Smart network marketers turn to blogging to create an online presence that brands them as a leader and gives them an opportunity to interact, share what they know and build relationships with their readers. No company website can do that for you- no matter what they say at the corporate meetings!
You need a personalized site that is all about you and what you offer others as a leader but how do you pull that off especially if you have very little experience in the Blogosphere and online?
You have 2 options. Pay for a self hosted blog or start a free one. There are some major differences with the 2.
When we started creating MLMMVP.com Nerve Centers for our clients, we got a ton of people asking us what the difference is with WordPress.org and the free blogging platforms like WordPress.com and Blogger.com.
They wanted to know…
Why would you use something that you have to pay for when you can get a blog for free?
What are the advantages to using a self hosted WordPress.org?
For bloggers, this has been a sticky question for a long time.
Don’t let the Free fool you! The “no cost blog” comes at a price.
In my opinion, the free accounts available online suck (sorry to be so blunt)!
Here are my top 10 reasons WHY free blogs suck…
- You don’t own anything on it! You are basically writing content for them for free.
- They can cancel your account at anytime for anything they feel is against their terms of service. You can lose everything you had in the account! If you are building assets and online equity- it can all be taken away in a flash and you will have to do battle for months to get it back – if you ever do.
- Limited widgets- no flexibility in the functionality of your site.
- No custom php themes can be added
- No custom php plugins
- Monetization rules are very strict! No ads or anything that looks remotely like an advertisement
- No shell or FTP access – limiting what you can add to your site (files, images, etc)
- Very few offer the opportunity to add a lead capture form or contact me box (the whole reason you have a site in the first place)
- The URLs are really long (and ugly) with the extra .blogspot or .wordpress.com on the end
- Unprofessional. How do you think you look using a free account and not willing to spring for the $7 a month to host your own?
I believe having a blog on WordPress.org is really the only way to go.
They are very inexpensive and with a bit of help you can have a blog set up in minutes.
- You own everything on it. Building long term online equity
- You can back up all your information in just a couple clicks. If something does go wrong you can be up and running in no time
- You can professionally brand yourself through your site – contact info, forms, free offers, images, messages
- You control the information and what you put in – ads and all!
- Completely customize how you want your blog to look and function
- They offer unlimited plugins, widgets and templates – most of which are free
- You have full access to your entire site
- URLs are just your www.your_domain.com for your home page – much nicer to look at and share with others
- And so so so much more!
What you are looking at right now is a self hosted wordpress.org site. It has been customized to be our Nerve Center or the ‘Online Home’ of our entire business.
It costs us less than $30 a month to run the entire thing – including our sales funnel and autoresponder service.
To get your own wordpress.org site you will need to have website hosting and register a domain name. Most domain names are less than $20 a year and you can get hosting packages for $5- 10 a month.
Now I will warn you that setting up a really nice blog can be a difficult process. There is definitely a learning curve.
Be prepared to spend some time learning a bit of html, how to use your file manager in Cpanel, or an ftp client and how your blogging platform works.
A very basic blog can be launched in only a few minutes with just a domain name and a hosting account but to set up a Nerve Center and have it function perfectly you will need some help and more than a couple lessons on how to maneuver within your account.
Our MLMMVP.com members get access to sites just like this one designed personally for them.
We provide EVERYTHING needed for a fully functional wordpress.org blog with all the plugins, custom theme and logos, lead capture form, sales funnel and full ‘walk you through each step’ training on using, customizing and marketing your Nerve Center for less than $100.
Skip the hassles of creating your own NC – fill in the form below and take our one time offer (ordering your NC later costs you $50 more) and forget the free blogging platforms – unless you enjoy losing tons of time, money, effort and struggling to make your business work.
We promise never to share the information you provide us.
What do you use? Are you a Free or a Paid sort of marketer? We’d love to hear from you…
February 5, 2010 at 1:23 am
Hello, just discovered this blog but I have to say that it looks nice. I totally agree with you. Have a nice day, keep up the great work and I will definitely keep reading.
February 18, 2010 at 8:10 am
I appreciate the incredible information you have to share here. This blog has kicked my business in to high gear! LOVE YOU GUYS!
February 19, 2010 at 5:41 am
Burton- that is my cat’s name! He’s named after Burton Cummings of the Guess Who. Happy that we can help your business in anyway. Let us know when you get your Nerve Center up so we can check it out and leave a comment for you. Cheers!
February 19, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Great post. I totally agree with you. Long live Erica Jones! Queen of Network Marketing!!!!
February 20, 2010 at 12:33 am
Your blog keeps getting better and better! So true – Free does not always mean better.
Keep it up guys.
February 20, 2010 at 2:17 pm
hey e, nice post. i’ve learned alot from this one. didn’t realize how important it was to have a paid blog. definte advantages.
thanks! xx
love the douche bag vids too.
February 21, 2010 at 2:21 am
Hello Kenny & Erica! It looks like your site is up and coming!
I’ve been following you guys since the gonebig days. You’ve really got lots to share and it always (no matter what its regarding) helps my home business, enlightens me or just cracks me up.
i’ve been telling my team that they need to switch to a paid blog site for months.
Thanks for the back up!
February 21, 2010 at 4:31 am
I merely wanted to say thank you, I a habitual reader of your blog and don’t mind saying I LOVE IT!!!
I’m following you on twitter and subscribe to your YouTube your feed.
So again, thanks for writing content worth visiting for a change. Lots of blogs disburse nonsense that clogs up the web but you all are making a difference.
Needless to say – you’ve got me switching to a paid blog. It just makes sense. What I put on MY blog is now MINE!!!
Thanks again!
February 21, 2010 at 8:47 am
Great information… thanks for your review of the paid & free blogs. I’m switching to paid. Don’t know how I’ve made it this long with my free one.
I’m getting a NC too. Talk to you guys soon. We appreciate you all showing us newbies love!
February 21, 2010 at 6:09 pm
I really like when people are expressing their opinions and thoughts. I saw your post and thought, “why would anybody pay for a blog.”
Now I know and I stand corrected. Very good post & blog.
February 23, 2010 at 6:18 pm
EXCELLENT POST! and they’re so right. you can use a free blog. or you can get a kick ass (excuse my french) nerve center from Kenny & Erica right here!
http://kennyanderica.com/mlmmvp-nerve-centers/
shameless plug for you guys
but you’ve done wonders for my home biz. thanks again.
February 24, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Wonderful post! and I am impressed.
It seems if ever I get stuck with an mlm problem – you always seem to find a way of getting me the info I need! before I turn to or look at anything else, I always check your blog.
I would recommend the paid blog too. Its helped my business tremendously!
February 27, 2010 at 2:43 am
Hola!
great post – i’m jacked EVERYTIME you guys post. i’m switchin’ to paid too. ‘ppreciate all you do!
February 27, 2010 at 3:34 am
I rarely leave comments – But this one really help me make up my mind on switching to a paid blog. I enjoy all your blog post…I found this one especially especially helpful!
thanx!
February 28, 2010 at 2:50 am
Now you’re just showing off! but I like it!
I really love reading your blog! Its always loaded with good stuff.
I never thought I’d be saying this but sometimes FREE ain’t better. Listen to these guys people, they are true leaders in this industry!
February 28, 2010 at 5:11 am
sorry for being a show off gregory
you are so right, some times free ain’t better. you can do so much with your paid blog and the best part about it is…IT’S YOURS!!!!
thanks for commenting.
February 28, 2010 at 5:16 am
you’re quite welcome nick. i think you’ll be happy you did switch. if you’re in the market for a personalized nerve center have a look at this page.
http://kennyanderica.com/mlmmvp-nerve-centers/
we do all the leg work for ya. all you’ve got to do it fill it up with content. good luck!!!
February 28, 2010 at 5:16 am
thanks botang! welcome to the party!
February 28, 2010 at 5:21 am
carolyn, we’ve been receiving your questions telepathically!
always glad to help and it’s nice to hear your biz is taking off.
February 28, 2010 at 5:24 am
thanks for the plug sindy. and your “french” is…quite exquisite! i’ve been know to use a lil’ french now and again.
I think you’ll find that paid blog (or MLMMVP Nerve Center) is going to get you taken alot more seriously in the marketplace. good luck and if you have ANY questions, do not hesitate to ask.
February 28, 2010 at 5:29 am
Ashley, thanks for the comment. we used to think the same thing, “why would i pay for a blog when i can use a free one?”
its a matter of choice but we’ve found that prospects will take you a lot more seriously if you’ve got yourself an actual website. plus all the content is YOURS! and the functionality that comes with the paid site is so much better.
glad you like the post and thanks again for leaving a comment. good luck with your new site!
February 28, 2010 at 5:36 am
T-Town glad to be of assistance. you’re gonna love your Nerve Center. we don’t mind showin’ you newbies love either. we wish we had someone like us when we were gettin’ started…does that even make sense?
holler at you soon. and good luck!
February 28, 2010 at 5:39 am
hey angie, nice to have you aboard! glad you like the content. we try to make it worthwhile.
good luck with your new site – i’m beginning to think i outta get some stock in wordpress! let us know if you need any help at all…with anything!
April 3, 2010 at 3:19 pm
get your pocketbooks out gang. paid looks waaaaaaaay more professional! if you’re trying to run a business and brand yourself as a leader and cant fork over the 7 bucks for a domain name & 20 bones a year for hosting – nobody will take you or your business seriously. I repeat – NOBODY!
you’ll be glad you splurged.
great post k & e. keep it up.
April 3, 2010 at 6:44 pm
Viva La Kenny and Erica!
Great Post – I’ve been a fan since the douchebag series came out. You’ve helped my business TONS!!! and you can cross me off the douchebag list
this is a excellent post. there are perks to both free and paid blog sites. but i was using a free blog and going nowhere in my business. with mlmmvp and my new nerve center i’ve actually started to build my own list.
follow these guys and listen to what they have to say – they WILL defintely help your business.
April 7, 2010 at 1:48 am
Worker Bee- were you ever really a DB? Great job on your NC… it looks amazing! Keep it up!
April 7, 2010 at 1:51 am
I love the splurged bit- splurged- what a funny word! Thanks Carol!
April 7, 2010 at 10:57 am
Hey, I was looking for info on blogs and came across this site. I’ve had a crumby free blog from blogspot for years that has NEVER done anything from my biz.
Thought you’d want to know, thanks to your post, I’m switching to paid. It’s a great post
Thank you so much for the info.
Oh yeah, almost forgot, I love the douchebag videos. HYSTERICAL!!! and sooooo spot on,.
April 9, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Thanks a lot for the post! I’m gettin’ a paid blog today!
April 9, 2010 at 9:59 pm
bless you, useful website. lovein’ it!
April 12, 2010 at 8:47 am
This is why I love your site- clear and to the point! Thanks Kenny and Erica. Hey where is the next stop for the Traveling Entrepreneurs?
April 13, 2010 at 12:48 am
Many thnks for writing such a detailed post. All too often you see the same thing over and over so this makes a refreshing change. I never thought about blogger shutting me down. I guess it’s time to start with a paid blog. I’d hate to lose all the work I’ve put in. Again, thanks!
April 13, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Many thanks for the post. Quite often, the greatest information originates from the articles you would not expect. Recently, I decided not to give much thought to leaving comments on blog page articles and have left opinions even less. But reading through this made me want to let you know you’re doing a great job. Keep it up.
April 13, 2010 at 5:33 pm
I just want to thank you very much for this astounding site. I already favorited your blog, when I’m not so busy I am going to have to do some thorough surfing.
April 14, 2010 at 11:07 am
I have just spent an hour on your site and need to start putting this info into action! Plus, I added you to my rss feed reader so I can keep up to date with your posts.
Thanks.
Your newest follower,
Maggie
April 15, 2010 at 3:18 am
Thanks for the post. Ive learned a lot form it. By the way, I wanted to let you know that I tweeted this for you too. Hope others learn as much as I did. Maria in El Paso
April 15, 2010 at 11:29 pm
I love when I find what I am looking for on the front page of google and that is just what happened with this blog post! I am trying to figure out what is the best option for starting my blog… paid wordpress.org it is!
I’ll be combing through the rest of this site to try to figure out how to get it all to work.
And I’ve grabbed a free membership as well. There is a ton of stuff back there! Looks like the kids are eating Dad’s cooking tonight while I go over some of it! thanks in advance. Looking forward to working with you. Deena
April 16, 2010 at 1:52 am
You are a very smart person!
I’ve been testing the waters with free blogs but from this post, I realize that I am only wasting my time. Better get your free membership and get started the right way. – Luvenia
April 17, 2010 at 2:56 am
When composing any blog entries you always require to strive for making the content useful in some way to the readers. Recall that all popular blogs got that way due to the fact that the content was appealing to the people who viewed it. With that said it is always wise to keep the blog reader foremost in your mind when composing any entries.
April 18, 2010 at 7:00 am
Hi, thanks so much for these tips. Your blog is loaded with killer content! If you haven’t got the free content these guys have offered, you’re missing out!
Thank for all your help Kenny and Erica you guys are GOLD!
April 19, 2010 at 4:15 am
I found your site and I must say I really like it. It’s my first time to post here but I’ve been following you and Kenny for months!
Just for the record – I’ve got myself a paid blog thanks to you both.
Keep up the great work.
April 19, 2010 at 9:38 am
Fine topic! Listen to these guys folks. I got nowhere for months using a free blog – now I’m really making progress.
Thanks Kenny and Erica!
April 20, 2010 at 4:53 pm
Thanks man, got to share this ; ) Tweeted it!
April 21, 2010 at 2:24 pm
good info. i dare not tell anyone i was using a free blog….oops!
April 21, 2010 at 4:34 pm
Wanna know who uses free blogs these days…NO ONE! If you wanna be taken seriously, get yourself a paid blog.
April 21, 2010 at 9:45 pm
I bookmarked your site after reading through it. The content is really very useful for me because I am just getting started. Your ‘teaching’ style makes me believe even I can do this- and I am as new as they come. Thanks again, Helen
April 22, 2010 at 4:04 am
As a Newbie, I am always researching online for articles that can help me get further ahead. This was definitely one of them. Thanks!
April 22, 2010 at 3:47 pm
agreed. ya gotta go with paid.
April 22, 2010 at 4:06 pm
Thank you for this smashing review of blogging options available. I just started to write my own website. Regarding your blog I just found it on bing.
April 22, 2010 at 5:38 pm
I just subscribed to your RSS feed. Can wait to see what you put out next!