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  • Safety In Social Media

    There are a number of groups and foundations dedicated to the constant research of information regarding Internet safety. Most importantly, these groups collaborate safety tips that need to be understood for online social networking.

    Below is a list of the most important safety tips that every social media enthusiast should become aware of when they want to become active online.

    Learn how each social networking site works before you join. Understand if your information is private, semi-private (controlled by you) or completely publicly available

    Control the information you post. You might want to restrict access to your page/account to a select group of people like friends and family

    You don’t have to post your full name. This is a personal decision. There is never a need to post other info like address, phone number, or bank and credit card account numbers. Avoid publishing any info that could identify your offline location.

    Create an anonymous screen name. Don’t use your name, your age, or your hometown.

    Remember that many people can see your page. This may include parents, kids, colleagues, your boss, your employees, etc… Once the information is posted online, it is out in the public forever. Make sure you are okay with what is being broadcast.

    You don’t have to post a picture of yourself. This is always optional and you should consider that your photo is now publicly available.

    Understand that social media sites can be very anonymous and that people you meet online can easily fake who they are. Consider all online friends as virtual unless you know have actually met them in person.

    Be careful when clicking on links that have been sent or posted to your account. They may appear to come from a friend but may have been maliciously placed there by someone who wants to send you to an untrusted site.

    Avoid allowing social media sites to connect to your address book. In doing so, you may be giving away the email address of friends who do not authorize the sharing of their information. You might want to send a personal email to a friend if you would like to invite them to a new site. That way, they can check out the site and decide to join on their own terms.

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  • Setting Up Your Social Profile

    How you would like to meet and communicate with other Internet users, especially ones that share the same views and beliefs as you do? When it comes to easily finding and communicating online with other Internet users, social networking sites are, perhaps, the best way to go.

    If you are interested in joining a social networking website, the first thing that you will need to do is find a network to join. You can easily find a number of networks by performing a standard Internet search. For the best search results, you may want to search with the words social networking or social networking websites. In your search, it is likely that that you come up with a fairly large number of different networking sites. Popular sites that may be included in your search results may include, but will not be limited to, MySpace, Orkut, Yahoo! 360, FriendFinder, FriendWise, Facebook, and Classmates.

    Once you have made the decision to join a particular social networking website, whether or not it is one of the ones mentioned above, you will need to need to register with the site. Even free networking communities require that you go through the registration process. Once you are registered, you should be able to start communicating with other community members. Before you start communicating, you may need to develop your online profile or profile page, depending on the networking site in question. Although it may seem easy enough to create a profile, there are many Internet users who are unsure exactly what they should and should not include.

    Perhaps, one of the most important things to include in your online website is your picture. While a personal picture is optional, it is ideal. Many Internet users enjoy taking to someone that they can see in their minds, without a picture this is difficult. If you are looking to use social networking websites just to meet new friends you may not necessarily need to post a private picture, but you may need to if you are looking to find love online. When it comes to Internet dating, many individuals will not even view an online profile if a picture is not included.

    In addition to your photograph, you may want to include your name. Now, when it comes to your name, you need to be cautious. You are advised against giving your full name, especially if your profile or profile page contains a personal photograph of you. In addition to your name, you may want to put down your location. As with your name it is important to display caution. Your picture, your address, and your full name can be dangerous, especially if it falls into the wrong hands. As much as you would like to fill your social networking profiles with personal information, you are advised to think about your safety before anything else.

    You may also want to include information on yourself. This information may include your hobbies, issues that are important to do, your likes, and your dislikes. With many social networking websites, including MySpace, you will find that there are preset profile fields for this information. In addition to preset questions or categories on your likes and dislikes, you may also find additional information, including fun questionnaires. Many social networking websites will ask that you describe your favorite color, your goals in life, your most embarrassing moment, and so on. As with your other personal information, it is important to stay as vague and possible and not use any full names, especially real ones.

    By keeping the above mentioned points in mind, you should not only be able to create an online social networking profile that is filled with valuable information, but you can do so while staying safe at the same time. Your safety on the Internet is in your hands, that is why it is important to think about safety, as well as Internet popularity.

  • 4 Must-Have Tools For PLR Creators

    This post is going to look at a couple of tools that I use almost everyday to help with the PLR creation process.  These tools are certainly not PLR specific, but they will help address problems or needs that you may have related to the creative process.

    Even if you are a long time PLR creator some of these tools might be helpful.  I know Evernote which I mention below was introduced to me only a couple of months ago.  I had been creating PLR for years before I found it, and now I can’t imagine creating a product without using Evernote.

    If you are looking to produce high quality rebrandable content then you should certainly consider the following tools and resources:

    1. BoxShot 3D – This is a simple little program, doesn’t use a lot of resources, but packs a powerful punch.  This software is exclusively designed to take your flat images and create 3D images from them.  You can take a normal image and then wrap it around 3D models of things like eBooks, cans, bottles, boxes, CD Cases, DVD cases, Binders, Brochures and MORE.

    This really helps you take your PLR products to the next level.  Even to have one 3D soft cover book image will instantly increase the perceived value of your product.  The software is easy to use and reliable.  Much easier than fooling around in Photoshop skewing images.  And yes the link is an affiliate link, but I only share affiliate links to products I use and recommend.  Also the link goes to a trial version download which is free to try.

    2. Evernote – This is a game changer.  I use this so often that I can’t believe there was a time I didn’t have it.  let me ask you this – how organized are you?  I am HORRIBLY organized.  It is reallly bad in fact.  I have text notes all over my computer, haphazardly stored and clearly not sorted in any manner.  I am also the king of the “mental note”.  Well, I am the King of MAKING mental notes – and promptly forgetting them.

    Not any more though.

    For the past couple of months I have been an organized machine working efficeintly towards PLR domination – and I owe it all to Evernote.  Now every note I make, I make in Evernote.  Every note I take is easily organized AND searchable.  No longer do I have the next great PLR idea and forget it.  I have a notebook full of random ideas for PLR products.  When I am in need of inspiration I can easily find all my brainstormed notes.

    I have multiple to-do lists set up as well, every time I open Evernote my daily/weekly/long term goals and to-dos are right in front of me.

    Evernote also stores all of your notes “in the cloud” so you can access theme from ANY where on ANY platform. This includes either iPhone or Android for you smart phone users.

    3. Adobe Fireworks – This is an expensive one but very worth it if you are creating any sort of web based graphics on the regular.  I use this program more than any on my computer (besides internet browsers, and message clients).  I guess some people would ask why not just use Photoshop – and to be honest I don’t have a great answer to that.  I prefer Fireworks for graphics.  If I want to work with photos, then I will use Photoshop. When i work with graphics I go Fireworks.

    TThis is simpyl a graphic design program. It is a lot like Photoshop and I couldn’t tell you all of the differences to be honest.  I find it more beginner friendly to begin with.

    I use this tool for everything.  PLR covers, PLR graphics, Screen shots, PLR websites, Minisites – and of course all of the graphics needed for our actual site where we sell and host our PLR.

    It is a lot to learn and I have far from mastered it, but if you put in the hours using it you will learn more than enough on your own to really upgrade the graphics in your PLR.

    4. Mac Pages – UH OH A Mac vs PC debate coming up!  It is about to get all Vancouver Rioty up in here…OK, not really.

    I use a Mac but I am not passionate.  Whatever gets the job done I say.  This is not a PC vs MAC debate.  HOWEVER, I have used both platforms quite a bit and I have to say iWork Pages is certainly a better program than MS Word when it comes to creating high quality PDFs.   I don’t know what it is but the templates are better looking, it is more intuitive to use and the PDF exporting is heads above Word IMO.

    The one issue I have had, is exporting to a Word Doc, you have to be careful with what Pages tools you use when you want to create a .doc version.  Some of the more advanced Pages tools may not translate well in Word.  That said after dozens of PLR products created, all including a editable .doc format of an eBOok, creating a Word doc in Pages is possible.

  • Mindmaps and Sales Copy

    Mind mapping is a valuable tool when it comes to creativing effective sales copy. While not everyone is familiar with the concept of a mind map, chances are you have seen the approach used to great effect.

    Essentially, mind mapping is the presentation of a collection of ideas, concepts, or words that all relate to some type of central understanding. When it comes to applying this approach to the flow of your sales copy, mind mapping can provide some interesting and unique ways to identify benefits of your product that will attract the right consumer market. Here are some ideas of how to use the mind mapping approach.

    1. Identify your central understanding. In this case, that would be your product offering. This will serve as the point of destination that all other attributes will map back to. Keeping your product as the central focus will make it harder to drift during the course of identifying elements for your sales copy.

    2. Use single word designations to identify the main functions of your products. This broadens on the central theme, but is still vague enough to allow for more investigation.

    3. Take it one level deeper. Within the context of those broad themes or ideas, provide examples of how your product benefits work. For instance, if you are selling a carpet cleaner, one broad theme may be the deep foam action. Drilling a little deeper, you can also note the foam lifts dirt easily from both carpet and furniture upholstery.

    By mind mapping, you are not only helping yourself to visualize the flow of the text, but also using words to create images for the reader that he or she can easily relate to. Try this method and see what new and different angles you come up with to demonstrate the effectiveness of your product.

  • Ezine Advertising Campaign

    There are all kinds of different ways that you can market your business online, and one of the best is ezine advertising. For the sake of this article we will define an ezine as any publication that is delivered to the subscriber’s computer on a regular basis. The success of your promotion in an ezine will depend on a number of factors. Here are some things that will help you to make the most of your marketing efforts.

    The first thing you need to do is some research. This is broken down into two steps. Step one is to find as many ezines as you can that are related to whatever it is you are promoting. Remember to include publications that may be ideal for cross promotion, too. For example, if you sell accessories for recreational vehicles, then you would want to look at any RV newsletters, as well as those that are related to domestic travel, retirement, and campgrounds. The bigger your initial list, the better.

    The second step in researching is to find out what you can about each of the ezines on your list. At the bare minimum you should know the number of subscribers, typical open and click-through rate, and what all of their advertising options are. If you can’t find any contact information, or you don’t get a response from them, then move on to other ezines that are more willing to work directly with advertisers.

    Once you have all of this information, you should be able to start narrowing your list down to the ones that look best for you. However, you are not ready to purchase any ad space quite yet. At this point you should subscribe to any of the ezines you’re interested in. This will give you an idea of how often they send their ezine, and how often they send other promotional messages. If they publish once a month, but send out “special offers” two times a day, then your message will only get lost in the shuffle. Subscribing will also give you a better feel for what the ezine is really about. You can also look over any archived copies of the ezine that are available.

    Remember that your reputation will be tied in directly to that of the ezine, and vice-versa. Therefore you need to choose wisely. At the same time, be aware that many publications will take some time before approving your ad. If this happens, you should take it as a positive sign as it shows they care about the content they send to their subscribers.

    By now you should have a good idea of where you want to start your ezine advertising campaign. You will have to decide which type of ad is the best for you. Generally speaking, a solo ad will give you the highest return. A solo ad is a special mailing that contains nothing but your ad. After that, the best option is typically an ad spot nearest the top in a regular issue of the newsletter.

  • Affiliate Network Due Diligence

    There are many horror stories about affiliate programs and networks. People have heard them over and over again, that some are even wary of joining one. The stories they may have heard are those related to illegal programs or pyramid schemes. Basically, this kind of market does not have real, worthy product.

    You do not want to be associated with these schemes. It is obvious you want to be with a program that offers high quality product that you will readily endorse. The growing number of those who have joined already and are succeeding immensely is proof enough that there are reliable and quality affiliate programs out there.

    Why participate in an affiliate program?

    It allows you to work part-time. It gives you the opportunity to build a generous residual income. And it makes you an owner of a small business. Affiliate programs have already created lots of millionaires. They are the living testimony of how hard work; continuous prospecting, motivating and training others pay off.

    If ever you are deciding to join one, you must take note that you are getting into something that is patterned to what you are capable of. This will be an assurance that you are capable of doing anything to come out successful.

    How do you choose a good affiliate program to promote? Here are some tips you may want to look over before choosing one:

    1. A program that you like and have interest in.

    One of the best ways of knowing if that is the kind of program you wish to promote is if you are interested in purchasing the product yourself. If that is the case, chances are, there are many others who are also interested in the same program and products.

    2. Look for a program that is of high quality.

    For instance, look for one that is associated with many experts in that particular industry. This way, you are assured that of the standard of the program you will be joining into.

    3. Join in the ones that offer real and viable products.

    How do you know this? Do some initial research. If possible, track down some of the members and customers to give you testimonial on the credibility of the program.

    4. The program that is catering to a growing target market.

    This will ensure you that there will be more and continuous demands for your referrals. Make inquiries. There are forums and discussions you can participate in to get good and reliable feedbacks.

    5. A program with a compensation plan that pays out a residual income and a payout of 40% or more would be a great choice.

    There are some programs offering this kind of compensation. Look closely for one. Do not waste your time with programs that do not reward substantially for your efforts.

    6. Be aware of the minimum quotas that you must fulfill or sales target that is too hard to achieve.

    Some affiliate programs imposes pre-requisites before you get your commissions. Just be sure that you are capable of attaining their requirements.

    7. Select one that has plenty of tools and resources that can help you grow the business in the shortest possible time.

    Not all affiliate programs have these capacities. Make use you decide on one with lots of helpful tools you can use.

    8. Check out if the program has a proven system that can allow you to check your networks and compensation.

    Also check if they have it available online for you to check anytime and anywhere.

    9. The program that is offering strong incentives for members to renew their membership each time.

    The affiliate program that provides continuous help and upgrades for its products have the tendency to retain its members. These things can assure the growth of your networks.

    10. Be aware of the things that members are not happy about in a program.

    Like with the ones mentioned above, you can do your checking at discussion forums. If you know someone in that same program, there is ho harm asking if there are many downsides involved.

    Have a thorough and intensive knowledge about the affiliate program and network you will be promoting on.

    Knowing the kind of program you are getting yourself into will make you anticipate and prevent any future problems you may encounter.

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  • Benefits of Internet Advertising Trends

    No matter how big or small your business is, you can benefit from the exposure you’ll get from marketing it online. However, all too many business owners are not aware of the latest internet advertising trends. While the principles of marketing will always stay the same, there are always new strategies for applying those principles, and things are moving faster than ever in the age of the internet.

    One such trend is the use of the web for targeting your market locally, nationally, or internationally. This can be achieved through pay per click advertising (also known as PPC). There is a myth that PPC is risky and expensive. While that can be true for those who don’t understand how it works, the truth is that PPC can be a great way to increase your profits. The best part is that you don’t need a big budget to get started. You can simply start small, then ramp up your efforts as you generate more revenue with your PPC efforts.

    PPC really comes down to selecting the right keywords. In basic terms, keywords are those terms your potential customers will be entering into the search engines for more information. Therefore, you need to give careful thought to which keywords and phrases you want to be associated with. That means you shouldn’t be looking only at the cost to you per click. Sure, you may be able to find a great deal on a low-competition keyword, but if it’s not a good match for your business, then you are only throwing your money away.

    The good news is that you can find out what the top keywords being searched for are. Again, don’t just select a keyword because a lot of people are using it. You need to also consider your specific needs, and what your customers are looking for. For example, if you are selling custom-made, luxury yachts, then you wouldn’t want to select “used boats”, “cheap boats” or “second hand yachts” for your keywords–even if they get a ton of searches and have a low per-click cost–because they aren’t what your ideal customer would be searching for.

    Pay per click is one of the internet advertising trends that is too effective to pass up, but it isn’t the only trend you should be plugging into. Another one of the big ones is the use of social networking sites. While most people are familiar with sites like Facebook for staying in touch with family and friends, such sites also provide enormous benefits for marketing your business. Make it easy for people to add you to their contact lists.

    However, don’t think you can just keep blasting them with your marketing message. Instead, try to foster relationships with the people who have added you. Also, anything you can do to get them to interact will help you establish yourself as the go-to source in their eyes.

    We have only covered two examples of internet advertising trends, but there are more, and who knows what the future has in store. Do your best to stay informed of any new opportunities that come along, and be ready to take advantage of them if they’re a good fit for your business.