Write For Fun & Profit!!

If you enjoy writing, you might want to check out Squidoo. I am a member of this online writing community and I write for both fun and profit. If you have a favorite hobby that you would like to share with the world, it is great for that. Maybe you are a big fan of a particular TV program and you want to share your views and get comments from others. Squidoo gets millions of visitors each month and you can get your share of those. Think of it as a large community of bloggers who write about all sorts of things, whatever is on their mind. There are some things that are prohibited, but nothing that you would not expect. Many of you are probably saying, "OK, I get the fun part, but how can I write for profit. There are many different ways people make money on this site. One of the most common is being an affiliate of Amazon and promoting their products. I will not try to explain this in detail which would be a whole other article. But there are two basic ways to make money promoting Amazon products. First, if you are presently an affiliate of Amazon, you can promote their products using your own affiliate ID. If you are not an affiliate or you happen to live in one of the states that Amazon doesn't allow affiliates, you can share Squidoo's affiliate account and they will split their earnings on the products you promote. The split is 50% for you and the same for Squidoo. But they are at the highest commission level, so your split is still a respectable 4.25%. There are also AdSense ads on all of the pages, which are called lenses. These profits are shared with those who write on Squidoo based on each sites rank. I will not try to cover all of the details here, but just know it is possible to participate in the adsense earnings. There are some other programs that allow you to make money there. But far and away the biggest is being an affiliate of Amazon and promoting their products. You can make anywhere between 4% and 8.5% (using your own affiliate ID) depending on the number of products that are ordered and shipped as a result of your promoting their products. Some make thousands of dollars a month there. Some ask why I would not just use my own sites, which is a good question. One important thing that I didn't mention before, writing on Squidoo is absolutely free. Whether you write one article or 1000 articles, it is absolutely free. You do not have to purchase domain names (or renew them) and also don't have to worry about paying for hosting either. These charges can be significant when you have your own sites. For those that end up with hundreds of these articles, the hosting of that many posts could be quite expensive. Many of the lens masters, those who are a part of this large community also have their own sites. In fact many use this platform to promote their own sites. So you definitely do not have to choose between the two. They work very well together and can even be beneficial to each other by placing links to the other one. I came to Squidoo mainly to make money. But I have found that I have a lot of fun there also. I have been able to share life experiences with others as well as get to know many others and read about their interests. You can find an article about almost anything. We have found some great recipes and shared a couple of our favorites also. You can find many guides on how to profit on Squidoo, both on the site and other forums. But I think if you get involved, you will enjoy it as much as I do. I hope you have enjoyed learning a little about Squidoo. I am known as "chas65" there. I invite you to find me @chas65 here. Once you check me out, you can search and find anyhting you want by using the search inside Squidoo. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Roberts

Useful Twitter Strategies

Make Twitter Work Even Harder Bringing Good Word of Mouth By Maria Duron Social networks have proven themselves to be a very powerful asset to the business world. Through them, we have the convenience of sharing, discussing, and networking with others who have similar interests. A large majority of small businesses apply these social networks as their primary marketing strategy because they can reach so many people easily and inexpensively. Twitter has proven itself as a powerful networking resource that is dependable and extensive in its ability to reach a large audience effectively - as long as you know how to use the tools provided. Like most social networks, Twitter is perfect for utilizing word of mouth marketing. People share with each other, as long as you share with them. This is the primary principle to keep in mind whenever using a social network, because you must first talk to people in order to start a conversation. What you say matters Because twitter has a character limit, there is only so much that can be said at one time. But, you don't need to say a lot to make a point or start a conversation. In fact, keeping it short and to the point often stimulates the best responses. One thing to refrain from is tweeting one part of a statement and completing it in second tweet. If it's too long to put in a single tweet, find a different way to say it or link back to a reference that will say it for you (other social networks or blogs). Therefore, anyone tweeting must be able to use words effectively. Find a different way New tweets are good to keep fresh material flowing and improve visibility, but it's important that any one speaking should take the time to talk back to their responses. The more times you tag participants' names into your conversation, the more visibility you can achieve. Serious Twitter users will regularly check out who and where their names were mentioned on a regular basis, so this is a great way to meet new networks and interact with your audience. One technique to apply is the art of asking questions. A short statement would work to start, but finish by questioning the value of the subject at hand, such as how it applies to the reader's life. This is a very effective way to stimulate a reaction and is applied to various marketing strategies because it tends to create a recall in the mind of the reader. They familiarize with the issue and are apt to respond far more effectively. Be a good investigative reporter A great source of new material is to respond to popular questions- even those not posted directly to Twitter. Consider a FAQ that you seem to encounter or topics that are related to your business, and then offer a solution to them. Highly asked questions are often the prime meat of search results anywhere on the internet. "How to" and "Why is" questions litter the minds of readers and it's great to bring up in conversation to draw attention. One technique would be to bring up the topic in a question form as well. Then, offer a solution during the conversation when you know you have attention. This will help to demonstrate that you are an expert in your field. Twitter is a gateway Then there are the outside applications that Twitter dawns with appeal. Twitter is a window through which readers can get a taste of material and explore its source. This brings up the importance of titles in your tweet. When tweeting content from one of yours or an outside article or blog, choose select valuable information to share. Quote yourself or share the purpose of the project, rather than simply using the title of the content. The trick is to offer valuable information to the reader; so don't just list a source and tag it with a link. Give the reader a taste so they will want to search for more. Of course, this also brings up the importance of watching where you place your links. The end can sometimes get cut off or hidden on Twitter feeds, meaning you will have to reformat it and tweet again (time). However, this can often become an eyesore on your feeds. You want them right up there in plain view- preferably in the middle or near the beginning where you can explain the relevance. Twitter can be a powerful marketing and networking tool for any business, as long as it's used effectively. Make the most of the space you have and keep your content applicable to your audience in order to generate interest, so that you can develop a quality network in your social outlet. Maria Elena Duron, CEO (chief engagement officer), buzz2bucks | a word of mouth marketing firm, is skilled at making networks "work" and harnessing powerful online and offline buzz, she facilitates online visibility services and word of mouth coaching and workshops - taking companies and professionals from buzz-worthy to bucks-worthy, http://buzz2bucks.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maria_Duron

What's In The Domain Name?

What's in a Name? Finding the Best Domain Names for Your Business If you are just starting out, you'll know that a having a good business name is a great way to get you out of relative obscurity. Your business name should be able to aptly represent what your company is all about and something that people will easily remember since establishing recall is your next most important step and the most crucial factor you have to deal with. This is basically the same premise practiced with online businesses as well. While they have the added advantage of a wider audience and bigger chances of being seen and checked out because people are logged onto cyberspace all the time, they still need to be able to brand themselves and make their mark for their customers to keep coming back for more. After all, they only have three seconds to grab and keep their customers attention before they move on to the next site. Their domain names need to be exactly that - dominating and strong over a vast customer base. So what exactly are domain names and how important are they for online businesses? Domain names are identification strings used in various networking contexts, specifically for application naming and addressing purposes. They represent an Internet Protocol resource like a personal computer used to access the internet, a server used to host a website or any other service communicated via the internet. Domain names affect your brand, whatever you are all about - whether you're selling paper clips or designing web pages. So the first rule of finding domain names is that it should be something you are comfortable with and should preferably be your company name since your company name with a.com after it is how customers will search for you online. Keeping it short and easy to remember allows customers to remember you better than some creatively contrived that may sound good but doesn't make for easy recall. In the same light, remember to keep your domain name short and sweet. Even if domain names can be as long as 67 characters, keeping it no longer than 20 characters long will help customers remember you better. Your customers will need to type in your domain name and it really won't go over well if they have to type in kilometric names. They might just end up chucking you for your competition that has a shorter domain name. Adding special characters like hyphens, camel case or dashes is OK but you must try checking the domain name with the dashes removed as it may turn out to be a competitor's domain name. Adding a location to your domain name doesn't only help you find an available name, it also helps your customers find you easily via local searches. Local searches are done when potential customers want to check if there are specific businesses operating within their town or city. Also, in an attempt to stand out from the competition, some companies will resort to using jargon or words closely associated with the nature of their business. This is OK if you have the budget to make your name a household word, but if not then it's still recommended you go with a name that is already familiar. Having a good domain name is like playing a good game of mnemonics with customers. The more they are able to associate your domain name with your brand, the more traffic is driven to your site, the more sales it will turn out for you. While unique can win you points for originality, it is still familiarity that will win the race at the end of the day. Choose the best domain names for your business when you find domain names search tools on http://www.optimalhosting.com. Strengthen your brand and keep your customers coming back for more. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Glenn_A_Rice