AskPat 2.0: A Weekly Coaching Call on Online Business, Blogging, Marketing, and Lifestyle Design

Today's question comes from Jason, who asks about spam email list signups. What do you do to keep from getting a list full of spambot accounts? Jason's site is http://www.thesoundguyisinvisible.com/. I'm an advisor and big fan of the email service provider ConvertKit (http://askpat.com/convertkit). Do you have a question about email marketing? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Check out my free resource, Email the Smart Way, which will teach you what content to include in your email marketing: http://emailthesmartway.com/. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Kelly, who asks about the AskPat t-shirts. What is the distribution process? Kelly's site is http://wirededucator.com/. We use Printfection for distribution (http://www.askpat.com/printfection). For collecting questions, we use Speakpipe (http://speakpipe.com). Do you have a question about using promotional materials? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to Zip Recruiter for sponsoring today's episode. Go to http://www.ziprecruiter.com/pat to get started posting jobs today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Abdul, who has created a niche website and is filling out the content. What content is the most important? Check out my new book on validating your idea for a business, Will It Fly?, at http://willitflybook.com. A great tool to use is the Google Keyword Planner (https://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner). The Google search trick I recommend is to enter the following for a forum website (replace "forumwebsite.com" with the URL for the site you want to search): site:forumwebsite.com "I need" Do you have a question about writing for your website? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.freshbooks.com/askpat and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Aaron, who asks about a course I took, Michael Port's Heroic Public Speaking (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/hps). What did I get from this program? I also recommend SCOREE (http://www.scorreconference.tv/) and Toastmasters (https://www.toastmasters.org/) for improving your public speaking. Do you have a question about public speaking? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Jayson, who just started his blog four days ago. What should he do to get started the right way? Jayson's site is http://navyprogrammer07.blogspot.com/. I recommend a few tools in this episode, including Bluehost for self-hosting (http://www.askpat.com/bluehost). I'm an advisor and big fan of the email service provider ConvertKit. They have made advanced email marketing easy and affordable. Check out my affiliate link: http://askpat.com/convertkit. Do you have a question about getting your website started? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Rachell, who is in the process of reading Will It Fly? and has encountered an exercise the feels overwhelming. As an introvert, the idea of talking to strangers is very scary. What can she do to push past this fear? In this episode, I mention Darren Rowse from http://www.problogger.net/. Do you have a question about overcoming your fears? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Lesley, who spent eight years earning a professional degree. Now she would like to shift careers but worries about the time she spent earning that degree. Do I regret my architecture training? Do I ever use those skills now? Do you have a question about your career? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Jan, who asks about using StumbleUpon. While StumbleUpon increases her page views dramatically, it also pushes her bounce rate above 90%. Should she continue to submit her posts to StumbleUpon? StumbleUpon is a content discovery engine (http://www.stumbleupon.com/). Two different tools I recommend for studying and improving your site analytics are Crazy Egg (https://www.crazyegg.com/) and SumoMe (http://www.askpat.com/sumome). Do you have a question about increasing traffic to your site? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, iubenda. If you have a website, you need a privacy policy. iubenda will help you create one; go to http://www.iubenda.com/ to build an easy-to-read policy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Paul, who has a question about affiliate marketing. What happens if a user clicks on a product's affiliate link on two separate websites? Who gets the commission? Paul's website is http://photographytv.com/. Paul mentions my Smart Passive Income Podcast Episode 186 on affiliate marketing (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/session186). Check out my guide on Affiliate Marketing, Affiliate Marketing the Smart Way (http://affiliatemarketingthesmartway.com). Do you have a question about affiliate marketing? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Daria, who asks about my "be everywhere" strategy. Is it okay to put the same content across multiple social media and content channels? Daria's website is http://realrussianclub.com/. In this episode, I mention my podcasting tutorial (http://www.podcastingtutorial.com). Do you have a question about your marketing and social media efforts? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, iubenda. If you have a website, you need a privacy policy. iubenda will help you create one; go to http://www.iubenda.com/ to build an easy-to-read policy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Brian, who has a question about bookkeeping. Brian's site is http://cpr4educators.com/. Brian mentions the automation tool Zapier (http://www.askpat.com/zapier). The accountant I work with is Brian from Profitwise Accounting (http://www.profitwiseaccounting.com/). Today's sponsor, Freshbooks, is an excellent tool for your bookkeeping (http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat"). Stripe is an excellent tool for collecting credit cards and keeping track of the records (http://www.askpat.com/stripe). Do you have a question about the accounting side of your business? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from John, who asks about video podcasts. Are they a good idea? The host I recommend for video podcasts is Podbean (http://podbean.com). Do you have a question about video podcasting? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Jasmine. Do vending machines qualify as smart passive income? For an example of a vending business, check out my friend Matt Miller's School Spirit Vending (http://schoolspiritvending.com/). If you have a vending machine business, share your experience on Twitter with #AskPat672. Do you have a question about different business models? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, iubenda. If you have a website, you need a privacy policy. iubenda will help you create one; go to http://www.iubenda.com/ to build an easy-to-read policy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Glenn, who asks about the best way to structure his course. Should he provide access to all of the videos at once, or should he drip out the course content, providing access one at a time? Glenn's site is http://strategicstartup.com/. Do you have a question about structuring your course content? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Ruben, who asks whether it's possible to repeat my success. Is it possible for someone to follow what I've done and achieve the same results? Do you have a question about branding? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Share your thoughts on Twitter with the hashtag #AskPat670. Thanks to Zip Recruiter for sponsoring today's episode. Go to http://www.ziprecruiter.com/pat to get started posting jobs today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Mark, who asks which parts of my website I outsource other people. Mark's site is http://www.gigsthatwork.com/ In this episode, I recomment Upwork (merger of oDesk and Elance; http://upwork.com) and Virtual Staff Finder (http://askpat.com/virtualstafffinder). Check out Chris Ducker's book Virtual Freedom for advice (and his Three Lists of Freedom exercise) (http://askpat.com/vf). Do you have a question about outsourcing? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Megan, who works for a nonprofit organization and is looking to improve her email list's open rate. What re-engagement techniques do I recommend? I'm an advisor and big fan of the email service provider ConvertKit (http://askpat.com/convertkit). Do you have a question about email marketing? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Eddie, who asks about podcasting. The quality of his show has improved dramatically since he began the show. Should he go back and redo his early episodes? Eddie's site is http://changeyourpov.com/. Eddie mentions my free podcasting tutorial (http://www.podcastingtutorial.com) Do you have a question about podcasting? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, iubenda. If you have a website, you need a privacy policy. iubenda will help you create one; go to http://www.iubenda.com/ to build an easy-to-read policy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Andrea, who asks about blog content audits. Should she change post dates? Should she remove seasonal posts? Andrea's site is http://www.goodhealthgirl.com/. Andrea discussing Smart Passive Income Podcast Session 200, where Todd Tresidder and I discussed content audits (http://smartpassiveincome.com/session200). Here's the updated post I discuss: http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/the-most-important-conversation-ive-had-about-my-business-ever/. Do you have a question about content audits? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Neil, who has a question about increasing his social media involvement. He has a very busy schedule; is this something that he should outsource? Neil's site is http://thelawentrepreneur.com/. The tool I mention is Edgar (https://meetedgar.com/). Another option is Hootsuite (https://hootsuite.com/). Do you have a question about social media? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, iubenda. If you have a website, you need a privacy policy. iubenda will help you create one; go to http://www.iubenda.com/ to build an easy-to-read policy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Naureen, who asks about selling ebooks. What is to stop people from sharing your book after they download it? In this episode, I mention Gumroad's PDF stamping (http://blog.gumroad.com/post/40614820182/introducing-pdf-stamping). Share your experience on Twitter using #AskPat664. Do you have a question about ebooks? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Peter, who asks about my work schedule over the life span of Smart Passive Income. How many hours a week did I work each year? In this episode, I mention RescueTime (https://www.rescuetime.com/). Do you have a question about time management? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Adam, who asks about planning projects. How do I plan large projects and break them down into smaller pieces? Adam's site is http://morningroar.com/. In this episode, I discuss the project planning for my book on validating your idea for a business, Will It Fly? (http://willitflybook.com). Do you have a question about project planning? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, DesignCrowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Megan, who is working on a roundup post. How can she get influencers in her industry to respond to her emails? Do you have a question about building your business? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Braintree. Braintree will help you accept business payments for your products from customers across the world. Go to http://braintreepayments.com/pat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Travis, who hasn't launched his website yet. He's feeling overwhelmed by keyword research. How can he overcome this and get started? Kimanzi Constable shares advice for raising your profile with larger media sites in Smart Passive Income Episode 145 (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/session145). Do you have a question about getting started? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to Zip Recruiter for sponsoring today's episode. Go to http://www.ziprecruiter.com/pat to get started posting jobs today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Nicole, who asks about setting up a good design competition on 99Designs. What are best practices for getting the best designers to participate? Do you have a question about logo design? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from James, who asks about my strategy around websites and product URLs. Why (and how) do I set up new URLs like http://ebooksthesmartway.com/ that redirect to a page on the Smart Passive Income website? Do you have a question about your website setup? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Jason, who has a call-in show. His listeners are comfortable emailing questions; how does he get them to record their questions using Speakpipe? Jason's site is http://cameraquestion.com/. To enter to win the t-shirt from this episode, use #AskPat657 on Twitter. The tool that Jason references (and the one that I use for AskPat) is Speakpipe (http://www.askpat.com/speakpipe). Do you have a question about podcasting? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Serena, who has a blog that offers advice that involves the use of potentially dangerous tools and chemicals. How does she protect herself legally? Serena's site is http://thriftdiving.com/. Do you have a question about the legal side of your business? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Taj, who asks about using Skype for interviews. What are the best practices for using video? Here's the Mixergy Ugly Webcam infographic: https://mixergy.com/infographic-webcam-settings/. Do you have a question about interviewing? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Andrea, who wants to run a weekly question-and-answer session for her audience. What's the software for this? Andrea's site is http://godiaperfree.com/. For a recurring Q&A, I recommend GoToWebinar (http://www.askpat.com/gotowebinar). The other tools I recommend are WebinarNinja (https://webinarninja.co/; use discount code "patflynn") and Huzza (https://huzza.io/). The WordPress plugin I mention is Pretty Link (https://wordpress.org/plugins/pretty-link/). Do you have a question about webinars? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from James, who asks about how to best share his videos with his email subscribers. Should he send them to YouTube or should he send them to his website? James's site is http://jamesshipwayguitar.com/. Do you have a question about sharing your content with your audience? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Chris, who asks about managing Facebook when you have a business. How can he separate what he shows to a business audience versus what he would like to share with friends and family? Do you have a question about managing social media? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Mike, who asks about his email list. Now that he is getting subscribers, what type of content should he send to them? Mike's site is http://www.travelnursingclassroom.com/. Mike mentions my podcasting tutorial (http://www.podcastingtutorial.com). Learn about Teachable's "Crazy Eight Email Strategy" (http://blog.teachable.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-launching-your-online-course). To learn more about email management, go to http://emailthesmartway.com. Do you have a question about email marketing? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Katie, who asks about guest posting. How does she know what makes for a fair exchange? Here's the Viperchill article on guest blogging: http://www.viperchill.com/guest-blogging/. Do you have a question about guest blogging? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to Zip Recruiter for sponsoring today's episode. Go to http://www.ziprecruiter.com/pat to get started posting jobs today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Adam, who asks a question about something he read in my book, Will It Fly? I'm an advisor for several companies, and Adam asks what my goal is in acting as an advisor for these companies. What is it that I get out of this relationship? Adam's site is http://morningroar.com/. Do you have a question about your business? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Braintree. Braintree will help you accept business payments for your products from customers across the world. Go to http://braintreepayments.com/pat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Michael, who asks about podcasting. Will the fact that English is his second language hurt his podcast? The Polish podcaster I mention is Michal Szafranski (http://jakoszczedzacpieniadze.pl/). The podcast microphone I recommend is the AudioTechnica ATR 2100. For more on starting a podcast, check out my podcasting tutorial (http://www.podcastingtutorial.com). Do you have a question about starting a podcast? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Tim, who asks about job boards. Are they a good way to monetize a career website? Tim references my niche site, Green Exam Academy (http://www.greenexamacademy.com/). The job site I reference is Indeed (http://indeed.com) and the Indeed Publisher Program (http://www.indeed.com/publisher). Do you have a question about monetizing your niche site? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from John, who asks about conducting a content audit with podcasts. Should he delete older episodes of his show that are no longer relevant? John's site is http://thewiredhomeschool.com/. In this episode, John references Smart Passive Income Podcast #200 with Todd Tresidder (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/podcasts/how-to-do-a-content-audit-with-todd-tresidder/). Do you have a question about managing your site's content? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Winnie, who asks about WordPress category pages. How do you set up a separate blog and podcast page? Winnie's site is http://theletstalktechshow.com/. In this episode, I mention hiring developers at Upwork (http://askpat.com/upwork). Do you have a question about setting up your website? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Design Crowd. To learn more about working with their designers, go to http://designcrowd.com/askpat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Jen, who asks about Infusionsoft. Have I heard of it? What do I think about it? Here is the post I mentioned about my switch to, and then from, Infusionsoft: http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/why-i-switched-from-aweber-to-infusionsoft-to-convertkit/. My affiliate link for ConvertKit is http://askpat.com/convertkit. Do you have a question about email marketing? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Cathy, who is organizing her goals. How can she schedule the tasks that she wants to accomplish? The books I mention in this episode are Essentialism by Greg McKeown (askpat.com/essentialism) and The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan (http://www.the1thing.com/). Do you have a question about productivity? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Matt, who is in the process of starting a new podcast. Getting started is expensive; which are the parts that he must spend money on? I recommend the following tools and services: Bluehost (http://askpat.com/bluehost); Buzzsprout (http://buzzsprout.com) or Libsyn (http://libsyn.com); My podcasting tutorial (http://www.podcastingtutorial.com); AudioTechnica ATR 2100 microphone; Audacity (http://www.audacityteam.org/); Studiopress (http://www.studiopress.com/); Themeforest (http://themeforest.net/); Woothemes (https://www.woothemes.com/); Audiojungle (http://audiojungle.net/); Fiverr (http://fiverr.com/). Do you have a question about starting a podcast? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Jane, who has a course and is thinking about how to manage comments. Should she keep them within the course platform, or should she start a Facebook Group specifically for comments and questions? Do you have a question about courses? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to Zip Recruiter for sponsoring today's episode. Go to http://www.ziprecruiter.com/pat to get started posting jobs today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Joel, who has a service business. He's starting a podcast that will reach an audience beyond his brick-and-mortar business. Should he create a separate website for the podcast, or can he host it on his existing business website? Joel's site is http://lifestylechirocenter.com/. Do you have a question about promoting your podcast? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from a caller who wishes to remain anonymous—and asks about starting a business anonymously. Is this possible? In this episode, I discuss a lot of different content creators who don't use their own names, including Stampylongnose (https://www.youtube.com/user/stampylonghead), Ballistic Squid (https://www.youtube.com/user/iBallisticSquid), and The Blog Tyrant (http://www.blogtyrant.com/). Do you have a question about starting a business? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Jillian, who is looking for live events to attend. Which events would I recommend? The events I recommend in this episode are: Everything Food Conference: http://www.foodbloggingconference.com/ Social Media Marketing World: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/smmworld/ Podcast Movement: http://podcastmovement.com/ FinCon: https://finconexpo.com/ Smart Success Summit: http://smartsuccess.com/ See my speaking page: http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/speaking Do you have a question about networking events? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Anita, who has a question about podcast hosts. How does she host her files on Libsyn but get them to show up on her website? Anita's question is http://www.simplyspeakinggenealogy.com/. If you are starting a podcast, check out my free podcasting tutorial (http://www.podcastingtutorial.com). Your podcast host (like Libsyn), will offer you a podcast player to use. The other two WordPress plugins I mention are Powerpress (http://create.blubrry.com/resources/powerpress/) or my own Smart Podcast Player (http://smartpodcastplayer.com). The two file hosts I discuss are Libysn (http://libsyn.com) and Buzzsprout (http://buzzsprout.com). Do you have a question about podcasting? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Jon, who is new to affiliate marketing. It is still possible for someone to make the high affiliate income that I currently have? Jon references my income reports: http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/income-reports/. Do you have a question about passive income? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's question comes from Shawn, who asks about promoting a self-published book. He has a quality product but a small fan base; where should he put his time? In this episode, I talk about Facebook ads experts Amy Porterfield (http://www.amyporterfield.com/) and Rick Mulready (http://rickmulready.com/). Do you have a question about promoting your products? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.