A few years ago, web 2.0 properties were hot. After all, there was something really incredible about writing posts, putting them on there, getting immediate traffic and making sales without having to search engine optimize or drive traffic to them. OK, you had to do a little of this but not a lot. In essence, these sites stood on their own. They had traffic, were well favored within Google and seemed to make everyone money. Then, something happened, Panda hit and these Web 2.0 properties fell from Big G’s good graces.

In essence, all of my favorite Web 2.0 blog properties tanked and so did my income. In one swoop I lost 50% of my income. For instance,  I used to make $xxxxs per month from one site and now I make only xx. per month. So, you may be wondering, if you should even bother with Web 2.0 properties any longer.

My answer is, it depends on you and what you want to accomplish. If you are using them to generate income, you may want to out the same effort into promoting your own site/blog instead. This way you can monetize them any way you like and can make changes if your income tanks. In contrast, if you’re looking to simply build quality links then keep web 2.0ing it all you like as they still provide quality backlinks that can help push your sites up the ranks.

As for me, I’m going to use Web 2.0 properties for backlinking only while I continue to build up my own sites. Only then will I remain completely in control and being in control is what I love.

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.

Have you ever wondered why some webmasters have successful marketing campaigns whereas others put in a lot of money but don’t see any results at all? Well, I have been marketing for over 5 years and I’ve begun to see a pattern emerging. Its not that the successful marketers have more money to put into their marketing its that they are using targeting the right audience with the right technique. To put it short, these smart marketers are marketing to the right folks at the right time using the best marketing strategy that appeals to them.

Now, this might seem simplistic and indeed it may well be but if everyone marketed to their targeted audience using a marketing strategy that appealed to that audience, then they would see an immediate return on their investment. In essence, their marketing efforts would immediately pay off. For instance, I have a website that targets men suffering from male andropause. I have Google ads on there and also sell capsules to help cure the menopause symptoms. Previously, I tried promoting the site using articles and press releases. Although it was somewhat successful, it was way too much work for the traffic.
Then, I got smart and started visiting forums specifically for men that were complaining of Andropause symptoms.  I simply responded to their questions on a popular message board and then left my signature with a link back to my site.  Immediately I saw an increase in traffic and sales. To test out this method, I tried the same method with my friend’s watch forum. I wrote a  few articles and press releases for his site about watches and then we waited. Then, a few weeks later, I started visiting other watches forums and promoting his site answering questions and leaving a link back to his site. As soon as I did this, we saw an increase in hits, traffic, and clicks.

However, I still wasn’t convinced that this was the way to go. So, I tried the same method on one of my clients’ sites. She  had a specialized service offering – she was trying to promote her original broadway style melodies service. So, I promoted his site using press releases and Facebook to other Broadway music lovers and guess what, it worked phenomenally. He immediately saw an increase in hits using these strategies.

So, the moral of this post is to go where the traffic is and use marketing strategies that  capture the attention of your market. Until you do, you’ll simply waste your time and that of your readers.

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.