Frank Carr at OpTempo has created some really awesome software and is selling it at a rock-bottom price. With Link Luv Post Builder you can create a large list of related posts in seconds and, in a few more seconds create a linking post. But don’t stop there. In this article I am going to show you all the different ways I have found (so far) to use this excellent and inexpensive (only $27) software. If you are a blogger or need to create or distribute content of any type, you will find many uses for this software. Now that I have it I know I will use it several times a week. Here are just five ways in which you can use Link Luv Post Builder to automate, optimize and freshen up your blog.

1. Creating Speedlinking Posts

Link Luv Post Builder was designed to do exactly what its name suggests: build “link luv” or speedlinking posts just like my weekly Trip Around the Blogosphere. I generally put those posts together using my feed reader and I often find that I am constantly including the same blogs in the round-up. While they are all deserving, I have been looking for a way - without adding to my already packed schedule (and feed reader) - to discover new blogs in my niche. When Frank announced this new software, I knew that if it did what it was supposed to do, then it was the answer.

With this software, you can literally create a post full of relevant links, perfectly formatted for your blog, in less than two minutes. You choose feed sources (you can customize these and there is also a built-in list to start with - this way you can discover new stuff while still including your old favorites), enter a keyword and press Search for Links. Link Luv Post Builder returns a list of up to 100 recent, relevant links in seconds. From there, you can hand-pick the links you’d like to include in your post, have several random links chosen or just include them all. You then press the “Generate Post” button.

The post, including cues for intro and wind-up is created with links and summaries intact. All you need to do is add whatever customizations you’d like to add, click “Copy HTML” and post it to your blog. Without reading any support material, I had created my first speedlinking post from start to finish in less than five minutes - and that included playing with the settings a bit. Clearly, Link Luv Post Builder fulfills its intended purpose beautifully, but I’d like to share a few more bonuses about this application.

2. Clean and Lean

Before I go into detail on the other ways I have found to use Link Luv Post Builder, I have to tell you how lean this software runs. While this isn’t exactly something the software can do for you, it’s always good to know that an application isn’t going to work against you (by slowing or stalling your PC). For the somewhat-robust search that is being performed followed by the tasks afterward, I would have expected my not-so-state-of-the-art PC to groan a bit. Instead, my CPU usage never went above 20% (it runs at about 8% on idle!) and I could use other applications while it was searching without a hiccup.

This is important to me because (1) I tend to run a lot of programs at once and (2) when an application runs smoothly it increases my faith that the coder knows what he/she is doing. This means that, not only will I be able to count on the application, but I should also be able to count on the person for customer support and trust any future products they may release. All right, enough about that. Let’s get on to the fun stuff.

3. Finding Link Partners

When it comes to finding link partners, there really are only a few easy-ish options. You could search manually using Google and Technorati. This type of search could prove both frustrating and fruitless. Another option is to invest in a piece of expensive software that will find related blogs. There are some good options on the market, but at $100 and up, I wasn’t ready to invest. With Link Luv Post Builder, you search for a keyword and are returned 100 links. That is 100 potential link partners who are writing blogs or site content related to yours. If you ask me, that is some pretty powerful stuff. All you have to do is follow the links, find their contact information and you have a simple, foolproof link exchange system.

4. Branching Out, Brainstorming or Unblocking Creativity

If you are anything like me, every once in awhile you find yourself in a bit of a niche rut. You feel like all the articles are just rehashed rewrites of a post from last week and no one (including yourself!) seems to be putting out anything fresh or original. Often a big cause of this is that you are reading the same blogs all the time. You can use Link Luv Post Builder to branch out and find unique material outside whatever niche hub you are in at the moment. There tend to be little clusters of bloggers that all link to one another and rarely link outside the group. This application can help you to break out of this and find new bloggers with fresh (at least to you) ideas.

When you find new writers to read they can really help you to find new thing to write about. And I don’t mean you should start creating the rehashed rewrites that got you down in the first place, but a new set of creative thinkers can completely change your mindset and put you on a whole new, interesting path. And the greatest thing is, you are finding these blogs and sites using your chosen keywords. This means you can stay within your blog’s topic while still finding fresh perspectives and paradigms.

5. Finding out What is Hot (or about to be) in your Niche

When you customize Link Luv Post Builder, you will most likely add the feeds that you are already reading so you’re sure not to miss your favorites in your niche. Chances are, you read a healthy number of blogs related to your topic (if you don’t, you really should be) and they will end up in the list of feeds that Post Builder checks out. This means that you will be able to spot trends in your niche very quickly and jump on them before they are stale.

Let’s say a new affiliate program is launching for a great new product. Three bloggers in your niche start talking about it and you notice this right away because Link Luv Post Builder is combing your keywords. That means that instead of being the fifteenth person in three days to pitch a product, you could be fourth or fifth on the first day because you are better able to stay on top of things than you would by just trying to remember to check your feed reader or dig through emails.

I just can’t say enough great things about this application. It is full of uses, insanely low-priced and super user-friendly. If all that keyword stuff seems way too complicated, Link Luv Post Builder is a great place to start because it is so simple to use. After just a few quick steps, you will have a large list of related blog posts to check out, build a post with or just have some fun poking around undiscovered territory. Without hesitation, I recommend this product to any niche blogger who wants to recognize other bloggers in their niche, stay on top of trends and also expand their reach beyond their feed reader rut.

You can have your very own copy of Link Love Post Builder for just $27. That is not an affiliate link, it just goes to Frank’s blog post about the application, which is full of great information as well. If this post sounded a bit hype-y I apologize, it really is just my sincere enthusiasm for this product.

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Here are some interesting articles published in the last few weeks.

Kris Larson hands out some great advice at Blogging Tips about how to Keep up with your Blogs While Keeping your Cool. For many of us, blogging doesn’t mean a couple of posts a week at one domain. I would say that the vast majority of bloggers have multiple blogs to manage. Kris goes over some basic tactics you can use to avoid burnout and stay at the top of your blogging game 9 Comments »

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I have been spending most of my time lately building Build a Niche Store sites. That’s why my posts have been fewer and farther between here. The software is seriously so much fun and so easy to use. Also, using tips from Blogger Unleashed, my sites are indexed fast and already bringing in a healthy amount of organic search engine traffic - especially for brand new domains.

Until I start making a decent amount of money, though, I don’t want to spend any more money on this venture unless it is to buy more domain names to build more sites. In my situation, I needed to find some free tools to create professional-looking custom headers to match the professional stores that BANS creates. A custom header can make all the difference when it comes to really creating a trustworthy, professional storefront. In my dreams, I pay David Airey to create all my custom headers, but, as I said, this article is about free tools.

To create my custom templates, I use three free tools. These are very good tools, not some hokey-pokey got-it-free-from-a-reseller-site crap. As you try these tools out, you will find that they are filled with great options and you may even find you like them better than their often-overpriced counterparts.

It’s Like Photoshop … but Without the Scary Price Tag

The first free tool I use is the GIMP graphic editor. It is open-source and feels and works a lot like Photoshop. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but once you get to know it a bit you’ll realize that with the right add-ons and knowledge, you can do anything with GIMP that you can with Photoshop. I started using GIMP last year when I installed Ubuntu Linux on my laptop and ended up a total convert. Given their nearly-identical feature sets, I would choose GIMP over Photoshop any day simply because it uses much fewer system resources so it never makes my other applications slow down or hang altogether.

Search Engine Optimization Made Simple

The second free tool I use is an application called WebCEO. This application might seem like it has nothing to do with headers, but it really does. You will want to watch your stats very closely when you add a custom header to make sure you haven’t de-optimized your site by removing any keywords. Let me explain that a little better. You see, out-of-the-box, a BANS site asks you to determine the site title. It then uses this site title to populate your header. When you replace this header, the site title is in the way so you need to delete it. Sometimes this can affect your search engine rankings because you have removed some keywords. With WebCEO, you can keep a very close eye on your rankings to be sure they haven’t suffered because of your customization.


Let me be clear on this, though. If you have the money for Keyword Elite and SEO Elite, then those are the applications you should be using for this. I’m on a very limited budget right now so I haven’t yet purchased those tools. There is a paid version of WebCEO that might be a viable competitor for the other paid applications, but I haven’t tried it so I can’t vouch for it. For now I have found the free version suits me just fine. The application is just packed with search engine optimization, keyword research and all kinds of other killer tools to help you set up and keep track of your site’s rankings. The WebCEO dashboard is intuitive, so you probably won’t even need to read any user guide files. Each tools in the application walks you through a step-by-step up customization process so there is no guessing involved. And you only customize the tools as you begin using them. This means the setup time is very minimal and I just take a few moments to customize the new tool options as I need them. WebCEO connects to the web on a regular basis to update search engine information so you will always have super-fresh statistics.

Free, Fresh Fonts

Finally, sometimes you just get tired of the fonts you have. While you don’t want to go overboard or use these fonts outside of graphics, picking up some new free fonts can really spark your creativity and make a header look really great. The sites I use for free fonts are Simply the Best Fonts and 1001 Free Fonts. It is very easy to get lost in these sites for days because there are so many cool fonts to look at. The key here is to get in, quickly find a font you like and get out. Also, keep in mind that an overly garish or crazy font can make your website look amateurish and this can seriously kill your crediblity and, thus, your sales. If you aren’t sure if a header is overdone, then just assume it is and simplify. Better safe than broke.

As I have shown and explained on this site many times, I’m not a cheapskate. Yes, I love free tools that do great things, but I’m also not against paying for applications that are worth their price. A great example of this is BANS. Another is the PC Secret Formula. These are products I bought and really love. The thing is, I have to keep myself on a budget right now. I’m not a guru-millionaire, I’m just slowly working my way toward a respectable online income. If that’s where you are right now, then you can understand why I write these articles sharing free options for paid tools. If I had unlimited tools I would most likely buy the paid application. But I don’t. And I am very thankful for those programming folks who create these great, free options.

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I have a very special treat for my readers today. Hopefully this fun and interesting video will brighten up your Monday.

A couple of weeks ago I sent a list of interview questions to my five favorite bloggers. They all responded (you guys rock!) and I will be writing those interviews up and posting them over the next few weeks. However, today I will be showing you Vic’s interview. Rather than use boring old text to answer my questions, Vic decided to do a video for me.

I am a big fan of Vic’s videos. His charisma and clear passion for teaching folks how to succeed online is contagious. I really appreciate him taking the time to answer my questions and the video is full of interesting information. If you are one of those folks who have a bad impression of Vic, maybe this video can help you see that he’s just a very smart, knowledgeable guy who really wants to help others succeed.

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photo credit: bwd8010

There will be no Trip Around the Blogosphere this week. Not because there hasn’t been anything worth linking to, but because I honestly haven’t had time to read much, let alone write about it. Instead, this Sunday I want to talk about a new system I have been using to maximize the time I have to work online.

On the drive home Friday, I was scrolling through all the tasks I wanted to get done this weekend. It got to the point where I started to stress myself out a bit. Negative thoughts are something I try my best to avoid at all times so when I catch myself thinking them I really focus and put a positive spin on things. In this case, I realized that all the tasks I had to do were self-appointed and the reason why I was doing them was because I am thoroughly passionate about my online work. Now what could be bad about that?

Once I had that straightened out, it was just a matter of figuring out what I was most interested in doing. Awhile ago, I came up with a series of questions that helps me determine where to start when my to-do list becomes overwhelming. Putting this list into play is a great way to avoid inertia and gain momentum in a productive direction. Since the list has helped me so often, I thought I would share it here.

• Do I Have Any Deadlines?

  We don’t always have the luxury of doing what we want when we want to. Sometimes there are clients waiting or doors closing soon and we just have to buckle-down and get things done. I’m not even sure this should be on this list because when we have deadlines, our time isn’t really our own to plan. I mean, sure, you could choose to miss the deadline, but that’s just shooting yourself in the foot. If you have a looming deadline, get that task done first. That way, you really can be free to choose.

• What Will Make Me Money?

  For some of you, this will always be the first question. With my 9 to 5, I don’t have to always ask myself this question. However, it is still near the top when I am trying to figure out where to start. If you are looking at a long to-do list and you just don’t know where to begin, ask yourself which of the activities is most likely to make you some money.
  
  It doesn’t matter if it’s short-term or long-term profit. If you are choosing between writing a review of a new social network or writing a review of software you use for which you are an affiliate, go with the software. It’s a simple way to narrow down your tasks if you are the only one counting on you to get things done.

• Do I Feel Creative

  I always have at least a few things to do that require a bit of creativity. Whether it is a blog post that requires more than just the facts or a header for a new site, I am not always at my best for getting these types of things done. So when I do feel creative, I take advantage of it.
  
  The only drawback - if you want to consider it that - with this question is that sometimes a creative mood will take me away from work altogether. When I am feeling especially creative, sometimes I’d rather devote my time to drawing, painting or playing guitar. Unless I am under deadline, I welcome the change of pace and just go with it. As with the money question, my 9 to 5 often gives me the freedom to do what I want in my “free” time. It’s very strange to think of my 9 to 5 as freeing, though, because most of the time I consider it the most restraining thing in my life. Hmmm…

• How is my Attention Span?

  Some tasks take 100% of your attention and others don’t. It seems like an obvious statement, but we can’t always force ourselves to focus. when I need to read to learn, watch a how-to video or write a blog post, it is very hard to do if my attention span isn’t with me. So if I know I’m not at the top of my game focus-wise then I will do something a little less intense.
  
  
  This question is especially helpful when I have just come home from a particularly hectic day at my 9 to 5. Those type of days tend to put me in multi-task mode, not a great state for activities that require all my attention for a length of time. I like to use this time to read interesting blog posts, write links posts or jump around on forums. Once I start working, I usually find my interest sparked and eventually I end up focused on something.

• Do I Just Need a Break

  
  
  I’m not always great at checking in with myself when it comes to physical or emotional well-being. I am the type of person who will ignore or hold everything in until I reach the tipping point and explode. Boy, that was a nice mixed-metaphor wasn’t it? Yikes. Anyway, sometimes when my to-do list seems overwhelming it is simply because my brain needs a break. Between my often-brain-busting 9 to 5 and my always-bustling work online, I often find myself burning the candle at both ends. This would be okay, except that eventually my work (in both places) starts to suffer and sometimes I just plain shut down.
  
  When I start to feel overwhelmed to the point of inertia, I remove myself from my home office. Sometimes I need a full day away from my PC and sometimes a couple hours will do the trick, but I have gotten better at knowing when it is time to paint, nap or hang out with my friends. By including this question on my regular prioritizing list, I force myself to check in and can catch my burn-out before it reaches that always-explosive tipping point. Heh.

And there you have it. The five questions I ask myself when I’m just not sure where to start. So readers, tell me how you prioritize? How do you know when it’s time to take a break? Is it always about the money? Share with me.

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