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

Today's question comes from Andrew, who asks about his backlog of YouTube videos. Does he need to keep a backup of the files after they are uploaded to YouTube? The video editing file I mention is Screenflow for Mac (http://www.telestream.net/screenflow/overview.htm). Do you have a question about your videos? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, MileIQ! MileIQ tracks your mileage automatically for your taxes. Text “Pat” to 31996 to try the app for free. 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 Will, who asks about building a business based on a broad range of products and topics. Does his niche have to be narrow? Share your thoughts about this on Twitter using #AskPat483. Do you have a question about building your niche 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 Rocky, who asks how to bounce back from failure. I have found a lot of helpful advice on haters from Derek Halpern (http://socialtriggers.com/). The WordPress plugin I mentioned (the one that is successful) is the Smart Podcast Player (http://smartpodcastplayer.com). Do you have a question about improving your mental toughness? 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 Scott, who asks how to make the most of his No. 1 Google ranking. What should he do to help build his business? Scott's site is http://cybergrooveam.com/. The keyword tool I use in this episode is SEM Rush (http://www.semrush.com/). The user testing site is http://peak.usertesting.com. Do you have a question about making the most of your site's traffic? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today's sponsor is Earth Class Mail. Earth Class Mail brings your snail mail to the cloud. Go to https://www.earthclassmail.com/pat to get your first month free. 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 Jackie, who asks about improving her site's page rank. She seems to be doing everything right, and yet her site is not ranking. What can she do to improve? I share my thoughts. Jackie's site is http://FreedomThroughPassiveIncome.com. Do you have a question about your website? 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 Reine, who asks how to livestream a podcast with interview over Periscope. Reine's site is http://www.pmchats.com/. The episode of the Smart Passive Income Podcast that Reine mentions is #177 (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/periscope-another-fad-or-the-next-big-thing/). The plugins I recommend for recording calls over Skype are Ecamm Call Recorder for Macs (http://www.ecamm.com/mac/callrecorder/) or Pamela for PCs (http://www.pamela.biz/). The recording website I recommend is Blab.im (http://blab.im). The Periscope gear I discuss in the episode is all available here (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/periscope-gear/). Do you have a question about Periscope? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, MileIQ! MileIQ tracks your mileage automatically for your taxes. Text “Pat” to 31996 to try the app for free. 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 Diego, who asks how to increase sales for the courses he has on Udemy.com. Diego's site is http://www.diegodavila.com/. Good plugins for hosting courses include WP WishList (http://member.wishlistproducts.com/), WP Courseware (https://flyplugins.com/wp-courseware/), and Zippy Courses (http://askpat.com/zippycourses). Another platform I've heard great things about is Teachable (https://teachable.com/). Do you have a question about creating and selling courses? 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 Casey, who asks about using the AudioTechnica ATR2100 microphone. The microphone is picking up too much of the breathing sounds. What should he do? Casey's site is http://www.ministerstoolbox.com/home. In this episode I recommend using a pop filter and/or a microphone pre-amp. The pre-amp I use is DBX 286s, connected to my microphone with an XLR cable. Here's the video from Music Radio Creative on how to set up your pre-amp (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR1KoMAqfJA). Do you have a question about podcast quality? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, AWeber. Your email list is your most valuable asset—get started today. Go to http://www.aweber.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 Laurence, who asks why I write ebooks instead of creating courses. Why do I choose ebooks? Laurence's site is http://learntocodewith.me/. We're giving away this episode's shirt on Twitter. Use #AskPat476 within the first week of launch to enter. Do you have a question about your information product strategy? 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 David, who asks how to build a business around one-time only transactions, rather than ongoing purchasing relationships. I discuss the marketing around my one-time sales at my niche site, Green Exam Academy (http://www.greenexamacademy.com/). Share your thoughts on Twitter with #AskPat475. Do you have a question about marketing to your audience? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Lynda.com. Try out all of Lynda.com's courses for free for seven days. Go http://lynda.com/AskPat to get started. 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 Erich, who wants share a behind-the-scenes look into a launch with a special audience. Where should that live? On his blog? On Facebook? Erich's site is http://harmonyinsights.com/. The community Erich mentions is at http://patsfirstbook.com/. I discuss building an ambassador group with Jeff Goins on Smart Passive Income Podcast Episode 79 (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/book-marketing-time-travel/). Do you have a question about building an ambassador group? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. To win the AskPat shirt, share a tweet using #AskPat474 within one week of this episode's publishing date. 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 Jourdan, who asks about building an audience of gamers. How can he draw this audience to his site? Jourdan's site is http://jourdanb.com/. Do you have a question about building traffic to your site? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, AWeber. Your email list is your most valuable asset—get started today. Go to http://www.aweber.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 Keil, who has a question about website analytics. With so many factors that impact traffic, how do you know which variables to focus on? Ke's site is http://www.crostrength.com/. Do you have a question about your website's analytics? 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 Justin, who asks about choosing which affiliates to work with. What are my criteria for making these decisions? An example of the special landing page I mention is http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/bluehost. Do you have a question about affiliate marketing? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Lynda.com. Try out all of Lynda.com's courses for free for seven days. Go http://lynda.com/AskPat to get started. Thanks to LegalZoom for sponsoring today's episode. Go to http://www.legalzoom.com/ and enter the discount code "Pat" at checkout. 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 Josh, who is trying to name a podcast without violating a government trademark. In this episode, I talk about the trademark problems I ran into with my niche site, Green Exam Academy (http://www.greenexamacademy.com/). Do you have a question about naming your podcast, blog, or product? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Lynda.com. Try out all of Lynda.com's courses for free for seven days. Go http://lynda.com/AskPat to get started. 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 Patrick, who asks about feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of getting into online business. Where does he get started? I recommend the book The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan (http://www.the1thing.com/) and Essentialism by Greg McKeown (http://gregmckeown.com/essentialism-the-disciplined-pursuit-of-less/). I also recommend reading the post by Kevin Kelly called 1,000 True Fans (http://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/). Do you have a question about getting started? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to LegalZoom for sponsoring today's episode. Go to http://www.legalzoom.com/ and enter the discount code "Pat" at checkout. 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 Victor, who asks about insuring himself as a self-employed individual. How does he find insurance? Victor's site is http://moneyuseitwisely.com/. To find your state's health insurance marketplace, go to https://www.healthcare.gov/. Do you have a question about self-employment? 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 Ozzy, who asks about his podcasting strategy. Can one show have two formats? For advice on setting up a podcast, try my free podcasting tutorial (http://www.podcastingtutorial.com). 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 Jonah, who asks about curating content. He mentions paper.li, but asks if I recommend any content curation plugins. Jonah's site is http://testingthemuse.com/. The tool I recommend for finding out what people are sharing is BuzzSumo (http://buzzsumo.com/). Do you have a question about your blog's content strategy? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. To share your own advice on this topic on Twitter, use #AskPat466. Thanks to our sponsor, Lynda.com. Try out all of Lynda.com's courses for free for seven days. Go http://lynda.com/AskPat to get started. Thanks to LegalZoom for sponsoring today's episode. Go to http://www.legalzoom.com/ and enter the discount code "Pat" at checkout. 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 asks how I would structure blog for preparing for a test and learning a new topic. Paul talks about my niche site, Green Exam Academy (http://www.greenexamacademy.com/), which I set up to prepare for the LEED exam. I recommend using a self-hosted WordPress blog (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPwQvnar99w). Do you have a question about blogging? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Lynda.com. Try out all of Lynda.com's courses for free for seven days. Go http://lynda.com/AskPat to get started. 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 Patti, who asks about starting a podcast. Does she need the full setup I usually recommend? Can she start by just recording Skype calls? Patti's site is http://pattigood.com/. Check out my podcasting tutorial (http://www.podcastingtutorial.com) for getting started. For recording Skype calls, on Mac use Ecamm Call Recorder (http://www.ecamm.com/mac/callrecorder/), on PC use Pamela for Skype (http://www.pamela.biz/). An excellent inexpensive microphone is the AudioTechnica ATR 2100 (http://askpat.com/atr2100). 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 Prabhu, who asks about building his email list. He's getting social engagement but people aren't subscribing to his email list. What should he do differently? In this episode I mention 1-Day Business Breakthrough (https://1daybb.com/). Do you have a question about email marketing? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, AWeber. Your email list is your most valuable asset—get started today. Go to http://www.aweber.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 Sean, who asks about LeadPages. How do use LeadPages for delivering enhanced content to current subscribers? Sean's site is http://flightcrit.com/. In this episode, we discuss LeadPages (http://askpat.com/leadpages). Do you have a question about using enhanced 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 Sam, who asks about making versions of his website in multiple languages. Is it worth the time? Sam's site is http://edmprod.com/. Use Google Analytics to help you make this decision (http://www.google.com/analytics/). Do you have a question about making your site multi-lingual? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, AWeber. Your email list is your most valuable asset—get started today. Go to http://www.aweber.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 Wendy, who is getting back into self-employment. How should she balance her time between working and learning? In this episode, I mention a show I love, Internet Business Mastery (http://www.internetbusinessmastery.com/). I'm a big fan of using Evernote for saving content (https://evernote.com/). Do you have a question about learning skills for building your business? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, AWeber. Your email list is your most valuable asset—get started today. Go to http://www.aweber.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 Wesley, who asks about two blogging terms: trackbacks and pingbacks. What are they? Do you have a question about a blogging term you don't understand? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. To learn more about email marketing, go to http://emailthesmartway.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 Darin, who has been building a blog and has a question about post metadata. What is the difference between categories and tags? Darin's site is http://mystartupchallenge.com/. The WordPress plugin for combatting spam is Growmap Anti Spambot (https://wordpress.org/plugins/growmap-anti-spambot-plugin/). Share your advice with Darin on Twitter using #AskPat458. Do you have a question about blogging metadata? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Lynda.com. Try out all of Lynda.com's courses for free for seven days. Go http://lynda.com/AskPat to get started. 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 Estevan, who asks about niche sites. Is the traditional niche site outdated? How do you learn enough to become an authority in your niche? The site I mention in this episode is http://howtobakeapotato.com. The tool I used to analyze the site is SEMrush (http://www.semrush.com/). I discuss my niche site project, Niche Site Duel (http://www.nichesiteduel.com/), and the niche sites I built out of this Security Guard Training HQ (http://www.securityguardtraininghq.com/) and FoodTruckr (http://foodtruckr.com). Do you have a question about niche sites? 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 Nick, who asks about affiliate marketing. Is it okay to put multiple affiliate links on a page, or should he put each on a separate page? In this episode, we use Bluehost as an example (http://askpat.com/bluehost). Do you have a question about affiliate marketing? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, AWeber. Your email list is your most valuable asset—get started today. Go to http://www.aweber.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 Kitt, who has questions about crowdfunding. Which site do I recommend? Kit's site is http://theillustratedcoach.com/ The crowdfunding sites I discuss are Kickstarter (http://www.kickstarter.com/), IndieGogo (https://www.indiegogo.com/), and GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/). I talk with Dwight Peters from BackersHub about crowdfunding in Smart Passive Income Session 117 (http://smartpassiveincome.com/session117). Do you have a question about funding your next project? 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 Tom, who asks about Google search algorithm changes. He was hit with a Google penalty, and even after updating his site, it still hasn't recovered. How can he get back into Google's favor? Check out Neil Patel's guide on QuickSprout to recovering from Google penalties (a short link to the article: http://askpat.com/penalty). Do you have a question about the Google search algorithm? 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 Jay, who asks about mentorship. How can he find a mentor? Jay's site is http://www.respect1st.com/. My review of Azul Terronez's book is on SPI TV (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/the-art-of-apprenticeship/). The printing company for our t-shirts is Printfection (http://www.printfection.com/). Do you have a question about mentorship? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Lynda.com. Try out all of Lynda.com's courses for free for seven days. Go http://lynda.com/AskPat to get started. Check out my new email marketing guide at 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 AJ, who asks about domain flipping (the buying and reselling of domain names). Is it a good income strategy? In this episode I talk about a principle Nicole Dean shared with me in Smart Passive Income Episode 009 (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/spi-009-make-money-by-making-the-web-a-more-wonderful-place-with-nicole-dean/). I also discuss flipping websites using Flippa (https://flippa.com/) and my friend Chris Guthrie who has done this successfully (http://upfuel.com/). I tried this once with http://beginnergolftips.com/. Do you have a question about income strategies you've read about online? 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 Ethan, who asks about launching his new website. Should he set up a pre-launch landing page? Ethan's website is http://whydidntyouask.com/ and his Twitter name is @ethanpariseau. In this episode I talk about the launch strategy for my niche site FoodTruckr (http://foodtruckr.com/). Do you have a question about landing pages? 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 Stefan, who asks about outsourcing. How do you know when it is time to outsource a task? Stefan's site is http://howtolucid.com/. A few great companies for finding staff are Upwork (merger of oDesk and Elance; http://upwork.com) and Virtual Staff Finder (http://askpat.com/virtual stafffinder), as well as Fiverr (https://www.fiverr.com/) and 99 Designs (99designs.com/spi). I recommend Chris Ducker's book, Virtual Freedom, for discovering which tasks to outsource (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/vf). The calendar tool I mention is Calendly (http://calendly.com/). Do you have a question about outsourcing? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Be sure to check out Email the Smart Way (http://emailthesmartway.com). Thanks to our sponsor, Lynda.com. Try out all of Lynda.com's courses for free for seven days. Go http://lynda.com/AskPat to get started. 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 Ray, who has a podcast that isn't showing up in search on iTunes. Ray's podcast is http://topagentsplaybook.com/. Do you have a question about podcasting? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Check out my new guide on email marketing at http://emailthesmartway.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 Ximena, who asks about my posting schedule for my blog posts, podcast, and video. What is my schedule? In this episode, I mention Darren Rowse (http://problogger.net/) and Derek Halpern (http://socialtriggers.com/). The tool I recommend is Coschedule (smartpassiveincome.com/coschedule). Do you have a question about blogging? 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 Ted, who asks about images in blog posts. How should he name his images? Ted's website is http://www.beersinsac.com/. The tool I recommend is Sumo Me (smartpassiveincome.com/sumome). Do you have a question about the nitty-gritty of blogging? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, AWeber. Your email list is your most valuable asset—get started today. Go to http://www.aweber.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 Jordi, who wants to help his peers get started with their own freelancing businesses. He lives in an area where security is a concern—how safe is it to share details about his personal income? I share reports on my income with my audience (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/my-income-reports). Do you have a question about sharing with your community? 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 Jim, who has several different interests. How does he choose which interest will make the best podcast? To learn how to better serve your audience, listen to Smart Passive Income Episode 178 with Ryan Levesque (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/the-ask-formula/). The acronym I use is FOCUS (Follow One Course Until Success), from John Lee Dumas (http://www.eofire.com/). Do you have a question about starting your podcast? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Lynda.com. Try out all of Lynda.com's courses for free for seven days. Go http://lynda.com/AskPat to get started. 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 Richard, who works in Formula One racing. Each race weekend he gets a big spike in traffic. How can he convert that traffic into book sales? Richard's site is http://jobinf1.com/. Richard talks about my very first niche site, Green Exam Academy (http://www.greenexamacademy.com/). Take a look at Google Trends (https://www.google.com/trends/). Do you have a question about taking advantage of the traffic that comes in to your site? 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 Ian, who is looking to build his confidence with public speaking and in interviews. Would starting a podcast help him improve his public speaking? Ian's site is http://logogeek.co.uk/. I share my experience with using a podcast to build my confidence with public speaking. Do you have a question about improving your confidence in an area of your business? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, Lynda.com. Try out all of Lynda.com's courses for free for seven days. Go http://lynda.com/AskPat to get started. 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 Jonathan, who asks about adding links into ebooks. Jonathan’s site is http://www.best27inchmonitor.com/. In this episode, I talk about Geni.us, which helps you join international Amazon affiliate programs (http://geni.us). Do you have a question about affiliate marketing? 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 Tony, who asks about content promotion. Tony mentions Derek Halpern, who spends a lot of time promoting his content (http://socialtriggers.com/). The tool I use for recycling social posts is Edgar (http://meetedgar.com/); the tool I use for my editorial schedule is Coschedule (http://smartpassiveincome.com/coschedule) Do you have a question about promoting your 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 Peter, who has to move often. What’s a good online business for someone on the move? In Episode 46 of the Smart Passive Income Podcast, Dane Maxwell talks about how to find a business idea (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/no-ideas-no-expertise-no-money-business/). The post by Kevin Kelly I mention is called 1,000 True Fans (http://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/). Do you have a question about getting your business started? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, AWeber. Your email list is your most valuable asset—get started today. Go to http://www.aweber.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 Thomas, who asks if I still have meetups in person. Use the hashtag #AskPat439 to let me know if you’re interested in my idea. Do you have a question about networking with others? 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 Todd and his kids Joshua and Jenna, who ask about blog comment platforms. Do you recommend Disqus? Smart Passive Income uses Disqus (https://disqus.com/). My friend Cliff uses Livefyre (http://web.livefyre.com/). The spam plugin I mentioned (but didn’t work well for me) is Akismet (http://akismet.com/). The spam plugin that did work for me is Growmap Anti-Spambot Plugin (https://wordpress.org/plugins/growmap-anti-spambot-plugin/). Do you have a question about blogging plugins? 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 Tony, who asks about how my online business has impacted how I feel about design. Tony’s site is http://designerhacks.com/. Tony mentions Smart Passive Income Podcast Episode 90 (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/architecture-online-business/). In this episode, I also talk about what I’ve learned from Derek Halpern (http://socialtriggers.com/) and from my designer Dustin (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/meet-team-flynn/). Do you have a question about how design impacts 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 Will, who hopes to convince his podcast guests to provide offers for his audience. The problem is that he doesn’t have an audience yet. How should he get started? I share how I would go about finding offers for my podcast audience. Do you have a question about podcasts? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to today's sponsor, AWeber. Your email list is your most valuable asset—get started today. Go to http://www.aweber.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 Michael, who asks about single opt-in for email marketing. In this episode, I mention my interview with Ryan Levesque on Smart Passive Income Podcast Episode 179 (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/underused-methods-for-building-your-email-list/). 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.