Write on the Edge

December 2010 Blog Carnival

Deborah — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 01:14:06 +0000

Welcome to the December 1, 2010 edition of writing success blog carnival. We have a nice mix of articles about freelance writing, internet marketing, and other topics. Enjoy!

Sachin Gupta presents Predicting Site Traffic On A Yearly Basis posted at Welcome to SKG Technologies SEO Blog, saying, “Many in-house SEO teams are having trouble predicting their upcoming goals for traffic. Given the fact that traffic is the essential base for measurements in metric, it is important to be somewhat accurate when it comes time to predict how much traffic a website will receive in the upcoming year.”

Samantha Rhodes presents 10 Amazing Google Side Projects You?ve Never Heard Of posted at Online Engineering Degree, saying, “Internet searches are by no means where this technological giant leaves off. The article has gathered ten amazing Google side projects you’ve never heard of but should or will know very soon. Revolutionizing everything from your morning commute to evening television, pre and post Google might just be the way technology is referred to in the future.”

AndrosenDsouza presents 21 Educational Open Courseware Classes About Communication posted at Masters in Communication, saying, “Whether you’re pursuing a specialty in communications, or you simply want to improve your skills as an oral or written communicator, these 21 courses can help you.”

freelance writing

loomis1324 presents The Little Guide To Inspiration posted at Success Demands Action, saying, “We all have days when it seems no matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to get inspired. I know I’ve had those days, and I don’t doubt that you have as well. For anyone who needs a little push, or shove, who needs to be motivated, I offer this guide.”

Christina Crowe presents How Reading without Action Can Make Your Business Suffer posted at Cash Campfire, saying, “All too often I see this, and yet all too often I fall into the same trap. This article focuses on how action in addition to reading can help one’s writing career and business flourish. If you simply soak in information without taking action, you’re not making progress. This article talks about how to retain the information you learn in order to make improvements and create a successful, lucrative career.”

internet marketing

Lindsay presents Make Money Selling Other People’s Ebooks with the SmashWords Affiliate Program posted at The Irreverent Introvert, saying, “Teaches writers and book lovers how to make a few extra bucks promoting ebooks with the Smashwords affiliate program. Commissions are higher than on Amazon, and it’s a chance to support indie authors.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of writing success blog carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

November 2010 Blog Carnival

Deborah — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:58:23 +0000

Welcome to the November 1, 2010 edition of writing success blog carnival. It’s obviously a little late but at least it’s posted. I was absolutely astounded at the number of submissions the carnival received, especially since it had been inactive for so long. There are tons of great posts here to choose from so, please, browse the list and see what titles spark your interest. Enjoy!

C.F. Jackson presents Self-Published Author? Who Is Your Audience? posted at Website Makeover Workshop, saying, “Are you saying to yourself everyday, “I need traffic to my website.“? Understanding the type of people who visit your site is a very important task because you can use that information to enhance your site to suit them. As a result, you will gain more loyal returning visitors that come back again and again for more.”
GreatManagement presents WordPress Blog – More Recommended Plugins posted at We Build Your Blog, saying, “I don’t”
Joanne Collins presents Maximise the Life of Your Articles | Jo’s Reviews And Ad Space posted at Jo’s Reviews And Ad Space.
Joshua Seth presents Book Writing and Self Publishing Teleseminar posted at Joshua Seth Blog, saying, “This month’s teleseminar training on how to write and self publish your book in a month went great. Lots of positive feedback on the content and lots of eyes opened as to just how easy and fun this whole process can be when you understand how it really works. I’ve posted a link to the MP3 recording below.”
GreatManagement presents Remove Your Stress Of Writing And Use An Article Writing Service posted at We Build Your Blog, saying, “Ever thought of using an Article Writing Service?Writing can be stressful and frustrating for some. Others just simply love writing!But for those who struggle with what to write about it certainly is worth looking at an Article Writing Service.And it could save you thousands of dollars!”
Jon Bard presents Smart Promotion Tip for Children’s Book Authors posted at Children’s Writing Web Journal.
Joanne Collins presents The Google Story posted at Jo’s Reviews And Ad Space.
John Anyasor presents On the Act of Giving Up posted at Living the HiLife2B (in college), saying, “When faced with the opportunity to give up, pass it by before your dreams pass you by.”
Tiffany Colter presents Writing Examiner: How readers decide what to read. posted at The Writing Examiner, saying, “While there are endless types of writing, it all comes down to one thing: getting people to read YOUR writing. Get valuable insight and guidance to achieving that goal here.”
Jon Bard presents Video: 7 Things Editors @ Children’s Book Publishers Wish They Could Tell Writers posted at Children’s Writing Web Journal.
Thursday Bram presents Sometimes You Just Have To Fire A Client posted at thursdaybram.com.
Brian Terry presents Breakthrough WordPress Plugin Proves Popups Really Work! posted at Big Selling Website Design.
Thursday Bram presents Earning Beyond A Book: Joseph LeBlanc posted at thursdaybram.com.
C.F. Jackson presents How A Free eBook Can Be Your Viral Book Marketing Salesman posted at Website Makeover Workshop, saying, “Have you been wondering how to write an ebook or how to make an ebook?”
Ace presents Adding A Profitable Online Solution To Your Offline Business: Your Website posted at Internet Marketing Ace.
GreatManagement presents Follow The Latest Internet Marketing Trends And Profit posted at We Build Your Blog, saying, “Most of us are followers, would you agree?We follow fashions, we follow celebrities, and we follow trends.Something happens in the world and suddenly we just cannot get enough of it.”
Kyle presents Blogging Tips and Tricks posted at How to Drink a Beer, saying, “tips on successful blogging”
Barbra Sundquist presents Free Eulogy Template — Write A Funeral Speech posted at Comments on: Free Eulogy Template, saying, “Use this free eulogy template to offer freelance eulogy writing services.”
Jon Bard presents Children’s Book Publishing 101: 5 Ways to Improve Your Manuscript posted at Children’s Writing Web Journal.
Oliver Kennett presents If music be the food of love pull up a chair and get your laughing tackle around SEO! posted at Star spray, saying, “I am going to attempt to explain SEO. The cryptic acronym translates to search engine optimisation. Which is apparently a must for all people on the internet.”
Relax presents How to improve your writing posted at The Wise Curve, saying, “the ultimate way to keep the pen mightier than the sword.”
GrrlScientist presents At Long Last: A Little More Good News posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “a little good news as i work towards being a successful freelance science/nature writer.”
SwissTgallery presents Getting Started With Twitter posted at How Has the Recession Affected Search Marketing?, saying, “Social networking has been one of the largest trends to appear on the stage the last several years. It has given rise to sites such as FaceBook and MySpace, and now much attention has turned to Twitter, the newest icon of the digital age. Since Twitter came on the scene in 2006, it has grown to be the third most trafficked social networking site with an estimated 55 million monthly visits.”
Brian Terry presents How to make your subscribers love you posted at Big Selling Website Design.
Thursday Bram presents Personal Branding: What Writers Need To Know posted at thursdaybram.com.
GreatManagement presents Credibility Starts With Your Name posted at We Build Your Blog, saying, “Establishing credibility online, especially if you wish to operate as an internet marketer, has some similarities with the real world. The first thing to think about when launching yourself onto the online world would be your online name. Seems an easy enough concept.”
Thursday Bram presents 4 Tips For Landing That First Client posted at thursdaybram.com.
Oliver Kennett presents Tips on blogging posted at Star spray, saying, “I’m pretty new to this blogging malarky and as such cannot be considered any sort of guru. I am however the same as a majority of people trying to make it as a blogger, either for financial reward or the nice warm gooey feeling inside that makes life worth while.”
GreatManagement presents How To Write Articles To Be Successful posted at The Digital Archives, saying, “There are many ways that article writing can make somebody successful. There is the actual writing itself. One can become a successful writer. This would cover articles as well as progressing to writing a novel. Article writing can be the start of an exciting career as an author.”
Ian Richardson presents Marketing Techniques Are More Important Than You Think posted at Make Everything EzyAs123, saying, “On the surface, most marketing campaigns appear alike. They mainly rely on the same advertising vehicles, involve the same types of agencies and tend to cost a fair amount of money no matter what.Why is it then that some campaigns turn companies into near overnight successes and others just fail to make the grade?”
Thursday Bram presents Do You Track Your Time? posted at thursdaybram.com.
Stephen Martile presents Blog Mastermind Review: How to Earn $5,000 + Per Month From Your Blog posted at FreedomEducation.ca by Stephen Martile, saying, “Hi Deborah, I have a Personal Growth Blog and have included a review of Yaro Starak’s course Blog Mastermind. Blog Mastermind is a program that teaches people how to make money with their blogs. I joined Blog Mastermind on November 1, 2008 and in only 7 short months I earned my first $1,000 in a single month. Not too shabby, me thinks.”
Jon Bard presents Unique Tool For Writers: Wordle posted at Children’s Writing Web Journal.
GreatManagement presents 4 Steps To Generate Leads With A Sequential Autoresponder posted at We Build Your Blog, saying, “Internet marketers, unless they got stuck in the last century, already know how effective and important a tool a sequential autoresponder can be. However, here is one way to use it that might not have occurred to you or it might have but you decided against using it.”
GreatManagement presents 10 fail-proof ways to convert Browsers to Readers posted at The Digital Archives, saying, “The title is important because it allows people to quickly decide whether they want to carry on or not.”
C.F. Jackson presents Tips On How To Sell Your Self Published Book posted at Website Makeover Workshop, saying, “I just returned from presenting a workshop in Vegas for the Black Writers Reunion and Conference. It was an excellent event. So I quickly, I decided to share a segment from the workshop, where I’m discussing ‘Increasing Your Online Book Sales‘.”
barry walls presents Is Article Marketing The Optimal Way to Maximum Profits from Content for Newbies? posted at Strategic Outsourcers, saying, “Hi…this is my first carnival submission. Please direct me if I’ve done anything wrong.”
John presents $200 Article Writing Contest posted at Health Fitness Article Directory, saying, “We decided to put together an article writing contest. Winner will get $200 (paid through paypal). Contest is open to anyone who is willing to write a health, fitness or nutrition related article.”
Jason presents Avoiding the Two Worst Kinds of Web Content: The “This Little Piggy Training Manual” | ENGINE Industries posted at The ENGINE Blog.
Angela Dion presents Four Reasons to keep all of your rejections « Write Words posted at Write Words.
GreatManagement presents Create a Resource Box that Works for You posted at The Digital Archives, saying, “This is one of the most overlooked self-promotional opportunities you have as an article writer. A Resource Box is your space to advertise yourself when you are using articles to market yourself and your internet business.”
GreatManagement presents How To Write Articles – For Fun posted at The Digital Archives, saying, “Article writing is not a fun activity for most people, especially those who have to write every day for a living. In fact it can be a hard job. For people who have no confidence in their writing skills it seems impossible to have fun at this particular activity.”
Angela Dion presents Make a difference, not a dollar « Write Words posted at Write Words.
Angela Dion presents An Honest Critique: What every writer needs posted at Write Words.
Angela Dion presents Freelance writing, a marathon not a sprint « Write Words posted at Write Words.
Angela Dion presents Setting goals for writing success « Write Words posted at Write Words.
Manuel Washington presents Manuels Best Marketing Tools: Blastomatic Tool posted at Marketing Tools, saying, “Use Blastomatic Tool and send your site to 12 million webpages with one click.”
C.F. Jackson presents How To Best Advertise Your Self-Published Book posted at Website Makeover Workshop, saying, “Some of the most popular questions and inquires I receive and or hear are… 1. How To Best Advertise Your Self-Published Book 2. How To Sell Fiction Today 3. How To Promote a Book 4. How To Market a Book”
Athlyn Green presents Important Blog Tweaks for Blogger Bloggers posted at Write and Earn a Living, saying, “How to add the Buy Now, PayPal button and more to your blog.”
Jim Murdoch presents The Truth About Lies: Five . . . sorry, six . . . things to do when you have writers block and one thing not to do posted at The Truth About Lies, saying, “Most articles on writer’s block tell you what to do to help you start writing again. This one doesn’t. It tells you what else you can do and pays particular attention to what not to do.”
GreatManagement presents This is Key if you want to be successful in Internet Marketing posted at We Build Your Blog, saying, “There are numerous factors that determine whether you are successful on-line or not. Factors like getting enough traffic to your site, having the correct SEO set-up, having a great sales page.”
GreatManagement presents 3 ways to maximise your keywords in articles you get from Article Writing Services posted at The Digital Archives, saying, “When getting your articles from an Article Writing Service such as provided by The Digital Archives use the following tips on how to make them uniquely yours with a few minutes just tweaking the content.”
Robert Alan presents Guide for Writing an Effective Press Release posted at Sell It on the Web, saying, “Here’s a great tipsheet for the new blogger or website owner on how to effectively write your own press release.”
Brian Maxwell presents Leadership Skills ~ 10 Ways to be a Better Leader posted at Live Your Life With Prosperity and Success, saying, “10 ways for you to improve your leadership skills and enhance our communication skills to increase your ability to be an effective leader.”
Jacques presents Twitter Tips And Abbreviations posted at Monkeyprofit, saying, “Thanks”
Jon Bard presents How to Write a Picture Book That Shines posted at Children’s Writing Web Journal.
Rod presents How to write a Short Story posted at Creative Writing Course, saying, “A discussion of some of the technical aspects of writing short stories, and the main differences in approach from writing longer fiction.”
Jeannie Anderson presents How to Create Successful Blogposts: Part 1, Planning posted at The Writer in Me – Teaching, Writing, Living.
GreatManagement presents What’s Your Credibility as a Blogger posted at We Build Your Blog, saying, “Most bloggers feel that by uploading content onto their blogs they are providing information that will be believed to be accurate and contribute to their online credibility. However, that it is not always the case.”
The Digital Archives presents Get great exposure through article directories posted at The Digital Archives, saying, “Article directories are a great way to get exposure for your articles and for yourself the writer. And if you have an internet marketing business then you will most definitely want to use article directories to help you market your business.”
C.F. Jackson presents Why Blogging Equals Web Traffic posted at Website Makeover Workshop, saying, “Most people ask, “How do I get traffic to my website?” One of the most effective ways to get started is with a blog. http://www.WebsiteMakeoverWorkshop.com”
Jim presents Is FreeCreditReport.com A Scam? posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.
GreatManagement presents what is the point of Guest Posting your Articles posted at We Build Your Blog, saying, “So, how do you feel about giving your best blogs posts away and have them guest posted somewhere else?”
GreatManagement presents 3 Great ways to maximise the articles you buy from an Article Writing Service posted at The Digital Archives, saying, “Most people who subscribe to an Article Writing Service will use their articles on a blog. They cut and paste them into whichever blog they think the content might be useful for. There are so many more ways to make use of these articles and here are three good ones.”
Allison Whitehead presents How good are you at getting writing jobs? | My Online Freelance Writing Career posted at My Online Freelance Writing Career.
Bernadus Prihandoko presents Link Building Strategies posted at Newell and Budge, saying, “Link building strategies to make your blog become successful.”
cherrycher presents Diary of a Freelancer posted at People are People, saying, “Some tips for freelance writers.”
Valeriu Popescu presents How To Become A Joint Venture Master In Niche Markets Even When You?re Broke posted at Internet Profits Blog.
Elisha Webster Emerson presents A Slow Selling Out? posted at My Inconvenient Body, saying, “As I increase my efforts to make myself more marketable, I cannot help but entertain the fear of “selling out.”"
Allison Whitehead presents Why regular tweeting is good for all writers | My Online Freelance Writing Career posted at My Online Freelance Writing Career, saying, “Twitter has undoubtedly been the best social media site I have joined as a writer. But why should writers pay more attention to it?”
Ralph Jean-Paul presents 30 Day Writers Challenge posted at ralphs words, saying, “Have you ever gotten a bad case of writers block, unsatisfied works, and lack of creativity? They say the best way to handle these circumstances and many more is to write every day. That is why I am taking on this challenge in hopes to produce more valuable content. Learn the steps it will take to make this challenge a success.”
GreatManagement presents The buzz about social media posted at We Build Your Blog, saying, “The underlying principle about social media is that it is driven by users. Which is why it is often referred to as user-generated content or consumer-generated content. Anybody with a computer, some cheap or free software tools such as a browser, and access to the internet can contribute to the content.”
GreatManagement presents Articles and linkbait posted at The Digital Archives, saying, “Articles, whether your own or ones you get from a reputable Article Writing Service such as The Digital Archives, are a great way to feed the linkbait machine. “
Mark Terrell presents Driving Traffic To Your Blogs posted at Mark Terrell.
Mark Terrell presents Still Cant Build Your Email List? posted at Mark Terrell.
C.F. Jackson presents More Twitter Followers vs. More Web Traffic posted at Website Makeover Workshop, saying, “Is it possible to capture targeted web traffic or targeted Twitter followers with the continuous growth of internet users and social network sites? http://www.WebsiteMakeoverWorkshop.com”
Jon Bard presents Write for Success: 7 Tips For Children’s Book Writers | Children’s Writing Web Journal posted at Children’s Writing Web Journal.
seowizz presents Evaluate Your Site Using 6 Easy Steps posted at Search Engine Optimisation.
Eldon Sarte presents This is My Night Job posted at Wordpreneur.com, saying, “Writing is everything. Or is it? Sometimes, even with the best laid plans, it needs to take second place. Temporarily at least.”
Tiffany Colter presents The important or the Urgent? posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This blog talks about the importance of dicipline and time management.”
Tiffany Colter presents A great resource posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This blog shows the importance of being a part of both national and local writing groups and offers a great resource for writers.”
Tiffany Colter presents Grow from Success. Learn from Failure posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This blog talks about how to gain success in business or life.”
Tiffany Colter presents Writing Articles posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This blog talks about the value of writing articles.”
Tiffany Colter presents Getting Ahead of the Game posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This blog talks about how to get ahead even when life is busy.”
Tiffany Colter presents Surround yourself with Wisdom posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This blog gives tips on growing as a writer.”
Tiffany Colter presents Brainstorming posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This blog gives writers a brainstorming exercise.”
GreatManagement presents How to improve page rank by having a link building campaig posted at We Build Your Blog, saying, “Want to improve page rank?Have a link building campaign in place?Well after reading the results of this study you definitely will”
Tiffany Colter presents Writing 101: Writing a Proposal posted at The Writing Examiner, saying, “This blog talks about how to write a proposal to an editor/agent.”
David presents 30 Motivation Hacks for Bloggers posted at David Turnbull.
David presents 37 Ways to Make Blogging Easier posted at Daily Blog Tips.
Matthew Overstreet presents Writing Good Dialogue For Screenplays posted at Matthew Overstreet’s Film Thoughts.
Joshua Dodson presents How Writers Turn People Into Words posted at Writers Community.
Joshua Dodson presents Proprioceptive Writing: The Rules and Concluding Questions posted at Writers Community.
Joshua Dodson presents How to Craft a Great Metaphor or Simile posted at Writers Community.
Patricia Turner presents 100 Free Tools to Track Everything on Your Web Site posted at Top Online Engineering Degree.
Terry Young presents I can make money from my blog? Yes Seriously?! posted at Cpt.Sparrow’s Clickbank Pirate Blog, saying, “It seems everyone these days has a blog. My friends have one, companies have one, celebrities have one, they are everywhere! The great thing about them is that you don’t need to be a perfect author to write for a blog. They are meant to be personal with your own little ways of spelling and writing, that is what makes then great.But where do you start? It seems there are so many different blogs out there with so many different layouts, styles, purposes etc… it hurts your head even thinking about it. Well, with a little free report called Laugh All The Way To The Bank With This Secret Blogging Blueprint I found the perfect template to start my life as a blogger.”
GreatManagement presents Article marketing is hugely valuable to your online business posted at The Digital Archives, saying, “How do you get attention to your site? By putting up new content for visitors to look at. What content is available to the internet marketer and what form can it take?”
Thursday Bram presents Getting Involved in Social Media: What Should You Be Promoting? posted at thursdaybram.com.
Alvina Lopez presents 100 Essential Tips & Tools for Writers of the Future posted at Associate Degree Blog.
C.F. Jackson presents Top Four Key Success Factors of Online Business posted at Website Makeover Workshop, saying, “How can I get traffic to my website? How do you make a website? I need help and I just don’t know where to start! And with the internet growing by leaps and bounds it can seem overwhelming. http://www.WebsiteMakeoverWorkshop.com”
Tiffany Colter presents Your writing dream posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This article is about committing to your writing dream.”
Sell It on the Web presents Bootstrapping Your Website Design and Development with WordPress posted at Sell It on the Web, saying, “Here’s a list of tips and advice for new (or old) business owners looking to save money on website design and development costs by using WordPress as a platform.”
Arswino Sonata presents 85 Ways to Motivate Yourself posted at Inspiration & Motivation Blog.
GreatManagement presents Stop losing website visitors with this simple task posted at We Build Your Blog, saying, “Do you often click on a web page, see that it takes too long to load and you just skip it or close it down?Your web pages have to load under 10 seconds, otherwise you could be losing a lot of potential visitors.So how do you check and what can you do about it?”
GreatManagement presents 3 dead easy ways to get extra traffic posted at The Digital Archives, saying, “What will induce people to visit your site?”
geek presents Windows 7 Users can Procrastinate for 120 Days Before Activating posted at Geek Global News Central, saying, “120 days of new windows for free ! Good time to check up things”
Tiffany Colter presents Some good news coming out of publishing posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This article is about what growth in publishing means to writers.”
Jon Bard presents Want to Write Children’s Books? You Need These Four Things! posted at Children’s Writing Web Journal.
Tiffany Colter presents Writing 101: Why writers should blog? posted at Examiner, saying, “This article is about why writers should blog.”
Sell It on the Web presents Writing Product Descriptions That Sell posted at Sell It on the Web, saying, “Detailed explanation of how you can easily build a customized e-commerce site using WordPress for less than $150.”
Sell It on the Web presents Guide to Optimizing Your Landing Page Copy posted at Sell It on the Web, saying, “Quick guide to optimizing your landing page copy to improve your sales and conversion rates on your website.”
Traci Hayner Vanover presents How to Sell Your Novel Without a Literary Agent | Entrepreneur & Self-Employed Business Journal posted at Entrepreneur & Self-Employed Business Journal.
Annabel Candy presents Writer’s Rite of Passage: Rejection Slips posted at In the Hot Spot, saying, “Have since sold my first travel article! Very excited about the carnival look forward to reading and inspiring some other budding writers. Good luck everyone, it’ll be fun!”
Bill Ferguson Jr. presents “What is the best part of your firesuit?” posted at BILL FERGUSON JR..
Spencer Spellman presents How to Become a Freelance Writer…Part 5…Networking posted at Freelance Writer Spencer Spellman – Freelance Writing Tips.
GreatManagement presents Article Marketing Tutorial posted at The Digital Archives, saying, “A free easy way to complete research for your articles and article marketing.”
GreatManagement presents Check the competition before deciding upon your chosen keyword phrases posted at We Build Your Blog, saying, “In this video I share with you another free way to determine the “
Tiffany Colter presents Writing 101: What writers should not blog about? posted at The Writing Examiner, saying, “This article gives advice on what bloggers should not blog about.”
Robert Bravery presents Email a new reader to build your blog?s readership posted at The Brave Programmer, saying, “Blogs are easy to start but difficult to maintain, and even more difficult to grow and make successful. If you haven’t picked up on this yet, your readers are your blogs most valued asset. Without them your blog is just an HTML page amongst billions. Email a new reader or commenter to build that relationship and build your blog.”
Tiffany Colter presents Preparing your fall calendar posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This article talks about the importance of planning your calendar.”
Jimmy Adames presents Internet Marketing Tips – 3 Practical Reasons Why Telling a Story Instead of Selling Works posted at Internet Business Building, saying, “Adding the human element to your Internet marketing can make the difference between failure and success. The old ways of doing business are slowly becoming extinct and the way we interact is beyond anything we could have ever expected. Using the Internet has become a powerful way to grow a business and make money but building relationships is more important than ever. Are you selling or telling a story? When you tell a story instead of selling the results will surprise you.”
Tiffany Colter presents Writing 101: Finding and working with a Publicist posted at The Writing Examiner, saying, “This article gives a top ten list for finding and working with a Publicist.”
C.F. Jackson presents How To Use LinkedIn To Build Credibility posted at Website Makeover Workshop, saying, “I’ve been on LinkedIn since 2001 and I asked the question, “How does LinkedIn work?”
Patti Lecron presents That Defining Moment by P.B.Lecron posted at That Defining Moment.
Tiffany Colter presents Writing 101: Promoting your book on blogs posted at Examiner, saying, “This article gives tips on how to promote your book on blogs.”
Evan Gould presents Five Way To Write Blog Posts Without Writing posted at Internet Income Formula.
Joshua Seth presents How To Write A Book: Day 1 posted at Joshua Seth Blog, saying, “So I’ve decided to write my second book. I’ll be documenting the process so you can follow along and use my techniques to write and self publish your own business building book. I’ll be using the system I’ve developed and that I teach to other professional speakers and entrepreneurs.
Madeleine Begun Kane presents Life-Saving, Spam-Fighting WordPress Plugin posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.
Nigel S presents Copywriting for the Web Becomes Easier When you Think Like a Spider « Seo by Swaby posted at Seo by Swaby.
Allison Whitehead presents Are you happy with your online writing income? | My Online Freelance Writing Career posted at My Online Freelance Writing Career, saying, “You are the only person who can influence your writing income. So how much influence do you REALLY have over it?”
Tims C presents My first goal: Wake up early 5am for 30 days zZ posted at My Goals in Real Time, saying, “Blog following Tim in real time progressing towards his goals”
C.F. Jackson presents How To Create An Internet Presence In 10 Minutes posted at Website Makeover Workshop, saying, “Today any and everyone can create a web presence online overnight. Yes! You can have a web presence overnight. However the key is this, doing it right. http://www.WebsiteMakeoverWorkshop.com”
Kate Hopkins presents 100 Free Tools to Write, Publish and Promote Your Own Book posted at Online Education.net.
Steven Lohrenz presents Culling the Herd posted at Steven Lohrenz.
Andy Hayes presents So, You Want to be a Travel Writer? posted at Sharing Experiences, saying, “A review of Matador Network’s new travel writing program as well as some honest opinions about what it really takes to be a travel writer.”
Claude LaBadie presents The Power Of Unique Content posted at Claude LaBadie.
Susan White presents 50 Awesome Open Courses for Web Writers posted at AccreditedOnlineColleges.org.
Audrey Harvey presents Power Ghostwriting – A Review posted at Homeschooling Income, saying, “As a homeschooling mom, I find writing is a great way to earn a few extra dollars. This course got me there.”
Mike Consol presents Mike Consol | My Blog | The long and short of business writing posted at Mike Consol’s Blog, saying, “Tired of people telling you that length counts? Well … not to keep pressing a sore point … but they’re right when it comes to writing. Then again, they almost certainly have the virtues of length backward in many instances. When it comes to particular types of writing, length counts for plenty – and there are years of research to prove it. Before you continue operating from the premise that everything you write should be as short as possible, check out this blog post. You will be surprised by what you find.”
Richard Shelmerdine presents You, Your Goal, And Why You Aren’t There Yet : RichardShelmerdine.com posted at Richard Shelmerdine.
Thursday Bram presents Persuasion: Can You Balance Bias and Facts? posted at Hyper Modern Writing, saying, “Almost all writing online seems to be persuasive — but that requires a special kind of balance.”
Kathleen Gaga presents Bestselling author! What if you became one? posted at Street Smarts Marketing & Promotions, saying, “As I researched what it takes to get published by one of the “big houses” I realized the reality of the publishing industry is very different from what I naively believed to be true.”
Joshua Seth presents How To Self Publish Your Own Book – Day 3 | Joshua Seth posted at Joshua Seth Blog, saying, “Self publishing your book is a lot easier than it used to be. You can use dictation software to eliminate much of the actual writing, outsource the layout and design work over the internet, and use Amazon for worldwide distribution. As a result of helping my coaching clients to write and self publish their own books over at www.YourBookInAMonth.com I’ve actually gotten better at this process myself. They say the teacher learns the most and I’ve found this to be true.”
Mike Consol presents Mike Consol | My Blog | How to make people EAT YOUR WORDS posted at Mike Consol’s Blog, saying, “Words have the power to whet appetites and motivate people. They might even be the determining factor in whether a restaurant succeeds or fails. Just ask researchers and restaurant-industry executives who have found that dining establishments that named dishes using geographic, sensory or nostalgic labels can dramatically increase their sales. Mouthwatering examples are included in this blog post.”
Web Traffic Network presents Web Marketing with depending on anyone posted at Website Traffic For Sales.
Mike Consol presents Mike Consol | My Blog | 10 rules for conducting effective interviews posted at Mike Consol’s Blog, saying, “If you listen to podcasts, watch videos and webinars or read blogs, it doesn’t take long to come to this conclusion: Most people are dreadful interviewers. Learn to ask insightful questions and follow-up questions and the content produced improves tremendously. But where do we turn for the expertise we need? One of the best sources is Canadian investigative reporter John Sawatsky, who is widely considered journalism’s foremost expert on the art and science of effective interviewing. Here are 10 of his rules for getting the best out of the experts you interview…”
Tiffany Colter presents Writing: Making work or making progress posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This article talks about writing and if you are making work or making progress.”
Thursday Bram presents Writers Are On Commission posted at Hyper Modern Writing, saying, “Every writer works on commission these days, whether they know it or not.”
Livia Blackburne presents Writing Career Advice From a Neuroscientist, Part I: Choose your Projects Carefully posted at Livia Blackburne: A Brain Scientist’s Take on Creative Writing, saying, “This is the first in a four part series that takes career advice for scientists and applies it to writers. It was recently featured by Science Magazine’s Career Blog.”
Tiffany Colter presents Writing 101: Use public speaking to sell your books posted at The Writing Examiner, saying, “This article talks about how public speaking helps to sell your books.”
Mike Consol presents Mike Consol | My Blog | Learn to ‘headline’ your conversations posted at Mike Consol’s Blog, saying, “We all have business colleagues and friends who are too verbose. You know them; they’re the people who use 3,000 well-chosen words to say “good morning.” Before we get too critical, though, let’s admit that most of us do considerably more talking than is necessary. I know I have that annoying habit. That’s why “headlining” our communication can be so powerful. Check out my latest blog post to find out how it works and how it can be implemented in the workplace…”
Tiffany Colter presents Fight for it posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This artile gives encouragement to writers to not give up on their dream.”
Tiffany Colter presents Writing 101: Writing your stories online posted at Examiner, saying, “This article warns writiers on the dangers of posting their stories online.”
Thursday Bram presents Review: The Winning Proposal posted at thursdaybram.com.
Surbhi Bhatia presents The Winking Cursor – Confessions of a Writer posted at The Viewspaper » The Viewspaper.
Raivyn presents My Advice to Aspiring Pro Bloggers posted at Quoth The Raivyn.
Mike Consol presents Mike Consol/My Blog | 8 reasons why companies should blog posted at Mike Consol’s Blog.
Allison Whitehead presents Here’s what 5 days of hunting for online writing jobs can get you | My Online Freelance Writing Career posted at My Online Freelance Writing Career.
Mike Consol presents Mike Consol/My Blog | Joseph Pulitzer’s 34 words to better writing posted at Mike Consol’s Blog, saying, “Newspaper legend Joseph Pulitzer – the father of writing’s famed Pulitzer Prize – summed up the essence of good and powerful writing in one 34-word quote. This blog post reviews the famous quote and unpacks its meaning.”
Ralph Jean-Paul presents How To Wake Up Early Without Hating It: My 3 A.M. Experiment posted at Potential 2 Success, saying, “I became much more organized, productive and happy after a few days of waking up early. Learn the techniques I used that made it possible for me to get out of bed and feel good about it.”
Joe Revod presents Repurposing Content posted at Internet Business Make Money Online With Welly Mulia.
Tiffany Colter presents Using what you live to deepen character conflict posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This article talks about using real life experiences in your writing.”
Ian Richardson presents Internet Marketing � Two Methods To Identify The Hot Spots posted at Top Ranked Website, saying, “This is part two of a series I am writing to help people get started with their Internet Marketing Business.”
Nick Daws presents Nick’s Writing Blog: Should Writers Work for Peanuts? posted at Nick Daws’ Writing Blog.
GreatManagement presents How To Write Articles � Decide On The Format posted at The Digital Archives, saying, “What does the format have to do with how to write articles? It actually does have some relevance. In fact the newspaper and magazine publishers have made format into an art.”
Craig presents White paper writing | Strategies for success posted at HelpScribe Technical Writing, saying, “If you want to kick your freelance writing business into high gear, you need to master the art of writing white papers. This highly effective marketing tool can help you land new contracts and outshine your competition.”Mike Consol presents Mike Consol/My Blog | You are encouraged to write badly — VERY badly posted at Mike Consol’s Blog, saying, “Performance anxiety. Men get it in bed. Women get it on modeling runways. Writers are often befallen by this scourge when staring at a blank computer screen or sheet of paper. It’s the No. 1 cause of dreaded writer’s block, according to some of the craft’s top instructors. But there’s a technique promoted by leading writing coaches that can free us from this mind trap.”
GreatManagement presents Save Yourself A Lot Of Money With An Article Writing Service posted at The Digital Archives, saying, “Using an Article Writing Service is not something that would make you think great savings. You would be more inclined to think that it would cost you money as you would need to pay a monthly subscription for your articles.What you probably wouldn’t consider is that it could be a most cost-effective solution.”
Bert Meert presents Blog By Your Rules – Bert Meert posted at Life, Blogging And The Pursuit Of Personal Growth.
GreatManagement presents Guarantee Your Success As An Internet Marketer By Using An Article Writing Service posted at The Digital Archives, saying, “Try out The Digital Archives for excellent articles that could just give you the traffic you need.”
Tiffany Colter presents Interview with Grace Bridges posted at The Writing Examiner, saying, “This article is an interview with author Grace Bridges.”
Thursday Bram presents The Real Value of NaNoWriMo posted at thursdaybram.com.
Thursday Bram presents 7 Things Every Freelance Writer Should Do Before The End of the Year posted at thursdaybram.com.
Mike Consol presents Mike Consol/My Blog | Turn on, tune in, drop out posted at Mike Consol’s Blog, saying, “What happens when a writer takes the advice of counter-culture hero Timothy Leary and goes on a week-long silent retreat to finish a novel and prove his theory about finding one’s “inner voice”? Here’s the story…”
Thursday Bram presents Sometimes, You Just Can’t Catch Up… posted at thursdaybram.com.
David presents Effortless Writing: How To Overcome Writer’s Block, Let Your Words Flow and Rekindle Your Love of the Craft posted at David Turnbull.
Tiffany Colter presents What I learned from the class of 2009 posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This article is a reflection of the Master Seminar for writers.”
Elisha Webster Emerson presents Then There’s the Writing: Three Revisited Notions to Help the Stuck get Unstuck posted at My Inconvenient Body, saying, “A navigating compass through the murky waters of writer’s block.”
Mike Consol presents Mike Consol/My Blog | The One Paragraph Rewrite posted at Mike Consol’s Blog, saying, “There are those who argue the key to great writing is great editing. There’s a lot of truth to this, which is why good rewrite techniques can add significant luster to your finished product. A technique that’s proven successful for me is one I call the One Paragraph Rewrite. Here’s how it works…”
Mike Consol presents Mike Consol/My Blog | How to find topics for your blog posts posted at Mike Consol’s Blog, saying, “There are many stagnant and sluggish blogs out there. Many bloggers run out of story ideas to keep their blogs vibrant or even alive. The key to finding many good topics to write about is connecting with good sources. One of the best sources for fresh topics is other blogs – including those that have nothing to do with your industry. Here are some top-rated corporate blogs and ideas for how to use them to benefit your own blog…”
Kenneth Garton presents Ten Rules (or tips) for Beginning Writers posted at Jacking the Seesaw.
Max Messner presents The Art of Accepting Rejection Letters posted at Modern Authors Guide, saying, “Thanks for the chance to submit my article, I really appreciate it.”
Mike Consol presents Mike Consol | My Blog | Literary greats leave their “fingerprints” posted at Mike Consol’s Blog, saying, “Swedish researchers are using a computer program and the works of literary greats Herman Melville, Thomas Hardy and D.H. Lawrence to come up with the concept of a “literary fingerprint” – a fingerprint unique to the author who wrote it. Here’s how the researchers are finding the identifying characteristic of each writer…”
Vicki Garcia presents How to suck at blogging posted at My Kick Ass Coach!.
John presents How to Strategically Use Keyword to Build Your Business posted at KeywordMarketingPro – Professional SEO Services, saying, “How to Strategically Use Keyword Marketing to Build Your Business”
Allen Loomis presents How to regain your creativity; start dreaming again! posted at Success Demands Action, saying, “All of us at some point or another have felt drained and idealess. I know I have felt it. Our creativity seems to hit an all time low, and we cant seem to get off the couch to go out and do anything. The truth is our personal creativity also helps create our enthusiasm for life. Our own creativity and imagination plays a huge part in what we will accomplish.” Charles Chua C K presents Do Your Articles R.O.C.K.? posted at All About Living with Life.
loomis1324 presents 5 Motivational Steps To Get You Through The Day posted at Success Demands Action, saying, “Your motivation is what pushes you to succeed. The strength of your resolve generally determines whether you will fail or not. Even the most motivated person needs help from time to time.”

What is Private Label Rights (PLR) Content?

Deborah — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 02:55:40 +0000

Private label rights articles are articles created by a third party and made available for public use. The creator of the article assigns PLR rights to the articles, giving those who legally obtain or purchase the articles the rights to modify the articles, republish them, resell them, or use them for any other purpose.

PLR articles are great for website owners who simply don’t have the time to create content for their websites or article marketing campaigns. While they make the content creation process simpler, it is important to remember that multiple parties are given access to the same articles. If they are not modified before publication, they’ll look exactly like other versions of the article published on the web, reducing your credibility.

Many site owners opt to use private label rights content for their websites and article marketing campaigns simply because it is inexpensive to obtain. Rewriting articles that already exist is often faster and cheaper than having a new article written. The trick is finding high-quality PLR – articles that are grammatically correct and full of detailed, informative text.

PLR articles vary in price. You’ll find some sites selling PLR for pennies per article, while others will sell PLR packages at higher rates. You’ll often find that the PLR packages being sold at higher rates are being sold in limited quantities – decreasing the odds of you facing duplicate content issues later on if you should publish an article without considerable modification.

Private label rights articles are often misused – reprinted and republished without proper edits. Investing in quality private label rights articles can save you a considerable amount of time and money, but only if utilized properly.

The Pros and Cons of PLR

Deborah — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 02:54:26 +0000

Purchasing private label rights (PLR) articles for your website or article marketing campaign has a number of pros and cons. Make sure you consider both sites of the equation before making a purchase to ensure you’re getting the most out of your investment.

The Negative Aspects of PLR

The negatives aspects of PLR are few, but they’re significant. The most important thing to remember is that private label articles are not unique. The articles you purchase have been sold to dozens, maybe even hundreds, of other buyers. Some will use them properly, editing them and modifying them considerably before publication, but others will not.

You will have to put a considerable amount of effort into modifying the content you purchase to make it unique. You may need to add subheadings, reorganize the order of the content, and re-optimize the text with the keyword phrases you have chosen to use in your marketing campaign. You will also need to completely rewrite the title. This will take quite a bit of time, but will still take less time than the research to write a completely new article on your own. In the end, you’ll still have a valuable article to present your readers.

The Positive Aspects of PLR

The positive attributes far outweigh the negatives. First, you’ll save both time and money. As noted above, editing PLR content will take some time, but not nearly as much as researching and writing a unique article on your own. You’ll also save money. Having a ghostwriter create a quality article on your behalf can cost anywhere from $5-$20 or more, depending on the quality of the writer. Even if you don’t rewrite the article on your own, hiring a ghostwriter to edit an existing article will cost far less.

If you pull an article from an article marketing directory, like EzineArticles, you’ll be obligated to include another person’s links on your site. Purchasing private label rights articles will not obligate you to include third party links when you publish the articles, regardless of where you choose to put them.

Using PLR articles will also give you the opportunity to brand your name or business. Using articles from article marketing directories may obligate you to publish another person’s name. Editing a PLR article gives you the right to put your own name on it, passing it off as something you have written. As long as the information in the article is accurate and professionally presented, you should have no issue adding your name to the content you publish.

Private label rights articles offer inexpensive, high-quality alternatives to hiring copywriters or writing new articles on your own. Search for quality PLR writers with a good reputation and you’ll soon have all the content you need.

10 Ways to Effectively Use PLR Content

Deborah — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 02:52:17 +0000

Now that you have a file folder full of PLR articles, you need to figure out how to use them in a way that supports your online marketing initiative. The more creative you can be with your content, the more time and money you’ll be able to save. Consider the following:

Rewrite and reuse each PLR article you purchase as often as possible. Don’t just rewrite the article once. Rewrite each article anywhere from 3-5 times, creating unique articles with each revision. The longer the article, the easier it is to get multiple versions without creating duplicate content.
Use your PLR articles to create small e-books and e-reports. Putting the articles together into one, easy-to-follow document will give you an informational product you can give your readers for free or sell for a premium.
Break the content into smaller bits of information, pulling out the most important facts. Use those facts to create posts you can use on your Twitter account, adding links to your site at the end of each post.
Use your edited PLR content to create automatic email messages you can broadcast to your email list on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. The informative emails will keep you in touch with your prospective and current clients, letting them know you care enough to share valuable information on a regular basis.
Create a package of informative PLR articles and give them away as a bonus gift to those who purchase your products or services. Your clients will appreciate the added touch.
Use your edited or rewritten PLR articles to create press releases. Add information specific to your business while using the PLR content to generate interest in your niche.
If your website has a forum, use your PLR content to create posts and encourage discussions.
Take a rewritten PLR article and submit it to a newspaper, newsletter, or as a guest post on a blog in a similar niche.
Use the articles to create HubPages or Squidoo lenses with links pointing back to your website. Make sure you add videos, Amazon modules, and other information that will engage your readers and encourage them to visit your main website.
Find some images and use the PLR content to create audio for a series of video blogs or YouTube videos. Videos are becoming increasingly popular, and adding a few to your website or marketing campaign will significantly enhance your marketing efforts.

What is Article Marketing?

Deborah — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 01:07:30 +0000

Article marketing is quickly becoming one of the hottest methods for advertising a business or website online. The concept involves writing articles relating to your business or niche and then having them placed on various sites across the internet. The articles usually contain one or two links, each contained within specific keyword sets and pointing back to your main website. The more articles you are able to place on websites related to your niche, the higher your odds of increasing the search engine rankings of your own website.

The articles you write for your article marketing campaign must be keyword focused. They should include the keywords and keyword phrases you have opted to use in your search engine optimization campaign, and your keywords should be used as anchor text when creating links back to your website as well. Your articles should contain valuable information pertaining to your field of expertise so that your readers will learn to trust your opinion and, as a result, move directly from your article to your website for more information.

Most people participating in article marketing plans will write a few articles and place them on websites like EzineArticles or Article Dashboard. Websites like these allow other users to take your article and place it on other websites, providing they leave your author biography and backlinks as they appear in your original work. Sites like these are a great start, but they’re not always effective in distributing your articles and some other networks are beginning to label these sites as “spammy” and as “content mills.

While some people fear that the constant reposting of an article will cause duplicate content issues within Google, others avoid the issue by posting articles in places other than article directories.

There are hundreds of content creation websites on the Internet. Many invite visitors to create accounts and post articles at will. Posting articles on sites like these (including HubPages, Yahoo Shine!, and WordPress) will allow you to build a library of quality backlinks – links Google will rank quickly and value as you work towards marketing your website.

There are several ways to go about article marketing. You can write the articles yourself, write one and have it rewritten or spun, or simply hire a ghostwriter to create the content for you. Regardless of the method you choose for having the content created, article marketing will prove itself a valuable tool for building quality backlinks while building your company’s reputation.

Why You Should Have an Article Marketing Campaign

Deborah — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 01:05:48 +0000

By now you’re probably thinking that article marketing sounds great, but that it also sounds like a lot of work. The truth is that online businesses can quickly fade into the background if they aren’t marketed carefully. The articles you use as part of your article marketing campaign will provide you with a number of benefits.

Establishing Credibility

The articles you post online will help to establish you as an expert in your niche or area of expertise. The valuable information you provide in each of your articles will not only show your readers and potential customers that you know your stuff, but will also help you to build a trusting relationship. When your potential clients need your services in the future, they’ll think of you.

Free Publicity

Unless you’re paying a ghostwriter to create your articles for you, article marketing is 100% free. Even if you are paying someone to write the articles, the amount of publicity you gain from them will be invaluable – far more valuable than the cost of simply having the article written to begin with. If you stick strictly to article distribution sites, like EzineArticles or GoArticles, you could easily find your article reprinted on dozens of other blogs and websites – with your links intact. The more backlinks you create for your website, the more the search engines will value your web presence.

Content is King

The Internet is driven by content. It’s the stuff that good websites and blogs are made of. As such, search engines value high-quality articles over websites full of advertisements, flash images, and link lists. Having links to your site placed within a quality articles will prove more valuable over time than simply having a few links placed on a link list, blogroll, or directory of websites.

Article marketing certainly has its share of benefits. The articles you post are permanent, improve the credibility of your online presence, and will help you to maintain your search engine rankings over time.

3 Article Marketing Tips

Deborah — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 01:04:07 +0000

Now that you’re committed to starting an article marketing campaign, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with some of the processes and content creation strategies that will make it a success. This list of tips is in no way exhaustive, but should give you a great foundation as you get started.

Write High-Quality Articles

The articles you include in your article marketing campaign should be of the highest quality possible. They should be around 400-500 words in length, should be optimized to include your site’s main keywords, and should provide valuable information.

Think of your articles the same way you would think of a business card. They’re out on the web representing your website. Quality information will earn the attention of your readers. Fluff and inaccurate information thrown together in order to create backlinks will not. Publish your first article to your favorite article marketing directory.

Create a Compelling Resource Box

The resource box is the area in most article directories in which sites allow authors to include biographies and self-serving links. Self-serving links are considered links to your own websites or sales pages. The author resource box may contain actual information about the writer, or it may contain a short sales pitch encouraging readers to click on your links to obtain more information.

Keep any and all sales pitch wording out of your article and limit it to your article resource box – that’s why it’s there. Your article is giving – giving information to your readers. The article resource box is where you ask your readers to take action.

Rewrite and Republish

Once you’ve written a great article, have it rewritten so that it reads as a completely unique piece of work. You can then take that rewrite and publish it on another article directory site. Make sure that the rewrite is just as informative as the first and make sure it contains the same main keyword phrases as the original.

Rewriting articles into additional content will save you both time and money, freeing space in your budget for other marketing techniques or for additional content creation.

Article marketing is a sure-fire way to drive traffic to your website. Creating content for your article marketing campaign doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive. Take your time, create informative content, and prepare to launch your business to the next level.

What is Social Media?

Deborah — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:49:33 +0000

Almost everyone today has at least heard the term “social media.” Quite a number of people utilize social media services in their own lives and businesses. Very few can actually tell you what social media really is.

Let’s keep it simple by first looking at the concept of media in general. Media sources are used for communication. Traditional media, as the public is used to viewing it, comes in the form of radio, newspaper, and television. Each of these sources can be used to bring you information.

In terms of the Internet, on the other hand, the media doesn’t just bring you information. You’re given information and you’re asked, even encouraged, to react to it. Social media outlets force interaction, and they come in a wide variety of platforms. They’re typically categorized as social news, social networking, social bookmarking, and social video or photo sharing. Even wiki sites, like Wikipedia and Wikia, are considered social media platforms.

So what are some commonly used social media platforms? Digg, for example, is a great example of a social news site. Users “digg” news articles they find valuable, increasing their rankings within the Digg network and driving more traffic to those articles or websites.

Twitter and Facebook, on the other hand, are examples of social networking sites. Twitter limits users to writing short messages of only 140 characters, but allows users to create comprehensive profiles and customized pages. Facebook is a more complex social networking site on which users can interact with friends and family, businesses, and other groups they’re fans of.

Even YouTube and Flickr, where users are encouraged to upload and share videos and photographs, are forms of social media.

And what do all of these sites have in common? They all encourage interaction. You’re either interacting with the site owners, or your interacting with fellow site users. In the end, any website that encourages social interaction is a form of social media. The trick now is to determine which social media sites are worth becoming a part of.

The Pros and Cons of Social Media

Deborah — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:47:34 +0000

The use of the internet for information sharing, otherwise known as Web 2.0, is a phenomena that isn’t going to go away. As such, many businesses and organizations have found themselves searching for ways to incorporate the use of social media into their regular marketing campaigns.

There are, of course, both pros and cons to the use of social media. Let’s take a look at a few of the pros first:

Some studies have shown that up to 80% of young adults are using social networking services. Others claim that social media sites are signing up as many as 500,000 new users each and every day.
The use of social media makes it easier to build personal relationships with your followers. A huge number of users access social media sites from their cell phones or PDA devices. They’re looking to have information at their fingertips all the time.
Using social media in your marketing efforts guarantees you’ll reach groups of people you might not have otherwise connected with – whether people “retweet” your news for their friends to read or “share” your Facebook fan page with others.
You’ll have the opportunity to really study your target audience. You’re not only able to share information, but you can interact with the people taking advantage of it. This type of interaction can give you a distinct edge when it comes to gathering and analyzing data within your niche.
Interacting with your potential customers will help to build a sense of loyalty. You’ll be able to show them how much you care, and they’ll continue to turn to you for information and/or products.

Utilizing social media in your marketing efforts does have a distinct set of drawbacks. These include, but aren’t limited to:

Using social media as a marketing resource takes a ton of time. You have to create content, attract an initial following, and maintain interaction. This means responding to comments and answering emails – no matter how many you receive.
You’ll end up competing with advertisements, and sometimes spam. The larger the network you choose to use, the harder it is to avoid these.
The more you use social media, the more public your brand becomes. If you are targeting a specific niche, it’ll actually become easier for your competition to get a better idea of the approaches you take to develop and sell your products.
You have to be incredibly careful about what you say as you utilize social networking sites. One misstep could result in a barrage of public backlash, resulting in a damaged image or brand.
It takes a lot of time to build customer loyalty through social networking, which means you won’t get as high of a ROI upfront as you might using other methods.

Not sure if social media is right for you? Consider the type of business you run, whether you need to reach a broad audience or one within a specific niche, and whether or not you really have the time. Social media may be growing in popularity, but it’s still not right for everyone.