying someone else’s Chicklet number. Net Business Blog wrote about how to do that in How I Got 283k Feed Subscribers in 1 Day.
Make Sure Your RSS Button Is visible
Your RSS button should be placed near the top of the blog and be visible without scrolling. You want to let the readers know right away that you have a RSS feed and you can’t do that if your button is out of site. I label my button with “Full Feed RSS” to let the readers know they can read all my content from RSS. If you really want to get the readers attention, you can try integrating the world’s biggest RSS button into your blog.
rss-button
Ask Readers To Subscribe
If you want readers to sign up for your RSS, then ask them. The best way to ask is at the end of the post. Add a line that says, “If you like this post, then consider subscribing to myfull feed RSS.”
Instead of adding that line on every single post, an easier way would be to edit your template files. In WordPress, you would edit the single.php or page.php file. You can also edit the index.php if you want the request to show on the blog home page.
Monetizing The RSS Feed
The best way to make money off a full feed RSS is to encourage readers to visit your blog. I wrote about that in how to get RSS readers to visit your blog.
My RSS feed is monetized with FeedBurner Ad Network and Text Links Ads Feedvertising. FeedBurner Ad Network ads are CPM based display ads that appear below a post. The CPM rates can get very high (up to $8) but the fill rate is very low.
Text Link Ads Feedvertising ads are just like text links for a blog. Instead of buying a link on a blog, the advertiser buys a link in the RSS feed. Like TLA links on a blog, pricing is flat rate so you don’t have to worry about variable CPM rates or click fraud. When you sign up for Text Link Ads, you are given a choice to add Feedvertising in your RSS. If you are already a TLA publisher and would like to add Feedvertising, you can do so by editing your listing in the TLA control panel. Feedvertising requires WordPress 2.0 or higher.
A Feedvertising link on this blog cost . However, new advertisers can use this $100 coupon to bring the price down a bit.
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.
