What is Article Marketing Anyway?
Article marketing is one of the major resources Internet marketers have for advertising on the web.
You start by writing an article, or hiring a copyrighter to do the job, on a subject
related to your website. The article provides interesting and relevant content for individuals searching the web.
The articles may contain interesting facts about a particular subject, a human interest story, and information on current issues, advice, and anything else that is somehow related to a product or service you provide.
For example, as you write, you may choose to write an article related to reading and writing.
So, you write a researched human interest article about the prevalence of Illiteracy in today's society.
The information presented in the article is based on current data, but contains facts most people would not even consider.
For instance, did you know that many individuals able to read and write are still considered functionally illiterate?
Now, you may be asking how this article can be considered advertisement for my copyrighting business.
As part of the article, will write about how important it is to be able to properly
convey information to be a successful businessperson.
Then, will provide an embedded link within the article that the reader can click on, to be directed to my site, so they can avail themselves of the writing services.
In addition, as a writer, you may also offer my services as an online tutor for other writers who want to improve their own skills, or learn more about writing for business success.
So, you can leave another embedded link within the article, to lead budding writers to the offer for tutoring services.
Thus, while your article may become an entertaining source of trivia to the readership, it also contains important links back to your site, which has the potential to generate more business.
Why Should You Bother?
Any Internet marketer, who is any good at what he/she does, will tell you article marketing is only one source for advertising and generating business. So, if writing is not your forte, or you are simply too busy, why should you even bother with article marketing?
After all, hiring a writer cuts into your net profits, and you can always pick another means of advertising.
Right?
Not exactly. Whether you advertise through article marketing, social networking, blogging, newsletters, or emails, writing is a critical component.
The reason article marketing is so important can be summed up in one word-exposure.
Today, the major search engines are leaning toward a consumer oriented Internet. As a result, many engines are making a concerted effort to cut down on spam, ban the offenders, and provide the consumer with quality information, and not simply
an attempt to convince the individual to part with his/her money.
Instead of one big sales gimmick, the search engines want the surfer to find helpful information, compelling copy, interesting and educational writing, and light reading for fun.
Thus, your future customers or clients do not have to feel the pressure of one sales pitch after another. Instead, they have read something worth their time, and they have the option to click links for further information or service, without any pressure or spam tactics.
In short, article marketing is a critical component of successful Internet marketing. Although you will avail yourself of other advertising strategies, a well-read article, with carefully embedded links will intrigue many readers and encourage them to seek further information. Search engines will be pleased, which could eventually lead to greater exposure for your business; and you will know you are implementing a tried and true form of advertising.
8/20/2009
Top 100 virus-infected websites
Norton Symantec warning: Simply visiting one of the "Top 100 Dirtiest" websites" - without downloading or even clicking anything - could expose your computer to infection.
Malware is malicious software that can damage a computer without the owner's consent.
Some of Websites you have to avoid:
* 17ebook.co
* aladel.net
* bpwhamburgorchardpark.org
* clicnews.com
* dfwdiesel.net
* divineenterprises.net
* fantasticfilms.ru
* gardensrestaurantandcatering.com
* ginedis.com
* gncr.org
* hdvideoforums.org
* hihanin.com
* kingfamilyphotoalbum.com
* likaraoke.com
* mactep.org
* magic4you.nu
* marbling.pe.kr
* nacjalneg.info
* pronline.ru
* purplehoodie.com
* qsng.cn
* seksburada.net
* sportsmansclub.net
* stock888.cn
* tathli.com
* teamclouds.com
* texaswhitetailfever.com
* wadefamilytree.org
* xnescat.info
* yt118.com
Malware is malicious software that can damage a computer without the owner's consent.
Some of Websites you have to avoid:
* 17ebook.co
* aladel.net
* bpwhamburgorchardpark.org
* clicnews.com
* dfwdiesel.net
* divineenterprises.net
* fantasticfilms.ru
* gardensrestaurantandcatering.com
* ginedis.com
* gncr.org
* hdvideoforums.org
* hihanin.com
* kingfamilyphotoalbum.com
* likaraoke.com
* mactep.org
* magic4you.nu
* marbling.pe.kr
* nacjalneg.info
* pronline.ru
* purplehoodie.com
* qsng.cn
* seksburada.net
* sportsmansclub.net
* stock888.cn
* tathli.com
* teamclouds.com
* texaswhitetailfever.com
* wadefamilytree.org
* xnescat.info
* yt118.com
How To Use Craiglist:
1. Go to www.Craigslist.org
You will land on a page that looks similar to this. From here you want to find where you’re located. If you’re in the US find your state and click on it. (The US Cities section is a shortcut to the cities that use Craigslist the most).
2. Once you find your state, select the city you live in. (if they don’t have your city you can make a suggestion to add you city and then search a city close to yours for what you’ll learn in this lesson.
3. Now that you’ve found your city (or one near yours) there are two sections that you’ll want to pay attention to: the Community and Services areas. (The buy, sell, trade is more for personal use)
In the community area you want to find places where you can advertise your business. I’d suggest the Local News section and Events as starting places. IN those two areas you can write listings on your opening, any specials that you’re offering etc.
The services section is where you’ll continually post the services you offer. If you’re a barber post your listing in the beauty section. I might also post my listing in the skill’d trade section. If you fall into any other category you can post in there as well. Be sure you’re not over posting – if you post more than once per day in the same section it will be automatically removed.
How To Write A Listing
In any advertisement for your business there are some important components that make a listing “good.” Here are some things you want to include in your listing:
* A subject line that attracts your customers eye
* A subject line that has a benefit in it for the customer to click your link * Include contact information – if the goal of your ad is to get visitors to call your business, put a phone number. If you want them to check out your site, put your website URL (a URL looks like this – http://www.yourwebsitehere.com
* An offer – give them a reason to choose you over everyone else. Give them a bonus for going to your site. When you’re uploading your listing you have a chance to upload pictures – include an attractive picture of your business, and then have a coupon image created that customers can print out (giving them more reason to come to YOUR business over your competitors
Here’s a few sample listings pulled from random cities on Craigslist and how they can be improved:
****************************************************
Men's & Womens Hair Cuts For Only $6 !
Hello, my name is Bob Slay and I am a
student barber at the Boise Barber College.
We offer quality haircuts for men & women
at only $6.00. This is a great deal with gas
and the economy like it is.
Give us a try, you will not be dissapointed.
All cuts are supervised by an instructer.
Please ask for me as I am trying to build
my client base. Walk on in and ask for
Bob, or call ahead and make an appointment.
BBC Phn#378-9933...... My Cell#6954660.......
3027 N Cole Rd, Boise
Thanks, and I look forward to providing you
with a great product at an unbelievable price
****************************************************
BARBER (OAKLAND PARK FLEA MARKET)
BARBER LOCATED AT THE OAKLAND PARK
FLEA MARKET AT (LORRAINE'S BARBER SHOP)SPECIALIZE IN ALL TYPES OF HAIR
CALL (754 366-7687 ASK FOR STEVE-O
****************************************************
Will cut your hair at your home.
I am Warren moon the barber
I am warrenmoon from Harlem NY. I
specialize in hair cutting, for personal,
T.V entertainers, and professional
sports figures.
I make house calls.and photo shoots.
Sharp lines and eye catching cuts!!!!!!!
Flexible hours.
References with phone numbers.
Very reasonable rates!!!646 667 6534
SERVICING- Broward, and Miami Dade
My name is warren you can reach me at
646 667 6534
****************************************************
How to split test and track your listings
Split testing your listings can be a very simple task, but a difficult task to track if you’re not logging information as you go.
First start out by writing one listings. Now decide which feature you want to test – this could be the headline, the features or benefits you included in your listing, or even the location of your stores.
Once you’ve decided what you want to test, make the change you want to. Now add both of your adds into a spreadsheet. I use excel, but Google Docs has a free version if you need it.
Now at the bottom of each add, with the exact same offer and only one item changes, add a coupon code. Make sure you write down which add had which code. Then as visitors come to your website or into your business and use the code keep a tally of which codes were brought in. At the end of the month you can now see which ad out performed the other based on how many coupons you received.
Now you can get rid of the add that did poorly and create a new add for the next month testing another offer following the exact same process.
Here’s an example: Let’s say owned a barbershop and create an add to get more people into the shop. Below the first ad created.
BARBER (OAKLAND PARK FLEA MARKET)
BARBER LOCATED AT THE OAKLAND PARK
FLEA MARKET AT (LORRAINE'S BARBER SHOP) SPECIALIZE IN ALL TYPES OF HAIR
CALL (754 366-7687) ASK FOR STEVE-O
You will land on a page that looks similar to this. From here you want to find where you’re located. If you’re in the US find your state and click on it. (The US Cities section is a shortcut to the cities that use Craigslist the most).
2. Once you find your state, select the city you live in. (if they don’t have your city you can make a suggestion to add you city and then search a city close to yours for what you’ll learn in this lesson.
3. Now that you’ve found your city (or one near yours) there are two sections that you’ll want to pay attention to: the Community and Services areas. (The buy, sell, trade is more for personal use)
In the community area you want to find places where you can advertise your business. I’d suggest the Local News section and Events as starting places. IN those two areas you can write listings on your opening, any specials that you’re offering etc.
The services section is where you’ll continually post the services you offer. If you’re a barber post your listing in the beauty section. I might also post my listing in the skill’d trade section. If you fall into any other category you can post in there as well. Be sure you’re not over posting – if you post more than once per day in the same section it will be automatically removed.
How To Write A Listing
In any advertisement for your business there are some important components that make a listing “good.” Here are some things you want to include in your listing:
* A subject line that attracts your customers eye
* A subject line that has a benefit in it for the customer to click your link * Include contact information – if the goal of your ad is to get visitors to call your business, put a phone number. If you want them to check out your site, put your website URL (a URL looks like this – http://www.yourwebsitehere.com
* An offer – give them a reason to choose you over everyone else. Give them a bonus for going to your site. When you’re uploading your listing you have a chance to upload pictures – include an attractive picture of your business, and then have a coupon image created that customers can print out (giving them more reason to come to YOUR business over your competitors
Here’s a few sample listings pulled from random cities on Craigslist and how they can be improved:
****************************************************
Men's & Womens Hair Cuts For Only $6 !
Hello, my name is Bob Slay and I am a
student barber at the Boise Barber College.
We offer quality haircuts for men & women
at only $6.00. This is a great deal with gas
and the economy like it is.
Give us a try, you will not be dissapointed.
All cuts are supervised by an instructer.
Please ask for me as I am trying to build
my client base. Walk on in and ask for
Bob, or call ahead and make an appointment.
BBC Phn#378-9933...... My Cell#6954660.......
3027 N Cole Rd, Boise
Thanks, and I look forward to providing you
with a great product at an unbelievable price
****************************************************
BARBER (OAKLAND PARK FLEA MARKET)
BARBER LOCATED AT THE OAKLAND PARK
FLEA MARKET AT (LORRAINE'S BARBER SHOP)SPECIALIZE IN ALL TYPES OF HAIR
CALL (754 366-7687 ASK FOR STEVE-O
****************************************************
Will cut your hair at your home.
I am Warren moon the barber
I am warrenmoon from Harlem NY. I
specialize in hair cutting, for personal,
T.V entertainers, and professional
sports figures.
I make house calls.and photo shoots.
Sharp lines and eye catching cuts!!!!!!!
Flexible hours.
References with phone numbers.
Very reasonable rates!!!646 667 6534
SERVICING- Broward, and Miami Dade
My name is warren you can reach me at
646 667 6534
****************************************************
How to split test and track your listings
Split testing your listings can be a very simple task, but a difficult task to track if you’re not logging information as you go.
First start out by writing one listings. Now decide which feature you want to test – this could be the headline, the features or benefits you included in your listing, or even the location of your stores.
Once you’ve decided what you want to test, make the change you want to. Now add both of your adds into a spreadsheet. I use excel, but Google Docs has a free version if you need it.
Now at the bottom of each add, with the exact same offer and only one item changes, add a coupon code. Make sure you write down which add had which code. Then as visitors come to your website or into your business and use the code keep a tally of which codes were brought in. At the end of the month you can now see which ad out performed the other based on how many coupons you received.
Now you can get rid of the add that did poorly and create a new add for the next month testing another offer following the exact same process.
Here’s an example: Let’s say owned a barbershop and create an add to get more people into the shop. Below the first ad created.
BARBER (OAKLAND PARK FLEA MARKET)
BARBER LOCATED AT THE OAKLAND PARK
FLEA MARKET AT (LORRAINE'S BARBER SHOP) SPECIALIZE IN ALL TYPES OF HAIR
CALL (754 366-7687) ASK FOR STEVE-O
Membership Site Basics
You've probably heard how lucrative starting a membership site can be. Getting paid every month from members willing to pay your monthly fee for access to your websites content is an incredibly profitable method of generating recurring income.
With your own community, you can develop credibility, build brand awareness and establish yourself as an authority in your niche.
So, with the many positive elements to building a membership based website, how can you utilize existing tools and resources to instantly create a powerhouse of subscription based sites in a short amount of time?
Membership Gold Rush is a collective resource showcasing quick-start strategies to building profitable continuity based websites.
From maximizing conversion rates to subscriber retention, I will cover all of the bases to creating, running and managing a successful membership community.
Whether you have ever set up a membership website before or not doesn't matter.
The strategies featured within this guide are simple and straightforward. All you need to do is follow along, step by step, and apply the techniques in each chapter.
One of the great things about starting a membership site is you can simply take your hobby, existing specialized knowledge or interests and quickly turn it into a profitable business.
You can even begin developing a membership site on a part time basis, and as it grows, you can consistently add new content as you go, rather than having to spend weeks developing an abundance of content upfront.
Planning for and setting your site up for auto-responders, automated sign-ups, payment processing, automated cancellations, and removing refunded customers from your database is all part of a successful membership website.
By incorporating these strategies into your existing membership website or when creating a new membership website, you will be able to maximize your income tremendously.
It all begins in evaluating the different membership models available as well as choosing your overall topic.
With your own community, you can develop credibility, build brand awareness and establish yourself as an authority in your niche.
So, with the many positive elements to building a membership based website, how can you utilize existing tools and resources to instantly create a powerhouse of subscription based sites in a short amount of time?
Membership Gold Rush is a collective resource showcasing quick-start strategies to building profitable continuity based websites.
From maximizing conversion rates to subscriber retention, I will cover all of the bases to creating, running and managing a successful membership community.
Whether you have ever set up a membership website before or not doesn't matter.
The strategies featured within this guide are simple and straightforward. All you need to do is follow along, step by step, and apply the techniques in each chapter.
One of the great things about starting a membership site is you can simply take your hobby, existing specialized knowledge or interests and quickly turn it into a profitable business.
You can even begin developing a membership site on a part time basis, and as it grows, you can consistently add new content as you go, rather than having to spend weeks developing an abundance of content upfront.
Planning for and setting your site up for auto-responders, automated sign-ups, payment processing, automated cancellations, and removing refunded customers from your database is all part of a successful membership website.
By incorporating these strategies into your existing membership website or when creating a new membership website, you will be able to maximize your income tremendously.
It all begins in evaluating the different membership models available as well as choosing your overall topic.
3/07/2009
Getting Traffic to Your Blog
Getting Traffic to Your Blog
Search Engine Traffic – Pay attention to keywords and phrases when you publish your blog posts and other pages. These will help your blog rank higher in the search engines and bring targeted visitors (those really interested in what you have to say) to you.
Word of Mouth – Give some incentive for your readers to tell others about your blog. You can offer contests and giveaways where the winner has to link to the contest or post a Tweet on Twitter about the contest, etc. We’ll talk more about these things in a bit.
Comment on Other Blogs - Find blogs that fit with yours and visit them, read what the author posts and make comments on their posts. When you make comments on other blogs you are normally given the opportunity to link to your site – use it!
Article Marketing – We talked about article directories earlier, but this time you’ll be the one submitting the articles for others to pick up and post on their websites and blogs. Be sure you link to your blog in the resource box so people who read the article can visit your site to learn more.
Learn how to implement article marketing in a way that effectively drives tons of targeted visitors to your blog with this – Easy Article Marketing
Hold Contests & Giveaway Freebies – Contests and free items are hot! Everybody loves a good freebie and the chance to win something. There are tons of things you can giveaway on your blog – from reports to physical products. Some people have found success with using a weekly freebie (Freebie Friday) post. Don’t be afraid to create your own free content and give your readers the opportunity to pass those things on to others. Just don’t forget to include a link to your blog within the content so they’ll know where to find more of your great information.
Add a Product Review Section – Create a section on your blog just for recommending products that your readers would be interested in. For instance, if your blog is for those wanting to work from home, include reviews of work at home job sites, products that help make the work at home office more efficient and things of that nature.
Everybody looks to others before making a purchase to get advice and opinions. They don’t want to spend their hard earned money on something they’ll never use or that doesn’t give them what they were hoping for. Be the one to share your opinions about products and services (don’t forget to add your affiliate links within the reviews) with your readers.
Add a Recipe Section – If it fits your market another item that is hot on the Internet is recipes. Add a recipe section to your blog and watch your visitor numbers rise. Recipes are a cinch to add to your blog and you don’t have to write them yourself.
Search Engine Traffic – Pay attention to keywords and phrases when you publish your blog posts and other pages. These will help your blog rank higher in the search engines and bring targeted visitors (those really interested in what you have to say) to you.
Word of Mouth – Give some incentive for your readers to tell others about your blog. You can offer contests and giveaways where the winner has to link to the contest or post a Tweet on Twitter about the contest, etc. We’ll talk more about these things in a bit.
Comment on Other Blogs - Find blogs that fit with yours and visit them, read what the author posts and make comments on their posts. When you make comments on other blogs you are normally given the opportunity to link to your site – use it!
Article Marketing – We talked about article directories earlier, but this time you’ll be the one submitting the articles for others to pick up and post on their websites and blogs. Be sure you link to your blog in the resource box so people who read the article can visit your site to learn more.
Learn how to implement article marketing in a way that effectively drives tons of targeted visitors to your blog with this – Easy Article Marketing
Hold Contests & Giveaway Freebies – Contests and free items are hot! Everybody loves a good freebie and the chance to win something. There are tons of things you can giveaway on your blog – from reports to physical products. Some people have found success with using a weekly freebie (Freebie Friday) post. Don’t be afraid to create your own free content and give your readers the opportunity to pass those things on to others. Just don’t forget to include a link to your blog within the content so they’ll know where to find more of your great information.
Add a Product Review Section – Create a section on your blog just for recommending products that your readers would be interested in. For instance, if your blog is for those wanting to work from home, include reviews of work at home job sites, products that help make the work at home office more efficient and things of that nature.
Everybody looks to others before making a purchase to get advice and opinions. They don’t want to spend their hard earned money on something they’ll never use or that doesn’t give them what they were hoping for. Be the one to share your opinions about products and services (don’t forget to add your affiliate links within the reviews) with your readers.
Add a Recipe Section – If it fits your market another item that is hot on the Internet is recipes. Add a recipe section to your blog and watch your visitor numbers rise. Recipes are a cinch to add to your blog and you don’t have to write them yourself.
Monetizing Your Content for Passive Blogging Profits
Monetizing Your Content for Passive Blogging Profits
Once you start compiling your content and adding it to your blog, it’s time to start thinking about how you can make money with your new found information. I’ve got a few ideas to help you get started, so let’s get to it – I know this is what you were waiting on wasn’t it?
1. Promote Affiliate Programs
Finding products you can promote within your content is a great way to make money with your blog. One way to do this is to sign up for an affiliate program for the items you would like to promote. Once you’ve found them and signed up you’ll receive a link (your affiliate link) that you can use to send your blog readers to the product. When they make a purchase using your link, you’ll be rewarded with commissions.
When posting your content, think of items that will compliment the content and search for affiliate programs for those types of products. For instance, if you’re posting an article that discusses using video online, you could promote the software you use to create your own videos. Do you have a product or service you love and couldn’t live without? Put together a product review and use your affiliate link to send your reader to the company’s website. A word of caution with reviews – a reader can tell if you’re just pushing a product to make a sale so be honest. If there is something you don’t like about it, tell them.
You can find affiliate programs in many places, but here are a few I recommend:
The Company’s Website – More and more business owners are realizing just how much creating an affiliate program for their products and services can increase business. Check right on the company’s website for information on how to sign up for their affiliate program.
Affiliate Networks – You can find tons of products in every market you could dream of here. Just sign up for a free publisher account, locate products you’d like to promote. That’s all there is to it. www.ClickBank.com
Free Affiliate Articles – If you're looking for content that is ready for affiliate links visit www.FreeAffiliateArticles.com and you'll find a bunch.
Mom Affiliate Network – If you cater to the mom market, I highly recommend checking this site out for family friendly products. You’ll also find programs to help Internet marketers and those who want to work from home here. www.MomAffiliateNetwork.com
Search Engines – Many times you can put the type of product you’re looking to promote plus the words “affiliate program” into your browser’s search feature and you’ll find lots of options.
2. Adsense
Do you see those blocks of ads on blogs and websites throughout the web that “Ads by Google” at the bottom? Those are ads published via Google’s Adsense program.
Google sends targeted ads based on the content that appears on your blog. You can sign up for an account with Google’s Adsense program for free. Once you sign up you’ll be able to set up the type of ads you’d like fed to your blog (text ads, block ads, banner ads, and more). As the content on your blog changes, Google changes the ads and you’re paid whenever someone clicks on the ads.
When done correctly, you can make very good money with Adsense, but it does take a bit of testing and tweaking to find the combination of ads that will work best for your individual blog. People are used to seeing these ads and although many people do ignore them, there are many more who will click the links and you’ll be compensated when they do.
3. Resale Rights Content
Resale rights content is content you purchase similar to PLR with one exception. You usually don’t have the right to alter the content in anyway. You purchase the content for your use and are given the rights to resell it, which allows you to then turn around sell the product yourself.
Normally, you’ll receive not only the product, but also the sales page and other web copy to add to your own website. You simply change the payment link to have it paid to you and whenever someone buys the product you get all the profits.
Master Resale Rights Content
If resale rights content isn’t good enough, there is also content you can purchase that comes with what’s known as Master Resale Rights. The difference between master resale rights and regular resale rights is:
Resale Rights – You can sell the product but you can NOT pass those same rights on to your customers.
Master Resale Rights – You can not only sell the product and keep the profits, but you also have the ability to pass resale rights onto your customers. They can in turn sell the product as their own.
Each product has specific rules on how you can and cannot use the content no matter which type you are given. Due to this make certain you take the time to read the rules before just throwing the product up for sale or offering rights to others.
4. Create & Sell Your Own Info Products
Ok, I know you’re probably shaking your head after reading number 4. You’re probably wondering how in the world you have the time to write your own information products when you’re trying to save time and energy by NOT writing all your own blog posts. Hear me out, I promise it’ll be worth it.
Just like your blog posts, you can create information products that you can sell to your readers without writing all of the content yourself. The absolute best (and easiest) way to do this is by purchasing PLR content that centers around the topic of the info product you’d like to create and rework it a bit and compile it to create an eBook or guide you can then put up for sale. Here’s an example of what I mean:
Let’s say you have a blog about Green Living. One thing your readers would love to know is how to live a greener life without paying tons of money on things like solar panels, costly home additions, etc. You’ve decided you’d like to create an eBook to help them go green by making small changes to their everyday lifestyles without breaking the bank. You’d also like to show them ways they can not only live a greener life, but even save money in the process. We’ll call the product: “Go Green without Breaking the Bank: Small Changes You Can Make to Live an Eco-Friendly Life while Saving Money.”
The first thing you’d do is start searching for private label rights content that fits your subject. Next, you’ll want to compile all the PLR you’ve purchased into a logical, valuable document. Now, it’s time to add your own advice, tips, knowledge, etc. on the subject and form your finished product.
You’ve now created an entire eBook without having to write the majority of it yourself. Save your brain power for marketing your newly created product. Just remember, make any PLR you purchase your own by reworking it to fit your needs and add to or take away information as necessary.
Go to EasyPLR.com/bestplr.htm for the best PLR on a huge variety of topics.
Bonus Tip: To add value to your information product, record an audio version of your eBook and package it with the written version. You can also interview others in your field and add that too.
5. ECourses & Newsletters
Another great way to monetize your blog content is by adding free eCourses to your arsenal. You can put together eCourses that will give your readers further information about the topic of your blog.
For instance, if you run a blog about Labrador Retrievers, why not create a short 5 day eCourse that tells owners of Lab puppies the best tips and tricks for house training the newest member of their family. Or, create an eCourse that gives important information on raising Labs specifically.
You can use PLR content or take content you’ve previously posted on your blog to create your eCourses.
Grab pre-written PLR eCourses on Internet marketing topics at MostlySanePLR.com
Simply load the eCourse into your email management system (I use Aweber) and sprinkle promotions for affiliate products throughout the course. Once you have the course set up, copy and paste the HTML or JavaScript for the sign up box into your blog. Then market the course via your blog posts, on Twitter, and other places.
This brings me to the next step in making money with your blog – bringing in visitors.
6. Ad networks.
Ad networks are programs that serve ads onto your blog. Normally they pay per thousand impressions. (Usually described as CPM.) So, an ad network that pays $3 CPM would pay $3 for every 1000 times the ad was viewed.
There are many sites like this online and you can find them by searching google.
Once you start compiling your content and adding it to your blog, it’s time to start thinking about how you can make money with your new found information. I’ve got a few ideas to help you get started, so let’s get to it – I know this is what you were waiting on wasn’t it?
1. Promote Affiliate Programs
Finding products you can promote within your content is a great way to make money with your blog. One way to do this is to sign up for an affiliate program for the items you would like to promote. Once you’ve found them and signed up you’ll receive a link (your affiliate link) that you can use to send your blog readers to the product. When they make a purchase using your link, you’ll be rewarded with commissions.
When posting your content, think of items that will compliment the content and search for affiliate programs for those types of products. For instance, if you’re posting an article that discusses using video online, you could promote the software you use to create your own videos. Do you have a product or service you love and couldn’t live without? Put together a product review and use your affiliate link to send your reader to the company’s website. A word of caution with reviews – a reader can tell if you’re just pushing a product to make a sale so be honest. If there is something you don’t like about it, tell them.
You can find affiliate programs in many places, but here are a few I recommend:
The Company’s Website – More and more business owners are realizing just how much creating an affiliate program for their products and services can increase business. Check right on the company’s website for information on how to sign up for their affiliate program.
Affiliate Networks – You can find tons of products in every market you could dream of here. Just sign up for a free publisher account, locate products you’d like to promote. That’s all there is to it. www.ClickBank.com
Free Affiliate Articles – If you're looking for content that is ready for affiliate links visit www.FreeAffiliateArticles.com and you'll find a bunch.
Mom Affiliate Network – If you cater to the mom market, I highly recommend checking this site out for family friendly products. You’ll also find programs to help Internet marketers and those who want to work from home here. www.MomAffiliateNetwork.com
Search Engines – Many times you can put the type of product you’re looking to promote plus the words “affiliate program” into your browser’s search feature and you’ll find lots of options.
2. Adsense
Do you see those blocks of ads on blogs and websites throughout the web that “Ads by Google” at the bottom? Those are ads published via Google’s Adsense program.
Google sends targeted ads based on the content that appears on your blog. You can sign up for an account with Google’s Adsense program for free. Once you sign up you’ll be able to set up the type of ads you’d like fed to your blog (text ads, block ads, banner ads, and more). As the content on your blog changes, Google changes the ads and you’re paid whenever someone clicks on the ads.
When done correctly, you can make very good money with Adsense, but it does take a bit of testing and tweaking to find the combination of ads that will work best for your individual blog. People are used to seeing these ads and although many people do ignore them, there are many more who will click the links and you’ll be compensated when they do.
3. Resale Rights Content
Resale rights content is content you purchase similar to PLR with one exception. You usually don’t have the right to alter the content in anyway. You purchase the content for your use and are given the rights to resell it, which allows you to then turn around sell the product yourself.
Normally, you’ll receive not only the product, but also the sales page and other web copy to add to your own website. You simply change the payment link to have it paid to you and whenever someone buys the product you get all the profits.
Master Resale Rights Content
If resale rights content isn’t good enough, there is also content you can purchase that comes with what’s known as Master Resale Rights. The difference between master resale rights and regular resale rights is:
Resale Rights – You can sell the product but you can NOT pass those same rights on to your customers.
Master Resale Rights – You can not only sell the product and keep the profits, but you also have the ability to pass resale rights onto your customers. They can in turn sell the product as their own.
Each product has specific rules on how you can and cannot use the content no matter which type you are given. Due to this make certain you take the time to read the rules before just throwing the product up for sale or offering rights to others.
4. Create & Sell Your Own Info Products
Ok, I know you’re probably shaking your head after reading number 4. You’re probably wondering how in the world you have the time to write your own information products when you’re trying to save time and energy by NOT writing all your own blog posts. Hear me out, I promise it’ll be worth it.
Just like your blog posts, you can create information products that you can sell to your readers without writing all of the content yourself. The absolute best (and easiest) way to do this is by purchasing PLR content that centers around the topic of the info product you’d like to create and rework it a bit and compile it to create an eBook or guide you can then put up for sale. Here’s an example of what I mean:
Let’s say you have a blog about Green Living. One thing your readers would love to know is how to live a greener life without paying tons of money on things like solar panels, costly home additions, etc. You’ve decided you’d like to create an eBook to help them go green by making small changes to their everyday lifestyles without breaking the bank. You’d also like to show them ways they can not only live a greener life, but even save money in the process. We’ll call the product: “Go Green without Breaking the Bank: Small Changes You Can Make to Live an Eco-Friendly Life while Saving Money.”
The first thing you’d do is start searching for private label rights content that fits your subject. Next, you’ll want to compile all the PLR you’ve purchased into a logical, valuable document. Now, it’s time to add your own advice, tips, knowledge, etc. on the subject and form your finished product.
You’ve now created an entire eBook without having to write the majority of it yourself. Save your brain power for marketing your newly created product. Just remember, make any PLR you purchase your own by reworking it to fit your needs and add to or take away information as necessary.
Go to EasyPLR.com/bestplr.htm for the best PLR on a huge variety of topics.
Bonus Tip: To add value to your information product, record an audio version of your eBook and package it with the written version. You can also interview others in your field and add that too.
5. ECourses & Newsletters
Another great way to monetize your blog content is by adding free eCourses to your arsenal. You can put together eCourses that will give your readers further information about the topic of your blog.
For instance, if you run a blog about Labrador Retrievers, why not create a short 5 day eCourse that tells owners of Lab puppies the best tips and tricks for house training the newest member of their family. Or, create an eCourse that gives important information on raising Labs specifically.
You can use PLR content or take content you’ve previously posted on your blog to create your eCourses.
Grab pre-written PLR eCourses on Internet marketing topics at MostlySanePLR.com
Simply load the eCourse into your email management system (I use Aweber) and sprinkle promotions for affiliate products throughout the course. Once you have the course set up, copy and paste the HTML or JavaScript for the sign up box into your blog. Then market the course via your blog posts, on Twitter, and other places.
This brings me to the next step in making money with your blog – bringing in visitors.
6. Ad networks.
Ad networks are programs that serve ads onto your blog. Normally they pay per thousand impressions. (Usually described as CPM.) So, an ad network that pays $3 CPM would pay $3 for every 1000 times the ad was viewed.
There are many sites like this online and you can find them by searching google.
Make Money Blogging
From the moment you begin researching ways to make money online, you hear WRITING, WRITING, and MORE WRITING, over and over again. There’s a reason for that and we’re going to discuss how the written word can make you money, but YOU don’t have to be the one doing all that writing. Save your paper and your wrists!
One of the hottest ways to make money online is through the power of blogging. But, what does blogging require? What do you think? What ONE thing must you do above all else in order to blog?
If you’re like the majority of people, your answer probably included…you guessed it…WRITING! After all, that’s what a blog is all about right? On your blog you are sharing your thoughts with others in the form of blog posts that you’ve written - constant writing.
Before you run for the hills, let me let you in on a little secret.
While those blog posts are necessary in order for you to be a successful blogger, they do NOT all have to be written by you.
You need content to make your blog successful, but it does not have to be written by you. Let me explain by giving you some ways to make money and keep your blog fresh without wearing yourself out or giving yourself Carpal Tunnel Syndrome before you even get started bringing in the dough.
But, first, you need to know why content so important on the Internet and especially your blog.
Why is Content Crucial?
Here are a few reasons...
First of all, people come to the web for one thing and one thing only – information. Whether they're shopping for products to buy or looking for a natural remedy for their acne, they're hitting the web for information, advice, and help.
If your readers find quality information from you they're very likely to:
• Stick Around
• Sign Up for Your ezine or newsletter
• Twitter about your site
• Recommend your posts at places like StumbleUpon.com
• Sign up for your RSS feed
• Come back in the future
• Refer others to your site
Second, search engines LOVE content. The more pages you have on your website or blog filled with quality content, the better. Whether you offer product reviews, funny stories, or meaty training, quality content is rewarded by Google, MSN, and Yahoo, as well as the many other smaller search engines online.
Third, adding value to the Internet begins to establish you as an expert on your topic. By writing great information, your readers will begin to look at you as THE go-to person for information. You'll begin attracting interview and JV requests as well.
As you can see content really is important if you want to build a successful blog or website on the Internet. Without it, your site is just another in the World Wide Web. How can people find you if they don’t know you exist? By establishing yourself and providing your readers with quality posts and other valuable information they need and want, you will see that you can easily become one of the big fish in the pond.
But, what if you don’t have time to write constantly? Or, what if you don’t like writing? You’re in luck, there are many ways to add quality information to your blog without having to write it all yourself.
Before we get to that, let me tell you that while you can create a blog purely made up of content that you don’t write yourself, I wouldn’t advise it. If you want to really resonate with your readers, you have to let them get to know you as well. Don’t shy away from writing some posts yourself, but instead use these content creation methods along with your own writing to create even more quality information for your visitors.
Where to Find Content for Your Blog?
Now that you know you need great content for your blog and why, it’s time to move on to the meat of this report. I promised I’d tell you how to get that content without wearing your fingers to the bone. So, here we go! Hang on it’s gonna be a fun ride!
1. Hire a Writer
There are freelance writers who make it their business to write articles, blog posts and more for website owners as well as bloggers. Most of these writers, also known as ghostwriters, charge per written piece and base their charges on the word count of the content you need. For instance, you can have a 300 word blog post written for X amount of dollars on the desired topic of your choice.
Normally, you will send the writer either a broad topic or even an actual title and they will in turn write the content for you following your specifications. Finding a ghostwriter is not hard, especially with the field growing by leaps and bounds every single day. The hard part is finding a writer you can communicate well with, afford, and who can write in a way that captures your voice.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when hiring a ghostwriter.
Finding a Writer
Ask for Recommendations - Ask around and see who comes recommended. You can easily get references from other bloggers, website owners, Internet marketers, and even on social media sites such as Twitter.
Search Engines - While this is an option, I would definitely ask people you know and trust for their suggestions for a writer first. Just because a person’s website makes it to the top of the search engine results and they “claim” to be an experienced writer, doesn’t mean they are.
It Might Take More than One to Find THE One
Just as every blog is different, so are writers. Don’t get discouraged if you try one (or sometimes more) writer and he or she is not what you had in mind. Some writers can take any blog owner’s writing style and implement it in their articles and blog posts with no problem what-so-ever. Others don’t find it as easy.
If you hire a writer and find you don’t like their writing style or approach to a topic, move to another. I can tell you from experience; sometimes it takes going through a few writers to find the one that “gets it” and will whip out superb content that fits your personality as if you wrote it yourself.
Feedback is Crucial
When you hire a writer make sure you give them feedback once they’ve completed a writing project for you. If there was something you didn’t like about the article – the way they worded things wasn’t how you would have done it, etc. – let them know. A professional writer will be open to all types of feedback and offer to correct the issue with a re-write. By providing feedback, you are not only letting the writer know what you like and dislike about the content, but you are also building a relationship that will become very beneficial for both of you.
For instance, I know I can start writing something that’s in my head and when I get stuck, it’s nothing for me to whip it over to my writer and say “Help!” I have developed a relationship with her that allows me to feel comfortable throwing something her way without a second thought for improvement, additions, etc. I know that once she returns it to me I will not only be pleased, but it will read as if I’ve written it all myself because she and I have communicated and discussed my likes and dislikes so much that she could pass as me almost any day!
Review & Edit
I know I just said that I can send something to my writer and it would be like I’ve written it myself, but that doesn’t mean I can get away with not looking at the finished product. Even the best of writers have their off days, mine included.
Therefore, it is critical that any piece of writing you have someone else put together for you, should be reviewed and edited as necessary. Whether you’re making changes to put more of your own thoughts and opinions to it or simply adding monetization items, you must, must, must review each and every piece of content you have created for you.
2. Seek Guest Experts
You may have seen these on other blogs you, yourself frequent. Also commonly referred to as guest bloggers, guest experts are people who can provide relevant information to your readers in the form of guest posts. These are people who somehow tie in with your blog’s topic. For instance, if you own an Internet marketing blog you might consider approaching people from the following areas about submitting guest posts or becoming a regular guest expert on your blog.
• Social Media Experts
• Outsourcing Experts
• Web Design Experts
• Technical Experts
• Working from Home Experts
• Press Release Experts
• Affiliate Marketing Experts
The list could go on and on, but I think you get the picture.
You invite them to be a guest blogger on your blog, set them up with their own login information or have them submit their posts directly to you so you can post them yourself.
Give them something in return for their efforts because most guest bloggers are not paid for their posts. Many times a link back to the guest experts’ site and possibly allowing them to promote their own products or affiliates products within their post is all that’s needed. But, with the growth in popularity of guest bloggers, it’s getting a bit harder to find people who will commit. If they’re good at what they do, they will be blogging on other sites as well as yours. Try to sweeten the pot a little to get them to stick around and continue posting.
Of course, you can pay them to submit information if you’d like. As a matter of fact, I myself have one site where I pay for submissions. I monitor the submissions and if we decide it is site worthy, we pay the author for the article once it’s been published. I’ve found this helps when it comes to having a steady flow of content.
One more thing about guest bloggers you may find helpful. If you know people who are just starting out they are more open to jumping on as a guest blogger than established bloggers or business owners. However, if you aren’t ranking extremely high in the search engines, your traffic numbers aren’t all that great or your blog isn’t quite as popular as you’d like it to be yet, don’t worry. It takes some time to get there, but with the help of adding all this great content and a few other essentials, you’ll be there before you know.
3. Hit the Article Directories
Article directories are databases full of articles that authors have submitted in hopes that others will pick them up and publish them on their websites and blogs. You can find articles on just about every topic of the sun at these directories.
The catch is that you must include the author’s resource box, which normally contains information about the author and a link to their website, when you publish it on your own site. They are great sources of information, but read the articles very carefully to be sure you are getting the content you want for your website. You wouldn’t want to place incorrect information on your blog and mislead your readers after all.
Here are some of my most favorite article directories:
Ezine Articles
Free Affiliate Articles (get articles that you can monetize with affiliate links in the resource bio)
LadyPens.com
4. Create Video & Audio
Audio and video are growing ever popular online, especially on blogs. You can publish your own audios and videos or you can link to ones that others have created.
Here are some ideas for creating your own audios and videos that you can publish on your blog:
• Interviews with experts in your field
• How-to videos
• Talk radio shows and podcasts
• Training
• And more
Don’t have audio or video creation software? No sweat – you can easily create short videos on your digital camera and upload them to sites like these:
YouTube
Flickr
Blip TV
12 Seconds TV
If you’re looking for audio help, have a glance at these sites:
AudioAcrobat
Blog Talk Radio
5. Add RSS News Feeds
As you probably already know, most blogs have what is known as an RSS feed. This is where, when set up by the blog owner, readers can subscribe to the feed and be notified of new posts to the blog via email or feed readers. If your blog doesn’t have one, I highly suggest you create one. It’s really easy with the help of a site like FeedBurner.com.
Just as blogs have feeds, so do news websites such as CNN, MSNBC, etc. You can have your blog set up to receive feeds from other blogs or websites automatically. When you do this, your blog will show the posts from the other sites. Your blog is updated automatically every time a post is added to that site.
What a great way to have constant content pertaining to your topic appear on your blog. Great for indexing in the search engines too.
6. Ask Your Readers
Another great way to get content is to ask your readers to submit questions, suggestions, etc.
Their information can be turned into content for your blog in many ways:
Q & A Posts – Ask your readers to submit their questions and then answer them right on your blog.
Create a FAQ Page – As you receive questions, add them to a frequently asked questions page on your site. Each time you update the page, let your readers know.
Product Reviews – If you sell products or provide a service, ask your customers for their opinions about these things. Sometimes, they will submit full fledged reviews and you can publish those on your blog.
Testimonials – While these may not be full posts on their own, you can combine some of them and post on your blog.
7. Newsletters & Emails to Subscribers
Do you have an email list? When you send emails to your subscribers or send out your regular newsletter, do you stop at that? Start posting the updates you send to your subscribers and your newsletters or ezines to your blog as well.
Some of your subscribers may not get a chance to read your emails before they are shuffled down their inbox screen or worse yet, they may have filters that are blocking your emails altogether. This will allow them to still receive the valuable information you have to share AND give you more quality content for your blog.
Of course, if you have a list that has sensitive information that you don’t want the whole world to see, skip on posting those specific messages. One example of this would be a membership site where you send members a download link each month so they can access their member’s only information. You wouldn’t want just anybody to have the ability to get that information.
But, if you’re adding a new product to your business for instance, go ahead and post the email you send to your past customers on your blog. You’ll get more exposure for your product and added content for your blog. It’s a win-win.
8. Load Up with Private Label Rights (PLR) Content
One of my favorite ways to add quality, topic related content to a blog is with PLR. If you don’t know what PLR is, let me fill you in on this wonderful little thing.
PLR content is created specifically for those who don’t have the time, skills or desire to create their own content on a consistent basis. You can find articles, blog posts, reports, recipes, marketing materials, and even web design PLR on the Internet. Someone else writes it and sells it. You buy it and have the ability to use as you see fit - for the most part. Most PLR sites do have rules to what you can and can’t do with the PLR once you purchase it, so be sure you review those before buying.
Now, let’s see what some of the benefits of PLR include:
Inexpensive – PLR is normally cheaper than hiring a ghostwriter. You can normally buy a pack of PLR or sign up for a membership for very little. For instance, a ballpark average cost for a freelancer to write a 500 word article might run you around 10-15 dollars. With some PLR sites, you can buy 10-15 articles for that same price.
Variety – No matter what your topic, you can probably find PLR content for sale about it. The popularity of PLR has helped make it’s availability in a wide variety of markets bigger and broader than ever before.
Limited (some not all) availability – Although PLR is not exclusively yours like ghostwritten material, in most instances the number of times a particular package will be sold is limited. At least with a good PLR seller it is. This will limit the amount of times your content will be found on someone else’s site. (But, I’m going to tell you in a minute how to avoid that, even if the PLR you purchase isn’t limited to a certain amount of buyers.)
Time-Saving – As with the other ways to find content without writing it yourself, PLR saves you a TON of time. It’s already written for you, you just have to make it your own and it’s good to go.
Recyclable – One PLR article can be used over and over again. You can repurpose the same piece of content in numerous ways:
• Post it to your blog.
• Send it to your list.
• Create your own products with it.
• Use it in your affiliate program.
• Use it in your membership program.
• And so much more.
The possibilities really are endless when it comes to using PLR. The more you use it, the more valuable that one piece of content becomes to you.
One bit of advice if you’re using PLR content:
If you decide to use PLR on your blog (or anywhere else for that matter) rework it before posting it. You want to make the content your own in some way. There will be other people on the Internet that are using this same content and unfortunately some won’t see the need to make the content their own and put it up as is. You don’t want to be offering the EXACT same information as everyone else.
Make the PLR cater to your audience and target market. Add your own thoughts to it. Put a different spin on it, whatever you need to do to make it work for your needs without simply throwing it up on your blog in the same condition you received it in. This is what will set you apart from another blogger in your market. This is what will show your readers that you can be trusted and know your stuff.
I’ve now given you 8 ways to get content for your blog without having to write it all yourself. There are other ways, but these are some of my personal favorites and most popular ways. Pick one you really like or choose a combination of them.
One of the hottest ways to make money online is through the power of blogging. But, what does blogging require? What do you think? What ONE thing must you do above all else in order to blog?
If you’re like the majority of people, your answer probably included…you guessed it…WRITING! After all, that’s what a blog is all about right? On your blog you are sharing your thoughts with others in the form of blog posts that you’ve written - constant writing.
Before you run for the hills, let me let you in on a little secret.
While those blog posts are necessary in order for you to be a successful blogger, they do NOT all have to be written by you.
You need content to make your blog successful, but it does not have to be written by you. Let me explain by giving you some ways to make money and keep your blog fresh without wearing yourself out or giving yourself Carpal Tunnel Syndrome before you even get started bringing in the dough.
But, first, you need to know why content so important on the Internet and especially your blog.
Why is Content Crucial?
Here are a few reasons...
First of all, people come to the web for one thing and one thing only – information. Whether they're shopping for products to buy or looking for a natural remedy for their acne, they're hitting the web for information, advice, and help.
If your readers find quality information from you they're very likely to:
• Stick Around
• Sign Up for Your ezine or newsletter
• Twitter about your site
• Recommend your posts at places like StumbleUpon.com
• Sign up for your RSS feed
• Come back in the future
• Refer others to your site
Second, search engines LOVE content. The more pages you have on your website or blog filled with quality content, the better. Whether you offer product reviews, funny stories, or meaty training, quality content is rewarded by Google, MSN, and Yahoo, as well as the many other smaller search engines online.
Third, adding value to the Internet begins to establish you as an expert on your topic. By writing great information, your readers will begin to look at you as THE go-to person for information. You'll begin attracting interview and JV requests as well.
As you can see content really is important if you want to build a successful blog or website on the Internet. Without it, your site is just another in the World Wide Web. How can people find you if they don’t know you exist? By establishing yourself and providing your readers with quality posts and other valuable information they need and want, you will see that you can easily become one of the big fish in the pond.
But, what if you don’t have time to write constantly? Or, what if you don’t like writing? You’re in luck, there are many ways to add quality information to your blog without having to write it all yourself.
Before we get to that, let me tell you that while you can create a blog purely made up of content that you don’t write yourself, I wouldn’t advise it. If you want to really resonate with your readers, you have to let them get to know you as well. Don’t shy away from writing some posts yourself, but instead use these content creation methods along with your own writing to create even more quality information for your visitors.
Where to Find Content for Your Blog?
Now that you know you need great content for your blog and why, it’s time to move on to the meat of this report. I promised I’d tell you how to get that content without wearing your fingers to the bone. So, here we go! Hang on it’s gonna be a fun ride!
1. Hire a Writer
There are freelance writers who make it their business to write articles, blog posts and more for website owners as well as bloggers. Most of these writers, also known as ghostwriters, charge per written piece and base their charges on the word count of the content you need. For instance, you can have a 300 word blog post written for X amount of dollars on the desired topic of your choice.
Normally, you will send the writer either a broad topic or even an actual title and they will in turn write the content for you following your specifications. Finding a ghostwriter is not hard, especially with the field growing by leaps and bounds every single day. The hard part is finding a writer you can communicate well with, afford, and who can write in a way that captures your voice.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when hiring a ghostwriter.
Finding a Writer
Ask for Recommendations - Ask around and see who comes recommended. You can easily get references from other bloggers, website owners, Internet marketers, and even on social media sites such as Twitter.
Search Engines - While this is an option, I would definitely ask people you know and trust for their suggestions for a writer first. Just because a person’s website makes it to the top of the search engine results and they “claim” to be an experienced writer, doesn’t mean they are.
It Might Take More than One to Find THE One
Just as every blog is different, so are writers. Don’t get discouraged if you try one (or sometimes more) writer and he or she is not what you had in mind. Some writers can take any blog owner’s writing style and implement it in their articles and blog posts with no problem what-so-ever. Others don’t find it as easy.
If you hire a writer and find you don’t like their writing style or approach to a topic, move to another. I can tell you from experience; sometimes it takes going through a few writers to find the one that “gets it” and will whip out superb content that fits your personality as if you wrote it yourself.
Feedback is Crucial
When you hire a writer make sure you give them feedback once they’ve completed a writing project for you. If there was something you didn’t like about the article – the way they worded things wasn’t how you would have done it, etc. – let them know. A professional writer will be open to all types of feedback and offer to correct the issue with a re-write. By providing feedback, you are not only letting the writer know what you like and dislike about the content, but you are also building a relationship that will become very beneficial for both of you.
For instance, I know I can start writing something that’s in my head and when I get stuck, it’s nothing for me to whip it over to my writer and say “Help!” I have developed a relationship with her that allows me to feel comfortable throwing something her way without a second thought for improvement, additions, etc. I know that once she returns it to me I will not only be pleased, but it will read as if I’ve written it all myself because she and I have communicated and discussed my likes and dislikes so much that she could pass as me almost any day!
Review & Edit
I know I just said that I can send something to my writer and it would be like I’ve written it myself, but that doesn’t mean I can get away with not looking at the finished product. Even the best of writers have their off days, mine included.
Therefore, it is critical that any piece of writing you have someone else put together for you, should be reviewed and edited as necessary. Whether you’re making changes to put more of your own thoughts and opinions to it or simply adding monetization items, you must, must, must review each and every piece of content you have created for you.
2. Seek Guest Experts
You may have seen these on other blogs you, yourself frequent. Also commonly referred to as guest bloggers, guest experts are people who can provide relevant information to your readers in the form of guest posts. These are people who somehow tie in with your blog’s topic. For instance, if you own an Internet marketing blog you might consider approaching people from the following areas about submitting guest posts or becoming a regular guest expert on your blog.
• Social Media Experts
• Outsourcing Experts
• Web Design Experts
• Technical Experts
• Working from Home Experts
• Press Release Experts
• Affiliate Marketing Experts
The list could go on and on, but I think you get the picture.
You invite them to be a guest blogger on your blog, set them up with their own login information or have them submit their posts directly to you so you can post them yourself.
Give them something in return for their efforts because most guest bloggers are not paid for their posts. Many times a link back to the guest experts’ site and possibly allowing them to promote their own products or affiliates products within their post is all that’s needed. But, with the growth in popularity of guest bloggers, it’s getting a bit harder to find people who will commit. If they’re good at what they do, they will be blogging on other sites as well as yours. Try to sweeten the pot a little to get them to stick around and continue posting.
Of course, you can pay them to submit information if you’d like. As a matter of fact, I myself have one site where I pay for submissions. I monitor the submissions and if we decide it is site worthy, we pay the author for the article once it’s been published. I’ve found this helps when it comes to having a steady flow of content.
One more thing about guest bloggers you may find helpful. If you know people who are just starting out they are more open to jumping on as a guest blogger than established bloggers or business owners. However, if you aren’t ranking extremely high in the search engines, your traffic numbers aren’t all that great or your blog isn’t quite as popular as you’d like it to be yet, don’t worry. It takes some time to get there, but with the help of adding all this great content and a few other essentials, you’ll be there before you know.
3. Hit the Article Directories
Article directories are databases full of articles that authors have submitted in hopes that others will pick them up and publish them on their websites and blogs. You can find articles on just about every topic of the sun at these directories.
The catch is that you must include the author’s resource box, which normally contains information about the author and a link to their website, when you publish it on your own site. They are great sources of information, but read the articles very carefully to be sure you are getting the content you want for your website. You wouldn’t want to place incorrect information on your blog and mislead your readers after all.
Here are some of my most favorite article directories:
Ezine Articles
Free Affiliate Articles (get articles that you can monetize with affiliate links in the resource bio)
LadyPens.com
4. Create Video & Audio
Audio and video are growing ever popular online, especially on blogs. You can publish your own audios and videos or you can link to ones that others have created.
Here are some ideas for creating your own audios and videos that you can publish on your blog:
• Interviews with experts in your field
• How-to videos
• Talk radio shows and podcasts
• Training
• And more
Don’t have audio or video creation software? No sweat – you can easily create short videos on your digital camera and upload them to sites like these:
YouTube
Flickr
Blip TV
12 Seconds TV
If you’re looking for audio help, have a glance at these sites:
AudioAcrobat
Blog Talk Radio
5. Add RSS News Feeds
As you probably already know, most blogs have what is known as an RSS feed. This is where, when set up by the blog owner, readers can subscribe to the feed and be notified of new posts to the blog via email or feed readers. If your blog doesn’t have one, I highly suggest you create one. It’s really easy with the help of a site like FeedBurner.com.
Just as blogs have feeds, so do news websites such as CNN, MSNBC, etc. You can have your blog set up to receive feeds from other blogs or websites automatically. When you do this, your blog will show the posts from the other sites. Your blog is updated automatically every time a post is added to that site.
What a great way to have constant content pertaining to your topic appear on your blog. Great for indexing in the search engines too.
6. Ask Your Readers
Another great way to get content is to ask your readers to submit questions, suggestions, etc.
Their information can be turned into content for your blog in many ways:
Q & A Posts – Ask your readers to submit their questions and then answer them right on your blog.
Create a FAQ Page – As you receive questions, add them to a frequently asked questions page on your site. Each time you update the page, let your readers know.
Product Reviews – If you sell products or provide a service, ask your customers for their opinions about these things. Sometimes, they will submit full fledged reviews and you can publish those on your blog.
Testimonials – While these may not be full posts on their own, you can combine some of them and post on your blog.
7. Newsletters & Emails to Subscribers
Do you have an email list? When you send emails to your subscribers or send out your regular newsletter, do you stop at that? Start posting the updates you send to your subscribers and your newsletters or ezines to your blog as well.
Some of your subscribers may not get a chance to read your emails before they are shuffled down their inbox screen or worse yet, they may have filters that are blocking your emails altogether. This will allow them to still receive the valuable information you have to share AND give you more quality content for your blog.
Of course, if you have a list that has sensitive information that you don’t want the whole world to see, skip on posting those specific messages. One example of this would be a membership site where you send members a download link each month so they can access their member’s only information. You wouldn’t want just anybody to have the ability to get that information.
But, if you’re adding a new product to your business for instance, go ahead and post the email you send to your past customers on your blog. You’ll get more exposure for your product and added content for your blog. It’s a win-win.
8. Load Up with Private Label Rights (PLR) Content
One of my favorite ways to add quality, topic related content to a blog is with PLR. If you don’t know what PLR is, let me fill you in on this wonderful little thing.
PLR content is created specifically for those who don’t have the time, skills or desire to create their own content on a consistent basis. You can find articles, blog posts, reports, recipes, marketing materials, and even web design PLR on the Internet. Someone else writes it and sells it. You buy it and have the ability to use as you see fit - for the most part. Most PLR sites do have rules to what you can and can’t do with the PLR once you purchase it, so be sure you review those before buying.
Now, let’s see what some of the benefits of PLR include:
Inexpensive – PLR is normally cheaper than hiring a ghostwriter. You can normally buy a pack of PLR or sign up for a membership for very little. For instance, a ballpark average cost for a freelancer to write a 500 word article might run you around 10-15 dollars. With some PLR sites, you can buy 10-15 articles for that same price.
Variety – No matter what your topic, you can probably find PLR content for sale about it. The popularity of PLR has helped make it’s availability in a wide variety of markets bigger and broader than ever before.
Limited (some not all) availability – Although PLR is not exclusively yours like ghostwritten material, in most instances the number of times a particular package will be sold is limited. At least with a good PLR seller it is. This will limit the amount of times your content will be found on someone else’s site. (But, I’m going to tell you in a minute how to avoid that, even if the PLR you purchase isn’t limited to a certain amount of buyers.)
Time-Saving – As with the other ways to find content without writing it yourself, PLR saves you a TON of time. It’s already written for you, you just have to make it your own and it’s good to go.
Recyclable – One PLR article can be used over and over again. You can repurpose the same piece of content in numerous ways:
• Post it to your blog.
• Send it to your list.
• Create your own products with it.
• Use it in your affiliate program.
• Use it in your membership program.
• And so much more.
The possibilities really are endless when it comes to using PLR. The more you use it, the more valuable that one piece of content becomes to you.
One bit of advice if you’re using PLR content:
If you decide to use PLR on your blog (or anywhere else for that matter) rework it before posting it. You want to make the content your own in some way. There will be other people on the Internet that are using this same content and unfortunately some won’t see the need to make the content their own and put it up as is. You don’t want to be offering the EXACT same information as everyone else.
Make the PLR cater to your audience and target market. Add your own thoughts to it. Put a different spin on it, whatever you need to do to make it work for your needs without simply throwing it up on your blog in the same condition you received it in. This is what will set you apart from another blogger in your market. This is what will show your readers that you can be trusted and know your stuff.
I’ve now given you 8 ways to get content for your blog without having to write it all yourself. There are other ways, but these are some of my personal favorites and most popular ways. Pick one you really like or choose a combination of them.
How to Retweeting
Retweeting
People appreciate retweets and it is a good way to get noticed by others.
All you do is put RT in front of the @username.
Using Tweetdeck, hover over the user's avatar and it will put the whole thing in the posting area. Separate their tweet from your comment if you have one.
I usually put two pipes, which is holding down the Shift key on the \ character.
This will produce “||” which clearly shows the end of the other person's tweet and your reply or comment.
If other people retweet your tweets, make it a habit to thank them. It's common courtesy.
Simply tweet @username Thanks for RT :-) and send.
People appreciate retweets and it is a good way to get noticed by others.
All you do is put RT in front of the @username.
Using Tweetdeck, hover over the user's avatar and it will put the whole thing in the posting area. Separate their tweet from your comment if you have one.
I usually put two pipes, which is holding down the Shift key on the \ character.
This will produce “||” which clearly shows the end of the other person's tweet and your reply or comment.
If other people retweet your tweets, make it a habit to thank them. It's common courtesy.
Simply tweet @username Thanks for RT :-) and send.
Your Tweets
Start getting some tweets into the system now. On the Twitter home page, it asks What You Are Doing.
Quite frankly many people don't care until you have built a relationship with them as a result of following. But there are some good ways to get started.
Follow some blogs that you are interested in via an RSS feed to a feed reader such as Google. (Search these on Google if you are not familiar with the terms. There is heaps of information on there and could occupy an ebook of its own.) Start by posting links to interesting posts on Twitter about them with a link to the blog post. For example: “Interesting post on pest control in tomatos. Link”. Make sure you always include http:// in the link and not just www so the link is clickable in the Tweetstream. If it's a
long link, Tweetdeck has a facility to shorten it to a small url.
Another good way of starting out tweeting is with quotes. Do a search for some quotes of interest and tweet these.
Personal development ones are great and also quotes by famous people. Here's one I just found in the Tweetstream as an example: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." — Aristotle.
There are thousands of these all over the internet that you can use.
Whatever you do, at no stage of your Twitter career start posting sales tweet
after sales tweet.
Your career will be shortlived if you do and people will
unfollow you very quickly. Twitter is about engagement, value and a social
experience.
A constant flow of sales links is just not on. By all means post
links to your products or sites, but keep them to around 5% of your total tweets at the most.
Another good idea with your tweeting is to keep religion and politics out of them.
These subjects can only alienate followers and you can lose them.
Quite frankly many people don't care until you have built a relationship with them as a result of following. But there are some good ways to get started.
Follow some blogs that you are interested in via an RSS feed to a feed reader such as Google. (Search these on Google if you are not familiar with the terms. There is heaps of information on there and could occupy an ebook of its own.) Start by posting links to interesting posts on Twitter about them with a link to the blog post. For example: “Interesting post on pest control in tomatos. Link”. Make sure you always include http:// in the link and not just www so the link is clickable in the Tweetstream. If it's a
long link, Tweetdeck has a facility to shorten it to a small url.
Another good way of starting out tweeting is with quotes. Do a search for some quotes of interest and tweet these.
Personal development ones are great and also quotes by famous people. Here's one I just found in the Tweetstream as an example: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." — Aristotle.
There are thousands of these all over the internet that you can use.
Whatever you do, at no stage of your Twitter career start posting sales tweet
after sales tweet.
Your career will be shortlived if you do and people will
unfollow you very quickly. Twitter is about engagement, value and a social
experience.
A constant flow of sales links is just not on. By all means post
links to your products or sites, but keep them to around 5% of your total tweets at the most.
Another good idea with your tweeting is to keep religion and politics out of them.
These subjects can only alienate followers and you can lose them.
Twitter Client Applications
Twitter Client Applications
The biggest problem with the standard Twitter web application is that you have to keep an eagle eye on your replies and Direct Messages as you only see the main Tweetstream on the screen. It is also limited in that it only displays about the last 20 tweets, so if you want to see older ones, you have to keep going back pages. So what to do?
Easy, download Tweetdeck from http://www.tweetdeck.com The first thing you will probably notice is that you will need to change the settings as the default is white text on a black screen. Makes it hard to read I've found, but each to their own.
Tweetdeck is brilliant in that it displays the Tweetstream, your replies and your direct messages all on the one screen. The message columns allow for 500 tweets as a default, so scrolling down allows you to go back a fair way or search for tweets you may want to refer back to.
The screen has a continuous right hand scroll, so you can set up different groups and their tweets will appear in that column. You might have a group called best friends and another for gardeners for instance. That way you don't miss important tweets from people who are more important to you than others. At the time of writing, Tweetdeck is probably the most widely used application for Twitter and I would highly recommend it to you.
The biggest problem with the standard Twitter web application is that you have to keep an eagle eye on your replies and Direct Messages as you only see the main Tweetstream on the screen. It is also limited in that it only displays about the last 20 tweets, so if you want to see older ones, you have to keep going back pages. So what to do?
Easy, download Tweetdeck from http://www.tweetdeck.com The first thing you will probably notice is that you will need to change the settings as the default is white text on a black screen. Makes it hard to read I've found, but each to their own.
Tweetdeck is brilliant in that it displays the Tweetstream, your replies and your direct messages all on the one screen. The message columns allow for 500 tweets as a default, so scrolling down allows you to go back a fair way or search for tweets you may want to refer back to.
The screen has a continuous right hand scroll, so you can set up different groups and their tweets will appear in that column. You might have a group called best friends and another for gardeners for instance. That way you don't miss important tweets from people who are more important to you than others. At the time of writing, Tweetdeck is probably the most widely used application for Twitter and I would highly recommend it to you.
How to Sett up Twitter
Setting up on Twitter to have your own account is easy, but there are a few things that you should be aware of when organizing your account.
This can apply even if you already have an existing account too, so consider these tips and it can improve your entire Twittter experience.
The first thing to do if you don't have an account is go to http://www.twitter.com which is the home page of Twitter.
You will be asked to either login or register. If you don't have an account, then of course you will need to register.
So let's go through the registration process and explain it all here.
Registration
The Twitter screen will ask you for your first name and last name and will then check this is entered correctly. A green tick will appear next to the box.
The next box asks you for a user name and this is where you need to give some thought to how you are going to represent yourself on Twitter. You should remember that you can set up more than one account on Twitter, but you will need a different email address for each one.
Now this is where the thinking bit comes in. The first account you register should always be in your own name if you can get it. Naturally, common names like JohnSmith (there are no spaces in usernames) will already be taken. However it is possible to get variations on your own name such as John_Smith, or John_Smith23 or some variation like that. You can only use an underscore in a username. Hyphens are not permitted in the field.
It isn't absolutely critical that you register your own name, but I would advise
you do if you can, particularly if your name is an unusual one.
I'm sure the last thing you want is someone else impersonating you on Twitter, or
anywhere else for that matter.
If you wish to register a business name, then you can do that of course, but make your you use your own name in the sign up process so you are identifiable and connected with the business name you register. The concepts and reasons for operating under each type of registration will be discussed later.
You are now asked for your email address. Email addresses are linked to
accounts and you will only be able to use your email address once. For every
account you register, you will need a different email address.
The last thing to do is to fill in the Captcha letters and then click on Create My
Account.
The next screen will ask if you want to add any of your friends from the popular web based email programs. You can do this later if you wish.
The next screen presents a short list of people who Twitter asks if you would like to follow. Choose some if you like, but I wouldn't bother. I prefer to find my
own friends on Twitter.
When you click Finish, you will then be taken to your very own Twitter account.
You are logged in and ready to go!
This can apply even if you already have an existing account too, so consider these tips and it can improve your entire Twittter experience.
The first thing to do if you don't have an account is go to http://www.twitter.com which is the home page of Twitter.
You will be asked to either login or register. If you don't have an account, then of course you will need to register.
So let's go through the registration process and explain it all here.
Registration
The Twitter screen will ask you for your first name and last name and will then check this is entered correctly. A green tick will appear next to the box.
The next box asks you for a user name and this is where you need to give some thought to how you are going to represent yourself on Twitter. You should remember that you can set up more than one account on Twitter, but you will need a different email address for each one.
Now this is where the thinking bit comes in. The first account you register should always be in your own name if you can get it. Naturally, common names like JohnSmith (there are no spaces in usernames) will already be taken. However it is possible to get variations on your own name such as John_Smith, or John_Smith23 or some variation like that. You can only use an underscore in a username. Hyphens are not permitted in the field.
It isn't absolutely critical that you register your own name, but I would advise
you do if you can, particularly if your name is an unusual one.
I'm sure the last thing you want is someone else impersonating you on Twitter, or
anywhere else for that matter.
If you wish to register a business name, then you can do that of course, but make your you use your own name in the sign up process so you are identifiable and connected with the business name you register. The concepts and reasons for operating under each type of registration will be discussed later.
You are now asked for your email address. Email addresses are linked to
accounts and you will only be able to use your email address once. For every
account you register, you will need a different email address.
The last thing to do is to fill in the Captcha letters and then click on Create My
Account.
The next screen will ask if you want to add any of your friends from the popular web based email programs. You can do this later if you wish.
The next screen presents a short list of people who Twitter asks if you would like to follow. Choose some if you like, but I wouldn't bother. I prefer to find my
own friends on Twitter.
When you click Finish, you will then be taken to your very own Twitter account.
You are logged in and ready to go!
What Is Twitter?
What is Twitter? Well, where have you been.. LOL? Twitter would have to be the fastest growing site on the web today. It is taking the internet by storm and there are around 10,000 new users per day signing up to participate in this internet revolution.
Twitter is best described as a micro blogging platform. You are limited to 140
characters each time you do an update, which initially, may seem a small amount. However, as you become more experienced, it's just amazing what you can fit into 140 characters.
That said, Twitter is much, much more than that. It is like one huge global chat room, but then again, it doesn't have to be. It all depends on how many people you follow on Twitter. If it's in the thousands, then your “Tweetstream” will be running fast and furious with everything that's coming in. If you are only following a few hundred, or even less, then things are much easier to keep up with.
Twitter is also a great way to meet new people online, particularly those with
similar interests to you. I will show you how to do this more as we progress
thorugh this report.
Twitter is best described as a micro blogging platform. You are limited to 140
characters each time you do an update, which initially, may seem a small amount. However, as you become more experienced, it's just amazing what you can fit into 140 characters.
That said, Twitter is much, much more than that. It is like one huge global chat room, but then again, it doesn't have to be. It all depends on how many people you follow on Twitter. If it's in the thousands, then your “Tweetstream” will be running fast and furious with everything that's coming in. If you are only following a few hundred, or even less, then things are much easier to keep up with.
Twitter is also a great way to meet new people online, particularly those with
similar interests to you. I will show you how to do this more as we progress
thorugh this report.
2/19/2009
The Real Deal on the Yahoo/Google Agreement
Facts and Fictions
This agreement gives Google control of over nearly 90% of the search advertising market.
FICTION
THE FACTS
► This agreement will not extend Google’s share of any market – Google simply agreed to make its
search advertising available to Yahoo!, entirely at Yahoo!’s discretion. Yahoo! will have the option to
show Google ads in addition to or in place of its own sponsored search ads, or, for example, when it
lacks its own ads to match to an uncommon search term.
► This option will strengthen, not weaken, Yahoo!’s position and enable us to improve our ability to
monetize search results for terms where our own marketplace has no coverage, less coverage or less
relevant coverage.
► Google will not have access to or control over Yahoo!’s customer relationships, ads or pricing.
► This is a non‐exclusive agreement between Yahoo! as a publisher and Google as a supplier of ads.
Yahoo! will continue to run all of its sponsored search auctions and provide advertisers opportunities
across the entire spectrum of online advertising, including search.
The auction process can be manipulated by Google, is not controlled by advertisers and is not
independent.
FICTION
THE FACTS:
► Google and Yahoo! auctions are, and will remain, totally independent from one another. Yahoo!'s
auctions will continue to be driven by the prices advertisers are willing to pay, not the companies
themselves.
► These auctions have a proven track record for ensuring fair pricing that reflects advertiser demand and
ad effectiveness, creating a highly democratic, liquid marketplace in which even small businesses with
limited budgets can achieve marquee placement if they write high‐quality ads.
The agreement will drive up the cost of search advertising. Google and Yahoo! will display
only ads most profitable for themselves. FICTION
THE FACTS:
► Search‐advertising pricing has always been performance‐driven and set by advertisers at auction, not
by Google or Yahoo! The agreement does not change this dynamic. Neither company can arbitrarily
set prices – any more than EBay or the New York Stock Exchange can mandate the cost of an item or a
share in a company – because they’re driven by the forces of demand and supply in the marketplace.
► Ad price is only one part of the story. A more important measure for advertisers large and small is the
return on investment of their advertising dollar. The Google‐Yahoo! agreement will help advertisers
convert more clicks into customers by showing more relevant ads on Yahoo!, giving advertisers a better
return for every dollar they invest. Thus any increase in costs is expected to be offset by a
corresponding increase in ROI.
► Advertisers ultimately are in control of how much they spend because they only pay what an ad is
worth to them. The bottom line is that consumers should see more relevant ads and advertisers should
attract more customers.
Quality scores inherently drive up the cost of advertisements.
FICTION
THE FACTS:
► All the major search engines, including Yahoo! and Microsoft, assign quality scores. A quality score
helps ensure that users see the most relevant ads, not just the most expensive ones, by introducing
feedback into the auction process regarding what ads consumers prefer based on how they respond to
the ads.
► By including quality scores into such systems, we permit smaller companies to more effectively
compete with larger businesses by creating highly relevant ads and websites.
Minimum pricing by Yahoo! and Google amounts to price fixing, as it sets a unified floor for
ad prices that will dominate the entire market.
FICTION
THE FACTS
► Google and Yahoo! will continue to set minimum bids in their auctions independently. Search ad
companies like Google and Yahoo! use minimum bids to give advertisers a realistic starting point for
how much it will cost to productively show their ads, based on our overall visibility into the separate
marketplaces. Minimum bids also help deter low‐quality spam ads.
► Neither Google nor Yahoo! has ever based minimums on what competitors are doing and this
agreement is not going to change that.
There will no longer be a need to purchase ads on Yahoo!, diminishing industry competition,
and this agreement will reinforce Google’s dominance in search, not just search advertising.
FICTION
THE FACTS:
► Testing shows that Yahoo!, in part due to its independent search capabilities, competes aggressively
with Google on the most valuable search terms and across some of the most widely trafficked industry
sectors like autos and finance.
► There is no guarantee that a Google ad will appear on Yahoo!, since selecting ads from Google is at
Yahoo!’s discretion. We remain a leader in integrating display and search advertising solutions as well
as in providing independent search results. So, advertisers have ample reason to continue to look to
Yahoo! to help achieve their marketing goals.
► If anything, the agreement will better help Yahoo! to strengthen its competitiveness by improving
monetization of its least profitable search results, increasing funds available to drive product
development and innovation.
► This agreement only applies to the U.S. and Canada, and excludes the fast‐growing mobile segment of
the business.
► Finally, recall that Yahoo! is incentivized over time to not depend on a slice of revenue from Google ads,
but rather to improve its products so that it can capture 100% of the revenue from its own inventory.
How to Select Attorney Online
Most clients consider online resources essential
in the gathering of information on legal service
providers. In fact, a Yahoo! study conducted in
April 2008 confrms that 62% of clients use the
Internet prior to selecting a lawyer or attorney.
Clients spend an average of 8 hours performing
online research to get details about their legal
situation and options, and 80% choose their
attorney within one week, often out of the
need for immediacy.
Search engines play an important role in the
attorney-selection process.
Search engines are particularly valuable for this
sort of research, as they enable people to fnd
information quickly. Clients are equally as likely
to use a search engine in the research process
(36%) as they are to use the phone book—
representing a shift in the way clients had
previously accessed information on attorneys.
People using a search engine are highly likely
to enter the type of attorney they are seeking,
which presents a major opportunity for attorneys
of a particular specialty to market their services
to potential clients.
Websites can improve clients’ perceptions and
drive business connections.
Business-focused websites present a unique
opportunity to educate clients on service offerings—
and infuence their opinions. Attorneys who have
websites improve their clients’ perceptions and
trust in their services.
Attorney-related searches cover a variety
of specialties.
The majority of clients searching for attorneys are
interested in someone who specializes in estate
and probate, marital related issues, and accidents.
For most searchers, it’s their frst time looking
for a legal professional, and they have a limited
knowledge of the legal landscape.
Top 10 Specialties Searched For
Estate and Probate 25%
Child Support/Custody 13%
Auto-Related Accidents 12%
Marriage and Divorce 12%
Real Estate 11%
Bankruptcy 8%
Personal Injury 8%
Business Law 7%
Criminal Law 7%
Traffc Violations 6%
Copyright © 2008 Yahoo! Inc.
in the gathering of information on legal service
providers. In fact, a Yahoo! study conducted in
April 2008 confrms that 62% of clients use the
Internet prior to selecting a lawyer or attorney.
Clients spend an average of 8 hours performing
online research to get details about their legal
situation and options, and 80% choose their
attorney within one week, often out of the
need for immediacy.
Search engines play an important role in the
attorney-selection process.
Search engines are particularly valuable for this
sort of research, as they enable people to fnd
information quickly. Clients are equally as likely
to use a search engine in the research process
(36%) as they are to use the phone book—
representing a shift in the way clients had
previously accessed information on attorneys.
People using a search engine are highly likely
to enter the type of attorney they are seeking,
which presents a major opportunity for attorneys
of a particular specialty to market their services
to potential clients.
Websites can improve clients’ perceptions and
drive business connections.
Business-focused websites present a unique
opportunity to educate clients on service offerings—
and infuence their opinions. Attorneys who have
websites improve their clients’ perceptions and
trust in their services.
Impact a Website Had on Clients:
Improved my perception of the attorney 40%
Increased my trust in the attorney 23%
Answered all of my questions, fully informative 20%
Sealed my decision—I chose the attorney after seeing their site 20%
Was an unappealing site, so I decided against the attorney 10%
Didn’t have a site, so I decided against the attorney 10%
Attorney-related searches cover a variety
of specialties.
The majority of clients searching for attorneys are
interested in someone who specializes in estate
and probate, marital related issues, and accidents.
For most searchers, it’s their frst time looking
for a legal professional, and they have a limited
knowledge of the legal landscape.
Top 10 Specialties Searched For
Estate and Probate 25%
Child Support/Custody 13%
Auto-Related Accidents 12%
Marriage and Divorce 12%
Real Estate 11%
Bankruptcy 8%
Personal Injury 8%
Business Law 7%
Criminal Law 7%
Traffc Violations 6%
Copyright © 2008 Yahoo! Inc.
How to Prevent Identity Theft
Identity theft nowdays is one of the most popular crimes in the world.
It refers to using any individuals identity with aim to steal money or get other benefits. The criminal poses as a person whose identity he has stolen to hoodwink the concerned authorities. Financial identity theft is the most common type of identity theft as a lot of money can be stolen that way. However there are other types of identity thefts also like criminal identity theft where someone passes off as another person when apprehended for a crime. Then there is identity cloning where a person passes off as another person in everyday life and also business identity where information is used falsely to obtain credit.
The best example of identity theft today is getting fraudulent emails on your computer. You may find an email saying that all the records of the credit card company are being updated and so it is necessary to provide all your personal details as well as your credit card number. Once you provide the number and all personal details your credit card will be misused by making online purchases in your name.
There are other ways also of using your identity for fraudulent activities. A person may make use of information that he finds on documents that you have dumped in the garbage. Some people also steal your identity cards or use your identity cards when you have misplaced them somewhere and start shopping in your name. By the time you realize the fraud it might be too late. A person may also eavesdrop and hear and misuse crucial information that he has heard from you.
Nowadays stealing information from the computer occurs on a large scale. Trojans on the internet are able to track down your surfing habits as well as get access to the personal and confidential information that you have stored on the computer. Identity theft has become common in organizations as well where the person will search the databases on computer system containing confidential information.
Identity theft can be brought under control y following important steps that we discuss. In terms of internet identity theft you should never reply to any email asking for your personal information. Always go to the official site of the bank or credit card company to provide or change any information. When using credit card at stores see to it the card is swiped through the correct device for payment. Always store information of all credit cards at one location which is secure. Try to use credit cards instead of debit cards for shopping. Never give out your password, pin number etc over the phone unless you know you are talking with an authorized person from the company.
Always dispose your credit card by cutting it into pieces. Always check your monthly credit card statements so that you can note down any unauthorized purchases that have been made. You can also make use of credit monitoring facilities where you are notified instantly if any purchase is made from your credit card. In case of creating passwords see to it that they are not commonly used words like your name. Use a mixture of numbers and characters. Try to memorize all your passwords instead of writing them down on paper and putting it in your wallet. Always tear paper containing information in pieces if you don’t need anymore. In organizations you can make use of a shredder. Keep the antivirus program in your computer updated so as to detect and destroy all trojans and viruses.
How to Recycle Your Smart Phone
If your smart phone got broken you do not have to throw it because there is important data saved. Someone can extract your data and steal your identity.
There are some environmentally friendly ways to recycle your cell phone. If it still can receive calls you can donate it to a charity
Always make sure that your broken smartphone does not damage the environment.
Here are some important reasons you have to recycle or donate to a charity your CellPhone:
* Cellphones are made of some toxic metals - lead, nickel, cadmium inside.
In many countries it is illegal to throw your smart phone in trash!
* If you recycle your cell phone, it can be used by charies and they may further give it to people in need.
* If your smartphone is imposible to repair - the professional recyclers can get out many useful material: platinium, silver, plastic, copper and then safely dump the unused portion.
This method is extremely environmentally friendly, so everyone has to recycle their cellphone instead of throwing them in trash.
Most recycling companies will delete all data from cell phone before they repair, recycle or donate it.
Before giving your phone to them, you should take all measures to protect yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft.
The smartfhones /iPhone, Blueberry, etc./ usually contain gigabytes of personal data like photos, accounts, documents, emails
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