Using Images To Increase Website Traffic

Get more traffic using images

It can seem difficult to find quality, relevant images for your site posts without purchasing them and that can get very expensive for a website with many pages. If we can add relevant imagery to all of our pages and posts we're going to see a lot more success in terms of the percentage of people who read our content and spend some time on our websites.

We are visual by nature. We grow up from a young age reading books that are "visual" and we never really lose our desire for this as we get older.

If you are creating pages that are an ocean of words, then you are most likely not going to attract the broad audience that's out there. You will also get less engagement from those that do read the pages as people will not immerse themselves in the content on your website.

It's best to find the free-to-use images whenever possible. After all, you can always purchase images whenever you want or need to for certain situations, but not for each page. You might be using 3-5 images per page and if you purchase each image the cost can quickly add up, so let's look at a few of the free options:

Find Royalty Free and Free To Use Images

Pexels.com
Unsplash.com
Pixabay.com
Go to scx.hu.com and search?
Go to Wikimedia Commons and use the search bar
Amazon Associates, Free to join and use product photos
Images, likely one of the most confusing and scary aspects of building a website for many. To be honest, with a little understanding, there is no reason to feel like this. I'll show you some of the most popular sources of "royalty-free" images for your website and I'll offer you two strategies for creating your very own images, within most, if not all niches.

There are some other free stock photo sites as well, which means the images are fully public domain and you can use the images however you like. Something to keep in mind is that some authors might want you to give them credit for the photo while others will give you "full purpose" access on an image to image basis.

Screen Captures

Sometimes it's best to take a screen capture, or screenshot, to show content to your viewers. Enter "print screen key, or print screen Dell, Mac, Windows 10, Apple, etc", and learn how to take and save your files for use. On my Dell laptop, I simply press the "Windows" and "PrtScr" keys at the same time and the screen dims for a moment and the screenshot is saved in my file pictures.

You can also see if your pc has a Snipping Tool which will allow you to box off an area of a page or even the entire page and then save the snipped image to your file pictures for use on your website or elsewhere.

If needed you can use the following software:

Snagit - has a 30-day free trial
Droplr - is completely free
Print Screen (on PC) or Apple + Shift + 4 (on Mac)
Use Your Smartphone Camera

One thing to keep in mind is that you can take your own photos in many cases. A couple of examples would be if you were in the "dog training niche", or cats, there are plenty of opportunities to take photos at home or at the local dog park or grooming salon, etc.

If you are in an electronics niche go to the local stores and take some product photos that you can use. Another example could be food items. Make your own scene and take photos or go to a local market and get images locally to put on your website.

When you take your own photos, the image ownership and rights are yours only. So take as many of your own pictures as possible and always consider this option when adding images to your articles.

You Can Use Paid Images

Sometimes I'll search the paid image sites if I need to find a certain photo type that I can't seem to find in my free options. The images are usually $1 or less per photo and you get a better price if you subscribe. High-quality images are important for your website, especially the main article image.

Some of the most popular social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram are successful just because they are completely visual.

Just keep in mind that with the content you get from "royalty free" sites, you will need to check the permissions for each image as one might have different rules for use than another.

How to add images to your WordPress website

Go to your WordPress website Editor.
Find the page to edit.
Find where on the page to place the image and click there.
Click the Add Media button.
Upload the picture from your files.
Fill in the Attachment Details - Title and Alt text settings - Use the keyword in the Title and Alt text boxes.
Display settings - choose the page location for the image, left, center, or right.
You can Add a link to another page or an offer page if desired.
Choose the image size, thumbnail, medium, or large.
Click "Insert Into Post" - That's it.
Hi, my name is Pete. If you would like to learn more about writing content-rich articles, making websites, and starting an internet business, it would be a great idea to take advantage of an absolutely FREE opportunity of 10 FREE Certification Course Lessons and get 2 FREE WordPress websites to create, step by step, your own sites. There is No Card Required - Nothing To Lose. Come see for yourself and Sign Up @ http://www.NewCareerAt40.com

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4 Little Known Secrets to Becoming a Profitable Affiliate Marketer

Affiliate marketing business has gotten a lot of buzz in recent times due to advances in internet technologies and upsurge of social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.

However, some affiliate marketers especially beginners struggle to earn profitably because they do not thoroughly understand the business.

WHAT REALLY IS AFFILIATE MARKETING?

Affiliate Marketing is the process of earning online commissions by promoting products and services. Your commissions are earned each time you get a lead (Potential customer) or sell products online.The interesting aspect of affiliate marketing business is that you can make a ton of money with a little monetary investment.

Furthermore, you can start the business without products or services of your own, work from home and earn passive income even while sleeping if you have an effective system in place.

HOW DOES AFFILIATE MARKETING WORK

Register under the affiliate program of reputable companies that have valuable products and services.

Decide on the niche products to focus on.

Get your custom affiliate tracking link for each product you decide to promote online.

Select the right traffic source to use in promoting the product.

Decide on the marketing strategy to use i.e Blogging, video or social media marketing.

4 MAJOR WINNING STRATEGIES TO INCREASE YOUR PROFITS ONLINE

Focus on a single niche at a time

You should choose a niche that you are both knowledgeable and passionate about. For example, Weight loss, Supplements, Nutrition, Pet training etc. This enables you to easily persuade your customers to buy your products. Also, this will allow you to learn and acquire new selling strategies that will increase your sales and multiply your profits.

Select traffic sources

It is recommended to focus on 2 traffic sources at a time. I will recommend focusing on one search engine and one social media traffic at a time. This enables you to properly track and optimize campaigns launched on each platform thereby maximizing your profits per product.The secret of super affiliates is their ability to focus on a traffic source, testing and tracking campaigns optimally.

Test marketing strategy to use

You can never know if either blogging, social media or video marketing will be most profitable until you test marketing strategies such as:

Blogging: You can write a blog post using well research keywords for search engine optimization. This attracts your clients to your blog and causes them to make a decision.

Video marketing; You can make a video describing the features of the product then you upload it on YouTube for people to watch.

Social Media Marketing: This is the commonest and the easiest method especially for beginners. Facebook is a very good platform because it has lots of groups/forums where you can find people who are interested in your product and service. You can easily send them a friend request and pitch your products to them.

Track the data/results gotten from each of the methods then you focus on the method that produces the greatest profit.

Select the traffic type

The traffic type can either be free or paid traffic.

Free traffic involves search engine optimization, social media groups, and article marketing. The drawback of this method is that it does not allow you to target your client based on their interests and demographics.

Paid traffic involves using Pay per click or Pay per view advertising on search engine and social media platforms. This method is faster, associated with increased conversion and profits because it allows you to target your clients specifically based on interests and other features.

Finally, affiliate marketing business is very lucrative and you can start becoming profitable today once you implement the strategies above.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Christopher_Ugo_Oseh/2490175
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9935824

3 In-Demand Virtual Assistant Jobs From Home

Many people are aspiring to find virtual assistant jobs from home. Looking for jobs online is quite a stressful moment for every aspiring applicant, and some don't even have an idea of what job to choose. There are lots of factors that affect a person's decision in picking for a job to apply on, some of these are: if the skills and traits they possess are fit for the job, hourly and monthly salary rates, and the difficulty of the jobs that clients mostly give. Here are three jobs that clients need a virtual assistant to do.

1. Graphics Designing - Clients need virtual assistants that can make graphic designs. Visual planners make visual ideas, utilizing PC programming or by hand, to impart thoughts that rouse, illuminate, and spellbind shoppers. They build up the general format and generation outline for different applications, for example, notices, leaflets, magazines, and corporate reports. As a graphic designer, you should have your client's vision realized. An honest to goodness readiness to comprehend and feel for the design client's wants and difficulties go far. It's tied in with satisfying their brief in a way that is proper to their brand - not kneading your design sensibilities. Standard pay rates for graphic designers is 2-5$ per design or an hourly rate of 8-12$ per hour.
According to Anthony Wood (2015), there are ten essential traits a graphic designer must have and these are communication, curiosity, passion and drive, openness, ability to take criticism, problem solving, self-doubt, patience, reliability, and evolution.

2. Social media manager - online businesses need a VA to manage advertisements and customers inquiries on social media sites. Numerous companies have seen the magnificent esteem and advantage in social media marketing. You've perceived how Social media drives quality movement, leads, and deals and lifts your online notoriety. The social media manager is an exceptionally energetic, imaginative individual with encounter and enthusiasm for associating with present and future customers. That energy comes through as he/she connects with customers daily, with a definitive objective of transforming fans into customers. Full-time Social media managers usually receive a rate of 250-600$ per month (5 skills a social media manager must have, click on this link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2015/06/08/5-skills-your-social-media-manager-must-have/#73655f7cac56).

3. Content writer - Website content writing goes for importance and pursuit capacity. Importance implies that the site content ought to be valuable and useful to web users. Pursuit capacity shows the utilization of catchphrases to help web indexes guide web users to sites that meet their inquiry criteria. Composing on the web is unique compared to creating and developing substance for printed materials. Web users tend to filter message as opposed to understanding it nearly, skipping what they see to be pointless data and chasing for what they view as generally important. Content writers are online workers that specialize in written content. Standard pay rates for content writers extends from 300$ up to 500$ a month or an hourly rate of 3$ to 15$.

According to https://www.scripted.com/content-marketing/what-is-a-content-writer, there are six skills a content writer must have, and these are:
· Having a solid grammar and style
· Excellent researching ability
· Can write quickly and keep up with deadlines.
· Must write in a variety of tones, on a variety of subjects, within a variety of structures.
· Having a strong knowledge of the field to write
· Creative ability to build up content ideas

As an online worker, always remember that there is a wide variety of online jobs and services a virtual assistant can offer. If you are still starting in this kind of work, don't think much of the salary but think of every job you receive as your training ground to be a better and well-rounded VA.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Aryll_Andri_Pilapil/25433
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/993191808

Blogging Your Way to Wealth and Fame

Blogging your way to wealth and fame will not happen in an instant. Because it requires the most important ingredient of success and it is called time. It is time that will take you all the way to blogging wealth and fame. Along with direction and compelling unique content without which there can be no success. Blogging your way to wealth and fame starts with your profitable niche. And then the target keywords related to that niche.

This is the most important part of blogging which is why it is also referred to as direction. Without direction you will receive visitors that are not even remotely interested in your content. And that will skyrocket your blog bounce rate. Which is an indication to search engines that audiences do not enjoy your blog.

What is your Profitable Niche?

Your profitable niche is the secret when blogging your way to wealth and fame. It is that one thing you love doing most. If you love that activity enough then you will also have quite some knowledge on the subject. Which is why many a hobby have turned surprisingly profitable. Online success is only imminent when you love what you do. Because when you truly love what you do, then it will be impossible to give up.

What are Target Keywords?

Target keywords are the single words that describe your profitable niche best. And with the Google keyword planner you must research keywords with a high search volume and low competition. Choose the one keyword with the highest search volume and lowest competition. Then make that one keyword the first word of your blog title. Also try to include that single more important keyword within your blog domain name.

Domain and Blog Title?

With the above mentioned target keyword research and your profitable niche. Choose a domain that is not too long and also easily remembered. As should your blog title be. The title however must demonstrate direct relevance to what your blog is about. The blog title must not exceed 60 characters while also counting spaces.

Where must I place the Target Keywords?

Your primary target keyword must be present in your blog domain. And also as the first word of the blog title. But that is just the one primary keyword you want your blog to rank for. You should have several target keywords. You can place more than one target keyword in the blog title providing it is within context. Your blog title is also known as the h1 header.

And like a chain reaction the blog title should be the first words starting the blog meta description. See how that primary target keyword remain a constant, as the first word? But why is that?

Because that is how you tell search engine spiders or crawlers exactly what your blog is about. And in doing that you simplify the indexing technicalities and ultimately boost the blog ranking capability.

There is also the h2 header or also known as the blog post title. So the keywords you wish to target with the content must be present in the blog post title. But with the blog post you also want to pay attention to things like writing. The presence of transition words and preferable absence of passive voice writing.

Furthermore there are image alt tags like with featured images. And these alt tags must also contain the keywords. This way even your features images can be indexed and serve as an internal link. Professional SEO requires a lot of attention. Which is why the majority of professional blogging rock stars (so to speak) all use the Yoast SEO plugin (over 7 million users).

How many words must a Blog Post and Page Contain?

Providing the content is populated with the target keywords and search phrases. It is recommended that content be no less than 1000 - 2000 words. And this goes for both blog pages and posts.

But how often should you come up with this much Compelling Useful Content?

In my opinion. Take your time and work on a post or page so compelling and useful that it cannot be ignored. At least one high quality outstanding post per month. This will require a lot of research because compelling content is something that cannot be found elsewhere online. Offer a proven solution to a common identified need within your niche. And do this with every post and page. Because that is how you get recognised as a professional.

But how will I actually Make Money?

Simple. With a high quality blog you will receive a lot of targeted visitors and also gain subscribers for your email list. Having your own blog and email list is where you promote affiliate products. This is easily obtained by creating a free affiliate membership with ClickBank. Which is the one of the largest digital sales platform online with over 300k products to choose from.

But affiliate marketing and ClickBank is an entire discussion on its own. And a rather large discussion because there is a lot of misdirection on this method. Always remember, there is no such thing as instant fame and fortune. Success requires hard work be it online or otherwise.

Success Means Going From Failure To Failure Without The Loss Of Enthusiasm - https://easyinternetmoneyandjobs.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Deon_Christie/2244072
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How to Use Blogging As an Inbound Marketing Strategy

In the digital/online space, effective content is one that provides relevant and valuable information to individuals along the continuum of Visitors--Leads--Customers. This is what Inbound marketing captures.

What then is Inbound marketing?

According to Hubspot Academy, Inbound marketing is the process of attracting customers through relevant and helpful content which adds value to them. Online content can be in form of video marketing, social media marketing or blogging.

Blogging is one of the commonest methods of online content and can be used for all stages of Inbound marketing.

WHAT ARE THE STAGES OF INBOUND MARKETING?

The stages of inbound marketing are:

· Attract

· Convert

· Close

· Delight

HOW TO IMPLEMENT INBOUND MARKETING USING BLOGGING

ATTRACT

Your goal is to use a blog post to attract strangers to your website and transform them into your visitor on getting to your website. Your blog post should contain relevant keywords and information that answers your visitor's questions, meet their needs and provide insights into helping them achieve their goals.

CONVERT

After attracting your website visitors, you convert these visitors into leads using website email forms and chat messaging channels where your prospects can submit their contacts such as email address or phone number. This provides a communication channel to continuously provide relevant information, build rapport and credibility with your prospects.

CLOSE

This is the stage where you convert the leads into customers by getting them to make a buying decision or to take a profitable action.

This is achieved by using automated email sequences to send your prospects messages in order to build credibility and to identify their problems and goals.

Subsequently, you can send them specific information about the benefit of your products and how it will solve their problems. This is called PRESELLING. Preselling increases conversion rate and the odds of making sales.

NB- Prospects buy only from marketers they trust thus do not sell your products to a prospect immediately you get their contact. Build rapport first and get to know them.

DELIGHT

This is when a customer has been thoroughly satisfied with your product/service and becomes a loyal customer. Also, your customers may even go the extra mile to refer friends and families to you.

HOW TO INCREASE BLOG POST ENGAGEMENTS, CONVERSIONS, AND SALES

• Identify your buyer's persona

You need to clearly identify your ideal buyer's demographics, interests, needs and goals. This helps you to attract the right customer and increase your conversion rate.

• Consider your buyer's journey stage

The content of your blog post should be determined by whether your client has knowledge about what your product/service is or not. If your target reader has no knowledge about your product/service then you have to simplify your information and educate them until they can make a buying a decision.

• Drive targeted traffic to your blog

Organic traffic methods often do not attract visitors/prospects that fit your buyer's persona.
In contrast, paid traffic enables you to target the specific persona of your ideal buyer while setting up the ads campaign. This method increases your conversion rate and online sales when properly implemented.

Finally, blogging is an effective inbound marketing strategy which can be used to drive traffic, increase conversions and sales online.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Christopher_Ugo_Oseh/2490175
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9939109

Can You Really Automate An Online Business?

If you want to build a passive income online, you're going to need to use automation. Passive income is revenue that you earn today (and tomorrow) through the efforts you put in yesterday and today. Of course, earning passive income does involve work up front but if you build your automation systems correctly, you'll be able to take breaks and do less work while your income continues to rise on autopilot.

Your Blog

There are plenty of blogging activities that you can set to automate your online business so you can focus on more important parts of running your business. Schedule posts to go live on your blog in advance. If you can work your business a quarter ahead, you'll find that you will make a lot more money due to being prepared.

Autoresponders

These are great email marketing automation tools. You can set up an automated series for all your products or services, whether paid or free, that will automatically go to the people who sign up to your email list.

Email automation allows you to do a lot of your email marketing hands-off. You don't have to manually do everything. You can schedule autoresponder emails to go out and set up a sales funnel that works for you night and day.

Publish an eBook

When you write your own eBook, it's a great way to do work up front and then use it to get more customers and clients by telling people about it. Writing an eBook is not as challenging as you may think. It takes nothing but time to write an eBook. Just write every time you have 10 or 15 minutes of free time. Plenty of successful authors, of both eBooks and physical books, do it this way.

Sign Up As An Affiliate

An affiliate earns a proportion of sales that are made through their link. Even if you have your own products, locate good quality affiliate products to promote to your audience too. Work with companies that provide life-long cookies to help build your passive income.

Use Akismet For Comment Moderation

Reading, approving and replying to your comments takes time. This is one of the tasks many bloggers know is necessary, but can quickly become irritating and disheartening. Use the WordPress plug-in Akismet to do much of the work for you. There are filters and settings you put in place to take care of the vast majority of comment approvals for you.

The true benefit of automation is that if you set things up right from the start, you'll be able to build income for the future that you worked on today. To learn more on how to automate your business processes download my free checklist, A Guide To Business Systems And Automation at https://jonallo.com/biz-systems

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jon_Allo/1079948
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How To Promote Affiliate Programs And Get Sales

Affiliate marketing is a well-known way to make money online. But there are a great deal of people around trying to promote affiliate programs. Hence it's important to how to drive traffic to your affiliate links so that people buy from you and not your competitors.

Blogging

Your own blog is one of the best places to showcase affiliate links. Your blog should be the centre of all your marketing action, so make the most of it with great content. The content you create can help sell products. Articles and posts offer the framework for your link. You can focus on a common problem that your audience has, then offer an affiliate product as a solution.

Social Media

The chances are you already have an account at some of top social media networks, like Facebook or Twitter. But you can't promote affiliate offers too often on social media, simply because you'll start to look like a spammer. The affiliate products you promote could be the solutions they are looking for. Your posts can be chatty, discussing a common pain point and then suggesting an affiliate product that can help. You could also post a review.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The words on your website signal to the search engine, like Google, what it's about. When people perform a search for a specific topic Google delivers search engine results pages (SERPs) with what their formula (or algorithm) determines to be the most relevant pages.

Your website content should contain at least one keyword. Keywords are the kinds of words your prospective customers would use when searching online for the type of content and products you have to offer. The title of your article, review or post should contain at least one keyword.

Review Posts and Videos

Review posts that have a legitimate air of authority and ring of truth to them are the perfect framework for putting an affiliate product link in order to earn commission. You should only write reviews of products you're familiar with, and your reviews should be as sincere as possible. Otherwise, you'll start to get a reputation of being willing to promote any old rubbish, which will damage your status as an expert in your niche.

Email Marketing

One of the main issues when you promote affiliate programs is that you spend a lot of time and effort driving traffic to vendor sites. If they click over to the vendor without ever interacting with you, you'll probably never see these visitors again. But putting them on your email marketing list means you have a chance to build a relationship with them and once they're on your list, you can market to them regularly.

The best way to get them to join your email list is to offer an incentive, like a free eBook, eCourse, or another very useful informational item people in your niche would love.



Companies are happy to pay commissions to people just like you, in return for selling their products and services. You have the potential to make a great income when you choose the right niche, stay committed, and understand your audience. For a no-nonsense, kick-start guide to getting started, download my free checklist, Affiliate Marketing For Beginners at https://jonallo.com/affiliatechecklist

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jon_Allo/1079948
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9948229

4 Little Known Secrets to Becoming a Profitable Affiliate Marketer

Affiliate marketing business has gotten a lot of buzz in recent times due to advances in internet technologies and upsurge of social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.

However, some affiliate marketers especially beginners struggle to earn profitably because they do not thoroughly understand the business.

WHAT REALLY IS AFFILIATE MARKETING?

Affiliate Marketing is the process of earning online commissions by promoting products and services. Your commissions are earned each time you get a lead (Potential customer) or sell products online.The interesting aspect of affiliate marketing business is that you can make a ton of money with a little monetary investment.

Furthermore, you can start the business without products or services of your own, work from home and earn passive income even while sleeping if you have an effective system in place.

HOW DOES AFFILIATE MARKETING WORK

Register under the affiliate program of reputable companies that have valuable products and services.

Decide on the niche products to focus on.

Get your custom affiliate tracking link for each product you decide to promote online.

Select the right traffic source to use in promoting the product.

Decide on the marketing strategy to use i.e Blogging, video or social media marketing.

4 MAJOR WINNING STRATEGIES TO INCREASE YOUR PROFITS ONLINE

Focus on a single niche at a time

You should choose a niche that you are both knowledgeable and passionate about. For example, Weight loss, Supplements, Nutrition, Pet training etc. This enables you to easily persuade your customers to buy your products. Also, this will allow you to learn and acquire new selling strategies that will increase your sales and multiply your profits.

Select traffic sources

It is recommended to focus on 2 traffic sources at a time. I will recommend focusing on one search engine and one social media traffic at a time. This enables you to properly track and optimize campaigns launched on each platform thereby maximizing your profits per product.The secret of super affiliates is their ability to focus on a traffic source, testing and tracking campaigns optimally.

Test marketing strategy to use

You can never know if either blogging, social media or video marketing will be most profitable until you test marketing strategies such as:

Blogging: You can write a blog post using well research keywords for search engine optimization. This attracts your clients to your blog and causes them to make a decision.

Video marketing; You can make a video describing the features of the product then you upload it on YouTube for people to watch.

Social Media Marketing: This is the commonest and the easiest method especially for beginners. Facebook is a very good platform because it has lots of groups/forums where you can find people who are interested in your product and service. You can easily send them a friend request and pitch your products to them.

Track the data/results gotten from each of the methods then you focus on the method that produces the greatest profit.

Select the traffic type

The traffic type can either be free or paid traffic.

Free traffic involves search engine optimization, social media groups, and article marketing. The drawback of this method is that it does not allow you to target your client based on their interests and demographics.

Paid traffic involves using Pay per click or Pay per view advertising on search engine and social media platforms. This method is faster, associated with increased conversion and profits because it allows you to target your clients specifically based on interests and other features.

Finally, affiliate marketing business is very lucrative and you can start becoming profitable today once you implement the strategies above.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Christopher_Ugo_Oseh/2490175
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9935824

Pick A Problem You Can Solve?

One of the keys to successful digital product creation is picking a problem you can solve. Too often, many new Internet marketers will choose to create a product they like, but that usually doesn't solve a problem that is currently in the marketplace. As a result, there is no real demand for that product.

The common result in this case is that the person will go to a great deal of time and effort to create his/her product, but when no or few sales comes through, the person becomes disillusioned by the prospect of making a profitable living online, calls it "a scam," and often returns to their dreary job, figuring it's the only way to "make it in the world."

To have an in-demand product, you need to create a product that solves a problem. If this problem is widespread throughout the industry, and you develop an effective solution for it, people from all across the industry will want to get their hands on your item, setting you up for some nice profits. Thus, it is critical that you find a problem you can solve, then develop a solution for it, whether it's an e-book with information of an effective solution for the problem, a software program that can alleviate the problem, a membership site with information and resources that can solve the problem, etc.

You may be wondering, "how do I identify a problem I can solve?" Here, you will need to do some observation and some research. Some of the best ways is to go to your favorite search engine, type in the industry or topic you are interested in along with "+ forums." This should bring up a list of online forums that serve the people in that industry or who deal with that topic. You can go to these forums and read about the current topics and issues being dealt with in that industry. You may have to register at these forums first in order to access some sections of them, but this is not the case at all forums.

If an issue or problem continues to be brought up by several members of a forum, chances are that this is a problem you can build a product around in an effort to solve or alleviate it. This is a problem that is demanding a solution, and you have the opportunity to provide that solution and make good profits by doing it, plus build your reputation as a problem solver and solution creator.

You can also read about various topics and information in online newsletters, magazines, and ezines related to your industry to find potential problems that you can build a product around. Oftentimes, there are statistics in publications regarding common problems people in an industry are facing; if the statistics indicate a great deal of people are struggling with that same problem or issue, you have a potential product idea to build around.

Can You Download Free PLR E-book Here

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ni_Ketut_Sureti/2534645
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Growing Your Online Social Community Effectively

Start at
Social communities are all around you and the chances are very good that you are a part of at least a few online social communities for your business. However, did you ever think about building your own online community and populating it with the people who you feel will be most effective? There are easy ways to accomplish that and before you know it, you will have created an amazing online social community of your own.

Choosing the right theme and the right people 
When it comes to growing a social community online, there are certain important things that you will want to consider so that your community is really effective and it really accomplishes the goals that you have set up to accomplish over time.

Once you have been able to build your social community, you will need to grow that community and continue to populate it with the most appropriate people so that the discussions that occur help the community to flourish. That means that you not only need to work the community once you have attracted the initial number of people but that you also need to continue to attract the right kind of people so that your community can grow and grow in the right way.

At this point, you are probably wondering exactly you should go about establishing and growing your social community and you should understand that it is not as intimidating or difficult as you may think it is.

Recognize that establishing and growing your online social community is a really good thing: There are several positive aspects of this. First of all, if the community belongs to you, you have control over who you admit and who you don't admit. You can choose to put limits on the types of discussions that occur or to let the people who are interacting to have a tremendous amount of freedom with the discussions that they are having. It is totally your call. Of course, the other people have free will. They can choose to be a part of your community or not.

If they choose to leave, so be it. On the other hand, if they find your community to be valuable and to support their values and what they are trying to accomplish with their own businesses, they will probably be with you for quite a while. Another thing that is totally under your control is the types of people you want to have in your community.

You can promote the community in different ways and you can customize your promotion to appeal to the people you want to have around you. You should remember that if you populate your community with the right people, the quality of the interactions that you share with the community members will be very high.

Do it for the right reasons: If you are going to go through the effort and time to establish your community and then to populate it with cherry-picked members, you need to make sure that the commitment that you are making to the community is for the right reasons. Your community is a reflection of you and of the members of your community.

That means that you will express your values and anyone who is involved with your community will understand your position on a whole bunch of issues, not to mention that your core values and your mission will be apparent as well. Just as is the case with the other communities (belonging to other people) of which you are a member, you will need to revolve around top-quality, relevant, valuable content that allows the community to grow in the right direction.

It is important to remain well aware of the fact that your community is made up of human beings. That means that you all interact on an emotional level. That fact alone will allow you to grow the groups successfully because the relationships that you share with the other group members will become deeper and more meaningful over time.

Choose the right members: In addition to establishing your social community for the right reasons, you also need to choose the right people with whom to populate your community. Without them, your community will not be successful. You will want to be very careful about the demographics that you choose. Considering that it is an online community, geography may not play an extremely important role. However, each community is different and your community may end up being a combination of online and in-person. That is entirely up to you. Whatever demographic aspects you choose, you will want to make sure that the people who possess those features actually enhance your community.

Ensure that your community experience is valuable to your members: The truth is that there is a lot of information out there and, let's be honest, a lot of garbage out there as well. The fact is that, once you establish your community, you have a responsibility to the members of that community. You should make certain decisions right at the beginning, as you are building the foundation of your community. It is important to remember that your social community is not just for your benefit. The members of the community deserve just as much as you do.

The only difference between you is that you are in a position in which you can make decisions. In your quest to attract the most appropriate people, you will need to make a tremendous effort to let those people know that not only is your community worthwhile for them but that you will also do your best to make them want to stick around for a long time. Smoke and mirrors can be very impressive; however, if you have not substance or real meaning to your community, what is the point?

The people are what is important: The reality is that you will need to tell the right people about your community; however, the promotion of the community is not nearly as important as the people themselves. Your community is a democracy (to a great extent). That means that your members have opinions, thoughts, and feelings that matter to you and that matter to the community as a whole. You must always make the community members understand that you are not in it by yourself. Without them, there would be no community. Human beings love to be valued and they love to feel that there needs and want are important.

Conclusion 
Your online social community can really do a lot of great work. Your online social community will increase your business' visibility and your credibility will increase. The people in your community will take you a very long way if you choose them appropriately. For that reason, you will want to take your time and choose them carefully. If you combine the right people (who have all sorts of amazing ideas) with the right information (content that is on target and extremely effective), you have a winning combination that will be a raging success.

Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in IT and web technologies. Mr. Cohn spent a significant amount of time at a major telecommunications company, where his main focus was on initiating and leading synergy efforts across all business units by dramatically improving efficiency, online collaboration, and the company's Intranet capabilities, which accelerated gains in business productivity. He also reduced company travel and travel costs by introducing and implementing various collaboration technologies.

His expertise includes business analysis; project management; management of global cross-matrix teams; systems engineering and analysis, architecture, prototyping and integration; technology evaluation and assessment; systems development; performance evaluation; and management of off-shore development.

Mr. Cohn earned a Master's degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.

Mr. Cohn is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Michael_Cohn/404898
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Using the Different Types of Social Networks to Benefit Your Business

You probably interact with several different social networks. As a business owner, you are probably familiar with online marketing because you recognize the need for social media marketing. The reality is that since everyone else is doing it online, you need to do it as well. If you don't have that approach, you will be left in the dust and everyone else will move past you. However, what you may not realize is that there are several different types of social networks that may benefit your business.

The popular social networks and then some 
The chances are that you are involved with the popular social networks, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. You may also be interacting using Instagram and YouTube. On the other hand, you may not even be aware of the other social networks and how amazing they may be for your brand and for your business. What you may not realize is just how much there is to social media and how much more you may be able to get out of it than you are aware of right now.

The different types of social networks do all sorts of different things and help you to accomplish what you want to accomplish in many different creative ways.

Social networks: The function and purpose of a social network are really simple. Social networks connect people to each other. That is exactly why they are called social networks. Social networks can benefit your business in several different ways, such as allowing you to do market research, generating leads, building relationships, etc.

Discussion forums: A discussion forum is a great place to get involved if you want to share your opinions with other people, hear their opinions, and really get a stimulating conversation going. All sorts of interesting nuggets of information can emerge as a result of a discussion that you have on a discussion forum.

Networks that share media: A network that shares media does just that. It is a network where people can share all types of media, such as photos, videos, and any other type of media that you can imagine. This type of network can benefit your business in similar ways to what happens with social networks. They can help you to build your brand and to build relationships, engage your target audience members, and generate leads, among a whole list of benefits. In many cases, these types of media are more effective than words (if used in combination, your content will be highly effective). It is important to remember that many people are visual, which is why they respond so well to visual content.

Content curation and bookmarking networks: If you are searching for new content, this is the type of network to do it. There is a good chance that not all of the content that you share is original content. You may be curating some of your content, which is an intelligent part of your online content marketing strategy. There are networks that can help you to get where you are going in this regard. This type of network can benefit your business in several different ways, including increasing your brand awareness, engaging your target audience members, and increasing traffic to your website.

Networks where you can leave product and/or service reviews: This is an important type of network because other business owners count on your opinion and similar opinions from other people. The fact is that everyone considers and buys a variety of products and services. Why not go a step further and share your opinion about what you have researched and purchased? It will certainly help the business owners if you do so.

Networks for publishing content: Content is the bread and butter of all businesses. No matter what you do and what you offer, the fact is that you will need to tell other people about those offering and your brand. Otherwise, the person on the other end will not know about you and if they don't know about you, you will not be able to establish a relationship with them and they will not buy anything from you at any point. Content marketing is a necessary approach for all businesses. The networks that specifically enable business people to effectively share their content for maximum impact are a critical tool to the success of those businesses (yours included).

Networks where people with common interests can get together: This type of network can apply to personal or professional interests. They are very effective and very successful on the whole. Because this type of network helps people to build relationships, that also means that you will be engaging the other person and build your brand.

Networks where people can shop for products: Since shopping is necessary and everyone does it, this type of network will be around for a very long time. Similarly to the other networks that have been discussed here, this type of network can also build brand awareness, enhance engagement, and sell products to other people.

Networks where people can trade: This one is probably obvious. If you have things that you don't want or need anymore, there is a very good chance that there is another person who does need and want it. It is a great way to clean up and build some sort of relationship at the same time.

Networks where people can be anonymous: One of the most attractive features of the Internet for many people is the idea that they are anonymous. Before the Internet, many people were reluctant or afraid to communicate using their own name. Now they can hide behind anonymity, which feels safer. Of course, it is not always the right approach to take but it is how many people feel.

Conclusion
Even if you don't get involved with all of the different types of social networks, it is important that you are aware of their existence and understand exactly what they are for and how they work. It is interesting to note that most of the different types of social networks have common threads: building brand awareness, engaging audience members, and establishing new relationships. It is only then that you will be in the position to reject them if you don't feel that they will work effectively for your business.

Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in IT and web technologies. Mr. Cohn spent a significant amount of time at a major telecommunications company, where his main focus was on initiating and leading synergy efforts across all business units by dramatically improving efficiency, online collaboration, and the company's Intranet capabilities, which accelerated gains in business productivity. He also reduced company travel and travel costs by introducing and implementing various collaboration technologies.

His expertise includes business analysis; project management; management of global cross-matrix teams; systems engineering and analysis, architecture, prototyping and integration; technology evaluation and assessment; systems development; performance evaluation; and management of off-shore development.

Mr. Cohn earned a Master's degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.

Mr. Cohn is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Michael_Cohn/404898
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Work-At-Home Hacks For People Just Like Me

There are rules of thumb but there are no hard and fast rules. The 'things people do every day to become successful' in what they do has so many variables.

Some swear by morning coffees, others a 20-minute nap. Give or take, that's almost always the story. Like I said, variables.

Routine, or better yet, discipline is what makes people successful. I will never claim to be a 'successful person' but what I HAVE been doing is working from home for the past 18 years. I hope you can share YOUR story about how you soften the rough edges off of your everyday work week too because it helps. Every little bit of advice helps, actually, because most successful people listen.

1. No Emails - Most people start their days off by rolling off their beds with everyone screaming at them. Your alarm is screaming. Your boss is screaming, your kids are screaming, your email is screaming. So, one of the things that I DON'T do early in the morning is to check my emails. People who know me know not to expect an instant reply from me early in the morning. That's when I am trying to sort my shit together so that I can get stuff done for you throughout the day. So, no emails in the morning. Only coffee is allowed.

2. Stay Dressed - This one is for those who work from home. One of the things that I've noticed in nearly 2 decades is that I dress for work (even if I will be in my home office or living room) the whole time I am going to be working. I don't know about you but the moment I slip on my cutesy 'lil comfy clothes, my zest for life and roaring enthusiasm to get things done slithers off from me like a layer of dead skin cell.

3. Meditate -Oprah's said it. So did Deepak Chopra and Cameron Diaz. It's not the woo-woo-woo stuff, trust me. It's more like sitting there in complete silence or with soft music gently caressing my ear, or just sweeping the floor (the movement is meditatively repetitive, try it!). Instead of thinking of it as a 'new age fad', think of it as Loading Your Gun Ready to Kick Down the Doors of the World. Badass when reworded, huh? I use an app to 'help me along' - Insight Timer. It has music, guided meditation, and... well... complete silence.

4. Don't multitask - It's something I was really proud of and multitasking was the only way for me to move the needle forward when the list of things-to-do was just way too long. I don't do it anymore. Instead, I think doing things in spurts is far more productive. One example would be that if I found vacuuming the floor THE daunting task of the day, I would mindfully vacuum the living room and leave the rooms and kitchen for tomorrow.

Silly example, I know, but when applied to work, it's pretty amazing when you give the tasks at hand short bursts of active, productive attention. When I am tired, I will come back with a whole lot more to contribute AFTER I've dealt with my brain fog instead of muscling through it. I mean, who am I to argue with the chemicals in my brain?

5. Coffee - I am just going to leave this right here. Explaining it any further is going to make me angry if you don't understand it. It's my survival poison.

6. Laugh a Little - A sense of humor provides a buffer against the build-up of stress and anxiety in your system. So, occasionally, load up your Tumblr or Twitter (where you are encouraged to follow people like 9gag - just a personal preference, of course) and just laugh a little.

Experts say that humor provides a powerful buffer against stress and fear. "Humor is about playing with ideas and concepts," said Martin, who teaches at the University of Western Ontario. "So whenever we see something as funny; we're looking at it from a different perspective. When people are trapped in a stressful situation and feeling overwhelmed, they're stuck in one way of thinking: This is terrible. I've got to get out of here. But if you can take a humorous perspective, then by definition you're looking at it differently - you're breaking out of that rigid mind-set."

7. Being understanding - I know this doesn't fit into the normal mold of 'things people do to be successful' but I think it's pretty important. Because most of us work with others, whether in the office or remotely, we often assume that people are being evil of mean when they're being a little less than nice to us. Sometimes, it's because they're tired just like you, exhausted just like you, overwhelmed just like you, have to pay bills just like you, are worried about their kids/parents just like you, or simply had an argument with a friend/spouse just like you.

I think this point is particularly important in the digital world. With the digital divide, we sometimes forget that we're dealing with human beings. Just like you.

Marsha Maung is a mother, writer, social media consultant, internet marketer and human. Her mission, as far as her work is concerned, is to bring brands, products, services and companies exposure. Find out more about her life from her personal blog (cooking, life, sense, parenting, writing, etc) or her professional WordPress blog MarshaMaung.Me. Hope to see you and connect there.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Marsha_Maung/2900
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Ways To Effectively Work From Home

In this day and age, there are several people who work from home on a regular or on an on-and-off basis. The reasons could be numerous, starting from health issues, long commute, maternity, and so on. The belief that an employee needs to be in the office to be efficient is now gradually changing, with benefits of working from home arising aplenty. However, for some people, especially if you have just begun to work from home, things can get a bit overwhelming. Here are a few things you can do to organize your 'home office'.

A Constant Office Space

Setting up one room (or a portion of a room) as your office can go a long way in creating a sense of mood and motivation that might otherwise be lacking when you are not in office. Fix a table, an ergonomic chair (yes, it is an investment you will not regret if you work from home regularly), and other essentials you might need for work, for example, a charging station for your computer or mobile phone around that area. Stick to that place the best you can while working and move away when you are not. You can still visit that area when you are not working, but make sure it is not close to the bed that you sleep in. In smaller houses this might be difficult to arrange but try to set up your workplace in a different room than your bedroom. This is not because you might accidentally climb onto your bed, and sleep during working hours, but because your quality of sleep at night might be affected by the presence of your work things.

Air Quality

While you are indoors through the major portion of the day, it is important to ensure you get sufficient ventilation, and good quality air to breathe. If you live in an area where the pollution level is low, keep your windows open at all times for the fresh air to stimulate your brain, and improve your efficiency. If, unfortunately, you live in an area where the outside air is horrid, an air purifier is recommended. Remember, your health is of utmost importance no matter from where you work.

Exercise

Although exercising is a mandate for everybody, it is even more crucial for people who work from home. When you are in office, you might take frequent breaks down to the cafeteria or a roadside tea/coffee shop, but when you are home, these breaks are eliminated from your routine. Hence, it is of utmost importance to exercise regularly. Choose whatever works for you - yoga, aerobics, weights, cardio, but be regular and diligent about it.

Venture Out

Make it a point to get out of the house at least for ten or fifteen minutes every working day. You could either run a quick errand such as going to the ATM, picking up dry-cleaning, buying dinner, and so on, or you could take a simple walk in your neighbourhood at the very least. Going outside once in a day and seeing other people on the road helps your brain relax, because, after all, we are all social beings.

Do Not Overwork

Many people, especially in the beginning, tend to feel guilty about not working from the office. They feel that they are not working enough, or something is missing. Some people have it even worse because others who go to office regularly have a tendency to point fingers and condemn those who work from home. Snide remarks such as "Oh, what do you know about the hectic traffic we go through", or "You work from home, that must mean you have plenty of time", to "I don't think people who work from home actually get any work done", are very commonly heard. Do not get bogged down by such things. Just because you work from home does not mean you should work longer hours. Fix your work hours as you would if you were in office, and stick to it.

With the above-mentioned ways, one may find working from home a true bliss in the middle of all the chaos.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rinita_Sen/2176621
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