Side Hustle Spark #299: Nick Loper’s Blogging Toolkit

The above list highlights products and tools that Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation uses to keep his blog running.

Do take the time to get further details from his post.

Most of you probably have most bases covered, but maybe there’s room to grow, customize, or streamline. Thus…this list.

Take a look and share with a friend.

Reminder: This is just info, with no affiliation to Side Hustle Nation.

https://www.sidehustlenation.com/nicks-blogging-toolkit/

I hope this helps.

Forge forward!

Side Hustle Spark 293: Check out highlighted posts (dozens)

I’ve updated my highlighted posts page.

The more I worked with it, however, the more I heard ‘the voices’: “You need more updated content! You need more updated content!”

Yeah, welcome to my world, where the voices don’t just talk…they sing. ;->

Anyway, some of the other link categories include: Content Marketing, Inspiration for Side Hustlers, Chris Guillebeau/Side Hustle School, Seth Godin, NIck Loper/Side Hustle Nation, and Blogging.

I hope you find content that hits one of your targets.

Side Hustle Spark 288: Upping Your Freelance Game (Side Hustle Nation)

Even Buddy turned away from his incessant begging gig to check this out.

Nick Loper brings back Chris Misterek, who’s earned over $80K via freelance web developer gigs.

Chris’s main website: https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/

From Nick’s email:

“We cover how to:

— tap into the $2.5 billon freelance marketplace (where Chris himself has booked over $80k worth of work).

— set up your profile for success.

— create filters so you only bid on jobs that are a great match.”

Here is Chris’s first chat with Nick Loper–From ‘No Skills’ to 3K a Month on the Side–the most downloaded episode of 2020.

Here’s to forward momentum!
Hope today’s post will help.

Side Hustle Spark 276: Nick Loper’s latest ’20 Questions’

Nick’s 12th in this series…

Expect solid content and practical advice when Nick Loper posts his ’20 Questions’ editions of The Side Hustle Show.

These are just some of the topics he explores in his latest 20 Questions.

1. Teachable as his online course tool

2. Skimlinks

3. Accelerating the process of growing a community

4. Side hustle opportunities for retirees

5. The benefits and logistics of bundle sales

NOTE: Spend an extra ten minutes on the linked page to follow links he mentions in the latest edition and/or click to his previous 20 Questions podcasts.

Side Hustle Spark 238: Side hustle insights from Quora and Side Hustle Nation

I took a quick look at sidehustlecurator posts with the most likes. 

My translation: People gained insight, info, and valued resources from them.

So, for those visitors who haven’t seen these four.

The first two link to Quora.

Side Hustle Spark 116: What is your side hustle and how do you do it?

Side Hustle Spark 117: Kyle Baker on Quora

Suggestion 46: Stop Trading Time for Money! 71 Passive Income Ideas

Suggestion 44: Nick Loper’s Side Hustle Nation Quarterly Report


For a subject-by-subject look at sidehustlecurator,
check out my Posts Organized by Topic page.

Side Hustle Spark 176: Chris Guillebeau (Side Hustle School) advises on a personalized journal

As I’ve said before, I could probably just hitch my wagon to and pinpoint good stuff from certain folks or sites.**
Copyblogger, Side Hustle Nation, and ryrob.com come to mind.
And then there’s Chris Guillebeau of Side Hustle School whom I’ve followed since 2014.

Because I’ve also dabbled with a journal prototype, I found a recent episode of his podcast even more relevant than usual.

As Chris points out in the opening, you may have no interest in producing and selling a personal journal, but many of the steps–his word, ‘pathway’– apply to other projects.

Here is the direct link to the actual seven-minutes of audio.

His key points:

  • Projects like this come down to a. design b. printing and c. marketing.
  • Look to team up with designers/contractors [Upwork and Fiverr].
  • Printing options: local, national, or international. At one point, he did use printingforless.com.
  • International printing may be cheaper, but adds variables like lag time [shipping].
  • His advice: For a first project, avoid international printing.
  • Marketing: Think about marketing from the beginning of the project.
  • It’s not just about the product, it’s about the message.
  • Start with message, then explore design.
  • Copyright? Everything that you make on the Internet is automatically copyrighted. It doesn’t mean it won’t be snagged by lazy, low-life toads. [My term, not Chris’s. He’s much more diplomatic than I am.]

Here is a three-page PDF of my own journal prototype–two actual pages that I would have duplicated and a page of links.

** But where’s the fun in that?

Side Hustle Spark 175: Nick Loper (Side Hustle Nation): Site Startup to Site Selloff

The year was 2011.

Side Hustle Nation’s Nick Loper had an idea: Add to his existing expertise in the virtual assistant space and build some affiliate income.

And so virtualassistantassistant.com was born.

Year 1: $1000 in earnings. That was enough to convince him this was a viable idea.

Here’s his story.

His post/outline of his story offers plenty of value, but running the full 46 minute podcast is well worth your time.

Just a few takeaways…

  • What worked well–early on–was ‘trying to crowdsource a critical mass of honest user reviews’.
  • “One thing that did work on the SEO front was not a lot of people were creating dedicated content about hiring on these different platforms.”
  • Close to 90% of his traffic was organic.

Pete McPherson from Do You Even Blog plays guest-host and steers Nick’s review of the 9 1/2 year process.

Pete’s own takeaways from the interview:

  • Patience. You’re in it for the long haul.
  • Scratch your own ‘niche’.
  • Diversify your income streams.

**As always with Nick’s podcasts, if you’re short on time, I suggest using his convenient table of contents to guide your listening.


My Manifesto

Side Hustle Spark 171–: Freebie from Side Hustle Nation: How to Start a Side Hustle Blog

Since January is often about ‘starting’, take a look at Nick Loper’s free six-part video series on blogging.

Even if your blog is well-established, Nick raises salient points and shares worthwhile tips.

The six components:

  1. 4 Reasons to Start a Blog
  2. Don’t Call It a ‘Blog’
  3. 8 Ways Blogs Make Money
  4. What to Blog About
  5. How to Get Your Site Online
  6. How to Install WordPress

Added freebie: The lead magnet 365 Blog Post Ideas.

Note: There are plenty of blogging experts out there, including Ryan Robinson of ryrob.com, whom I’ve pointed you to several times.

My bias as a long time teacher: One expert’s approach may fit your needs and learning style better than another’s.

And what you bring to the course at any given time makes a big difference…so again, I’m trying to set the table. It’s up to you to grab a plate and dig in.

Best of luck. I’m in your corner.

My manifesto