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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

5 Great Article Marketing Tips

Does your business need more visitors? If you said "Yes" to that question; then you might want to consider writing and distributing articles. I'm about to share with you a few article marketing tips that I have learned over the years.

The most important part of any article is the title; you must have an eye-catching title that will grab the readers attention and make them want to read the article. There are thousands of articles online and not all of them get read! In order to make sure your article gets read you need to have a title that will entice readers into wanting to find out more.

Another great tip when writing an article is to simply keep it simple. In other words try not to impress readers by using such big words that they would need to find a dictionarty just to read and understand what you are trying to tell them. By keeping it simple and using everyday words your article will be easier to read. The readers need to feel as if the words flow as they read the article.

Make sure your article is informative and not just a bunch of fluff that makes no sense. Readers are searching for information on the subject they are interested in and want to find out more about the topic they are looking for. By keeping your article informative and to the point your article will be read instead of just passed over.

Check your facts while researching material to include in your article. Don't just go by what someone wrote on "Wikipedia."
I usually go to 6 or 7 sites to learn more about the topic I am writing about. Writers are Readers who like to learn more about their subject.

Once you have finished writing your article you should set it aside and re-read it later. Come back to the article with a fresh mind and then read it and edit it if you need to. Always double check your articles before you send them off to be published.

Now let's recap what we have learned in this article:

1) Catchy Title
2) Keep it Simple
3) Informative
4) Check your Facts
5) Edit it

Monday, July 11, 2011

Volunteer Your Way into That Dream Job

Has this ever happened to you? You’re reading the newspaper and
you spot an ad for a job you have always wanted to do but you have
no experience in that field. Dang,you think, "Why can't I get a job
like that instead of my boring job?" If you’re happy with your job
then this article isn't for you. But if you aren't happy with
your job then you might want to think about Volunteering your free
time in a career field you have always been interested in.

After volunteering for a year you would then have a resume that
would look impressive. To be really happy with a job it should
be something that interests You. Are you passionate about gardening?

You could volunteer Your time at the local nursery.
Have you always wanted to be a Writer but you don’t have any
clips or experience?

If you enjoy spending time with pets, you can volunteer at the
Animal shelter; that would at least give you some experience in
The Veterinarian field. Do you enjoy reading and learning?
You Could volunteer your time at the library, that would get
your foot In the door as a Librarian. If you wanted experience in
fields like copy writing, grant Writing, researchers,etc.
you could volunteer your time online by Joining virtual organizations like http://www.volunteermatch.org

Not only will you be learning, you will be helping others.


Please feel free to visit my other sites.

J.K.E. Writing Service
http://freelancejan.com

All About Marketing Blog
http://blog.freelancejan.com

One Old Mom's Blog
http://oneoldmom.blogspot.com/

Monday, June 27, 2011

Why Your Affiliates Should Be Using PLR Articles to Promote You

If you run an affiliate program, you know how time consuming it can be to keep your affiliate center loaded with tools and resources to help your affiliates promote your product or services. It can be a full time job in it's own and quite frankly as a business owner you have other things you need to expend your energy on, on top of your affiliate program.

One way to save yourself some time and keep your affiliates happy and with a constant source of promotional resources is to with the use of PLR articles. There are actually a couple of ways to go about this, so choose the one (or both) that fits your particular program needs the best.

The first way to use PLR in your affiliate program is to use your own PLR articles and rewrite them so they can be used by your affiliates to promote your product or service. This will save you tons of time writing completely original content for them to use. It will also save you money, because PLR articles tend to be much less expensive than hiring a ghostwriter.

The second way, which will benefit you and your affiliates more in the long run, but may not be something your affiliate's are willing to do on a consistent basis (which is why you should actually implement both of these techniques) is to teach your affiliates how to use their own PLR content to promote you.

You can set up an eCourse or training manual that explains how PLR works and why it's beneficial to them to use it in your program. Don't be surprised when if you get a few emails from affiliates thanking you for turning them onto private label rights articles, either.

Teach your affiliates how to use PLR to promote you with MostlySanePLR's 9 Uses for PLR Articles eCourse.
Check it out at http://easyplr.com/go.php?Clk=3497581








Please feel free to visit my other sites.


J.K.E. Writing Service
http://freelancejan.com


All About Marketing Blog
http://blog.freelancejan.com


One Old Mom's Blog
http://oneoldmom.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

How to Choose a Good PLR Service

How to Choose a Good PLR Service

Private Label Rights (PLR) articles are hot right now. The only problem is that many people have tried them and been very disappointed. I can’t say I blame them. I’ve been disappointed, too.

Oftentimes, the PLR services you may have tried are lacking in several areas. So, what makes a good PLR service and how can you make sure that you don’t waste you money on a bad one?

Here are some questions to ask yourself before investing any money into a PLR package or membership.

1. What topics are you getting?

I mean, seriously, if you are promised 100 articles each month, but you end up receiving a selection on Laser Hair Removal and Divorce, when all your websites are about cooking… You just wasted money.

2. What quality are you getting?

Say you’re lucky enough to get a series of articles on your topic. Take a minute to look at them. Are they pure fluff? I’ve paid for articles that had no original ideas, or worse, were written so poorly that there’s no possible way I’d put them on my website. Make sure your PLR package contains quality articles. Otherwise, you just wasted money.

3. How many other people are getting the exact same articles?

If 1000 other people signed up to get the same articles, are you really receiving any value? Perhaps, if you don’t mind reworking the articles. However, if you’d like more unique articles, then you may consider a more limited PLR service.

4. Does the PLR service give you any extras?

Are they offering training on ways to use their PLR articles? Do they provide you with ways to monetize the articles you’ve purchased? Some PLR sites will include recommended affiliate programs and training on how to use their articles to get the most benefits from their service.

Really assess the value you’re receiving when investing in any PLR package or service so that you don’t end up wasting your money. I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did.

Article written by:

Nicole Dean is the owner of - http://easyplr.com/go.php?af=794869 – where you’ll find high-quality PLR articles sold in very limited quantities. The PLR articles at EasyPLR are professionally written and professionally edited — top quality at an affordable price.


Please feel free to visit my other sites.


J.K.E. Writing Service
http://freelancejan.com


All About Marketing Blog
http://blog.freelancejan.com


One Old Mom's Blog
http://oneoldmom.blogspot.com/

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Knowing the Basics of Adware & Spyware

People think that there is actually no difference between a spyware and an adware. Spyware is just a web term used to refer to an advertising supported software, which is otherwise known as adware. These are the pop-up ads that often come out whenever we open a website or download a shareware software. But according to some web experts, spyware is much much more.

Supporters of spyware and adware say that though it can be pretty annoying at times especially if you are really in a hurry, both do give consumers huge benefits. Because the product ads generate income for developers of shareware software, consumers can get them for free. Developers are in turn paid for their work. Of course, if you don’t want to be bothered by the constant pop-ups, you can always pay the licensing fee or the regular fee for the software. If you want it for free, you just have to sacrifice through the spyware.

There is however another downside to it. Spyware, from the name given to it, is actually used as a tracking device in your computer system. These tracking devices will look into your surfing habits, your chatting logs and even the number of times you open your email. If designed or programmed the right way, it can discover just about everything else in your system.
And because the program runs in the background, there is no way that a person can control the kind of information that he or she sends out.

These kinds of programs were actually originally used by parents or people in the business sector who wish to track down and put on record web activity. It is actually beneficial but not when people are not aware that they are being tracked down. This is often the case when people download software over the Internet. As mentioned before, it is used by companies to advertise their products and in turn help the developers of software keep their costs down so that they can afford to offer their programs for free.

Although privacy issues indeed come into play, there is nothing illegal about it. In fact, its use is prevalent all over the World Wide Web. There are however some areas that people who value their privacy will object to. Because of this, people are given the option to refuse the software.

There is really no way that one can avoid adware and spyware as these programs are packaged with the software that you will be downloading from the Internet. The most that you can do is to avoid downloading from the internet and to refuse any file downloads that you did not personally authorize. It is also good to only view websites that have a good reputation or those that have anti-spyware and adware programs installed in their pages.






Please feel free to visit my other sites.J.K.E. Writing Servicehttp://freelancejan.comAll About Marketing Bloghttp://blog.freelancejan.comOne Old Mom's Bloghttp://oneoldmom.blogspot.com/

Friday, April 01, 2011

5 Powerful Mind Success Strategies

 

Building a business is a fantastic and challenging experience. You can wake up exhilarated to begin your day and go to bed feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. The key to success is to maintain a positive, yes you can do it, mindset.

Easier said than done, right? Here are 5 keys to help you create and sustain a positive mindset so you attain the success you desire.

1. Surround yourself with successful and positive people. The influence people have over our own personal energy is amazing. Moods and attitudes are so easily spread – think about how much of a difference a simple smile from a stranger can make for your day and then magnify it 1000 times to demonstrate the power of positive and successful friends, family and associates. When you have people around you who inspire you, believe in you and want you to succeed, there’s no room for doubts and even when they creep up, they’re quickly swept away.

2. Create a mantra or an affirmation. Repeating positive affirmations has been shown to get people through tough times and to actually help them truly believe what they’re saying.

For example, “I am building a powerful and profitable business.” Many of the most esteemed business professionals have used the same affirmation strategy to attain their success. To find the right affirmations for you, consider writing a quick list of your doubts, insecurities and complaints. These can then be quickly turned into affirmations.

For example, if you write that you’re always feeling disorganized then your affirmation would be, “I am organized and in control.” Repeat your affirmations several times a day and feel the power of positive thinking.

3. Capture negative thoughts. We all have negative thoughts from time to time, however, negative thoughts and emotions can derail us and prevent us from achieving all we desire. Of course catching those negative thoughts takes practice and persistence. When you find yourself thinking negative thoughts or having negative emotions, find a trigger to turn them around. The affirmations mentioned above are a great way to turn the negative into the positive. You can also find quick pick me ups like a favorite song, a walk outside in the fresh air, or some exercise to help improve your mood.

4. Set goals/intentions and then be willing to let it go. The law of attraction says that we attract what we focus on the most. However, desperation, needing your business to be a success, sends mixed messages and a lot of negativity into the universe. Set your goals and intentions and then let them go. A certain amount of faith in yourself and in the power of attraction is necessary. Give it a try.

5. Be grateful. Gratitude is perhaps the single most powerful and positive tool for success. When you’re grateful for all of the wonderful things and people in your life the challenges you face seem significantly less important and are more easily dealt with.

Consider keeping a gratitude journal and make a practice of entering into it daily. That way, when you’re facing challenges a quick peek at all the amazing things in your life will make you feel as if you can tackle anything. Additionally, an attitude of gratitude helps you maintain a positive perspective and to face challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles.

Success is within your reach and with the right attitude you can accomplish anything you set your sights on. Embrace these five powerful mind success strategies and you’ll build a better business and live a happier, more satisfying life.


Please feel free to visit my other sites.



J.K.E. Writing Service
http://freelancejan.com

Friday, March 18, 2011

Sell Your Digital Photos

Many of your hobbies can be turned into business ideas that can make you money. As a digital photographer you can sell those beautiful photographs online. Here are some ways to do that.

Digital photography allows you to capture a variety of images in a variety of formats. For instance, remember when you used to visit the carnival or amusement park and they took those old-fashioned pictures of people? The pictures looked faded but that was simply a sepia tone. You can create the same effect on your digital camera when you edit a photo.

Stock photography is one of the best ways to break into the online digital photography market. You can sell your photos to others who need pictures for websites, newsletters, magazines and e-zines and other media. Surf the Web lately? Many of the photos look the same. Your photos can add a new flavor to what is currently being offered. There is never any harm in seeing how your images will be perceived.

First, understand how the stock photography business works. On these sites, customers can purchase pictures or lease them for a certain amount of time. On some sites, photos are free to use when signing an agreement of use and including a link back to the site.

As a photographer, you will make more money if your photos are leased as opposed to being sold. The one time sale may net you some cash but the lease will provide a continuous source of income off of that one photograph. And, many people can pay to lease the photograph at one time. Through the leasing process, your work will be viewed by a large audience.

Start by researching current stock photography sites. Find one that offers the leasing option to customers and also has an easy-to-navigate site. Begin here and test the waters with your work.

Now, all you need to do is produce some quality work. Look at other stock photographs. What do they have in common? Are the pictures clear? Can you make out all of the features of the photo? At the least, your photographs need to be clear with the subjects in the foreground.

Another consideration is the type of digital photos you are trying to sell. More of the same that already exists won’t be received well. The stock photography companies are out to make money too. Don’t be afraid to try some new ideas for holiday photos or for everyday photos. They will let you know what does and does not sell.

In the meantime, create a website or blog with links to the stock photography sites featuring your work. This will send more people to view your photographs and may lead to other opportunities in the future.



Please feel free to visit my other sites.

J.K.E. Writing Service
http://freelancejan.com
All About Marketing Blog
http://blog.freelancejan.com
One Old Mom's Blog
http://oneoldmom.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Moms Making Money by Helping Other Moms

If it’s one thing moms can do it is stick together. Making life run smoothly with kids, home and career can be a tall order. Communicating with other moms helps to ease the stress. If you are looking for a business venture, why not make money helping moms just like yourself?

What will you offer to these moms? Well, your product is as close as your memory. Your expertise is the product you can market to moms everywhere. There are situations that you have encountered and overcome as a mom that other mothers are facing too. They could benefit from what you know to make their life a bit easier.

Packaging your Product – EBooks

Put your advice down on paper. You probably have a lot of good advice to offer but it won’t sound like much unless you can get it out of your brain and into a legible format. If you have a talent for writing this will be less of a challenge for you. Take a writing course to bone up on the finer points of writing outlines and organizing your thoughts on paper.

Your format for these organized thoughts is an eBook. Everyone has heard of them but might not know exactly what they are. An eBook is essentially a book in digital form. You can create and publish them yourself. For the work that you put into the project, you are greatly rewarded with pure profit.

The first consideration is the length of your eBook. A typical eBook can have as few as 70 pages or as many as 150. People will pay more for longer eBooks.

EBooks are popular media because they can be downloaded or printed in an instant. As soon as the payment is processed, the customer gains access to the eBook. No storage space other than what is on your computer or flash drive is needed to house the eBooks you buy.

Selling your EBooks

Consider your market – other moms. Let’s say that the subject of your eBook is getting a toddler through the terrible twos and threes. Fill your eBooks with information that moms want to know:

• Tips for bedtime
• Disciplinary tips
• Going out in public
• Dealing with mom stress
• Testimonials
• True life examples

All of these ideas can be used to flesh out your eBook. These same bullet points can be selling points for your eBook. When creating the eBook website page, use snippets from stories in the book, testimonials from others who have read the book and a partial list of chapters in the eBook as advertising on the page.

Condense chapters into enticing articles that you submit to article directories. Don’t give away too much because you want moms to buy your eBooks. Supply a link to your website in the resource box.

As a mom you can join online forums to share your helpful advice with other moms. Use a link to your eBook page in your signature line for easy access. As you develop a following on these forums, other members will visit your site and see your eBooks.

EBooks can be used to share information that you have learned as a mom with other moms. They are easy to create and with a marketing strategy, can bring large profit to your business.


Please feel free to visit my other sites.



J.K.E. Writing Service




All About Marketing Blog




One Old Mom's Blog

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

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New Marketing & Writing Tips newsletter starting up in January.
Each issue will include tips & techniques to help you in your
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subscribers free ads. Sign up here: http://freelancejan.com



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Can Twitter Work For You?

The internet has changed the communication industry dramatically. Many people are now discovering ways to stay connected through many online services. Websites dedicated to social networking are also increasing. It’s no longer a surprise to find lots of online communities today and it seems that these communities are becoming an essential part of many people’s lives. Are you familiar with Twitter?

Social networking is an addicting activity. Many individuals want to share their lives online and Twitter is one of the sites that allow quick and easy communication with friends and love ones.

Before you can use Twitter, you must have your own profile page. Twitter is a micro-blogging and social networking website. If you want to publish updates or short messages, you can easily do it through Twitter. The updates are called ‘tweets’. The messages are text-based with a length of 140 characters. You can even use your mobile device to send the updates. Your updates are sent to your friends who also subscribe to Twitter and vice versa.

Do you know the Twitter question? Well, the concept of this social network website revolves around that simple question. What are you doing? This is the question asked by Twitter to its millions of users all over the world. Last year (2008), Twitter ranked third among the most loved and most used social network website after MySpace and Facebook. According to compete.com, Twitter has already around 6 million users as of February 2009 and it is still increasing. Monthly visits to the site totaled to 55 million per month.

The simplicity of Twitter makes it extremely popular among individuals of different age ranges. Users are free to choose how they can receive the tweets – through RSS, SMS, mobile web, etc. The applications like Twitterific and Tweetie are also great. Through APIs, you can easily make updates to your profile page without visiting the actual website of Twitter.

Various individuals use Twitter – from professionals to celebrities, and even political figures. Did you know that President Obama used Twitter for his campaigns? Well, aside from the President, celebrities like Stephen Fry, Shaquille O’Neal, and Britney Spears are also using the site. Large companies use the site to promote their product information and updates like IBM, Whole Foods Market, Sun Microsystems, and Cisco Systems. O2, a UK phone network, is currently using Twitter for answering queries and for customer service.

If you want to get substantial information, use Twitter now. Michael Arrington, a TechCrunch expert, suggested that the site can be developed to provide real-time data by turning it to a search engine. However, Twitter wants to remain simple because it is their philosophy. Their team of experts is studying the various requests from their users because there is still room for huge improvement. For now, the site is en effective social network tool that keeps people connected.

Answer the Twitter question now and set up your very own profile page. Once you have your page, you can now keep in touch with friends, classmates, and lost relatives. Wherever you are, you can receive the updates from your friends so you will know what they are doing; and your friends will also know what you’re doing.

If you want to stay connected, use Twitter; visit their online site now and create your profile page. If you’ve used MySpace and Facebook before, you will also love Twitter.

Thursday, March 03, 2011

Become a Work at Home Writer

Working at home as a writer is one of the largest work at home categories. Being a freelance writer has traditionally been a work at home job, and now that working at home is becoming more popular, there have been more writers in the industry. If you like to write and have a good grasp of the English language, you will never be at a loss for the work at home writing jobs.

Starting your career as a work at home writer is as easy as doing some Internet research and applying for a job. There are many ways to break into the writing field, even if you have no previous experience. Online opportunities abound, and there are still many writers who stay exclusively in the print market.

While many writers dream of one day writing the great American novel, most writers are realistic in knowing that they are going to have to do some other types of writing to get paid on a consistent basis. Writing for pay is mostly, if not exclusively, done in the non-fiction genre. While occasionally you will find contests for fiction writing or for poetry, these opportunities are few and far between when compared to the non-fiction opportunities.

Writing from home as a Wahm requires that you have a reliable Internet connection, good written communication skills and the ability to be a self-starter. As a writer, you will be in charge of your time and your projects. There will always be deadlines to meet and new writing opportunities to try. You will be responsible for balancing your writing with the rest of your life. You must also have the ability to research a wide variety of topics. As you accept assignments, you’ll be challenged to learn about and write about topics that you may have little experience in.

Freelance writing from home can break down into three specific areas: writing for print, writing for the web and blogging. Although blogging is technically writing for the web, there are many distinctions that make it different from other web writing opportunities.

Writing for print is what people generally think of when they hear the term “freelance writer.” Wahm writers who write for the print markets need to first build a reputation as reliable and eloquent writer. If you’ve never written for the print markets before, start with smaller, local publications and then work from there. You’ll need to find a list of publications that are accepting “queries.” Queries are a combination of a letter of introduction and a pitch for a story idea. Most writers rely on the Writer’s Market reference guide for lists of publications. The Writer’s Market has comprehensive information on a variety of newsletters, magazines and other publications that are taking queries. Start with topics that you know the most about and try writing a few queries to get yourself going in the print market.

The only drawback to writing for print is that the period between when you write and when you get paid can be months long. For many Wahms, this is just not feasible. Writing for the web, however, can meet their income needs and still allow them to write from home. There are many categories of writing for the web. You can be a ghostwriter for e-books or other Internet media. Many people need copywriters to provide content for their sales letters and websites. You can also offer your services to webmasters who need fresh content for their blog or newsletter. The opportunities are endless.

Blogging is yet another way to make money as a writing wahm. Blogs are an ever-growing form of Internet media. Blog writers generally provide their own content. You can make money as a wahm by starting your own blog and posting to it daily. If you love to write, you can start several blogs at once and multiply your earnings. Once you become an experienced blogger, you can apply for blogging jobs and post for other people.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Tips For Starting Your Home Based Service Business

The current trend is towards more home-based businesses. They require lower overhead and start up money making them easier for entrepreneurs with limited fund. If you are thinking about starting a home-based service business, here are a few tips for getting started on the right foot.

What is a service business?

Service businesses are those that provide help to others. This can be anything from mowing the lawn to managing business accounts. The basis of a successful service business is one that supplies a need. In your area, it may take some research to discover the top service needs and then figure out which one you can provide.

Benefits of a home-based service business

There are several benefits to running a home-based service business. First of all, you can run the business from your home. Since you already pay a mortgage, utilities and car payments, the only thing you need spend money on now is the equipment for your business. And, running a service that began as a hobby means you already own most of the needed equipment.

Secondly, a home-based service business requires low overhead and start up costs. We alluded to the start up costs above and the low overhead means no employees but you. The key to keeping the overhead low is taking on only as many projects as you can safely and efficiently handle by yourself.

Home-based service business options

As we mentioned, you can usually run these service businesses out of your home. Establishing a website for selling your services lowers the overhead even more and maximizes your profit. With the Internet as your potential customer base, the opportunities are endless for marketing and finding clients. Here are some home-based service options.

Virtual assisting has taken off in a big way in the last ten years. Using a computer, fax machine, telephone, and Internet access, you can perform various administrative duties for large and small companies. You are paid for the work that you do so there is no extra charge for the company. Virtual assisting skills run from transcription to accounting to managing email and company websites.

Transcription by itself can be a profitable venture. Medical offices and businesspeople are always in need of someone to transcribe their audio or video files. It is far easier and less time consuming to record an interview or dictate a medical procedure. Your job will be to turn that file into a document for patient charts and online use by various businesses.

Ghostwriting is the process of writing articles, novels, eBooks and more for an individual or a company. Using your writing talent, you can make a lot of money creating literary works (print and electronic) for others who need them.

Getting started tips

There are considerations before beginning any type of business even a home-based one.

1. Check out the local laws for registering and zoning a home business. Most home businesses require no zoning issues unless you will be meeting clients in your home and posting signs in the yard.

2. Small business tax laws. Now that you are a business, you are subject to different tax exemptions, deductions and payments. Sites like www.irs.gov can give you the information you need.

3. Set up a separate work space at home. This could be as simple as using a spare bedroom or den with a door to keep your work separate. If you rely on the telephone a separate phone line can be added. When a workshop is needed, consider using a garage or purchasing a large outbuilding.

4. Use on and offline marketing methods to find clients. This includes: viral marketing, newspaper and Yellow Pages ads, flyers and direct mailings, email marketing, article marketing, setting up a website and etcetera.

5. Create a schedule to divide time between work and family. Balancing both is hard. Scheduling time and sticking to it means more gets done and no one is slighted.

A home-based service business is an alternative for people who want to know entrepreneurship without spending a lot in upfront costs. If you have a talent and can meet a need, consider a home-based business.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Six Popular Social Networking Sites

Social networking is now part of our culture. In fact, there are so many to choose from and those who decide to become a member of one are more likely to become a member of another. Just to give you an idea of what is around, here are six of some of the most popular social networking sites.

1. The first is called Facebook. As of July last year, it has the largest number of registered users among college focused sites with more than 34 million members worldwide. Although it is the seventh most visited site in the US, it ranks number one for photos. What makes this social networking site so special is that it generates revenues through advertising which according to some is a little over $1.5 million a week.

2. Next is MySpace which was founded in 2003. According to a study, this social networking site is the world’s sixth most popular English language website and the third most popular in the US. Similar to Facebook, members are able to post pictures, videos, blogs and music.

3. The third is YouTube which unlike the other two only focuses on the uploading, viewing and sharing of video clips. Established in 2005, members are able to upload videos for free and save those which they like in their account. If you want to save this in your computer, there are software programs you can use. The nice thing about this social networking site is that even unregistered users are also able to watch videos.

4. The fourth site is Second Life which is an Internet based virtual world. What makes this so different from the other three is the fact that you are able to create a character and then interact with other members. By interacting with other members, you are able to participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items and services with one another again in a virtual setting.

To date, this social networking site has 8.9 million registered residents with a majority of them that happen to be inactive and some of them are owned by one person.

5. For business networking, one of the most popular ones around is Linkedin which has 12.5 million members. Established in 2003, this social networking site is designed to give registered users a way to maintain contact with people they know so those within the connection can use it to find business opportunities, find jobs and new contacts as well as review or recruit potential candidates.

6. One of the oldest social networking sites around is Classmates which has over 40 million members. Established in 1995, it is a great way to connect with old friends back from high school or college. After so many years, you and your friends have changed and now have successful careers which you can use should you decide to go into business together.

These are just a few of the hundreds of social networking sites around. What makes each of these so popular is the fact that members are able to use it for free and when used for business, they don’t have to pay for advertising. That is unless of course you will be utilizing pop up ads and banners. But the simplest way is to post links to your webpage so members who may need your products or services will get in touch with you or recommend you to someone who needs it.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Marketing to Moms

What Many Businesses Miss: A Multi-Billion Dollar Market

The goal of any business is to make money. And, we’re not just talking about the short term but long term goals of increased revenue. To that end, many businesses are missing out on a multi-billion dollar market: moms. Marketing to moms is the wave of the now and the future.

Why are moms so important?

Moms are enterprising. According to BSM Media Inc., mom spending is already over the trillion dollar mark. That’s more than the budget of some third world countries.

Also according to BSM Media Inc., almost 90 percent of moms consider themselves the financial head of the home. Her husband may bring home most of the bacon but it is the moms who decide how to spend it. They shop for everything related to the household: kids clothing, appliances, electronics, outdoor furniture, accessories and home improvement items.

Any husband that shops for these things is going to consult their wives before buying them. Why? Wives do the research into these products to find the best on the market. Moms influence as much as 85 percent of the purchases for the home. That’s over 70 million women we are talking about here. It doesn’t get any bigger than that.

Think about all of the tasks that moms handle in a day. They take care of the housework, shuffle kids from school to sporting events to other activities, cook dinner and manage the finances. In order to keep everything straight, they employ a wide variety of technology. It’s not uncommon to see a mom sitting in the park watching her kids play while listening to an iPod or browsing the Internet on her iPhone.

Moms are also savvy on the Internet. The trend for many years has been moms coming out of the workplace and starting their own businesses at home to spend more time with their kids. To that end, moms have developed a network of blogs, websites and forums designed to teach moms everything from designing websites, starting Internet businesses, marketing to other moms and managing their homes all the while. Their buying power increased exponentially with their knowledge.

Manly mistake?

Traditionally the only products marketed towards women were household products and cooking items. This goes back to the archaic thought that a woman’s place was in the home. That has been a huge detriment to many companies as they are beginning to see.

Women and moms have made an imprint in the man’s world in many areas. Women are not limited to office jobs; they are CEOs and CFOs. They don’t just surf the Web, they are becoming entrepreneurs with widening influence over Internet marketing. Having moms shun your product because you are not marketing to them means they are also spreading the word to other moms across the world (via the Internet) and in their own communities.

The future

Moms are influenced by other moms. Several generations of moms are coming together to influence the spending habits of major corporations. In the future the trend will continue. As moms become more “connected” in the world, their spending will increase. No product is off limits to mom advertising.

Moms do rule the world. Gain the support of savvy moms with your products and your business will reap the benefits.

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

PLR Articles vs. Free Reprint Articles & Which is Best

Content is always in high demand. Right now the focus seems to be on Private Label Rights (or PLR) articles. PLR articles are pre-written and sold in packages to online businesses looking for content. The big selling points of PLR articles are that you may edit the articles and that there is no author bio required (so they don’t have any outbound links).

Compare PLR articles to free reprint articles. Free reprint articles from places like ezinearticles.com or freeaffiliatearticles.com are written by people who have something they’d like to share. (Or, they are sometimes written by people just publishing junk, in the hopes that they’ll get some incoming links. But, good article directories will delete those, so we’ll focus on the good ones here.)

So, which is better? Honestly, each has its place. Sometimes you’ll find an excellent free reprint article that you’ll want to share with your readers and you won’t mind a bit having an outbound link, especially if there is an affiliate program associated with it. The free reprint article added value to your readers, and you didn’t have to write the article. That’s what free reprint articles are all about.

Other times you’ll already have an idea in mind for a topic and you’ll just want a boost getting that section of your website done. If you run across a high quality PLR package on that niche, you’re set to go.

So, how do you know which PLR service or membership to choose? Here are some guidelines to follow:

1. Some PLR sites offer a monthly membership where you receive a grab-bag of articles – on any topic. If you already know what you need, this may be a waste of money. Other PLR sites will list topics and you can buy the articles in a shopping cart. That ensures you receive the articles you need when you need them.

2. Are the articles written by professional writers with experience? Or are they outsourced to the cheapest overseas help they can find – no matter the quality? If the articles are going to be a reflection of your business, you’ll want to ensure that the articles are well-written.

3. Who’s running this thing? Is the PLR site run by someone who knows about content or someone who thinks they can ride the content wave and make a quick buck? Make sure you’re hitching your wagon to someone who knows what they’re doing.

Those are just a few tips to keep you from wasting money on a PLR site that you can’t use. Continue to use free reprint articles, but look into PLR articles as well. They can both benefit your website and your business.

Article written by:

Nicole Dean is the owner of http://easyplr.com/go.php?af=794869 – where you’ll find high-quality PLR articles sold in very limited quantities. The PLR articles at EasyPLR are professionally written and professionally edited — top quality at an affordable price.

Affiliate program is at http://easyplr.com/go.php?af=794869

Friday, December 03, 2010

Website Hosting Checklist

How To Find The Right Provider

Choosing a website host is an important decision. You want a host that is affordable. However, you also want a website host that offers the features and functions you need. Here’s a quick checklist to make sure you’re finding the right provider.

Is their control panel user friendly? Many hosts offer free demonstrations or tours. Take advantage of these to make sure it’s a control panel that makes sense and is easy to use.

Building your own site or looking for a website builder too? Some website hosts offer site building tools. These can be wonderfully useful if you’re not interested in getting into the technological side of building a website. However, if you are building your own website using any number of software programs or languages, make sure the host has FTP transfer. This is the system you’ll use to upload your web pages to your host’s server.

Can you upload your files easily? Some website hosts are only compatible with certain file types. Make sure your website builder of choice works with your host before you pay for their services.

Are they big enough for your needs? Look for data space, bandwidth and file size limitations. You don’t need to go crazy however a host does need to accommodate your current needs and give you some room to grow.

Server reliability. Occasional downtime is expected however it should be rare and you should be forewarned when the servers are going to be down. Ideally, your host’s server should be up and running 99% of the time.

Security. If you’re doing business online then security is a must. Even if you’re not doing business online, you’ll want to do everything you can to protect your website from hackers. A secure host is essential.

Features and functions. What do you need your website to have? Do you need a shopping cart, email or auto responders? Do you need to be able to sell advertising? Do you want analytic and reporting functions to track traffic and website visitor behavior? Make sure your website host has all the features and functions you need before you sign up and transfer your domain.

User reviews. This is the last thing to look at once you’ve narrowed down your choices and before you compare price. Make sure the company has a solid reputation in the industry. There are a lot of resellers out there, you also want to make sure you’re dealing with an actual hosting company and not a reseller – you’ll get a better price and better customer support.

Finally, it’s time to compare price. If a website host meets all of the above criteria and fits your budget, you’ve found a good company. There are many wonderful website hosts out there. Spend a bit of time researching based on your needs and you can’t go wrong.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Top Seven Internet Business Ideas

The Internet offers many business opportunities. You can become a part of someone else’s enterprise or create a business of your own. There are many advantages to starting an Internet business. Here are the top Internet business ideas to help you find that appropriate niche you are looking for.

Every day people search the Internet for all sorts of opportunities. With this economy, the number one search is for ways to make money with low startup costs. Many of the basic equipment needed to begin Internet businesses are in your home right now. If you have a computer with a high-speed Internet connection, a telephone, a desk, and a printer, you can get going right away.

1. Blogging. This is the way to create an online presence without the technical issues of owning your own website (that comes later). Most blogs are offered with free hosting and come with already installed features so set up is easy. Blog about anything that you find interesting and will be interesting to other readers. A blog with a niche will perform better a personal one. Blogs can also make money with programs like Google Adwords and AdSense. Pay per Click advertising also works for generating revenue.

2. Internet research. Anyone who can navigate the Internet and find out almost anything, can market themselves as an Internet researcher. Large and small companies will pay you to find out information for them, create reports from the research.

3. Selling products. If you have a hobby like making and selling crafts you can expand your business online with a website. Set up a website that caters to your product offerings. Market these products online to drive traffic to your website.

4. Selling on eBay. With this idea, you set up shop on the Internet. You can sell products you created or items you own that you want to sell. Many now make a living selling on eBay. As your business grows, you can expand to involve other product markets.

5. Freelancing. Many online and offline businesses are looking for help. Freelancers lower the overhead of the company thus becoming more profitable for many jobs than hiring someone to work in the office. Depending on your talent, hire yourself out at a freelance writer, graphic artist, website designer or programmer.

6. Virtual assistant. Virtual assistants are the going trend for many businesses. In the beginning, virtual assistants performed the administrative duties of a company from their home. Now, VA’s can be found in all career specialties like medical, real estate, marketing and publishing. They perform tasks above administrative such as website administrator, report creation and Internet research.

7. Membership sites. You see more of these around these days. With a membership site, you choose a niche, such as online marketing. Customers pay to join at a certain level (gold, silver, bronze) and are rewarded with certain perks for their membership that include newsletters, videos or articles on marketing and services to help expand their own business. You create the website and supply the materials yourself or through outsourcing each month to your members.

Do you have an idea of what your Internet business idea might be? This list should get you started.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Tips For Creating Powerful Headlines That Sell

You have mere seconds to capture a prospect’s attention. One of the single most powerful tools you have to accomplish this task is your headline. There are several keys to a compelling, and selling, headline and a few tips to help you get the job done.

#1 Tap into Your Prospects’ Emotions

According to psychologists our buying decisions are based first and foremost on our emotions. Use headlines which offer your readers a strong emotional benefit or reaction. Some possible emotions are:

For example, The 20-Minute Step that Will Make You a Business Genius taps into readers’ desires to feel smart and powerful.

Other emotions you can tap into are a desire to feel:

1. Attractive
2. Sexy
3. Assertive
4. Confident
5. Energetic
6. Pampered
7. A sense of belonging
8. In control of their own destiny
9. Wealthy
10. Proud
11. Respected
12. Safe

#2 Make it Active

To compel it’s important to use active language - language that shows movement and commands attention.

For example, “Stop Your Sugar Cravings Today With This Simple Step,” is a fine headline however it doesn’t command action nor does it really tap into any emotions. However, “Conquer Your Sugar Cravings With This Simple Step.” Conquer is an active and emotionally powerful word. Readers receive the benefit of feeling powerful and in control and it commands action.

#3 Let Your Reader Know They’re Important

The word YOU is a very powerful word. It let’s your reader’s feel as if you’re talking to them specifically and interested in solving their problems, issues and helping them achieve their desires. Instead of using I, Me or We in your headlines, use You. Using the headline example above compare the two options
“Conquer Your Sugar Cravings With This Simple Step.
“Conquer Sugar Cravings with Our System”

People want to know what’s in it for them and when they can assess that information in the headline, they’re going to be compelled to continue reading your copy and making a purchase.

Here are three more ideas for powerful headlines:

* Make a promise - Earn $1000 a day
* Make it newsworthy - New program guarantees you’ll earn $1000 a day.
* Ask a question – Do you want to ensure your financial future?

Three Simple Steps to Write Headlines That Sell

So now you have some ideas about what types of headlines sell, how do you begin to write those powerful headlines?

Step One – Get to know your audience intimately. What are their hopes, dreams, desires, and problems? Understanding your audience will help you create an emotional and powerful headline directed specifically at your audience.

Step Two – Determine how your products or services are going to make your prospects’ lives better or solve their problems. For example if you sell fitness equipment and your audience struggles with feeling attractive then you can create a headline that highlights a specific benefit your fitness equipment offers to solve that problem.

Step Three – Write ten to twenty, yes twenty, possible headlines. Not only will this give you practice writing compelling headlines, it’ll help you hone in on that perfect headline. And if you think you have a few winners you can always test them for conversion rates to find out which headline is more effective.

Marketing and Copywriting experts consider your headline to be the most import element of any effective marketing piece. Take the time to craft a compelling, and selling, headline and you’ll reap the benefits for years to come.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

How To Start a Blog for Profit

An online presence is important these days for whatever enterprise you engage in. to connect with a wide variety of people there is no bigger forum than the Internet. If you are looking for a way to show off your expertise and also make a little money while doing it, consider starting a blog.

What is a Blog?

A blog is actually an online journal of sorts. With a blog you can upload daily posts about anything that you want. Some people create personal blogs as a way to keep in touch with family members. Pictures, videos and other information are uploaded so your loved ones are current with what is going on with you.

Here we are going to talk about business blogs. This is a blog that you begin to attract traffic in order to sell products or services. To be interesting to others, your blog will need to:

• Have updated content for visitors
• Be marketed to draw traffic
• Register with search engines so it can be found in the rankings

How to Start

If you are new to blogging, use a free blogging platform to get your feet wet. Sites like Blogger.com, Wordpress.org, Blogspot.com and others offer free blogs to users. Depending on the site you choose, the themes and plug-ins (added features) will vary. Most will walk you through the process step by step so that you can be up and running in no time.

Before you start posting, decide what will be the theme, or niche of your blog. A jack-of-all-trades type of blog doesn’t do as well as one that is geared towards a certain niche. If you like crafts, that can be your niche. Create posts that talk about how to craft, what to craft, how to make crafting profitable and so on. Once you have decided on a path, it is time to create that great content.

How to Make Money

In order to make money with your blog, you need to have people visiting it. That is where marketing comes in. to draw traffic you have to get the word out about your blog. Tell all of your friends and family members that you are online with your blog for a start.

Any money-making venture will take place once you have built your readership with interesting posts. Then you can put into play a number of profitable additions:

• Google AdSense
• Selling Advertising
• Affiliate Marketing
• EBook Marketing

The simplest one to pursue is Google AdSense. You are using targeted advertisements to create revenue for your blog. You are paid per clicks on the ads.

There are other options where you can get paid when someone makes a sale on that website. That is more likely to happen when you join an affiliate program. Join affiliate program that work well with your website niche.

EBooks are short downloadable electronic books that you can create yourself and sell on your website. They can be on a variety of subjects but in order for them to sell, you must be able to offer new information to your customers.

Blogs can be used to build revenue. Start with your chosen niche and market your blog to find the traffic you need. Then, utilize these ideas to turn a profit.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Five Tips on Getting More Subscribers

If you aren't quite satisfied with the amount of subscribers you currently have;
below are a few techniques that may benefit you. Having a large subscriber list
is an important part of any online business you may be involved in.

1} Have Your Sign Up Form on the Home Page

When a visitor views your site and is interested in subscribing to your newsletter;
you need to make it easy for them to subscribe. Don't make them have to search
through page after page just to sign up. Place the subscription form where they
can see it as soon as they arrive at your site.

2} Have a "Tell a Friend" Link on Your Site

You would be surprised how many new subscribers you can pick up just by having a
"Tell a Friend" form on your website. As I was researching information for this article
I read where one persons subscriber base doubled within 6 months by using this method.

3} Entice Visitors to Subscribe

Offer anyone who signs up to your newsletter a Free Report, Product or Ecourse. Make
them want to sign up. People online are like people offline; we all want something
for free. Bribery is not excluded only to children.

4} Post your link in Forums and Newsgroups

Don't make it be a blatant long ad; instead design a two to three line ad for your ezine
and leave it as a sig line when you post a comment. This method also works great when
leaving comments on blogs. When you comment on others blogs; there's a good chance they
will in turn visit your site.

5} Ad Swaps

This technique is a great way to gain exposure for your newsletter or website. Write up
a short, to the point ad describing your newsletter and contact the ezine owners to
see if they will swap ads with you. You, in return, include their ad in your newsletter.
It's a total win-win situation.