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Bigstock Photo Free Trial plus 15 Free Stock Photo Sites

April 26, 2017 by Brent Peterson

You may be wondering how to find for free the perfect image for your web page or lead magnet (see what is a lead magnet) because of the English idiom “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

But the advice is timeless and sound.

People scan words online, but they pause for images.

Pictures evoke emotions more so than any copywriting because words often get in the way of the transformation you are trying to convey through your online business – see words to avoid in copywriting.

Even a picture of a family taking a picture is a powerful message:

Choose your images strategically for your home page and other landing pages.

Since your lead magnet is the starting point for your email marketing, be especially mindful of the emotions you are triggering in your target audience through imagery. For your reference, here is a client’s lead magnet example that shows a before and after transformation thanks to images.

You can also discover eight stock photo images in the new Graceful Resources guide “The Five Essential Characteristics of a Lead Magnet” by clicking here.

Bigstock Photo Free Trial

Bigstock Photo by Shutterstock has one of the greatest collection of images in the world with close to 50 million stock photos, videos, and vectors.

A single search on its homepage will yield thousands of results. Chances are, if you are seeking a high-resolution image for your website or lead magnet, you’ll immediately discover some great options. The 4 images in this post are all examples from BigStock Photo’s selection.

Bigstock Photo is a subscription-based service starting at $79/month for 5 images/day.

There is also a Bigstock Photo free trial available for 7 days. You can download up to 35 royalty-free stock images (5 per day) for your commercial use.

If interested, here is the link: Bigstock Photo Free Trial.

8 Bigstock Photo Recommendations

Here are eight recommendations if you plan to use the Bigstock Photo free trial but not the paid service:

Set a reminder on your phone to cancel your subscription in 7 days (otherwise you will be charged $79).
Select your photos beforehand (you can bookmark them in your browser) before you start your trial subscription so that you can quickly download your five images per day.
Choose images that represent the transformation you are offering.
If your images have people in them, select pictures of people that match your target audience (e.g. female working professionals in their 30s and 40s).
Download high-resolution images for a full screen (e.g. your homepage “above the fold” image) that are at least 1600 px wide.
Download high-resolution images for a lead magnet guide that are least 800 px wide.
When in doubt, remember that a high-resolution image can be downsized while maintaining its resolution. But it can’t be upsized without distorting the resolution.
Select more than one image for a particular key concept or message. You may change your mind after consulting with a friend, project manager, or customer on the best image for your website and email opt-in incentive.

If you are seeking additional free stock photos for blog posts or other forms of recurring content, here are 15 free stock photo sites worth exploring:

15 Free Stock Photo Sites

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Sometimes it is best to not let words get in the way of your message.

Cheering for your online success – one project step at a time!
Brent

5 Essential Characteristics of a Lead Magnet

April 19, 2017 by Brent Peterson

A lead magnet goes by many names (see what is an ethical bribe?), but what is most important to know, is that a lead magnet is essential for your business growth.

Your lead magnet inspires people to join your email mailing list when they visit your website or landing page.

Without an email mailing list, you can’t grow your business online.

Why Your Email List Matters

Without an email list, you can’t build relationships with your audience.

Without an email list, you can’t notify your audience of new posts.

Without an email list, you can’t share information with them about your new online course, ebook, project, etc.

Without an email list, you can’t segment your audience based on their interest (ConvertKit is recommended for this aspect – here’s why).

Without an email list, you can’t grow your business online and be profitable.

Without an email list, you can’t give yourself time and money back for what really matters in life.

5 Essential Characteristics of a Lead Magnet

You now know that an email list is critical for your online success.

But without a good lead magnet, you can’t start or build a relevant email list.

Not all lead magnets are created equal.

A professional lead magnet has five essential characteristics.

Rather than outline the case for each of these five lead magnet characteristics in a really long and less memorable post, the essential characteristics are now packaged for your quick reference in a (you guessed it) lead magnet!

Specifically, the lead magnet is a 9-page guide titled The Five Essential Characteristics of a Lead Magnet. Click here for your complimentary copy.

You’ll also receive professional advice once a week to apply to your own lead magnet and to your corresponding web pages and email marketing. There is no spam and you can unsubscribe from the list at any time.

If you choose to stay on the email list, you can also showcase your own lead magnet web address free of charge on the Lead Magnet Examples page here on the Graceful Resources website.

If you need professional assistance with a new lead magnet and the technical integration of web pages, opt-in forms, and email marketing, you will also receive a 25% discount to the strategic Lead Magnet Project.

Receive Your Free Guide

Cheering for your online success – one project step at a time!
Brent

What is an Ethical Bribe? Here’s Another Perspective

April 16, 2017 by Brent Peterson Leave a Comment

An ethical bribe is a fancy term for an opt-in incentive to join an email mailing list.

In other words, it is a lead magnet (here are some lead magnet examples for your reference).

A Form of Business Exchange

A lead magnet or ethical bribe is a form of exchange.

You gain someone’s contact information (e.g. email address) and the other person receives your ethical bribe.

For example, the person who signs up for your mailing list receives the benefits of the ethical bribe (such as a free resource guide) and the additional benefits of the email subscription. Your business, in exchange, receives the person’s contact information (typically an email address) to stay in contact and build a relationship with the person.

A good ethical bribe will:

Attract the right leads to your mailing list and business.
Grow your online business automatically.
Give you time back for your family and friends.

Another Way to Look at an Ethical Bribe

Long before the information age, an ethical bribe had a very common name and that is…

Free samples.

Chances are, if you walk into a local bakery or café, you will still be treated with a delicious sample from the chef.

Why do these small businesses give away food for free?

The reason is obvious.

The free sample demonstrates their expertise in food preparation. If the sample is delectable, you will likely pay for more of it.

You will also feel the need to reciprocate the free offer.

In the digital world, your online ethical bribe is your free sample.

Keep it simple and related to your area of expertise.

Just like a bakery chef shouldn’t offer free wine tastings of someone else’s wine, you shouldn’t design a lead magnet that is unrelated to your line of work.

The gesture may be appreciated by someone, but the connection is lost.

Give your leads a free sample that builds trust in you and has them asking for more from the ethical bribe chef!

Ethical Bribe Example

For your additional reference, click here for an ethical bribe (lead magnet) example that outlines the other four characteristics of an essential lead magnet.

Receive the Free Guide

Cheering for your online success – one project step at a time!
Brent

ConvertKit Free Trial and Free Product Creation Masterclass

April 12, 2017 by Brent Peterson Leave a Comment

ConvertKit is a professional email marketing service with some notable benefits in a crowded marketplace (here’s why I switched from AWeber, Constant Contact, GetResponse, and MailChimp to ConvertKit).

If you are just starting out as an online entrepreneur or you are changing direction with your web toolkit and business products, ConvertKit is a great foundation for email marketing.

ConvertKit is actually easier to use than AWeber, Constant Contact, GetResponse or MailChimp.

It’s also more powerful for your business because it allows you to create unique tags for your email list.

ConvertKit Free Trial

At any time, you can test out a ConvertKit 30-day free trial via this promotional link:

ConvertKit Free Trial

The ConvertKit free trial is good for one month free of charge for up to 1000 subscribers.

After thirty days, the cost is $29/month (until you exceed 1000 subscribers).

If you already have over 1000 subscribers (or you know ConvertKit is right for you), you can lock in two months of ConvertKit for free today by selecting the Pricing tab on the ConvertKit website and then click on the Annual Billing button:

Then click TRY IT FOR FREE in the ConvertKit column that fits your subscriber list size.

ConvertKit Free Trial and Free Product Creation Masterclass

If you are seeking guidance on how to create a new product, ConvertKit again offered a free product creation masterclass starting on January 15, 2018.

Details from ConvertKit on the free product masterclass are provided below.

As an extra bonus, if you are new to ConvertKit, you also qualify for the ConvertKit Free Trial for one month.

What is the Product Creation Masterclass?

A four-week long project walking you through every step it takes to create a successful product from scratch.
Twenty daily lessons sent straight to your inbox, Monday through Friday running April 24th through May 19th.
Weekly live trainings led by the ConvertKit team walking through the lessons and answering questions.
Four expert interviews from Melyssa Griffin, Jeff Goins, Chris Guillebeau, and Maya Elious where they share their experience in building online products.
Free trials to Samcart, Thinkific, Meet Edgar, and Teachable for all registrants, including a 30 day free trial of ConvertKit for new customers.

I hope these free resources are of value to you.

If so, here is what you need to do:

Sign up for the free ConvertKit trial.
Schedule time on your calendar starting January 15, 2018.
Grab a good cup of coffee (or two) each day.
Take great notes and make your first (or next) product happen!

Full Transparency

Graceful Resources has an affiliate relationship with ConvertKit so if you decide to invest in ConvertKit via any promotional link on this site, I am eligible for a nominal commission from the good folks in Idaho at ConvertKit if you decide to pay for the service. There is no extra cost to you.

If you start using ConvertKit, you are encouraged to set up an affiliate relationship with them as well. You’ll want to spread the word too. The software is that good, and I would use and recommend ConvertKit even if there was no affiliate program.

How to Take Advantage of Opportunities (or Positive Project Risks)

April 5, 2017 by Brent Peterson

Risk isn’t always a bad thing.

Granted, the risks in the earlier post 4 Ways to Manage Risk on Web Projects did cast risks in their typical negative shadow.

Negative risks should be handled carefully on any project related to your online entrepreneurial ventures – whether you are starting out full-time or as a part-time side gig.

But not all risk is negative.

Risk can actually be positive (and another name for a positive risk is simply an opportunity).

According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) – the international standard for projects from the Project Management Institute – there are four suggested responses to project opportunities.

Managing Risk is Critical

Any new resource or process you offer online in service to others is created in a project. And your success depends significantly on your ability to then manage risks on your projects.

Project management helps you.

So if you are in search of how to take advantage of opportunities that surface on your online entrepreneurial projects, read on…

… and if you are interested in other weekly professional tips about the critical project side of online entrepreneurship, simply click here to join the free mailing list.

How to Take Advantage of Opportunities

There are four commonly accepted ways to take advantage of opportunities (or positive risks) on projects. Like the ways to manage negative risks, once you are familiar with the ways to manage positive risks, you will also be better positioned to plan ahead for the inevitable positive risks of doing business online.

1. Exploit the Opportunity

When you exploit an opportunity, you take deliberate action in your project plan to eliminate the uncertainty of the upside risk. In other words, you make sure the opportunity is seized.

In technology-related projects, a common way to take advantage of opportunities like this is to assign an experienced project manager or to use proven software solutions.

2. Enhance the Opportunity

When you enhance an opportunity, you take steps to increase the probability or the impact of a positive risk occurring. For example, if you discover there is a strategic advantage to finish a project activity earlier than you planned, you can add more resources to the activity to enhance the opportunity for your business.

3. Share the Opportunity

When you share an opportunity related to a project (like a product launch), you share part of the reward of the opportunity with a third party. In the online entrepreneurial world, these types of opportunities are often called joint ventures.

In a joint venture, you may pay another party 50% of your product sale if the other party is responsible for the customer of that particular sale.

4. Accept the Opportunity

Lastly, when you accept a positive risk, you do not exploit, enhance, or share the opportunity. You simply hope for the best and if the opportunity surfaces, you happily take advantage of the size of the opportunity.

For example, you realize there is a chance your online membership product will appeal to a different demographic that you are targeting. Rather than marketing directly to them through Facebook ads, you accept the opportunity as is.

Project Management Works for You

The secret to successful online entrepreneurship is simply this…

Plan your work and then work your plan.

The four ways to manage negative risks are critical elements of any project. But the four ways on how to take advantage of opportunities are also critical for your success.

Plan ahead but don’t accept all risks – both positive and negative.

Your success depends on it.

If you are seeking further professional project guidance for online entrepreneurship in a supportive and interactive environment, you may be interested in the upcoming Graceful Resources project on How to Build a Relevant Email List.

Note: The kickoff date for this Graceful Project has shifted to June so that all project components are in place for your benefit. Please accept my apology for the delay.

Stay Connected to Project Announcements

Even if you already have a mailing list, the scope of the project is worth a close look. It is designed for professionals like you who have other full-time responsibilities.

Positive and negative risk strategies will be clearly outlined for participants.

Cheering for your online success – one project step at a time!
Brent

Rainmaker Platform Review: Is Rainmaker Right for You?

March 28, 2017 by Brent Peterson

The Rainmaker Platform is a complete online turn-key solution from Rainmaker Digital (formerly Copyblogger Media) for entrepreneurs who are seeking a WordPress-based platform with a lot of out-of-the-box functionality for online commerce – such as a landing page designer, course builder, membership area, and checkout workflow.

Summer 2017 Update: The Rainmaker Platform software application is currently closed for new customers.

Is Rainmaker Right for You?

As is the case for any software application, it depends on your online business goals and preferences.

Think of the Rainmaker Platform like owning a fully-furnished vacation home or condo that includes all maintenance, security and cleaning services. It’s not inexpensive real estate, but it does offer peace of mind so that you can focus on a great vacation experience for you and your guests.

Your property, whether we are talking about real estate or a website, can also grow significantly in value over time if operated professionally.

Rainmaker Platform Review

If the thought of patching together multiple pieces of technology (aka WordPress plugins) – and then testing security patches for those plugins on a regular basis – would keep you up at night, Rainmaker is worth trying out for free.

Consider what is included with Rainmaker (and this isn’t everything):

A library of professional StudioPress themes to use.
Top-notch secure hosting for your managed WordPress website.
SSL certification for secure customer navigation and transactions on your site.
Unique WordPress interface that is relatively easy to navigate and operate (especially for entrepreneurs who have not used the native WordPress dashboard).
All technical maintenance for WordPress updates and built-in plugins.
Integrated Learning Management System (LMS) for online courses.
Members-only features for your customers (e.g. access to digital downloads and courses).
Landing Page creator (here’s why landing pages are important).
Fully integrated email marketing (works seamlessly with AWeber, Constant Contact, ConvertKit (what I use and recommend – here’s why), MailChimp, and Infusionsoft. Rainmaker also now has its own integrated mail service called RainMail that is free for Rainmaker customers for up to 999 unique emails on your mailing list.)
An extensive library of marketing and how-to resources to build your platform.
Exclusive access to an online community of other Rainmaker users. This is a great forum to ask questions.
Friendly and helpful customer support if you ever get stuck. Just submit a support ticket from your Rainmaker dashboard.

Customers can give Rainmaker a test drive for 14 days. After that, the complete professional package is $145 – $165 per month (subject to change). If you add up all the costs of running a website (e.g. software, WordPress hosting, email marketing, landing pages), it can actually be a significants savings for your small business.

If you are planning to offer online courses, then you can really come out ahead financially because Rainmaker has that covered too with its own integrated Learning Management System (LMS).

Most reputable LMS software services like Teachable.com, Thinkific.com and NewKajabi.com will run you at least $100/month for their professional plans. With Rainmaker, your customers never have to leave your site for a consistent and integrated experience and it is included in your account.

10 Benefits of the Rainmaker Platform

Secure website hosting and performance.
Design tools to create and modify a WordPress website that looks equally great on computer screens and mobile devices.
Content creation tools for text, audio, video, and graphical messages.
Search engine optimization recommendations (through the proprietary Scribe Content software – now called Content Optimizer). This feature is big (I once paid $47/month just for this SEO software).
Lead generation tools via email integration and membership pages.
Easy to access metrics about your site’s business performance.
Extensive library of marketing webinars to build your business.
SSL Certificate included for secure payment transactions with customers (another cost saving with Rainmaker).
Integrated Learning Management System (LMS) to host your own online courses.
Landing page creator for sales pages, opt-ins, and call to action opportunities. You can even set your Rainmaker site to display your own custom landing page while your site is being developed or under maintenance.

Lesson Learned

This site called Graceful Resources runs on the Rainmaker Platform and is the fifth WordPress site I’ve designed for my own online business. I now professionally design and integrate sites for clients. Over the past nine years, I’ve learned a lot about setting up and maintaining business and community websites (and always learning something new every week!)

It’s a rewarding experience to do-it-yourself, but it is also brutally time-consuming. The online rules of engagement continue to change and you are forced to learn something new technically-speaking almost every week. It can be very hard work and frustrating.

The Rainmaker Platform launched publicly in 2014, and I now highly recommend it for clients and prefer to use Rainmaker (over native WordPress) when setting up their sites for long-term growth and impact. When I hand over the keys to clients on a new site, Rainmaker makes the transition much easier because the technology side of things isn’t as cumbersome as it is with a self-hosted WordPress site.

Discover More About Our Project Work

Is the Rainmaker Platform Right for You?

Rainmaker was created by Rainmaker Digital (the same team behind the industry-recognized StudioPress Genesis framework and child themes, and the Authority content marketing training).

There is still a lot to be learned about blogging, content creation, product development and online marketing. Thankfully, Rainmaker allows customers to focus more on that business learning curve, and not on the technical one.

Give Rainmaker a Try

If you are the fence about Rainmaker, I encourage you to give it a try for two weeks for free so that you can make an informed decision.

This site runs on Rainmaker so I am a customer too. I trust it for my long-term growth and I think you will too.

Savings Opportunity

If you prepay for a year of Rainmaker (click here to get started), you receive almost two months free of charge per year.

Full Transparency

Graceful Resources has an affiliate relationship with Rainmaker so if you decide to invest in Rainmaker via this link (or any of the Rainmaker links in this post), your use of this affiliate link helps support the growth of Graceful Resources. There is no extra cost to you.

If you start using Rainmaker, you are encouraged to set up an affiliate relationship with them as well. You’ll want to spread the word too. The software is that good, and I would use and recommend Rainmaker even if there was no affiliate program. But simply one referral per month will cover your software cost of this powerful platform.

Do you have other questions about Rainmaker?

Please let me know via response to the free Graceful Resources weekly email or my contact form. I am here to help.

If you end up building your website through Rainmaker via this affiliate link, please drop me a note. I am happy to take a look at your new site and to offer you free feedback to help grow your online business operation.

Cheering for your online success – one project step at a time!

Brent