May 2008
Advertising Lessons from American Idol
When products or brands are trying to build market presence they often look for innovative ways to get consumers to try them. Shows like American Idol which attract large numbers of viewers every week provide the perfect platform for this type of marketing.
Services like SMS have been around for over a decade, and while popular Europe, Asia, and Japan, have never caught on in the United States. When AT&T (who was later taken over by Cingular) became a sponsor of the program they took the opportunity to promote SMS through text message voting. Each week between 20 and 30 million viewers were encouraged to send their votes using SMS. The plan worked for 2005 the number of SMS messages grew steadily and in 2005 over 41 million SMS votes were cast. As consumers became comfortable with the SMS AT&T hoped they would make it part of their everyday life in 2005 the total number of SMS messages sent in the United States grew by over 40%.
American Idol is one of the highest rated shows on television pulling in 20 to 30 million viewers per week. For advertisers who want to reach a wide range of consumers this is desirable advertising vehicle, as it consistently scores in the top 10 for the 18-49 year old demographic. All of this exposure however comes at a hefty price. In 2005 a 30 second advertising spot cost over $700,000. The only show that can command a higher price tag is the Super Bowl.
© Copyright IdolScoop.com, All Rights Reserved.
This article was written by Gary Mitchell who provides news and coverage of American Idol on his Website http://idolscoop.com
Applying For A Government Grant
A quick search of the online grant searches will quickly demonstrate to you how much grant money is truly available to the American public. You can find grants for virtually every type of business, field of study, or artistic endeavor. Whether you are a struggling playwright or the sole proprietor of a new small business, you can greatly help your cause by applying for a government grant.
In many cases, you will be able to find organizations on a local level that cater specifically to people in your situation. This can greatly limit the competition you face for grant money, and it can often give you the opportunity to connect with a group that will work closely in developing your project.
Applying for a government grant is much easier than most people think. There are certain steps that must be followed, but most agencies spell them out clearly for you before you ever start filling out the paperwork. In many case, you will have to register with the CCR (central contractor registry).
If you are applying for a grant for an organization, you will most likely have to register yourself as an authorized organization representative (AOR) before you can move forward with the process. Once the paperwork is in place, it will take several days to process, so you will have to wait before you take the next step.
The next step will depend upon the grant you are applying for. Usually, artistic grants will require you to submit past work, the present project you are working on, or the future piece you are trying to develop. Grants for new businesses are often dependent on business plans or an organization’s commitment to community.
Grant requirements are as varied as grants themselves, so it is crucial that you fully understand the specific agency you are contacting before applying for a government grant.
Visit my site to get access to the government grant money directory.
Public Speaking - How to Make Your Next Speech Count
Along with the opening two minutes of a speech, the final part of a speech, known as a ‘closer’ is equally important. Research shows most people remember the closing remarks most.
Nick Morgan in his book ‘Working the Room’ believes ‘the only reason to give a speech is to change the world’.
He’s right as the essence of speech making is to move people to action.
So how can you have a closer that moves people to action?
- Don’t summarise. Instead get the audience to do something.
- Something you want them to do as a result of hearing your speech.
- Give the audience a ‘call to action’.
- If this is unfamiliar territory for you, model your closer on those that have worked in the past and become part of history.
- Don’t try and mimic others. Work out what techniques you find effective.
- Avoid finishing with a Q & A session because you have no control over the questions and there is a serious risk of it being hijacked or just petering out.
To help you get started here are my Top 5 ‘Closers’ from US history and Culture that Inspire Others To Take Action.
1. JOHN F. KENNEDY, INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.”
2. MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr. “I HAVE A DREAM” SPEECH.
“Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last.”
3. RICHARD NIXON, “AU REVOIR” SPEECH
“But the greatness comes and you are really tested, when you take some knocks, some disappointments, when sadness comes, because only if you have been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.”
4. EDWARD KENNEDY, WITHDRAWAL SPEECH AT THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.
“For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die.”
5. HOPPERS SPEECH TO HIS GRASSHOPPER SWARM IN THE DISNEY/PIXAR CLASSIC “A BUG’S LIFE”.
“You let one ant stand up to us - then they all might stand up. Those puny little ants outnumber us a 100 to one. And if they ever figure that out, they’re goes our way of life. It’s not about food, it’s about keeping those ants in line. That’s why we’re going back - does anyone want to stay? Let’s ride.”
Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.
You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom’s blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com
Personal Development & Success - “Creating the Motivation You Need”
Have you ever heard someone say something like, “I haven’t felt motivated lately,” or, “I’ll do it as soon as I feel motivated enough?” I know that I have and, truth be known, am guilty of using these and similar phrases myself. You see, I, like many others, used to believe that action only happens through motivation. That, I must wait around for the so-called “feeling to move me” before I will get anything accomplished.
Well, I was wrong. And I believe that I was wrong for two reasons. First is that I was unable to see the ‘big picture’ - the reason that the ‘thing’ had to be done in the first place and how that ‘thing’ relates to other things that I wanted to accomplish, do, enjoy, etc.
And secondly because, quite frankly, I just didn’t know how I operated. Oh sure, I liked to believe that I was in control of myself, but why then was I not able to motivate myself if I did indeed have so much control?
Motivation is really like creativity, or any other drive or impulse. We can wait around for it to magically appear, which it often does and often at the most inopportune times (remember all the really great ideas you’ve had while driving down the road without a notebook or tape recorder to capture it? Or how about the times we’re motivated to do something cool that our friends or family would really like but everyone else’s schedule doesn’t fit our ‘moment of brilliance.’ Remember?
No, the secret with motivation is to realize that it cannot be relied on to create action. It does, but in no predictable, usable way. Without the unpredictable variable such as luck, coincidence and the like, to rely on an emotional impulse such as motivation to drive us forward is like waiting for food to appear in your cupboards without going to the store to buy it.
How then do we create motivation? The answer, ironically, is in the question itself. How do we create . . .?
To create anything, we take action - we have to ‘do’ something. And actions themselves come in three forms - as thoughts - as speech - and, of course, as physical deeds. It is here that we find the necessary ingredients for ‘creating’ the motivation we need.
How? Let’s take a look at the grocery scenario and ask another question: “What motivates us to go shopping for groceries in the first place?
Most people would answer, “I don’t have any food in the house.” But, a Ninja looking at the bigger picture would ask another question focused on the “why.” Why don’t I have groceries in the house? Because I or someone else ate them. Actions preceding the need for motivation is precisly what ’causes’ the motivation to occur. Once we understand this little secret, we are then free to use the same formula to do it again and again.
Groceries are one thing, you say but, what about my goals. After all, groceries are a necessity, my goals are just dreams, wants, and wishes.
Here-in lies the answer to my first problem. Remember?
Right. The inability to ’see’ (a mental action) how my goal was a necessary part of living the life I wanted to live. Because, once I was able to see how vital it was that I attain my goal - how I could not accomplish other things I wanted to do, I was then endowed with all the motivation I could handle to do what needed to be done.
So, it is true that motivation leads to action, but only, and I mean only, after it is caused into being by a previous action. There must be something in place, a thought or dream, a promise (verbal action), or something that must be handled (like an assailant’s attack) that requires action NOW, before motivation will be the compelling drive for us to move.
Can you imagine using the same excuse for not achieving the goal you want when confronted by an attacker? I really don’t think that “I’m not motivated to do anything right now,” is going to make him or her go away - do you?
Jeffrey M. Miller is the founder and master instructor of Warrior Concepts International. He specializes in teaching the ancient ways of self-protection and personal development lessons in a way that is easily understood and put to use by modern Western students and corporate clients. Through their martial arts training, his students and clients learn proven, time-tested lessons designed to help them create the life they’ve always dreamed of living, and the skills necessary for protecting that life from anything that might threaten it.
To learn more about authentic warriorship training and other subjects related to the martial arts, self-defense, personal development & self-improvement, visit his website at http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com To subscribe to his online newsletter, go to http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/newsletter.html
How I Became a Real Estate Investor
Recently I closed on the sale of two homes. They were located about a mile apart and had comparable market values. However, beyond these two similarities, the two deals were very different from each other. Let me discuss in more detail the similarities and differences of the two deals.
My business partner and I purchased both properties from families who were in preforeclosure. The leads for each property came from letters that I had mailed to families who had recently received Notices of Default. The one family responded to me within 24 hours of receiving my first letter. I met with them within two hours of receiving their phone call and signed a contract with them on the spot to purchase their home. The other family responded to me after receiving the fourth letter from me. After a couple of broken appointments and two meetings we signed a contract to buy their home. With each home we did a “kitchen table” type closing within a couple of days of signing the contract. Both homes were purchased “subject to” the existing financing remaining in place. The earnest money given for each home was one dollar.
First Deal
We began marketing the first house by advertising it in the newspaper at market value and putting signs in the neighborhood and nearby intersections. We had a verbal agreement with the seller that they would clear all of their belonging out of the house within two weeks. The house was very messy and dirty. When the sellers failed to make any progress clearing the house we went ahead with the marketing and reduced the asking price. Within two weeks we had only received a few phone calls from mostly non-interested prospects.
At this point we reduced the asking price further and changed our signs to notify the public that owner financing was available. At that point we started to get a larger number of phone calls from truly interested prospects. Our owner financed terms and the lower than market value asking price separated us from the hundreds of realtor represented homes that needed bank financing.
With the second home, purchased a month later than the first, we immediately marketed it with owner financing. When we purchased the home we stipulated in the contract that the seller had to vacate the property in two weeks or be charged a fee for failure to do so. The seller was agreeable and cooperative and moved quickly to remove their belongings from the house. The seller of the first house was still dragging their feet and the house was still a mess.
Shortly after changing the marketing of the first house, we received an offer from a highly interested buyer. This house was truly ideal for this family and we wanted to help them get into it. They offered to buy it with bank financing and we agreed to sell it to them. There was still enough time before the foreclosure auction to close the sale with bank financing.
I cautioned the buyer that he should seek a loan other than an FHA loan since we had not held title to the property long enough for FHA to approve a new loan. In case you didn’t know, FHA recently changed a rule that now requires a property to be on title at least 90 days before they will approve a new loan. So guess what the buyer did?
Right. His mortgage broker and his real estate agent steered him toward an FHA loan program. Luckily, the buyer qualified for a good FNMA program as well. So I stipulated in the contract that the buyer had to gain approval for the FHA program within 5 days or else drop the FHA program and proceed with the FNMA program. Both the broker and the agent needed education on this point, which I provided in writing, and four days later the broker notified me that the buyer would not be approved by FHA and that they were proceeding with the FNMA program.
The next obstacle we faced was the home inspection. The inspection resulted in asking for several hundred dollars worth of repairs that we agreed to do. The repairs took two weeks to complete. While repairs were ongoing we ordered a property appraisal. The appraisers in our area are backlogged eight weeks but we knew an appraiser who would perform an appraisal within a week for 150% of his normal fee. Of course we didn’t have the luxury of being able to wait eight weeks so we bought the expensive appraisal.
The next obstacle was to order a preliminary title search, which showed a clear title luckily. The previous owner did not have an as-built survey so we had to order an expensive set of survey documents from the county.
Now that the obstacles to closing were nearly erased and we were close to a hard closing date, we still had a problem with the previous seller. They had only moved a few things out of the house and the house was still well cluttered. They were getting around to moving out eventually but not fast enough to be out of the house before closing the sale. Their lack of cooperation and their inability to follow through with their verbal promises made it clear why they had neglected their home and let it go into foreclosure.
Since the utilities were turned off and the seller was no longer living in the home I had the legal right to declare their belongings as abandoned property and I notified them that I would move the items out for them. My partner and I spent a day boxing and bagging up the seller’s personal items, and grudgingly they picked the boxes and bags up the day before closing. Whew!
Second Deal
Now, on the other hand, events with the second property proceeded much more smoothly. We bought the home, found a buyer for it within eight days, and closed on the sale eight days later.
We decided to sell the second home on a land contract or wrap mortgage with the existing financing remaining in place. We also decided to stipulate that the home had to be refinanced within two years or it would be foreclosed back to us. We did this to protect the previous seller’s interest in the underlying financing. They didn’t want it hanging out there for a long period of time.
Our “owner finance” signage attracted several buyers quickly. We required a large enough down payment to “cure” the loan, that is, to pay off the existing arrearage and attorney fees. We found an eager buyer who had sufficient cash on hand and a good income, but without enough time in the area to have a high credit rating. He understood the concept of the wrap mortgage and the underlying financing and we negotiated a contract with him at Starbucks. He negotiated a lower sale price by offering a larger down payment. Basically we were able to immediately receive all of the “back end” profit that would have been paid to us in two year’s time when he refinanced. We received this up front in exchange for a lower sales price. It was a fair exchange for both parties.
He agreed to buy the home “as is” and to do some repairs himself. No home inspection was needed; no appraisal was needed; no repairs had to be made; no real estate agent needed to be paid; and no survey had to be ordered. The buyer paid all of the closing costs which were far less than he would have paid if he had used a real estate agent and a mortgage broker.We used a closing agent who is very familiar with transactions of this type, which she calls “unacknowledged wrap sales.” Our closing agent has become a friend and has spoken at our local Real Estate Investment Club.
In summary, each of the two deals netted about the same profit, but it is obvious which deal one would prefer to do if given a choice. If I were Robert Kiyosaki I might call one deal my rich dad’s deal and the other my poor dad’s deal. We learned enough to make deals of the first type go more smoothly in the future but I’ll take deals of the second type every day of the week.
I hope all of your real estate investing deals proceed smoothly and quickly.
*****************************
Garry Gamber is a public school teacher and entrepreneur. He writes articles about real estate, health and nutrition, and internet dating services. He is the owner of Anchorage-Homes.com and TheDatingAdvisor.com.
(MT) Metastock Part 2: Relative Strength Comparison (RSC) The Key Success Tool In Trading By Stock M
In Part 1 of this article, I discussed the importance of sector
analysis, and the use of the Relative Strength Comparison to
identify the best performing securities in the best performing
sectors. In Part 2, I will show you how to use MetaStock to find
these securities.
To create an exploration that uses the RSC you need to first
open a chart of the base index, e.g. S&P/ASX200 for the
Australian market, or the Straits Times Index for Singapore,
that you will be using for the comparison between market
sectors. Once the chart is open, left click on the price plot to
highlight the price information. You`ll know it`s selected when
a series of small dark squares appear on the price plot. It`s
important to note that each time you wish to do an exploration
of this kind, you must first choose your base index.
Next, open the Explorer dialog box and select `new`. Name the
Explorer the `MetaStock Guide Sector Analysis`. Then click
within `Column A` and enter the following formula:
ROC(MOV((C/P),13,S),1,%)
This formula calculates the rate of change, as a percentage, in
the relative strength of the sectors against the base index over
a 13 week period. It may seem complex but let`s break it down
into manageable parts, beginning with the inner-most brackets
first:
C/P is the relative strength (or RSC component) of the tested
sectors vs. the base security.
The way it`s calculated is by dividing the closing price of the
sector, by `P`, where `P` is the base index that you highlighted
before creating this exploration.
(MOV((C/P),13,S) calculates the moving average of the RSC over a
13 week period.
ROC(MOV((C/P),13,S),1,%)calculates the rate of change of the
moving average of the RSC, in other words, the amount the sector
has moved up or down as a percentage.
Looking back at MetaStock, note that you didn`t enter anything
into the filter tab. This is because you only use the filter tab
when you`re looking to remove certain securities from your
exploration results. Since you`re not looking to exclude any
sectors, but to rank all the sectors, you should leave the
filter blank.
Before running this exploration you must check the time period.
To do this click the `Options` button at the bottom of the
`Exploration Edition` dialog box and then select the radio
button marked weekly. Click `OK` twice to return to `the
Explorer` dialog box.
Now you`re ready to run the exploration, so click `Explore`. The
`Select Securities for MetaStock Guide Sector Analysis` dialog
box will appear, and you must select the directory with your
market sectors in it. This directory should be stored with your
other market data and is usually one directory up from your
equities folder. However this can vary, depending on who
supplies your data.
When the market sectors are highlighted, click `OK`. When the
exploration is complete the `Exploration Completed` dialog box
will appear. Click the `Reports` button and to get a summary of
the exploration. The results shown in `Column A` will give you
the rate of change of the relative strength
Tip: By clicking the `Column A` heading you can arrange the
results in ascending or descending order.
What Do these Results Mean?
The results of this exploration are fairly straightforward. A
value greater than zero indicates that market sector is
outperforming the base index. A zero indicates that the market
sector is performing on par with the base index, while a
negative number indicates the market sector is under-performing
the base index.
Remember, a rising RSC value only indicates that the market
sector is outperforming the base Index, it does not necessarily
mean the sector is rising in value. Similarly, if the RSC is
falling; it only indicates that that sector is under-performing
the market index, the market sector may not be loosing value.
Because of this, it is important to open the chart of the market
sectors to analyse the trends.
This information on its own can complement your current trading.
For example, you may decide to only trade securities which are
in top performing sectors. Or, you could take it one step
further and select the top five sectors and use the `MetaStock
Guide Sector Analysis` explorer again. This time, however, you
could compare individual securities against their respective
sectors.
The difference between running this exploration and running the
first one, is that the market index would now become the market
sector chart; and the list of sectors would become the list of
securities that make up the top performing sectors.
By following the same steps as before you could run five
separate explorations and rank the securities against their
respective sectors. The result would identify the top performing
securities within the top five sectors.
The final stage in this top down analysis would be to open all
the charts that have made it to the shortlist. You can whittle
this list down further by eliminating those securities that
aren`t in an up-trend or those that are too thinly traded. In
the end you`d be left with the cream of the crop, between five
and ten securities. These securities will be the best performing
securities in the best performing sectors.
These securities should now be placed on your watch list. I
suggest you don`t race out and buy them. Instead, wait for an
appropriate trigger to enter. This could be based on candlestick
patterns, and/or favourable combinations of other bullish
indicators.
The RSC exploration is a great way to utilise the power within
MetaStock. It can be an extremely effective tool in identifying
profitable trading opportunities. The downside for this type of
exploration is that it is not a complete system on its own and
would need to be combined with other entry, exit and money
management rules. However, you can create a solid trading system
that would benefit greatly from including sector analysis.
David Jenyns, leading expert in designing profitable trading
systems, MetaStock website offers a huge free collection of
trading related tips and tricks. http://www.meta-form
ula.com/subscribe
What You Should Know re Gaming Rooms & Gaming via the World Wide Web
The bother involved in visiting a brick and mortar real life gaming room should suffice to forget about it in the first place. There’s no reason for anyone to leave the comfort of your home to try online texas holdem as you’ll do everything from your domestic environment assuming you possess a fully functional laptop or pc including an internet access account. Nonetheless, do yourself a favor and read on because there’s a few tenets which you’ll need to pick up concerning online texas holdem, all the more if you happen to be a newcomer.
Why not play with new casino bonus coupon codes here?
The topmost thing which I as a truly intelligent web punter should hunt for is an online texas holdem Web page of the kind that is prepared to offer high odds. See to it the online texas holdem Web page has partnered with a legitimate auditing company to examine their referenced games’ pay-outs routinely. You must make sure that the virtual poker Web page is actually legit, for instance by checking up on the license information as presented on the casino site. If it’s not possible to spot any license information on a given virtual poker Web page, don’t even think of laying there.
Furthermore, another bit of advice could be to place your wager at the start in insignificant amounts rather than blow so much it can hurt on the fly. To begin with, check the health of this particular virtual poker operation rather than provoking any severe menace– all the more in terms of money… The last consequential remark concerning virtual video poker. It is to never neglect that all kinds of gambling is always about fun and much less about money. Casino gambling is not a chore, rather, it is a pastime which should help you become cheerful and life in general delightful. Finally, after you have followed the suggestions elucidated, you are now free to go ahead give in to the pull of virtual poker!
Golf Lessons From A Beginning Golfer?
Would you rather hear what you need to learn from someone who is already an accomplished golfer? Would a few hours with Jack Nicholas REALLY help your game? “Just do what I do, it’s easy!” Or would you rather learn from a beginner, who understands the struggles, the small improvements and remembers those early changes that lead to greater success?
It almost makes sense, doesn’t it? The best coaches are often mediocre players, and the worst coaches were stars, who had everything come easy to them. Natural ability is hard to teach to others! As a beginning golfer, I have noticed some dramatic improvements, though, and wanted to pass them along to other beginning golfers.
First, the drive. To many of us starting out, it seems to be all-important. I have had instructors tell me that if you can hit the ball 150 yards, that you can work your way down any length of hole in about 3 shots, chip on and putt in, and play bogie golf without ever hitting a John Daly type 300 yard plus drive. As beginners, all we see is the big drives, the pressure, people watching us tee off, and understandably we want to be able to pound the ball!
What I’ve learned is that you can cut back on the swing to almost a half swing, hockey slapshot type thing, and increase the accuracy, with a small reduction in distance, until you are more comfortable with the swing. Also, a friend helped me with the description of coming “inside-out” with the swing. While that sounds complicated, imagine holding your back hand (I’m a left handed golfer) tight to your body and swinging through the ball and outwards after contact - straightened out my ball flight and increased distance.
Lessons seemed to boil down to getting into the same position, and swinging smoothly and evenly making sure the club is flat at contact - try swinging at the driving range - not to hammer the ball, but try swinging with virtually NO effort, then 20% 40% 60% etc. Get comfortable with a straight line of whatever distance, and KNOW how far each club will take you. If you need 100 yards, say, it doesn’t matter if you get that with a pitching wedge or a 5-wood, as long as you can get it accurately there!
Pitching (from under 100 yards) and putting are the majority of the strokes, the easiest area to improve your game, and if you’ve ever played with a senior, they can be outdriven from the tee, but play so solidly from there onwards, with straight, accurate shots - you can’t beat them!
Makes you rethink the wisdom of working on that booming drive, huh? The majority of time should be spent practicing the 100 yard and shorter shots - which inadvertently improves the overall stroke and technique, and makes the drives better over time!
Practice shooting 10, 20, 30 etc yards, and have the short chip down pat. Then work on putting - NOT trying to sink the putt, just to get the ball to within a club length of the hole - from ANYWHERE on the green. When you have mastered the ability to get the ball close like that, then work on the short 2 footers - almost from the start you’ll find that you can get the majority in.
THAT’s the secret - the drive doesn’t matter, the next shot is OK, but the one that gets the ball TO the green is crucial! Then if you can putt to withing a very close area of the pin, and make THOSE easy putts - you’re a bogie golfer - TA DAAA!
Wait, there’s one more thing - the mental part of golf. If you have a certain ability, how come you see flashes fo greatness on some days, and flashes of needing to break your clubs on others? Same guy, same equipment, different results? THAT is the mental part of golf - and it becomes more and moe important as you master the basic strokes and techniques.
At the beginning stages of golf, you are thrown off by worrying about what others think - it feels like people are watching your drive, partners are evaluating your game, people are seeing if you can play golf well, etc. The answer to this is that everyone started off as a beginner, and VERY few people can play below 90s golf. Basically, we all suck! Take the pressure off of yourself for the first 20-50 games, and you will have the routine ingrained, the swing will be solid, all will work fairly well - under pressure or not.
Relaxation, and realizing that golf is a game against YOURSELF, are the keys. You can’t play a real tournament against another golfer until you shoot in the 70s - so don’t let that enter your head - try playing alone - you can - very early or very late - or with total strangers as a walk on.
Over time, you WILL get better - visibly, noticeably. Try playing a few days in a row, or a series of days either playing golf or practicing. Practice makes perfect - especially the short game that is ignored by the majority pounding shots into the darkness at driving ranges - work on the touch, the feel, the magic ability to get 25%, 50% or 75% shots, to control the distance.
Most of all, relax and enjoy the walk, the scenery, remember the things that went WELL - and move on from the ones that were duffed, hooked into the trees, or when you putted back and forth across the green like a madman - they all happen - to ALL of us - even Tiger Woods (every now and then). The trick is to concentrate on making the NEXT shot, the NEXT hole, the NEXT practice or game - be your very best. There’s no going back and reshooting that shot that went into the water! Forget about it and calmly, confidently move on.
Your best games, your best shots will occur when you have a calm, confident feeling, feeling that you are just repeating what you’ve practiced, and easily accomplished in the past. Look at the grin on Tiger’s face as he sinks a putt and pumps his fist - this game can be FUN!!
Andrew Larder, Golf Better
Golf Clubs, Golf Gifts, Golf Tips and Golf Equipment
Freelancing Doesn’t Mean Writing For Free. Does it?
Writer’s forums are bustling with debate over whether or not a writer should send something out for free. Some people feel that writing for free weakens the market for other writers, while some people feel that writing is an art that should be shared freely.
I personally chose freelance writing as an actual calling. I aim to do something I absolutely love to do while getting paid for it. I spend a lot of money on research materials, computer software, books, ink, and other writing tools. I also spend a good deal of time simply researching my markets. I would hope to get a decent compensation, especially when what I am writing might help some other chap make money.
With that said, I do write for free at times. I’m doing it right now. This article that you are reading isn’t going to be added as a clip to any résumé of mine, but it is a simple promotional tool. It promotes me as a writer. Invariably, there are several good reasons to write for free, though there are a couple of good ones not to write for free. Below is a small list of reasons to do so.
1. In some cases, writing an article in a newly established (or small but reputable) literary journal or ezine can help a new writer develop a repertoire. Small presses usually struggle to stay afoot and cannot afford to pay their contributors any royalties. One great thing about publishing for free with some of these presses is that they may actually become larger. If that happens, well, you’ve already established yourself as a writer with them and you’ve got the clips to prove it.
2. If a writer has a book or a website to promote, he or she can write (for free, of course) articles in ezines. People who read the articles can then click on a link to the author’s book or web page.
3. There are times when a message is bigger than the act of writing. For example, if a writer is looking to spread the word on a charitable organization, or has figured out a way to create world peace, well then, it might be best to shoot the article out to hundreds of places on the Net for absolutely free.
Okay, so there are some pretty decent reasons to send your work off for free, but here are some things you should keep in mind before writing for an empty hand.
1. Many websites make money from the content on their sites. They will place adds on their sites that automatically match certain keywords in the articles that are submitted. So, you don’t get paid for your hard work, but the Webmaster is getting paid. Think about the sites where you are submitting your work and weigh the benefits.
2. Think about the copyright, the copyright, and don’t forget to think about the copyright. (Redundancy intended). Will you retain the rights to your work? Can that ‘publisher’ turn around and sell your article for a profit? Any time you have something on the Internet, whether you get paid for it or not, it is considered published. Many paying entities would like to have first rights to an article or a literary piece. ‘First rights’ means that the article was never before published. Be very careful when posting your articles on the Net for free, especially if you can make a good penny from them from a reputable publisher.
3. Beware of vanity vultures. The Internet is swarming with people trying to make money from writers. If a ‘publishing company’ offers you the chance to have your work published ‘for free’ (free to you, and of course, free to them), be cautious. Poetry peddlers are infamous for such a lure. Poets are offered a chance to have their works published in special leather bound anthologies, but never get paid for their work. Even worse, these poets are told that they will have to pay for the anthology! Always check the company before floating your work into their lairs. You should be able to see a sample of the type of work that they publish.
In summary, it is really easy to get something you wrote somewhere. The question you must ask is whether you want to be paid for it, whether you will really gain any notoriety from it, and whether it will satisfy any promotional needs of yours.
Have fun writing.
Devrie Paradowski is an aviation weather forecaster and part time freelance writer. She has written several weather related articles for her local newspaper, “The White Falcon.” Her creative pieces have been featured by “Adagio Verse Quarterly,”
“Meeting of the Minds Journal,” “Poetry Renewal Magazine,” and “Eclips E-Zine”. She has also written dozens of content articles for the web, including such sites as Pagewise, Poetryscams.com, and Literaryescape.com. She is the author of a small poetry chapbook called “Something in the Dirt,” which can be found at http://www.lulu.com/devrie
The first Steps You Have to Do When You Email to New Subscribers to Earn Trust & Be Respected As An
This short email in opt tutorial shows you some of my favorite
tips and techniques for dealing with new subscribers to get them
hooked so they stay in your list.
The main goal of email in opt tutorial is to explain how to
develop a communication process with your new subscribers to
build trust.
One of the biggest aspects of online business is trust, and how
you are perceived. If you make a bad first impression, or come
off as someone just in it for the money, people are smarter than
that. They’ll see it coming a mile away, especially with all of
the scams and people getting ripped off today.
Email in opt tutorial is composed with two main parts if you
neglect one part things will go wrong. Please give all parts the
required attention.
Part one of email in opt tutorial - make sure you have a
system ready to take action!
Note: Don’t buy or rent a mailing list unless you make sure
the subscribers in the list know they will receive your
marketing messages.
Before you buy, rent email list or start collecting email
addresses from your web site, you need to have a solid system in
place that will allow you to communicate with your list and
allow them to get to know you and trust you.
Most of subscribers you will receive are new online users and /
or new businesses starters. They are info seekers. They opt in
because they want information about your product or service now.
They won’t wait for tomorrow to receive it.Use autoresponder to
offer free valuable information via email! All you have to do is
create your own series of email training to educate your
prospects.
- Get quality autoresponder service. You obviously can’t do this
on an individual basis, because it would be nearly impossible as
your list gets bigger, but you can easily do this through your
automatic responder services.Use addtracker to track your
potential clients foot steps and adjust your marketing efforts
accordingly.
- Make sure you have your tracking systems in place so you know
what’s going on once the promotions begin and the traffic hits.
Don’t do any guesswork. You need SCIENTIFIC numbers telling you
what’s going on, what’s happened and what you need to do to
increase sales and profits.
Part two of email in opt tutorial - How to structure your
autoresponder messages.
Don’t ruin your business by sending out 50 or more follow up
advertising messages. People are becoming very careful about
requesting anything for fear of being spammed to death for doing
it.
- Teach your subscribers.
Set up seven parts autoresponder email course. Each course
contains helpful information and quality gift related to the
course theme.
Email courses are a very good way to build your reputation as a
provider of useful information. Setup an email course series a
bout a hot topic. Give quality information in the course. Don’t
advertise any product during the course phase. Don’t show your
subscribers you are here only for money. Instead, invite them to
visit your website to see your special marketing offer, your web
site update, your quality free information, etc… and the ways
are endless to put your offer in front of your potential
customer.
In each course you may send a free quality brandable ebook or
software where you advertise your affiliate programs. Allow your
subscribers to brand the product with their name to help them
make money they will think you for doing so.
- Show them you are a real person.
Put your contacts info including your email address, your
physical address, phone number, etc… in all your outgoing
messages to make it easy for your subscribers to contact you and
feel they are dealing with an authentic marketer. Show them your
photo, your family photos or your employees’ photo. Send them to
where they can read about you.
- Let Your Subscribers Know You.
After your email course series is over hook your subscribers
with your follow up messages series.
Set up a series of follow up messages. You can set up a whole
series of follow up messages that show your potential customer
that you are concerned with their satisfaction and you are here
to help them succeed.
In your first tree messages or so do not promote any product or
service you are selling at all. These three messages are
designed to open an unstoppable dialog between you and your
potential customers to build relationship and trust.
Instead of sales pitches, you’ll be sending out to your new
subscribers a series of emails that talk about anything you want
but no product promotion. You may talk about yourself, your
likes & dislikes, your favorite hobby, what you do for a living,
any websites you have, etc. You can even talk about your family
and friends if you want.
After they receive your emails that talk about what you have
chosen to talk about. Invite your subscribers to contact you in
a friendly manner. Let them know you are there to help them. Ask
them to send you emails talking about anything and everything
they want to talk about. Your subscribers won’t contact you on
their own if you don’t invite them.
In this introductory phase of the process, keep sending to your
subscribers a quality information and gifts that they can’t find
elsewhere. When people see you as a provider of good information
that they can use and profit from, then your reputation and the
reputation of your company becomes more credible.
When this happens people will be more likely to buy your
products and services or indeed the products or services you
recommend them.
As soon as the communication starts up between you and your
subscribers, start collecting information about your
subscribers. Information like what business they are involved
in? What are their concerns and fears? Their gender, age, where
they live? What’s their problem?
Once you have built trust and collect information….
At this time start sending promotional messages that promote
quality products. Do not promote any product before you try it.
If you try to promote a product you have never used, it will
show. The visitor will see and feel the lack of sincerity and
your reputation will suffer accordingly. If you follow these
techniques you will build a quality email list of ready to buy
subscribers.
Permission email marketing is an art. Permission email marketing
is not a hard science. Without question, email marketing is the
most affordable and effective tool in your marketing arsenal.
You can use email marketing to maximize all of your other sales
and marketing activities and improve the return on investment
(ROI) of every dollar you spend to obtain new business.
If you want to buy targeted email list do it wisely. Do not send
messages to these lists unless you are sure that they know they
will receive marketing messages from you.