Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2007-2009 Hunter Waterhouse
With the increasing demand of high quality content on the web, finding original articles and carefully stylized content is a priority for companies to retain credibility. With today's fierce search engine ranking competition, a steady supply of original articles has become a necessity. Websites need to be designed to increase traffic, and sites updated regularly with fresh information are more likely to receive higher search engine placement than those updated less frequently. As a result, companies need to find sources of new and original content as often as possible. The challenge is finding human writers who can provide original articles with the right tone, voice, and quality that the company needs, and also at the right price.
Before the emergence of computer programs that could 'create' articles and pieces of web content, human writers were responsible for developing all the original content for websites. However, with the rise of blogs and websites for independent publishers, several applications are now available that simply churn out content made from a computer program. While these have the potential to create several articles on a given topic, they do have limitations. Semantics, sentence structure, meaning, and even punctuation are often overlooked with these content spinners and programs, and if they are caught by a search engine, the risk of website blacklisting runs high.
Human writers provide reliable, authentic, and original content on a regular basis. By making use of natural creative processes to develop and present an idea, they can develop a series of original articles for any website or company.
The Value of Authentic Content and Original Articles
All website and business owners know how valuable original content is for search engine placement, website validity, and credibility in their industry. Without a steady supply of original articles, it is difficult to keep visitors returning to the site and maintaining interest in the company. The increasing popularity of blogs is just one example of why 'content is king' still rings true on the web today. Human writers can develop articles and unique ideas far better than any computer software and application. Unfortunately, many companies choose applications that lead to poor quality content and a decrease in their credibility.
What Content Creating Software Does
Content creation software is designed to string words and sentences based on a topic and basic article. These programs run several variations of an article by substituting synonyms and words throughout the page, and reconstructing sentences to generate a 'new' or original article. Today's leading content duplication and content creation software programs include: Article Content Spinner, Jetspinner, SiteEqualizer, ArticlePro, and Article Output.
While these article and content spinner programs offer many promises of 'well-written' article and original content, they are not always accurate enough to catch duplicate sentences, and they often have trouble even putting together sentences that make sense. In many cases, their processes are considered to be forms of copyright theft, especially if the original article used as the input was not generated by the owner. Search engines that can find even one sentence duplicated from an article can bar the website from being listed on the rankings, and a single sentence 'stolen' in this way is at risk for copyright infringement.
Why Companies Need to Pursue Quality Human Writers
Google is the leading search engine on the internet, and specifically outlines its duplicate content policy in the user terms. Article spinners that help generate 'original articles' can create significant damage to a company's page ranking and credibility online, putting them at risk for copyright infringement and other penalties. Submitting just a single article to an article directory can be shared across multiple web pages and websites, but using a content spinner to create 'fresh' content from this very same article puts all of the content at risk.
Article marketing has become an industry in itself, but finding high quality human writers is the most efficient, and safe, method of generating valid clicks and increasing visitors to the site. Human writers can provide benefits beyond the limitations of article content creation services. These include completely original article batches, clear and consistent messages, an author's voice, powerful words and phrases that are easy to read by all visitors, and simply and efficiently provide unique and creative ideas in an original format. Human writers can often provide a fresh perspective on a topic or idea, something that cannot be achieved with automated article writing software packages.
About the Author:
Hunter Waterhouse has been involved in article ghost writing and building websites for a number of years. Over the last several years, Hunter has been employed by http://www.thephantomwriters.com/ To learn about the new WordPress plugin, which will enable you to receive targeted articles directly from The Phantom Writers Article Distribution Service, as they become available, please visit: http://www.backlinksmagnet.com/blog/
Read more Articles written by Hunter Waterhouse.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Debt, America's Greatest Failure at All Levels of Society
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2009 Irene A. Majchrzak
Living in debt is one of the greatest failures at all levels of American society. Many people have discussed the importance of saving for retirement as early as possible, using the time value of money as the major factor in achieving success in retirement.
The truth is debt management cannot start early enough either. When your debt is minimal, for needs only, you can stop the bleeding from your bank account and investments by buying less. Begin to learn how your buying and spending habits contribute to your debt. Uncontrolled Debt has the most disastrous effect on your lifestyle and retirement.
Anyone living in debt will recognize how true this statement is for them. Everyday brings a fear of not meeting the months living expenses including the minimum payments on your credit cards. Checking caller ID to prevent yourself from answering a call from yet another collection service causes indigestion, or an upset stomach, because the calls always come at dinner time. Going to bed when you are ready to relax and sleep brings new nightmares of losing your job and losing everything you were working so hard to keep.
You will recognize your responsibility in preventing debt, because your lifestyle from this day forward depends on you... your ability to control your spending, learning where you will save money and the difference between good debt and bad debt.
You will not gain freedom to live worry-free or to retire without changing your debt habits. Using credit cards and loans expands your purchasing options and ultimately, your bad debt.
You must be careful that while spending cash, you are not falling into the category of "Bad Debt". Bad debt pertains to those things you want, but do not necessarily need. Bad debt may also encompass impulse buying or purchases discussed with your partner, decided upon, and bought without money to back them up.
Discretionary money is money that should be left over after you have covered your living expenses. How does spending available cash or debit/credit card purchases lend itself to bad debt? The first problem I am describing is spending until your discretionary money is gone each month. Many people feel that if there is money left over, they should be free to spend it and they do, until there is nothing left each month.
The second problem occurs when your expenses exceed your paycheck .... needing an extension to your cash flow to meet the operating costs of your home life. This is where the credit cards enter into the debt picture, literally, painting yourself into a corner.
Good debt is debt to cover necessities... the purchases that you need: a roof over your head, transportation to and from work, food, clothing, etc. It is responsible debt within your means and does not extend into credit card usage. It does extend into savings though, if necessary considering it a payment to yourself, each and every month.
You need to learn to live not only within your means but to find the money in your financial strategy to meet your contribution goals for IRA's, 401(k), etc. and make sure when you retire you will be fiscally capable of fulfilling your retirement dreams. Because being debt-free is the cornerstone of your current life and the basis of your future.
Good debt/bad debt: Confusion between your needs and wants are dispelled by asking yourself how your life will be affected if you do not have this item. This question is a very large factor in preventing the occurrence of debt.
You and your family need to be clear on this concept of needs and wants and learn to save for "wanted" purchases as well as emergencies. I would ask questions, such as "Do you have a rainy day fund in case you need to make important repairs or more importantly, if you do not have a cash reserve fund, how do you plan to pay the bill on your next repair?"
This is a major aspect of debt habits. Without a plan for emergency spending, you will enter into a debt spiral. A debt spiral causes your available cash to stay beneath the savings line, continuously circling downward into deeper debt, paying more and more in monthly fees, and consuming your discretionary income. Then the next emergency occurs and the spiral deepens, again.
You and your family need to know how to save and eventually, conquer this problem of increasing liability. Education remains the most important concept for you and your family to assimilate into your standard of living in order to recognize the issues that tend to destroy your investment savings and your family's lifestyle.
About the Author:
Irene A. Majchrzak helps people retire debt-free with a sense of well-being and the freedom to have the things they want. Get her free ebook, Debt Free to Retire, by going to http://debtfreetoretire.com
Read more Articles written by Irene A. Majchrzak.
Copyright © 2009 Irene A. Majchrzak
Living in debt is one of the greatest failures at all levels of American society. Many people have discussed the importance of saving for retirement as early as possible, using the time value of money as the major factor in achieving success in retirement.
The truth is debt management cannot start early enough either. When your debt is minimal, for needs only, you can stop the bleeding from your bank account and investments by buying less. Begin to learn how your buying and spending habits contribute to your debt. Uncontrolled Debt has the most disastrous effect on your lifestyle and retirement.
Anyone living in debt will recognize how true this statement is for them. Everyday brings a fear of not meeting the months living expenses including the minimum payments on your credit cards. Checking caller ID to prevent yourself from answering a call from yet another collection service causes indigestion, or an upset stomach, because the calls always come at dinner time. Going to bed when you are ready to relax and sleep brings new nightmares of losing your job and losing everything you were working so hard to keep.
You will recognize your responsibility in preventing debt, because your lifestyle from this day forward depends on you... your ability to control your spending, learning where you will save money and the difference between good debt and bad debt.
You will not gain freedom to live worry-free or to retire without changing your debt habits. Using credit cards and loans expands your purchasing options and ultimately, your bad debt.
You must be careful that while spending cash, you are not falling into the category of "Bad Debt". Bad debt pertains to those things you want, but do not necessarily need. Bad debt may also encompass impulse buying or purchases discussed with your partner, decided upon, and bought without money to back them up.
Discretionary money is money that should be left over after you have covered your living expenses. How does spending available cash or debit/credit card purchases lend itself to bad debt? The first problem I am describing is spending until your discretionary money is gone each month. Many people feel that if there is money left over, they should be free to spend it and they do, until there is nothing left each month.
The second problem occurs when your expenses exceed your paycheck .... needing an extension to your cash flow to meet the operating costs of your home life. This is where the credit cards enter into the debt picture, literally, painting yourself into a corner.
Good debt is debt to cover necessities... the purchases that you need: a roof over your head, transportation to and from work, food, clothing, etc. It is responsible debt within your means and does not extend into credit card usage. It does extend into savings though, if necessary considering it a payment to yourself, each and every month.
You need to learn to live not only within your means but to find the money in your financial strategy to meet your contribution goals for IRA's, 401(k), etc. and make sure when you retire you will be fiscally capable of fulfilling your retirement dreams. Because being debt-free is the cornerstone of your current life and the basis of your future.
Good debt/bad debt: Confusion between your needs and wants are dispelled by asking yourself how your life will be affected if you do not have this item. This question is a very large factor in preventing the occurrence of debt.
You and your family need to be clear on this concept of needs and wants and learn to save for "wanted" purchases as well as emergencies. I would ask questions, such as "Do you have a rainy day fund in case you need to make important repairs or more importantly, if you do not have a cash reserve fund, how do you plan to pay the bill on your next repair?"
This is a major aspect of debt habits. Without a plan for emergency spending, you will enter into a debt spiral. A debt spiral causes your available cash to stay beneath the savings line, continuously circling downward into deeper debt, paying more and more in monthly fees, and consuming your discretionary income. Then the next emergency occurs and the spiral deepens, again.
You and your family need to know how to save and eventually, conquer this problem of increasing liability. Education remains the most important concept for you and your family to assimilate into your standard of living in order to recognize the issues that tend to destroy your investment savings and your family's lifestyle.
About the Author:
Irene A. Majchrzak helps people retire debt-free with a sense of well-being and the freedom to have the things they want. Get her free ebook, Debt Free to Retire, by going to http://debtfreetoretire.com
Read more Articles written by Irene A. Majchrzak.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Money Making Tips with Your Expired Domains - Domain Parking
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2009 John Khu
Newbie expired domain traders keep searching for newer and innovative ways of making money out of their expired domain names. Expired domain trading is a vast industry, where almost every domain trader will be competing with others to sell their stock of domain names. What happens when an expired domain trader sits on a big pile of domain names without using them for any commercial purpose? The result could disastrous for the business, because the cost of retention and maintenance is always recurring and it can cut a big hole in the pocket.
Sitting on a big inventory of expired domains is a fruitless exercise that consume too much of your precious time as well as money. You must focus in deriving handsome income from your domain names so that you can cover the cost of retaining them with you. One of the simplest ways to earn money with your expired domains is to park them on specially designed and marketed domain parking web sites.
Domain parking offers you several advantages and benefits of not only earning money, but also maintain your expired domains in the most profitable manner. Some of these benefits are:
Enough revenues: Almost all domain-parking companies share a generous share of income with their clients. This income is enough to cover the expenses involved in maintaining your expired domains.
Very simple set up process: All domain-parking companies offer you a very simple set up process that does not take even five minutes. Signing up and running the account is also very simple.
Contractual obligations: You need not sign any agreements or contracts to stay with these firms. You can move away to another domain-parking company without any penalties or fines.
Global reach: Language and regions are no barriers to you. Most of the well-known domain-parking services provide the services in all major international languages. You can even use highly accomplished geo or regional targeting to drive visitors to your web site.
Efficient sales conversion: Domain parking is an efficient way to turn your domain into a cash machine. It also enhances the chances of domain auction or sales by over 100% because of the wide exposure and virtual advertisement.
Domain parking uses an advanced method of search. It takes the advantage of using type-in type of traffic that is when a web surfer simply types an address on to the search bar of the search engine in a hope that he or she will get the desired information from the search. Domain parking can add real-time value to your expired domain. When you see that your expired domain is increasing in its online value, then you can sell off your domain to the highest bidder.
With all its wonderful benefits and advantages, domain parking still has some pitfalls. Most of the time, some of your domains may never receive any traffic. In addition, the income generated by parking your expired domains may not be substantial. However, domain parking is a lucrative way to park your otherwise dead and expired domain; domain parking can resurrect your dead domain back in to life.
About the Author:
John Khu is an author and also a seasoned professional with vast experience in expired domain name business. He is also the owner of the path breaking web sites called http://www.expireddomainsecret.com and http://www.expireddomaingains.com which provides complete and up-to-date information on expired domains and their eternal secrets.
Read more Articles written by John Khu.
Copyright © 2009 John Khu
Newbie expired domain traders keep searching for newer and innovative ways of making money out of their expired domain names. Expired domain trading is a vast industry, where almost every domain trader will be competing with others to sell their stock of domain names. What happens when an expired domain trader sits on a big pile of domain names without using them for any commercial purpose? The result could disastrous for the business, because the cost of retention and maintenance is always recurring and it can cut a big hole in the pocket.
Sitting on a big inventory of expired domains is a fruitless exercise that consume too much of your precious time as well as money. You must focus in deriving handsome income from your domain names so that you can cover the cost of retaining them with you. One of the simplest ways to earn money with your expired domains is to park them on specially designed and marketed domain parking web sites.
Domain parking offers you several advantages and benefits of not only earning money, but also maintain your expired domains in the most profitable manner. Some of these benefits are:
Enough revenues: Almost all domain-parking companies share a generous share of income with their clients. This income is enough to cover the expenses involved in maintaining your expired domains.
Very simple set up process: All domain-parking companies offer you a very simple set up process that does not take even five minutes. Signing up and running the account is also very simple.
Contractual obligations: You need not sign any agreements or contracts to stay with these firms. You can move away to another domain-parking company without any penalties or fines.
Global reach: Language and regions are no barriers to you. Most of the well-known domain-parking services provide the services in all major international languages. You can even use highly accomplished geo or regional targeting to drive visitors to your web site.
Efficient sales conversion: Domain parking is an efficient way to turn your domain into a cash machine. It also enhances the chances of domain auction or sales by over 100% because of the wide exposure and virtual advertisement.
Domain parking uses an advanced method of search. It takes the advantage of using type-in type of traffic that is when a web surfer simply types an address on to the search bar of the search engine in a hope that he or she will get the desired information from the search. Domain parking can add real-time value to your expired domain. When you see that your expired domain is increasing in its online value, then you can sell off your domain to the highest bidder.
With all its wonderful benefits and advantages, domain parking still has some pitfalls. Most of the time, some of your domains may never receive any traffic. In addition, the income generated by parking your expired domains may not be substantial. However, domain parking is a lucrative way to park your otherwise dead and expired domain; domain parking can resurrect your dead domain back in to life.
About the Author:
John Khu is an author and also a seasoned professional with vast experience in expired domain name business. He is also the owner of the path breaking web sites called http://www.expireddomainsecret.com and http://www.expireddomaingains.com which provides complete and up-to-date information on expired domains and their eternal secrets.
Read more Articles written by John Khu.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Online Branding - the Basics
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2009 Enzo F. Cesario
The term "brand" has been around for many years and can be used to refer to a company name, a product name, an advertising campaign or a logo. Branding is used to create an emotional attachment to a product or company. It can also create a sense of perceived higher quality or value.
In internet marketing, branding is more than logos and theme songs. Branding lets customers know who you are, what you do and how you do it. It's your promise of value. Effective branding will increase your potential customer base and more potential customers will always equal more sales opportunities.
In recent years, consumers have been spending more time and money on the internet. In addition to communicating with friends, they're comparison shopping and making more and more purchases online. It's imperative for a business to use the internet to make an impact.
Here are a few ways to define your online identity:
Describe Your Brand First - Start With What You Do
When they land on your website, your visitors should know immediately what your company does and how it can help them. Don't be ambiguous and don't try to be too cute. Build a unique shopping experience that a visitor will remember. With regard to graphics on your website, remember that images can convey more than words, and good ones can play a major part in online branding.
Find Your Target Market
The focus of a marketing campaign is people. Your goal is to reach a subset of the population who might be interested in your particular product - your target market.
The more you know about your target market, the more precisely you can develop a marketing strategy. Your branding efforts should focus on that target market. Your message should be clear and should appeal to your visitor and make them realize the benefits of visiting your website, your store and ultimately buying your products or services.
Humanize Your Website
What is your company's personality? The online world can be a cold and daunting place. Your branding efforts can be much more effective when you add a human element to your website. Brands are like people in that a strong one has personality, expresses opinions and elicits feelings. Your website and brand could and should do the same thing.
If you are the sole owner, put your name and photo on your site to take away the mystery and distrust of a cold, impersonal website. Take a good look at your site. Does your design scheme complement your identity? You should be working toward your site having its own identity, unique language and clear personality.
Take a look at some of the sites you enjoy visiting and see what makes them special and satisfying to you. Branding is not about making your site more corporate - it's about making it personal so that visitors want to come back.
Be Consistent
For effective branding on the web, you should be consistent in terms of your approach, your message and your language throughout your visitors' experience. Any gateway to your customers - website, blog, newsletter, emails - should have your consistent, unique personality.
Content, Content, Content
Just as location, location, location is crucial in real estate, having great content on your site is a major factor in getting customers to return. Useful, brand-related information coupled with your unique voice will help you gain fans and ultimately loyal customers.
With good content, your website becomes "sticky", that is, it's able to keep visitors on the site browsing and reading longer. When the content is what people are looking for, they are not only more likely to stay longer, they'll bookmark your site and maybe recommend it to others. They will learn that you are a reputable source of information and eventually go to your site for purchases.
Your branding goal should be to provide rich information on your site to build an expert reputation that will be recognized by both customers and search engines.
Have an Online Presence Outside of Your Site
Post regularly to online forums where people who might be interested in your brand are gathering. Use your expertise in your field to offer intelligent and useful information and include a link to your website in your signature.
With good online content, you can satisfy people's craving for suitable information and increase your linking strategy at the same time. For example, if you have a site that sells art and painting supplies, you could write a history article on Rembrandt to be published online. This page for history or art buffs will now link potential customers from your target market to your site, and will become part of your linking strategy.
On your website, offer a free newsletter or rss feed. This will allow you to build a database of potential customers who have gone out of their way to express interest in your brand. Your newsletter will then allow you to deliver your message to an interested audience with a controlled frequency that will further build your brand.
Customers are becoming savvy and more discriminating when it comes to online interactions, and retailers need to provide a consistent, positive marketing experience. Great websites put substance before flash and that's what branding is all about - your promise of value.
About the Author:
Enzo F. Cesario is a Copywriter and co-founder of Brandsplat, the only online marketing and advertising company employing Brandcasting, the most effective way to brand your company on the web. Brandcasting uses informative content and state-of-the-art internet distribution and optimization to build links and drive the right kind of traffic to your website. The approach is simple, highly effective and affordable. Learn more at: http://www.Brandsplat.com/
Read more of Enzo F. Cesario's articles.
Copyright © 2009 Enzo F. Cesario
The term "brand" has been around for many years and can be used to refer to a company name, a product name, an advertising campaign or a logo. Branding is used to create an emotional attachment to a product or company. It can also create a sense of perceived higher quality or value.
In internet marketing, branding is more than logos and theme songs. Branding lets customers know who you are, what you do and how you do it. It's your promise of value. Effective branding will increase your potential customer base and more potential customers will always equal more sales opportunities.
In recent years, consumers have been spending more time and money on the internet. In addition to communicating with friends, they're comparison shopping and making more and more purchases online. It's imperative for a business to use the internet to make an impact.
Here are a few ways to define your online identity:
Describe Your Brand First - Start With What You Do
When they land on your website, your visitors should know immediately what your company does and how it can help them. Don't be ambiguous and don't try to be too cute. Build a unique shopping experience that a visitor will remember. With regard to graphics on your website, remember that images can convey more than words, and good ones can play a major part in online branding.
Find Your Target Market
The focus of a marketing campaign is people. Your goal is to reach a subset of the population who might be interested in your particular product - your target market.
The more you know about your target market, the more precisely you can develop a marketing strategy. Your branding efforts should focus on that target market. Your message should be clear and should appeal to your visitor and make them realize the benefits of visiting your website, your store and ultimately buying your products or services.
Humanize Your Website
What is your company's personality? The online world can be a cold and daunting place. Your branding efforts can be much more effective when you add a human element to your website. Brands are like people in that a strong one has personality, expresses opinions and elicits feelings. Your website and brand could and should do the same thing.
If you are the sole owner, put your name and photo on your site to take away the mystery and distrust of a cold, impersonal website. Take a good look at your site. Does your design scheme complement your identity? You should be working toward your site having its own identity, unique language and clear personality.
Take a look at some of the sites you enjoy visiting and see what makes them special and satisfying to you. Branding is not about making your site more corporate - it's about making it personal so that visitors want to come back.
Be Consistent
For effective branding on the web, you should be consistent in terms of your approach, your message and your language throughout your visitors' experience. Any gateway to your customers - website, blog, newsletter, emails - should have your consistent, unique personality.
Content, Content, Content
Just as location, location, location is crucial in real estate, having great content on your site is a major factor in getting customers to return. Useful, brand-related information coupled with your unique voice will help you gain fans and ultimately loyal customers.
With good content, your website becomes "sticky", that is, it's able to keep visitors on the site browsing and reading longer. When the content is what people are looking for, they are not only more likely to stay longer, they'll bookmark your site and maybe recommend it to others. They will learn that you are a reputable source of information and eventually go to your site for purchases.
Your branding goal should be to provide rich information on your site to build an expert reputation that will be recognized by both customers and search engines.
Have an Online Presence Outside of Your Site
Post regularly to online forums where people who might be interested in your brand are gathering. Use your expertise in your field to offer intelligent and useful information and include a link to your website in your signature.
With good online content, you can satisfy people's craving for suitable information and increase your linking strategy at the same time. For example, if you have a site that sells art and painting supplies, you could write a history article on Rembrandt to be published online. This page for history or art buffs will now link potential customers from your target market to your site, and will become part of your linking strategy.
On your website, offer a free newsletter or rss feed. This will allow you to build a database of potential customers who have gone out of their way to express interest in your brand. Your newsletter will then allow you to deliver your message to an interested audience with a controlled frequency that will further build your brand.
Customers are becoming savvy and more discriminating when it comes to online interactions, and retailers need to provide a consistent, positive marketing experience. Great websites put substance before flash and that's what branding is all about - your promise of value.
About the Author:
Enzo F. Cesario is a Copywriter and co-founder of Brandsplat, the only online marketing and advertising company employing Brandcasting, the most effective way to brand your company on the web. Brandcasting uses informative content and state-of-the-art internet distribution and optimization to build links and drive the right kind of traffic to your website. The approach is simple, highly effective and affordable. Learn more at: http://www.Brandsplat.com/
Read more of Enzo F. Cesario's articles.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
I Was Quoted in the News, Now What? Publicity Dilemma 10
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2009 Marcia Yudkin
Whether it was the Wall Street Journal or Hometown News Radio that quoted you last Monday, congratulate yourself. You have achieved a credibility-boosting distinction that many businesses never attain. And now let's figure out how you can derive lasting benefit from your media coverage.
As soon as possible, incorporate your media success into your marketing materials. "As featured in..." is a good all-purpose phrase that impresses people. Even better, there's no reason to ever remove this reference. Once featured on a TV or radio program or in a newspaper or magazine, you can always tout that having happened.
If you were highlighted in a publication or a broadcast that included web coverage, install a link from your site to their page about your company or you. Add a five-star media credential to your next set of business cards or print up labels about it to stick on your envelopes.
For print coverage, make nice-looking copies and mail them with a personal sticky note to current and past clients and folks trying to decide whether or not to do business with you. Include these copies in your media kit, and in any portfolio you use instead of or in addition to a brochure.
If you have an office where customers or clients come, frame clippings and hang them on the wall. If you have a storefront window, hang the clippings so passersby can read and detour in to do business with you. Whenever possible, mount clippings where they won't receive direct sunlight, and keep an eye on how faded your copy becomes. I've seen restaurants undermine the effect of a rave review because their clipping has faded to the color of parchment.
Watch out for a few no-no's. One business owner I interviewed for a Business 2.0 article excerpted long passages from my piece at his web site. When I pointed out that he was welcome to link to the article at Business 2.0's site but not to distort my work by cutting the portions that were not about him, he sheepishly (and wisely) complied.
Likewise, some publications want you to buy glossy reprints of the article in which you appeared from them rather than make your own. To stay on the right side of copyright regulations, you should do just that.
If you have loads of media mentions, create a list of the media entities that quoted or featured you and post that on your web site's About page. Include the list in your media kit, too. I've seen companies create attractive and impressive "Featured in..." displays using the media logos rather than just their names.
And suppose the media said negative things about you? It's okay to quote and attribute the positive phrases sprinkled there amidst criticism, as long as you preserve the meaning. From People Magazine having said, "Excellent dreck!" you cannot extract "'Excellent!' - People Magazine."
Finally, consider whether you can recycle the idea that earned you media coverage with a different news tie-in or an updated angle. Sometimes you can engineer a creative rerun. For instance, in 1990, when fax machines were new, I got quite a lot of media coverage for what I pitched as an "edit by fax" service. Five years later, I successfully repitched the service as "marketing upgrades," a low-cost alternative to the high cost of top-notch copywriters. A few years after that, I reformulated the same service as "copywriting on call," with a rewrite as close and convenient as one's Internet connection.
With at least a few of these steps, your media mentions will bring you long-lasting blessings!
About the Author:
Publicity expert Marcia Yudkin is the author of 6 Steps to Free Publicity, Persuading on Paper, Web Site Marketing Makeover and eight other books. She has engineered coverage for herself or her company in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Success, Women in Business and dozens of newspapers around the world. Get free access to a one-hour audio recording in which she answers the most common questions about getting media coverage at http://www.yudkin.com/publicityideas.htm
Read more Articles written by Marcia Yudkin.
Copyright © 2009 Marcia Yudkin
Whether it was the Wall Street Journal or Hometown News Radio that quoted you last Monday, congratulate yourself. You have achieved a credibility-boosting distinction that many businesses never attain. And now let's figure out how you can derive lasting benefit from your media coverage.
As soon as possible, incorporate your media success into your marketing materials. "As featured in..." is a good all-purpose phrase that impresses people. Even better, there's no reason to ever remove this reference. Once featured on a TV or radio program or in a newspaper or magazine, you can always tout that having happened.
If you were highlighted in a publication or a broadcast that included web coverage, install a link from your site to their page about your company or you. Add a five-star media credential to your next set of business cards or print up labels about it to stick on your envelopes.
For print coverage, make nice-looking copies and mail them with a personal sticky note to current and past clients and folks trying to decide whether or not to do business with you. Include these copies in your media kit, and in any portfolio you use instead of or in addition to a brochure.
If you have an office where customers or clients come, frame clippings and hang them on the wall. If you have a storefront window, hang the clippings so passersby can read and detour in to do business with you. Whenever possible, mount clippings where they won't receive direct sunlight, and keep an eye on how faded your copy becomes. I've seen restaurants undermine the effect of a rave review because their clipping has faded to the color of parchment.
Watch out for a few no-no's. One business owner I interviewed for a Business 2.0 article excerpted long passages from my piece at his web site. When I pointed out that he was welcome to link to the article at Business 2.0's site but not to distort my work by cutting the portions that were not about him, he sheepishly (and wisely) complied.
Likewise, some publications want you to buy glossy reprints of the article in which you appeared from them rather than make your own. To stay on the right side of copyright regulations, you should do just that.
If you have loads of media mentions, create a list of the media entities that quoted or featured you and post that on your web site's About page. Include the list in your media kit, too. I've seen companies create attractive and impressive "Featured in..." displays using the media logos rather than just their names.
And suppose the media said negative things about you? It's okay to quote and attribute the positive phrases sprinkled there amidst criticism, as long as you preserve the meaning. From People Magazine having said, "Excellent dreck!" you cannot extract "'Excellent!' - People Magazine."
Finally, consider whether you can recycle the idea that earned you media coverage with a different news tie-in or an updated angle. Sometimes you can engineer a creative rerun. For instance, in 1990, when fax machines were new, I got quite a lot of media coverage for what I pitched as an "edit by fax" service. Five years later, I successfully repitched the service as "marketing upgrades," a low-cost alternative to the high cost of top-notch copywriters. A few years after that, I reformulated the same service as "copywriting on call," with a rewrite as close and convenient as one's Internet connection.
With at least a few of these steps, your media mentions will bring you long-lasting blessings!
About the Author:
Publicity expert Marcia Yudkin is the author of 6 Steps to Free Publicity, Persuading on Paper, Web Site Marketing Makeover and eight other books. She has engineered coverage for herself or her company in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Success, Women in Business and dozens of newspapers around the world. Get free access to a one-hour audio recording in which she answers the most common questions about getting media coverage at http://www.yudkin.com/publicityideas.htm
Read more Articles written by Marcia Yudkin.
Let There Be Peace
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2009 Joyce C. Lock
If we believe we are in the last days, we need to quit calling God's messengers 'false prophets' (Je.25:4). Hell, fire, and brimstone preaching is not a prophet's passion, but the result of other's unbelief. Prophets feel whatever God feels and are honor bound to warn unbelieving people they also love.
For fear of an antichrist or Jonestown type experience, leaders hush prophets by whatever means possible; all the while, feeling justified. And, people continue to believe whatever they are told.
"And (they) say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets." Mt. 23:30
Most prophets dare not come out of the closet. 'If we talk to God, we are spiritual. If God talks to us, we are scitsophrenic.'
While many truly have a heart for God's people, they error in deciding when, who, and how people can serve (becoming Pharaohs, creating spiritual wounds) when all they would need do is to listen for the Spirit and let God sit on their throne. The Spirit cannot lie.
It makes no difference how one is qualified, as faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it. For, it is God who builds HIS church.
Instead, pride is placed upon one's knowledge and abilities; forgetting such will pass away. You might notice who Jesus would become angry with (not the spiritually weak, poor, sick, or lame) but leaders who kept them that way.
God will do whatever it takes to make sure those who are saved will be saved. When I asked how many prophecies have to come to pass, God answered, "As many as it takes."
"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another," Mt. 24:7-10.
While people look to giant earthquakes, they are missing that the very foundation of their families are being shaken; the center of their world. The famine is spiritual, and they are starving for prophets to be allowed to show them the way, Re.22:6.
Prophecies are happening individually, everywhere, while the church sleeps on. We are Jews who worship in Spirit and truth, and adopted Israelites (Ro. 9:4).
With all the religions in the world, it is insulting God to think any have all the answers. There is only one omnipotent, all knowing God. Stop telling God what He believes. Do not believe everything you hear and let us not quench the Spirit before God has had a chance to speak.
If your life is not peace, it would be good to consider what is really going on. God wants His throne back. If you really want to see revival; Let My People Go, so they can serve God.
Perhaps peace begins once we realize we are all in the same boat and God gave us gifts to help each other find our way.
About the Author:
Joyce C. Lock is a published author, poet, columnist, and Senior Writer for the Storytime Tapestry Newsletter. Her latest adventures include her new website Glimpses of God http://iam.homewithGod.com/glimpsesofgod/ unveiling mysteries via scriptural methods of Bible study. Joyce's writings encourage us in our relationship with God and each other. Find fresh new articles, on a variety of topics, at: http://www.thephantomwriters.com/recent/200/index.html
Read more of Joyce C. Lock's articles.
Copyright © 2009 Joyce C. Lock
If we believe we are in the last days, we need to quit calling God's messengers 'false prophets' (Je.25:4). Hell, fire, and brimstone preaching is not a prophet's passion, but the result of other's unbelief. Prophets feel whatever God feels and are honor bound to warn unbelieving people they also love.
For fear of an antichrist or Jonestown type experience, leaders hush prophets by whatever means possible; all the while, feeling justified. And, people continue to believe whatever they are told.
"And (they) say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets." Mt. 23:30
Most prophets dare not come out of the closet. 'If we talk to God, we are spiritual. If God talks to us, we are scitsophrenic.'
While many truly have a heart for God's people, they error in deciding when, who, and how people can serve (becoming Pharaohs, creating spiritual wounds) when all they would need do is to listen for the Spirit and let God sit on their throne. The Spirit cannot lie.
It makes no difference how one is qualified, as faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it. For, it is God who builds HIS church.
Instead, pride is placed upon one's knowledge and abilities; forgetting such will pass away. You might notice who Jesus would become angry with (not the spiritually weak, poor, sick, or lame) but leaders who kept them that way.
God will do whatever it takes to make sure those who are saved will be saved. When I asked how many prophecies have to come to pass, God answered, "As many as it takes."
"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another," Mt. 24:7-10.
While people look to giant earthquakes, they are missing that the very foundation of their families are being shaken; the center of their world. The famine is spiritual, and they are starving for prophets to be allowed to show them the way, Re.22:6.
Prophecies are happening individually, everywhere, while the church sleeps on. We are Jews who worship in Spirit and truth, and adopted Israelites (Ro. 9:4).
With all the religions in the world, it is insulting God to think any have all the answers. There is only one omnipotent, all knowing God. Stop telling God what He believes. Do not believe everything you hear and let us not quench the Spirit before God has had a chance to speak.
If your life is not peace, it would be good to consider what is really going on. God wants His throne back. If you really want to see revival; Let My People Go, so they can serve God.
Perhaps peace begins once we realize we are all in the same boat and God gave us gifts to help each other find our way.
About the Author:
Joyce C. Lock is a published author, poet, columnist, and Senior Writer for the Storytime Tapestry Newsletter. Her latest adventures include her new website Glimpses of God http://iam.homewithGod.com/glimpsesofgod/ unveiling mysteries via scriptural methods of Bible study. Joyce's writings encourage us in our relationship with God and each other. Find fresh new articles, on a variety of topics, at: http://www.thephantomwriters.com/recent/200/index.html
Read more of Joyce C. Lock's articles.
Seven Tips That Could Add Hundreds Of Dollars To Your Monthly Budget
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2009 Fred Vanhoosen
Today's economy is especially hard on middle-class families and others who basically live week-to-week. Without careful budgeting and tending to finances, it's getting easier and easier to end up short of money at the end of each month. Ironically, it seems the tighter your money gets, the more expensive necessities such as utilities and food become.
In this article, we offer seven tips that if used can help the average American family reduce their living expenses by at least $100 per month.
Reduce Food Expenses, Without Giving Up Good Food
Fortunately, with a little discipline and work, there are ways to decrease your spending without sacrificing too much. Having said that, there is one area where most people can dramatically cut down on their expenses, and that is eating out. "Eating out" includes eating in restaurants, grabbing food from the fast-food drive-throughs, or ordering take-out food to eat at home. Even a simple fast-food meal for a family of four costs twice as much as eating at home.
Buy A Sunday Newspaper: Shop The Grocery Ads and Clip The Coupons
To get started on saving on your food bill, you need a little organization. Start by carefully reading your grocery store's weekly ad in the newspaper or online and making note of which items are on sale. Many stores seem to be having a lot of buy one/get one free sales, and you should take advantage of these items. What you don't use this week, you can use in the coming weeks.
In this way, you can also build up a store of extra items so that you are never caught without food for a meal. If certain meats are on sale, buy double portions and freeze half.
Another sure-fire way to save money at the grocery store is coupons! If you don't get a newspaper on Sunday, you should start. You will save a lot more money by the coupons you can clip than the paper will cost. Cut only the coupons for items you actually use or can substitute for your usual brands.
Plan Your Meals In Advance and Reap The Savings
The next step takes the most time but brings the highest rewards: make a meal plan for the week, with an eye on the sale items at the grocery store and the items for which you have coupons. If your family eats breakfast, make a list of the items you will need to provide seven breakfasts. If you or your family eat lunch at home or pack a lunch for school or work, list what will be needed to provide seven lunches - be sure to include the weekends.
This is a good area to begin eliminating eating out. It is much more economical to take a lunch that to eat out.
Good lunch ideas include sandwiches, fruit or salads. If your workplace has a microwave available, consider taking leftovers from dinner rather than the more expensive microwave meals. This is also a good chance to reduce excess calories and junk foods from your diet.
For your dinner meals, try to plan items that can be used for two dinners or for leftovers for lunch. Some good dinner ideas include a roast beef (two meals and lunch leftovers), oven-baked or fried chicken and stews. You can also make a large portion of dishes like lasagna and have enough for one or two dinners. A good alternative is to freeze half of the amount you make for a quick dinner another night.
When planning your dinner menus, it is important to plan one or two dinners that can be prepared quickly. This is where the frozen portions come in handy. They can be easily thawed and require no work or planning. Everyone has nights when they are too tired after work to cook, and that is where the temptation to eat out or order take-out food can ruin the budget. Be sure to always have food available for quick and easy meals when you don't have the time or energy for cooking.
If you have frozen a portion of another meal, such as lasagna or a stew, just pop it in a dish, microwave it and you can put dinner on the table in a matter of minutes. Once you have made your menu planner, make a list of everything you need for each meal. Also list all household non-food items that you need or that are on sale.
Make A Grocery List and Skip The Impulse Items
Try to get everything you will need for the entire week or month in a single trip to the grocery store. It is best to limit your trips to the grocery store to once a week or less. Most people pick up one or more "impulse items" each time they go to the store, so the less often you go, the better.
Stick to your list - unless it's something you actually forgot and will need for one of your planned meals, don't buy it!
A good way not to forget anything that you use on a regular basis is to put a small piece of paper on the fridge with a magnet - when you are getting low on something you use often (salt, coffee, sugar, detergent, etc.), jot it on the list and add these items to your weekly shopping list. Be sure to stock up on freezer and storage bags so that you will always be able to easily store your leftovers. A lot of food that could easily be frozen and used for another meal is lost by being shoved to the back of the refrigerator and sitting there until it goes bad.
Several small portions of various frozen leftover dinners can be combined to give your family a "pot luck" dinner.
Count Your Savings To Justify The Discipline
These methods of meal planning and shopping can save you 25% to 35% off your weekly grocery bill. If it seems like a lot of work, put a dollar amount on it. A savings of $40.00 means that you are earning $20.00 an hour if you spend two hours cutting coupons, reading grocery ads, planning your menu and making a shopping list.
Reduce Your Electric Bill
Another big expenditure each month is the electric bill! There are small things you can do to cut down, such as turning out lights in rooms that aren't being used, turning off power strips to eliminate the "energy vampires" that constantly suck power to recharge phones, batteries, etc., and turning off your computer each night.
Manage Your Hot Water Supply
However, to really save money, look to your hot water heater! These are a tremendous consumer of electricity. Go to your circuit breaker and find the switch that controls the hot water heater. Modern hot water heaters heat up very quickly - you simply do not need to have it running all day, keeping the water at a constant hot temperature when no one is home or using hot water. Turn the hot water heater on when you get home from work and let it run until bedtime. There will be more than enough hot water for dishes, showers and the washing machine.
If you need to do laundry during the day, turn it on for about 15 minutes - while you're waiting for it to heat up, you can run a cold water load. Let the hot water heater run while you are using hot water, and then turn it off. And speaking of the hot water heater, invest in an inexpensive hot water heater wrap to keep the water in there hot, and check the temperature setting. There is never a need to have your hot water heater set higher than 125 degrees.
Follow These Seven Tips To Save Hundreds Of Dollars Yearly...
Following the tips in the article could easily help the average American family save anywhere from a hunred to a few hundred dollars a month. Take these tips to heart, and you will be able to live a richer life as a result.
About the Author:
Fred Vanhoosen writes about the payday loan / cash advance loans industry. To learn more about these cash advance loan products, we recommend reading the following overview of the payday loan concept. Learn more at: http://www.fastcash4all.net/
Read more of Fred Vanhoosen's articles.
Copyright © 2009 Fred Vanhoosen
Today's economy is especially hard on middle-class families and others who basically live week-to-week. Without careful budgeting and tending to finances, it's getting easier and easier to end up short of money at the end of each month. Ironically, it seems the tighter your money gets, the more expensive necessities such as utilities and food become.
In this article, we offer seven tips that if used can help the average American family reduce their living expenses by at least $100 per month.
Reduce Food Expenses, Without Giving Up Good Food
Fortunately, with a little discipline and work, there are ways to decrease your spending without sacrificing too much. Having said that, there is one area where most people can dramatically cut down on their expenses, and that is eating out. "Eating out" includes eating in restaurants, grabbing food from the fast-food drive-throughs, or ordering take-out food to eat at home. Even a simple fast-food meal for a family of four costs twice as much as eating at home.
Buy A Sunday Newspaper: Shop The Grocery Ads and Clip The Coupons
To get started on saving on your food bill, you need a little organization. Start by carefully reading your grocery store's weekly ad in the newspaper or online and making note of which items are on sale. Many stores seem to be having a lot of buy one/get one free sales, and you should take advantage of these items. What you don't use this week, you can use in the coming weeks.
In this way, you can also build up a store of extra items so that you are never caught without food for a meal. If certain meats are on sale, buy double portions and freeze half.
Another sure-fire way to save money at the grocery store is coupons! If you don't get a newspaper on Sunday, you should start. You will save a lot more money by the coupons you can clip than the paper will cost. Cut only the coupons for items you actually use or can substitute for your usual brands.
Plan Your Meals In Advance and Reap The Savings
The next step takes the most time but brings the highest rewards: make a meal plan for the week, with an eye on the sale items at the grocery store and the items for which you have coupons. If your family eats breakfast, make a list of the items you will need to provide seven breakfasts. If you or your family eat lunch at home or pack a lunch for school or work, list what will be needed to provide seven lunches - be sure to include the weekends.
This is a good area to begin eliminating eating out. It is much more economical to take a lunch that to eat out.
Good lunch ideas include sandwiches, fruit or salads. If your workplace has a microwave available, consider taking leftovers from dinner rather than the more expensive microwave meals. This is also a good chance to reduce excess calories and junk foods from your diet.
For your dinner meals, try to plan items that can be used for two dinners or for leftovers for lunch. Some good dinner ideas include a roast beef (two meals and lunch leftovers), oven-baked or fried chicken and stews. You can also make a large portion of dishes like lasagna and have enough for one or two dinners. A good alternative is to freeze half of the amount you make for a quick dinner another night.
When planning your dinner menus, it is important to plan one or two dinners that can be prepared quickly. This is where the frozen portions come in handy. They can be easily thawed and require no work or planning. Everyone has nights when they are too tired after work to cook, and that is where the temptation to eat out or order take-out food can ruin the budget. Be sure to always have food available for quick and easy meals when you don't have the time or energy for cooking.
If you have frozen a portion of another meal, such as lasagna or a stew, just pop it in a dish, microwave it and you can put dinner on the table in a matter of minutes. Once you have made your menu planner, make a list of everything you need for each meal. Also list all household non-food items that you need or that are on sale.
Make A Grocery List and Skip The Impulse Items
Try to get everything you will need for the entire week or month in a single trip to the grocery store. It is best to limit your trips to the grocery store to once a week or less. Most people pick up one or more "impulse items" each time they go to the store, so the less often you go, the better.
Stick to your list - unless it's something you actually forgot and will need for one of your planned meals, don't buy it!
A good way not to forget anything that you use on a regular basis is to put a small piece of paper on the fridge with a magnet - when you are getting low on something you use often (salt, coffee, sugar, detergent, etc.), jot it on the list and add these items to your weekly shopping list. Be sure to stock up on freezer and storage bags so that you will always be able to easily store your leftovers. A lot of food that could easily be frozen and used for another meal is lost by being shoved to the back of the refrigerator and sitting there until it goes bad.
Several small portions of various frozen leftover dinners can be combined to give your family a "pot luck" dinner.
Count Your Savings To Justify The Discipline
These methods of meal planning and shopping can save you 25% to 35% off your weekly grocery bill. If it seems like a lot of work, put a dollar amount on it. A savings of $40.00 means that you are earning $20.00 an hour if you spend two hours cutting coupons, reading grocery ads, planning your menu and making a shopping list.
Reduce Your Electric Bill
Another big expenditure each month is the electric bill! There are small things you can do to cut down, such as turning out lights in rooms that aren't being used, turning off power strips to eliminate the "energy vampires" that constantly suck power to recharge phones, batteries, etc., and turning off your computer each night.
Manage Your Hot Water Supply
However, to really save money, look to your hot water heater! These are a tremendous consumer of electricity. Go to your circuit breaker and find the switch that controls the hot water heater. Modern hot water heaters heat up very quickly - you simply do not need to have it running all day, keeping the water at a constant hot temperature when no one is home or using hot water. Turn the hot water heater on when you get home from work and let it run until bedtime. There will be more than enough hot water for dishes, showers and the washing machine.
If you need to do laundry during the day, turn it on for about 15 minutes - while you're waiting for it to heat up, you can run a cold water load. Let the hot water heater run while you are using hot water, and then turn it off. And speaking of the hot water heater, invest in an inexpensive hot water heater wrap to keep the water in there hot, and check the temperature setting. There is never a need to have your hot water heater set higher than 125 degrees.
Follow These Seven Tips To Save Hundreds Of Dollars Yearly...
Following the tips in the article could easily help the average American family save anywhere from a hunred to a few hundred dollars a month. Take these tips to heart, and you will be able to live a richer life as a result.
About the Author:
Fred Vanhoosen writes about the payday loan / cash advance loans industry. To learn more about these cash advance loan products, we recommend reading the following overview of the payday loan concept. Learn more at: http://www.fastcash4all.net/
Read more of Fred Vanhoosen's articles.
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