tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22196944436678318012024-03-04T23:55:56.822-08:00BlogMoolahHow to Make Money With Your BlogPeetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-46968694938742251002012-08-23T05:30:00.000-07:002012-08-23T05:30:00.961-07:00How to Write on a Schedule<br />
Something amazing happens when you commit to writing on a schedule; Not only do you work a muscle that was previously weak, but you begin to develop your own unique process to writing.<br />
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When you know you have to have SOMETHING written on such and such date, you soon find out that you are going to have to develop a system for creating content on a regular basis.<br />
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If you don't, you'll be sitting in front of the computer and staring at it for hours every week trying to think of something to write.<br />
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On a schedule, you get a feel for what works best for your writing style and how the<br />
process works for you.<br />
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You may even decide to start writing content ahead of time. If you do this, I still suggest that you write on your schedule. Don't get lazy and say, “I'm not going to write this week because I already have 2 articles that I can use.”<br />
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That's fine once in awhile, but you're not really helping your muscle if you make it a habit. Write some content ahead of time for those “just in case” moments, but write them on top of your regular writing schedule.<br />
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<b>Challenge:</b> Set a weekly deadline for your blog writing or article writing and meet that deadline every week.<br />Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-42861259246408747042012-08-20T20:57:00.000-07:002012-08-20T20:57:00.131-07:00Why You Should Write on a Schedule<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRfu_TERE_V1JyBJMK_aRlZ86gPgo7Eya75EsotNp8OgDQXFETBJCQWFFBop4oYKv-1ldsC8bjiz94un0nQvXr4e4aCGYY1Ll_72wxRb5jx8hdi7FoPbLeoWQXsniErKI9gLbPYasTwo/s1600/789070_agenda_1_biewoef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRfu_TERE_V1JyBJMK_aRlZ86gPgo7Eya75EsotNp8OgDQXFETBJCQWFFBop4oYKv-1ldsC8bjiz94un0nQvXr4e4aCGYY1Ll_72wxRb5jx8hdi7FoPbLeoWQXsniErKI9gLbPYasTwo/s1600/789070_agenda_1_biewoef.jpg" /></a>Writing on a schedule is like developing a strong muscle. You need to work it, even when you don't feel like it. Eventually, it will get easier to do and will become a habit.</div>
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If you want to reach your goals in writing, you need to go to the “gym” on a regular basis and work out those writing muscles!<br />
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<b>Why you should write on a schedule.</b><br />
Lots of people can write. If you can write, good for you, but not a lot of people can write on a consistent basis. Why do you think so many people start a personal blog and write a few posts and get tired of it?<br />
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Don't get me wrong, I'm guilty of that. I still do that! I have a personal blog that never gets written on, but I write consistently for a few sites each week.<br />
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It sucked at first. I started out very excited about my new writing gigs and then I went through a period where I wanted to give up. My writing muscles were tired!<br />
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I kept at it, and I realized that sitting down to write every week was starting to get easier. I developed a process that I could execute each time I needed to write an article. I am at the point where I can use this process for anything I write: articles, blog posts, and products.<br />
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If you plan on writing for a blog, you need to work this muscle. If you want to be able to write for publications or need to meet deadlines, you need this!<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Tip:</b> The more often you write on your blog, the more often google will crawl your site, which is a great thing for SEO and traffic generation!</blockquote>
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If you can discipline yourself to write on a schedule, you'll put yourself ahead of so many other content creators and writers.<br />
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You're readers will also appreciate consistency. How much more do you want to visit a person's blog or open their emails if you know they will have fresh and interesting content on a weekly basis?<br />
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Make it a habit for your audience to check in with you for new content!<br />Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-26457634065113285172012-08-16T05:30:00.000-07:002012-08-16T05:30:02.917-07:00Developing a Writing Process<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidK92YMmWc1NjGKo6LOKUJ30NeXu0Jh5WZ6-G1ZUOXQ9JgEJzgVbuy-jiFxLMrGTIeLGIkGWpsQj0MHWtGM6fmltMNq4RX9wpms8cmHUtptSlEmE_XBpkint93xBygJSaBR22BH6sb8M4/s1600/1338212_business_man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidK92YMmWc1NjGKo6LOKUJ30NeXu0Jh5WZ6-G1ZUOXQ9JgEJzgVbuy-jiFxLMrGTIeLGIkGWpsQj0MHWtGM6fmltMNq4RX9wpms8cmHUtptSlEmE_XBpkint93xBygJSaBR22BH6sb8M4/s1600/1338212_business_man.jpg" /></a>If you write or blog, it can be beneficial to develop a process that works for you.<br />
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Each of our brains works a little bit differently. The writing process that works for me may not work for you. Also, the writing process that you are currently using may not be the best, either.<br />
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The one way that I know works to fine-tune your writing process and skills is to <b>write consistently</b> and <b>write often.</b><br />
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It may not feel like you are getting anywhere at first, but eventually something will click and you might change the way you do things so that writing is more effective and more enjoyable for you.<br />
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Another way to fine-tune your process is to <b>study the art of writing</b>. Read as much as you possibly can in the topic that you are writing for, and read from other writers about how their process works.<br />
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Here are some things to think about when developing your own writing process:<br />
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<b>Research</b><br />
How do you currently research for your topics? What can you do to research more effectively or research more in-depth. Are there angles that you can add to your research that the majority of writers in your genre are not utilizing? Always keep a running list of topic ideas.<br />
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<b>Creativity</b><br />
What is your creative process? Make up a list of questions that you can ask yourself about each topic. Ask yourself what specific spin you can put on your writing that others may have missed.<br />
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<b>Structure</b><br />
How do you structure your writing? Are there a few different writing structures that you can always fall back on if you get stuck? Are they good structures or do you need to find some better ones?<br />
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<b>Style</b><br />
What is your style of writing? Do you even have a style? Developing a style is important if you want your writing to stand out.<br />Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-18944085832684908572012-08-14T04:00:00.000-07:002012-08-14T04:00:04.246-07:00Take Advantage of Copy Paste Bloggers and Boost Traffic with Tynt<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Cool Tool of the Day:</b></span><br />
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Do you worry about bloggers and other readers who copy/paste your content without linking back to your website? Or, maybe you have never even thought of it before. If you haven't, you should.<br />
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Luckily, there is a simple and effective method for taking advantage of people who copy and paste your content.<br />
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What if you could automatically insert a link to your content every time someone tried to use it? Well you can, and <a href="http://tynt.com/" target="_blank">Tynt</a> makes it fast and simple.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #0c343d; font-size: x-large;">What is Tynt and What Does it Do?</span></b><br />
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Tynt is a simple script that you insert within the header tags of your website. <br /><br /><b>It's main task is simple:</b> Insert a link into any content (text, images, etc) that is copied and pasted from any page on your website.<br />
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This makes it easy for people to attribute the source of any content that they copy and paste, and it also guards against plagiarism, making it one step harder for someone to steal your content without citing their source.<br /><br />But, that's not all Tynt can do. An account with Tynt allows you to track a myriad of stats, including:<br />
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<ul>
<li>which social channels are most beneficial to your blog</li>
<li>why visitors leave your site</li>
<li>what part of your website your visitors find most engaging.</li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-size: x-large;"><b>What Are the Benefits to Attaching a Link to Copy Pasted Content?</b></span><br />
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Attaching a link to your copied content is not only practical in terms of attribution, it's also great for boosting your blog stats in general.<br />
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When your work is attributed on other websites, <b><i>you gain rank in search engines</i></b>. You can also gain a larger following, as those interested in the content that was copied can follow the link and potentially find even more content on your website that they are interested in.<br />
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You are also preventing others from stealing your work, leaving you with less work in terms of tracking down your copied content and asking that the content either be attributed for removed from other websites.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Try Tynt At: <a href="http://tynt.com/">http://tynt.com</a></span>Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-79937675858684464142012-08-13T05:30:00.000-07:002012-08-13T05:30:02.862-07:005 Simple Ways to Activate Your Creative Writing Mind<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN64cMtnNlFmppL8vIupG_trsCcKeiSTTuxAn3fldt-UfO1GQqdnMRl2ZXbl50IRZiQRRKqyFR1ZzZSEPgxOvZZnKBfp1g_hNxGCCZmva8QObezvnAWM-9-ZswvKX7p4c4gFSFODZ310s/s1600/creative+brain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN64cMtnNlFmppL8vIupG_trsCcKeiSTTuxAn3fldt-UfO1GQqdnMRl2ZXbl50IRZiQRRKqyFR1ZzZSEPgxOvZZnKBfp1g_hNxGCCZmva8QObezvnAWM-9-ZswvKX7p4c4gFSFODZ310s/s1600/creative+brain.jpg" /></a></div>
Writer's block happens to the best of us. So, what do you do when you really can't think of anything? Try one or two (or all) of these tips to kick-start your creative brain.<br />
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<b>1.) Free Writing</b><br />
All those years of grammar and spelling lesson can get in the way of creative writing. Give yourself permission to spew the contents of your creative mind onto paper (or the computer screen) without worrying about sentences or form of any kind. Here's a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASw_iAd1TZo">good explanation</a> of the concept of free writing.<br />
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<b>2.) Boost Your Focus </b><br />
Keep yourself on task with an application like <a href="http://focusboosterapp.com/">http://focusboosterapp.com/</a><br />
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<b>3.) Brainstorming</b> is great for gathering all of your ideas about a particular subject into something you can use, as well as helping you come up with new ideas. This can be done on paper or with free mind-mapping software such as <a href="http://search.swagbucks.com/?cmd=ct-rd-click&id=440923&tp=w&ip=75.135.59.236&pd=false&b=0&f=0&hst=http%3A%2F%2Ffreeplane.sourceforge.net%2Fwiki%2Findex.php%2FMain_Page&frm=http%3A%2F%2Fdsclick.infospace.com%2FClickHandler.ashx%3Fru%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252ffreeplane.sourceforge.net%252fwiki%252findex.php%252fMain_Page%26ld%3D20120121%26ap%3D2%26app%3D1%26c%3Dprodegemeta3.swagbucks%26s%3Dprodegemeta3%26coi%3D239137%26cop%3Dmain-title%26ep%3D1%26euip%3D75.135.59.236%26npp%3D2%26p%3D0%26pp%3D0%26pvaid%3D202d3c42a2f04f249a36e3968a750d57%26hash%3D325722CFC408DB6A9103E45C794864E4&ncc=0">Freeplane</a> or <a href="http://search.swagbucks.com/?cmd=ct-rd-click&id=440923&tp=w&ip=75.135.59.236&pd=false&b=0&f=0&hst=http%3A%2F%2Ffreemind.sourceforge.net%2Fwiki%2Findex.php%2FMain_Page&frm=http%3A%2F%2Fdsclick.infospace.com%2FClickHandler.ashx%3Fru%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252ffreemind.sourceforge.net%252fwiki%252findex.php%252fMain_Page%26ld%3D20120121%26ap%3D1%26app%3D1%26c%3Dprodegemeta3.swagbucks%26s%3Dprodegemeta3%26coi%3D239137%26cop%3Dmain-title%26ep%3D1%26euip%3D75.135.59.236%26npp%3D1%26p%3D0%26pp%3D0%26pvaid%3D6d9f8e4625dc4b919441e84043af63eb%26hash%3D685432165823FDCF6EC1E5C079919C74&ncc=0">Freemind</a>.<br />
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<b>4.) Record your thoughts.</b><br />
Sometimes, the best way to empty your brain is not by writing or typing. Try recording your thoughts onto an audio file, almost as if you were talking to someone over the phone. I use a phone app for my android phone called <a href="http://www.androlib.com/android.application.urbanstew-rehearsalassistant-wwi.aspx">Rehearsal Assistant</a>. I can record my ideas and email the audio file to myself, so that I can transcribe the information to text later. <a href="http://search.swagbucks.com/?cmd=ct-rd-click&id=440923&tp=w&ip=75.135.59.236&pd=false&b=0&f=0&hst=http%3A%2F%2Faudacity.sourceforge.net%2F&frm=http%3A%2F%2Fdsclick.infospace.com%2FClickHandler.ashx%3Fru%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252faudacity.sourceforge.net%252f%26ld%3D20120121%26ap%3D1%26app%3D1%26c%3Dprodegemeta3.swagbucks%26s%3Dprodegemeta3%26coi%3D239137%26cop%3Dmain-title%26ep%3D1%26euip%3D75.135.59.236%26npp%3D1%26p%3D0%26pp%3D0%26pvaid%3Dc4ac6e5c62644d1b852218225e2a1c95%26hash%3D00EFC4E61ED82B25550922BDE1591853&ncc=0">Audacity</a> is good for recording audio on your computer.<br />
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<b>5.) Change The Scenery</b><br />
Sitting in front of the computer with a clogged-up mind only contributes to writer's block. Take a break from the computer. Go to one of your favorite spots, like your favorite place to read or daydream. Have a conversation with a friend. Keep a recording device or a pen and paper with you. Studies show that there are different centers in the brain that are worked when writing on paper or having a conversation, so take advantage of these creative gold mines.<br />Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-41576103281585469912012-08-09T05:00:00.000-07:002012-08-13T21:14:26.947-07:00Building Your Career As a Writer<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiec2_5NUcPviUYdXH4rLrLBnS0k-sydUcB8hMkc9aktsKR2I7S_C6D_EKCKHg8h4laLDhgUoaTVmIvjG_Kx9_uNF7501q1gSlU41U1TzDjW1B9w4mtgzCgcMUegRIpKlqgE-wg1Drgk9U/s1600/1223590_notebook_wih_spiral_and_red_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiec2_5NUcPviUYdXH4rLrLBnS0k-sydUcB8hMkc9aktsKR2I7S_C6D_EKCKHg8h4laLDhgUoaTVmIvjG_Kx9_uNF7501q1gSlU41U1TzDjW1B9w4mtgzCgcMUegRIpKlqgE-wg1Drgk9U/s320/1223590_notebook_wih_spiral_and_red_cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></div>
Do you want to be a professional writer or author? Many people think that if you want to be a professional writer that you can just sit down and start writing. While that's true in a literal sense, the fact is that in order to really build a career you will need to put in lots of time and effort into getting there.<br /><br />It takes discipline to be a career writer, as well as time in developing your writing skills to a professional level. Then, it's about building your reputation as a writer and being recognized as a professional. So how do you go about getting started?<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Career writing takes discipline</b></span><br /><br />One of the most important things that I have ever done in the development of my writing is to discipline myself to write on a schedule. This tip came to me from a friend of mine who is a published author, and I am very greatful that I have learned to stick to a schedule. Why? Because if you want to be a professional writer then you'll have to be disciplined. If you can't develop this personal discipline to sit down and write, then writing for a career may not be for you.<br /><br />You can never go wrong in honing your spelling, grammar, and other writing skills regularly. There is always room for improvement, and taking time to develop these skills will show in the quality of your writing. Take a little time each week to brush up on some of these skills. There are many websites and blogs that you can read that are geared toward writers and how they can develop their basic writing skills.Developing your writing skills<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Finding YOUR technique and style</b></span><br /><br /> Part of the development process of becoming a professional writer is in finding your own personal technique and writing style. It often comes through lots of trial, error, and practice. Another thing that you can do to work on your style is to read often. Give it some time. Developing a strong personal writing style doesn't happen overnight, and it gets stronger over time.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Places to Start Writing!</b></span><br />
<br />Here is a list of places that you can start writing and building your image as a writer. If you have trouble setting goals and deadlines for yourself, look for a place that will set deadlines for you.<br /><br /><div>
<a href="http://bellaonline.com/">BellaOnline</a> - The second largest women's site on the web. BellaOnline is known for it's program that teaches beginners how to become professional writers for the web and publication.<br /><br /><a href="http://squidoo.com/">Squidoo</a> - Start building your reputation as a writer on Squidoo, which has a strong sense of community. You can also earn a little extra cash.<br /><br /><a href="http://hubpages.com/">Hubpages</a> - Kind of like Squidoo where you write a "hub"<br /><br /><a href="http://exm.nr/nBOFNH">Examiner</a> - Become an Examiner of a specific topic on this popular website. Examiner pays it's writers for the traffic that they generate. They pay very generously with no deadlines to meet.<br /><br /><a href="http://about.com/">About.com</a> - Are you a professional in another field of passionate about a topic? See if About.com has a writing position open in your topic.</div>
Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-34504855572577171802012-08-06T07:00:00.000-07:002012-08-06T07:00:03.000-07:00Free Online Writing Courses from Poynter University<br />
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Writing is a profession that can never be fully mastered. There will always be room to grow. So, as a writer, you should always be looking for opportunities to refine your craft. But, that doesn't mean you have to pay money for good instruction, though it's certainly a good option if you are looking for something highly in-depth. There are plenty of free writing classes online to help you write better. </div>
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One of my favorite resources for free online writing courses is <a href="https://www.newsu.org/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3e72a7; text-decoration: none;">Poynter's News University</a>. Poynter offers all kinds of writing courses and seminars, some of them payed, but many of them are free. Most of them focus on journalism, but several of their free courses are geared toward improving your writing in general.</div>
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<strong>Here are a few notable courses:</strong></div>
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<a href="https://www.newsu.org/introduction-to-reporting" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3e72a7; text-decoration: none;">Introduction to Reporting: Beat Basics</a> - The basics of how to cover any topic or new section.</div>
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<a href="https://www.newsu.org/courses/cleaning-your-copy-grammar-style-and-more" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3e72a7; text-decoration: none;">Cleaning Your Copy: Grammar, Style, and More</a> - How to edit your copy and make it the best it can be.</div>
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<a href="https://www.newsu.org/courses/writers-workbench-50-tools-you-can-use" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3e72a7; text-decoration: none;">The Writer's Workbench: 50 Tools You Can Use</a> - Expand and refine your writing style. Put less emphasis on grammar, and more emphasis on style.</div>
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The above courses are just the tip of the iceburg. There are many more great courses to be found. If you are looking for some free quality writing courses, I highly recommend that you check out News University. </div>Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-91095318361624869342012-08-03T20:32:00.001-07:002012-08-10T11:16:58.130-07:00How to Write an Article for the Web in 6 Easy Steps<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLnUjWDjtM-R68x64vXubFJB26QZIgD-d27rXsOt3lkks5ttY4RtCWwSYuYmGKEryDTBgFQH1qGN00z8Kw7XupQa-0lW6y8Kz1AQM5fgEwCUm8kvhmKEo2q2O7IghnKxsNHh7S6ESMZk/s1600/1260787_hand_on_keyboard+by+sqback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLnUjWDjtM-R68x64vXubFJB26QZIgD-d27rXsOt3lkks5ttY4RtCWwSYuYmGKEryDTBgFQH1qGN00z8Kw7XupQa-0lW6y8Kz1AQM5fgEwCUm8kvhmKEo2q2O7IghnKxsNHh7S6ESMZk/s1600/1260787_hand_on_keyboard+by+sqback.jpg" /></a><br />
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Some days, writing an article can seem daunting. You don't know where to start, and when you figure that out, you're not sure what to do next. If your brain is really stuck, it may be best to step away from your desk, freshen your mind, and try again later. But having a step by step for your article writing can kick-start you out of that initial writer's block.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<strong>1.) Pick a topic</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
Pick a topic that's not too broad, but something you can easily write 250-400 words about. Anything larger is best broken down into several smaller articles. Need ideas? Keep a running list of topic ideas that come to mind throughout the day.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<strong>2.) Write what you know</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
Before you research, you should write everything you know about the subject. This is important because it let's you get some direction and let's your own words be the voice of the article. It helps to first write everything down in note form, then organize and expand on your notes from there.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<strong>3.) Research</strong><br />
By now you should have a good article skeleton to work with. Now is the time to fill in the blanks and check your facts. Most of the time, we need a few more things to add to our article to make it accurate and credible. If you use any major references or information that was not already of your general knowledge, don't forget to cite your source.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<strong>4.) Take a break</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
If your article does not need to be published immediately, take a break. You'll have a fresh perspective when you read it later.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<strong>5.) Proofread and spell check</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
Never publish an article without first using spell check and carefully proofreading your article. Articles on the web with major spelling and grammar mistakes will instantly discredit you and the information you are presenting.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<strong>6.) Publish it!</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
Congratulations, you've written a well-rounded article for the web. Now it's time to publish it to your blog or another website.</div>
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Want to publish your articles for thousands of people to see? Want to make money writing about what you love? <a href="http://exm.nr/nBOFNH" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3e72a7; text-decoration: none;">Try writing for examiner</a>.</div>Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-15229991792182135032012-02-18T12:32:00.000-08:002012-08-10T11:18:10.669-07:00Can I Really Make Money Blogging?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPsA94KEJBjOM__3M1zbw1Ji4vnWrfCfZjTQ4JlTE2nmcR2RsOnBTnmeTnW2ifg0NGWSVhyphenhyphenW-RQt2g_l9__StWHVw0f_RvvWywrbd3Oc8pkX_qiw-Xhsc06F6ZvT8byUxpRlowI5Cixc/s1600/1362248_businessman_with_the_notebook_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPsA94KEJBjOM__3M1zbw1Ji4vnWrfCfZjTQ4JlTE2nmcR2RsOnBTnmeTnW2ifg0NGWSVhyphenhyphenW-RQt2g_l9__StWHVw0f_RvvWywrbd3Oc8pkX_qiw-Xhsc06F6ZvT8byUxpRlowI5Cixc/s1600/1362248_businessman_with_the_notebook_3.jpg" /></a></div>Blogging is nothing new to the Internet. Starting out as a creative outlet, as well as a place for people to share their personal journals online with family and friends, it eventually branched out, becoming a way for experts and people of all types to share information and advice. Now, blogging is a popular way for people to make money online.<br />
<br />
<b>Easy for Beginners</b><br />
Blogging is probably the easiest tool for earning some extra money online. It requires little to no investment or start-up cash. Blogs are loved by search engines because they are updated frequently, unlike websites, which are usually updated less often.<br />
<br />
<b>Blogs are Popular</b><br />
Every day, millions of people visit blogs for entertainment and informational purposes. Most blog visitors log on and come back often to check for new blog entries.<br />
<br />
<b>Readership</b><br />
The common blog reader is also a blogger themselves, and will often link to your blog if they like your posts, increasing your reader base, as well as your earning potential. Using <a href="http://adsense.google.com/" target="_blank">Google AdSense</a> to insert paid ads into your blog is the most popular way to generate an income from your blog.<br />
<br />
<b>Earning from Ads</b><br />
By learning the most effective placement of ads on your blog, you can persuade visitors to click on them. Each click that you get, you will earn a share of the profits from Google AdSense. Your earnings will be small at first, but with time, and with more quality content on your blog, you can begin earning a substantial amount of money.<br />
<br />
<b>Traffic</b><br />
The more traffic you drive to your blog, the more money you can earn with AdSense. The most important thing to remember when displaying AdSense ads is to make them highly visible and accessible on your blog. The more people who click on the ads, the more money you will make.<br />
<br />
<b>Selling Ad Space</b><br />
Another way to make money with your blog is to sell advertisement space. Advertisers are always looking for popular blogs for which to place their ads. Most are willing to pay you for ad placement based on the traffic your blog generates as well as the location of the ad space.<br />
<br />
<b>Monetizing Ads</b><br />
You can monetize your ad space in several ways. You could charge a flat fee, charge based on the number of click-throughs that the ad receives, or take a percentage of the sale of a product that you advertise, which is called affiliate marketing.<br />
<br />
The more popular your blog becomes, the more willing advertisers are to compete for ad space.<br />
<br />
<b>Share What You Love!</b><br />
As you can see, blogging is a good way to earn money by sharing thoughts, feelings, and information with your readers. You should choose a topic that has high search traffic. You can launch a free blog today with <a href="http://blogger.com/">Blogger.com</a>, implement ads and offers, and start seeing your income build steadily over time.<br />
<br />
Just make sure you add content regularly, and that your content is quality information that visitors will want to read.Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-72602726152340065832012-02-04T05:32:00.000-08:002012-08-10T11:18:10.676-07:006 Coolest Plugins for Multi-Author BlogsDo you have a multi-author blog? Are you looking to make your life easier and the lives of your writers? Here are 6 cool plugins that will streamline multi-author publishing.<br />
<br />
1.) <a href="http://aahacreative.com/our-projects/future-posts-calendar-plugin/" target="_blank">Future Calendar</a> - Adds a calendar to the post edit page that allows you to see what days you already have posts scheduled. Great for those bloggers who like to schedule ahead of time, and for multi-author blogs. Have your authors schedule articles for days that are not already filled, and you'll be on your way to having a post scheduled every day.<br />
<br />
2.) <a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/pre-publish-reminders/" target="_blank">Pre-Publish Reminders</a> - Remind yourself and your writers what they need to double check before they hit "publish". You customize what reminders you want, and a checklist of reminders is displayed on the edit page.<br />
<br />
3.) <a href="http://www.im-web-gefunden.de/wordpress-plugins/role-manager/" target="_blank">Role Manager</a> - Go beyond the default wordpress roles. Control the abilities of each role, from contributor to editor, and even add new and customized roles.<br />
<br />
4.) <a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/theme-my-login/" target="_blank">Theme My Login</a> - Style your login page to match the rest of your site.<br />
<br />
5.) <a href="http://zenverse.net/wordpress-admin-notepad/" target="_blank">Wordpress Admin Notepad</a> - Leave important messages and reminders to other writers, right on the dashboard. Other writers, editors,and admins will see the note when they login.<br />
<br />
6.) <a href="http://wordpresssupplies.com/wordpress-plugins/status-notifier/" target="_blank">WP Status Notifier</a> - Want to edit or approve contributor articles before they are published? WP Status Notifier will email you when there are posts pending and waiting for your review.<br />
<br />
Did I miss something? What cool plugins have you found for your multi-author blog?Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-67170627631917127842012-01-21T06:28:00.000-08:002012-08-10T11:18:10.675-07:00How to Find Profitable NichesI really enjoy doing research to <b>find profitable niches</b> and new niches. A favorite category of mine is health niches and people looking for natural remedies to their problems. One of my secret weapon websites for finding these niches is <a href="http://earthclinic.com/">http://earthclinic.com/</a><br />
<br />
Not only is it great for finding niches of people looking for remedies, it's also great for research if you are writing an article or creating a product in the natural health niche. <br />
<br />
Another way that I like to look for new niches and research existing ones is to look through books and use information from <b>public domain works</b>. <br />
<br />
I use <a href="http://books.google.com/">http://books.google.com/</a> to take a peek inside profitable books that are sold on <a href="http://amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> as well as get information that I can use freely from public domain books. You can often read entire best selling books just by looking through the scanned images of Amazon books that are on google books.<br />
<br />
I also like to use <a href="http://www.justfreebooks.info/">http://www.justfreebooks.info</a> to find <b>free information</b> about topics. <br />
<br />
You can brainstorm ideas for niches by thinking of any personal suffering or pain that you, a friend, or a loved one may have gone through in their life and also think about hobbies that you or others around you have, especially if it's a hobby that they spend money on. <br />
<br />
<b>Brainstorm</b> all of your ideas in a mindmap or on paper, and you'll have plenty of ideas for niches. Your next step will be keyword research.Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-10590959398752549972012-01-20T18:24:00.000-08:002012-08-10T11:20:20.810-07:00How To Write Great Product Reviews<b><span style="font-size: large;">What makes a good review?</span></b><br />
<br />
First of all, a good review is objectionable. You should write about the positive as well as the negative things that you observed during your review of the product. It's important to tell the truth. <br />
<br />
I always personally review the product if my name is going to be on the review. If it's an affiliate product that I am not personally using, I still present both positive and negative aspects to the reader. <br />
<br />
If you are recommending it, make sure it's one of the better products out there. If there are several, you can do comparison reviews or review several of them and recommend a couple as your top picks. <b>Having some bad reviews on your website builds credibility for your readers</b> because they will see that you are not just out to recommend everything to make more money.<br />
<br />
Always state in your review if you were given a free review copy or acquired the product in anyway other than personally purchasing it. <br />
<br />
Don't forget to add links to the review item (with affiliate links if applicable) and mention any discounts.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Why write reviews?</span></b><br />
<br />
If you are a writer, writing free reviews is a good way to get noticed. Writing good reviews can lead to review requests from companies, publishers, etc. <br />
<br />
Also, once you have some good reviews under your belt, you can begin asking for review copies. You should <b>have a minimum of 5 good reviews in your portfolio before asking for review copies</b>.<br />
<br />
The other obvious reason for writing reviews is to benefit from those people who are looking to buy a product by adding your affiliate links to the review article. <br />
<br />
The most effective method that I have found for profiting from review articles has been to place a text link at the bottom of the article. You can also add product images and star ratings to your reviews. If you do, make sure that you link your images and such to your affiliate link.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Where to post reviews</span></b><br />
<br />
If you are writing as an affiliate, you can post your reviews with affiliate links to <a href="http://hubpages.com/" target="_blank">hubpages</a>, <a href="http://squidoo.com/" target="_blank">squidoo</a>, and your own website/blog. You can also use your affiliate link within <a href="http://facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> with a short review, though it's probably best to link back to your review on your blog first.<br />
<br />
If you are building your writing career, filling out your Amazon profile and then posting your reviews under each Amazon product's review section is a good way to gain some exposure.Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-18749076812492340392012-01-20T18:17:00.000-08:002012-08-10T11:18:10.671-07:00What is Autoblogging?Autoblogging describes a form of blogging where some or all of the content is added to the blog automatically. In most cases, programs or services are set up to pull content from other websites at certain intervals, and publish it to the blog.<br />
<br />
Most autoblogs are set up only once, and require very little maintenance. Of course, the more time you put into your blog, the better results you will get, but it is possible to have a “set it and forget it” blog.<br />
<br />
<b>Autoblog Content</b><br />
Autoblogs don't just pull articles. They can automatically post images, product links, product information, or even reviews. Anything that can be sourced from the web can potentially be used by an autoblog. <br />
<br />
These type of blogs have to be extremely careful that they do not violate copyright laws and the terms of service of other websites when they are obtaining content. Most content that is used will require, at the very minimum, a link back to the original source.<br />
<br />
There are a good number of sites that use only automated, unoriginal content. The best autoblogs use a mixture of automatically generated content and original content. Original content will give your blog a boost in the search engines and provide your readers with more value.<br />
<br />
<b>Is Autoblogging Dead?</b><br />
Google and other search engines, in an attempt to keep useless and spam filled websites out of the rankings, have made big changes to their search algorithms. But, autoblogs are still making good money if they can tailor themselves to these changes. <br />
<br />
As mentioned before, the best autoblogs use a mixture of automatically generated content and original content. It also makes a big difference the type of software that you use, and how it generates your auto content.<br />
<br />
<b>How to Choose The Right Software</b><br />
Currently, there are dozens of autoblogging programs and plugins to choose from. The choices are only growing, coming out with new and better ways of aggregating content and making money. So how do you know what to choose?<br />
<br />
<b>1. Make sure that the program complies with all copyright laws and terms of service.</b> Of course, these laws and terms are ultimately your responsibility, but your chosen software should do everything that it can to make sure you do not break the rules.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Make sure it fits your needs.</b> Are you just looking for something that pulls articles? If so, software that uses RSS feeds might be suitable for you. Other programs pull several types of content from several websites.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Make sure it works with your blog platform.</b> Some programs work with blogger and other free blog platforms, while some will only work with Wordpress.Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-64329824106832107082012-01-20T06:55:00.000-08:002012-01-20T06:56:15.676-08:00Deciding What Social Media to UseWhen deciding what social media platforms to use, finding out where your prospects are hanging out is a good idea. With 5 million users, Facebook is a pretty good bet, though you probably won't find quite as many people over fifty.<br />
<br />
You can use Quantcast.com to get an idea for what demographic of people are interested in your type of business as well as what websites your prospects are hanging out on. But the most important thing that will determine what platforms you decide to use will be your goals. Remember those? It's time to get them out and find out what social media platforms are going to best.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltO8xQhu3i9U_ajfngKylSSHFOxNyHdKZA9Xx84oZumzhcD3CC2CP5shdGUr7iNIom7zJXfEz3vvyiIZTUfUTcdYJA0pm_uclWUdZEbSfURjnePz1eB62XWwNFH4XTFoIbW8L2A0dmVg/s1600/goalsandsocialmediaplatforms.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltO8xQhu3i9U_ajfngKylSSHFOxNyHdKZA9Xx84oZumzhcD3CC2CP5shdGUr7iNIom7zJXfEz3vvyiIZTUfUTcdYJA0pm_uclWUdZEbSfURjnePz1eB62XWwNFH4XTFoIbW8L2A0dmVg/s400/goalsandsocialmediaplatforms.png" width="400" /></a></div>Many of your goals will fit with a variety of social media platforms, but some of the platforms may not fit with your goals. It will be up to you to evaluate each type of social media and each social media website to see if it matches your goals. This will help you choose which to use and which to fore go for now.<br />
<br />
Take into account the amount of time you have to use social media as well.Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-71296812053952247462012-01-20T06:31:00.000-08:002012-01-20T06:33:25.033-08:00Types of Social MediaThere are generally 6 main web platforms that are identified as social media. Each one has it's own unique characteristics and uses. The 6 main forms of social media are:<br />
<br />
<b>Blogging</b> is defined by a website or part of a website that is easily updated with new content and timestamped. Popular blogging platforms include Blogger and Wordpress websites.<br />
<br />
<b>Micro-blogging</b> is a form of blogging where smaller snippets of information are shared, such as with Twitter. Micro-blogging typically focuses on more easily dated material such as “What are you doing right now?” instead of the typical blog, which can focus on more long-term content. Blogging is beneficial to marketing because it allows the sharing of news and information quickly and easily.<br />
<br />
<b>Social Bookmarking</b> makes it easy for people to bookmark their favorite websites and resources online and share them publicly. Websites and content are usually rated by popularity and ratings can be additionally influenced by other users. The content creators dream is that their material will be shared publicly on social bookmarking websites and gain popularity.<br />
<br />
<b>Media sharing</b> consists of the public sharing of media such as video, pictures, audio, etc. Websites<br />
encourage users to upload media so that others may listen and view them.<br />
<br />
<b>Social Networking</b> websites exist to help build social networks and facilitate relationships among groups of individuals. People use these websites to connect with other people for a variety of reasons including business, friendship, common interest, and romantic relationships. Social networks are commonly used connect with familiar people as well as meet new people, and to share ideas, events, activities, and interests.<br />
<br />
<b>Forums</b> are websites or part of a website where people can post messages and sharing information, while others can come along and respond to the original message or to other people within the conversation. Forums usually revolve around common interests and hobbies.<br />
<br />
<b>Social Review</b> sites allow users to add their own comments and reviews of products and services and share them publicly. There are social review websites for just about any product or service you can think of including sites that let users review local businesses.<br />
<br />
<b>Hybrids</b><br />
Most social media platforms integrate several forms of social media into their websites. For instance, Facebook is a social networking website but it also uses elements such as micro-blogging (status updates), media sharing, forums, groups, and more.<br />
<br />
Hybrid social media platforms are constantly evolving and we can expect to see new types of social media websites being utilized all the time.<br />
<br />
In the future, if you have the time and expertise, you may wish to explore these options. Right now you should focus on the largest and most used platforms to place your efforts.<br />
<br />
<b>Top social media platforms</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
Blogging:<br />
• <a href="http://blogger.com/" target="_blank">Blogger</a><br />
• <a href="http://wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Wordpress</a><br />
<br />
Micro-blogging:<br />
• <a href="http://tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a><br />
• <a href="http://twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
<br />
Social Networking:<br />
• <a href="http://facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br />
• <a href="http://linkedin.com/" target="_blank">Linkedin</a><br />
<br />
Social Bookmarking:<br />
• <a href="http://delicious.com/" target="_blank">Delicious</a><br />
• <a href="http://digg.com/" target="_blank">Digg</a><br />
• <a href="http://stumbleupon.com/" target="_blank">Stumbleupon</a><br />
• <a href="http://reddit.com/" target="_blank">Reddit</a><br />
• <a href="http://mixx.com/" target="_blank">Mixx</a><br />
<br />
Media Sharing:<br />
• <a href="http://youtube.com/" target="_blank">Youtube</a><br />
• <a href="http://flickr.com/" target="_blank">Flickr</a>Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-55460995292883507702012-01-18T21:53:00.000-08:002012-01-18T21:55:24.127-08:00The Advantages of Social Media<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsB8cyr42VmzxsP_8B3TgmfAVl3KQAE2eSchSsUglOoE0Y-dfsg_6BTy-BIGqHrN51F04S56ZKEz1diadM4fTDt1Gi9TmL91gCSsGWz0VMkvcje0AvuD6N0uMNKpRmkt0KY90tX5bk3k/s1600/1071972_vintage_banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsB8cyr42VmzxsP_8B3TgmfAVl3KQAE2eSchSsUglOoE0Y-dfsg_6BTy-BIGqHrN51F04S56ZKEz1diadM4fTDt1Gi9TmL91gCSsGWz0VMkvcje0AvuD6N0uMNKpRmkt0KY90tX5bk3k/s1600/1071972_vintage_banner.jpg" /></a></div>In today's world, people are online. Everything we do, whether it be watching a new movie, using a product, visiting a store, or learning something new, we like to be able to interact with it online.<br />
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Think about the last thing you shared online. Maybe it was the recipe that you tried for dinner, a new website that you discovered with Stumble-upon, a blog post that you found particularly useful, or a hilarious video on YouTube.<br />
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Did you share it on Facebook or twitter? Did you email it to family and friends or bookmark it with your favorite social bookmarking site?<br />
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Even if you don't share that much, think of all the avenues of social media that you use to find the things you are interested in.<br />
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If you use a search engine, chances are you've come across a link to an interesting article that was posted on Digg or Delicious. This is helpful to you; You may not have found that awesome article otherwise, but because it was so awesome, others took the liberty of improving it's rankings by saying to the world, “Hey, I think this link is cool.” In the same manner, other people came along and said, “Hey, I think this link is cool, too.”<br />
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<b>The advantages of social media to advertisers and businesses is simple.</b><br />
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Today, people are using social media to interact with products, brands, and businesses in a way that was previously unheard of. You and I can “like” a brand on Facebook or “follow” a business on twitter with the click of a button. It's the equivalent of subscribing to a newsletter without the hassle of giving an address, email, or even forking over some money.<br />
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<b>There are some downsides to this.</b> The first that comes to mind is that it's easier to attract less serious prospects.<br />
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This problem is countered by the fact that more individuals have access to you and your products; Those who are not quality prospects, but hop on board now, may stick with you and prove to be excellent prospects in the future.<br />
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Social media gives the ability to warm up your prospects to the realization that what you have to offer might be exactly what they need.<br />
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<b>The main advantage to social media</b> is the ability to connect with your prospects on the platform that they are most comfortable with. Instead of visiting your blog/website and being out of their element, you can interact with them in their environment first.Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-40668948944946910772012-01-18T20:54:00.000-08:002012-08-10T11:19:35.395-07:00Choosing an Affiliate ProgramThere are many affiliate programs across the web, but some of them are better than others. You can earn commission from physical products, web services and online programs, program downloads, ebooks, and more.<br />
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<b>Choosing a Quality Program </b><br />
There are good and bad qualities of any affiliate program. Some things you might want to consider are commission percentages, target markets, and popularity of the product. If you are interested in a particular program, look at what other sellers are doing and how they are making sales. Depending on the program you may need to dig a little deeper to find out.<br />
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Within programs there are usually a selection of different products that you can choose to promote. If there is a particular product that you are interested in promoting first, just make sure that the affiliate program it works with is right for you.<br />
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Also, if you are interested in a certain affiliate program you will want to look at see what their selection of products is like. Are there products to promote that you are interested in? Do they offer a wide selection of products to promote? Are they quality products that people will feel good about buying?<br />
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<b>Affiliate Tools</b><br />
If you are a beginner, it's also nice to choose an affiliate program and/or product that provides you with several tools. For instance, many digital products that sell through affiliate programs offer free banners, articles, emails, and other tools to it's affiliates.<br />
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<b>Some Popular Affiliate Programs</b><br />
Probably the most popular program for selling physical products is Amazon. You can sign up for their affiliate program through <a href="https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/">Amazon Associates</a>. <br />
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Two very popular programs for selling ebooks, guides, and other digital products are <a href="https://www.payloadz.com/">PayLoadz</a> and <a href="http://clickbank.com/">Clickbank</a>. <br />
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I personally prefer promoting digital products from Clickbank. In my opinion, the products are higher quality and the commissions are much better.<br />
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Please let me know in the comments what program you are thinking about and/or have chosen and why.Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2219694443667831801.post-7720935498517650092012-01-18T20:50:00.000-08:002012-08-10T11:19:00.796-07:00Choosing a Blog Platform<b>Why is choosing the right platform so important?</b><br />
Choosing a blog platform is the first step in making money with your blog. Choose the right platform, and you'll have a solid foundation for making money in the online world. Choose a bad platform, and you'll be fumbling with it from day one. A bad platform will only hold you back.<br />
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As someone who wants to make money with your blog, your choice in blog platform may be different than of someone who is not looking to make money. <br />
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We're going to be talking primarily about two blog platforms. One is free and the other requires that you pay for a domain and hosting account.<br />
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<b>Blogger </b><br />
Blogger.com is a free blog platform that allows you to easily create new blogs in a matter of minutes. They have a selection of basic templates that allow you to customize the look and feel of your blog. Blogger also allows for easy integration of Google adsense and other basic widgets and code.<br />
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Blogger is a great platform to use if you want to get your blog up and running quickly, while still having some control over your site's template. The downsides to choosing a free blog platform are that you won't have as much control over the template as you would with a hosted site, you won't have as many options for plugins, and it's usually not as easy to manage your archives.<br />
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<b>Wordpress</b><br />
Wordpress offers a free blog platform (at Wordpress.com) or can be installed on your own domain and host. I do not recommend Wordpress.com if you wish to make money with your blog, as Wordpress.com does not allow for adsense scripts to be placed on your site.<br />
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Wordpress hosted, on the other hand, is a great blog platform that allows for plenty of customization and endless themes and plugins that you can install. You may also wish to fully edit the CSS and HTML of your site, or have a custom theme built. You can do all of this with Wordpress hosted. <br />
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The downside to having a hosted site is that you will need to purchase a domain name, as well as a hosting account, which is usually billed monthly. The average shared hosting costs anywhere from $9-$15 a month.<br />
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<b>What To Do</b><br />
If you are just starting out, I recommend using blogger.com until you get your feet wet. It may take some time and patience to switch to a hosted site if and when you are ready, but at least you will get to decide if blogging for money is really for you.Peetredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650567823525149561noreply@blogger.com0