Today I woke up, logged into my blog and was relieved to see that no SPAM comments were waiting for me to approve. Yes, there was one in my trashcan (Gotta love those German Viagra comments). But, it wasn’t visible to me (unless I looked in the trash).

Now, I was a bit surprised that my new FREE plugin (Akismet) virtually eliminates SPAM and keeps my comments clean. But, not waking up to SPAM and instead having good old fashioned HAM comments waiting for me, made me wonder, “Have I ever inadvertently left SPAM comments for others?”

As much as I hate to admit it, the answer is “yes.” When I first learned that blog commenting could help market my blogs, I left a slew of “Hey nice blog – visit xyz site for more information about your topic.” Then, I wondered why after hundreds of similar posts, none of them were getting approved.

Now I realize that posts like “Nice post – keep up the good work and visit my blog” are considered SPAM and will most likely get deleted or at the very least annoy the heck out of the owner. On the other hand, comments that actually contribute to the conversation and help out typically stick. For instance, let’s say that you own a site that is promoting phlebotemy certification programs. Well, you wouldn’t leave  comments like great site or phlebotemy certification works all over relevant sites with your link back to it.  Instead, you would leave meaningful comments that discuss phlebotemy, what certification entails, how to become a phlebotemist, etc. In eseence, you would write comments that can actually help someone and teach them something.

The key to not leaving SPAM is to put some thought into your comments. Leave valuable posts and never blatantly promote your own site. Instead the only link to your own site should be a hyperlink to your name and that’s it. If the reader wants to find out more, they will find you – trust me.

Now that I implement this non-SPAM method when I leave blog comments, I am seeing an increase in targeted traffic. I also feel better that I’m not working plugins like Askimet too hard. Instead, I am leaving the owner with some tasty “food for thought” that they can use and enjoy.

Now I wonder, “What kind of blog contributor are you?”

When you market a new or existing business, you have to be creative in your marketing tactics. You can’t simply throw up a website, submit it to a few spam directories and then sit back and wait for floods of traffic or people to buy your product or service offering. You have to actually use creative marketing strategies – ones that put your site in front of targeted clients day in and day out. And, how do you go about this? You think outside the box.

1. Don’t just write articles – create viral reports. Just about anyone can create a properly search optimized article but not everyone can create a viral report. One that will be read by one person and then passed on or at the very least, talked about for years and years to come. Therefore, focus your efforts on creating reports that last not articles that are long forgotten.
2. Give them something to talk about – reader interaction should be your primary goal with any site you create. You must encourage interaction between your readers and inspire them to participate in blog posts and forums. Not only will this keep them coming back but it too will create a viral effect.
3. Don’t BS – be honest with your readers and they’ll be loyal to you. Don’t give them false expectations on fast riches if you know that it will take them years to build a similar income as yours. Instead, be honest about the amount of work that will be required, type of additional products they’ll need to succeed, whatever – just be honest. For instance, one of our readers owns a popular international pen pals matching service and although he provides members with the platform to meet someone special, he doesn’t blatantly state “you will find the love of your life if you sign up for our pen pal service.” As a result, his members sign up with realistic expectations – they will meet new people and form meaningful friendships when they become a pen pal. They don’t sign up thinking they will meet the love of their lives guaranteed.
4. Give more than you get – when you market you should always give more than you get. Everyone likes free stuff and the more you give away, the more you will get. This includes free samples, books, reports, whatever you can give. By doing this, your site can definitely go viral.

In conclusion, marketing a new or existing business takes creativity. You have to write viral reports, give readers something to talk about, don’t BD and give more than you get. When you do this, you will succeed and your creative marketing strategies will pay off handsomely!

If you need just one tip on what to look for in a social media marketing specialist, let it be someone who is trustworthy. Knowledge can be learned, experience can be gained but integrity and honesty cannot be improvised or faked. You need to be able to find someone you can trust and partner with as you share your thoughts on growth and marketing ideas. Even new products may leak to your competitors is you’re not careful.

Here are some other tips you will find useful when hiring a social media marketing specialist:

Have an excellent product

Make sure you have something of quality offer. Your world will expand to an international market with discerning taste and a possible encounter with customers who either love to enthuse about a product or put it down for being worthless. As you develop your online presence, you will also be creating a brand name and reputation.

Your product or service will carry the feedback of customers for a long time, so it would be a good idea to get it right the first time around. And a social media marketing specialist should be able to advice you on what may need a little tweaking.  Your product does not have to be perfect, but it has to have value. For instance, let’s say you own a hotel comparison site. Well, you would want to make sure that your site is in order and able to compare hotels before you begin promoting it.

Make sure there’s passion

A social media marketing specialist must have passion for the job. Time won’t matter, only results.

The Marketing Specialist must be driven to learn daily

The internet is a constantly evolving medium. Those in the internet business need to stay on top all the time. They need to know new marketing approaches and updates; they also need to know what doesn’t work anymore. Furthermore, it’s not just about strategies but new technical skills that could make the job easier and quicker. In short, don’t hire someone who relies on one strategy alone.

The Specialist must be approachable and easy to get along with

Unless you are the company and you have no employees, then there shouldn’t be a problem. However, if you have staff, this “new guy” must be able to get along with them so as to make the job easier.  But at the same time, the “new guy” shouldn’t be a push-over but be able to gain the respect of you and your staff.

She/he must be reactive and quick on the draw

There will be times when you need to react fast, and your marketing specialist should be able to come up with solutions and new ideas to deal with the fast-changing pace of the internet. For instance, I once found a client at the internet marketing forum australia and we used a variety of creative marketing strategies (Twitter and Facebook) to get her site the exposure it needed to be successful!

In conclusion, hiring a social media marketing specialist isn’t hard but it does take a bit of patience to find someone suitable. Simply follow the above tips and you too will find a great social media marketing to spearhead your campaign and get you noticed too!

Did you know that even the most of the highly acclaimed writers realize that sitting in front of your computer day in day out, writing articles, posts and other content can actually cause the imagination to go stale. Once this happens, you experience the all-too familiar writer’s burnout. If you’re experiencing a bout of writer burnout or simply know someone who is, here are a few tips that can help you squash this annoying situation once and for all. Are you ready? Let’s begin.

Avoid Dealing with Too Many Critical Clients

This may sound obvious but avoid critical clients. Nothing is as depressing as having to listen or read criticism on written work that you think was well executed. There are many clients who have such high standards, nothing is good enough for them. Plus, to make it even worse, many of them can’t write or communicate their needs effectively so this makes it even harder to satisfy their needs. With clients like this, you may find that it is better to simply pass on them or have a delicate balance of difficult clients with positive ones.

Get Paid Your Worth

It’s acceptable to start at the bottom rung when you are a new writer. To make a name for yourself, you may even agree to getting  paid peanuts however, your mission should be to get paid what you’re worth. In fact,  if you’re good and always deliver consistent work, you will have higher paying clients begging for your services. Just don’t sell yourself short as low pay can cause writer burnout.

Writing 24/7

Yes, its true that you typically only get paid for the work you write. If you have bills to pay and food to buy, this may be quite disenchanting as this added stress can cause writer burnout. In fact, many writers assume too much responsibility; accept offers they cannot comply with; and stop themselves from getting help. The urge to earn is very strong but it needs to be curbed. Money isn’t everything and working non-stop is a sure route to failure especially in the creative department. You could lose your edge if all you do is sit in front of the computer and work. It will come to a point where you start sponging off other people’s ideas instead of coming up with your own.

Be Creative

Sometimes, you can prevent writer burnout by simply changing  your focus a bit. For instance, when I feel writer burnout coming on – I switch gears. I’ll either try a different type of writing or I will use a bit of PLR or private label rights material for inspiration. Of course, I completely rewrite everything so that it is unique but this prevents me from getting burned out. In fact, I use PLR whenever I need a burst of creative energy,  a bit more background or simply a fresh perspective.

And, if this doesn’t work….I take a much needed vacation. Sometimes you simply have to say the heck with it and take some time off. By leaving all your working behind, you can avoid writer burnout and get rejuvenated.

By following the above tips, you too can avoid writer burnaout. Just remember to avoid difficult clients, get paid what you’re worth, avoid writing 24/7 and take a much needed break. By doing this, you will inspire your creativity and write incredible work that you can be proud to call your own.

Choosing your SEO company is like finding a partner or playing the field. It’s a choice of a long term commitment or a one shot deal. It’s important to know what your priorities are and to set a budget. This will keep you in track with your online business.

The long term relationship with an SEO company is a better option because the SEO has more time to iron out the kinks and fine-tune your system. There’s a higher rate of success with working with an SEO company that grows with you instead of hiring a spot checker.

However, that being said often the funds for your online business can be limiting in which case you need to sit down with an SEO expert and work out a schedule of payments. Many SEO companies are eager and hungry to get into the nitty gritty of an online business, they may be willing to work out staggered payments or even a barter deal. It won’t hurt to ask. The worst they can do is to turn you down.

Here are the basics of what constitutes a good SEO:

• SEO service should show results, not necessarily immediately but over a reasonable amount of time
• SEO should be conscious of a return on your investment or ROI. For instance, if your main goal is to secure top placement for the keyword DVDBliss Carol Burnette CDs for an initial investment of $100 (within one month), then your chosen SEO Company should be able to complete this task within your budgetary constraint. Keep in mind however that more expensive SEO rates is no assurance of results so don’t be blown away by promises and high rates. Instead concentrate on quality.
• SEO approach is not one-dimensional even for spot jobs.  That is, your company may have to employ various techniques to get you top placements. These techniques may differ dependent upon your chosen keywords and the competition. For instance, let’s say that we have client A who wants to place for writing software and we have Client B who wants to place for Huggies coupons printable. Well, the SEO company may employ a stronger backlink strategy, article and forum marketing and even some onpage SEO for Client A whereas simple article marketing, forum posting and blog commenting may be enough for Client B.
• The SEO company should have their own benchmark on results but you should also have your own. Thus a compromise is usually agreed upon.

At the same time, you should be able to communicate with each other and the SEO expert should be available to answer your questions within a 24 hour window for working days and a 36 hour window for weekends. If you are left hanging even during the negotiation period, look for someone else. A simple email to answer a question should not have to wait that long.

Finally, choosing the right SEO to work with is not about relying on instinct. There will be some excellent SEO professionals who may disagree with your plans but give them a chance to explain and discuss their thoughts. They may have an edgier way of approaching SEO and if you’re a traditionalist, it may cause a hiccup. Just keep in mind that there are many roads to a successful SEO.

There is never a time in business where one can relax and assume that the business will “take care of itself.” The minute you start believing in this business fallacy is the moment you can count on as the start of a downward spin for your website.

Especially with the internet where vibrancy is the key to survival, marketing is a never-ending high that you should enjoy. It’s a game and while you don’t have to play the game 24/7, you should try these 5 ways to market your site and see how the number will keep the momentum going.

Know Your Buyer and Visitors

By now you should know the profile of your market, visitors and potential visitors. Pool together the information you have on your clients. Who are they? Who visits and stays and who opts out? If you can create a market profile of your clients, then it will make it easier to come up with a business game strategy to bring in more of the same kind of visitors.

Don’t Target the Infrequent Visitor Only

You will have many, maybe more, infrequent visitors than loyal visitors. Don’t focus too much on them that you disregard the guys who keep coming back to your site. Just because a group of people has been established as loyal to your website does not mean your marketing job is done with them. They can skip your site at any time if they feel it is no longer relevant to them.

Create Value

You need to create desire and need in order to sustain the success of your website. What else can you offer to diversify and keep interest in your site? Think of services and products. Look to affiliates and what they are offering. See if they have anything that your visitors and clients may need or want. For instance, let’s say that your target market are people who watch DVDs. Well, you could either sell DVDs or you could sell services where you convert AVI to DVD. Either way, you must promote products and services that actually create value to your readers. By doing this, you’ll not only provide a great user experience but you’ll also encourage them to further market the site for you.

Create A Need or Answer with a Convenience

They may not need it until you point out how important a service or product could be to them. Let’s face it – many of the things we own today are based on convenience or need. If you can address either one or both, you can attract more people to your website. Just stay true to your website’s concept.

Offer Opportunities

Let your readers in on your success and reap the benefits of being an affiliate or dealer for your site. Not only will this help them make some cash but it will improve your viral quota tremendously.   For instance, let’s say that your target is working people who love online tools and you sell a Time management ebook on your site. Well, you could create a specialized spell checker, thesaurus, or something similar and then give it to your affiliates who sell X number of Time management ebooks for you.

In conclusion, there are many ways that you can market an established site. You just have to think outside the box and be willing to implement the above strategies. By doing so, you will see an increase to your traffic and your bottom line.

As a writer, it’s essential for you to realize that you have a potential gold mine in your hands and mind. Many writers have successfully managed to increase their revenue streams in writing by attacking other writing modes. From being a blogger, you can try your hand at copywriting or sales. You don’t even have to stick to writing but use your skill as a stepping stone to being accomplished in other aspects like editing or running a pool of writers.

Whether you are a home worker, traveling writer, or part time writer with a full time job, there are many options to diversify. Using the computer and internet, there are jobs or contracts you can find. You will need to build up your reputation, so if you have a blog continue working on it. However, turn your blog into something less casual and geared more for snagging contracts and showing off your writing skills.

The blog can also be used as a jumping board to starting and managing blogs for other people. There are still many professionals who have no idea how a website or blog is set-up. Neither do they have the time to study and build one up. You could be their point man and run it as part of your business portfolio.

Diversify also by being a sales person if you have the skill and talent for convincing strangers to buy what you’re selling. It’s an art form to be able to sell and it pays huge dividends if you sign up with the right Multi Level Marketing (MLM) or affiliate group. Pick one that has a good support system with training, a refined commission structure and a reputable name. There are too many companies out there that do not pay the right commission rates or withhold the commission for unreasonable periods.

One last note that you should heed is that diversifying your skills is a long-drawn out process. One way you can hasten your spread is by consulting an expert or signing up with an outsourcing website. Naturally, there will be service fees to pay so just read and fully understand the agreement with the outsourcing website before you commit your time.

A blog is a diary, an informative column, an advisory page, or anything you want it to be. Across all types is one common factor: it’s a public venue and so most people with blogs want others to read it. The reasons for working in increasing traffic to a blog can be profit, ego, for the purpose of sharing information, and for advertising. You need to be firm about what your blog’s purpose is if you want to attract the right kind of traffic.

Here are some thoughts on how you can generate and drive traffic to your blog:

Optimize! This means you need to get started on understanding the merits of optimization using the right words in the right places so that search engines find your blog. The manner in which search engines work is not based on a hit-and-miss concept but on algorithms primarily on the use of keywords. For instance, let’s say that you own a cork board tile site and you are trying to optimize for cork board tiles. Well not only would you engage in onsite seo like metatags, keyword placement, etc. But, you would also include search engine optimized words that are directly relevant to the keyword you want to place for.

Get Other Interesting Guests to Contribute to your Blog! You may have a lot to say but eventually you might be interested in breaking the monotony and inviting special relevant guests to add something to your blog. It is going to spice up your blog especially if you strategize with advance marketing.

Keep Updated! This does not only refer to new content but also updated information. If new technology is introduced, try to get the scoop. If a new season is approaching, discuss it with your readers. For instance, let’s say that you own a Christmas wallpaper site, well now is the time to advertise it within your blog. On your personal or professional blog, you can talk about the importance of creativity and how individuals can add a bit of aesthetics to their boring sites with Christmas wallpaper. In your post, you can discuss the benefits of doing so, how to go about it and then link to your own site. As you see, you are basically taking a new approach to advertising complimentary products and services. All it takes is creativity and willingness to think outside the box.

Never Perennially Lambast Others! This actually works but only temporarily. Eventually your readers will get that heavy feeling from reading about too much negativity and it will backfire on you. Just follow the age-old adage to not say anything if there’s nothing good to say. However, this does not refer to reviews and objective critiques – just on personal vendettas and gripes.

Set Up Link Exchanges! This is an arrangement you can have with other websites and blogs. It benefits both and fosters better camaraderie among bloggers.

Driving traffic to your blog is a daily task but it does not require you to sit in front of your computer for hours on end. That is, unless you want to. The point is to know what you want to achieve with your blog and being conscious of value in work and effort so you don’t waste time. Read as much as you can and ask questions. You can even consult with the many SEO experts online. Every bit of new information should be sought after.

Call the computer geeks! Call the best engineers and software technicians to help you improve website traffic but here’s the truth – you don’t need help. It’s possible to do it on your own if you have the right information and tools.

Compared to 10 years ago, getting people to visit a website is now possible even if you don’t have a degree in programming and engineering. You don’t even have to be a marketing genius. It’s more important to have the drive, a sense of style in design, good work ethics, and the ability to find the right talents to help you.

Do you know that businesses that don’t have their won website automatically get shoved aside by internet-savvy users? They won’t bother with phone calls or newspapers anymore. For now, it can still be considered a trend to refer to websites and the internet. In 5 or another 10 years, it’s going to be away of life globally. The traditional media will no longer rule, they will be the support. Roles will reverse. If you have a business or you are planning to put up a business or start a hobby, get the website up and running. Then, these marketing tricks to improve website traffic:

You Need An Appealing Web Design

No one will go near a website that has no color, design or attractive lay-out unless forced to by their superior or professor. Even you yourself would stay away from something that is less appealing. Thus, avoid boring but don’t go overboard. Browse through other websites, magazines, books, or even product packaging to get ideas on how to best present your site. If you can’t find anything that looks good to you, then consider photos and a play on fonts and colors. For instance, if you’re selling products like Reese hitches, then you should add actual pictures of the hitches on your site. Not only will this give readers visuals but it will also make your site visually appealing. After all, most people won’t purchase an item they can’t see.

Have Good Content

You know how the films and TV shows today have this “shock value?” It’s why reality TV series is so popular. Use this concept to work on your content. Be interesting, not too aggressive with the selling part, and keep it updated.

How About Audio?

Aside from videos and photos, you could also tease your viewers with some enticing audio. It can get tricky if you choose the wrong audio so target something your audience would want to hear and make sure there is a button to shut the audio off for those who want to read your content quietly.

Would You Consider A Partner?

There is strength in numbers and if you link up with other sites, you could get their network just as they can tap into yours. As long as you’re not competing against each other, it should work.

Consider getting an expert in web traffic to help you get started. Learn as they work on your site and eventually you can take over.

If you are thinking about using your Facebook account to promote your business, don’t use your personal page. There are other Facebook services you can use like the Facebook Page and the Facebook Fans. You could also start a new account under the business/store name and this makes it more official and distinct from your private network.

The new Facebook Fans was launched just a few days ago, November 4 and it is designed specifically for small to medium-sized businesses. The purpose of the page which is being run by Quality Traffic Source is to encourage fans to subscribe to a Facebook Page.

What is a fan?

Some people hate being called a fan because it denotes some form of idolatry. Whether it is a religion belief or ethical concern, you can opt not to use the term “fans” since “subscribers” is available.

On the other hand, many don’t care if they are called a fan of something or somebody. For them it just means admiration or support. You have to determine who your target market is so you can adjust your Facebook Page accordingly.

Facebook Fans Service

This is a new marketing strategy that Facebook is offering to retain its millions of followers. If they can capture even a third of their account holders and make them create a separate page for their business or hobby, it would be one big happy family, to put it nicely.

The features being offered are to help in the generation of leads, widen exposure, post sales and special promotions, and even supply the elements for a successful email marketing campaign.

However, even with the availability of these user-friendly features, only the top Facebook pages will come out on top. You need to know how to use them effectively. It’s not just a matter of putting something together in 30 minutes. Think of it as business tools and spend time doing the research and properly designing your strategy. In short, marketing using Facebook is like software that needs your personal touch to make the output special and be a stand-out among the millions of expected Facebook Pages being launched daily.

Expect humps

Just like any traditional business venture, there will be obstacles you have to face and fix. Facebook is not some kind of magical formula. Expect the highs and lows in your marketing but stick with your strategy if you believe in it or make adjustments where necessary. It’s important to get feedback and use it constructively instead of letting it get you down. The rule of thumb when using Facebook is to engage the fans so they’ll want to keep returning and supporting your business. For instance, let’s say that you own a site promoting Christmas e-cards. Well, you can’t simply bombard your readers with requests to visit your ecard site. Instead, you have to interact with them on a regular basis and then casually mention your site but doing it in a way that they feel enticed to visit and send an e-card. By doing this, you won’t alienate your readers but will inspire them to visit your site.

In conclusion, Facebook is a wonderful way to market your new or existing business however you have to treat it and your friends with a certain degree of respect. By interacting with them and cleverly using it as a marketing tool, you can easily reap the benefits of Facebook marketing.