Reginald Chan

Tag: blogging

  • How Do Bloggers Edit Their Videos?

    How Do Bloggers Edit Their Videos?

    Many people think that editing videos is an easy thing to do. A few clicks and you’re done. Well, it doesn’t work like that. No one says that it is the most complicated thing in the world, however, it is far from easy.

    On the other hand, those who want to embark on this journey and start experimenting with those videos may find it a bit overwhelming at first. No one can blame you, especially if it’s something you haven’t done before. 

    In the beginning, there’s a lot to wrap your mind around, however, if you are willing to give it a try and put all your effort into it, you will quickly become proficient. If you’re not sure how or where to start, pay attention to these strategies that many bloggers implement.

    Steps To Take To Become An Expert

    Defining Your Expectations

    Expectations

    You have probably set some goals when it comes to your video, but according to some bloggers, you first must choose a couple of useful tools before you continue with editing. They are going to help you accomplish what you want.

    For instance, if you shoot in 4k you will surely make a video of top-notch quality, however, it might be at the expense of frame rate. If you choose this, you will put a huge demand on your editing hardware which will make the entire process much more complex all of a sudden.

    In that case, you’d better have a computer that is going to be able to match your desires! Additionally, even if everything goes well, your client is not going to be happy with a 1080 p video.

    A Project Directory

    Many beginners think that it’s a great idea to put anything onto their Desktop as soon as they start editing their video. Unfortunately, many video experts disagree with this strategy. Namely, they think it would be smart to create a thing called a project directory.

    How to do it? It’s quite simple actually. All you have to do is to create a project folder and then place a couple of folders inside titled Graphics, Raw Footage, Images, Sound, Music, etc. Then you should put all your materials in these folders based on their type. 

    It would be recommendable to label each of these files with a short description of what is currently going on. Furthermore, the project file can then be put in the directory as-is. You do not need to have any particular folder.

    More Useful Guidelines Coming Your Way!

    Know The Basics

    No matter how good you may be at editing, if you create a bad video, no editing is going to make it look good. That’s why many bloggers think it’s necessary to have great footage. Now, this doesn’t mean that you need to take any course related to cinematography, just try to learn as much as you can about filming. That involves holding a camera, using various angles, panning a camera, and knowing how to take different types of shots.

    Different Cuts

    Two of the most important cuts involve a standard cut and a jump cut. The first one is really the most basic one. It means putting two clips together by connecting the last frame of one and the start frame of the next.

    This type of cut is the most common and it doesn’t require any feelings or meaning as it is the case with the others. Now, when it comes to jump cut, it pushes forward in time. You can do it within the same frame and frequently it is utilized within montages.

    Add Some Music And SFX

    Music Sfx

    If you want your video to have any depth and meaning, make sure to incorporate some good music as well as some interesting sound effects to make everything much more engaging. It’s important to add a melody that perfectly suits your visuals.

    Just focus on the atmosphere. If it is a slow, emotional video then it would be smart to add a ballad or any other type of slow song. On the other hand, if your movie is dynamic then a faster melody would be a great choice! Just ensure to cut to the beat of the song. 

    321 Rule

    Just think of all the effort you’ve put into making and editing your video and then something bad happens and suddenly you realize that you’ve forgotten to click the “save” button. Everything is lost!

    In order to avoid that catastrophe, it’s important to always save your work. Now, sometimes your hard drive crashes, and everything that you’ve made is lost for good. That’s another thing you want to prevent. 

    That’s why a lot of bloggers turn to the 321 rule – which stands for three copies in at least two different places. One of them is usually off-site. Two of them should be placed on physical drives, while the third sample is supposed to end up on your backup location.

    If you do all these things, you will make sure that everything is safe and sound. If you don’t know which online backup is the best, we suggest using Google Drive. It’s the one most people use to save data. 

    Choose A Good Program

    One of the most important things when it comes to this is to choose a reliable program. Firstly, you need to decide whether you are going to create something plain and simple, that is going to enable you to just throw several clips together and then add some titles.

    If that’s the case then Windows Movie Maker or the YouTube video editor by InVideo will get the job done. On the other hand, if you are planning on making something a bit more complicated, then you should utilize Adobe Creative Cloud’s Premiere Pro. If this one doesn’t seem right, you can always Google for some better alternatives.

    Roll Up Your Sleeves And Go!

    Video editing can sometimes be a bit frustrating and tiresome, but as you can see, it’s doable and doesn’t have to be all that difficult. It’s important to be very patient, especially if you’re an amateur, and remember not to give up as soon as you stumble over any obstacles. If that occurs, just take a deep breath and continue!

  • Incredible Hacks That Will Make Your Blogging Experience Much Easier

    Incredible Hacks That Will Make Your Blogging Experience Much Easier

    When you think about it, every personal post on Twitter or Facebook is effectively a blog. Some people may be creating formal blogs on their own websites, using such software as WordPress. Others may be present on web pages like Medium.com, where many peoples’ articles are hosted.

    Blogging is not an easy task, however. This is particularly true when it comes to posting quality material regularly. There can be a battle for ideas and inspiration, and a lack of time. Fortunately, there are some things a person can do that will help in all these areas. We’ll take a look at these together. 

    Include Video or Audio Content

    Video Content is becoming more and more prevalent in blogs. It can take us out of the realm of text-only stories, making it multimedia. Imagine having loads to say in an article, yet saving time by inserting video links at certain points in the story. 

    Nowadays, people can do virtually anything with technology. The professionals at https://vidd.ly/ say there are now apps that enable folk to download YouTube videos to their computers, for watching offline at a later date. People can even turn videos into music files such as mp3 or mp4. YouTube videos are useful for bloggers because they include a ‘Share’ button. This will reveal the web link that can be cut and pasted into the blog. 

    Audio content is another way to make a blog stand out, and to save writing. WordPress users can use the ‘Add Media’ feature to bring audio files into their blogs. Similar things can be achieved on Medium blogs by installing the play.ht Chrome browser extension, and using the ‘Add Audio’ button.  

    Use Royalty Free Photo Sites

    There’s no point in reinventing the wheel: if someone needs a photo, why pay a photographer if there are quality pictures available online for free? Pixabay and Unsplash are two major players who host thousands of quality photos that can be used for free. All a person needs to do is type ‘Source: Pixabay’ or ‘Source: Unsplash’ underneath the picture. 

    When blogs are colorful and full of photos, people will be more inclined to read the content. And yes – we do judge a book by its cover! This means the main photo should be more than a random choice or a quick decision. 

    Have Strategies For Inspiration

    Over the years, bloggers have wasted way too much time sitting in darkened rooms, desperately trawling for ideas. 

    There’s a mass of books online that are specifically designed to give people hundreds or even thousands of story ideas. They may include master lists, a thesaurus, character types, plots, or names. There may even provide lists of physical movements or romantic words. A quick Google search will reveal many of these books, and they can be a real goldmine for ideas.

    Random Word Generators  

    It’s possible to find free versions of this online. Some give the option to request a list of five words. They can even be narrowed down to nouns. It’s then like pulling the lever on a casino machine: press a button and see what words appear! If one word is good, keep it and retry. There may be three words in the same result that create a novel idea when combined. 

    Random word generators can be great for coming up with new jokes. It’s the combination of previously unconnected things that can create exciting and funny new concepts. 

    Someone could create their own version if they needed something more bespoke. Why not create an Excel spreadsheet with different columns? There could be one for jobs, animals, and food, for example. Randomly connect the different examples and see what you come up with. 

    Mind Maps

    Have you ever heard someone say, ‘I know what I need to say, but I can’t say it’? Sometimes a blogger has all the ideas in their head but doesn’t know where to start. The solution could be to draw a circle with lines coming from the center. Write down all the ideas that currently exist for the blog, and don’t worry about the order or structure. 

    Once every element has been written down, get three blank pieces of paper, and write ‘beginning’ on one, ‘middle’ on the next, and ‘end’ on the last. 

    The beginning will be the introduction that sets the stage for the story. The end will be the summary and conclusion. The middle section is where all the different mind map ideas are numbered and put in order. The article can then be written piece by piece in a systematic way.  

    Ambient Music

    There’s no doubt about it: music can create atmospheres! It can be good to muffle the sounds of such distracting things as cars, children, or doors banging in the background. The mood of the music should match the mood of the article. If it’s a humorous blog, don’t play sad music! 

    The problem with some music is the vocals. Don’t be surprised if you struggle to write about a holiday memory if a pop singer is lamenting a broken relationship in the background! 

    Instrumental music is great, and ambient potentially better. It can have a calming influence too, which can be great when someone is struggling with their blog. 

    Add a Subscription Button

    This is a great way to gain regular followers for your blogs. Once a person’s email address has been gained, it’s also possible to use it for email marketing campaigns and future newsletters. 

    If the blogger uses a WordPress site, they need to use a plugin called Jetpack. Once it’s all installed, the button, title, and description can be personalized for your purpose. There are also ways to add a ‘please subscribe’ button within Medium articles, and this will involve downloading a plugin. This may cost money, but it may be worth it if it generates business. 

    As we have seen, blogging doesn’t have to be dull and predictable. It can be visually exciting and even harness multi-media. Some photos can be used, and blog creation strategies to be harnessed. Why not sit down and put some music on right now? Your greatest blog may be about to be written!

  • How Writers Earn a Living in the Age of Blogging?

    How Writers Earn a Living in the Age of Blogging?

    The digital revolution has been a mixed blessing for the writers among us.

    For some, it has been a treasure trove of outlets for self-expression and creative innovation that has levelled the playing field of the journalistic soapbox. It has allowed for new and diverse voices to have their say and grow a dedicated audience. It has completely upheaved the hierarchy of influence and placed the power in the hands of the masses to weave words that have the chance to be seen by millions of eyes each day.

    For others, it’s why they’re not getting a paycheck anymore.

    Monetisation is a tricky business in the online world. With physical media continuing to be crushed under the weight of this new order, writers have fewer and fewer ways to earn a living wage. However, that doesn’t mean it’s all doom and gloom for those of us with a penchant for the pen. As a matter of fact, many writers have found ways to thrive both creatively and monetarily in this new paradigm.

    Whilst writers are likely not going to earn their fortune through blogging, it’s entirely possible to utilise that skill set and receive a hearty sum in the process. So, without further ado, let’s get into some ways in which bloggers can earn a living.

    Content Marketing

    Alas, whilst it may not be the sexiest of potential payment avenues, content marketing is an incredible way for writers and bloggers to use their services to get paid, with several different avenues for doing so. With that said, the two main revenue sources can be broken down into two categories:

    Link Building

    For those that have grown a site organically and put a lot of effort into curating a high-quality offering for both Google and your audience, content marketing agencies are often willing to pay a surprising amount of money to post links in your articles. By simply allowing guest submissions for a fee on your site, and promoting yourself to businesses through portals like LinkedIn, you can earn a very decent wage with little to no actual effort on your part.

    This can also be a way to get paid whilst still populating your site with fresh content written for you by the company itself. Businesses are often willing to provide the content that they wish to post on your site, and you have the power to accept or reject that content as per your specifications and guidelines. For example, you may be willing to add the link to a client’s website, but only if you’re the one that writes the content. The choice really is up to you.

    SEO Copywriting For Agencies and Businesses

    If you haven’t necessarily developed that high-metric site quite yet, or you feel that link building isn’t right for your blog, why not become a professional marketing copywriter? As high-quality content becomes more and more of a ranking factor for businesses online, agencies and companies are starting to understand the unquestionable need for professional copywriting experts. This, in turn, has opened a lot more opportunities for those looking to get paid for their writing on a freelance or in-house basis.

    Copywriters will often be given a subject to write on, as well as a sizeable brief of information to craft and make their own. It’s not necessarily the right fit for everyone, but if you’re a passionate writer looking to get some experience and funding under your belt, then this is a fantastic way to do just that.

    Affiliate Marketing, CPM and PPC Advertising

    If the options above require you to interact with other people a little too much, I can respect that, and luckily there are alternatives. Affiliate marketing and PPC advertising are two options that allow you to earn money based on the behaviour of your audience.

    Affiliate Marketing – This method involves links being placed within your articles which allow you to get paid, either for each click-through or for each purchase made through them depending on the agreement.

    CPM Advertising – A slightly-confusing initialism (CPM stands for Cost-Per-Mille, meaning Cost-Per-1,000 Impressions), this is an ad placed on your site which pays you per-1,000 times it is seen by a reader.

    PPC Advertising – PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising encapsulates a large portion of the ads you see on websites. In short, they are ads that pay you every time one of your readers clicks them.

    Whilst each comes with their drawbacks, namely the potential for annoying your readers if used too egregiously, each is a valuable tool if utilised well. If you do go down this route, it’s important to experiment, as some audiences will be more responsive to one form over another. Whatever you decide, PPC, CPM and affiliate marketing are all viable forms of income for those that have a high amount of traffic going to their website and don’t want to work directly with marketing agencies to create sponsored content.

    ~

    Being a writer on the internet isn’t the most luxurious of jobs, but it’s also an important one. The internet runs on content, and with more and more people globally going online as their first source for news, information and entertainment, it has never been more vital for good writers to have their voices heard. In other words, your work is appreciated, even if people aren’t paying for it most of the time. Good luck!

  • 5 Steps To Launch A Blog To Success

    5 Steps To Launch A Blog To Success

    Want to launch a blog to success but not sure where to start? In this article, you will find the simple 5 steps you can take to start a blog and make it into a huge success.

    If you didn’t know, blogging is a lucrative passive income and side hustle for many. Anyone can start a blog in just a few hours and start generating passive income on the side. Blogging has long been a great past time for students and I’ve even seen bloggers who went from hobby to full time writers!

    Without any delay, here are the 5 steps you need to take to launch a blog to success.

    1. Find a domain name

    A domain name is important as it represents your brand (don’t worry if you don’t have a brand now). When it comes to blogging, you should find a domain name that suits your niche.

    For example, it is always better and recommended to have the keyword of choice in your domain name.

    There is no wrong going for a self-named domain name like I do (www.reginaldchan.net). Even dot com, dot net or any form of TLD is fine. End of the day, it boils down to your self preferences.

    The cost of buying a domain name is cheap, typically under $10 per year. When it comes to domain names, my first and only choice is NameCheap.

    To make it easier for you, just use the widget below to find your ideal domain.

    Find a domain starting at $0.48

    powered by Namecheap

    [tcb-script] !function(){ var e=document.querySelector(“#sas_form”), n=document.querySelector(“#sas_domain”), t=document.querySelector(“#sas_link”); e.addEventListener(“submit”,function(o){ o.preventDefault(), t.value=”https://www.namecheap.com/domains/registration/results.aspx?domain=”+n.value; if(e.domain.value === “”){ window.location.href = document.querySelector(“#sas_url”).href; } else{ e.submit(); } }) }(); [/tcb-script]

    2. Choose a reliable web hosting service

    There are many web hosting services that you can choose from — but reliable ones? Only a handful to be honest.

    If you are brand new to blogging and want to get the best value for your money, HostGator is the best option. With web hosting that starts under $5 per month, there is no better deal than this one.

    Important note: Remember that cheap web hosting services doesn’t mean good.

    If you are looking for a more reliable web hosting service with superior performance, WP Engine and Kinsta are two of the best heavyweights in the market. By going for either one of these web hosting services, you are getting excellent support, along with bulletproof security and server performance.

    3. Install WordPress and plugins

    WordPress is a powerful CMS and there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t be using it for your blog. Using web hosting services such as HostGator, WP Engine and Kinsta, installation of WordPress can be done in just a single click.

    Here is a list of WordPress plugins you should install on your blog:

    • Yoast SEO / All In One SEO Pack
    • Contact Form 7 / Ninja Forms
    • Akismet
    • chevron-circle-rightAMP

    There are thousands of WordPress plugins that you can choose from, but you do not need to install many of them. Keeping your plugins to the minimum is always a great way to ensure your website loads fast.

    4. Publish your first blog post

    Publishing a blog post is not about simply writing a long-form content and hit the publish button. It involves checking, analyzing, research and of course, ‘beautifying’ the content.

    Most bloggers I see do not take enough time either in doing research or making the content much more readable.

    Research

    Doing research on a blog topic involves search engine optimization (SEO) and the easiest way to do proper SEO is by using KWFinder. You can create a free account and use it to search for relevant keywords (so that you rank higher and faster).

    Beautifying

    We all hate boring blog posts. Imagine the wall of texts. Those are seriously boring and unattractive. Beautifying a blog post could involves coding skills to make your content looks more attractive which is the hard way — or the much easier way by using visual builders such as Thrive Architect or Divi.

    5. Build fan base and followers

    The last step is critical for your blogging success … especially when you are looking to be successful in the future.

    From the first day of blogging, you should focus in building an email list to encourage readers to sign up. You can offer them perks such as eBooks and downloadable materials to help you get the ball rolling faster!

    The trick here is to start collecting emails as early as possible in your blogging career.

    Want to start an email list? Here’s what you need to do:

    • 1Signup for an email marketing provider such as AWeber
    • 2Integrate with your lead generation plugin (I highly recommend OptinMonster or Thrive Leads)
    • 3Create popups and different forms of perks to attract sign ups
    • 4Send daily or monthly emails to keep your readers engaged

    Are you ready to launch a blog to success?

    I hope you find these 5 steps easily and useful. Have a question? Ask me in the comments below!

  • 5 Winning Blogging Tips For Beginners

    5 Winning Blogging Tips For Beginners

    Looking for the best blogging tips for beginners? You’ve come to the right place. Carry on reading and you will find the top 6 winning blogging tips for beginners.

    1. Which is the best blogging platform?

    WordPress. Make no mistake. WordPress is the best blogging platform money can buy.

    It is easy to use, flexible and extremely beginner-friendly. More importantly, it is free for life.

    WordPress.com versus WordPress.org

    WordPress.com. It is a good blogging platform that you can start a blog with. It offers all-in-one solution for beginners such as domain hosting and security under one roof, with very affordable pricing. You can also easily scale your website when there is more traffic.

    WordPress.org. Commonly known as self-hosted WordPress, this is the most popular blogging content management system (CMS) for bloggers. The core difference of WordPress.org is that you are required to have your own domain (like www.www.reginaldchan.net) and in return, you have absolute control of your blog (from monetization to the way it works).

    2. Which is the best web hosting for bloggers?

    What is the best web hosting for bloggers? Personally, HostGator is the first web hosting company I used — and I have no regret recommending this to any blogger who wants it.

    A web hosting must be able to provide you with features such as security, one-click installation for major CMS and even backups.

    Click here to read more about web hosting services.

    3. What is the best blogging frequency?

    The answer is simple. As much as possible.

    The blogging industry is competitive and only the strong ones will sustain. When you are able to constantly produce content, your readers will be kept updated with the latest content — and this will make them come back for more.

    One of the best blogging tips for success is to publish as many content as possible to beat your competitors.

    4. How to create interactive content on your blog?

    Wall of text doesn’t work and it is really boring. On the other hand, interactive content is attractive and will turn heads — indirectly keeping your visitors longer on the side.

    The trick to creating interactive content on your blog is by using visual builders. For the record, there are dozens of WordPress visual builders that you can use. My personal favorite is definitely Thrive Architect (click here for the demo or read the review).

    Using Thrive Architect, I’m able to create content based on my needs and designing them to make my visitors go “WOW!” This is what I mean.

    thrive architect customize widththrive architect attention grabbing elementsthrive architect column layoutcustomize buttons using thrive architect

    5. How to make money from blogging fast?

    Your blogging success is often measured through the amount of money you make on a daily basis. Well, it makes sense in many ways.

    The fastest way to make money is through affiliate marketing as you are able to sell high ticket affiliate products.

    BONUS: How to Make Money By Blogging: How I Make 10K+ From Home

    At the same time, always remember that selling/promoting Amazon products is also a great way to generate passive income. Of course, this works best if your website audience are primarily from United States or United Kingdom.

    Last but not least, do not forget that Google Adsense is a nice substitute when it comes to making money from your blog. The only way to make a lot of money through Google Adsense is through optimized banner location and a large number of website traffic.

    Summary: 5 winning blogging tips for beginners

    I got to admit that there are many other blogging tips you can find but these are the top 5 winning blogging tips for beginners (which I personally use all the time).

    What do you think? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think!

  • How To Create A Web Blog [A Guide for Asians]

    How To Create A Web Blog [A Guide for Asians]

    I love being an Asian — from the street food to great hospitality, I’m proud to be an Asian. And if you are reading this (and an Asian), you know exactly what I mean. There is another advantage being an Asian — our exchange rate towards foreign currencies especially US Dollars makes entrepreneurship and creating passive income online an extremely lucrative industry.

    For you reading this right now, you must either be a student or young adult who already have a day job but seeking for additional income on the side. The good news, you are going to find a lot of valuable information here especially with creating passive income online.

    To be exact, I’m going to show you how you can create a web blog and make money within a few weeks.

    What is a web blog?

    A web blog is known as a website/blog where you publish information pertaining to your interest — and in return, you earn side income through monetizing the web blog using affiliate links and advertising banners.

    That’s good, Reginald. So, what should I do now? How should I create a web blog?

    How to create a web blog?

    Create a Web Blog

    I’m glad you asked. Follow these steps and you will be able to create a web blog under an hour. Of course, here are some pre-requisite to get started:

    1. Choose a topic that interests you

    It can be sports, health or anything else in between. The topic of choice must be able to make you stay awake at night and keeping you motivated to ‘do more.’

    For example, I love talking about WordPress and building passive income. So, this blog is dedicated heavily on WordPress, side hustle and online marketing.

    Avoid going for topics that pay you well because if you have no interest in it, you are going to be demotivated within months. When this happens, your web blog is be a disaster.

    2. Create interactive content

    Too many bloggers are creating content that are boring and if you want to stand out from the crowd, then start crafting content that attracts your visitors.

    The process of creating interactive content including not just your blog posts, as well as creating irresistible landing pages.

    An interactive content includes the following:

    • Short-paragraphed content
    • Interesting images
    • Videos within the blog post

    While you don’t have to have all the above in every post, integrating as many as possible in a post will help your content be more interactive and interesting.

    BONUS: Use this tool to make your content interactive and interesting.

    3. Start an email list

    Creating an email list goes a long way — even if you are just starting a web blog.

    An email list allows you to reach out to a wide range of audience in a very personal level. From promoting your online courses to selling an affiliate product, an email list will help you build passive income stream fast and effectively.

    Here’s a quick video for you (if you need help getting started with email marketing).

    [tcb-script src=”https://fast.wistia.com/embed/medias/9zkrhcd4ai.jsonp” async=””][/tcb-script] [tcb-script src=”https://fast.wistia.com/assets/external/E-v1.js” async=””][/tcb-script]  

    Learn how to grow your email list in less than 4 hours with step-by-step, expert guidance in six short and simple lessons.

    Start the course now

    4. Promoting your web blog

    If you want to create a successful web blog, you shouldn’t be shy in promoting it. The best way to promote a web blog is to go all out such as sharing on social media and using email marketing if you have an existing email list.

    Promoting your web blog allows you to generate more traffic and indirectly, improving the search engine result pages (ranking).

    Power up your social media marketing strategy

    Many bloggers agree that it very time consuming especially when you want to manage a web blog and multiple social media accounts at the same time. If you are feeling such heat, consider using PostPlanner as it is affordable and it is proven to give your social media marketing strategy a much deserved boost. Click here to read more about PostPlanner.

    Are you ready to create a web blog?

    Are you from Asia and looking to create a web blog?

    Tell me all about it and looking forward to connect with you in the comments.